The scouting season is a long, arduous campaign, one filled with landmines and potholes as you try to advance your way to the end of the league year and the NHL Entry Draft.

Early-season expectations can turn sour by Christmas. Relative unknowns can establish themselves as household names. Lists are made, crumpled up, tossed away, and new ones created in their sted. And it's so much fun.

This year's crop of talent isn't as striking as some previous years. It lacks a clear superstar. It lacks some high-end depth. Many of these players had to deal with a pandemic robbing them of their draft-minus-one seasons. Yet here we are, ready to assess them on their output today and make projections for tomorrow.

Regarding my final board, as always, these assessments are somewhat limited. I am but one man who also has a six-year-old son, a two-year-old daughter, a teaching career, and many writing commitments. However, I'm fortunate enough to have a very patient wife and am privileged to have a tremendous group to work with at EP Rinkside, as well as a host of other experienced scouts to bounce things off of.

This list isn't supposed to act as a mock draft -- that came out yesterday.  This is a reflection of how I perceive the player's current makeup in conjunction with how I believe they will progress and develop, hopefully towards an NHL career. It's more a projection than an assessment of the current product. The translatable traits trump all. 

Regarding my method, I place immense value on skating ability and processing speed. Physical attributes are great, but if you can't see the play develop or recognize your options quickly, both offensively and defensively, you're facing an uphill battle. If you're intelligent, you can overcome some of these limitations. If you're gifted physically, yet have limited awareness on the ice, you're at more of a disadvantage. Add them together and you have the recipe for immense success.