NHL DRAFT: Top Neutral-zone Risk/Reward Ratings of Scouted Prospects

Below is a ranking of the neutral-zone risk/reward ratings of 2011 NHL draft-eligible players I've scouted. Keep in mind that these are one-game ratings calculated using a risk/reward system I've created, and are not a reflection of how these players should be ranked overall.

Neutral-zone risk/reward rating is the difference between positive events in the neutral-zone per minute of ice-time and negative events in the neutral-zone per minute of ice time. For example, a player with a neutral-zone risk/reward rating of 2.00 averages 3 positive plays (successful pass, won puck-battle, etc) for every 1 negative play (unsuccessful pass, lost puck-battle, etc) for every minute they are on the ice.


Neutral-zone risk/reward is a reflection of a player's play in the neutral-zone. Theoretically, the higher the rating, the better the neutral-zone player. Players who carry the puck with speed and confidence tend to have the higher neutral-zone risk/reward rating.

	N-ZONE RISK/REWARD
#3 (N/A) / Jonathan Huberdeau (Memorial Cup vs. Kootenay (F)	1.00
#32 (N/A)/ Rocco Grimaldi (F)	0.90
#22 (N/A) Tyler Biggs (F)	0.80
#3 (EURO) / Jonas Brodin  (D)	0.71
#2 (EURO) / Mika Zibanejad (F)	0.67
#6 (EURO) / Oscar Klefbom (D)	0.50
#44 (N/A) Scott Oke (Memorial Cup vs. Kootenay) (F)	0.50
#6 (N/A) / Sean Couturier (F)	0.48
#12 (N/A) / Zack Phillips (Memeorial Cup vs. Kootenay (F)	0.47
#20 (EURO) Viktor Arvidsson (F)	0.47
#23 (N/A) Jonathan Miller (F)	0.44
#3 (N/A) / Jonathan Huberdeau (Memorial Cup final vs. Mississauga) (F)	0.44
#10 (EURO) / Rasmus Bengtsson (D)	0.40
#2 (N/A) / Gabriel Landeskog (F)	0.40
#87 (N/A) Keevin Cutting  (D)	0.38
#5 (N/A) / Nathan Beaulieu (Memorial Cup final vs. Mississauga) (D)	0.35
#73 (N/A) / Tobias Rieder (F)	0.33
#63 (N/A) / Joseph Cramarossa (F)	0.33
#15 (EURO) Karl Johansson (D)	0.33
#21 (EURO) William Karlsson  (F)	0.31
#121 (N/A) / Dylan Demelo (D)	0.28
#55 (N/A) / Robbie Russo (D)	0.27
#53 (N/A) / Stuart Percy (D)	0.26
#1 (N/A) / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (F)	0.25
#113 (N/A)/ Reid Boucher (F)	0.25
#87 (N/A) Keevin Cutting  (D)	0.24
#53 (N/A) / Stuart Percy (Memorial Cup final vs. St. John) (D)	0.23
#5 (N/A) / Nathan Beaulieu (Memorial Cup vs. Kootenay) (D)	0.23
#12 (N/A) / Zack Phillips (Memorial Cup final vs. Mississauga) (F)	0.22
#20 (N/A) / Tomas Jurco (Memorial Cup vs. Kootenay) (F)	0.22
#45 (N/A) / Adam Clendening (game 2) (D)	0.20
#14 (EURO) Jeremy Boyce (F)	0.20
#43 (N/A) / Matthew Nieto (game 2) (F)	0.19
#92 (N/A) / Gabriel Bourret (D)	0.19
#25 (N/A) / Connor Murphy (D)	0.18
#143 (N/A) / Dan Carlson (F)	0.17
#137 (N/A) / Guillaume Cloutier (D)	0.13
#86 (N/A) Michael Paliotta (D)	0.13
#92 (N/A) / Gabriel Bourret (Memorial Cup vs. Kootenay )(D)	0.11
#11 (N/A) / Vladislav Nemistnikov (F)	0.11
#80 (N/A) / Adam Reid (F)	0.10
#63 (N/A) / Joseph Cramarossa (Memorial Cup final) (F)	0.08
#110 (N/A) / Sahir Gill (F)	0.07
#20 (N/A) / Tomas Jurco (Memorial Cup final vs. Mississauga) (F)	0.07
#12 (EURO) Victor Rask (F)	0.06
#188 (N/A) / Jagger Dirk (D)	0.06
#121 (N/A) / Dylan Demelo (Memorial Cup final) (D)	0.05
#45 (N/A) / Adam Clendening (D)	0.00
#44 (N/A) Scott Oke (Memorial Cup final vs Mississauga) (F)	0.00
#105 (N/A) / Blake Pietila (F)	0.00
#47 (N/A) / Ryan Tesink (Memorial Cup final vs. Mississauga) (F)	0.00
#87 (N/A) Keevin Cutting  (D)	-0.06
#47 (N/A) / Ryan Tesink (Memorial Cup vs. Kootenay) (F)	-0.07
#70 (N/A) / Zac Larazza (F)	-0.08
#33 (EURO) Gustav Bjorklund (F)	-0.13
#110 (N/A) / Sahir Gill (game 2) (F)	-0.14
#43 (N/A) / Matthew Nieto (F)	-0.25
	N-ZONE RISK/REWARD