NHL Central Scouts Release Players to Watch for in the 2015 Draft

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A general view of the complete draft board after the completion of the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

NHL Central Scouting released a list of players to keep an eye on for the upcoming entry draft in June, 2015. In last years list, we saw players like Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, and Sam Bennett top the charts. This year we see the likes of potential franchise players like, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel.

Connor McDavid, who is projected to be the first off the board come June, is a center for the Erie Otter of the OHL. He started playing in the OHL at the age of 15. In his first year he put up 66 points, 25 of them being goals, in 63 games. In his next season in the OHL, McDavid had a boost of points scoring a total of 99, 71 of them assists, and finished the year at a +/-  of +47. In the OHL playoffs, McDavid was a more than point per game player scoring 19 points through 14 games. McDavid also participated in the World Juniors on team Canada. One thing that makes Connor McDavid a potential first overall pick is his ability to make the players around him better with his play making abilities.

Jack Eichel is another prospect that could possibly go in the top 5 picks of the 2015 draft in June. He has been playing for the U.S National team since 2012-13. He has played on the U17 team, U 18 team, and U 20 team. Currently 17 years old, Eichel will be attending Boston University next year. Last year on the U.S U18 team Eichel put up 87 points, through 53 games. Eichel is another guy who can help his teammates by creating great chances in front of the net. Like any other player, he can work on his size by bulking up. Overall Eichel and McDavid will both be incredible players who will become franchise players.

Other players on the list that are potentially great players are Pavel Zacha who will play out of the OHL with the Sarnia Sting next season. Zacha played last season in a Czech league where he was a point per game player. Zacha will devlop well next season by playing in North America. Matthew Barzal is another center who can go in the top 10. Barzal played in the WHL last year with the Seattle Thunderbirds where he scored 54 points in 59 games. Barzal had more assists than goals last year, but his shot is very underrated.

The 2015 entry draft in June will feature some of the best players that have been in a draft in a while. These are some of the players that are sure to be drafted in the 1st round if not the top 10.