NHL Central Scouting has released their final ranking for the 2021 NHL Draft and as expected, University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power leads the way among North American skaters. The 6’6″ defenseman is currently in Latvia playing at the IIHF World Championship with Team Canada and is the odds-on favorite to be selected first-overall this summer.
While two of Power’s Michigan teammates, Kent Johnson and Matthew Beniers are also highly ranked, the number two spot is somewhat of a surprise. Mason McTavish, who had usually been ranked a little further down the chart by other publications, slides in directly behind Power after his outstanding U18 tournament and experience overseas. When the OHL failed to return this season, McTavish went to play in Switzerland, where he was actually born while his dad Dale McTavish played pro hockey in 2003. In 17 games for EHC Olten, the 18-year-old center recorded 11 goals and 18 points.
The full rankings can be found here, but the top five on each list are:
North American Skaters:
D Owen Power
F Mason McTavish
F Kent Johnston
D Luke Hughes
F Dylan Guenther
North American Goalies:
G Sebastian Cossa
G Benjamin Gaudreau
G Tristan Lennox
G Olivier Adam
G Emerik Despatie
International Skaters:
F William Eklund
D Simon Edvinsson
F Aatu Raty
F Nikita Chibrikov
D Daniil Chayka
International Goalies:
G Jesper Wallstedt
G Aleksei Kolosov
G Patrik Hamrla
G Aku Koskenvuo
G Carl Lindbom