Craig Button's final rankings before draft

[Axeman33]

Keep in mind, this is not a mock draft from Craig Button. This list is his opinion on how these guys will turn out as NHL players and he ranks them based on that.

A lot of people think he's off his rocker with some of his rankings, but I really like the fact that Button gets out to the rinks all around the world and actually scouts these kids.

Either way, here's his final rankings before the draft next month.

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-final-ranking-1.294692

[Vic]

Wow Hanifin at position 12 behing Provorov and Werenski.... I have not see this one coming!!!!!

[Axeman33]

Wow Hanifin at position 12 behing Provorov and Werenski.... I have not see this one coming!!!!!

He actually explains his reasoning for this in the write up before his list.

[Vic]

Yes I read it but I have not see Hanifin going later than 5th in all the list I read.

[fungchen3]

I like Button actually, but I'll promise you that there's 0% chance the Flyers pass on Hanifin at 7 if he's there.

[2014olympicgold]

I’m more shocked at Zacha’s ranking than Hanifins. Wow. If he drops to 20s, I’ll be shocked. And I’ll be shocked in 4yrs if those players between 10-23 are doing better than him. Besides Barzal and Rantanen.

[Axeman33]

Again, this is not his version of a mock draft but more of a ranking of how he see's these guys turning out as pro's.

He obviously sees things he likes more in some guys compared to what he has seen in guys like Zacha and Hanifin.

He's not saying this is where he thinks these guys will go on draft day, but more of his opinion on ranking their long term potential as pro's in the NHL.

[JagrBomb]

his 2013-2014 list:

http://www2.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=49649


i wouldnt put much stock into this list, especially fantasy wise.

[Axeman33]

I still remember his list from 2012 and people saying he had Hampus Lindholm too high and Grigorenko too low too. I still think it's too early in these guys careers to determine if he was right on many or not.

His final list from 2012:

1. Nail Yakupov 1 Sarnia (OHL) 10/6/93 RW L 5'11/189 42 31 38 69 +15
2. Mathew Dumba 2 Red Deer (WHL) 7/25/94 D R 5'11/183 69 20 37 57 -6
3. Morgan Rielly 3 Moose Jaw (WHL) 3/9/94 D L 6'0/190 18 3 15 18 +6
4. Alex Galchenyuk 4 Sarnia (OHL) 2/12/94 C L 6'1/197 2 0 0 0 -4
5. Teuvo Teravainen 5 Jokerit (FIN) 9/11/94 RW L 5'11/165 40 11 7 18 -5
6. Griffin Reinhart 6 Edmonton (WHL) 1/24/94 D L 6'3/202 58 12 24 36 +23
7. Filip Forsberg 7 Leksands (SWE) 8/13/94 LW R 6'2/181 53 10 10 20 +1
8. Malcolm Subban 8 Belleville (OHL) 12/21/93 G L 6'1/188 39 25 2.50 .923 3
9. Matt Finn 9 Guelph (OHL) 2/24/94 D L 6'0/195 61 10 38 48 -13
10. Hampus Lindholm 10 Rogle (SWE) 1/20/94 D L 6'2/196 36 2 7 9 +7
11. Cody Ceci 11 Ottawa (OHL 12/21/93 D R 6'2/207 64 17 43 60 +21
12. Jacob Trouba 13 USNTDP 2/26/94 D R 6'2/193 54 9 23 32 -
13. Ryan Murray 12 Everett (WHL) 9/27/93 D L 6'0/205 46 9 22 31 E
14. Mark Jankowski 14 Stanstead (Quebec Prep) 9/13/94 C L 6'2/170 57 53 40 93 +51
15. Andrei Vasilevski 15 Ufa (KHL) 7/25/94 G L 6'3/204 27 - 2.23 .931 -
16. Zemgus Girgensons 16 Dubuque (USHL) 1/5/94 C L 6'1/198 49 24 31 55 +17
17. Radek Faksa 17 Kitchener (OHL) 1/9/94 C L 6'3/202 69 29 37 66 +19
18. Derrick Pouliot 18 Portland (WHL) 1/16/94 D L 5'11/186 72 11 48 59 +15
19. Ludvig Bystrom 19 MODO (SWE) 7/20/94 D L 6'1/208 42 8 25 33 -3
20. Mikhail Grigorenko 20 Quebec (QMJHL) 5/16/94 C L 6'3/200 59 40 45 85 +35
21. Tom Wilson 21 Plymouth (OHL) 3/29/94 RW R 6'4/203 49 9 18 27 +17
22. Tomas Hertl 22 Slavia Praha (Czech) 12/11/93 C L 6'2/198 38 12 13 25 -
23. Michael Matheson 24 Dubuque (USHL) 2/27/94 D L 6'1/178 53 11 17 28 E
24. Scott Laughton 25 Oshawa (OHL) 5/30/94 C L 6'0/177 64 21 32 53 +8
25. Gemel Smith 26 Owen Sound (OHL) 4/16/94 LW L 5'10/160 68 21 39 60 E
26. Brady Skeji 27 USNTDP 3/26/94 D L 6'2/200 60 4 19 23 -
27. Sebastien Collberg 28 Frolunda (SWE) 2/23/94 RW R 5'11/176 23 9 8 17 +2
28. Olli Maatta 30 London (OHL) 8/22/94 D L 6'1/202 58 5 27 32 +25
29. Henrik Samuelsson 54 Edmonton (WHL) 2/7/94 RW R 6'2/195 28 7 16 23 +18
30. Phillip Di Giuseppe 29 Michigan (CCHA) 10/9/93 LW L 5'11/176 40 11 15 26 +23

[audiopile]

Keep in mind, this is not a mock draft from Craig Button. This list is his opinion on how these guys will turn out as NHL players and he ranks them based on that.

A lot of people think he's off his rocker with some of his rankings, but I really like the fact that Button gets out to the rinks all around the world and actually scouts these kids.

Either way, here's his final rankings before the draft next month.

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-final-ranking-1.294692

Thanks for the link. I'm having trouble lifting the data for my spreadsheet though.

[Nights]

His final list from 2012:

1. Nail Yakupov 1 Sarnia (OHL) 10/6/93 RW L 5'11/189 42 31 38 69 +15
2. Mathew Dumba 2 Red Deer (WHL) 7/25/94 D R 5'11/183 69 20 37 57 -6
3. Morgan Rielly 3 Moose Jaw (WHL) 3/9/94 D L 6'0/190 18 3 15 18 +6
4. Alex Galchenyuk 4 Sarnia (OHL) 2/12/94 C L 6'1/197 2 0 0 0 -4
5. Teuvo Teravainen 5 Jokerit (FIN) 9/11/94 RW L 5'11/165 40 11 7 18 -5
6. Griffin Reinhart 6 Edmonton (WHL) 1/24/94 D L 6'3/202 58 12 24 36 +23
7. Filip Forsberg 7 Leksands (SWE) 8/13/94 LW R 6'2/181 53 10 10 20 +1
8. Malcolm Subban 8 Belleville (OHL) 12/21/93 G L 6'1/188 39 25 2.50 .923 3
9. Matt Finn 9 Guelph (OHL) 2/24/94 D L 6'0/195 61 10 38 48 -13

...wait, what? This can't be right...

[franklin]

Wow Hanifin at position 12 behing Provorov and Werenski.... I have not see this one coming!!!!!

Button had Hanifin at 5 in January. With Hanifin playing is best hockey after the WJC, he is now 12 on his list...?

[Zorro]

Anyone who questions Button's opinion should put out their own top 100 on here for us!!

We don't have to agree with his list, we also don't need to shoot the guy either.. HaHa..

[Big Ev]

Every ranking should be different anyway. These kids are 18 years old. Hockey should not be drafting kids so young as it's such a gamble to pick anybody now

[Fast Tony DeNiro]

One thing I like with Button I he doesn't put out the same carbon copy list that most writers do. He's not afraid to be different and stick with his opinion. Sometimes he's right, sometimes not. His call on Lindholm/Grigorenko from 2012 is looking pretty good 3 years later... His 2013 looks a little iffy at this point but its early.