[sureLoss]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey...medium=twitter

“The spread isn’t large, but Matthews is a notch above (everyone else),” said Dan Marr, the director of Central Scouting for the NHL.

“We think the top three have clearly separated themselves,” said Dennis MacInnis, the chief scout of Independent Scouting Service. “There’s a clear break after those top three (Matthews, Puljujarvi and Laine) down to the next tier, which runs about a dozen deep — from No. 4 to No. 16.”

There’s weakness at the bottom of the draft, from about the 75th pick on, but that’s the least of the concerns for teams jockeying for the high picks. The team that finishes last has a 20 per cent chance of selecting first, the best odds possible. Of course, that also means the team has an 80 per cent chance of picking somewhere else.

With the second and third overall picks also subject to the lottery, it means a team could potentially draft three spots from its position in the standings when the season ends. So strength at the top of the draft — i.e. the consolation prizes for those who see their hopes of drafting Matthews dashed — is particularly important for rebuilding teams.

“The first round is deep,” Marr said. “The first 10, 12 players are really good. Your top 50 players are pretty good prospects. They are legitimate NHL prospects.”

The Star canvassed four influential talent evaluators — Marr, MacInnis, Mark Seidel of North American Central Scouting, and retired scouting legend Jack Ferguson — for their opinions on the players at the top of the draft.

Without question, Matthews is the “it” player in the NHL draft. He fit right in playing in the men’s league in Switzerland, where he set a precedent in being a North American teenager playing overseas in his draft year. He was the captain of the American team at the world junior tournament in December and he was named to the U.S. team for the world championship in May.

“He’s lived up to expectations,” Marr said. “We all know he’s the real deal.”

If Matthews had been eligible for the draft last year, most believe he would have gone third behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. So who does he compare to now?

“He’s every bit the player Nathan MacKinnon is,” said Marr, comparing Matthews to the top pick in 2013. “He’s going to be like the Seguins and the Halls and the MacKinnons, a top player that is going to impact sooner rather than later, like he proved he could this year. He’s been on that path.”

Matthews could also be a poster boy of another sort, the first player from commissioner Gary Bettman’s Sunbelt strategy to go first in the overall draft. The Arizona Coyotes would love to have a chance to draft the native of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Article compares Puljujarvi to Malkin. The ISS guy claims Puljujarvi has the tools to play center which might make him more valuable.