[Ped]

The criteria:

To be eligible for inclusion, a skater must:

1. Be under 23 years old. We know that by the time a player turns 23, he is largely done with the steep upward progression we see in prospects and will begin to plateau.
2. Not be a full-time NHL player. This is the arbitrary section of the criteria. Here, I trust my judgment for whether or not a rostered NHL player is still likely to bounce between levels more than I trust any pre-determined games played cutoff. Preference for inclusion as an NHL prospect is more likely to be given to teenagers than 22-year-olds.
3. Either be signed to an NHL contract or selected in the entry draft, without the expiration of either of those rights. Players who are signed to AHL contracts are not considered.

To be eligible for inclusion, a goalie must:

1. Be under 25 years old. This age criteria is more reflective of the typical goalie trajectory, allowing for the continued consideration of a small number of 23- and 24-year-old goalies who are very much still prospects.
2. Not currently established as one of their NHL club’s two go-to options.
3. Either be signed to an NHL contract or selected in the entry draft, without the expiration of either of those rights. Goalies who are signed to AHL contracts are not considered.