Central Scouting revealed its final ranking of the top North American skaters and goalies, and the top International skaters and goalies, on Thursday. Left wing William Eklund of Djurgarden in the Swedish Hockey League is No. 1 in the final ranking of International skaters.
"I think any kid that plays hockey also wants to go No. 1 in the draft] if they can, so everyone dreams about it," Power said. "Obviously it'd be a huge honor to me and my family, and we'd be really excited, but at the end of the day that's also something I can't really control.
"It's not me making the decision, so if I don't [go No. 1], it's not that big of a deal and you've still got to prove yourself anyway."
***[Rankings: [North American skaters | North American goalies | International skaters | International goalies]
PDFs: [North American skaters | North American goalies | International skaters | International goalies]*
The 2021 draft will be held virtually, with the first round July 23 and Rounds 2-7 on July 24. The NHL Draft Lottery to determine the first 15 picks will be held June 2; the Arizona Coyotes will be part of the drawing but forfeited their first-round pick because of violations of the NHL Scouting Combine testing policy during the 2019-20 season.
Power (6-foot-6, 213 pounds) scored 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) with a plus-18 rating in 26 games this season and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. The 18-year-old is the only draft-eligible player with Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship in Latvia, where he has two assists and is averaging 14:52 of ice time in four games.
"Owen Power is at the top of this draft class as he is the best at his position," Central Scouting Director Dan Marr said. "His game presence displayed NHL skills and attributes, and his game continued to mature and impact throughout the season."
Rounding out the top five North American skaters are center Mason McTavish of Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey League, Michigan center Kent Johnson, defenseman Luke Hughes of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team, and right wing Dylan Guenther of Edmonton of the Western Hockey League.
McTavish (6-1, 207), a powerful skater and solid puck protector, scored 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in 13 games on loan with EHC Olten in the Swiss League, the second-highest professional league in Switzerland. The 18-year-old also impressed with his play at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, scoring 11 points (five goals, six assists) with 27 shots on goal in seven games for tournament champion Canada.
"McTavish is at No. 2 for us not from one tournament but rather from the collective history, knowledge and evaluations we've had over the past two seasons watching him develop and mature," Marr said. "But any one of Johnson, Hughes, Eklund, Guenther or [Michigan forward Matthew] Beniers could be selected at the No. 2 spot.
"Our group views McTavish as that coveted power center that possesses the elite package of size, smarts, skills and compete, which all NHL clubs look to add. But the next few names could also be selected in any order as each can be considered impactful franchise players."
Johnson (6-1, 167), who plays with pace and creativity, thrived at left wing this season at Michigan. The 18-year-old scored 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in 26 games, led Michigan with three power-play goals and was first among all first-time NHL draft-eligible NCAA players in assists and points. Johnson joined Power on the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
Hughes (6-2, 184), a left-handed defenseman capable of playing a smart defensive game, scored 34 points (six goals, 28 assists) in 38 games for the NTDP U-18 team. The 17-year-old sustained a lacerated tendon in his foot from a skate cut March 7 but should resume skating in June. The younger brother of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes is committed to play at Michigan next season.
Guenther (6-1, 175), an elite offensive player, scored 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 12 games and led the Western Hockey League with an average of 2.00 points per game. The 18-year-old scored seven points (four goals, three assists) and led Canada with 34 shots on goal in seven games at the U-18 World Championship.
Eklund was named rookie of the year in the SHL after the 18-year-old scored 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists), had 63 shots on goal and averaged 15:29 of ice time in 40 games with Djurgarden. He played on a line with Alexander Holtz, a Devils first-round pick (No. 7) in the 2020 NHL Draft.
