Matthews, Chychrun, Nylander headline Central Scouting's 'Players to Watch' list
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty
It's never too early to look ahead to the 2016 NHL Draft.
Central Scouting released its "Players to Watch" list Tuesday, with 24 players from around the world receiving "A" ratings, meaning they're considered candidates to be selected in the first round.
Notable names include projected No. 1 pick Auston Matthews, highly touted defenseman Jakob Chychrun, and Alexander Nylander, brother of Toronto Maple Leafs prospect William Nylander.
The American-born Matthews decided to play his draft year in the professional Swiss League, where he's recorded three goals and two assists in four games.
Below is the list of players receiving "A" ratings:
| Player | Position | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auston Matthews | C | Zurich | Swiss |
| Jakob Chychrun | D | Sarnia | OHL |
| Alexander Nylander | C | Mississauga | OHL |
| Julien Gauthier | RW | Val-d'Or | QMJHL |
| Tyler Benson | LW | Vancouver | WHL |
| Tyson Jost | C | Penticton | BCHL |
| Luke Kunin | C | Wisconsin | Big 10 |
| Maxime Lajoie | D | Swift Current | WHL |
| Sam Steel | C | Regina | WHL |
| Jesse Puljujärvi | RW | Karpat | Finland |
| Patrik Laine | RW | Tappara | Finland |
| Kale Clague | D | Brandon | WHL |
| Clayton Keller | C | USA | U-18 USHL |
| Kieffer Bellows | LW | USA U-18 | USHL |
| Charles McAvoy | D | Boston U | Hockey East\ |
| Carl Grundstrom | RW | Modo | Sweden |
| Rasmus Asplund | C | Farjestad | Sweden |
| Dante Fabbro | D | Penticton | BCHL |
| Alexander DeBrincat | RW | Erie | OHL |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | LW | Cape Breton | QMJHL |
| Michael McLeod | C | Mississauga | OHL |
| Maxime Jones | LW | London | OHL |
| Olli Juolevi | D | London | OHL |
| Matthew Tkachuk | LW | London | OHL |
The full list can be seen here.