1 | | - | | A no-brainer, right? |
2 | | - | | Columbus has a couple of options here, but I think the most logical one would be Fantilli. The Blue Jackets are weak down the middle, Fantilli is a must add. Columbus can build the team around him, Fantilli pretty much does everything you want with and without the puck. |
3 | | - | | The four heavy favorites to land Michkov are the Ducks, Canadiens, Coyotes, and Blackhawks. Whoever drafts first will be the one to draft him. Ducks drafted 1st overall, so the next team in line is Chicago. In the Blackhawks case, their timeline to even be competitive is really long, they can afford to take the risk of drafting this generational product. If Michkov was eligible to play in the league next year, he would be giving Bedard a run for his money for 1st overall. |
4 | | - | | San Jose has already confirmed that they want bigger prospects as most of their prospect pool is filled with smaller players. And I agree with that statement, if Carlsson is sitting on the board the Sharks shouldn't overthink this one. He draws a lot of comparisons to Timo Meier, Carlsson brings a lot of skill, grit, and offensive flare to the ice. |
5 | | - | | Kent Hughes has Smith heavily scouted as he's coached the prospect before. With that in mind, Smith is the choice here. Montreal's center depth will be fully set up after this pick, but Smith plays a crafty game with the puck. Mainly playmaker who is consistent on a nightly basis and has lit up the U18 tournament by storm. |
6 | | - | | Arizona has stocked up on forwards the past few drafts. If anything, they need goalies and a new face on the back end. I see the Coyotes going off-the-board taking Reinbacher. Ranked 14th on my draft board, Reinbacher has all the tools to lead the Coyotes defensive core in the near future. An NHL debut isn't far away, Reinbacher just needs to be physical more consistently then he will be NHL ready. |
7 | | - | | This is a guy that I think Torts will love in the future. Benson is a really small yet skilled playmaker that always keeps the game simple and is overall such a hard worker. Size doesn't matter, smaller players are currently finding success in the NHL. Skating wins over everything, and Benson is one of the best and fluid skaters in the draft. |
8 | | - | | I will get a lot of hate on this pick and I get it, but based off production alone, Perreault is a top 10 pick. He's 6th on my board, literally 129 points in 60 USDP games is ridiculous to think about. Even in the USHL, Perreault had 45 points in 23 games. But all in all, Perreault is a really dynamic playmaker that could replace Backstrom in the near future. I've seen a lot of mocks have Perreault drop solely based off size, but once again, skating is the attribute that wins over everything. Like Benson, Perreault is a really dynamic skater. |
9 | | - | | Detroit needs a goal-scoring winger or a power forward winger. Mostly left winger, I think Barlow is the pick here. This isn't a pick that Yzerman would make based off the Yzerplan, but left wing is a positional need, especially after losing Bertuzzi. Barlow is a really good goal-scorer that can also help out the Red Wings penalty kill. |
10 | | - | | I do have Dvorsky ranked higher on my board, but I think Moore is a better option solely based off skating. The Blues are known for avoiding sandpaper-type prospects, and Dvorsky is a prime example of that. But Moore plays a Blues-type game, very hard-nosed, agile, and able to find the open area. |
11 | | - | | Vancouver needs to draft defenseman badly. They have done well drafting forwards, especially stealing Lekkerimaki last year. Sandin-Pelikka draws comparisons to Josh Morrissey, extremely flashy offensively while still keeping up with the defensive aspects of the game. Sandin-Pelikka is a bit on the small side for a defender at 5'11", but makes up for it with his excellent mobility. |
12 | | | | Sale doesn't fall past this point. Ranked at 8th on my draft board, he falls into Arizona's lap. Armstrong and company should be through the roof if this happens. |
13 | | - | | If one of Reinbacher or Sandin-Pelikka is available, Buffalo takes whoever is available without a doubt. However, no other right-shot defenders are worth the 13th spot. So best forward available is the way to go with this pick, and that would be Dvorsky. He falls solely based off skating, its one of the worst in the early portion of the draft. But while Dvorsky won't light up the league offensively, he has showed multiple signs of being really skilled defensively. Has played center, but more than likely will be a winger at the NHL level. |
14 | | - | | Pittsburgh must go best forward available if they want to replace the likes of Crosby and Malkin. And with Cristall sitting on the board, they shouldn't overthink this one. He does have bad injury luck and issues and skating issues, but with the skilled offense, Cristall's upside is extremely high. The Penguins will be getting really high value with this pick. |
15 | | - | | Leonard doesn't fall past the top 15, there's no qualities that make him past here. |
16 | | - | | If Leonard is somehow available here, the Flames draft him without a question as he draws comparisons to Matthew Tkachuk. However, Heidt has a lot of Gaudreau qualities in his game, so the Flames should have him at the top of their draft board. Edgy playmaker, really capable of winning 1 on 1 battles. Defensive potential is a giant question mark however. |
17 | | | | Montreal has been linked to Yager for a while now, he will be the pick for them. Has skating issues, but is a solid two-way winger that will make an impact in every situation of the game. |
18 | | | | Yzerman may not have continued his plan with the 9th pick, but with this pick the Yzerplan will continue. Stevie Y will go off-the-board and pick a guy who was once viewed as a top 10 pick in Lindstein. Really good defensive defender who draws a lot of Seth Jones comparisons. Offensive game is steadily improving, as shown in the U18s. |
19 | | - | | Wood doesn't fall past this spot. Also as a Jets fan who got very little effort from the team in the playoffs, if Chevy wants to keep his job, he must draft a player who is willing to put the effort in every game. That would be Matt Wood, who ideally is a steal at this spot. |
20 | | | | Chicago has a small quantity of centers, drafting a couple should be a high priority. The best one available at the moment is Danielson, who's the best defensive-minded center in the draft. He has all the tools necessary to become a reliable 1C or at best 2C in the NHL, he just needs to shoot the puck more. |
21 | | - | | Some may say this is way too high, but Bonk is 18th on my board. If his offense continues to improve, his ranking could be much higher. Pretty much a better version of Lindstein, bigger and one of the best puck handlers in the draft. Excellent in all situations, but offense needs to be more consistent. |
22 | | - | | Minnesota needs a guy that can provide only offense. No chance Gulyayev falls past this spot, his upside is incredibly high. Would be the first defender taken if he were to play in the NHL next year. |
23 | | | | Despite the Blue Jackets taking Fantilli, at best Sillinger is looking like he will be a low-end 2C. However, if Ritchie uses his advanced offensive toolkit more often, he will become a high-end 2C. Ritchie is pretty much a worse version of Danielson. |
24 | | | | The Blues don't have a lot of versatile forwards, they could use Honzek in their lineup. An all-offensive guy who is capable of playing all three positions. |
25 | | | | For the past few drafts, the Rangers have drafted players that have played well during the end of their respective seasons. I have them drafting Stenberg, who has lit up the U18's. |
26 | | - | | The Avalanche have a gaping hole in the 2C spot after the Kadri departure. Though he hasn't put up consistent production, Stramel has high upside. Was once viewed as a top 5 pick this season. His size alone could attract GMs. |
27 | | | | The Predators like taking Russians, Simashev provides stability on their defensive core. |
28 | | - | | Vegas is a deep team, so I have them BPA. That would be Dragicevic. Would be a top 10 pick if he was at least above average at defending the puck. |
29 | | | | The Blues need defensive help as Krug and Parayko could both be gone soon. They get one of the best puck distributors in the draft in Price. |
30 | | | | Grier continues his plan by drafting Ziemmer, who brings a rare combo of size and skill. Defensive upside is unknown and without Heidt's play, Ziemmer hasn't shown excellent contribution. |
31 | | - | | Carolina has a deep team close to becoming a serious favorite to win the Cup, they go BPA. That would be Musty. |
32 | | | | Toronto needs a player that can do everything on the ice. Most people label Gauthier as a sniper, but he's shown signs of excelling defensively making for a reliable two-way winger. |