ARCHIVE ▾
CBA ▾
CALCULATORS ▾
FANTASY-TOOLS ▾
FANTASY HOCKEY TOOLS
TOOLS ▾
PLAYERS ▾
TEAMS ▾
WESTERN CONFERENCE
PACIFIC
EASTERN CONFERENCE
METROPOLITAN
INTERACTIVE ▾
SEARCH
| ROUND 1 | TEAM | ORIGINAL | PLAYER | DETAILS |
|---|
| 1 |  | - | Its pretty much confirmed at this point that Celebrini is going to be a Shark. Grier pretty much said that Celebrini would be the pick after the lottery was over. What he will be getting is a dominant sniper with skill, strong 200-ft game, and speed. Defensively Celebrini is able to buy in and make a lot of stops. Essientially no holes in Celebrini's game, and I believe he will take the Fantilli route and just slot into the Sharks lineup. | |
| 2 |  | - | Reportedly the Blackhawks are high on Levshunov and Dickinson, between the two Levshunov makes the most sense. Demidov is a better option in my opinion, but the Blackhawks are known for avoiding Russians. With Levshunov, the Blackhawks would be getting a big skilled defender with unreal offensive upside. His shot is his best asset, but Levshunov can make ridiculously hard passes and can skate well considering his size. He just needs to improve his decision making without the puck but has shown that he isn't afraid to use his size and stick to make a ton of stops defensively. Levshunov isn't the #1 defender on my board but he is the best RD, something that the Blackhawks need more of. | |
| 3 |  | - | I believe Demidov will go here. The Ducks are in a pretty good position in terms of prospect depth, they have one of the most stacked prospect pools in the NHL. So making the gamble on Demidov makes all the sense in the world. During Verbeek's tenure as Ducks GM he has drafted bigger and grittier players, but this time he is getting skill and silk up front. The upside looks great for Demidov and he has said he wants to come to NA as soon as next season, so the wait wouldn't be long. I believe Demidov is the clear #2 in the entire draft, great pick for the Ducks, Verbeek is cooking something special. | |
| 4 |  | - | I nearly went Eiserman here, but I believe Lindstrom addresses Columbus's need for speedy forwards. I see a lot of Roope Hintz in this player: big, speedy, shooter, and high defensive prowess. The combination of size and speed is really hard to find with most prospects, but Lindstrom has that down. A 1-2 punch of Fantilli and Lindstrom would be tantalizing for Davidson and company. | |
| 5 |  | - | This is becoming less of a surprise day by day, Iginla has been linked for Montreal for quite a while now. And Hughes and company are reportedly high on Iginla and have spoken to him in person multiple times. So if anything Iginla to Montreal is pretty much close to being a lock. Iginla adds size, physicality, and goal-scoring to the Canadiens future lineup. He does need to round out his defensive game and improve his skating, but the upside and maturity is near NHL ready. | |
| 7 |  | - | Ottawa normally likes taking American born players so having said this, they will NOT go for Dickinson or Silayev but instead take Buium. And he isn't a bad pick by any means, Buium is still very good. His defensive game isn't as solid as the other two. Still very good, but Buium doesn't use his body much. But the offense is really good, he can bring skill and poise to the lineup. Comparable to prime Kris Letang, Buium could be a top pairing defender for the Senators. | |
| 8 |  | - | The Kraken haven't drafted a defender during their 3 years of existence, and with the #1 defender in the draft in my opinion still sitting on the board, they should not pass up on him. Dickinson is the most complete defender in the draft, solid two-way game with size, physicality, and a booming shot. Developing his offensive smarts is the only area of concern for Dickinson, but Francis does love his defenseman. He did draft Noah Hanifin in 2015, Dickinson is a similar breed of player. | |
| 9 |  | - | A lot of people on this site have Stiga being taken in the late 20's, but he's ranked #8 on my board. Why? Stiga is the best skater in the draft and is the best defensive forward in the draft as well. I value skating and defense the most while ranking players, which is why Stiga is so high up compared to most. The Flames could use a prospect like this, Stiga has a bit of everything in his game. Excellent two-way winger that has all the fundamentals to succeed at the next level, but Stiga just needs to use his size more with the puck. But he can shoot the puck hard and even draw penalties. Super underrated player, expect Stiga to go earlier than expected. | |
| 10 |  | - | First big surprise of the draft. I expect the Devils to do one of three things: trade the pick for a goalie, go for a physical winger, or a goal-scoring winger. Here they go off the board and draft Greentree. There are better options available, but Greentree addresses the Devils need for a physical winger. Greentree is a pure power forward with skill, size, and amazing on the forecheck. However, his effort in his own end plus his speed need improvements. I do remember a lot of Devils fans wanting Slafkovsky to go to their team, here they get a similar player in Greentree. | |
| 11 |  | - | Buffalo's strong draft luck continues here as Silayev falls into their lap. I feel like Silayev has the most upside out of any defender in the draft, but the Russian factor is what makes him fall. He's a clear example of high risk, high reward. Even though he's a left shot, he can play on his off side for Buffalo as they need RD more. Silayev is a solid two-way defender with a booming shot, towering size, speed, and defensive smarts. Just needs to improve his puck handling and offensive smarts, but that should grow naturally during his 2 year stay in Russia. That's right, two years! Silayev's KHL contract is still up for another two years, but the wait should be worth it. A top 4 of Dahlin, Power, Byram, and Silayev would look nasty for the future. | |
| 12 |  | - | Its harder to find offensive D in this draft more than all-around skilled forwards, so while I see Berkly Catton being the pick here, I think the Flyers take Zayne Parekh. I believe Parekh is the most skilled defender in the draft, but there are a lot of holes in his defensive game that I don't see him going top 10. He's mainly known for his offense, from his shot, skating, and the ability to generate opportunities. During Torts tenure in Columbus, he did coach Zack Werenski, here he gets a similar player in Parekh. | |
| 13 |  | - | Considering the options available for Minnesota, this is a strange pick, but a worthy one. They take the high riser in Sennecke. Even though the first half's production was down, Sennecke did turn it around in the second half plus playoffs. Has shown that he can bring the necessary tools that a GM looks for in a prospect: insane hands, amazing hockey IQ, and fluid skating. The one big flaw on him is his frame, which has been steadily growing throughout the season. But there is still more growth yet to come. Also his defensive game isn't great either. But Sennecke also fits the Wild's system really well, I see a lot of Matt Boldy in him. | |
| 14 | |  | This is where Eiserman will go. I do expect him to fall a bit in this draft, given his incomplete game. His team defense and edgework may scare a few teams, but what he does have his of course his blistering shot, but also amazing IQ, speed, and skill with the puck. I feel like even though Eiserman is considered the boom or bust player of this draft, his goal-scoring could complement guys like Smith or Bystedt. | |
| 15 |  | - | I also expect Catton to fall a bit during this draft. I really like him as a player, but even though players such as Benson, Caufield, and DeBrincat have become prime NHLers, GMs still tend to favor size over anything. Having said this, I feel like Catton's small frame may scare a few teams off. But I don't see him falling any lower than 15th, Detroit gets a steal here. Catton is filled with talent and may end up like Benson where he makes the NHL out of camp. | |
| 16 |  | - | I feel like even if there are better options out there, the Blues should draft a D. That's why I have the Blues taking Jiricek over guys like Helenius, MBN, and Chernyshov. Plus the forward depth in terms of prospects is set for the Blues future. Apart from Lindstein, there isn't much high end talent on D. If Jiricek can stay healthy, he could end up being a solid top pair guy for the Blues. Big kid, booming shot, solid skater, and dynamic defensively. Just needs to stay healthy and find some consistency in terms of offense. | |
| 17 |  | - | This is the biggest reach of the draft. I have the Capitals reaching for Luchanko here. I feel like he's one of the better two way players in the draft, but he has speed, compete, and amazing hockey IQ. Dynamic defensively as well and can win faceoffs. He just needs to improve his puck skills and be more imposing with the body, but other than that, the Capitals get a guy who can be a play driver moving forward. | |
| 18 |  | - | This is where Connelly goes. Like many people, I do expect Connelly to fall a lot during this draft given the off-ice issues. If you ignore those issues, based off talent alone Connelly is a top 10 player in the draft. Second best skater in the draft behind Stiga, and can pretty much do everything offensively. The Islanders have had trouble getting Wahlstrom to provide consistent goal-scoring, let Connelly into the top 6 and inject scoring. | |
| 19 |  | - | This pick was tricky to make, but I settled for the Golden Diggers to take a center. Given that they have traded most of their center prospects away, I feel like that's what they will go with. They take Boisvert here, but more than likely he will be gone by next draft. Tall all-around forward, but needs to find consistency in his game and improve his skating. | |
| 20 | |  | Unfortunately during this draft, given that its really deep with talent, not Bedard level, there will be a few prospects that fall. Helenius is an absolute steal at this spot for the Blackhawks. They either have the option of a playmaker or a power forward to slot with Bedard, drafting Helenius here would give Bedard a go-to passing option. Helenius is a less flashy version of Catton, skilled all-around forward. | |
| 21 |  | - | LA is a team that has a lot of young talent that is currently blossoming into prime NHLers. Here they get MBN, another steal at 21st. Pure power forward, plays with offensive skill and grit. We saw how high Ryan Leonard went last year, to get MBN this late is a win-win scenario for the Kings. | |
| 22 |  | - | I have Bednarik going here. The Predators need more center, yes Wood can play that position, but his skating is nowhere near good enough to be an NHL center. I would put Wood on the wing, play Bednarik down the middle, then Kemell on the right side. Those three, given Bednarik's flashy playmaking and two-way game, would make for a dangerous line. | |
| 23 |  | - | Toronto just did their fans a favor by firing Keefe, here they get their guy in Elick. Reportedly they are high on him, and they currently look like geniuses with the Cowan pick. I don't have Elick in my first round, but he would make a solid honorable mention. The offensive upside is a giant question mark, but he has what Toronto looks for in their prospects. They look for bigger and meaner players, and Elick is that type of player. Dylan DeMelo type defender. | |
| 24 | |  | This may come as a surprise to many people, but Sahlin Wallenius reminds me of Pavel Mintyukov in many ways, and we all know how well that pick turned out for Anaheim. Yes, LSW is a left shot defender, but Anaheim can play Zellweger on the right side, making room for LSW. | |
| 25 |  | - | Colorado clearly needs a 2C, with the future of Mittelstadt in question. I also see Colton as a high end 3C. If given the right development, Letourneau can be a solid 2C behind Mackinnon. This is a high schooler, but Letourneau plays a solid power forward game, plus center power forwards are harder to find these days. | |
| 26 | |  | Another high schooler, but Burrows gives the Senators the next Mark Stone. Solid two-way forward, hard-nosed, and more than willing to muck it up in the corners. Tall and gritty winger. If given the right development, expect a Hagen Burrows NA arrival by 2025-26. Whether or not he can play against tougher competition is the question surrounding him. | |
| 27 | |  | Drafting Basha would make all the sense in the world. The Canadiens are currently high on Lindstrom and Iginla (who they drafted), but Basha has played on Lindstrom's line, so having said this, the scouts would have probably spotted Basha's game. This is the stage of the draft where I expect Basha to go anyways, its a worthy pickup. | |
| 28 |  | - | The Hurricanes are a team that need a 2C, and Hage by far is the best one available. If one of Burrows or Letourneau are available, then the Hurricanes will pick one of them to continue the trend of drafting and developing high schoolers. Hage still isn't a bad pickup, he is a smart offensive threat that plays with size. Its just about rounding out his defensive game before his NHL debut. | |
| 29 | |  | I've had Hemming to the Flames multiple times this year, mostly because of the comparisons to Elias Lindholm, whom they just traded. But they drafted a similar yet better forward in Stiga, instead they draft his U18 teammate in Emery. He will be a cornerstone shutdown guy on the backend for years to come and give Wolf, Markstrom, Vladar much needed goal support. | |
| 30 | |  | After drafting a high floor D in Parekh, the Flyers get a steal in Chernyshov. I have him ranked #18 on my board, but questions with his maturity and consistency are the reason why he falls. Chernyshov gives me Dubois vibes, but Torts knows how to coach Dubois. With a similar player on the team, he should have no problem adapting to Chernyshov's play style. Pure power forward with speed, a booming shot, and playmaking. Also is the best 200-ft player in the draft. Even though character is a question mark, the upside here is worth it, especially at 30th overall. | |
| 31 |  | - | Dallas goes for BPA. Simple as that. Hemming is a worse version of Stiga, we have another defensive forward on the board. The main differences between Stiga and Hemming come mostly from offense, Stiga's offense is better, Hemming's is good but he needs to improve his puck control. | |
| 32 |  | - | The Rangers get this year's Gabe Perreault. The reason why Perreault fell last year is because of question marks around his skating while putting up insane production. Parascak gives me similar vibes. |
Logicalicesports and Z0ra liked this.Z0ra liked this.Z0ra liked this.Logicalicesports liked this.FireLordZuk0 liked this.
Reply
CapFriendly
CapFriendly