Today we begin a week of looking back at some recent drafts. We start with the 2021 NHL Draft, and a look at how my ordering of the players has changed one year since that draft. There is still a ton of projection left for these players and I expect these rankings will change a lot in the coming years.
Evaluations are based mostly on prior seasons, so any new information from NHL training camps or the first few weeks of the season in other leagues has not been incorporated unless it was overwhelming.
For players to be eligible for this article, they need to have been drafted, and drafted during the 2021 NHL Draft.
TIER 1: Projected NHL All-Star
1. Luke Hughes, LHD (No. 4 pick)
The player who I think is the best from this draft won’t even be in the league until the spring, while most of the names below will be. I have Luke Hughes rated this highly due to his unique skill set and his great freshman season at Michigan. There are few players who have his high-end skating ability, with also being a 6-2 defenseman with legit offensive skill. He has the potential to be a true star in the NHL.
TIER 2: Projected bubble NHL All-Star and top-of-the-lineup player
2. Matty Beniers, C (No. 2 pick)
3. Owen Power, LHD (No. 1 pick)
Beniers and Power are both excellent two-way players who should be important for their NHL clubs this upcoming season. Beniers projects as a first-line center who can play against good players. Power is a mobile defenseman with a massive frame who also provides offense and should eat a ton of minutes for a long time.
TIER 3: Projected top-of-the-lineup player
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