Mock drafts are always fun, so I figured I’d do one. I decided to limit this to the first round for now, and obviously the order of the final two picks is yet to be decided but I assumed the Bruins will win the Stanley Cup for the purpose of this exercise. Without further ado, let’s get to it.
- New Jersey Devils – Jack Hughes, LC
Best player in the draft by a slim margin. A franchise center with huge offensive upside.
- New York Rangers – Kaapo Kakko, RW
Hughes and Kakko are 1A/1B, so this is an easy choice. NHL ready winger with franchise player potential.
- Chicago Blackhawks – Alex Turcotte, LC
Number one center upside. Competes hard and plays a great all-around game. Eventual Toews replacement.
- Colorado Avalanche (from the Senators) – Dylan Cozens, RC
The Avalanche need scoring depth beyond their top line, and they can build a great second line around Cozens. He has top-line upside but not in Colorado.
- Los Angeles Kings – Bowen Byram, LD
Best defenseman in the draft by a wide margin. The Kings could use some help on their blue line. Great offensive tools but needs to improve some things in the defensive side of things.
- Detroit Red Wings – Vasili Podkolzin, RW
Top-line winger who can be used in all situations. Competes hard and never gives up. Will be a great playoff warrior.
- Buffalo Sabres – Trevor Zegras, LC
A very talented offensive forward who may end up being a winger. Would be a great fit alongside Eichel.
- Edmonton Oilers – Cole Caufield, RW
He’s tiny and not a great skater but boy can he score goals. Could be a nice fit alongside McDavid.
- Anaheim Ducks – Kirby Dach, RC
Big playmaking center with massive upside but some red flags as well. The Ducks are hoping they can find the eventual replacement for Getzlaf.
- Vancouver Canucks – Matthew Boldy, LW
Top-six winger who can play in all situations. Would be a great fit alongside Pettersson.
- Philadelphia Flyers – Peyton Krebs, LC
Great two-way center with top-six upside. Isn’t flashy but gets the job done at both ends of the ice.
- Minnesota Wild – Alex Newhook, LC
Speedy and very talented top-six center. The Wild aren’t scared by the fact he played in the BCHL. I believe Newhook is the final player on tier two which started at pick three.
- Florida Panthers – Victor Söderström, RD
Best right-handed shot defenseman in the draft, and the Panthers could definitely use one in their top-four. A very reliable two-way player who isn’t far off from playing in the NHL.
- Arizona Coyotes – Philip Broberg, LD
A big defenseman with great speed, the Coyotes are hoping he learns everything possible from OEL and becomes a similar player as he is. There are some concerns, though.
- Montreal Canadiens – Ville Heinola, LD
A very smart offensive defenseman who can run Montreal’s power play in the future but probably needs a couple of years before he can play in the NHL.
- Colorado Avalanche – Cam York, LD
The Avs took a forward with their first pick, so they take the best defenseman available at this spot. York is an offensive guy who can put up points.
- Vegas Golden Knights – Moritz Seider, RD
A big two-way defenseman with top-four upside and pro experience from Germany. Seider’s offensive game is a bit underrated but it shouldn’t be.
- Dallas Stars – Arthur Kaliyev, LW
A one-dimensional goal-scorer – the Stars are hoping they can develop him into an NHL player. A lot of boom or bust potential.
- Ottawa Senators (from the Blue Jackets) – Ryan Suzuki, LC
A playmaking center with top-six upside is exactly what the rebuilding Sens need.
- New York Rangers (from the Jets) – Thomas Harley, LD
Adding a risky offensive defenseman seems like a good choice after making the safe selection at No. 2.
- Pittsburgh Penguins – Bobby Brink, RW
The Penguins hope Brink can eventually play with Sid or Geno – and it could work well for them.
- Los Angeles Kings (from the Maple Leafs) – Raphaël Lavoie, RW
Has played center but projects to be a winger. Great size and goal-scoring abilities.
- New York Islanders – Matthew Robertson, LD
The Isles add some depth to the left side of their blue line. A big two-way defenseman is always a good choice.
- Nashville Predators – Phillip Tomasino, RC
A talented top-six center who could eventually replace Turris.
- Washington Capitals – Pavel Dorofeyev, LW
A very talented offensive winger with high upside but some red flags as well. The Capitals aren’t afraid to draft Russians, and for a good reason.
- Calgary Flames – Spencer Knight, G
The Flames get their goaltender of the future – and they desperately needed one.
- Tampa Bay Lightning – Nicholas Robertson, LW
Small but very talented offensive winger – seems like a good fit in Tampa.
- Carolina Hurricanes – Patrik Puistola, LW
A goal-scoring winger with top-six upside – and the Canes love Finns. Puistola can also make plays and be reliable defensively as well.
- Buffalo Sabres (from the Sharks) – Nils Höglander, LW
Small but sturdy. Loves to engage physically. Great puck-skills. A fan favorite wherever he plays.
- Anaheim Ducks (from the Blues) – John Beecher, LC
The Ducks add another big center – Beecher is a sure-fire NHL player, the only question is how high is his offensive upside.
- Boston Bruins – Alex Vlasic, LD
A massive defenseman who skates really well and earns the trust of his coaches.
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And that’s all for now, thanks for reading. Feel free to add comments below. Remember to follow me on Twitter @JokkeNevalainen.
Images used in the main picture courtesy of NHL.com