1 | | - | | The easiest pick in the draft. LaFreniere has been No. 1 for the past three seasons and can make an immediate impact in the NHL. Mostly known for playmaking and he will go to a team that is already gifted offensively. |
2 | | - | | The Kings have gained interest in Stutzle. He has experience playing against men in the DEL. Not sure if he will be in the NHL next season, but if he does, he will likely start off as a top-nine forward. |
3 | | | | I wouldn’t say this is off-the-board, but Rossi would fit perfectly in Ottawa. He played for the Ottawa 67’s, so the Senators would know his game the most out of any other player. |
4 | | - | | I have heard scouts say that Detroit has more interest in Raymond and Perfetti. But with the Red Wings rebuilding, it would be best to go for the best player available. This is another obvious choice at No. 4 because Byfield is a projected top 3 pick. He could become a top-six forward for Detroit next season. |
5 | | - | | The Senators have a lot of offensive defenseman such as Chabot and Brannstrom, so drafting Drysdale wouldn’t make sense. Sanderson is a shutdown defenseman. The only downside with Sanderson is that he is committed to the University of North Dakota next season, so the Senators would have to wait on him. I’ve also heard rumors that they might trade this pick. |
6 | | - | | Holtz is the best goal-scorer in this draft. The Ducks have been lacking goal-scoring for the past two season, so drafting Holtz wouldn’t be a bad option. It will take a while for Holtz to develop his game, but if he does make the Ducks next season, he will likely start off as a bottom-six forward. |
7 | | - | | The Devils have a trend of drafting two-way forwards, and they will continue this trend by selected another two-way player in Raymond. However, it will take a while for Raymond to make an immediate impact in the NHL. |
8 | | - | | The Sabres will need to fill their forward depth and Perfetti could do just that. He is super creative with the puck and can even play on the wing. I know that there is speculation that either Mittelstadt or Cozens could move to the wing. There are also rumors that Buffalo could trade this pick, but it wouldn’t make sense. |
9 | | - | | This is a fantastic pick for Minnesota because they need a center to replace Mikko Koivu and maybe Eric Staal. Lundell is a two-way forward who has experience playing against men in Finland. |
10 | | - | | The first shock of the draft. Drysdale is the best defenseman in this draft. It is crucial that the Jets draft by position because they lost their whole right-side of defense last offseason. With Drysdale being right-handed, he can fill in that void. |
11 | | - | | This trade makes sense for Edmonton because their biggest need is goaltending. And at this point, Askarov is the best player available. After Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith, their goaltending depth is thin. |
12 | | - | | With Hoffman and Dadonov potentially being on the move, Florida would need to address their scoring. Jack Quinn is a true goal-scorer and can make an impact within a few seasons. |
13 | | | | Carolina’s defense is set in stone. They need secondary goal-scoring. Gunler is an underrated goal-scorer. The owner of Carolina has said that they will only draft a forward in the first round. |
14 | | - | | Jarvis excels on the power play and penalty kill. Nashville’s special teams haven’t been helpful to them for the past few seasons. It does make sense for Nashville to trade down because they have a deep team. Its just that everyone underachieved this season in point production. |
15 | | | | You could argue that the Leafs need defense. But with the trade of Kapanen and also Johnsson on their trading block, they need a replacement. Within a few seasons, Amirov could replace one of the two players. |
16 | | - | | Lapierre speaks French, so he would fit perfectly in a city that has French as their first language. He is known for playmaking and him and Cole Caufield on the same line would be dangerous for other teams. |
17 | | - | | With tons of veterans on their blue line, the Blackhawks need to get younger. Guhle brings a physical presence to the ice and his shot isn’t terrible either. Within one or two seasons, he should fit on Chicago’s top-four. |
18 | | | | With the Devils going with a forward with their last pick, they will take the best defenseman available. That is Justin Barron. Before Sanderson’s draft ranking rose significantly, Barron was the second-best defenseman in the draft. |
19 | | - | | This is a steal for the Flames. They draft a player that can play at any position on the ice, as well potentially replace Monahan. There are rumors that Monahan could be traded. |
20 | | | | The Devils have selected forwards in three of the past four drafts, so they will select the best defenseman available once again. Once again, this is a steal as Schneider’s rankings are a bit higher. |
21 | | - | | Without a doubt, this is the biggest steal of the draft as well as it being three steals in a row. Zary is projected to go in the top 15 of the draft. He put up big point totals in the WHL this season and has great offensive instincts. |
22 | | | | The Rangers won’t get a steal but Mysak can excel in any situation. A great two-way forward. |
23 | | - | | During the series with the Islanders, the Flyers struggled scoring on their special teams. Like Jarvis, Dawson Mercer excels on special teams, mostly the penalty kill. |
24 | | - | | This is a bit off-the-board, but Foerster is a center. I’ve heard rumors that Colorado could trade Tyson Jost, which doesn’t make sense. Even if Colorado keeps Jost, they still need a 2C behind MacKinnon. |
25 | | - | | For the past two seasons, the Capitals struggled defensively. So taking the best defenseman available would solve this issue. |
26 | | - | | Like the Capitals, the Blues should take the best defenseman available. They already are high-powered offensive team. Also, they may lose Pietrangelo to free agency. Poirer can provide some insurance. |
27 | | | | After taking a forward with their last pick, the Ducks take a defenseman. The best one available at this point is O’Rourke. |
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