'Tis the season for draft rankings, as Central Scouting released its mid-term list, while other sources are expected to follow suit. I am no different, so I've put together my top-40 for your perusal. Why 40 names for a draft that typically features 31 picks per round? Simple: when talking to scouts, I often find players classified as being in the 25-40 range. Those players might be first-rounders, but they may also slip into the second. Since fans will often ask me about kids who appear to have been snubbed as first-rounders on my list, this is a way to show the overflow.

The following rankings are based off of conversations I've had with scouts so far this season - a process that will ramp up as we get closer to June and the actual draft in Dallas. I try to form my rankings based on what I think will happen, You will also notice that there are no goalies in my top-40. So far, it's been a bad year for netminders and right now I don't see any going that high. With that all established, let's get to the list.