With the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Season Rankings being released Monday comes the inevitable reaction on players ranked too high, too low, or not at all.
Fifteen players from New England made the list, along with numerous other prospects who play or previously played in the region, or are committed to a local school.
I fully understand that NHL Central Scouting has a tough task. The organization is asked to come up with a somewhat reputable rankings while being forced to list nearly 400 players when only 217 players were selected in the most recent draft.
I would like to see NHL Central Scouting cut down its list by about 100 players -- across the four categories of North American skaters and goaltenders and international skaters and goaltenders. There are far too many players listed each draft season who are destined to play Division III or who are merely average college players.
This is not meant to be a knock against certain prospects. Playing college hockey at any level is a terrific accomplishment and one that players should feel great pride in. However, it's hard to play in the NHL and organizations take great pain to go through a scouting process that will vet players properly.
NHL Central Scouting's employees work hard and do their best, but they are pressured by agents and area scouts to include certain players. It would be great if there could be a more fair way of going about the NHL Central Scouting process so the list was more of an accurate representation of what might happen come June.
One of the things I find most intriguing about NHL Central Scouting is the lack of value they put on level of competition. There is no right or wrong path as many different players continue to prove. However, it's mind boggling that average players in prep without a commitment are given a higher grade than a few players in the USHL who are pushing themselves and would surely be putting up ridiculous numbers if they were in prep.
A lot of people get upset that they think I'm knocking prep hockey. I am not. It is a great option for 99 percent of the population. Most importantly, playing prep hockey is a great life decision. Many of the prep hockey programs in the region are world class schools that offer great educations. Players who choose prep hockey have a much better chance of going to a great college, even if it's Division III. However, players who move on from prep or U-18 hockey in favor of playing in the USHL (or Canadian major junior for those north of the border) shouldn't be negatively impacted in scouting rankings because they didn't produce as much.
I'm not going to call out any of the players I feel are ranked too high or those who should not be on the list at all. I know the player field in New England, the USHL and NCAA far more than I do major junior in Canada or the Europeans.
Keeping that in mind, below are several players with ties to the region who I believe will be picked higher or should be given more credit than their mid-season grade from NHL Central Scouting:
Artem Shlaine (112th)
The Shattuck-St. Mary's first line center is a smart, playmaking center who is averaging nearly two points per game for the top ranked 18-U team in the country. His stride is a little bow-legged, but he gets to spots and plays with pace. He can slow the game down and he sees the ice well. Shlaine also is on the right side of the puck at all times and engages in all three zones. In five USHL games, he has three points. Committed to Boston University, Shlaine should be selected in the third or fourth round, which is higher than NHL Central Scouting's projection when you factor in Europeans to the list.
Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (212th)
The fact that Fontaine, the USHL's second leading scorer, is ranked below so many inferior players, including a couple who are Division III or below average Division I players, is absurd. He's proven over and over again in the world's top Junior A league that he's capable of producing points. He's on the smaller side and a large number of his points in the past have come on the rush. Still, he's a good hockey player and should be ranked ahead of just about every prep and many others on this list. The East Greenwich, R.I., native is committed to playing college hockey at Northeastern next fall.
Jack Williams (NR)
The Biddeford, Maine, native has always been one of the top scoring wingers in this age group. He's excelled at USA Hockey Player Development Camps and been selected to play for the Americans the past two summers at the Five Nations Tournament and the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. All of a sudden, he's less of a hockey player than countless '02s that he's always been better than? Truly absurd. He's challenging himself in the USHL and has 11 points in 30 games. The Northeastern commit had six points in nine games in Muskegon at the end of last season after pummeling the competition in 18-U hockey with South Kent Selects Academy. A Northeastern commit, Williams might not get drafted in June, but he'll be drafted in the future or will sign a free agent deal when his time is up at Northeastern.
Nick Capone (NR)
Capone, from East Haven, Conn., has five goals and seven assists in 22 games. A big winger, his skating and feet are issues. However, he's a physical menace on the ice and could be a bottom six winger at the pro level, especially if his skating continues to develop. The UConn commit is far better than a bunch of players on this list, but he's penalized for playing in a league where it is difficult to score.
Alex Gaffney (NR)
The West Orange, N.J., native has 10 goals and 12 assists in 31 USHL games. That's pretty good for a U-18 player in that league. He's improving as he's already matched his point total from his first USHL season in just over half the games. He's small, but he's quick and he's always been more of an offensive player than a couple of players from prep hockey who made the list.
Grant Riley (11th)
I've always been high on the Rochester, N.Y., native who recently committed to Boston College. The NAHL is an older league and for an '02 goaltender to have a save percentage above .900 in that league is nothing short of impressive. He's big, fundamentally sound, and moves well. Riley has had some big time performances over the years, but he's going through some growing pains as he makes the transition to prep hockey. There will not be 10 North American goaltenders picked before him in Montreal this June.
