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.



When I think about the approach I would take at the draft, or the prospect pool I would seek to build, the Hurricanes are the team that comes closest to that vision.



With most NHL teams, it’s hard to identify a clear vision in the way that they draft, as there’s a natural disparity between the way scouts assess players and that is normally reflected in the differences between their drafted player types from league-to-league or country-to-country. With the Hurricanes, the approach to team-building is transparent and appears consistent across departments from management on down to both the amateur and pro scouting...