Fresh off the heels of an exciting 2013 NHL Draft, McKeens Hockey releases its first look at the top names for the 2014 NHL Draft in our preliminary list. This will change and come into focus as the season gets underway in September and our first official ranking will follow once we have had a chance to do more scouting.
Unlike the 2013 draft, where the focus was on Seth Jones and Nathan MacKinnon, there are a 5 or 6 names to consider for the 1st overall ranking. Players like William Nylander and Jakub Vrana will make the push from overseas, while the CHL will have a significant impact as well, with players like Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekbald and Leon Draisaitl also in the mix for the first overall slot. The OHL has the potential to be one of the heaviest scouted areas in 2014, with 10 players in McKeens players in the initial rankings, which puts them tops among all development leagues.
The 2014 NHL Draft scouting season starts early for scouts, with the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Tournament and U20 camps starting up in Lake Placid next week, scouts are already preparing to get early looks at the top names available.
| RANK | PLAYER | POS | TEAM | HT/WT | DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Nylander Altelius | C | Sodertalje (Swe) | 5-10/170 | 01-May-96 |
| 2 | Sam Reinhart | C | Kootenay (WHL) | 6-0/185 | 06-Nov-95 |
| 3 | Nick Ritchie | LW | Peterborough (OHL) | 6-1/210 | 05-Dec-95 |
| 4 | Leon Draisaitl | C | Prince Albert (WHL) | 6-1/195 | 27-Oct-95 |
| 5 | Roland McKeown | D | Kingston (OHL) | 6-1/185 | 20-Jan-96 |
| 6 | Ryan MacInnis | C | NTDP (USA) | 6-3/170 | 14-Feb-96 |
| 7 | Aaron Ekblad | D | Barrie (OHL) | 6-3/210 | 07-Feb-96 |
| 8 | Jakub Vrana | RW | Linkopings (Swe) | 6-0/180 | 28-Feb-96 |
| 9 | Haydn Fleury | D | Red Deer (WHL) | 6-3/205 | 08-Jul-96 |
| 10 | Anton Karlsson | LW | Frolunda (Swe) | 6-1/190 | 03-Aug-96 |
| 11 | Jared McCann | C | Sault Ste Marie (OHL) | 6-0/175 | 31-May-96 |
| 12 | Michael Dal Colle | LW | Oshawa (OHL) | 6-2/175 | 20-Jun-96 |
| 13 | Brycen Martin | D | Swift Current (WHL) | 6-1/180 | 09-May-96 |
| 14 | Nick Schmaltz | C | Green Bay (USHL) | 5-11/170 | 23-Feb-96 |
| 15 | Jake Virtanen | LW | Calgary (WHL) | 6-0/190 | 17-Aug-96 |
| 16 | Alexis Pepin | C | PEI (QMJHL) | 6-2/195 | 24-Apr-96 |
| 17 | Sam Bennett | C | Kingston (OHL) | 6-0/170 | 20-Jun-96 |
| 18 | Jack Glover | D | NTDP (USA) | 6-3/185 | 17-May-96 |
| 19 | Joshua Jacobs | D | Indiana (USHL) | 6-2/195 | 15-Feb-96 |
| 20 | Blake Clarke | LW | Brampton (OHL) | 6-1/190 | 24-Jan-96 |
| 21 | Kaapo Kahkonen | G | Blues (Fin) | 6-1/195 | 16-Aug-96 |
| 22 | Sonny Milano | C | NTDP (USA) | 5-10/170 | 12-May-96 |
| 23 | Adrian Kempe | C | MoDo (Swe) | 6-1/170 | 13-Sep-96 |
| 24 | Alex Tuch | C | NTDP (USA) | 6-3/225 | 10-May-96 |
| 25 | Mason McDonald | G | Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) | 6-3/175 | 23-Apr-96 |
| 26 | Jacob Middleton | D | Ottawa (OHL) | 6-3/195 | 02-Jan-96 |
| 27 | Oskar Lindblom | RW | Brynas (Swe) | 6-0/185 | 15-Aug-96 |
| 28 | Kasperi Kapanen | LW | KalPa (Fin) | 5-10/165 | 23-Jul-96 |
| 29 | Joshua Ho-Sang | C | Windsor (OHL) | 5-11/160 | 22-Jan-96 |
| 30 | Matt Schmalz | LW | Sudbury (OHL) | 6-5/190 | 21-Mar-96 |