We finally have a little more clarity on the 2020 NHL draft thanks to the recent announcement from commissioner Gary Bettman. While we had been preparing for a potential early-June draft, there's going to be some more time to sort this class out.
But if you're rooting for one of the seven teams that will not be playing any more hockey this season and still have their first-round draft pick (sorry, San Jose), this look at what the top prospects do best among their peers might give you a little appetizer of what will be available.
It's important to note that individual skills are such a small part of the larger picture. When you look at a player such as Alexis Lafreniere, he might not grade out as the absolute best in a ton of categories, but his entire package of skills -- highlighted by superior hockey sense -- still makes him very much the consensus No. 1 prospect. Additionally, you'll find that most of the players (but not all) named below were on the top 100 ranking list that dropped earlier in the month. It goes to show that while the total package of what a player brings matters most, having a few elite traits can go a long way for making up for other areas of a player's game that might not be so strong.
Here is a look at more than 20 of the many, many skills I consider when judging players heading into the draft, and the best 2020 draft prospect in each area.
Jump to:
Skating | Shot | Passing
Defense | Physicality
HOCKEY SENSE
Forwards: Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
From his anticipation to his creativity in making space for himself, Lafreniere thinks the game at an advanced level. His ability to pick teams apart and dominate games doesn't simply come from his superior skill set.
Defensemen: Jake Sanderson, U.S. National Under-18 Team (NTDP)
He's about as true a two-way defenseman as there is in this draft class. Offensively, Sanderson picks his spots well, but he also never seems to be out of position defensively. He's such a reliable player because he's able to keep the game in front of him at all times.
SKATING
Forwards: Jean-Luc Foudy, C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Foudy has elite speed and is probably the fastest player end to end in this class. That speed is a big reason he entered the season on the radar for the first round. The rest of Foudy's game still needs to catch up to his feet, but he can absolutely wheel, and that is going to give him a chance to make it in the NHL.
Defensemen: Jamie Drysdale, Erie Otters (OHL)
Drysdale is not the fastest among defensemen, but he uses his edges better than anyone. His ability to create space and make plays with his feet is especially advanced. There's a deceptiveness to his mobility that makes up for the relative lack of explosiveness in his stride.
SHOT ACCURACY
Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa 67s (OHL)
Quinn shot the puck a lot this year, with 240 of those shots being on net. But while he shot with a high volume, he also scored on 21% of those chances. The thing I like about Quinn's shot is that he can place it under pressure. He picks the corners well and isn't afraid to let it fly from anywhere. Quinn is going to make the goalie work to make a save.
SHOT RELEASE
Alexander Holtz, RW, Djurgardens (Sweden)
Holtz can absolutely wire pucks with a variety of release points, making his shots both accurate and deceptive. With more of a sweeping release, his shots are heavy, and even if the goalie is square, Holtz has a good chance to blow it right past the netminder.
ONE-TIMER
Brendan Brisson, C, Chicago Steel (USHL)
Brisson seems to love the spot right near the right face-off dot to unleash an elite-level one-timer. Whether he is wound up or he is just snapping a puck, he is likely putting it in the back of the net if he gets an open look. The puck is off his stick in a hurry, and goalies pretty much have to hope he misses the net. Brisson also does a great job of delivering one-time passes.
PASSING
Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
This guy is definitely on the hands team. Perfetti is the best distributor in this class by a significant margin for me. While he has an excellent shot and release, he really threads passes through with remarkable proficiency. Whether on the rush or stationary, he is deadly on his own and full of options within the offensive zone.
VISION
Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Perfetti's ability to see the ice and find his teammates is exceptional. On top of that, he also has a great nose for the net and knows how to make the best shot or pass decision based on what's presented to him. It makes him one of the best overall playmakers in this draft.
STICKHANDLING
Lucas Raymond, LW, Frolunda (Sweden)
If you're looking for a player who can dance around defenders, protect the puck and make big-time offensive plays after creating space for himself, it's hard to do better than Raymond. He has the creativity and the confidence with the puck on his stick to make things difficult for opposing defenders.
CORNER/WALL BATTLING
Anton Lundell, C, HIFK (Finland)
I think Lundell is the best two-way forward in the draft, and a lot of it has to do with his competitiveness along the walls and his ability to fish pucks and then transition to offense right away. He does not have exceptional puck skills, but he thinks the game at a high level -- which, combined with good physical strength, has allowed him to win battles in games against professionals.
TRANSITION/RUSH
Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
With his speed and reach, a lot of Byfield's offense starts in his own end. Creating turnovers and getting pucks up ice in a hurry is something he did a lot this season. What I like best about him, though, is that he can make plays on the rush. It doesn't have to be a straight line all the way down, either; he's going to take the good ice and make a play.
ZONE ENTRIES
Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa 67s (OHL)
Quick hands and high-end vision make Rossi one of the guys you would really like carrying the puck into the zone. He has the one-on-one skill to make defenders miss, or at least back them down when they're trying to play him safer. While Rossi lacks explosiveness, there's a smoothness to the way he operates around the ice, and before he even gains the zone, he's already thinking about the plays he can make.
OVERALL DEFENDING
Jake Sanderson, D, U.S. National Under-18 Team (NTDP)
Mobility, gap control, positioning, discipline, hockey sense and speed are all plus traits for Sanderson in the defensive zone. He also has good physical strength and plays with enough physicality. There just aren't a lot of weaknesses in his game.
DEFENSIVE STICK
Daemon Hunt, D, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Hunt missed a lot of games this season, but when he does play, he anticipates well and really clogs up lanes with a good active stick. His combination of positioning, discipline and alertness makes him a guy who can really break up passes and zone entries despite not having particularly long reach.
PUCK RETRIEVALS
Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie Otters (OHL)
Puck retrieval is one of the great arts for defensemen, given the importance of absorbing a forecheck and transitioning pucks out of the zone. And Drysdale does it as smoothly as anyone. This is where his deceptive skating helps. He is hard to pin against the boards, and he has the vision and sense to find outlets quickly and break pucks out of the zone.
ZONE EXITS
Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie Otters (OHL)
As noted when it comes to the puck retrievals, Drysdale is an excellent transitional defensemen. His skating is a big part of his ability to get out of the zone and get his team heading toward the opposite net. He can skate it out himself or distribute to his outlets with relative ease. While he's not as strong as a static defender, his defensive value comes from his ability to get the puck to the other end of the ice quickly and proficiently.
COMPETE LEVEL
Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
Lafreniere has so many great tools, but I think this is one thing that really helps separate him from the pack. He plays the game with an undeniable passion, which shows in his willingness to engage physically and battle for pucks. His motor just does not quit.
ATHLETICISM
Jake Ratzlaff, D, Rosemount High School
Not many players have the choice between a hockey career and playing football at a high level, but that's the decision Ratzlaff faces. The junior defenseman at Rosemount High (Minnesota) is also a highly recruited outside linebacker with reported football offers from Minnesota -- where he is committed to play hockey already -- Wisconsin, Iowa and Iowa State. He is 6-foot-3, plays strong and has good mobility on the ice. And his physical game mirrors his dominance on the football field.
POWER
Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Being 6-foot-4 and more than 200 pounds at 17 years old is an incredible advantage that Byfield enhances with superior skating and puck protection. Once he lowers his shoulder, the defender is already toast. Byfield does need to get a little more aggressive with his physicality, but he's trending very positively in that regard.
BODYCHECKING
Tyler Kleven, D, U.S. National Under-18 Team (NTDP)
A big, physical defenseman, Kleven can really lower the boom on the opposition. He steps into forwards with regularity and can send them flying. He can get a little overly physical at times, which has led to some penalty issues, but he plays a heavy game, forcing opposing forwards to be alert. Hitting is probably his best individual skill.
GOALTENDING SKILL SET
Yaroslav Askarov, G, Neva St. Petersburg (Russia 2)
Last year, there was a variety in terms of which goalies did what best. But as I went through the bucket of goalie skills -- technique, competitiveness, poise, agility, footwork and more -- Askarov's name repeatedly was at the top of my list. The only skill area I would not grade him highly in is puck handling, with the nod going to Nicolas Daws (Guelph Storm, OHL) on that front. Askarov's total package of talent is one of the most complete I've seen.
Read here for more on Askarov's unique skill set and the rest of the 2020 draft's goaltending class.