Grading Systems

Hall of Fame - we know who these guys are, their accomplishments speak for themselves. While Hall of Fame players are often called 'superstars', this is actually a misnomer. A Hall of Fame player can also be a player who has been a 'star' long enough and consistently enough to earn the universal respect of the hockey world. Kevin Lowe only has one remarkable statistic on his Hall of Fame resume, the number 6 - which is the number of Stanley Cup rings he earned in his brilliant career.

Star player - 'star' players are players who have excelled, literally excelled, at their position or role on the team. However, they have never done enough to be considered one of THE elite players at the position. Players that get this rating don't always have to have amazing point totals; Guy Carboneau never had great point totals but he did win a whack of Stanley Cups and trophy hardware, enough in fact that he could be Hall of Fame material - let alone a 'star'. Brendan Shanahan will be hard pressed to get in the Hall, as will Doug Weight, but they are both 'star' caliber players.

Solid player - never quite gaining 'star' status, a 'solid' NHL player is one who would be welcome on any NHL team. Their contribution(s) to their team's - whether it is from sheer talent (think Jamie Langenbrunner or Slava Kozlov) or their desire (think McSorley - pre-hatchet work) is generally not in question. They have produced enough, over a long enough period of time, to be considered an asset of some worth.

Journeyman player - no NHL team can survive without the role-players on the team, someone has to do the dirty work. They are 'solid' players in their own right but never achieve the higher rating for one of two reasons: they never played enough games or they never really rose above the 4th line/#6 defenseman status they had. Where a player like Grier could eventually be considered a 'solid' player (a few more years of comparable performance should do it), a player like Dowd will be hard pressed to ever be considered more than a 'journeyman'.

? player - typically players who just never panned out, never fulfilled his potential, and ultimately frittered away their NHL career. Note that some players in this category could have had one, or even two, remarkable seasons - they just never put it all together for any real length of time. This category can also be used to describe players who are in the NHL right now, but their careers are still in a state of flux - will they pan out, or won't they. Think Jimmy Carson - great rookie campaign in LA followed by a decent season in Edmonton followed by lackluster play the rest of his career. Too much raw talent to be a 'journeyman' he never fulfilled his promise as a 'star' and ultimately was not around long enough to be considered any sort of 'solid' player.

Coffee player - the guy who shows up for a few games as an injury fill-in but is sent right back down when expendable. No impact at all on the major leagues.

Star prospect - think Luongo. He hasn't done much yet, but EVERYONE is sure that he will.

Solid prospect - think Mike Comrie. Sure he may not be the next Selanne, but everyone expects that he SHOULD be able to do something at the pro-level. He might just end-up as a 'journeyman' that bounces from team to team and pots 20-40 points a year BUT at least he is expected to do SOMETHING.

? prospect - will this guy even make it to the NHL? Who knows? They may be a surprise to everyone if they ever find the right situation with the right team. Question is, is Edmonton that team? Most '?' prospects will probably get a cup of coffee with the team, but anything more than that is a guess.

Draft Years:

A	Any draft year that produced a 'Hall of Fame' player. A 'star' player, and at least one other 'solid' NHL player. Two or more 'solid' NHL players, and at least one 'journeyman'.
B	Any draft year that produced a 'star' player, gets this grade. One 'solid' player and two 'journeymen' generated. Three proven 'journeymen' would also make this grade. One 'star prospect' will net this grade on a conditional basis.
C	Any draft year that produced a 'solid' player, gets this grade. Two proven 'journeymen'. Two 'good prospects' get this grade on a conditional basis.
D	Any draft year that produced at least a 'journeyman' player, gets this grade. One 'good prospect', or at least two 'decent prospects'.
E	Any players of the '?' description. At least one 'decent prospect' in the system.
Z	Worse than an 'E' grade. This is beyond just a 'bad' draft.

Some Abbreviations

AJHL - Alberta Junior Hockey League
BCJHL - B.C. Junior Hockey League
CNHS - Canadian High School
CNUN- Canadian University/College
OHL - Ontario Hockey League
QMJHL - Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
SJHL - Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
IHL- International Hockey League (N.A.)
INL- International League (typically European)
USHS - U.S. High-school
USUN - U.S. University/College
WHA - World Hockey Association
WHL - Western Hockey League