1 | | - | | This season in particular, the Red Wings are playing better defensively than offensively. Plus, the Red Wings have several young defenseman that are on the cusp of making the NHL such as Seider, McIssac, and Cholowski. Only Veleno and Raymond make up their list of forward prospects. I think the Red Wings go with Guenther here, he has probably been the most dominant forward as of late. Currently averaging over 2 points a game, scoring 24 points (12G, 12A) in 12 WHL games, playing on a stacked Edmonton Oil Kings team. Guenther is probably the best goal-scorer in the draft and also one of the fastest skaters. I considered Detroit taking Beniers because he’s comparable to Dylan Larkin, so why not be mentored by Larkin himself? However, with Veleno likely being their future 2nd line center and all, they will pass on Beniers. Guenther is comparable to Kyle Connor. Both players are fast and both are goal-scoring wingers. On Detroit, Guenther in the future could be a 30 goal-scorer playing on the top line with Larkin. |
2 | | - | | I did consider the Canucks taking Power but I have them taking Clarke for one reason. There may be risk with taking Power because he is left-handed. Hughes is also left-handed so it may be hard for Power to adapt to playing on the right-side. Clarke however, is a right-shot defenseman, so he won’t need to adapt. Luke Hughes I also considered because he could be play on the same line with his brother, but once again Luke is left-handed. I also think the Canucks should take a defenseman regardless because they have Hoglander already making an impact in the NHL and Podkolzin near NHL-ready. Juolevi is young, but he didn’t turn out to be the defenseman the Canucks were hoping for. Clarke has great offensive instincts and good skating ability. I would compare his play style to PK Subban because both players love to shoot the puck near the blue line. However, Clarke does tend to skate in the dirty areas more often than Subban does. Within 1 season, Clarke will make an impact on the top pair with Quinn Hughes. |
3 | | - | | I think the Ducks are set on defense, so I think they pass on Power. They currently have Lindholm, Drysdale, Manson, Mahura, Larsson, and Fowler who are either in their prime or very young. The Ducks also have decent forward prospects in Steel, Jones, Comtois, Lundestrom, and Zegras. However, none of those forwards are natural goal-scorers. Anaheim is currently last in the NHL in the goal-scoring department, so it is clear they need a goal-scorer. Eklund should be selected here because he has that goal-scoring ability the Ducks are looking for. He may be undersized, but his shot and skating ability make up for it. His best attribute may be his skating. His vision with the puck is also outstanding and Eklund is able to skate in the dirty areas of the ice. Like Guenther, Eklund is a very fast skater. I would compare Eklund’s play style to Nikolaj Ehlers. Both players are very fast and can skate in the dirty areas. A line of Zegras and Eklund would be dangerous for the opposition to face. |
4 | | - | | At this point, the Sabres need everything. After taking an off-the-board pick last year in Jack Quinn, Buffalo should grab the best player available, regardless of position regardless. Power is the easy pick here, he has the potential to be a top-two defenseman in the NHL. Even though Power tends to get lost in his own zone at times, he is still a solid contributor on the power play and penalty kill. But his two-way game is probably his best asset. Power can score goals and make great defensive plays in all areas of the ice. He may not be as productive as other defenseman on the board, but he is playing on a very stacked University of Michigan team. This season Power scored 16 points (3G, 13A) in 26 NCAA games. Pretty much all scouts and fans compare Power to Victor Hedman. Both have a high amount of poise in their game but Power is less offensive than Hedman. Within 1 year of development, Power will contribute in the Sabres top-two alongside Dahlin. |
5 | | - | | Even though Luke is dealing with an injury, I still have him as a top-five pick. He doesn’t have as much of a ceiling as Quinn or Jack, but could still be a reliable top-2 defenseman in the NHL. After playing next season in the NCAA, Luke should make the immediate jump to the NHL and make an impact on New Jersey’s top pairing with Subban or Smith. This pick would also create good team chemistry as Luke would be playing with Jack. For the past four of five drafts, the Devils have taken forwards in the first round. They should grab a defenseman regardless and also should grab the best available. At this point it should be Luke Hughes. Luke and Clarke are very similar players, both play with a lot of offense. However, Luke is able to score in multiple areas and is more of a playmaker. The Devils are several holes on the left side of their defensive core and Luke would fill one of them. At the moment, Ty Smith is the only young left-shot defenseman they have. Luke currently is injured, but it is confirmed that he will resume skating at the end of May, according to reports. Beniers should be taken here, but with Hischier and Hughes as two young natural centers, the Devils will pass on him. |
6 | | - | | This is a big drop off for Beniers. We don’t know what Seattle’s team is yet so I have them taking the best player available, regardless of position. Beniers is probably the best two-way forward in the draft. I was thinking that the Kraken could also take Johnson because he was born near Seattle but I don’t see Beniers dropping any further than this. Beniers has a lot of potential, he could be a 1st line center in the NHL, within one year of development. As a NCAA rookie, Beniers produced well, scoring 24 points (10G, 14A) in 24 games playing on a stacked University of Michigan team. He also played on a stacked USA World Junior team as the youngest player. On a top-six role alongside Caufield and Boldy, Beniers scored 3 points (1G, 2A) in 7 games to win the championship. I would compare his play style to Dylan Larkin. |
7 | | - | | I did consider the Senators taking Johnson and Edvinsson here. Johnson and Stutzle are both playmakers and Edvinsson is a left-shot defenseman. Ottawa already took a left-shot defenseman in Sanderson last season and they also have Chabot on the left side as well. I also did consider Wallstedt, but the Senators have four goalies in their organization (Murray, Forsberg, Gustavsson, and Hogberg). So they go off-the-board here and take Sillinger. This could be their future No. 1 or 2 center, Sillinger has underrated potential. He is mostly a shoot-first forward but can also be a playmaker in certain situations. Once the defensive aspects of Sillinger’s game improve, he will make the NHL. This season he was on loan to the USHL and drove the offense on a mediocre Sioux Falls team. Sillinger scored 46 points (24G, 22A) in 31 USHL games. Normally Sillinger plays for Medicine Hat of the WHL. As a rookie last season he scored 53 points (22G, 31A) in 48 games. According to reports, Sillinger will return to Medicine Hat for a sophomore season. |
8 | | - | | According to reports, center depth is a huge reason of why the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs this season. After trading away Dubois, the Blue Jackets center depth is very thin. Johnson is the logical pick here, he can not only play center but can also play wing, just like Dubois. Johnson is probably the most creative player in the draft, he can be the Blue Jackets future top line center within 1 season. Last year in the BCHL, a league where a lot of boom or bust players come from, Johnson dominated, scoring 101 points (41G, 60A) in 52 games. This is also another player who played in Michigan this season. He scored 27 points (9G, 18A) in 26 NCAA games. I would compare Johnson’s play style to Mitch Marner. Edvinsson I did consider the Blue Jackets taking, but I figured that center depth was a bigger issue than the Blue Jackets defensive struggles that they also had this season. |
9 | | - | | No way Edvinsson falls any lower than this. Even though Edvinsson hasn’t been productive at all this season, he still has great potential. Within 1-2 years of development, Edvinsson could become a top-two defenseman on Los Angeles. Also the Kings should take a defenseman here regardless because during the past four drafts, they have taken a forward in the first round. Edvinsson has great skating ability with and without the puck. His two-way game is probably his biggest strength. Early season reports said that scouts compare Edvinsson to Hedman, but I would compare Edvinsson to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Edvinsson doesn’t provide as much offense as Hedman, he’s more all-around, just like Ekman-Larsson. |
10 | | - | | No team likes drafting goalies in the top 10, but with the amount of potential Wallstedt has, but the Sharks should grab him if available. Clearly their biggest need is a reliable No. 1 goalie. Their backup currently is Korenar, who hasn’t proven himself at the NHL level. Wallstedt won’t need much time to develop because he played against men in the SHL this season and has risen to the occasion. This season Wallstedt went 12-10-0 with a 2.23 GAA and a .908 SV% along with two shutouts. One year of development, then Wallstedt’s NHL-ready. Not as agile, but his size (6’3’’, 214 lbs) makes up for it. Plays well in the butterfly position and reads the play very well. Again, this is a must-grab for the Sharks, even if they are drafting in the top 10. |
11 | | - | | I would consider this a drop off for Lysell, because he has potential to go in the top five, maybe even top three if a team really is interested in him. Lysell and Johnson are very similar players, except Lysell shoots the puck more often. He is very creative with the puck and can score goals. Like Eklund, Lysell is undersized at 5’10’’, but his shot and skill make up for it. Lysell is a high risk pick, but whoever gets him will get well awarded. This player has high potential, Lysell could be a top line winger in the NHL within 2 years of development. The production needs to be better as well as Lysell only put up 3 points (2G, 1A) in 26 SHL games as a teammate to Jesper Wallstedt. I would compare Lysell’s play style to Artemi Panarin. Both players are shooters and both like to be crafty with the puck. |
12 | | - | | Ceulemans doesn’t have as much upside as Pietrangelo, but he could still be a reliable top-4 NHL defenseman in the near future. After the loss of Pietrangelo, defenseman is clearly what the Blues are missing. Svozil has the higher ceiling, but Ceulemans is right-handed, which is what the Blues need more. Svozil is a left-shot defenseman. Just like Pietrangelo, Ceulemans could play in all situations, whether it is the power play or penalty kill. He is able to transition from one play to the other. The skating and offensive flare are also one of Ceulemans biggest strength(s). Once the defensive aspects of his game improve, which would take about 2-3 seasons, Ceulemans would be the perfect replacement for Alex Pietrangelo. I would indeed compare Ceulemans to Pietrangelo, once again both players excel playing in every situation of the game, whether it is the power play or penalty kill. Both are very offensive as well. |
13 | | - | | Draft Pick Forfeited |
14 | | - | | Throughout the month of April, Svozil has risen big on the draft board. Before he was a clear second-round pick, now he could go as high as 10. This is pretty much a Provorov 2.0 player because of the two-way ability that Svozil has. Also his skating is about as good as Provorov’s, so grabbing a Provorov-like player would be great for the Flyers. Fits in their system well. Svozil has underrated potential, he could be a top-four defenseman in the NHL within 2-3 seasons of development. Once the physical aspects of his game improve, Svozil will make the NHL. The Flyers already have a very solid forward group and a young goalie in Carter Hart, so defense is clearly a need for the Flyers. Their only young defenseman in their system is Cam York. With York having health issues and such, the chances of him turning into a solid NHL player is very slim. |
15 | | - | | Another big riser. This is probably the highest I see Robertsson going, with the lowest being 30. The Blackhawks need a high-end right shot defenseman and a right winger. With Chicago being a rebuilder, I think its best to grab the best right winger available in this case. At this point, that is Robertsson. Although he hasn’t been as consistent in the SHL this season (2 points in 22 games), Robertsson has great shooting ability and puck handling skills. On a rebuilding team like the Blackhawks, Robertsson will likely be a 2nd or 3rd line winger. During the month of March, Robertsson was a clear low first-round pick. |
16 | | - | | I would say centers are the biggest need for the Canadiens at the moment. After Suzuki and Kotkaniemi, their depth is very thin. Raty was once the consensus No. 1 pick, but with being cut from the World Juniors and his demotion to the Junior league of Finland due to point production, his rankings slipped big time. However, while playing in the Junior league of Finland, Raty has become more consistent in terms of points. At the moment Raty has scored 7 points (3G, 4A) in 8 games. That is way better compared to 6 points in 35 games in Finland’s top league. If Raty eventually gets his ceiling back, he could be a reliable second line center. Right now Raty will likely be a third-line center. Raty has great skating ability and a solid two-way game. His style is compared to Jonathan Toews. |
17 | | - | | The two pieces Dallas should consider taking: a right-shot defenseman or a top-six center. In this mock, it would be off-the-board if the Stars take Morrow. Instead I have them taking a center in Lucius. He provides a lot of starpower, and the Stars definitely are lacking starpower behind Robertsson and Gurianov. Lucius is a natural center who is also a goal-scorer. His potential is big, Lucius could be a reliable 2nd line center in the future. Once he works on his health issues and the defensive aspects of his game, he will make the Stars lineup. It shouldn’t be long either, only 1-2 seasons it will take. Last season, Lucius was a consensus top-3 selection in this draft. I would compare his play style to Elias Lindholm. |
18 | | - | | Coronato was arguably the biggest riser in the month of February. He is still continuing to rise up the draft board, establishing himself as a clear top 20 pick. The highest he could go is 10. This would also be the player that Nashville could use. Nashville’s scoring issues from last season are getting worse this season and their special teams are also not good. Coronato excels in both scenarios, he provides a lot of offense and can contribute on special teams, whether it is the power play or the penalty kill. I was considering Pinelli to be taken here, but Nashville’s center depth is one of the best in the NHL, so they pass on him. Coronato is one of the more productive players in the draft as well. On a stacked Chicago Steel team, he scored 83 points (46G, 37A) in 50 USHL games. I would compare Coronato’s play style to Jake Guentzel. Within at most 3 seasons, Coronato could be a reliable middle-six winger for the Predators. Next season, he is committed to playing at Harvard University. |
19 | | - | | After winning the lottery and taking Lafreniere last season, the Rangers will draft a goal-scorer in Duke. Lafreniere and Duke could be one of the best duos in the NHL, you have Lafreniere as the playmaker and Duke as the finisher. Duke has great goal-scoring ability and brings a physical presence on the ice. Not the biggest riser, but Duke has risen quite a lot through the month of April in terms of draft rankings. This season playing in the USDP, Duke scored 44 points (25G, 19A) in 43 games. Duke is underrated, he has the potential to become a low-end 2nd line center, which is what the Rangers need. Once Duke’s skating ability improves, he will make the Rangers lineup and be the perfect linemate to Lafreniere. |
20 | | - | | This is probably the biggest riser in the draft. The highest Cossa could go is 10, this is probably a drop off for him. His potential is big, Cossa could be a reliable starting goalie in the NHL within 3-4 seasons. He’s going to a team that needs a goalie as well. With Smith aging and Koskinen being in his prime, the Oilers should search for a young goalie. Cossa already has NHL-ready size at 6’6’’ and has great technical skill. He also plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings, so the fact that Cossa plays in the Oilers backyard would make him easy to scout. I did consider putting Bourgault here because of the rumors of Nugent-Hopkins leaving Edmonton. However, I don’t see Cossa falling any further than this. Once the speed improves, Cossa will make the transition over to the NHL. |
21 | | - | | I did consider Morrow to be taken here because the Jets need right-shot defenseman more. However, Lambos is more NHL-ready than Morrow is. I don’t think Winnipeg would be willing to wait for their defenseman to develop because the depth on their defensive core is very thin. I would say it would take about 1-2 seasons for Lambos to make the transition over to the NHL. For Morrow, it would take about 3-4 seasons. Lambos would also be really easy for Winnipeg to scout because he plays for the Winnipeg Ice, which is in the Jets backyard. His draft stock has fallen because he is out for the WHL season with an injury and also not being productive enough in the top Finnish league this season. I would classify Lambos to be the best defensive defenseman in the draft. Lambos excels most defensively, offensively not so much. He has great gap control, I would compare his play style to Ryan Suter. |
22 | | - | | The latest reports on Boston have said that they are having trouble scoring goals. Stankoven excels in that particular category, which is scoring goals. He is also a decent playmaker as he is able to thread the needle when making a pass. This may be a high-risk pick as Stankoven is undersized at 5’8’’, but it is also a high reward. He is currently being dominant in the WHL playing for Kamloops, scoring 10 points (7G, 3A) in 6 games. Very bold, I would compare Stankoven to Lucas Raymond. |
23 | | | | The Wild immediately fix their center problem with this pick. The Wild’s depth at center is very thin and even though Bourgault has skating issues, he will round out the Wild’s center depth. Bourgault, Eriksson Ek, and Rossi would now make up a great list of centers. Bourgault is a similar player to Stankoven, except less versatile positionally (Stankoven can play both center and wing; Bourgault is a natural center). Both players are great offensively, not so much defensively. Bourgault does have a better two-way game than Stankoven however and is more productive playing in the QMJHL this season. He scored 40 points (20G, 20A) in 29 games this season. I would compare Bourgault to Cam Aktinson. After adding more stamina and improving his skating ability, Bourgault would be a reliable 3rd line center for Minnesota. |
24 | | | | With this pick, the Blue Jackets get the best power forward in the draft. They also get a player who is similar to Max Domi, except more physical. L’Heureux’s biggest strength would be his physicality, any team lacking a physical presence would want to draft him. Within 2-3 seasons, L’Heureux could be better than Max Domi and actually stay on the Blue Jacket’s middle-six line instead of being a healthy scratch most nights, just like Domi. L’Heureux is already putting up better numbers than Domi, he scored 39 points (19G, 20A) in 33 QMJHL games, playing for the Halifax Mooseheads. L’Heureux also has a lethal wrist shot, he is also able to score a lot of goals. |
25 | | - | | Pastujov has been one of the biggest fallers in the month of April. Mostly because certain prospects have risen up the draft board. With this pick, the Wild add starpower behind Kaprizov. Currently they are lacking starpower, mostly in their middle-six. Even though Pastujov has fallen, he still has potential to be a reliable middle-six winger in the NHL. He is a goal-scorer who also provides a lot of physicality on the ice. The perfect complement to Marco Rossi, you have Rossi as the passer and Pastujov as the finisher. Once his explosiveness and awareness with the puck improve, Pastujov will make the Wild lineup. I would compare his play style to Matthew Tkachuk, very physical and also is a goal-scorer. |
26 | | | | The Devils select probably the most elusive player in the draft. Samoskevich’s biggest strength is evading away from the opposition. He is one of the biggest risers in this draft, you could argue a bigger riser than Cossa because he was projected to be selected in the middle of the draft (3rd or 4th round). Samoskevich has outstanding skating ability, most of the goals he’s scored are in the dirty areas of the ice. After going for a defenseman with their first pick, the Devils take the best winger available. Regardless they shouldn’t take a center here because they have Hughes and Hischier (as mentioned before). Samoskevich on a stacked Chicago Steel team as the assistant captain scored 37 points (13G, 24A) in 36 games. Once his shot accuracy improves, he will make the Devils lineup and be a reliable third-line winger. Committed to playing in the University of Michigan next season with Luke Hughes, so it may create some good chemistry as well. |
27 | | | | After taking Guenther first overall, the Red Wings should take a defenseman here regardless. Cholowski and McIssac haven’t turned out to be the type of players the Red Wings wanted, so they take a left-shot defenseman in Hreschuk. This is a player whose rankings are wide open. I would say the range is from 20-50. However, the Red Wings have shown they are willing to take risks, picking Seider in 2019. Hreschuk could be the perfect complement to Seider in the future. Very offensive minded, Hreschuk has great puck-handling skills and is also able to make outstanding passing plays. Playing on a line with Luke Hughes, Hreschuk scored 33 points (5G, 28G) in 43 USDP games. Hreschuk has potential to become a middle-pair defenseman, I would compare his play style to Torey Krug. |
28 | | | | After taking a high-quality forward with their first pick, the Blue Jackets take a defenseman here. They should take a right-shot defenseman here because they traded Savard, a right-shot defenseman. Morrow would be the replacement for Savard, he has great hockey IQ and makes great defensive plays like Savard. However, it will take a while for Morrow to develop as he is still playing in an under-18 league. In the USUS-Prep league, Morrow scored 33 points (6G, 27A) in 24 games. Once he makes the transition to the NHL, Morrow can be a reliable bottom-pair defenseman for the Blue Jackets. |
29 | | - | | Not much to establish here, Colorado is a very deep team. I would expect that they take the best player available, regardless of position. My personal opinion, this is a dropoff for McTavish, the mock drafts I’ve seen have him around 15. I would also say that McTavish is a great complement to Newhook. Have Newhook as the passer then McTavish as the finisher. McTavish is a natural center, has great size and goal-scoring ability. Once the skating and defensive aspects of his game improve, McTavish could be a reliable 2nd line center behind MacKinnon. A very bold comparison, I would compare McTavish to Auston Matthews. Both players are centers and both love to score up close to the net. |
30 | | - | | Another big riser here in Schmidt. The depth behind Ekblad is very thin, mostly its veterans. Schmidt excels at creating plays during the rush and loves to pinch the offensive zone. Within 5+ seasons, Schmidt could be a reliable middle-pair defenseman for the Panthers. |
31 | | - | | With many forward prospects in the Hurricanes system, the defense needs to be addressed here. With this pick, the Hurricanes get a offensive defenseman in Behrens. He can make smart decisions with the puck and generate offensive opportunities. His potential is underrated, Behrens could be a reliable middle-six defenseman in the NHL. However, for a team like the Hurricanes, he will likely slide into the bottom-pair because the Hurricanes have such a deep defensive core. However, its mostly veterans, not many young stars. Their only young player is Bean, who hasn’t really turned out to be the type of player the Hurricanes wanted. Once the defensive aspects of his game as well as the size at 5’9’’ improve, Behrens will make the transition over to the NHL. |
32 | | - | | The Golden Knights have young defenseman such as Hague and Whitecloud on their team. Their winger depth isn’t bad either, so the logical choice would be a center. They are a deep team, so I expect them to take the best center available. In my opinion that is Pinelli. He has great two-way ability and can be a main contributor on the power play and penalty kill. His potential is underrated like many prospects in this draft, Pinelli could be a reliable 2nd line center in the NHL. I would compare his play style to Sean Couturier. |