1 | | - | | Seems to be the unanimous number 1 pick, missed a year of development but has all the tools necessary to succeed at the NHL level |
2 | | - | | Slafkovsky has been flying up the draft rankings recently, and its clear to see why. A big power forward with offensive upside. Personally, I believe Cooley is the better player but with New Jersey already having similar players in Hischier and Hughes I foresee them selecting Slafkovsky at 2. |
3 | | - | | WIth Logan Cooley still being available at 3, I see it as a no-brainer for the coyotes to snag him up, one of the best skaters in the class and a talented offensive player who still plays a solid 200 ft game. I would be shocked if Arizona passed on him. |
4 | | - | | At 4 I think Seattle goes with a defenseman, either Nemec or Jiricek. Personally I see Jiricek as the stronger of the two, he's a bigger player physically and I also believe he's a better defender. While he doesn;t have the skating ability of Nemec I think he more than makes up for it with his defensive prowess. It is also worth mentioning he has impressive puck control and a powerful shot, if utilized correctly should project well as a top 4 d-man at the NHL level. |
5 | | - | | I'm not sure if I think Nemec is the best player available, but from what little I know about the Flyers prospect pool, I feel they need a defenseman more than anything, and you certainly can't go wrong with Simon Nemec. A very impressive skater who handles the puck well in his own end and has no shortage of offensive upside, not to mention he's a right handed shot, a very valuable asset in today's game. He could stand to improve a bit defensively and be a little more physical, but that should come in time. When all is said and done, I see him playing top 4 minutes in the NHL. |
6 | | | | The Blue Jackets prospect pool seems to be in a good place from what I have gathered and I see them selecting the best player available, and if Savoie falls to 6, he will certainly be that player. While his size may make it difficult for him to project as an NHL center, his vast array of offensive tools such as impressive skating and great shot with a quick release should see him as a top 6 forward in the NHL. Especially if he bulks up and works on risk management, Savoie should be set for a long career in the NHL. |
7 | | - | | I think Ottawa has very nice depth prospect wise and will likely select the best available player. However, at this point in the draft, I am no longer confident in who I believe the best player to be. I have Ottawa selecting Kemell, as despite his numbers in the latter half of the Liiga season I think he possesses all the tools for a potential 30 goal scorer at the next level. I would like to see improvements in both his skating and strength on the puck, but I see the pro's outweighing the cons as he has a NHL ready shot with a deceptively quick release and uses this to beat opposing goaltenders from basically anywhere on the ice. He also knows how to create space and open shooting lanes on top of being a solid player defensively. |
8 | | - | | I have Detroit selecting Lambert at 8 as I see him as potentially the player with the best tools in the draft. He is an elite skater with plenty of offensive upside and playmaking ability. Naturally his sub-par statistcs in Liiga will probably lead to him sliding down draft boards, however this can potentially be attributed to his linemates and how he is utilized by his team. When playing with other high calibre players, such as at the world juniors, he showcases his skill a lot more. I think this has the potential to be yet another fantastic draft pick by Yzerman and the Red Wings. |
9 | | - | | Buffalo is another team with incredible prospect depth and they likely go with the best player available. Who is the best player available at 9, you ask. I have literally no clue, but after much deliberation, I chose Danila Yurov. Yurov is a talented offensive player with great speed and a good shot, and also a good passer. Some might look at his 0 points in 23 KHL games and write him off, however, this is not the full story as he was given next to no ice time in those games, and in the MHL put up point totals higher than those of Nikita Kucherov and Artemi Panarin in their respective draft years. Obviously he has some drawbacks too, as he tends to breakout of the zone preemptively which can lead to offensive chances for the opposition. He also tends to shoot into traffic instead of using his hands to open shooting lanes. All in all, I see him projecting to be about a middle 6 to top 6 forward at the NHl level. |
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