Patrick King

Tyler Seguin.

By PATRICK KING

sportsnet.ca

Taylor Hall may have just lost his perch as the top prospect for this summer's National Hockey League entry draft.

The Windsor Spitfires forward was ranked behind Plymouth's Tyler Seguin among Ontario Hockey League skaters in Central Scouting's preliminary rankings, which were released on Tuesday.

Hall's résumé is just as impressive as his breakaway speed and penchant for scoring big goals, but in Central Scouting's eyes, the longtime projected top prospect is now No. 2.

So much for projection.

It's certainly difficult to fault Hall given his impressive start to the season. The third-year forward leads the OHL in scoring with 45 points in 25 games, nine more than Seguin, who has played in seven fewer games partly due to a lower-body injury.

Hall's list of accomplishments include being named MVP at last year's Memorial Cup, MVP of the OHL championship series and rookie of the year in the Canadian Hockey League and OHL two seasons ago. Moreover, he scored the deciding goal for the OHL title and the gold medal-winning goal for Team Ontario at the under-17 tournament in 2008.

His quick emergence as a rookie earned him the spotlight and No. 1 projection but debates began as early as last season suggesting Seguin for the first overall spot. The Whalers forward led Team Canada to a gold medal in August's under-18 tournament and is drawing comparisons to his favourite player, former Detroit Red Wings star Steve Yzerman.

The debate between Hall and Seguin has been on the minds of the junior hockey world all season. As one OHL scout described earlier this season, "It's like choosing between Pavel Bure and Steve Yzerman."

Seguin's head coach in Plymouth, Michael Vellucci, anointed his player as the top prospect in an interview with sportsnet.ca prior to this season.

"I think that Tyler is the complete package," he said. "I think that he is just an unbelievable talent. He is a year younger than Taylor Hall is and I believe that if Tyler plays another, third year in the league, he'd be that much more spectacular. I think his overall package is second to none."

Central Scouting seemingly agrees. But then, Central Scouting has never been afraid of making some bold rankings in the past.

In their final rankings for the 2007 draft, Central Scouting ranked Patrick Kane, the eventual first-overall pick, second behind sharp-shooting British Columbia Hockey League forward Kyle Turris. Turris went third to Phoenix and thus far in their NHL careers the debate between the two is not comparable.

Seguin's ranking was not done for shock value but is more a representation of the previously hidden gem in Plymouth.

When the debate between Hall and Seguin rages, scouts invariably always point to their supporting cast. In Windsor, Hall is the top sniper on a team of who's who of junior stars while Seguin is Plymouth's most dynamic weapon. In some circles, this argument raises Seguin's profile while Hall's is demoted.

Whether that opinion is shared by Central Scouting is not known, but seems apparent.

Surprise decisions weren't limited to the top spot in Central Scouting's list. Among the most glaring was the omission of Owen Sound forward Joey Hishon. Like Hall, Hishon is a late-1991 birthdate and one of the league's deadliest snipers. Hishon scored 37 goals in 65 games last season as a sophomore but, perhaps due to his five-foot-10, 190-pound frame, is not deemed to be one of the top 25 skaters available for this year's draft from the OHL.

Hishon's Owen Sound teammate, Steven Shipley, is ranked 19th.

Moncton Wildcat teammates Brandon Gormley and Kirill Kabanov are ranked first and second on the Québec Major Junior Hockey League list. Kabanov is a supremely skilled forward but remains day-to-day after re-aggravating a wrist injury. Both players are being touted as top-10 picks.

The biggest surprise from the QMJHL list is Saint John forward Stanislav Galiev, who was ranked seventh. The rookie forward and first-overall CHL import draft pick is averaging nearly a point-a-game and is an impressive plus-15. His consensus ranking prior to this season was around the middle of the first round, which is surely in jeopardy at seventh from his league.

Prince George Cougars forward Brett Connolly sits atop the list of Western Hockey League skaters. Although he remains injured after re-aggravating a hip injury, his status as the top player from his league is not in jeopardy.

Much like the debate between Hall and Seguin is another among goaltenders in the WHL. Calvin Pickard, younger brother of former Tri-City goaltender Chet Pickard, is ranked first. Everett Silvertips goaltender Kent Simpson, another standout with great pro potential, is ranked second.

The NHL's Central Scouting will release two more lists this season, a mid-term ranking of all the North American skaters in January and another near the end of the junior season.