Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2020 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 31 to No. 1. The series, which includes evaluations and commentary from coaches and staff on more than 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 13 to Feb. 11.



Six of the top seven teams in this series share one thing in common: They all have serious depth, with legitimate prospects running into the double digits. The Avalanche are that other team, with a prospect pool that tails off early and more sharply. But the Avalanche are unique in one other way, too: Their top two prospects match up with any other team’s. That tandem, which might be the best 1-2 in the league presently, props up the pool as a whole.



That isn’t to say they are bereft of other interesting prospects, though. The Avalanche have intruding prospects at every position and some under-the-radar mid-level...