2020 NHL Draft Big Board: Ranking the top 10 prospects
Whenever the 2020 NHL Draft is held, these 10 prospects will probably be the first 10 picked.
The 2020 NHL Draft is still up in the air, but since all of the prospects have finished their draft seasons, it’s time to take a look at the top prospects in the draft. We’ll be taking a look at the top 10 prospects. Note this isn’t a mock draft, as mock drafts consider a team’s need as well. This purely looks at a prospect’s likelihood of success.
I don’t like comparing prospects to each other, especially not in a deep draft. That’s why I’ll be using tiers. We’re considering everything in our rankings, but talent and knowing how to use it are weighted quite heavily. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 10 prospects. But first, some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
My last two prospects left off this list were defenseman Jake Sanderson and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. Sanderson did the next to impossible by making the competition for the best defenseman close. Drysdale was running away with it, but he caught up. That said, Sanderson’s offensive upside is a tad bit limited, so that’s why I didn’t have him in my top 10.
As far as Askarov, I used to have a strict “don’t ever draft a goalie in the first round” rule. You can usually find perfectly capable ones later in the draft and, frankly, goaltending is voodoo. That said, Askarov has completely changed my view. He’s worth drafting in the first round because he has every single tool you want to see in a franchise goalie. And a franchise goalie is probably the most valuable position in hockey.
Tier 1: The Elite
1. Alexis Lafreniere
Alexis Lafrenière is by far the best prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft. He entered the 2019-20 season as the consensus top prospect and he only strengthened his case in his draft season. Serving as the captain for Rimouski Océanic, he picked up 35 goals, 77 assists, and 112 points.
Lafrenière’s performance at the 2020 World Juniors was an exclamation point, as he picked up 10 points in 5 games. He was named to the tournament All-Star team and was also named the best forward and most valuable player.
He led the QMJHL in assists and points. On top of that, Lafrenière was recently named the CHL Player Of The Year. For the second straight season, he won the QMJHL Most Valuable Player Award, as well as the QMJHL Personality Of The Year Award.
Lafrenière’s skill is top-notch and his speed is very impressive. Most importantly, he can make plays at his top speed. Lafrenière had one of the best junior seasons in recent memory and managed to exceed his sky-high expectations this season. He should be an immediate impact player in the NHL. Whoever gets him is going to be extremely happy.