When this poll first started a few years ago (at my previous employer) there were four NHL scouts taking part. The initial idea was to talk to scouts based in different coverage areas to see if they could provide some extra insight into prospects from places like the USHL, BCHL or Europe — leagues with players that were not a part of my daily CHL coverage.



In hindsight, the territorial premise might have been a bit naive because these days NHL scouts pretty much see everyone.



Another facet of this poll was the fact that I’m not a scout, nor do I pretend to be one. These are the guys sitting at team tables on draft day and whose views actually weigh in the decision-making process. The late E.J. McGuire, who ran NHL Central Scouting for years, used to call scouting an “imprecise science” and the really good evaluators understand the formula better than most.



Still, it’s always fun to put these lists together because it’s...