1 | | - | | It’s no secret that Owen Power is one amongst a multitude of candidates who could go first overall in this year’s draft. However my personal belief is that he is in fact the defenseman with the highest ceiling in this draft along with being the most “NHL Ready” player from this class of 2021. Buffalo is in shambles at the moment and could see the Departures of many of their stars, but considering what NHL scouts think of Power, this might end up being a case of Buffalo taking the best player available which is Power. |
2 | | - | | Beniers is described as a player who is a “jack of all trades but master of none.” He’s a defensively responsible forward who has a very reliable offensive game on all frontiers. To start with a forward with the amount of skills in as many categories as Beniers, it would help the Kraken immensely. His entry into the NHL is in the air though as he recently sustained a graphic ankle injury which could keep him out for a long time. |
3 | | - | | Apart from the recent emergence of 2020 6th overall pick Jamie Drysdale, the Ducks’ defensive prospect core looks bleak at best. Especially on the frontier of left handed defensemen. This is why Simon Edvinsson would be a perfect selection for the Ducks, he has the potential to be a franchise defenseman for this rebuilding Ducks team. He alongside Jamie Drysdale has the potential to spearhead the future of Anaheim’s team. I would give him another year in Sweden to further his development then bring him in before the 2022-23 season. |
4 | | - | | Luke Hughes could easily become a New Jersey Devil as his brother, former 1st overall pick Jack Hughes has publicly stated that he would like to play alongside his brother in the future. The Devils do have a brighter future than some other teams in this higher selection end in the draft, despite this, Luke Hughes could provide some needed defensive stability as Damon Severson isn’t getting any younger and forwards such as Nathan Bastian, Michael McLeod and Yegor Sharangovich proving that the Devils future on the offensive side of things is truly special. There will no doubt be immense pressure for Tom Fitzgerald to pick Hughes as fans and armchair-GM’s alike want to see Luke and Jack Hughes play together. |
5 | | - | | Due to the uncertainty surrounding the Blue Jackets heading into this draft and eventual window of free agency regarding top players such as Patrik Laine, Zach Werenski and Seth Jones in particular, their defensive prospects core needs to be strengthened as Andrew Peeke and Samuel Knazko are currently their top guys coming up. They are both talented defensemen who will be solid NHL Top 4 defensemen, however Columbus needs a guy who will be a definite top 2 defenseman. Brandt Clarke can help with their defensive woes as he is defensively responsible whilst also presenting a very high offensive ceiling. It’ll be interesting to see who Kekalainen picks in this draft as when you have this high of a pick, you have a lot of options. |
6 | | - | | This is a no brainer pick for the Red Wings, they do have an abundance of top end prospects in their defensive core led by 2019 6th overall pick Moritz Seider. The top end defensemen will be gone should this mock draft be replicated on July 23rd. William Eklund has the toolsets to go top 3, if not top 2, or even 1st overall. If he is in fact available at the #6 spot, there are other tempting picks but Eklund is the way to go as he does possess the best potential and current set of skills to fit the Red Wings mold perfectly. |
7 | | - | | The Sharks’ goaltending situation absolutely needs to be acted on. Martin Jones isn’t getting any younger as well as that, Josef Korenar is not an NHL starter. Doug Wilson is being served a franchise goaltender on a silver platter. Wallstedt has a higher projection than another notable goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov and Wallstedt would provide some much needed stability in between the pipes for the Sharks. At his current rate of development, he could be a top NHL netminder by 2023/24. |
8 | | - | | The Kings have a promising defensive core as well as a stacked centre core but there is one thing missing from this group of prospects in which the Kings possess. Scoring. They have playmaking centres, 200-foot centres, but not one forward coming up in their system is labeled as a goalscorer. That’s where Dylan Guenther comes in. He would be a complete steal at #8 overall and would provide some much needed support offensively for the Kings in the future as he’s quick, has a heavy and accurate shot and would be a force on a future L.A. Kings powerplay. |
9 | | - | | Jim Benning taking the local kid would be quite an amazing decision for this Canucks squad. In his game I see a hybrid combination of Patrick Kane and Elias Pettersson. Johnson presents a flair and swagger not seen in any of the Canucks forward core, at least, not in this quantity. Johnson does need to bulk up just a bit but it’s not the biggest concern. If he falls to 9, I believe it’s a no-brainer that Johnson will be selected by the team he has said is his favourite numerous times. |
10 | | - | | Ottawa needs another promising center, Shane Pinto and Josh Norris are already great players for their hockey club but they can get a great 200-foot player in Mason McTavish. He can be a key asset to a rapidly progressing Senators team who in a few years time could be serious contenders for the cup if they develop the likes of Jake Sanderson, Ridly Greig and Mads Sogaard well along with their plethora of rising young talent. McTavish by no means fills any void as there are no true holes in this Ottawa Senators team, but he would provide some additional strength on special teams and in 5-on-5 play. |
11 | | - | | Choix au repêchage retiré |
12 | | - | | I personally am a HUGE fan of Corson Ceulemans, especially after his performance at the U18’s back in May. Chicago has key forwards emerging in their system whilst their defense has a couple sparks of hope but nothing to write home about (this does exclude Adam Boqvist). Corson could help to replace the emptiness on the right side of the Blackhawks defense with some very good two-way play along with both high offensive and high defensive upsides. He’s a can’t miss player in my eyes and he would fit well in Chicago. |
13 | | - | | Calgary’s future looks scary and not in a good way. The team has lots of rumours surrounding it with the countless headlines surrounding Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. But in their potential absence, Calgary can pick up a reliable goal scorer in Chaz Lucius, there are no proven snipers on this Flames squad nor is there one in the system but Lucius can bring a new type of style to the Calgary table. One which could steer their future in the right direction as opposed to where it’s headed as of now. |
14 | | - | | Cole is the perfect fit for this Philadelphia Flyers franchise as he already looks like he plays in the orange sweater. He brings something that forward prospects haven’t exactly brought to this squad in a long time. A heavy and accurate shot, along with amazing speed, elite puck control but most importantly, grit. Lots and lots of grit. Sillinger does whatever he can to force a W onto his team’s calendar and the Flyers need someone like this despite the young promising players coming up. This should be an easy pick for the Flyers. |
15 | | - | | A short but speedy winger who will likely fall a tad in the draft boards due to his size. Lysell is an extremely fast skater when the puck isn’t on his stick but it’s almost as if he’s faster when the puck is in his control on his stick blade. With a remarkable set of hands along with a sniper-esque shot and top-notch playmaking abilities, Lysell could provide some much needed flair to a rather bland Stars team along with key offensive abilities and help on the power play. |
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