Every year, the NHL Central Scouting department goes through as many draft-eligible prospects as possible and compiles a list that teams often use as a rough guideline.

It allows teams and fans to identify players they may not have focused on or players that they may have much higher than general consensus in the league.

The preliminary list always designates players with letter grades rather than numerical rankings, giving a more casual look at the players in tiers. The letter grades break down as follows: 

• A Rating: Indicates a first-round candidate

• B Rating: Indicates a second- to third-round candidate

• C Rating: Indicates a fourth- to fifth-round candidate

• W Rating: Indicates a sixth- to seventh-round candidate

• LV (Limited Viewing): Injured players who have not had sufficient viewings to be categorized

This year’s NHL draft class has been quite fun to follow to start the year.

Gavin McKenna is the No. 1 on just about every list, playing at Penn State University and showcasing his puck skill and playmaking in every game. He’ll be tough to take down for first overall, but there are a few players who could have a shot. 

Another Canadian playing in the NCAA, Keaton Verheoff, has looked great on North Dakota’s blueline. He looks like the complete package on the back end. Ivar Stenberg, meanwhile, has been the top European to this point, tearing up the Swedish League. 

There were also quite a few surprises on the preliminary NHL Central Scouting list, though. Let’s look at a few players seeing their stock rise or fall early on in the season.

Stock Up: Alberts Smits, D, Jukurit (Finland)

The Latvian defender playing in Finland has been one of the most impressive defenders outside of the top tier this season.

A relative unknown to many coming into the year, the 6-foot-3 blueliner moves well, loves to get involved offensively and shows some really solid decision-making with and without the puck. He has looked really solid against men at the Liiga level, with five points in 13 games, and that’s earned him an A-grade from NHL Central Scouting.

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Stock Down: Viggo Bjorck, RW, Djurgarden (Swe.) 

There is no doubt that Bjorck is a talented, cerebral offensive player. His numbers have always backed that up, with three points in two U-20 games and four points in 11 SHL matches as a 17-year-old.

The issue many NHL scouts have with Viggo Bjorck is simply that the Swedish right winger is undersized at 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds and can get pushed around from time to time.

He’s an electric player with the puck, and he really understands how to generate offense in a variety of ways, but being a smaller player comes with the added doubts from NHL clubs. He ended up with a B-grade. 

Stock Up: JP Hurlbert, C/LW, Kamloops (WHL)

There were plenty of people excited about JP Hurlbert coming to the WHL, but no one expected him to be leading the league in scoring by six points after nearly a dozen games.

He has some habits that comes with smaller players despite being nearly six-foot, but his production has been unbelievable. His 24 points in 11 games gets him the A-grade, but he could find himself in the second round when the next list from NHL Central Scouting comes out.

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Stock Down: Adam Valentini, C/W, Univ. of Michigan (NCAA)

There is always a player who makes you question what NHL CS is doing, and Adam Valentini seems to be that guy this time.

Many feel like he is a first-round talent, but teams may be soured on his last-minute move to Michigan after committing to the Kitchener Rangers in the summer.

Valentini is a highly intelligent forward who plays a really steady two-way game. His offense hasn’t popped at the NCAA level, with six points in six games, but marking him down as a late-round pick with a W-rating seems a bit harsh.

Stock Up: Brooks Rogowski, C, Oshawa (OHL)

NHL teams are infatuated with size more than any other trait in a prospect.

With a good start in the OHL, Brooks Rogowski seems to be the giant that NHL teams want to get their hands on this year after 6-foot-5 left winger Ethan Belchetz comes off the board early.

The 6-foot-7 center has been a point-per-game player to this point, and while Rogowski's play is not always pretty, NHL teams are salivating at the idea of drafting a behemoth who could have some offensive upside. He received an A-rating.

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