The third mock Hockey Buzz mock draft driven by the readers and a few special guests kicked off last Monday. The first five were Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Tim Sturzle, Marco Rossi and Cole Perfetti. Kicking off the next five was Anton Lundell followed by Alexander Holtz, Lucas Raymond, Jaroslav Askarov and Jaime Drysdale. Jake Sanderson was the first pick in the next round of selections followed by Jack Quinn, Dawson Mercer and Seth Jarvis. The selection by Toronto, with Michael Augello picking, is below with Montreal, represented by Vivian Lapeirre, on the clock and Chicago, represented by Theo Fox, on deck. Below is the voting poll, please weigh in with your view.
As a reminder, for each pick, included should be: a) Selection and reasoning/scouting report, and, b) Alternatives considered (both players and trades). Please provide me via email your pick with the aforementioned information following the posting of the prior pick on the site. If I become aware of a pick or a few picks in a row, I will email you to help facilitate moving the mock draft along. I will post the blog with the pick and the voting poll within each blog. In addition, after each pick in the summary below, I will add in the % that approved the pick in the poll and total number of votes.
Overall Rules and Process
As mentioned previously, there is a little kicker. After the pick or trade is made, a poll will be posted to rate the selection or deal. If the majority of people like the pick or trade, that selection stands and it moves on to the next team’s picks. If not, the majority rules and that’s what happens with that team and pick. I have the last right of refusal to keep everything on the up and up and avoid ballot box stuffing.
My request to you is that you take this seriously and not make a mockery of the mock draft, because that would be an insult to the others who are participating and makes the whole process a sham. But by playing this out, we get to have healthy debate and conversation to remain engaged up and possibly beyond the draft. If teams make deals and they occur before a team’s selection is due, that deal will play a part as to when each person’s selection occurs.
Here how this will work: the team’s selector will email me at [email protected] their pick, rationale and any alternatives for that selection. I will post that pick and rationale on the site and create a voting poll. That poll will likely include alternatives that were considered with each voter allowed to select one option.
With the 15th Overall Pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs, represented by Michael Augello, select Ryan O’Rourke – D – Sault Ste. Marie, (OHL)
Rationale for the selection with scouting report along with alternatives considered (both players and trades):
Kyle Dubas has shuffled to the beat of a different drummer in his two drafts as Toronto Maple Leafs GM, selecting players with high skill and hockey IQ regardless of their size. In 2018, Dubas took over from Lou Lamoriello and Mark Hunter just weeks before the draft in Dallas, and relied on his familiarity with the Ontario Hockey League with four of his top five picks.
Toronto traded down four slots from #25 with St. Louis and were able to get an extra third round pick and the player they wanted in Rasmus Sandin (who thrived in his first OHL season with the Greyhounds), and also selected two blueliners in Sean Durzi and Mac Hollowell who attended the Leafs summer development camp the previous summer.
In 2019, Toronto did not have a first round pick (traded to Los Angeles for defenseman Jake Muzzin) and with their pick late in the second selected Peterborough winger Nick Robertson, who was the linemate of 2018 draftee Semyon Der-Argushintsev.
Both Sandin and Robertson showed excellent progress last season. The 20-year-old Swede was named the top defenseman at the 2020 World Junior and played 28 NHL games for the Leafs, while the 19-year-old forward led the OHL with 55 goals and played in the qualifying round for Toronto.
The Leafs could simply opt for the “best player available” strategy at #15 and select a forward not yet picked like U. of Wisconsin’s Dylan Holloway, Shawinigan’s Mavrik Bourque or Brendan Brisson (who played for Marlies head coach Greg Moore for the USHL’s Chicago Steel), but the club’s ongoing issues on defense would suggest that Dubas will choose a blueliner with their first round pick.
It is highly unlikely that Jamie Drysdale or Jake Sanderson will drop into the middle of the first round, and the other top defensemen are projected to go later in the opening round, which might allow Dubas to trade down again and recoup some lower picks, but based on the combination of talent, area of need, and familiarity, the Leafs will take Soo blueliner Ryan O’Rourke.
O'Rourke is 6’0”, 178 lb. defenseman who models his game after Duncan Keith. The 18-year-old had 37 points (7 goals, 30 assists) in 54 games with the Greyhounds last season and is known for his leadership abilities, which led the club to name him team captain as a 17-year-old.
2020 NHL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND ORDER AND GMs (plus yes votes/total votes, % of votes that agreed with selection)
1. New York Rangers - Jan Levine - Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski, OMJHL (349/398, 88%)
2. Los Angeles Kings - Kooleus, Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury, OHL. (405/566, 76%)
3. Ottawa Senators (via San Jose Sharks) - spatso, Tim Stutzle, C, Mannheim, DEL (310/332. 93%)
4. Detroit Red Wings - feds91stammer, Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa, OHL, (116/235, 52%)
5. Ottawa Senators - spatso, Cole Perfetti, LW, Saginaw, OHL (102/289, 35%)
11. Nashville Predators - slimtj, Jake Sanderson, D, NTDP-U18, USDP (121/163, 74%)
12. Florida Panthers - jimbo, Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa, OHL (110/138, 80%)
13. Carolina Hurricanes (via Toronto Maple Leafs) - Bingo, Dawson Mercer, C, Chicoutimi, QMJHL (124/193, 64%)
14. Edmonton Oilers - maximumbone, Seth Jarvis, RW, Portland, WHL, (210/277, 77%)
15. Toronto Maple Leafs (via Pittsburgh Penguins) - Michael Augello, Ryan O'Rourke, D, Sault Ste Marie, OHL
16. Montreal Canadiens - Vivian Lapeirre, bi-lingual, Wednesday, Sept. 23 pm
17. Chicago Blackhawks - Theo Fox, Chicago blogger on site, Thursday, Sept. 24 am
18. New Jersey Devils (from Arizona) - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett, Thursday, Sept. 24 pm
19. Calgary Flames - deddie, Dan Ethier, Friday, Sept. 25 am
20. New Jersey Devils (from Vancouver via Tampa Bay) - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett, Friday, Sept 25 pm
21. Columbus Blue Jackets, Thomas Townsend, Columbus blogger on site, Sunday, Sept. 27 am
22. New York Rangers (from Carolina) - Jan, Tuesday Sept. 29 am
23. Philadelphia Flyers - Flyersfan328, Phil Brunner, Tuesday Sept. 29 pm
24. Colorado Avalanche - climbdenali12, Ryan Armstrong, Wednesday, Sept. 30 am
25. Washington Capitals - winerydog, Wednesday, Sept. 30 pm
26. St. Louis Blues, jediman, Brendan Smith, Thursday, Oct. 1 in am
27. Anaheim Ducks (from Boston) - optimus-reim, Luke Herrington, Thursday, Oct. 1 in pm
28. Vegas Golden Knights - JRR1285, Josh Ruiz, Friday, Oct. 2 in am
29. Ottawa Senators (acquired from New York Islanders in JG Pageau deal) spatso, Friday, Oct 2 around 5 pm
30-31. Pick order TBD - picks will be Monday Oct 5 in am and Monday, Oct 5 in pm
Dallas (Russ Cohen, sportsology)
San Jose (acquired from Tampa Bay in Barclay Goodrow deal (Jeremy Barber, user id: barberjw, email: barbjw26@gmail)
Looking forward to running this again. We had a ton of fun last season. That should be the same again this year with New York having the first and 22nd picks in the first round.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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