1 | | - | | Pick -- Lafreniere (correct). Yup, as expected. |
2 | | - | | Pick -- Byfield (correct). Also as expected for me. I just couldn't see the Kings passing on a guy like this with what they are trying to build. |
3 | | | | Pick -- Stutzle (correct). Sens fans how do you feel about this? I know alot of you wanted Byfield. I personally love the kid and what he brings. I just couldn't see LA picking him above Byfield. |
4 | | - | | Pick -- Raymond (correct). Raymond was always the guy here for me, from the moment the first draft lottery was completed. He's got the complete package. Can shoot, can make great passes, can dangle with the best. To me, he has the highest potential of being this year's Pettersson or Makar, where he's the best player in the round. Obviously that doesn't happen all the time, but if it does again, I think it'll be Raymond. |
5 | | - | | Pick -- Sanderson (incorrect). My first wrong pick. I thought the Sens would go with another center here given the uncertainty on Tim's final position in the NHL. They must have high hopes for him as the future 1C. I like Sanderson alot, but I feel as if this was the first pick for "need" as opposed to "BPA". Maybe I'm off, time will tell. |
6 | | - | | Pick -- Drysdale (correct). Couldn't see Anaheim passing up possible BPA and addressing a hole in their pipeline at the same time. Good pick by the Ducks. |
7 | | - | | Pick -- Holtz (correct). There's an argument here that Holtz might not have been BPA, but with the two defenseman off the board I feel as if they needed to address scoring on the wings to go with Hughes and Hischier. I like this pick alot. |
8 | | - | | Pick -- Jack Quinn (incorrect). Oof, talk about drafting for need. This to me reeks of the owner being in the GMs ear, saying they need to appease Eichel. I think this might look bad in 5 years, but it depends on how quick Quinn can get up to the NHL. Passing on Rossi and Perfetti.... woof. |
9 | | - | | Pick -- Marco Rossi (incorrect). Easy pick here and I gotta think Minnesota loves the fact that Rossi dropped. He's the possible difference maker that I thought they needed. I just didn't think he made it to them. Good for Minny. |
10 | | - | | Pick -- Cole Perfetti (incorrect). Again, another pick I didn't see sliding this low. Makes perfect sense to pick him here. I doubt Winnipeg or its fans thought they'd be able to take a guy like Cole. |
11 | | - | | Pick -- Yaroslav Askarov (incorrect). No idea where the goalie was going to go. Didn't expect it to be Nashville. He won't be there for a few years, so I'm not sure how much this helps a team that isn't in a rebuild and is looking to compete now. This pick will lauded or hated 4 years down the road. |
12 | | - | | Pick -- Anton Lundell (incorrect). Pick makes sense here. They need defense, but there wasn't anyone in this range worth the 12 pick. Solid forward to add to their pipeline. |
13 | | | | Pick -- Seth Jarvis (incorrect). Really great pick for Carolina with the goalie off the board. Adding more talent to an already deep forward core. |
14 | | - | | Pick -- Dylan Holloway (correct). While typing this up, I think it is one of the last ones I got correct. I said then that Holloway could be used for them as a jack-of-all-trades for when their lineup shuffles (read: Drai gets put on a line with McDavid), and that seems to be the thought process for Edmonton. |
15 | | | | Pick -- Rodion Amirov (incorrect). Wow, good on Dubas for not giving into what must be tremendous pressure and reaching for a defenseman. More talent going to the Leafs here down the road. Like this pick for them. |
16 | | - | | Pick -- Kaiden Guhle (incorrect). Not much to say on this pick. Will help their D pipeline, which I'm not too familiar with. Habs fans feel free to chime in on your thoughts. |
17 | | - | | Pick -- Lukas Reichel (incorrect). DARN IT, DARN IT, DARN IT. I wanted so badly for Reichel to fall to the Kings (or at least in a range the King could trade up for). Now he goes to a team that I can't stand watching. What a pick by Bowman, who continues to show shrewd drafting. I think Reichel's going to be a stud. |
18 | | | | Pick -- Dawson Mercer (correct). Holy crap, I got another one correct. I said then that New Jersey would continue to build offense on the wings with their second pick. I like this pick for them. |
19 | | | | Pick -- Braden Schneider (incorrect). He had to go at some point. Maybe a little earlier than I think he should since I thought Toronto would have been reaching for him as well. But still, pretty good haul for Toronto to come out with Laffy and Schneider. |
20 | | | | Pick -- Shakir Mukhamadullin (incorrect). Thought they'd go with a D-man here and they didn't disappoint. With Guhle off the board, they go for a little bit of a reach with Shakir. Don't mind it, but we'll see if it pays off for NJ. Decent first round for them. |
21 | | - | | Pick -- Yegor Chinakhov (incorrect MASSIVELY). What in the holy hand grenade is this pick? In my original mock, the NYI pick was still sitting at 21 so that affected this. But never in my wildest dreams did I think someone I hadn't even heard of would go in the first round. No idea who this guy is. |
22 | | | | Pick -- Hendrix Lapierre (incorrect). A swing-for-the-fences type pick. I think in 5 years Caps fans will be saying one of two things: "Thank heavens we picked him" or "Why the heck did we let Foerster or Zary or Neighbours go?" I don't think there will be an in-between. |
23 | | - | | Pick -- Tyson Foerster (incorrect). Maybe a small reach for Foerster here, but Philly must like what they see and think they can fix his skating/stride. He was a player I was hoping would fall naturally to 35, but can't blame Philly for taking him. See him playing wing at the next level, but I could be wrong. |
24 | | | | Pick -- Connor Zary (incorrect). Zary fell a bit in my mock, but that's good for Calgary. Also, getting 2 third round picks while still picking up Zary? Awesome for them. |
25 | | - | | Pick -- Justin Barron (incorrect). Kind of surprised to see a D-man go here to Colorado. I thought they'd go for some forward help to bolster their top-6 eventually, I think. They've got a ridiculous D pipeline already but this just adds to it. |
26 | | - | | Pick -- Jake Neighbours (incorrect). Thought this was around where Reichel would go, and it's a similar player that lands here since Reichel is already gone. Another guy I was hoping would be available at 35. All the good wingers getting swooped up. |
27 | | | | Pick -- Jacob Perreault (incorrect). Solid forward here. Good pick for the Ducks, who seem to be going for who they think is BPA. Hopes to supplement a top-6 which might not be as set in stone as they had hoped, with the way last year went for many of their rookies/younger guys. |
28 | | | | Pick -- Ridley Greig (incorrect). Flyers fans can fill me in on what they think of this pick. I like Greig alot. Another solid winger getting picked up late in the first round. Kind of surprising how many went. |
29 | | - | | Pick -- Brendan Brisson (incorrect). Didn't know what Vegas was going to do. I originally pegged the for a defenseman, but am perfectly fine with them taking a forward. Vegas is going to have fun negotiating with Pops Brisson with all their cap troubles. |
30 | | - | | Pick -- Mavrik Bourque (incorrect-- sort of). I thought Dallas would go for some more offensive help, and I actually picked Dallas to take Bourque back in September when they were still at 24. So while I got the spot wrong, I got the pick correct for the team. I'll take that as a win. |
31 | | | | Pick -- Ozzy Wiesblatt (incorrect). EASILY THE COOLEST NAME OF THE DRAFT. I also have to give props to Doug Wilson Jr for the sign language. As far as the pick, I thought they'd go for forward help in Perrault, but he went a few spots earlier. Weisblatt was another I was secretly hoping to be available at 35. Kind of shocked that he went in the first round, honestly, but I like the pick for San Jose. He should be a fan favorite. |