
In anticipation of the 2014 NHL entry draft, Mckeen’s hockey scout Rick Springhetti shares his personal rankings of his top 30 NHL draft prospects. Today’s article focuses on his top 15 NHL entry draft prospects.
15- Nikita Schcrback, RW, Saskatoon
Extremely creative forward who makes excellent reads, Scherback has the hands and skating ability to manufacture offence and almost every shift.
14- Robby Fabbri, Centre Guelph
While there are some concerns over his smaller frame, Fabri has constantly improved his play during the season. A quick skater who is always moving his feet, he’s fearless and quick to take advantage of scoring opportunities.
13- Jared McCann, Centre, Sault St-Marie
Coaches love McCann’s attention to detail, work ethic and two-way play. At worse, he can be a very good two-way player but there could be some untapped offensive potential.
12- Jack Dougherty, Defence, USNTDP
Diligent, hard-working defenseman, Dougherty can really contribute offensively while still taking care of business in his own end.
11- Brendan Perlini, LW, Niagara
Pure offensive player with size and skating ability, Perlini is a finesse player who always looks to take a shot on net with no hesitation.
10- Brendan Fleury, Defense, Red Deer
Big defenseman who helps produce offence in many ways, be it with his ability to rush the puck up the ice, a solid first pass or a hard shot that hits the net
9- William Nylander, Centre, Sodertalje (Sweden)
Smaller forward who uses all areas of the ice to create scoring opportunities. Very unpredictable with the puck on his stick and excels at zone entries
8- Nick Ritchie, LW, Peterborough
Big, tough winger who can overpower almost any opponent, Ritchie also possess underrated skating and puck handling ability
7- Jake Virtanen, RW, Calgary
Physically aggressive forward with excellent speed, Virtanen will barrel through anyone when he gets a scoring opportunity
6- Nikolaj Ehler, LW, Halifax
A fantastic skater who handles the puck very well, Ehler is an undersized forward with an uncanny ability to make creative plays while moving at full speed.
5- Sam Reinhart, Centre, Kootenay
Probably the most intelligent forward at the draft, Reinhart makes great reads in all areas of the ice and his vision and passing ability while not spectacular but very effective.
4- Michael Dal Colle, LW, Oshawa
An extremely creative player in the offensive zone, Dal Colle has the abilities needed to take advantage of every scoring opportunity that comes his way.
3- Leon Draistail, Centre, Prince Albert
German forward with size, he excels at creating offensive due to his vision and soft hands.
2- Sam Bennet, Centre, Kingston
Intense center with a ton of skills, Bennett plays the game with speed, courage and smarts. Hard-nosed warrior who makes his teammates better.
1- Aaron Ekblad, Defense, Barrie
Complete two-way defenseman who can log a ton of minutes at a very young age, Ekblad is the total package both mentally and physically.
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