E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120: Mark Scheifele #13

By Eldon MacDonald

13. Mark Scheifele - “Mr. Hockey Improvement” - C - Canada

Vitals: Size - 6’2”, 184 lb.; Shoots right; Born: 15-Mar-93 - Kitchener, ON
Team: Barrie, OHL
2010-11Stats: 66-22-53-75-35-(-22) + U18 7-6-2-8-0-(+1)

Rankings:
10 - The Scouting Report's Top 100 Skaters
12 - Bob MacKenzie's June Poll of Scouts
13 - E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120
13 - Christopher Ralph's Top 210
13 - Future Considerations Final Rankings
13 - Guy Flaming - The Pipeline Show Top 30
14 - McKeens June Top 30
16 - Craig Button's Top 30 of 8-Jun-11
18 - ISS's 30-May-11 per TSN
18 - Kirk Luedeke's Top 50
20 - NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings (16th North American skater)
20 - hfboards Readers’ Poll
27 - Dean Millard -The Pipeline Show Top 30
29 - Cory Pronman's Top 100
41 - The Hockey News per TSN
Draft result:
7 - Winnipeg Jets

Mark Schiefele was one of my early favourites this year and I was wondering if the rest of the world would ever catch up. However, Mark’s performance at the U18’s where he was Canada’s best forward against the rest of the world’s best players opened up a lot of eyes so I wasn’t too surprised that Bob MacKenzie’s final poll of scouts had him just outside the top 10 at number 12. Mark is probably the Ryan Johansen of 2011 as his rise up the ranking charts and the improvement in his play have been meteoric. As NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards told NHL.com, Mark protects the puck very well and will take it to the net while fighting through checks. He's got a great work ethic. His Barrie Colts have struggled this season and he has been relied upon to provide offense. He sees the ice very well and his playmaking ability is very good. He gets back quickly and works hard defensively."

So what is a Mark Schiefele? He is a guy with that big center feel who just needs to fill out and get a little stronger to develop that big center effect on an NHL team in the future. He has developed from a pass first mentality guy to a guy who will take it to the net as could be seen in the Finland game at the U18’s where he broke to the net while on the PK and scored a highlight reel goal with guys all over him. He also has much improved his board play so he can be a force there as well. The more you watch him the more you see he has the hockey sense to play the game well and to maximize his big-center size and hard skills (skating, shooting, stickhandling). He also has a secret that accounts for his defensive knowledge, he was still a defenseman until the age of 14. It seems that every time you watch him, he gives you a little more and that is what scouts love - after all, how can you go wrong with a guy who just gets better and better every time you see him. Mark's upside is that of a second line center who is likely to play for a long time.

The rankings on Mark run from 10 to 29 but my money is on the lower number (I have him at 13).