1 | | - | | Power is the favorite to go No. 1, but I see Beniers as a better fit for Buffalo. With the trade speculation of Eichel and Reinhart, the Sabres should draft a replacement forward. |
2 | | - | | The no-brainer pick here. After the draft lottery, Francis confirmed that he won't be addressing a team need during the draft. |
3 | | - | | The Ducks need goal-scoring in their top-six. Even though Eklund is undersized, his shooting and vision make up for it. |
4 | | - | | It would be cool for Luke and Jack to reunite. |
5 | | - | | With Jones off the team (see mock trade above), the Blue Jackets should go with best defenseman available. Some scouts compare Edvinsson to Jones, so drafting that type of player would be interesting. |
6 | | - | | The Red Wings need a 2C behind Larkin so they draft Johnson. A very high-end playmaker with such skill and creativity. Needs to work on his strength and defense. |
7 | | - | | I don't see Guenther falling any lower than this. Because all teams addressed their needs, Guenther falls out of the top 5. The Sharks need everything, so they go with BPA. |
8 | | - | | The Kings have a loaded prospect pool, so they go with the BPA available. |
9 | | - | | The Canucks don't really have a young RD in their system. They draft one here in Clarke. |
10 | | - | | I have McTavish going here. He led Canada to a gold medal during the U18's and has great goal-scoring ability. That matches well with Stutzle's high-end playmaking. |
11 | | - | | Choix au repêchage retiré |
12 | | - | | I don't see Lysell falling no lower than this. The Blackhawks get a steal here. |
13 | | - | | This is the perfect fit for Calgary. Lucius is often compared to Elias Lindholm, so why not be mentored by Lindholm himself? |
14 | | - | | The Flyers struggled defensively this season, so they should pick one in order to be a playoff team again. Svozil is often compared to Provorov, so why not be mentored by Provorov? |
15 | | - | | The Stars need a goal-scorer and a RD. I can't see Sillinger falling any further than 15. Great NHL bloodlines, goal-scoring, and hockey IQ. |
16 | | - | | One of the biggest risers in the draft. Undersized, but his dangerous shot make up for it. Matches well with Lafreniere's high-end playmaking. |
17 | | - | | The Canadiens have no center depth behind Suzuki and Kotkaniemi. They draft one in Bourgault. |
18 | | - | | I don't see Chibrikov falling more further. The Blues go for BPA and get a leader with this pick. Chibrikov captained Russia to a silver medal during the U18's. |
19 | | - | | With Jones now on the team (see mock trade above), I don't see the Jets going for defense. They need speed up front and Samoskevich is one of the fastest players in the draft. Off-the-board, but it is a need for the Jets. |
20 | | - | | The Predators need a goal-scorer and a power play quarterback. Coronato has a lot of offensive flare in his game and is strong on the power play. |
21 | | - | | The Oilers need Cossa, but Holland never likes drafting goalies in round 1. They also need depth behind McDavid and Draisaitl and a physical presence. L'Heureux addresses both of these issues. |
22 | | | | I don't see Svechkov falling no further. |
23 | | - | | Sweeney addressed during the regular season that his team is lacking goal-scorers. Tuomaala is a goal-scorer who was fourth in overall points during the U18's. |
24 | | | | The Red Wings take a potential high-quality starter in Cossa. Could be a top 10 goalie in the NHL in a few years. |
25 | | | | I don't see Ceulemans falling no further than this. The steal of the draft here. |
26 | | - | | Scouts compare Lambos to Ryan Suter, so why not have Lambos be mentored by Suter? |
27 | | | | The Blue Jackets get another steal. I see little scenarios where Pinelli falls past 20th overall. He solves their center problems. |
28 | | - | | The Avalanche should draft a forward here regardless. They've stacked up on defense the past few drafts. They get the perfect complement to Newhook here. |
29 | | | | The Wild solve their scoring issues and center depth with this pick. Undersized, but Guerin has shown that he is willing to draft undersized players with their pick of Rossi last year. |
30 | | - | | Defensive depth behind Ekblad is a big problem, the Panther address that with this pick. Chayka is a outstanding defensive defenseman. |
31 | | - | | The Hurricanes traded a LD in Fleury during the deadline. They take another LD here in Hreschuk. |
32 | | - | | The Golden Knights are a deep team, so they go with BPA. |