We know which teams will be eligible for the lottery now, so get excited if your team is in the mix. With the CHL playoffs raging and the world under-18s about to start, there is still time for kids to make their case. But here's how our expert sees things going down right now.
Welcome to the third installment of my 2016 draft rankings. I will do one more ranking before the actual festivities throw down in Buffalo, but with the CHL playoffs getting serious and the influential world under-18s about to start, this seemed like a good time for a snapshot. Here are a few notes to frame things:
My rankings are based off numerous conversations with NHL team scouts/executives. They're the only ones with skin in the game, so I value them the most. From those conversations, I've been told that this year's crop is pretty good for about 20-23 picks and then the field is wide open. This is a sneaky way of me telling you the latter half of my first round may turn out to be off when all is said and done.
For now, my rankings are based off "best player available." This is pertinent because we would assume that Edmonton – guaranteed a top-five pick – will take a defenseman, based on organizational need. But anything can happen on draft day, so let's just go with BPA for now.
With that being said, here's my updated top 30: