1 | | - | | Montreal shouldn't overthink this one in the slightest. |
2 | | - | | I think the Devils one of the Slovak players: either Slafkovsky or Nemec. Slafkovsky is currently point per game in the World Championship, I don't see him being a bust like some people on this site think. |
3 | | - | | I value Cooley high on my rankings, he's at No. 2 on my list. So in all honesty the Coyotes shouldn't overthink this one. I do think Nemec is a better pick, but I don't see Cooley falling any lower than 3rd. |
4 | | - | | I think Ron Francis will go back to his normal routes and draft defenseman. I am very high on Beniers, so Nemec can be their future No. 1 defenseman. Will be NHL ready as soon as next season starts. |
5 | | - | | This is a wildcard selection for the top 5, Savoie is a very dynamic playmaker and has solid four-way agility. Can be a solid Giroux replacement during day 1 of his NHL time. |
6 | | | | Columbus shouldn't overthink this one. With Jones gone, the Blue Jacket should consider looking for a No. 1 defenseman. Jiricek can be that guy, according to my rankings this is a drop for him. He's No. 4 on my list so to get him at 6th is outstanding. |
7 | | - | | I just have a gut feeling that Ottawa will go for a reach again this year, like they have the previous three years. I will get a lot of hate for this pick, Chelsey is 27th on my draft board, but he's also the best defensive defenseman in the draft. You can't count on Forsberg to steal you wins. |
8 | | - | | Detroit could go two ways with this pick: center or LD. RD is a possibility, but they have Seider who is still young and Wallinder in the system. I think they still go defense because the Red Wings were better offensively than defensively. They already have Edvinsson on LD they add another one in Mateychuk. Solid stay-at-home defenseman, has the tools to become a legit top 2 defenseman. |
9 | | - | | McGroarty may be not be a full-time Eichel replacement, but is still a complete two-way center with low-end 1st line potential. |
10 | | - | | Anaheim shouldn't overthink this one. A line of McTavish, Zegras, and Kemell would be a fantasy and dangerous against other teams. |
11 | | - | | San Jose grabs Eklund's linemate in Lekkerimaki. Simple as that, also a steal as I value Lekkerimaki very high on my rankings. He's No. 9 on my list, so to grab him at 11th is a win-win situation. |
12 | | - | | Columbus continues what they do best: drafting Russians and turning them into steals. I see Yurov as a future top 5 player in this draft within a few seasons. |
13 | | - | | This is a cool storyline pick here, Lambert's uncle is the new coach for the Islanders. Since that's the case, I don't think the biggest boom or bust pick of the draft will be a bust in Long Island. Lambert is also high-valued as the best skater in the draft. |
14 | | - | | The Jets get a steal in Nazar. I see him as the future 2C behind Dubois in the near future. A future line of Lucius and Nazar would be flashy and dangerous. |
15 | | - | | This is where Mintyukov goes. The Canucks don't have much prospects at LD so they grab the best available. Just Rathbone doesn't make good depth. |
16 | | | | I don't see Korchinski falling any further than this. I've seen Dahlin play the right side before, so he can pair up with Power. Korchinski would the main piece of Buffalo's future second pair. |
17 | | - | | The Predators need some elite scorers in their top 6, Duchene is close to becoming a veteran, currently in his prime. Gauthier is a steal at 17th. |
18 | | - | | The Stars don't have much RD prospects, Nelson would be a decent start. |
19 | | - | | Even though LA has a deep prospect pool, they don't have much LW depth. Howard is a solid wildcard pick for the top 15. |
20 | | - | | I don't see Geekie falling any further than this. With Backstrom contemplating retirement and the rumors of Kuznetsov potentially getting traded, the Caps should invest in another center. I like Lapierre, but Geekie's ceiling is much better. |
21 | | - | | The Penguins are a deep team, so they go BPA. |
22 | | - | | Just imagine a formidable top pair of Hutson and Bouchard. Hutson's size may be lacking at 5'8'', but he checks all the boxes to become a legit top 4 defenseman. |
23 | | | | A project pick for sure, but this deepens the Ducks defensive core. You can't count on Gibson to win you games. |
24 | | - | | A big reach here as Casey is 32nd in my rankings, but the best available RD at this point. RD depth behind Parayko is very thin. |
25 | | - | | The Lightning are pretty much a dynasty, so they should grab the best player available. According to my rankings, its Dumais. Undersized, but has insane playmaking skills and skating. |
26 | | - | | The Rangers need LD behind Miller. Bichsel is the best available one. He's got size and an amazing defensive toolkit. Offensive upside is a question mark, but I see Bichsel as a future top 4 defender. |
27 | | - | | I think the Wild go two ways with this pick. Either C or RD. It would be a reach to select the best RD available at this point, so I think the Wild go with a center. I love the potential of Rossi, but behind him would be Kulich. Had an insane U18 tournament and he plays with a lot of competitiveness. |
28 | | - | | Toronto needs to learn that offense only doesn't win you games. They really should go defense here, before I said its a reach but Toronto is deep. I think the best defenseman available is Forsmark. |
29 | | | | I don't see Kasper falling any further. |
30 | | | | The Coyotes go with the overaged Robertson, they need a player to get excited over. |
31 | | | | Arizona hasn't drafted defenseman, so they take the best available in Luneau. |
32 | | | | With their third pick of the first round, Buffalo goes BPA. According to my rankings, its Ohgren. |