The Hockey Prospect’s 2012 NHL draft guide is out and here’s a look at their top-30 rankings along with my thoughts about the publication:
1. Alex Galchenyuk
2. Nail Yakubov
3. Ryan Murray
4. Griffin Reinhart
5. Zemgus Girgensons
6. Filip Forsberg
7. Jacob Trouba
8. Teuvo Teravainen
9. Morgan Rielly
10. Derrick Pouliot
11. Slater Koekkoek
12. Mikhail Grigorenko
13. Cody Ceci
14. Matt Dumba
15. Radek Faksa
16. Brandan Gaunce
17. Phillip Di Giuseppe
18. Pontus Aberg
19. Thomas Wilson
20. Tomas Hertl
21. Tim Bozon
22. Brady Skjei
23. Dalton Thrower
24. Patrick Sieloff
25. Matthew Finn
26. Olli Maata
27. Andrei Vasilevski
28. Malcolm Subban
29. Colton Sissons
30. Jake Dotchin
This is the so-called “Black Book” edition from Hockey Prospect‘s and despite its girth (over 300 pages) it does not include any specific organisational material nor a mock draft. HP’s rankings differ radically from the other major publications, with a devaluation of European talent to the benefit of North Americans (particularly US players). In terms of their prognostication, last year they were the second most accurate among total players drafted (47%), but dead last among player X selected in round X.
There’s no good reason for draft fans to buy this pricey product. The less expensive version is sold out, but might have been worth it just for HP’s perspective. The Black Book includes very detailed profiles, but these are no different than those found elsewhere. The one element that makes the book unique are their game-by-game scouting reports, but it’s hard to imagine many readers need this kind of detail.
eyeonthesens 