The 2014 NHL Draft remains a very close race for number one overall. None of the top contenders have separated themselves definitively and the picture is becoming increasingly competitive as Kingston’s Sam Bennett continues his rapid rise in the rankings unseating Leon Draisaitl from Prince Albert to enter the top three. Draisaitl was on a torrid eight game burst (8-8-12-20) before a difficult World Junior tournament that saw him ejected for two games.
Brendan Perlini progresses from #12 to enter the top ten at number eight while climbing to fifth in goal scoring in the OHL with 28 in 44 games (44-28-32-60), 12 of them scored since December 13th.
Michael Dal Colle holds his fourth place ranking while slightly edging Sam Bennett in OHL scoring. He currently ranks 5th (46-29-38-67) while Bennett is 6th (40-26-40-66). An impressive Top Prospects game in which he scored, and could have had more, solidified his status.
Sam Reinhart holds tenaciously to the number one spot despite a growing crowd of contenders. Captaining his squad in the Top Prospects game with a commanding performance highlighted his potential versus his peers.
Here are our Mid Term Rankings:
| RANK | LAST | PLAYER | POS | TEAM | HT/WT | DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sam Reinhart | C | Kootenay (WHL) | 6-1/185 | 06-Nov-95 |
| 2 | 2 | Aaron Ekblad | D | Barrie (OHL) | 6-3/215 | 07-Feb-96 |
| 3 | 5 | Sam Bennett | C | Kingston (OHL) | 6-0/180 | 20-Jun-96 |
| 4 | 4 | Michael Dal Colle | LW | Oshawa (OHL) | 6-2/180 | 20-Jun-96 |
| 5 | 3 | Leon Draisaitl | C | Prince Albert (WHL) | 6-2/210 | 27-Oct-95 |
| 6 | 6 | Nick Ritchie | LW | Peterborough (OHL) | 6-2/230 | 05-Dec-95 |
| 7 | 9 | Jared McCann | C | Sault Ste Marie (OHL) | 6-0/180 | 31-May-96 |
| 8 | 10 | Nikolaj Ehlers | LW | Halifax (QMJHL) | 5-11/165 | 13-Feb-96 |
| 9 | 12 | Brendan Perlini | LW | Niagara (OHL) | 6-2/205 | 27-Apr-96 |
| 10 | 8 | Haydn Fleury | D | Red Deer (WHL) | 6-2/200 | 08-Jul-96 |
| 11 | 7 | Jake Virtanen | RW | Calgary (WHL) | 6-1/205 | 17-Aug-96 |
| 12 | 13 | Julius Honka | D | Swift Current (WHL) | 5-10/180 | 03-Dec-95 |
| 13 | 19 | Ivan Barbashev | C | Moncton (QMJHL) | 6-1/185 | 14-Dec-95 |
| 14 | 16 | Adrian Kempe | C | MoDo (Swe) | 6-1/185 | 13-Sep-96 |
| 15 | 15 | Nick Schmaltz | C | Green Bay (USHL) | 5-11/175 | 23-Feb-96 |
| 16 | 11 | William Nylander | C | Rogle (Swe) | 5-11/175 | 01-May-96 |
| 17 | 20 | Dylan Larkin | C | NTDP (USA) | 6-1/195 | 30-Jul-96 |
| 18 | 21 | Joshua Ho-Sang | C | Windsor (OHL) | 5-11/165 | 22-Jan-96 |
| 19 | 25 | Sonny Milano | LW | NTDP (USA) | 5-11/185 | 12-May-96 |
| 20 | 24 | Anton Karlsson | LW | Frolunda (Swe) | 6-1/190 | 03-Aug-96 |
| 21 | 22 | Alex Tuch | RW | NTDP (USA) | 6-3/215 | 10-May-96 |
| 22 | 17 | David Pastrnak | RW | Sodertalje (Swe) | 6-0/170 | 25-May-96 |
| 23 | 26 | Jakub Vrana | RW | Linkopings (Swe) | 5-11/185 | 28-Feb-96 |
| 24 | NR | Nikolai Goldobin | RW | Sarnia (OHL) | 5-11/185 | 07-Oct-95 |
| 25 | 23 | Kasperi Kapanen | RW | KalPa (Fin) | 6-0/180 | 23-Jul-96 |
| 26 | 14 | Brycen Martin | D | Swift Current (WHL) | 6-2/185 | 09-May-96 |
| 27 | NR | Jack Glover | D | NTDP (USA) | 6-3/195 | 17-May-96 |
| 28 | 29 | Robert Fabbri | C | Guelph (OHL) | 5-10/170 | 22-Jan-96 |
| 29 | NR | Jack Dougherty | D | NTDP (USA) | 6-1/185 | 25-May-96 |
| 30 | 18 | Roland McKeown | D | Kingston (OHL) | 6-1/195 | 20-Jan-96 |