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| ROUND 1 | TEAM | ORIGINAL | PLAYER | DETAILS |
|---|
| 1 |  | - | Without a shadow of a doubt, Bedard is a lock for 1st overall. Even if a team doesn’t need a center, Bedard is just way too hard to pass up on. He’s a really good 3-zone type player, mostly known for his prolific goal-scoring ability. Bedard has a booming shot, along with crispy playmaking skills. He makes all the harder passes in the game look incredibly easy. Already a fan-favorite, Bedard’s 200-ft game can translate perfectly into the NHL, we have seen Bedard blowing by defenders in the o-zone. He doesn’t need much space to do exactly that. Defensively, Bedard makes all the smart decisions and he has amazing maturity with an example being his interview after the gold medal game. It won’t take long for him to become an impactful forward, he can slide into a top line role immediately. Will be an amazing building block for any rebuilding franchise, you want to build a franchise centered around him. | |
| 2 |  | - | During the draft, picks 2-4 can go anywhere, depending on what team picks. But the safest option for 2nd overall is Fantilli. He is the complete package and GMs will love him. Started off the year playing as a power forward, but his two-way game has improved massively. As of now, he’s your reliable 3-zone player. Fantilli is the definition of a two-way center who is currently putting up ground-breaking numbers as a NCAA rookie. He possesses amazing size (6’2’’, 187 lbs), a booming shot, and physicality. One minor tweak that Fantilli needs fixing prior to his NHL debut is the aggressiveness. Sometimes, he’s overaggressive against the opposing puck carrier, leaving multiple options for a pass. But that shouldn’t be a major concern, as Fantilli makes up for it with his skating. For a two-way forward prospect, his skating is really good and will translate onto the NHL ice. His whole game can translate perfectly in fact, this is a boomer pick at 2nd and Fantilli is a future building block. | |
| 3 |  | - | Between Carlsson and Michkov, Carlsson is the safer bet to go 3rd. Michkov is more of a boom-or-bust pick. In Carlsson’s case, he’s the definition of a generational power forward. His upside is pretty much a coin flip with Fantilli’s, Carlsson is also producing in big numbers against men. Pretty much putting up a point every other game, which is really good for an SHL prospect. Carlsson is one inch bigger than Fantilli, but worse defensively. His defense is inconsistent, but whenever its there, its worthy of a top 3 pick. But Carlsson’s offensive prowess is very promising, from his powerful shot, dynamic passing, and ability to find the open area. Really fluid skater for a power forward and also very versatile in terms of position. Carlsson often plays center, but there have been several glimpses of him playing as a right winger. But still, his ability to play center will translate into the NHL perfectly. Like everyone in my top 4, I’ve said this multiple times, Carlsson is another core piece pick in this draft. He could go second if a team really wants to address their winger depth, but in more likelihood, Carlsson will go third or fourth. | |
| 4 |  | - | In this draft and the first round especially, there are very few boom-or-bust picks. However, Michkov is actually one of them. Michkov is the perfect definition of a high-risk but high-reward pick. Not only does he have the Russian factor with him, but the fact that his KHL contract doesn’t even expire until the end of the 2025-26 KHL season may scare many teams off. I also don’t like his attitude on-ice, he tends to get emotional and take too many penalties. His decision making during defensive situations isn’t great either. But I’m not going too far and saying he’s bad, cause he’s actually a really good player as a whole. I see him as a building block for any franchise and generational sniper. Michkov’s offensive toolkit is actually more well-rounded as the playmaking he has is also really good. Pretty much Michkov is a worse version of Bedard, both are pretty much the same player. But there are tons of risk with drafting Michkov but if he gets to his full potential, Michkov will be a high-impact player at the NHL level. I see a lot of Kirill Kaprizov in this kid. | |
| 5 |  | - | This is where the draft becomes a crapshoot. Anything can happen here. However, the safe option at this spot would be Will Smith. This ranking is pretty much a coin flip between Smith and Dvorsky, but I have Smith because a lot of people on this site have Smith before Dvorsky in their rankings. So here you go. In Smith’s case, he is a really crafty playmaker who thinks the game at an extremely high level. Whether its an outlet or a cross-ice pass, or even simple, Smith makes it look easy. He’s really hard to play against between the goal crease and faceoff circle, Smith needs very little space to shoot the puck. Speaking of shooting, his shot variety is very intriguing. Smith loves to shoot after pinching the o-zone, but tends to shy away from shooting near the blue line. His skating is very fluid, but the defense needs to be more consistent. But whenever the defense is there, Smith is very flashy. At the NHL level, I see him being a very consistent 80+ assist center playing a top line role. | |
| 6 |  | - | Like I said in the Smith analysis, it’s a coin flip between him and Dvorsky. So ranking 6th overall wasn’t a hard decision. Out of all the players outside my top 4, I would say Dvorsky is the most NHL-ready. Although I’ve heard a lot of people say that he’s inconsistent offensively, I personally disagree with that. I’m not too concerned with Dvorsky’s production in Sweden this year, especially when you compare other first-round picks like Lekkerimaki and Ostlund. The big knock on his game is the skating, which is one of the reasons why he’s below Smith on my board. Also because a lot of people on this site have Smith higher on their boards. But I don’t like Dvorsky’s 4-way agility, he’s more of a straight-line player. However, he does tend to play with lots of speed. The best part of Dvorsky’s game is the defense he brings on a daily basis. He won’t be flashy defensively, but he’s consistent and makes all the smart decisions in a hurry. He also uses his sturdy frame (6’1’’, 201 lbs) effectively. Like I said, his production this year isn’t a concern, Dvorsky has amazing hockey sense and filthy puck handling. He’s a very good first-option for all special team units, Dvorsky has a well-rounded offensive toolkit. From his booming shot, smart passing, and ability to get into the dirty areas. On the powerplay he won’t get into the dirty areas, he will mostly find the open area. I see a lot of Patrice Bergeron in this kid’s game, and there’s no denying the potential of Dvorsky as I see first-line material out of him sooner rather than later. | |
| 7 |  | - | This is a very interesting pick at 7th overall. A lot of people on this site have Cristall lower than this due to his size, but his overall skill and way he thinks the game makes me believe that his size isn’t a major concern. Cristall is an undersized winger who makes all the hard passes look easy, which is the definition of playmaker. He needs very little space to enter the o-zone, and uses his 4-way mobility really effectively. He’s the kid I compare to Mitch Marner, great 200-ft player with a booming shot, and smooth skater. In fact, Cristall is one of the more agile skaters in the class. The biggest knock on him is the frame, as he’s small (5’10”, 165 lbs) but like said before, the skill makes up for it. In the WHL for Kelowna, Cristall is very smart defensively, but because of the size it won’t translate into the NHL properly, making him a defensive liability at that level. But there’s no denying the potential of Cristall, especially after his inspiring first half of the season. His skill and skating alone could win him a spot in the NHL on day one, but more than likely Cristall needs a few years to develop his size. | |
| 8 |  | - | This one was a toss-up between Sale and Benson, and do I prefer Benson more. I won’t go too deep with this analysis, as Benson is pretty much a worse version of Cristall. Size is the biggest knock on Benson, he is smaller than Cristall, but considering his skill and well-rounded offensive toolkit, the size won’t be a major concern. Benson is also a hard-working player as he never takes a shift off. However, if the size doesn’t improve, the defense won’t translate into the NHL at all. But I do see Benson as a top liner within a couple of years. | |
| 9 |  | - | I don’t know if you know this, but this draft is filled with playmakers, especially in the first round. Sale happens to be one of those players, the three above him being Smith, Cristall and Benson. However, what puts Sale below them is the effort without the puck. Sale is also very tall at 6’2”, but he needs to add more muscle if he wants to take the next step. But that shouldn’t be a major concern as he continues to play against men. Barrie has Sale’s CHL rights, he could play a year there. Or even play in the AHL. But Sale has insane vision and playmaking. He also has a booming shot, making for a well-rounded offensive toolkit. Overall, I see top line winger potential in Sale. | |
| 10 |  | - | I’m not sure why many scouts have Yager projected as a center at the NHL level. Yes, he has been playing center at the WHL level, but he’s way too slow to become a NHL center. I would say he’s more of a winger. I’m also not sure why many people are saying he’s a sniper. Whenever I look at Yager, I would say he’s more of a two-way forward. Yes, he does have a booming shot and decent playmaking to go along with it. But his defensive instincts are actually really good and he can be aggressive against the puck carrier at times. Yager has amazing hockey IQ, but in my personal opinion, it will take a couple of years for him to make the NHL. But he will be worth it, as he’s able to excel in all situations of the game. He just needs to get a lot faster with the puck, especially during zone entries. At times, Yager tends to get knocked off the puck very easily. He also may be 6’0” on the dot, but he’s really skinny, so adding a lot more muscle will be needed to make the jump into the NHL. As a result, Yager could be one of the players who falls solely based off the muscle and skating, but all-around he’s an excellent player who thinks the game at a high level. I would say at most 2 years of development is needed for Yager, but once he reaches his full potential, Yager will be impactful in a top line role. | |
| 11 |  | - | Before Sandin-Pelikka was the top defenseman on my board. But now its Reinbacher. When you compare the two together, Reinbacher has been playing way better. I would say Reinbacher is a guy who has shown excellent leadership defensively, which is a thing that I haven’t seen from most defenseman in this draft. There is zero denial with the potential of Reinbacher, especially after the way he performed for a winless Austria team during the WJC. Despite Austria losing all of their games, Reinbacher was the lone bright spot on that team. The NL isn’t the most competitive men’s league by any means, but putting up half a PPG is still excellent. Reinbacher is a very good two-way defender who has NHL-ready size (6’2”, 187 lbs). He does think offense very simple rather than flashy, but all the time the right decisions are made. He has a booming shot from the point and amazing passing on him. The defensive smarts are also very good, from the gap control to aggressiveness in his own end. He also doesn’t shy away from mucking it up in the corners. There really isn’t many flaws in Reinbacher’s game and the ones I can think of are just minor. He has physicality which isn’t used often as he’s mostly puck watching rather than going for the hit. But whenever he does use the body, it will make the opposition’s odds of scoring lower. The 4-way agility he has is also very good. I see top 2 potential with Reinbacher and he could even become a captain in the future, like said before, his ability to lead is really good and will attract many GMs. | |
| 12 | |  | This is another player, like Yager, that scouts have projected and analyzed wrong. I don’t know why scouts say he’s a sniper. In all honesty, when you watch Wood, he’s the definition of a power forward. Yes, Wood has a sniper’s shot, but whoever drafts him will be getting sandpaper and an offensive threat on their roster which normally fits into that power forward mold. Wood has a booming shot and is a menace near the boards. He’s also the best board battler in the draft, as he’s very capable of winning board battles. Wood is also a very good forechecker and can really adapt to the pace of the game with blazing speed. But I would say while the speed is good and he can adapt to it, his agility isn’t great by any means. He has shown that he’s able to blow by opposing defenders, but he wants to continue that in the NHL, he needs to improve his moblity and/or agility. Wood is also a liability in his own end, and that could scare GMs away. But I see top line potential with Wood. | |
| 13 | |  | Unlike a lot of scouts and people on this site, I don’t like giving out spoilers, but I do have three defenders in the top 15. Not many people have that. And I get it, this draft isn’t deep with defenseman, it’s a forward only draft. But Sandin-Pelikka pretty much stands out from the rest, he potential he’s shown looks extremely promising. He’s pretty much a worse version of Reinbacher, yet being another two-way defender. But what puts him below Reinbacher is the size. Sandin-Pelikka is slightly small for a defender (5’11”, 181 lbs). He also tends to take too many dumb infractions with the stick, resulting in too many penalties. However, he hasn’t looked out of place as an SHL rookie, I’m not really concern with his production. Skating wins over a lot of things, especially point production, and Sandin-Pelikka has NHL-ready skating. He needs very little space to carry and distribute the puck. The hockey IQ that Sandin-Pelikka has is incredible, he’s able to speed up his decisions precisely. He’s the kid I often compare to Josh Morrissey, mostly because of his skating being very similar and the way both think the game. I see top pairing potential out of Sandin-Pelikka. | |
| 14 |  | - | The third defender in my top 15, this is more of a project pick. Gulyayev is a boom-or-bust pick at 14th, but if he pans out, the upside he has is extremely impressive. I often compare him to a lefty Cale Makar. By a small margin, Gulyayev is the fastest skater in the draft. He’s able to adapt to the pace of the game and doesn’t need much space to take a shoot, which is a boomer. Mostly excels during offensive zone entries and is hard to get knocked off the puck. His ability on the breakout is really strong and has excellent playmaking. Defensively, Gulyayev makes all the smart choices but I don’t think it will translate into the NHL level nicely. He also isn’t physical, but the MHL is a league where players aren’t physical. So maybe the physicality is there, but Gulyayev just doesn’t use it. He’s also undersized for an NHL defender (5’10”, 170 lbs). If Gulyayev wasn’t Russian, he would be the top defender in this draft, but being the third-best defender on my board isn’t a bad situation. The full potential would be reached, Gulyayev will be a generational defender (could end up top 3 in future redrafts), but as of now he’s looking like he will be a top 4 defender based off the way he’s playing. | |
| 15 |  | - | I’ve seen a lot of rankings and mock drafts on this site having Perreault fall because of his size. I do think, however, at 5’11”, its just right to succeed at the NHL level. However, Perreault will need to add a lot more muscle before he makes the jump. But the biggest flaw that Perreault has is the consistency during defensive situations. At times, he puts himself into a head-scratching position during the opposition o-zone entry or when the puck is in the neutral zone. But Perreault is known for his incredible NHL bloodlines and dynamic playmaking. While his older brother Jacob is a sniper, Gabe is mostly a playmaker. He still has a really good shot, but the playmaking is even better. Skating-wise, there really aren’t any concerns as Perreault is very fluid and showcases elite edgework, especially in his o-zone and during the breakout. Once he makes the NHL, I see Perreault as a very good top 6 winger. | |
| 16 |  | - | A lot of people will hate on this one, and I totally get it. But Bonk has been really good, he’s by far the best defensive defenseman prospect I’ve seen in ages. This is the kid I haven’t scouted much prior to the Prospects game, so my previous draft board analysis on him is widely inaccurate. The kid I compare most to Ryan Suter, Bonk can be an easy fit into a defensive-oriented system and slide perfectly into a top 4 role. The gap control that Bonk has, especially in the o-zone is monstrous, as well as he displays elite stick checking and aggressiveness while the opposition is attempting a dump-in towards the d-zone. His gap control alone makes him a valuable asset on the power play, which is he really good at. Bonk is also a cerebral puck carrier in all 3 zones. But whenever the offense is there, Bonk is a pass-first defenseman and displays an amazing shot. But often he tends to go for tip-in goals. But his best assets are his skating and size as both are NHL-ready at this point, which is part of the reason he’s inside my top 20 and higher than what most people on this site have him at. Overall, like said before, a lock for any team’s top 4 defensive unit in the NHL and it won’t take long at all for him to even make it. | |
| 17 | |  | Leonard is one of those prospects who has been on everyone’s, including mine, trending list. Also, I’m not sure whether anyone knows, but there are at least 70 guys who could be drafted after 16th overall. Leonard is the safest option here, though I do see him going anywhere from 8th till 25th. He will be a GMs favorite, Leonard is a energetic goal-scorer. While he doesn’t have flashy playmaking, Leonard always keeps his passing simple by making the smart pass to the open area. However, Leonard does tend to struggle with keeping his emotions in check. Sometimes he gets too choppy with his stick, resulting in dumb penalties. While Leonard isn’t shy of using his stick to gain puck possession, he does shy away from a hit. At best Leonard will become a top 6 winger at the NHL level. He does play center at times, but he’s most comfortable on the wing. | |
| 18 |  | - | In terms of stock, Moore is pretty much on par with Leonard. However, while Leonard is a goal-scorer, Moore is a playmaker. I would say Moore is essentially a worse version of Smith, so I won’t get too detailed with this explanation. What puts Moore way below Smith is the point production, which is still good, but way below Smith’s. Also the defense isn’t utilized as effectively than Smith. But at best Moore will have high value as a good 2C. | |
| 19 |  | - | A lot of people have Barlow higher on their draft boards and its not like he’s a bad player, he’s actually pretty good. Like said before, there’s about 70 or more guys that could be ranked after the top 10 at most. I see Barlow going anywhere from 8th till 20th, this is near the lower part of where he will be drafted. He’s a solid 3-zone type of player, with amazing penalty killing instincts. Just a solid two-way forward, however he’s way more consistent offensively with his booming shot and elite edges. Barlow also has above average playmaking, making for a well-rounded offensive toolkit. Defensively, there is some inconsistency but whenever its there, its top 20 worthy. Barlow uses his frame (6’1”, 187 lbs) extremely well and possesses elite stick checking. But where it is consistent is the penalty kill, everywhere else its inconsistent. At most, Barlow will become a decent top 6 winger. | |
| 20 |  | - | This is a high upside pick at 20th. Out of all my dark horse picks for the top 10, Danielson is my biggest one. His defensive game is clearly the best in the draft. But what really puts Danielson out of the top 10, even top 15 is the offensive effort. He does a booming shot and is able to make the smart pass, but he tends to be selfish with the puck and also shies away from shooting the puck. In more simpler words, he lacks the finishing ability. He tends to be in the wrong position at times during defensive situations. Mainly whoever is drafting Danielson will mostly be using him during defensive situations, lowering his upside. At best Danielson will become a top 6 center. Defensively, he skates really well and provides amazing stick checking and gap control. His ability to break up plays from the opposition is flawless. Once again, this is a high upside pick, but the offensive potential Danielson has is somewhat low. But the defense alone makes him a heavy candidate to be taken off-the-board in the top 10, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen. | |
| 21 | |  | This is a polarizing rank, as a lot of draft boards have Heidt at the early stages of the second round, but I don’t think he’s there at all. He’s actually one of the more dynamic players in the draft, as Heidt has the playmaking to do it all. He often plays a hard-nosed style and able to make perfect passes through small seams. The shot is also really good and in all three zones Heidt is very elusive on his feet. Despite being only 5’11”, he barely needs any space to blow by opposing defenders and score goals, especially in the o-zone. Very capable of winning 1-on-1 situations because of the skating alone and Heidt isn’t shy of mucking it up in the corners of the d-zone. His defensive play has improved slightly since my last draft board, but there are still some signs of inconsistency without the puck. And being on a crappy Prince George system doesn’t help his case either. It is a system that is known for developing busts, two examples are Jansen Harkins and Brett Connolly. Heidt unfortunately gives me that type of vibe. However, if the what-ifs don’t haunt him, he will be very good middle 6 winger. | |
| 22 |  | - | Musty is pretty much the definition of a late bloomer. His production has turned around in a better way than it did during the start of the season. Pretty much a prototypical power forward with NHL-ready size (6’2”, 205 lbs). The kid I compare to Matt Duchene, Musty is very good during offensive situations, he’s able to make decisions in a hurry. He also has a booming shot and smart playmaking. However, there’s a lot of inconsistency with his defensive game. While his decision making is really solid during offensive situations, its quite the opposite for defensive situations. Musty often puts himself in a head-scratching position without the puck. He also needs to get better at staying outside the penalty box as he takes way too many penalties. Musty just takes too many dumb infractions with both the body and stick. His skating has taken a large step in improvement throughout the season, but his first-step acceleration is not great. If Musty’s defensive prowess gains consistency, at best he will become a legit middle 6 winger. | |
| 23 |  | - | Yet another guy that has jumped up the rankings as of late. I see Perron as a Lane Hutson-type pick. Really small (5’8’’, 157 lbs), but really zero holes in his game. If GMs ignore the size, then I see Perron being selected inside the top 15, but not top 10. Previously ranked at 41st on my last board, the jump to 23rd is well-deserved. Perron hasn’t looked out of place in the USHL, he’s a pure playmaker with amazing 4-way agility. Despite being insanely small, Perron doesn’t shy away at using his frame to get inside the dirty areas of the ice, especially the o-zone. He also has a booming shot, making for a really well-rounded offensive toolkit. Very capable defensively, but with his size it won’t translate into the NHL at all. Overall, if Perron gets two inches bigger, then he can inch up to the top 15. His ranking is a coin flip with Brindley, but Perron is ahead because of his consistency defensively. I see middle 6 potential with Perron. | |
| 24 | |  | This is another player that has jumped onto my draft board tremendously (not as much as Bonk). Its not like Brindley was bad, he actually did quite good in a middle 6 role on a stacked Michigan team in the NCAA. If this draft was weaker in terms of potential, Brindley would be an easy top 10 pick. His ability to transport the puck in different areas is outstanding. Just a really shifty playmaker who thinks offense at an elite level. His offensive toolkit is also very well-rounded as the shot is extremely impressive. Brindley’s biggest asset that he needs to improve is the size, especially for a center. He’s way too small to become a center (5’9’’, 157 lbs), but the full-time transition to right wing should speed up his development time. Also his first-step acceleration during breakaways needs improvement as Brindley is way too slow during this scenario. But his 4-way agility makes up for it, and we saw last year that GMs and scouts don't really care about slow skating. Even with the transition to wing, it will still take a couple of years, but the wait will be well worth as Brindley has potential to become a middle 6 winger in the NHL. | |
| 25 |  | - | This kid has the biggest draft range in the class. Dragicevic could go anywhere between 10th to 25th, based off what I’ve seen in latest mocks. I do have him on the lower end of that range because of his defensive upside being a giant question mark. Currently it doesn’t look promising, making Dragicevic the definition of an offensive defenseman. From the puck distribution, shot, and skating, everything about offense is there. Dragicevic also has NHL-ready size at 6’2”, 181 lbs. At best he will become a 3rd or 4th defender on any team. | |
| 26 | |  | Ziemmer is in the same situation as Heidt. He’s in the same crappy system in Prince George which doesn’t help his development defensively. But he is pretty much the opposite of his linemate, while Heidt plays as a playmaker, Ziemmer is essentially a goal-scorer. However, his offensive toolkit is more well-rounded for a sniper, the playmaking is also there but Ziemmer is mostly a shoot-first winger. On the rush, Ziemmer is very threatening to play against and you can count of him winning 1-on-1 battles. But Ziemmer’s defensive play isn’t really worth the first round ranking, but his goal-scoring offense definitely is. Am I going too far and saying he’s a bad prospect, of course I’m not. He’s really good, if Ziemmer can get his defensive game back on track, he will become a very capable middle 6 winger. | |
| 27 | |  | I’m not sure if you know this, but there are so many late bloomer picks. Ritchie isn’t one of those, but he’s way down here because there’s so many resurgent prospects that are playing better than him. Ritchie isn’t a bad player by any means, he’s actually really good. In a weaker draft, he would definitely be a top 10 pick. Ritchie has the mold of a two-way forward. His defensive play is extremely effective, from the gap control, aggressiveness, and stick checking. Ritchie is pretty much able to excel defensively without being overly disciplined. However, where it is inconsistent is the offense, I think the reason why Ritchie doesn’t produce many points on a nightly basis is because of the finishing ability he has. Very often he’s selfish with the puck, it does need fixing prior to his NHL jump. But whenever Ritchie actually shoots, he’s got a boomer of a shot. Also while he’s very agile, Ritchie definitely isn’t the fastest skater in the latter parts of the first round. This is a high upside pick at 27th, at most Ritchie will become a very good middle 6 forward. The position he will play in the NHL is undetermined, Ritchie is primarily a center, but he can also play right wing. | |
| 28 | |  | In Halttunen’s case, he has one of the best frames in the entire draft (6’3”, 207 lbs) making him the definition of a power forward. He does have the best physicality in the draft by far as he’s often able to outmuscle his opponents, especially in the neutral zone. The lack of production in Liiga does give me Lambert vibes, but to make up for it, Halttunen is going lights out in the U20 Finnish league. As of now he has a goal per game. However, next season I would put him in the CHL, the London Knights have his rights in order to get the fun in the game back. Halttunen has a booming shot and has amazing net front presence which is a rarity in this draft class. This is a guy which was once labelled as a top 10 selection at the start of the year, if Halttunen is able to get back up to that level, he will be an effective top liner. But as of now, I see him as a very good middle 6 winger. | |
| 29 | |  | Gauthier is one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft. He started off the year playing as a prolific goal-scorer. But since the WJC, his defensive game has developed nicely, making him a smart two-way forward. Gauthier still has a booming shot and is a menace in the middle lane, but lately has displayed excellent stick checking and gap control without being overly disciplined. I see middle 6 winger potential in Gauthier. | |
| 30 | |  | This is a player who I haven’t scouted as much, but by a long mile he’s the second-best Slovak player in the draft, the only player being ahead of him is of course Dvorsky. But Honzek is actually playing in the CHL right now, and by the way he’s been playing, he’s already fully adapted to the CHL rinks. Honzek is very talented offensively, the potential for him in that area is there. He has a boomer of a shot that can be scored from anywhere in the o-zone. His playmaking is also excellent, making for a valuable option on the power play. Honzek can make passes thru seams and even stretch passes. But while the offensive upside is there, the effort away from the puck is clearly not there. That’s the main reason why he’s lower than most on my board, Honzek puts himself in head-scratching positions whenever the opposition has puck possession. But despite that flaw, Honzek can be a very good middle 6 forward in the NHL. | |
| 31 |  | - | Like Musty, Lindstein was once viewed as a top 10 prospect. Now that a lot of players have risen up their stock(s), Lindstein finds himself near the end of the first round. Combine that with mid-quality point production. This is a very weak draft for defenseman, but this is the highest where I see Lindstein being drafted. Enough rambling, I see Lindstein as a defensive two-way defender. His shot from the blue line is really accurate and powerful and the hockey IQ is there, making him a very solid option for the power play. However, he’s more of a pass-first defender rather than shoot-first. Lindstein’s skating ablity is also there, he’s one of the fastest defenseman in the draft along with one of the most agile as well. While he hasn’t shown signs of flash offensively, Lindstein is very flashy defensively as he plays with such great gap control and aggressiveness. This player I would compare to a Simon Edvinsson, where the defensive smarts are really good, but the offensive upside is questionable. If Lindstein reaches the full potential he’s projected to have, I see middle pairing material out of him. | |
| 32 | |  | By far this is the most underwhelming prospect on my board. Stramel hasn’t played great this season, and while a lot of mocks on this site have him early second round, I don’t think he’s here yet. This is the furthest that he will be lowered to, there is a good chance Stramel could have a bounce-back season. I won’t go too deep into this analysis as Stramel is a worse version of Halttunen, though Stramel has the best frame in the draft (6’3”, 216 lbs). But he’s way worse defensively, just the effort away from the puck hasn’t been great. Also, Stramel needs to fix his 4-way agility as he’s more of a straight-line player. If the what-ifs don’t haunt Stramel, he will be a great middle 6 forward. |
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