Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko Lead Central Scouting Mid-Season Lists

With the 2018-19 NHL season more than half over, the league’s Central Scouting Bureau has released their rankings of the best draft-eligible prospects from around the world. These players are eligible to be selected in just a few months at July’s draft in Vancouver, and two familiar names lead the way. Central Scouting breaks their lists into the top North American and International skaters and goaltenders, not directly comparing the groups. The top names from each are as follows:

North American Skaters:

1. C Jack Hughes, USA National Team Development Program
2. C Kirby Dach, Saskatoon Blades, WHL
3. C Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL
4. D Bowen Byram, Vancouver Giants, WHL
5. C Alex Turcotte, USA National Team Development Program

International Skaters:

1. RW Kaapo Kakko, TPS, Finland (Liiga)
2. RW Vasili Podkolzin, SKA St. Petersburg, Russia (MHL)
3. D Philip Broberg, AIK, Sweden (Allsvenskan)
4. C Ilya Nikolaev, Yaroslavl, Russia (MHL)
5. D Victor Soderstrom, Brynas, Sweden (SHL)

North American Goalies:

1. Spencer Knight, USA National Team Development Program
2. Hunter Jones, Peterborough Petes, OHL
3. Mads Sogaard, Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL

International Goalies:

1. Pyotr Kochetkov, Ryazan, Russia (MHL)
2. Samuel Hlavaj, Slovakia U20, Slovakia*
3. Hugo Alnefelt, HV71, Sweden (Jr.)

Hlavaj recently joined the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.