from Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News,

The following is my first effort for 2019 and is largely based on player pedigree and early results. As the season goes on, I will include more input from NHL scouts in my assessments, but with most players only seeing a dozen games of action or less right now, I feel it’s too early for such judgments. With that in mind, here’s my top 31 for the 2019 draft.

Jack Hughes, C, NTDP (USHL): Leading a stacked NTDP squad in scoring with 16 points in 11 games, Hughes has so far confirmed that he is one of the quickest, deadliest offensive threats outside the NHL right now.

Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS (Fin.): Big, smart and talented, Kakko is holding his own as one of the top scorers on his Liiga team and I’ve heard talk that TPS may even try him at center as the season progresses.

Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon (WHL): His size and smarts are calling cards, while Dach’s talent has enabled him to run roughshod in the Dub to the tune of 22 points in 13 games. That puts him top-five in the league.

read on for more players...