Every scout has their own checklist, but virtually all evaluations come back to five core attributes. The weight given to each varies by position, but every serious scouting report addresses all five.
The single most important athletic trait in modern hockey. Skating encompasses four sub-skills: straight-line speed (acceleration and top-end), edgework (crossovers, pivots, tight turns), balance and core strength, and stride efficiency.
A prospect with elite skating can compensate for average size, an average shot, and even average hockey sense. A prospect with poor skating cannot compensate with anything — the modern NHL is simply too fast.
Tip: When evaluating skating, watch the first three strides after a puck battle. NHL-calibre skaters explode out of stops.
The hardest attribute to quantify and the most important after skating. Hockey sense is the ability to read plays before they develop — knowing where the puck is going, where teammates and opponents will be, and making the right decision under pressure.
Signs of elite hockey sense: consistently making the simple, correct play rather than the flashy wrong one; supporting the puck carrier with proper positioning; anticipating zone entries and exits before they happen; and deception — selling one play while executing another.
Hockey sense is largely innate. You can coach positioning, but you ca...
How hard does the player work when the game isn't going their way? Compete level shows up in puck battles along the wall, backchecking intensity, willingness to go to the hard areas (the slot, below the goal line), and consistency of effort across a full season.
A prospect who dominates against weaker competition but disappears in big games is a red flag. NHL scouts specifically watch how prospects perform at events like the World Junior Championship or CHL playoffs — higher stakes reveal character.