from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

Alexis Lafreniere began this hockey season as the likely best player in the NHL Draft – and he also wound up in that position.

Lafreniere, a forward, was the No. 1 North American skater Wednesday as the NHL released its final Central Scouting rankings....

Forward Quinton Byfield (Sudbury) was ranked No. 2 and defenseman Jamie Drysdale (Erie) No. 3. Defenseman Jake Sanderson, of the Plymouth-based U.S. National Development Team Program, was No. 4, and forward Cole Perfetti of Saginaw ranked fifth.

German forward Tim Stuetzle was ranked the No. 1 international skater.

But it’ll be Lafreniere who will be targeted first by the Red Wings and other teams in the draft lottery.

“He’s quite the player,” JF Damphousse, Quebec and Maritimes regional scout for Central Scouting, said Wednesday. “When you look at every aspect of his game, you could consider every aspect as elite. Every time I saw him play, he makes plays that you don’t think are possible, and he still makes them.

“(But) what separates him from the pack is his compete level. He’s willing to play physical and he battles every game.”

read on and if you missed the rankings earlier today...