1 | | - | | Has never dropped from 1 on my rankings all year. Plays hard on defence, and his offensive capabilities is quite obvious. He has the impeccable desire needed to become one of the best in the league. |
2 | | - | | his game is built around his superb skating ability. Whether its dodging checks in the corner or leading the transition game on the rush, it is highly noticeable. His competitiveness is noted with the intensity that he enters battles with. Plays a nice all around game and should help bolster the Kings attack a lot. |
3 | | | | This guy legit reminds me of Sidney Crosby in a quite a few ways. One of them being the passion he has to get better, his smaller stature mixed with his crazy lower body strength, and his vision. I truly think this kid can become a top 10 center in the league. |
4 | | - | | Yes I am obviously way higher on him then most but I'll try and explain my reasoning. Elite skating, great defensive play, as good a shooter as is a passer. Think Mat Barzal or even Brayden Point with him. A pick like this would not even shock me however as Steve has shown that he is not afraid to take a player he really likes even if it is quite off the board at the time. All I know is that whoever is getting Seth is going to be getting a steal, as he is most likely going in the 10-15 range. |
5 | | - | | I honestly see a fit here between Jake and the Sens. They have Brannstrom, Bernard-Docker, and Lassi Thompson all at RD. There only super noticeable LD in the system is obviously Chabot. They could create an absolutely stacked top 4 of the future with a Sanderson pick. He is the ideal guy to pair with someone like Brannstrom. Jake has top pairing potential and will be one of the best shutdown defenceman in the league. |
6 | | - | | I think the organizational hole at RD is simply way too big to pass up on. Jamie is an excellent skater, who excels at breaking the puck out of his end. I would like to see him get a little bit better at his gap control and im sure he will once he gets to the pro level. |
7 | | - | | A guy who I think the fit is just too strong to pass up here. Personally, I have him a little lower but there is no denying his shooting talent and is engaged in other areas of the game, even if his skills in those areas are quite raw still. |
8 | | - | | Pretty much feel the same way about Quinn as I do Holtz. The reason I have him one place below Holtz is simply Holtz was playing at a higher level of competition, and he still performing relatively well for the most part. He is an elite scoring threat which would fill a hole on the Sabres roster. |
9 | | - | | Yup, I am sure you're screaming in the comments by now. For the record, I actually have him at #6 on my board. While I do believe that the upside for Byfield is VERY high, I do have a few current issues with his game. The main one that sticks out to me is he does have a tendency just to float around on the ice sometimes. In certain situations, I would see a fully committed Byfield and it made an amazing impact on the ice. He is inconsistent in that area. The other being his ABUNDANCE of transitional scoring that is feasted off of a relatively poor defensive league in the OHL, he will not be able to have that much success in that area at the NHL level. My final point is that when the spotlight was on him, whether that be the WJC or the prospects game, he didn't deliver as hoped. However there is no denying his raw natural talent, which is enough for me to place him at #6 on my board. |
10 | | - | | The one thing that jumps off the page right away when you watch Cole is his superb hockey IQ. He was a player that has definitely grew on me over the course of the year. Yes, his skating isn't all that great, but it doesn't matter too much when you think the game at such a high level. Think of a smaller John Tavares with him. His passing skills are very high end and he still has a fantastic shot. There is a few areas I would like him to improve on his own end, but he certainly has the brain to make it happen. I have him at #7 on my board and the fact that I see him being a center at the NHL level fills a massive hole for the Jets and provides great value at this spot. |
11 | | - | | For me the motto for the Preds in this draft should be best forward available and based what's left on the board, that is without question Lundell for me. The number 9 ranked player on my board plays way beyond his years. When it comes to defensive ability, he is by far the best forward in the draft. He is always in the right place and has elite stick skills to regain possession. He controls the puck excellently in the offensive zone, making him a reliable player. While he really isn't elite in his skating, shooting, or passing ability, he is definitely elite at being at the right place in the right time. |
12 | | - | | It was no secret that the Panthers struggled defensively last season. Grabbing a guy like Guhle makes too much sense here. A big body who can move nicely on the blue line and has the base to be a good defensive player. |
13 | | | | If there is one position of need that really stands out when you look at the Hurricanes team it is obviously in the net. I don't think that the Canes let a potential franchise goalie pass by at this spot. |
14 | | - | | Lukas is a player who is heavily engaged in the play at all times. He is hard to knock off the puck, is a decent skater, and has a sneaky shot. He constantly makes plays in tight areas and makes overall an impact whenever he touches the ice. |
15 | | | | This is a bit of a reach in my eyes but the Leafs biggest need is definitely at the RD spot. They get a player who is physical, plays pretty well in his own zone, and is a leader. |
16 | | - | | Now obviously, I am way lower then him on others. I have him at #13 on my personal board for a the main reason being that really, I didn't see him involved in the play as I would have liked. At the moment, I don't think he offers a good shot, and two way play. He is a fantastic skater and a pretty solid playmaker. I heard that he has played real well recently in the preseason, so if I get a chance to look at that film, he could very well move up on my board. |
17 | | - | | Gunler is a player who has a heavy shot, and was able to get into the high danger areas at a pretty decent rate. I would love to see him fine tune the other areas of his game, but I think that along with his size he has a good baseline to grow as a player. |
18 | | | | Perreault is a player who has a ton of raw talent. He is a great skater, stick handler and shooter. I really believe he is one of the most underlooked players who is a first round talent at the moment. |
19 | | - | | Tristen like Perrault in a lot of ways, is a superbly talented player. He was often times the go to guy for his team and drived play extremely well. |
20 | | | | After taking two very talented forwards in the first round. The devils set their sites on boom or bust prospect Helge Grans. He definitely is a reach at this spot, but could definitely prove that wrong in the future. Great skater, and puck distributor, defintley is a raw prospect and needs a good amount of work in his own end. |
21 | | - | | Dawson Mercer seems like a player that the BlueJackets would like. Works hard, and is at least average in every aspect of his game. |
22 | | | | Ridly is another player who I think gets slept on. His motor is extremely high, and for his size he wins a crazy amount of battles. I do think he can potentially be a center at the NHL level which makes him very intriguing to the Rangers. For him think of someone like Sam Bennet but more scoring touch. |
23 | | - | Dmitri Rashevsky | You probably don't know who he is, but just know who ever is getting him in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round is getting an absolute steal. This guy is a very talented hockey player. |
24 | | - | | The Avs are in really good shape at almost every position. If a goalie was good enough for this spot then I would choose one. However after Askarov, goalie shouldn't be taken until the 3rd round in this draft. So I have them taking the best available player on my board who is #20. Hendrix is a great passer, he needed to look to shoot the puck way more and in the recent games I have seen of him, he looks much stronger and is shooting more which is very good to see. |
25 | | - | | Ozzy put together a strong season offensively. He is great in the cycle game and is a tough player for defenders to get a read on. |
26 | | - | | Jan is a pretty smart two way player who I think would fit in great to what the Blues playing style is. |
27 | | | | I have him at #22 on my board, so personally think this is too good to pass up on for the Ducks. Zary doesn't stand out in anything particular, but he makes smart plays a good portion of the time and I see him projecting as a solid middle six center in the NHL. |
28 | | | | I am a bit lower then him then most because I think sometimes he would just make plays that weren't there or try and force things. He seemed to not be the best at passing the puck. However, he is a big body who is effective at using his size in powering to the net. |
29 | | - | | I find Wallinder to be a nice fit for Vegas. He has the size and range that Vegas seems to like. |
30 | | - | | A hidden gem in this draft. A player who is excellent at retrieving pucks on the forecheck and is annoying to play against, like the style of the Dallas Stars. |
31 | | | | Marvik Bourque should provide some good value at this spot as a player who can really knows what he is doing in the offensive zone, but wasn't good in his own end. |