TRURO, N.S. – Jared McIsaac is poised to join some elite company.
McIsaac, a Truro native and defenceman for the Halifax Mooseheads, is ranked as the 13th-best available North American skater and fifth-best defenceman for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
NHL Central Scouting released its final list of the top North American, and international, skaters and goaltenders on Monday.
McIsaac just completed his second season with the Mooseheads and notched 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists) in 65 games.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound blueliner is already up to 12th all-time in franchise scoring by a defenceman with 79 career points.
McIsaac, who just turned 18, is expected to become the first Nova Scotian defenceman selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft since Al MacInnis (No. 15, Calgary) and Paul Boutilier (No. 21, New York Islanders) were taken in the opening round of the 1981 draft.
Three of McIsaac’s Halifax teammates are also featured prominently in the rankings. Right-winger Filip Zadina is the third-best available North American skater, while forward Benoit Olivier-Groulx was handed the ranking of 20th.
Goaltender Alex Gravel finished the season as Central Scouting’s third-ranked goalie in North America.
Center Andrei Svechnikov of the OHL’s Barrie Colts is No. 1 on the Central Scouting list for North American skaters, ahead of American Brady Tkachuk. The top-rated North American defenceman is Evan Bouchard of the London Knights.
The top-rated prospect for the draft is Swedish defenceman Rasmus Dahlin.
The 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 22-23.
