Fansided

2020 NHL Draft Rankings: Top 10 prospects after March

By Simon Vacca

HAMILTON, ON - JANUARY 16: Alexis Lafreniere #11 of Team White and Quinton Byfield #55 of Team Red following the final whistle of the 2020 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at FirstOntario Centre on January 16, 2020 in Hamilton, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
HAMILTON, ON - JANUARY 16: Alexis Lafreniere #11 of Team White and Quinton Byfield #55 of Team Red following the final whistle of the 2020 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at FirstOntario Centre on January 16, 2020 in Hamilton, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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As fans await the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, let’s break down the top 10 prospects set to enter into the ranks of competition at hockey’s highest level.

Originally scheduled to take place in Montreal, Quebec, the 2020 NHL Entry Draft will allow for players born between Jan. 1, 2000, and Sept. 15, 2002, to be chosen by professional organizations to enter into the ranks of hockey’s top competition.

Initially set to have run from June 26-27, the NHL has since announced that the selection process for its present class has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Per a Mar. 25 statement from NHL Public Relations:

"The National Hockey League today announced the postponements of the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine, the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Awards, and the 2020 NHL Draft, which were originally scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y., June 18 in Las Vegas, and June 26-27 in Montreal, respectively, due to the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus. The location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized."

Few — if any — would trouble the notion that this is a trying time for NHL fans all around the world. As such, the attention among many continues to shift toward learning as much as possible about the current draft class.

With that, let’s take a look at FanSided’s top 10 NHL Entry Draft rankings for March.

PLYMOUTH, MI – DECEMBER 12: Jake Sanderson #48 of the U.S. Nationals controls the puck against the Switzerland Nationals during day-2 of game two of the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament at USA Hockey Arena on December 12, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. USA defeated Switzerland 3-1. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
PLYMOUTH, MI – DECEMBER 12: Jake Sanderson #48 of the U.S. Nationals controls the puck against the Switzerland Nationals during day-2 of game two of the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament at USA Hockey Arena on December 12, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. USA defeated Switzerland 3-1. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

10. Jake Sanderson

DOB: July 8, 2002 (age 17)
Position: D
Shoots: L
Team: USNTDP — USHL
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 185 pounds

Jake Sanderson is certainly bound to turn some heads, as he is the best under-18 talent that the USA Hockey National Team Development Program has to offer to this year’s draft.

At 17, the left-shot defender boasts a repertoire of skills — ranging from excellent skating to good puck movement to a high-end hockey IQ — that has continued to impress scouts at the NHL level over the course of the past few years.

What separates Sanderson from his counterparts, however, is his overarching sense of defensive prowess. Sanderson consistently marries offensive skill with strong play in his own end — a quality that promises to earn the defender high marks in a class that appears to be lacking in bet-worthy defensemen.

Look for many teams to be in on Sanderson, as he continues to improve his playmaking capacities.

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