from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

Seven to three.

It reads like a runaway, a blowout, a foregone conclusion.

But - and you're going to have to trust me on this - it's not. At least not if the subject is who will go No. 1 overall in the 2015 NHL Draft: Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.

And yet when TSN surveyed 10 NHL team head scouts in the first week of September and asked them who they would take first overall - McDavid or Eichel - if the draft were being held that day, seven of the 10 opted for the dynamic Canadian centre of the Erie Otters over the physically-dominant American centre of the Boston University Terriers.

It is, however, far closer than the numbers would suggest.

"I go back and forth every week between the two," said one NHL head scout who chose McDavid. "When I saw McDavid dominate the U-18 as a double underager, I didn't think anyone would ever touch him. Then I saw Eichel outplay McDavid at last year's World Junior Championship and I realized not only is it a two-horse race but Eichel may be in the lead. I can't tell you how many times since then I've changed my mind. It's that close."

continued and the Top 15 prospects here...