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.



There were some extremely challenging decisions throughout the authoring of this series. I have flip-flopped on whether the Senators’ pool should have been a spot or two higher or whether the Blackhawks’ pool should have been a rung or two lower. That’s the nature of this — of evaluating teenagers. It’s fluid. They can plateau as quickly as they can climb.



But the Kings were always going to be No. 1. There’s no hesitation with this decision. It’s clearcut.



Not only do the Kings have four of the better prospects in hockey, they also have a depth of legitimate prospects that...