Last updated June 18.
Overall, I'd say the 2016 NHL draft class is average. The very top of the class has three top-tier prospects -- which is better than average -- with the rest of the first round being standard. The depth in lower rounds is below-average. Longtime readers know I can get a little eccentric with the lower portion of my draft boards, but this was the hardest tail end for me to sort out in a few years. There's a drop off in talent after prospects No. 2 and No. 3, before the gradual decline in marginal prospect value throughout the rest of the class.
The information used to develop these rankings and profiles are done through a variety of methods. I've seen a large chunk of these players live in the past 12 months. I supplement that with discussions with scouts, executives and other hockey people for evaluation and background information, and also perform statistical research and watch video of the players. While discussions with others take place, the rankings are completely my own, and are done to reflect my opinion of who I believe the top prospects in the draft class are, and may differ from the industry.
Here are the top 100 skaters eligible for this year's draft, along with expanded rankings explanations for the top 10.
