NHL Central Scouting releases final rankings for 2020 Draft
By @MichaelCaples –
NHL Central Scouting has released its final rankings for the upcoming 2020 NHL Draft, and there are plenty of Michigan names on the list.
For the Red Wings’ portion of the rankings, here’s a look at the top four players – the top three North Americans and the No. 1 European – since Detroit is guaranteed a top-four pick whenever the draft ends up taking place:
North American skaters
No. 1 – Alexis Lafreniere
The expected No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lafreniere led the QMJHL with 112 points in 59 games played. He was the MVP and top forward in the 2020 World Juniors, and was the CHL player of the year in 2018-19.
No. 2 – Quinton Byfield
He’s been moving up and down on projection lists, but this time, Byfield checks in at No. 2 – at least among North American skaters. Last year’s OHL and CHL rookie of the year led his Sudbury Wolves with 82 points in 45 games in 2019-2020.
No. 3 – Jamie Drysdale
At No. 3, Drysdale ranked 13th among OHL defensemen with 47 points in 49 games in 2019-2020. He was a member of the Team Canada squad that won gold at the World Juniors.
International skaters
No. 1 – Tim Stuetzle
Competing with Byfield for the No. 2 spot in the actual draft, Stuetzle was named rookie of the year in Germany’s top league with 34 points in 41 games. He would be the third German-born and trained player picked in the top 10, joining Leon Draisaitl and the Red Wings’ own Moritz Seider.
Michigan names (skaters)
No. 4 – Jake Sanderson – Defenseman – NTDP
No. 5 – Cole Perfetti – Center – Saginaw Spirit
No. 20 – Brendan Brisson – Center – Chicago Steel (Michigan commit)
No. 24 – Ty Smilanic – Center – NTDP (Belle Tire, Little Caesars alum)
No. 29 – Thomas Bordeleau – Center – NTDP (Michigan commit)
No. 40 – Luke Tuch – Left Wing – NTDP
No. 41 – Danil Gushchin – Left Wing – Muskegon Lumberjacks
No. 42 – Tyler Kleven – Defenseman – NTDP
No. 43 – Dylan Peterson – Center – NTDP
No. 44 – Brock Faber – Defenseman – NTDP
No. 45 – Brett Berard – Left Wing – NTDP
No. 49 – Mitchell Miller – Defenseman – Tri-City Storm (HoneyBaked, Compuware alum)
No. 51 – Eamon Powell – Defenseman – NTDP
No. 56 – Antonio Stranges – Left Wing – London Knights (Plymouth native)
No. 62 – Sean Farrell – Center – Chicago Steel (NTDP alum)
No. 67 – Tanner Dickinson – Center – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, Belle Tire, Victory Honda alum)
No. 68 – Jacob Truscott – Defenseman – NTDP (Port Huron native, Michigan commit)
No. 77 – Ethan Edwards – Defenseman – Spruce Grove Saints (Michigan commit)
No. 82 (International Skater Rankings) – Victor Mancini – Defenseman – Frolunda Jr. (Saginaw native)
No. 88 – Landon Slaggert – Left Wing – NTDP
No. 92 – Chase Yoder – Center – NTDP
No. 102 – Ryder Rolston – Right Wing – Waterloo Black Hawks (Birmingham native, NTDP alum)
No. 104 – Carson Bantle – Left Wing – Madison Capitols (Michigan Tech commit)
No. 109 – Yevgeni Oksentyuk – Left Wing – Flint Firebirds
No. 125 – Kristof Papp – Center – Des Moines Buccaneers (Michigan State commit, HoneyBaked and Belle Tire alum)
No. 142 – Danny Weight – Center – Penticton Vees (NTDP alum)
No. 157 – Daniel Laatsch – Defenseman – NTDP
No. 159 – Ben Schoen – Center – Youngstown Phantoms (Little Caesars alum)
No. 162 – Declan Carlile – Defenseman – Merrimack (Hartland native)
No. 185 – Cameron Berg – Center – Muskegon Lumberjacks
No. 186 – Kienan Draper – Right Wing – St. Andrews College (Birmingham native)
No. 199 – Zakary Karpa – Center – NTDP (HoneyBaked alum)
No. 200 – Austen Swankler – Center – Erie Otters (Oakland Jr. Grizzlies alum)
No. 204 – Hank Kempf – Defenseman – Muskegon Lumberjacks
No. 206 – Hunter McKown – Center – NTDP
Limited Viewing – Michael Gildon – Left Wing – Ohio State (NTDP alum)
Michigan names (goaltenders)
No. 2 – Drew Commesso – NTDP
No. 15 – Noah Grannan – NTDP
No. 25 – Cameron Rowe – Des Moines Buccaneers (NTDP alum)
No. 31 – Mack Guzda – Owen Sound Attack (HoneyBaked alum)