from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

Whoa, Canada!

If there's a story line that jumps out for the 2016 NHL draft class -- outside of 10 out of 10 scouts surveyed by TSN identifying American Auston Matthews‎ as the pre-season favorite to go No. 1 overall -- it's the dearth of Canadian born-and-bred high-end talent.

Americans? No problem. No. 1 ranked Matthews leads a group of four Top 10 prospects from south of the 49th.

Finns? You bet. Big goal-scoring wingers Jesse Puljujarvi‎ and Patrik Laine are Nos. 2 and 4 on TSN's Pre-Season Top 15 rankings for the 2016‎ and London Knight defenceman Olli Juolevi is No. 13.

Canadians, at least those born and developed in Canada, are nowhere to be found in the top six pre-season prospects and there are only five in TSN's Top 15.

That doesn't mean there is any need for panic or a hockey summit. Given the quantity and quality of high-end Canadian talent in recent drafts -- most recently Connor McDavid -- this looks more like an anomaly or something that is cyclical in nature.

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