Heading into the start of this season, I emphasized caution on calling the 2015 prospects a "super" draft class, as you typically need to wait a few months to see how things play out.
I don't think we have that perfectly clear picture yet, but as of now, it's become substantially clearer that this is going to be a strong draft class. I still reserve judgment on calling it a "super" class (a la 2003), but the top of the draft as well as the bulk of the first round will be strong. In terms of establishing tiers of picks, I believe there is a drop after picks No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5.
Most of my scouting reports can be found in my previous top 30, so this edition features any updates to those notes along with reports on the new players on the list.
Here are the top 30 prospects for the 2015 draft, and if you're a longtime reader of mine, there will be no surprises for you at the top:
1. Connor McDavid, C, Erie (OHL)
Previous ranking: 1
McDavid was the subject of an in-depth scouting report earlier this season, and he's continued to show why he's believed to be a true generational talent. Yes, his recent hand injury is unfortunate, especially if he misses the IIHF World Junior Championship. But he's still the best prospect in the class by a mile -- and I think the world of Jack Eichel.
2. Jack Eichel, C, Boston University (NCAA, Hockey East)
Previous ranking: 2
As a freshman, Eichel's leading the NCAA in scoring, looking to push Zach Parise for the greatest 18-year-old seasons in college history. Under-20 NCAA freshmen who score a point per game are typically considered top-flight prospects; nearing two points per game as an 18-year-old in a strong conference is loco.
3. Noah Hanifin, D, Boston College (NCAA, Hockey East)
Previous ranking: 4
I know some NHL scouts will disagree with me on this one, but for me, nobody's taken a stranglehold on the No. 3 spot yet. Hanifin, Dylan Strome and Oliver Kylington are all giving me reasons to label them elite prospects, but I'm not 100 percent convinced on any of them yet. Hanifin has a lot going for him: He's a ridiculous skater for a defenseman his size, and very skilled. He would do well to clean up some of his defensive skills, however.
4. Dylan Strome, C, Erie (OHL)
Previous ranking: 10
Strome's going to be under the microscope for the next month. With McDavid out, everyone is looking to see how much Strome's production falls off without that giant presence alongside him. Granted, Strome has looked fantastic in his own right on a scouting level, and he's only really played with McDavid on the power play, but it's a big question no matter how you slice it.
5. Oliver Kylington, D, AIK (SHL)
Previous ranking: 3
Kylington has been very impressive offensively, but had struggled with the defensive parts of his game, leading to a reassignment to Sweden's tier 2 league so he can get some more ice time. His skating is among the best in the draft, but rounding out his game will be important to maintain his top-5 status.
6. Mitch Marner, RW, London (OHL)
Previous ranking: 12
Marner's production was so-so to start the season, but he's exploded as of late, going on an 11-game point streak in which he notched 28 points and is now among the top scorers in the OHL. I'd like to see his skating be a little more dynamic given his stature, but his skill level is truly elite.
7. Jeremy Roy, D, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
Previous ranking: 8
Roy has been simply outstanding to start the season -- as good offensively as some of the better forward prospects in this draft -- while still being solid defensively. He's not the biggest guy, but when you combine his high-end skating, skill and hockey IQ, there's little doubt in my mind he's among the top prospects in this class.
8. Zach Werenski, D, Univ. of Michigan (NCAA, Big Ten)
Previous ranking: 11
Werenski has been unbelievable for Michigan, especially considering he's a 17-year-old. He can dominate the game in a quiet way, but he's a very gifted skater and puck mover with top-end hockey sense. The number of scoring chances he's been in on has been quite unusual.
9. Pavel Zacha, LW, Sarnia (OHL)
Previous ranking: 6
Zacha's been pretty good -- albeit not outstanding -- in his first full season in North America. He's certainly an exciting player to watch: He's a very good skater, with a fairly high-end skill level for a big man and has great intangibles, as well. It would surprise nobody to see him have a giant scoring spike in the second half of the season.
10. Mathew Barzal, C, Seattle (WHL)
Previous ranking: 7
Barzal got off to a pretty good start considering his team hasn't helped him much, but an unfortunate injury has possibly knocked him out for another few months. It shouldn't affect his draft stock all that much, as he should get plenty of WHL games to showcase to scouts. Given how Seattle is tracking, we may see him at the IIHF under-18 championship, as well.
11. Ivan Provorov, D, Brandon (WHL)
Previous ranking: 26
Provorov has been one of the top under-18 scorers in the WHL in his rookie season. He's a great skater and puck mover who is very elusive and can create all sorts of offensive momentum. He's not a big guy, but he already has a decent strength level for a player his age. Don't be surprised to see him at the WJC, despite being 17 years old.
12. Colin White, C, USNTDP (USHL)
Previous ranking: 9
White has been suffering from mononucleosis this season; in fact, he was playing through it for a decent chunk of time, which likely led to a just-OK amount of production. He played very well at the under-18 tournament this month, showing his vision, two-way play and creativity. With improved health, he should get his production back on track to being among the top NTDP players.
13. Nick Merkley, RW, Kelowna (WHL)
Previous ranking: 23
Merkley has led the WHL in scoring for lengthy portions of this season so far. There's not a whole lot more you can ask from the guy, other than maybe some better work on the defensive end. He's an exciting player to watch with his speed, vision and puck skills even if he's not the biggest or toughest guy in the world.
14. Jeremy Bracco, RW, USNTDP (USHL)
Previous ranking: 15
Bracco has been producing points at an insane pace -- 39 in 20 games -- to the point where he's threatening to break the all-time USNTDP record held by Patrick Kane (102). His pure talent is electrifying, and what scouts discuss about Bracco is that even at 5-foot-9, he never seems to be taken out of a game by being challenged physically. He's not overly tough, but he's very consistent.
15. Kyle Connor, C, Youngstown (USHL)
Previous ranking: 19
Connor has been outstanding in the USHL, his second straight season being one of the league's top players. He's a very good skater who plays with energy and pace, but has been adding some extra east-west components to his game this season. He could very possibly be at the WJC for Team USA this season, especially if Nick Schmaltz's injury puts him out of consideration.
16. Travis Konecny, C, Ottawa (OHL)
Previous ranking: 5
Konecny's production to date has been underwhelming, to put it bluntly, and I say that as a giant fan of the player. He hasn't even performed poorly -- 12 points in 18 games is nothing to mope about -- but this is after he was one of the OHL's leading scorers as a 16-year-old. When I've watched him, he's looked really good, so I'm not dropping him too much yet; however, he has to get his scoring back on track.
17. Daniel Sprong, RW, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
Previous ranking: 13
Sprong's stats haven't been tremendous to start the season, but he certainly shows elite flashes and it's very likely a scoring surge is coming. His explosive element is among the very best in the draft class, between his skating and puck skills. He's an entertainer in terms of how he plays, and he can create a ton of offense.
18. Lawson Crouse, LW, Kingston (OHL)
Previous ranking: 16
Crouse hasn't put up a lot of points so far, but he's an extremely versatile player. His size is evident; he uses his frame well, can kill penalties, skates very well for his size and has above-average skill, too. I know some NHL teams see him as a top 5-7 pick, and while I don't see that level of skill, I do see what makes him very appealing.
19. Mitchell Vande Sompel, D, Oshawa (OHL)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Vande Sompel is a small defenseman at 5-10, but he has looked quite impressive since the start of the season. He's one of the top scoring defensemen in the OHL, and has impressed for Canada at both the under-18 and under-20 levels. He's a very good skater who can be a great power-play quarterback. He struggles to win battles -- understandably so, given his size -- but overall, his defensive IQ is impressive. Oddly enough, he kills penalties as a forward.
20. Erik Cernak, D, HC Kosice (Slovakia)
Previous ranking: 17
Cernak has been on the prospect radar for so many years it's easy to overlook his talents and accomplishments, but he's going to have more than two full seasons in Slovakia's top league before his 18th birthday. He's big, he's mobile and he's skilled. He needs to improve some of his reads, but he's still pretty solid defensively.
21. Jansen Harkins, C, Prince George (WHL)
Previous ranking: 25
Harkins has never really jumped out at me in a game in a "wow" or highlight-reel fashion, but he's a smart player and simply finds ways to be effective on a regular basis. I have talked to some pro scouts who feel he's a top 10-15 candidate, and while I see the argument, I'm not 100 percent of the way there.
22. Evgeni Svechnikov, LW, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
Previous ranking: 22
Svechnikov has been pretty solid since coming over from Russia, sitting among the QMJHL's top 15-20 scorers for most of the season. He already has a pretty developed big frame to couple with great offensive skill. He has some puck skills to work on, but so far so good for Svechnikov in his draft season.
23. Denis Malgin, C, GC Lions (Switzerland)
Previous ranking: 20
Malgin is a fantastic prospect, and if you matched him up with any of the best Swiss forward prospects of the past decade, his resume and skill level is up to par with almost any of them. He's played well between the A and B division of Switzerland's top leagues, to couple with excellent international play. The little guy is a dynamic scorer and will be a player to monitor closely at the WJC.
24. Michael Spacek, RW, Pardubice (Czech Extraliga)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Spacek has so far scored seven points in the Czech Republic's top league, which is somewhat rare for a 17-year-old. Only three players of that age in the past 10 seasons have gone over 10 points (Dmitrij Jaskin, Jiri Hudler, David Kveton) and none over 15. Spacek is a good all-around player, whose only real weakness is his size. He has all the offensive tools, and has an energetic flair on the ice.
25. Matt Spencer, D, Peterborough (OHL)
Previous ranking: 18
Spencer was so-so in his first OHL season, but the former third overall OHL draft pick in 2013 is so gifted I expect a big performance from him in 2014-15. He's a really skilled puck handler who sees the ice well and has the skating tools to evade pressure and get up in the attack. With more consistency and an adjustment to a faster pace like he showed at the recent Ivan Hlinka tournament, I think he'll be a good one.
26. Rasmus Andersson, D, Barrie (OHL)
Previous ranking: 14
Andersson is a really tough player to read. He was so highly touted a few years ago, and has had some very impressive seasons output-wise. His skill level is high end, and he thinks the game well with the puck. However, there are some concerns with his skating and, at times, his defense. I alternated between ranking him as high as 15th to leaving him off the top 30 entirely. He has a lot to prove in the coming months.
27. Sebastian Aho, LW, Karpat (Liiga)
Previous ranking: Honorable mention
You are all going to need to stay with me on this one for the remainder of the draft season: There are two Sebastian Ahos, we are not making an error. What's worse is that I consider both of them top prospects, so they'll be appearing many times as we approach draft day. The Finnish forward Aho is a quick, skilled player who lacks physical advancement, but has all the raw hockey skills.
28. Nicolas Meloche, D, Baie Comeau (QMJHL)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Meloche is a really interesting player. He certainly can put up the points, but I'm not sure I'd classify him as an offensive defenseman. While he has a lot of skill and gets up in the attack, that's not all he has in his arsenal. I've seen many games where he looks like a player who can get involved in all the rough stuff, too.
29. Brock Boeser, RW, Waterloo (USHL)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Boeser has been fantastic in the USHL to start the season, being among the league's leading scorers. Truth be told, he's never wowed me when I've watched his games, so this high opinion is based more on discussion with other scouts. He has a good enough skill level to see the ice and make some plays, on top of being a great goal scorer who can finish off a high percentage of his chances. However, for a guy who isn't a giant, he needs to get a little quicker.
30. Yakov Trenin, LW, Gatineau (QMJHL)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Trenin hasn't played in any major international events during the past few years, and thus probably hasn't built up much prestige. But when you watch him, it's hard to not be impressed. He's huge, strong, skilled and good in both ends of the rink. He's not the quickest guy on the ice, but he's still involved in a lot of offense.
Honorable mentions (listed in alphabetical order)
Sebastian Aho, D, Skelleftea (SHL)
Anthony Beauvillier, C, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
Filip Chlapik, C, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
Nikita Korostelev, RW, Sarnia (OHL)
Jens Looke, RW, Brynas (SHL)
David Kase, LW, Chomutov (Czech-2)
Thomas Novak, C, Waterloo (USHL)
Nicolas Roy, RW, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
Aleksi Saarela, C, Assat (Liiga)
Jakub Zboril, D, Saint John (QMJHL)