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| ROUND 1 | TEAM | ORIGINAL | PLAYER | DETAILS |
|---|
| 1 |  | - | During day one of the combine, it is not 100% confirmed that Chicago will pick Bedard. They have Carlsson and Fantilli in consideration as well. But it is a no-brainer honestly. It is totally undeserving, but the Blackhawks will be getting the next superstar in Bedard. There’s really not much to say about this pick, Bedard’s been the consensus for a few years now. Really no holes in his game, reliable 3-zone player. Thinks and processes the game at such an elite level. Mostly known for his booming shot, but has elite-level skating, an outstanding 200-ft game, and silky mitts. Not bad in his own end either. Overall, a great pick for the Blackhawks, and Bedard will be the guy that they will build their team around. I see a lot of Auston Matthews in his kid. | |
| 2 |  | - | Ok hear me out. In the Ducks case, all signs point to Fantilli being the pick here, but Will Smith just feels like a Duck in many ways. His play style is very similar to Trevor Zegras, so why not be mentored under Zegras himself? Smith is a natural center that just makes his linemates look better. One of my favorites in the draft, Smith’s offensive presence is exciting. Molded in as a playmaker, Smith can make creative plays, ultilize his shot effectively, and can skate well. He won’t help the team out defensively, but the skill he brings offensively is really well done. A 1-2 punch of similar players would look enticing for Verbeek and company. Smith’s game is really good and probably NHL-ready, but he will just continue to get better during his tenure at Boston College. | |
| 3 |  | - | This is where Fantilli gets chosen. Kekalainen and company have been scouting Smith, but they will be happy with Fantilli. He has as much upside as Smith, and can even help out in all situations. Fantilli is a really solid 2-way forward, just a guy that can do everything with and without the puck on his stick. Good size at 6’2”, doesn’t shy away from a hit, and excels defensively. Also excels offensively, as shown by his booming shot and playmaking. This kid is a ground-breaking guy, Columbus finally gets their No. 1 center that they have been looking for a while. | |
| 4 |  | - | I could see the Sharks drafting Matvei Michkov here as signs point to their rebuild continuing for a few seasons more. But Mike Grier has made it clear since the start of the season that wants prospects with size. Carlsson will be the pick here, he has great size at 6’3”. His knack for physicality and offensive skillset make for the definition of a power forward. From the shot to playmaking, its really good. Carlsson is also an above average skater and makes the smart play defensively. Also keep in mind that Carlsson feels like a Shark in many ways, he plays a game that is reminiscent to Timo Meier. Carlsson will soon become the new Meier-type player and be the guy that the Sharks build their team around. | |
| 5 |  | - | This is becoming a weird top 5. However, I do prefer to be different rather than have the same old top 5 that scouts expect. There are also rumblings that Montreal loves Leonard, so that’s what the pick will be here. The USDP has some top-notch prospects available this year, and Leonard is one of them. For a player his size at 5’11”, Leonard brings a rare combination of goal-scoring and grit. Not many small players are shy of throwing the body and being disruptive. Leonard pretty much has the Matthew Tkachuk mold, and he can play in all situations. With the potential arrival of Dubois coming close, the Canadiens will be deep at the forward position in a couple of years. | |
| 6 |  | - | Last year, Arizona had their guy in Logan Cooley. This year, their guy is Reinbacher. There is chatter that the Coyotes love Reinbacher, and it makes a lot of sense. Bill Armstrong has done well developing and stockpiling on young forwards, I believe its time to turn the tables and draft defenseman. Reinbacher is a really good start, he has the potential to become a top defender for Arizona. Essentially has all the tools to succeed at the NHL level. Reinbacher is a heavy shutdown defender while proving some offense. Can adapt to the pace of the game, break up plays, and makes his linemates better. Can make his presence known in the most noticeable way. Arizona will be really happy with this pick, it gives them much-needed stability at the back end. | |
| 7 |  | - | Considering the guys available, this is a big reach at this spot. But Keith Jones has been extremely clear that he wants to build the team around the blue line. More indication of the Flyers reaching for a defender was given during the Provorov deal. Briere and Jones are apparently scouting Pelikka, so he will be the guy chosen here. This kid is an extremely talented two-way defender. While still keeping up his defensive capabilities, Pelikka is heavily known for his possession of offensive tools. He has a booming shot, excellent playmaking, and makes his teammates look better. Also the skating is very mobile and agile. A bit on the small side at 5’11”, but his elite 200-ft game makes up for that category. Within a few years, Pelikka would have proven he’s worth the reach at this spot, I totally see the Flyers building the team around this guy. | |
| 8 |  | - | The fall of Matvei Michkov ends here. Michkov just feels like a Caps-type pick. Even though center depth needs to be addressed, Michkov has generational talent. He would have been in contention for first overall if he were to play in the NHL next year. Michkov plays a goal-scorer’s game, similar of Kirill Kaprizov. Small yet sturdy. Booming shot. Average skater. Not afraid to be creative. Just the necessary tools to become an altering offensive presence in the NHL. Michkov and Miro together would be a lethal Russian duo. | |
| 9 |  | - | This is the biggest reach of the draft. Yzerman’s 3 targets are Moore, Willander, and Honzek. But Yzerman HIMSELF has scouted Honzek and he normally doesn’t do that unless he has strong interest in that player. Honzek will be drafted at this spot, it’s a big reach, but we all know how much of a genius Yzerman is. Honzek plays a game that is similar of Mark Schiefele, a lethal offensive threat but the effort without the puck is worrisome. However, with the puck Honzek is dangerous. He has all the offensive tools to succeed. Booming shot, great size at 6’4”, excellent playmaking. Skates relatively well considering the big frame. All and all, this is a Steve Yzerman pick 100%, I do prefer Willander here cause of the gaping hole at RD (especially after acquiring DeBrincat). This player will take a few years, but will be totally worth the wait. | |
| 10 |  | - | I see the Blues going one of two ways with this pick: center or defenders. There are more options at defense later in the round, so the best option personally is a center. The highest center on my board is Oliver Moore, and ideally this is the perfect player for the Blues. Moore plays a game that the Blues look for in their players: hard nosed, fast, crafty playmaker. Also not shy of being aggressive and is able to get into the dirty areas. The Blues found themselves in a hole when O’Rielly left, the gap down the middle will soon be filled by Moore. | |
| 11 |  | - | The fall of Zach Benson stops here. Like the Flyers, the Canucks are also heavily interested in Pelikka. But he’s off the board, but if Benson is, they should be through the roof. This is a steal for the Canucks, just pure skill alone, Benson is a top 10 pick. He’s described as a dual-offensive threat by scouts, from the cannon-like shot to the craftiness in his passing. He makes his linemates better and is an above average skater. He’s on the small side at 5’8”, but the smarts and skating make up for it, letting me believe that his size won’t be an issue. Really good snag by the Canucks, a duo of Benson and Lekkerimaki would be dangerous against other teams. | |
| 12 | |  | Slight reach here, but looking at Arizona’s timeline, they can gamble on Gulyayev. The Coyotes got their guy in Reinbacher, Gulyayev would be an excellent flank. He plays an opposite side, all-offensive game. While still maintaining defensive standards, Gulyayev has a high motor, excellent 200-ft game, and booming shot. On the small side for a defender at 5’10”, but the hockey IQ and skating make up for it. If the Russian factor hadn’t come into play here, Gulyayev would be NHL ready. Will soon prove to be a steal for Arizona, I see a lot of Cale Makar in this kid. | |
| 13 |  | - | THIS IS THE JETS PICK (SEE TRADE 5). I don’t see the Jets going with defenders, even with Quinn on the roster and Rosen still developing. Even with those two on the team, center depth needs one more asset. Dvorsky can be that guy, he just feels like a Jet. I have him going lower than most people think, solely based off skating. I’m not a fan of his skating, but Chevy has shown he doesn’t care about that. But the two-way game that Dvorsky brings is excellent. Defensively oriented as well, Bowness will love this kid. In all honestly this is a steal, Chevy’s solid draft luck continues. | |
| 14 |  | - | THIS IS THE FLYERS PICK (SEE TRADES 2-4)!!!! With the injury of Couturier and the trade rumors surrounding Hayes, center is becoming a glaring need for the Flyers. I have them taking Danielson, who plays a lot like Couturier. I won’t go too far into this analysis, as Danielson is essentially a worse version of Dvorsky. Really good defensive player, but still has a touch of offense. A duo of Gauthier and Danielson would be enticing for Briere and company. | |
| 15 |  | - | With Barry Trotz now at the helm, Nashville will play it safe. They draft Willander here, we all know that Trotz loves his defenseman. A lot of people might hate on this pick, and I get it, but WIllander is 11th on my draft board. I actually have him higher than Pelikka, who’s 14th on the list. Willander is an opposite player, better defensively but worse offensively. He can break up plays, display excellent stick checking and aggressiveness. The offense has a lot to be desired, though its slowly improving as shown during the U18’s. Really good first pick for Trotz, the future of Nashville will lie in great hands. | |
| 16 |  | - | The Flames are hard to predict, but I see them going one of two ways with this pick: playmaker or power forward. I have them taking the Canadian power forward Matthew Wood. Yes, scouts label him as a sniper, but looking at his play style more closely, Wood is clearly a power forward. He uses his 6’3” frame really well and plays with speed. Not agile as you would want, but speedy and utilizes his shot really well. Along with the agility, Wood needs to improve inside his own end. I see a lot of Tage Thompson is this kid. | |
| 17 | |  | THIS IS THE SENATORS PICK (SEE TRADE 1)!!!! Not only do the Senators get back into the first round, but they get the biggest steal of the draft! Perreault is ranked 9th on my board, so getting him this late is a win-win situation. Production alone, Perreault belongs in the top 10. Yes, he played on Smith’s line, but he had more points than Smith. I don’t go much deeper into this analysis as Perreault is a worse version of Benson. Elite playmaker, but sometimes tends to be the third man back during the rush rather than being one step ahead of the defender. But Perreault can still make elite passes and is bigger than Benson at 5’10”. Perreault is first line material, the offense for the Senators will be deadly within a few years. | |
| 18 |  | - | The Jets become winners of this draft! They get another steal in Colby Barlow. The skill and talent this kid has is way too good for this spot. I have him at 12th on my draft board, so getting him 6 spots below is really nice. Can solve the issues at center with Dubois gone and potentially Schiefele gone as well. Barlow plays a lot like Mark Stone, just a really dynamic two-way forward. The shot and size at Barlow has is already NHL ready, so that will give him a boost in development. He just needs to improve his agility and consistency in terms of offense. It will take 1 or 2 years for Barlow to reach the NHL, but once he does, he will set up the Jets future top 6 that already has Dvorsky, McGroarty, and Lambert. | |
| 19 | |  | Even with Bedard on the team, the depth down the middle is still thin. At best Colton Dach projects as a high-end 3C. Yager’s projection is much better, the least being a low-end 2C. If his skating improves itself, Yager could be a steal. This is a project at this spot, Yager has shown multiple flashes of inconsistency this season, plummenting his stock. But with the Blackhawks timeline to compete, they can be patient with Yager. There’s still a lot to love about this kid, Yager is a really solid 3-zone player with an NHL-ready shot. While the agility is not good, Yager still plays with speed and thinks the game at a high level. Smart defensively as well, Yager has shown that he can handle the penalty kill well. But like said before, there’s so many areas left for improvement. The agility, but also Yager needs to bulk up as well. A 1-2 punch of Bedard and Yager could look tantalizing for Davidson and company. | |
| 20 |  | - | The Kraken absolutely need prospects at the back end. They already have their future 1-2 punch of Beniers and Wright. Kartye has also emerged into a solid prospect. But behind Ryker Evans and Ty Nelson, there aren’t many high-end defenders in Seattle’s prospect pool. Bonk has better upside than both of them, Seattle should absolutely select him. He also feels like a Kraken in many ways as his play style is similar to Adam Larsson’s. Super skilled defensively with a slowly improving offensive game. Bonk is also the draft’s best puck handler. Even when being pressured, Bonk is still able to keep the puck on his stick. His shot is incredible and the ability to control the gaps is tremendous. Two years of seasoning should turn Bonk into an effective top 4 defender for the rising Kraken. | |
| 21 |  | - | The Wild should go for size after grabbing smaller prospects. Some might call this off-the-board, but really its not. David Edstrom is ranked 21st on my board, and he feels like a Wild-type pick. While being responsible offensively, Edstrom does excel in the offensive aspects of the game. He has the best net front presence in the draft, really good skater, and can play under pressure. In order to get into the NHL, Edstrom just needs to bulk up in order to continue his physical game. All and all, a really good pick for the Wild, Edstrom can fit in nicely down the middle behind Rossi. | |
| 22 | |  | At 7th, the Flyers got the guy they are willing to build around. They then addressed their need of a defensive center at 14th. Here they just go BPA, which is Eduard Sale. Was once considered a top 5 pick, but underwhelming offensive numbers caused his stock to massively drop. But Torts is the coach that can make players play at their best, there’s no way Sale becomes a bust on the Flyers. He has the best vision in the draft, booming shot, elite hands, and good size at 6’2”. Average skater as well. The Flyers already have a future top line of Gauthier and Foerster. Its just missing a playmaker. Sale can be that guy, if he gets to his full potential, this will become a steal. | |
| 23 |  | - | While a lot of people have this guy near the top 10, I personally don’t see it happening. Cristall will for sure fall in the draft, not only is he undersized at 5’9”, but he is one of the slowest players in the draft. Size and skating just lacking is the worst thing you can get in a prospect. But based on pure skill alone, Cristall for sure has top 10 talent. He’s an exceptional playmaker, solid 200-ft game, elite passer, booming shot. Lafreniere isn’t working out, let Cristall take over the 2LW role and inject offense. Jeff Skinner-type player, Cristall could create a legendary duo with Brendan Othmann. | |
| 24 | |  | Like Edstrom, some will think this is off-the-board, but that isn’t the case with Wahlberg. He does go 2 spots above where I have him ranked, but based on pure defense alone, I totally see Nashville drafting this guy. Barry Trotz loves his defensive prospects, Wahlberg is that type of player. Plus I don’t see Nashville walking out of the first round without taking a center. I won’t even go too deep into this explanation, as Wahlberg is the same player as Edstrom. Highly known for his defensive capabilities while still maintaining offensive standards. The Predators have done well addressing the wing, they took a defenseman in Willander, once again they are turning the tables and addressing a glaring need. | |
| 25 | |  | After grabbing Moore with their last pick, the Blues should shift to the back end. Simashev has fallen far enough. He falls into the Blues lap here, yes he’s Russian and all but he’s ranked #22 on my big board. If he didn’t have the Russian factor on him, Simashev would be a top 10 pick. His defensive capabilities are relentless, brings excellent skating and decent size on the ice. However, his offensive upside is a giant question mark, but if the Blues can get the potential out of this kid, this could end up being a bigger steal than it already is. | |
| 26 | |  | With the Sharks timeline to be competitive, they can afford to take risks during the draft. I see them doing it here, all signs point to them taking a Russian in round one. They draft Daniil But, who is exactly what Mike Grier is looking for. He wants size, and But has an NHL ready frame. Plays a defensive two-way game, simply a worse version of Dvorsky. While improving his offensive upside, But is really oriented defensively. The talent all-around is top 10 worthy, and But would be picked in that area if the Russian factor wasn’t in play. All and all, a really solid project pick here. A right-shot defender is also tempting here, but in the 2024 Draft there are a lot of those. The Sharks will probably be in the lottery hunt, they can wait to draft one then. | |
| 27 |  | - | After a disappointing playoff run, the Avalanche still have a gaping hole at the 2C spot. Newhook could be that guy, but he hasn’t developed into the guy that the Avalanche were hoping to get. Let Heidt take over the 2C spot and inject skill and offense. He falls into Colorado’s lap here, mostly because his defensive upside is a big question mark. But with Colorado being such a deep team, they can be patient with Heidt’s development. It will take a few years for Heidt to get into the NHL, but he will be worth the wait. | |
| 28 | |  | I don’t know if you know this, but the Maple Leafs suck. Their franchise is a big mess, the finances are in shambles, they could lose the Core 4 of their team. More than likely Marner and Nylander, according to multiple articles. So the best thing to do is either grab BPA or a guy that can play right now. I think drafting Pano Fimis is bold, but it certainly won’t hurt the Maple Leafs in the long run. Last season I had Fimis ranked in the 3rd round of my draft board, it was surprising to see him undrafted. He’s one of the best overaged players I’ve seen in a draft, selecting him this high could create a lot of buzz. While being on the small side at 5’9”, Fimis doesn’t have any glaring flaws that makes me believe he isn’t NHL ready. We have said this many times, SIZE DOESN’T MATTER. Fimis is a really solid playmaker and just makes his linemates better. While Fimis won’t push them over the edge, he’s a guy that has a good chance of becoming a mainstay in the NHL as soon as next season. | |
| 29 | |  | Three picks in the first round in a while for the Blues! I was trying to figure out a mock trade involving this pick, but I couldn't wrap one around. With this pick, they get another defender in Lindstein. He’s Sweden’s defensive defender, essientally a worse version of McCarthy. Same upside, but smaller and less offensive. I’ve seen Caden Price linked to St. Louis, but he’s not worth drafting this high. Lindstein is, however. A future middle pair of Simashev and Lindstein would be deadly for years to come. If Lindstein turns back into the top 10 pick he once was, he could become a legit top pairing defender. | |
| 30 |  | - | With Carolina, even though they got ousted in the Conference Finals in such heartbreaking fashion, I still love their team top to bottom. I see them either trading the pick or going BPA. Trades aren’t enabled in this mock, so they take Halttunen, who’s the BPA. The Hurricanes will be getting a guy who has the best frame in the early portion of the draft. Pure power forward, has size, physicality, and a booming shot. | |
| 31 | |  | THIS IS THE JETS PICK (SEE TRADES 2-5)!!! I think its safe to say that the Jets are winners of the draft. Three steals in the first round is something worth smiling about. A lot will think this is off-the-board, but in all honesty this is a massive heist for the Jets. I have McCarthy at 22nd on my draft board, the pure skill he brings defensively is top 15 worthy. But in terms of offense, its lacking. The upside offensively is the main reason McCarthy drops, but defense is more valuable than offensive for a defenseman. McCarthy can control the gaps really well and be aggressive without taking a penalty. But whenever the offense is there, McCarthy is easily a top player in the draft. Booming shot, uses the size well, and solid hockey IQ. Right-shot defenders have been a glaring need for the Jets in quite a while, they immediately get their guy in McCarthy. | |
| 32 |  | - | With Vegas, its pretty obvious that they should go BPA. I see a deep team whenever I watch Vegas. Currently based off my board, the BPA at the moment is Dragicevic. If anything, this is a steal for the Golden Knights, Dragicevic is ranked #24 on my board. However, I do see him falling because of his weak defense. His defensive capabilities is probably the worst at this stage of the draft, the upside for Dragicevic defensively is extremely low at this point. However, its quite the opposite offensively. He reminds me of Tyson Barrie, highly offensive but minimal defensive effort. Dragicevic has excellent size, skating, and a booming shot from the point. But the Golden Knights can afford to be patient with Dragicevic’s development. Or they can just trade him, like they have done with every first round prospect they drafted (apart from Brisson). |
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