The best part about being an NHL draft and prospect analyst is watching players flourish and reach their full potential. Seeing them well before they reach the NHL and watching the step-by-step process of building their careers is fascinating.
Every single year, I come across new prospects that I end up taking a liking to more than most. You have to remain as objective as possible, but even NHL scouts will find players they go to bat for harder than others. They're often described as "players you pound on the table for" in draft meetings. In many cases, those players might be undervalued by consensus, but you see something that is special or there's something you know about the player that gives you cause to advocate for them.
Since I don't have a scouting room to pound on the table, I'll just do it here. Here are five of my favorite prospects for the 2020 NHL draft class and five already in an NHL system. An important clarity note: These aren't the best prospects or guys I rank No. 1 on my board, but rather players I rank higher than most. Let's start with some names set to be drafted in October.
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DRAFT-ELIGIBLES FOR 2020
Lukas Reichel, LW, Eisbaren Berlin (Germany)
My current rank: No. 18
Players on the front end of what I think will be a rapidly progressing development curve fascinate me. Looking at the season Reichel put together in 2019-20 leads me to believe he's on an NHL trajectory with some added time building strength and pace. The hand skills and hockey sense are sensational. His creativity is off the charts. There's no fear or apprehension in his game. Sure, he looks every bit of his age (17) right now, but there's still time for him to mature physically. Assuming his skill and speed maintain, he has a chance to be a pretty good NHL player.
Reichel is interesting because there's a chance he could go in the top 15 or not until the second round, based on the opinions I've heard. I'm obviously on the higher side. He's a skilled wing who produced at a high rate for his age in a league I think is far better than it's given credit for. Reichel has a high-end, deceptive release on his shot, and he can shoot off the rush with accuracy. Those skills project very favorably to being able to score at the next level. Only Marco Sturm and Marcel Goc scored more goals than Reichel's 12 in their under-18 seasons in the DEL.
And I actually think Reichel's playmaking ability might be even better than his release. The quickness with which he makes his decisions, including smart passes in traffic or on the rush, stands out. Despite his relatively slight frame, he gets into the hard areas of the ice and isn't afraid to get to the front of the net. After maybe another year in Europe and perhaps another season or two in the AHL, Reichel could be a really effective winger with a chance to grow into a top-six role down the line if everything breaks just right.
Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw (OHL)
My current rank: No. 5
There's a good chance Perfetti is going in the top five of this draft, so he's no sleeper. This just comes down to the enjoyment I get watching him play. His creativity and vision are off the charts, and he processes the game at such a high level, especially offensively. There are definitely concerns about pace and skating, but I'm not as concerned due to his elite hockey sense.
Perfetti is a legitimate shot-pass threat in the offensive zone, which forces teams to respect both, making him more difficult to defend. He takes the plays that are given to him, which I think is an especially assuring trait in his game. He's not always looking to pass, and he's not always looking to shoot. There are some players who can't get past that problem, and Perfetti has no issue there.
He was ninth in the OHL with 244 shots on goal, and I think he could have even shot more, but he made everyone around him better by just making the right plays instead of the plays he preferred. That -- plus a high-end release and some exceptional puckhandling ability -- makes him a really fun player to watch.
Marat Khusnutdinov, C, SKA St. Petersburg 2 (Russia Jr.)
My current rank: No. 35
I have always had a bit of a soft spot in my scouting for undersized Russian skaters, which doesn't necessarily always lead to great results. But what separates the 5-foot-11 Khusnutdinov is his tenacity. He has tremendous speed and pressures opposing defensemen, and he plays the game with some nastiness, which is what can help smaller players find their way. The puck skills are good, though not necessarily high-end. But can he ever fly. Khusnutdinov could be a really solid middle-six forward down the line.
I really enjoy watching players who pay attention to the details of the game and have the work ethic to make the most of those skills. Khusnutdinov is that kind of player. I have him ranked in the early second-round range, and I think that's a fair spot for him, though he might go later since he didn't really produce much in international events last season.
Egor Sokolov, LW, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
My current rank: No. 62
We go from one end of the spectrum to the other. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Sokolov is built like a refrigerator. Teams were concerned about his weight in previous drafts -- he was passed over in each of the past two drafts -- and his heavy feet didn't help, either. But Sokolov has been steadily improving his footwork and showed that he can hang with top players over the past season. Now eligible for a third year in this draft class, Sokolov should get picked.
He put up 92 points in 52 games for Cape Breton as one of the top scorers in the QMJHL. He also had a starring performance for Russia's silver medal World Junior Team, scoring some big goals over the course of the tournament. His gregariousness off the ice is merely an added bonus. In the right development system, and with some extra off-ice training, he could be a NHL power forward down the line.
Vasiliy Ponomarev, C, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
My current rank: No. 28
Sometimes you just have a feeling about a player, even though the numbers say maybe you shouldn't. Ponomarev is that player for me. He was excellent for Russia in international events last season but just OK in QMJHL play. I wonder how much of that is an adjustment to North America, which might be why I give Ponomarev a pass. Still, he had 49 points in 57 games for Shawinigan, which is really underwhelming.
Even so, Ponomarev has plenty of skill, though he does not deploy it nearly enough. I've seen him show flashes, where he does something incredible with the puck to create some space. He also has killer shootout moves -- he did a few things in practice sessions I literally had never seen before. Ponomarev is not a big hulking guy but is still really strong, and he's hard to take off the puck and challenges defenders with his strength. I think he could have a huge season in the Q next year, and I just feel good about taking a chance on him with my evaluation.
NHL-AFFILIATED PROSPECTS
Nick Robertson, LW/RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Undervalued at the 2019 draft, Robertson fell to 52nd overall, where the Maple Leafs felt they had acquired a first-round talent despite not having a first-round pick. Early indications would say they're probably right. Robertson scored 55 goals this season, putting together the highest goals-per-game average in the OHL since the 1990s and then got into games for Toronto during the play-in round, where they ultimately bowed out to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was my Prospect of the Year back in April for his tremendous campaign.
There are a few reasons I've been so high on Robertson. The first is his obvious skill. His shot release is truly elite, getting it off so quickly that junior goaltenders had a hard time picking it up off his stick. On top of that, Robertson has creativity with how he uses the neutral and offensive zones to generate chances. Those are big elements of his game.
His feet need to be quicker, and as we saw during his brief stint with Toronto in the bubble, he needs to get stronger. But those are things that can be addressed, and he makes up for some of those deficiencies with work ethic. He's so dogged in puck pursuit and does his best to get under opponents. His lack of size (5-9) didn't hinder him in junior, but it's going to be a bit harder to overcome in pro. I believe he can do it, though.
The other reason I've grown fond of Robertson is a conversation we had before his draft. I was interviewing him for our 'Scouttakes' series, and he had such a keen understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. Self-awareness is one of the most underrated tools a player can have in player development. Understanding deficiencies and where one needs to get to before he can become an NHL player is hugely important. I was really impressed by his thoughtful approach.
Cole Caufield, RW, Montreal Canadiens
I really enjoy goals. I'm sure you do, too. And Caufield scored 72 of them in his draft season. While he didn't score as many as I personally expected from him as a freshman at Wisconsin in 2019-20 (19 goals in 36 games), he was still a point-per-game player, which is really tough to do as a true freshman in college hockey.
I enjoy underdog stories, and Caufield has been one because of his 5-foot-7 size. The fact that he fell to 15th in the 2019 draft was another reminder that his size is going to always be an issue for some in the game. But I think his hockey sense and ability to create for himself really was on display last season. He did everything for a really poor Wisconsin team, and I didn't see his effort level wane amid frustration. This is a guy who wants to score every time he has the puck on his stick.
Trevor Zegras, C, Anaheim Ducks
Zegras is an absolute wizard with the puck on his stick. In fact, he might be the best passer currently outside of the NHL. His vision, his ability to find seams and his crisp passing make him an asset to his teammates. The ninth overall selection in 2019 threw together several highlight-reel plays as a zone-entry and assist machine for both Boston University during the 2019-20 season and Team USA at the World Juniors.
I really enjoy players who play with flair and are uncompromising in playing with skill. Zegras makes a ton of plays that other players simply can't make.
Akil Thomas, C, Los Angeles Kings
My adoration for Thomas' game is two-fold. First, the No. 51 pick of the 2018 draft has become an especially effective player at both ends of the ice, showing good work ethic and an ability to fit into any role his team needs. That was showcased on the biggest stage when he scored the late go-ahead goal against Russia that led Canada to the gold medal at the World Junior Championships last winter.
Secondly, I am always intrigued by hockey players who have interests outside of the game, as it's uncommon for players to be that way in junior or college. Thomas has his own clothing line and co-hosts an NHL-sponsored podcast called "Soul on Ice." This is a mature young man who is going to be an asset to any team he's on because of his thoughtfulness and spirit. Sometimes a player becomes one of my favorites more for who he is as a person than what he is as a player. It just so happens that I like both the person and the player with Thomas.
Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings
When evaluating Seider for his draft season, I saw him only on film. He still popped but not in a way that made me believe he'd be the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft. Then I got to see him live at the World Juniors and again in the AHL, and it was revelatory. His performance at the World Juniors on a shallow German team where he had to play seemingly every other shift was dominant. He had only a few even-strength goals against the entire tournament and could change the dynamic of the game when he was on the ice. It was one of the more impressive showings I've seen from a young prospect in all the years I've followed the World Juniors.
But even beyond his excellent playing ability, how can you not like him as a person? Seider showed up to the combine in a polo shirt, fashionable jeans and what he termed as "really nice" tennis shoes, despite the fact most players wear suits to the event. He didn't know any better, and I don't even think he cared. He's so comfortable with himself, and that's true on the ice, too. That will carry him far.