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Aaron Ekblad tops final 2014 NHL draft rankings

By Cory Buck

Jun 30, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; A general view of the stage between picks during the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 30, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; A general view of the stage between picks during the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NHL draft begins on Friday night, and while there is plenty of uncertainty as to which young prospects will go where, there is very little argument as to who belongs at the top. The consensus, per TSN, remains that Barrie Colts defenseman Aaron Ekblad is the best catch in the 2014 draft. Beyond that, it gets murky in a hurry.

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The 2014 draft class isn’t considered a strong one, but Ekblad’s consistency in the juniors has vaulted him to the top of most draft pundit’s rankings. Bob McKenzie notes that Ekblad ‘has owned or had a share of since last September’ a spot atop the prospect rankings list.

“Barrie Colt defenceman Aaron Ekblad is No. 1 on TSN’s Top 60 Final Rankings for the 2014 draft, a position he’s owned or had a share of since last September. Seven of the 10 scouts surveyed by TSN to compile the rankings had Ekblad at No. 1. No scout surveyed had him outside of the top three.”

Beyond Ekblad, the rankings can get messy. Forwards Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Leo Draisaitl and Michael Dal Colle round out the top five of most lists, but none are seen as slam dunk, bona fide franchise players. Instead all are seen as bright young players with great skill sets. While Ekblad isn’t a flashy choice at the top of the draft board, he represents a safer bet than any of the forwards.

The Florida Panthers currently own the no. 1 overall pick in the draft and are rumored to be interested in trading the pick. If they keep the pick, they are considered to be a shoo-in for Ekblad. If another team trades with Florida, the assumption is that they are doing so for a shot at Ekblad. We won’t know more on that front until the draft is under way on Friday, but for now the big prize of the draft is the same as it ever was. Soon we’ll find out if the NHL GMs agree with the general consensus.

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