With all the major hockey draft guides out it’s time to compare what they offer versus their cost. Each guide has two common elements: players listed numerically along with player profiles (sometimes comprehensive, sometimes selective). The guides may have mock drafts, organisational comments, and/or a look at eligible overage players and European free agents. Other elements often included are a look at top players for the 2014 and 2015 drafts, but I don’t put much stock in them as I don’t see the value in that information.
I’ve arranged the guides by their cost:
ISS $59.95
Players listed: 220 (divided between skaters and goaltenders)
Player profiles: all
Organisational assessment: yes, but only as a grade and a list of “top prospects”
Mock draft: yes
Overage eligible/European free agents: no
RLR $50.00
Players listed: 315
Player profiles: top-115
Organisational assessment: yes (comprehensive)
Mock draft: yes (two of them)
Overage eligible/European free agents: yes
Hockey Prospects $39.99
Players listed: 210
Player profiles: all (including additional players who do not make their top-210)
Organisational assessment: no
Mock draft: no
Overage eligible/European free agents: no
Other: includes game reports on players
McKeen’s $30.00
Players listed: 120 (plus 32 honourable mentions or sleepers)
Player profiles: all
Organisational assessment: no
Mock draft: no
Overage eligible/European free agents: no
Future Considerations $19.99
Players listed: 210
Player profiles: all
Organisational assessment: no
Mock draft: yes
Overage eligible/European free agents: no
The Hockey News $4.99
Players listed: 100
Player profiles: top-60
Organisational assessment: yes
Mock draft: no
Overage eligible/European free agents: no
Red Line Report lists the most players (315), while The Hockey News has the fewest (100). Hockey Prospects has the most player profiles (more than ISS’ 220), while THN has the fewest (60). RLR has the most comprehensive organisational analysis and the most mock drafts (2). Only RLR looks at eligible overage draft players or European free agents, while only Hockey Prospects includes actual game reports as analysis. When it comes to pure cost for value Future Considerations is the best bargain while McKeen’s provides the least amount of value for the cost.
This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)
4 Comments
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
eyeonthesens 
[…] whom also predict the entire draft): 2013 68% (2nd out of 4), 2012 71% (3rd), and 2011 44% (4th). Last year I considered their guide the best deal available for fans and we’ll see how this one holds […]
[…] all of whom also predict the entire draft): 2013 65% (last), 2012 70% (last), and 2011 60% (2nd). Last year I considered their guide the second worst deal next to […]
[…] by their broad categories–I’ve arranged them by their cost (changes in price from last year are […]
[…] along with most other major sports, previously). Let’s go over the last seven years (2013 onward), since that’s how long I’ve broken down the guides in a way that includes […]