The Hockey News' 2009 Draft Prospect Rankings
John Tavares was a beast at the WJC, scoring eight goals and 15 points in six games. (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)
2009-01-20 13:05:00
Let the countdown to the 2009 NHL Entry Draft begin.
With a little more than six months to go until the next wave of NHL futures are ushered into the spotlight when the hockey world descends in Montreal, it’s time to look at who the top prospects are.
We polled scouts from across the NHL on who they had ranked among the top prospects eligible for this summer’s selection process. In turn, we used a formula to amalgamate all the lists into one master ranking for you to analyze and debate.
As expected, London’s John Tavares tops the charts fresh off a tremendous showing at the World Junior Championship. Victor Hedman, Tavares’ running mate for the No. 1 slot, came in at No. 2 in convincing fashion.
The following rankings are based on best player available and not based on team needs.
| RK. | PLAYER | TEAM | LEAGUE | POS. | HT. | WT. | THE BUZZ |
| 1 | John Tavares | London | OHL | C | 6-foot | 200 | Impressive WJC and scoring prowess comparable to Brett Hull |
| 2 | Victor Hedman | Modo | SEL | D | 6-foot-6 | 220 | A physical specimen who will intimidate, especially if he develops a mean streak |
| 3 | Matt Duchene | Brampton | OHL | C | 5-foot-11 | 196 | Tons of speed and a great release; blowing away last season’s offensive totals |
| 4 | Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi | Timra | SEL | LW | 6-foot-1 | 200 | Powerful skater is a nightmare to knock off the puck, but needs to finish more often |
| 5 | Jared Cowen | Spokane | WHL | D | 6-foot-5 | 218 | A towering stay-at-home defender with plenty of experience for a junior player and a Memorial Cup ring |
| 6 | Evander Kane | Vancouver | WHL | C | 6-foot-1 | 180 | A powerful frame with lots of room to grow; has become an offensive force this season |
| 7 | Brayden Schenn | Brandon | WHL | C | 6-foot | 193 | Excellent playmaker has a solid NHL frame to work with; brother Luke plays for the Leafs |
| 8 | Jordan Schroeder | Minnesota | WCHA | RW | 5-foot-9 | 175 | Small figure, but quick skating ability and soft hands translate well into “new NHL” |
| 9 | Jacob Josefson | Djugardens | SEL | C | 6-foot | 187 | Well-rounded player who doesn't shy away from rough stuff; held scoreless at WJC |
| 10 | Simon Despres | Saint John | QMJHL | D | 6-foot-4 | 214 | An imposing figure, Despres will be looked upon more for his shutdown ability over his offensive prowess |
| 11 | Nazem Kadri | London | OHL | C | 6-foot | 180 | Continues to improve rapidly since his rookie season; will benefit further from another long playoff run |
| 12 | Dmitri Kulikov | Drummond. | QMJHL | D | 6-foot | 190 | One of the best offensive defenseman in the ‘Q’ this year; Kulikov is deadly on the power play |
| 13 | David Rundblad | Skelleftea | SEL | D | 6-foot-2 | 189 | Tough defender to deal with down low also possesses wicked offensive potential |
| 14 | John Moore | Chicago | USHL | D | 6-foot-2 | 189 | Committed to Colorado College, Moore has the complete package of skills, plus great size |
| 15 | Ryan Ellis | Windsor | OHL | D | 5-foot-9 | 183 | Undersized offensive wizard can do anything and everything from the point on the power play |
| 16 | Peter Holland | Guelph | OHL | C | 6-foot-2 | 188 | Hardworking student of the game skates well and is producing at a steady clip |
| 17 | Tim Erixon | Skelleftea | SEL | D | 6-foot-2 | 189 | Has ability to create offense from the backend; skates well for his size |
| 18 | Landon Ferraro | Red Deer | WHL | RW | 5-foot-11 | 169 | Fastest skater at CHL skills competition, father Ray was an NHLer; scoring prowess clearly inherited |
| 19 | Jeremy Morin | U.S NTDP | NAHL | C | 6-foot-1 | 189 | American phenom is a prodigious scorer who excels on the power play |
| 20 | Scott Glennie | Brandon | WHL | C | 6-foot-1 | 180 | A consistent scorer with the Wheat Kings, but can he do it without Schenn on his line? |
Related Links
For a regular look at prospects and players we can't wait to see in the NHL some day, check out Rory Boylen's A Scout's Life and Ryan Kennedy's The Hot List.
For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.
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