1 | | - | | Franchise winger. Enough said, really. Lafreniere is such a fun prospect with his magic hands, sensational playmaking, and inspiring compete level. |
2 | | - | | Ducks get their future Getzlaf replacement as they continue to build their talented prospect pool |
3 | | - | | Hot take here but I think NJD doesn't hesitate and takes the best defender in the draft. Right shot offensive D are coveted assets in the league and the Devils get one that should anchor their top pairing for a long time. |
4 | | - | | Sens fans would be bummed about not winning a lotto pick but I have Stutzle as the second best prospect in the draft (it was extremely close for me between him and Byfield). Stutzle should be a center the Sens can build around. |
5 | | | | Another hot take, I think Askarov goes in the top 10, and likely the top 8 picks. Askarov is one of the best goalie prospects to come around for a while (better than Knight) and at the very he least should be a solid starter with potential for a lot more. Ottawa needs a high-end goalie prospect and they get exactly that. |
6 | | - | | After hearing some quotes from Corey Pronman on a podcast at The Athletic, I think Sanderson is a lock to be taken top 10. Pronman indicated there aren't any stand-out athletes in the top 10 and Sanderson is exactly that. He brings size, skating, physicality, mobility, and puck carrying skills that are coveted on cup contending teams. Pronman likened his game to McDonagh. |
7 | | - | | Raymond deserves to go a lot higher, but there are some concerns with the season he had in the SHL. Regardless, Raymond is extremely dangerous with the puck and if everything pans out he will be a fantastic winger for Eichel. |
8 | | - | | The Swedish sniper is one of the best goal scorers in the draft and while the Habs have Caufield in the system they could use another scorer. I think Holtz is the better fit over Perfetti since the Habs could use some size but you can't go wrong with either. |
9 | | - | | Perfetti surprised me a lot after watching him. All I heard about him was goal scoring this and goal scoring that, but Perfetti is a fantastic playmaker and he would thrive on the wing with Dach. |
10 | | | | I have Lundell outside of my top 10 but New Jersey needs some help defensively so why not take one of the best defensive players in the draft? Lundell can play center or wing and he also gives New Jersey the option to swing Hughes to the wing if he has another underwhelming season. |
11 | | - | | Rossi to the Wild is probably a best case scenario. Rossi is one of my favorite players in the draft (I have him ranked 4th) with his incredible skill, hockey sense, and game-breaking ability. Not to mention his two-way game is massively underrated. Size be damned, Rossi could be the 1C the Wild desperately need. |
12 | | - | | The Canucks grab the high-octane winger, Jarvis plays a fun fast-paced game and can skate circles around his opponents. I think when all is said and done and we are looking back on this draft, Jarvis could be a big riser in re-drafts. |
13 | | - | | Jack Quinnhas been an interesting case all year, rising from the depths of draft boards and showing he deserves a first round selection. Quinn should score a lot of goals in the NHL. |
14 | | - | | This is way higher than I have Guhle, but I think that like Sanderson he will go higher than expected. He's a great skater with physicality and would complement a player like Ekblad very nicely. |
15 | | - | | Mercer had a rough end to the season after being traded but he is a highly skilled forward who plays a deceptive game. His ability to fake shots and rifle a quick pass to his teammates makes him another one of my favorite prospects in this draft. |
16 | | - | | I can't say I've seen a lot of Amirov, but the little I have seen I like his game a lot. Very skilled goal scorer with great east-west skating (his speed and acceleration are just OK) I think he'd fit in well in New York. Very good two-way ability as well. |
17 | | - | | This would be pretty low for Zary who I haven't been overly excited about. I think he's worthy of a top 15 selection, but I worry about his skating a lot. That being said I do like his game since he can dazzle with the puck and make good plays in the offensive zone. |
18 | | | | Schneider reminds me of a slightly less skilled right-handed Sanderson. Great shut-down ability, can skate well, physical, and makes smart plays without the puck. Sens have a need for a right shot D in their system with top 4 upside and Sanderson would be a great addition to their pool. |
19 | | - | | Holloway seems like a guy Jarmo would really like. He is one of the most powerful skaters in the draft and has pretty good hands, not to mention he can wear down opponents with crushing hits. I question his hockey sense but he has made some nice plays before so if he can find that consistency he should be one of the better power forwards in the league. |
20 | | | | Gunler is a polarizing player, he reminds me a ton of Kaliyev last year. He is oozing offensive skill and ability, but he just doesn't consistently use it and his play away from the puck is pedestrian. Carolina can take a chance on him and hope he puts it all together, since I think he has one of the higher ceilings in the draft. |
21 | | | | Another riskier pick here, if Lapierre hasn't been dealing with a misplaced vertebrae, he likely would habve been a top 15 and maybe even top 10 pick. He is a fantastic playmaker and his transition game is incredible. He also plays a very sound two-way game. If everything pans out for Lapierre, he will be one of the steals of this draft. |
22 | | - | | Mysak just seems like a Dallas pick to me. He has incredible two-way ability and compete level but he's also a very skilled player. |
23 | | - | | Edmonton could use a center but they go with the second best German in the draft with Peterka. Peterka is a highly skilled offensive player that is maybe a bit more raw than others in the draft but that has me really excited about his upside since his tools are so good. |
24 | | - | | Vegas took a risky player with Krebs last year and they do the same here. If Barron were healthy he has the ability to be a top 15 pick in this draft, but a blood clot has caused him to fall. Vegas could really use a RD with good upside and they get exaclty that with Barron here. |
25 | | | | Another one of my favorite players in the draft, Bourque is such an underrated prospect. His ability to find passing lanes makes him one of the top playmakers in this class and I think he will run a teams first power play unit in the NHL. Oh yeah and he has one of the better shots in this class. His skating isn't as good as you'd like, but he's improved a ton over the past year to where its slightly above average. |
26 | | - | | Perreault is one of the top scorers in this draft but he can also make high-end plays. Skating is a concern but he has some of the smoothest hands in the draft. |
27 | | - | | Brisson seems like a prospect that has flown under the radar in this draft. He is a very smart player with great hands and shot. Pretty incredible 1 on 1 ability as well. |
28 | | | | Germany has a strong draft class this year as I have a third German off the board here. Reichel is a much better skater than Peterka but is maybe more refined with his game. I don't think his game is as flashy, but he might be a more effective player in the NHL. A lot of fluidity to his game. |
29 | | - | | Another one of my darlings in this draft, I can't get enough of watching Kusnutdinov. Love his skill, his determination on the ice, his creativity, and his speed. He's everything you want in a player despite his small frame. |
30 | | - | | Poirier is another polarizing player in the draft. He might have some of the best skill in the whole class, but my goodness is he abysmal at defending. Coughs the puck up like he has pneumonia, but when he pulls something off it's a spectacle. |
31 | | | | The Ducks love their European defenders (and maybe just their defenders in general) so they grab one here that I like a lot. very good puck mover that cleanly exits the zone, Niemela plays a very smart game. Should be a 2nd pairing player at the very least someday. |