There is still a clear #1 despite Schaefer's long absence. It speaks volumes of his talent and the fact he's an early Sept birth and missed the 2026 draft by a week or so. I am surprised about Frondell and/or Eklund not being pushed up into the Tier 2 range. Mrtka absent in tiers 2 and 3 is a choice.
For comparison, CSB Final had O'Brien as the 4th best NA skater and Mrtka the 5th best skater.
For those without subscription, here are Pronman's tiers.
Tier 1: All-Star
1. Schaefer
Tier 2: Bubble All-Star and Top of the lineup player
2. Misa
3. Desnoyers
4. Hagens
5. Martone
Tier 3: Top of the lineup player
6. Frondell
7. O'Brien
8. Eklund
9. McQueen
10. Aitcheson
11. Smith
CSB Final Rankings, NA Skaters
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