I’m not sure at all tbh. I’ve seen a couple different guys like Owen Power, Brandt Clarke and Aatu Raty. I also wouldn’t count out Walldstedt if the team that gets 1st rly needs a goalie. Who do y’all think goes 1st?

I haven’t seen anyone of these guys play, so I couldn’t tell you who would be picked first, but I can’t see a goalie going 1st overall. There aren’t too many teams that need a goalie, so unless he performs extremely well this year, I can’t see anyone picking a goalie so high.

I would love nothing more than it to be Wallstedt, and I genuinely don't know how any team passes up on him in the top 3. If he keeps his SHL pace up for the year, it's very likely that he's NHL bound the second his contract is up in Sweden. His numbers are asinine. His worst season was a .901sv% run as a 16y/o in the Swedish U20 league, and he still managed to finish in the top half of goalies that year. Mind boggling. He doesn't appear to be as dominant against his peers as Askarov is, but he's apparently made a very successful transition to the highest levels of Swedish hockey.

I don't even think Raty looks like a top-5 pick right now: he's not being used very effectively (or at all?) in the SM-Liiga right now and his numbers took a step back at the U20 level. He and Wallstedt have a clear advantage over the North American prospects right now given that they'll play more games, but he needs to turn it on sooner than later to secure that status.

Not sure if a defenceman goes first overall: there was enough superstition around the idea when Ekblad went first overall, and the best player from that draft ended up going 3rd overall. Unless the Red Wings are picking 1st - who have a very clear and obvious need for a #1 defender to pair with Seider - I wouldn't expect a rearguard to go 1st.

Keep an eye on Dylan Guenther once the WHL starts play. He was electric for the Oil Kings last season (really fun to watch, he's always up to something on the ice). He had a very strong D-1 season and if the Oil Kings put him in a position to succeed, he could single-handedly dismantle the WHL.

Right now, I'd go:

1. Wallstedt
2. Power
3. Clarke
4. Lambos
5. Guenther
6. Raty

I like that there's no clear-cut #1 right now. The past drafts have been boring with the top 1 or 2 positions being known by like November. Good year for defencemen.

This might be the first year in a while where the first overall is based on who actually picks first, instead of a clear-cut superstar.

Great insight, thanks! The draft is definitely gonna be exciting, especially for the fans of the team that gets 1 OA

Last I heard it was almost definitely going to be Raty ... has that changed?

I think he's been starting to slide down several opinion lists, and if the first overall team doesn't team a C I don't think they reach for him.

But it could change. Doesn't help that the CHL isn't playing right now.

Maybe. 2017 was really close, although the 2 players vying for 1st were both the same position, so it was just preference.

I doubt we'll see a Goalie go 1st overall again for a long time. Rick DiPietro still resonates. Carter Hart was one of the most successful junior Goalies ever and every team passed on him at least once. Even Fleury wouldn't go #1 in a re-draft. Goalies are just too unpredictable, I suppose.

And I’m sure the fact that a team really only needs one good one, as opposed to the other positions.