The third mock Hockey Buzz mock draft driven by the readers and a few special guests kicked off two weeks ago. The first five selections 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 block of 10 selections followed by Jack Quinn, Dawson Mercer, Seth Jarvis, Ryan O'Rourke, Hendrix Lapierre, Dylan Holloway, Kaiden Guhle, Braden Schneider and Jacob Perreault . Picks 20-31 kicked off with Connor Zary. The selection by the Rangers, with me picking, is below with Philadelphia, represented by Flyersfan328, on the clock and Colorado, represented by climbdenali12, on deck. Below is the voting poll, please weigh in with your view.
With this pick posted, I will try to have two picks in each subsequent blog, allowing us to finish the draft by the end of the week. As a reminder, I am off the grid from Friday night to Sunday night, so if news breaks, I will not get to it until then. In addition, we are presuming we will have Blueshirts' news, but with the buyout period running until just after the draft, we may just be discussing draft options and at best, rumors, like the Jack Eichel one, which I think has some legs, but nowhere near close to happening, until the draft and the beginning of free agency.
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 have added 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 22nd Overall Pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Rangers, represented by me, select Brendan Brisson, C, Chicago (USHL)
Rationale for the selection with scouting report along with alternatives considered (both players and trades):
Zary was to be the selection if he slid to 22. With him off the board, I debated several players before grabbing Brisson. If New York decides to go with the player who has the biggest offensive upside, Rodion Amirov would be the pick. But with Panarin, Kreider and Lafreniere already at left wing, unless one of those three can switch sides seamlessly or Amirov moves to the right, taking him at this pick is likely not the direction the Rangers will go.
Mavrik Bourque was also in the mix for this selection. Same to a certain extent, Jan Mysak, and not just because I like the first name :). But, factoring in upside and potential coupled with the desire to take a possible second line center at this spot, Brisson stood out to me.
Scouting reports:
Future Considerations:
Brisson’s skating is very smooth and fluid in all directions. When his feet are not moving, he can look like he’s coasting but he can really turn it on when his feet are moving, and he is strong in transition and is able to maintain control of the puck. The only noticeable issue with his skating is his edge work and there are times where he loses multiple edges and falls to the ice, however his stride is sound and his turn radius is tight. When he has possession of the puck in the offensive zone, he delivers quick passes and has a decent shot and an excellent one timer. He’s dangerous as he can beat you a few different ways. He does a good job of finishing chances that others create for him, but sometimes does too little to create chances for his teammates. Brisson is a strong forechecker and plays the boards well in all three zones. He hunts the puck well and will get into tie-ups as he looks to regain control of the puck. He won’t often go zone-to-zone with the puck, but he is strong at getting the puck into the offensive zone. He hustles back to his own zone to tie up defenders and battles along the boards but will need added strength. He is a strong forechecker and hunts the puck well and will get into tie-ups as he looks to regain control of the puck. That said, his effort isn’t consistent and too often he looks to his teammates to do the dirty work. That said, he has the talent to be a goal scorer, playmaker and defensive forward as all three are in his tool
Draft Analyst:
Scouting Report It’s hard to ignore the fact that Brendan is the son of super-agent Pat Brisson, whose star-studded client list is a who’s who of current NHL royalty. Although Brisson’s background has been the elephant in the room for some scouts, there are several good reasons – at least in terms of player evaluation -- that renders his last name as nothing more than a footnote. You see, not only did Brisson destroy the USHL in his draft year to win Rookie of the Year honors, but he also led an impressive field at the under-20 World Junior “A” Challenge in scoring. Additionally, Brisson was a top player on a loaded Chicago squad which had five of USHL’s seven-best scorers, and he most certainly had a role in his teammates’ success.
Brisson was essentially the Steel’s top-line center and a key figure on a power play, which operated at a league-best 24.6 percent. He was confident on the puck and was able to initiate and complete breakouts that directly led to quality scoring chances. A superior puck handler who enters the zone cleanly regardless of the situation or his rate of speed, Brisson throughout the season had visible chemistry with a collection of linemates that included fellow 2020 draft prospects Sean Farrell and Mathieu De St. Phalle.
Brisson possesses an elite shot and it is one of the more respected weapons in his arsenal. He is very accurate with his slapper and isn’t afraid to use it, and Chicago designed set plays on the power play and off faceoffs specifically for Brisson to hammer the puck on net. But Brisson also fulfills additional critical requirements assigned to him by his coaching staff. He can be as good a playmaker as he is a sniper, and he is willing to do the dirty work along the boards to either maintain possession or take it away from opponents. He’s pulled off multiple highlight-reel plays this season either individually or by incorporating his star-studded support group. Mobility and quickness play a key role in Brisson’s ability to create time and space. He likes to be on the puck a lot and will gravitate towards it regardless of which side is in possession.
Part of the reasons why Brisson is able to get to so many free pucks is his anticipation and awareness, but he also outpaced several quick-footed defensemen at the WJAC without needing much of a head start. He is very strong on the puck and can change directions rapidly while cradling the puck away from his closest opponents. Brisson is also a competent penalty killer and a neutral-zone shark. He consistently hounds opposing puck carriers and gets a fair number of stick-lift takeaways.
Biggest Strength: Shot release: The puck explodes off of Brisson’s stick and his one-timer accuracy is excellent
Needs Improvement: Explosiveness: Brisson is an above-average skater speed-wise but it won’t hurt to improve his first step.
Bottom Line: Brisson is the kind of kid who rarely leaves you wanting more. If he can’t impress you with his puck skills, he’ll do so with his effort on the backcheck no matter how late in the shift it is.
McKeen's:
Despite his famous father, many prospect pundits would be excused for not knowingthe name of Brendan Brisson before this year. The son of super-agent Pat Brisson,Brendan was a top scorer in the elite Shattuck-St. Mary’s program for a coupleof years, but that was a high scoring system and he had only been a 10th roundselection in the USHL draft. In addition to spending time in the prep school hot bed,Brisson also was able to develop some aspects of the mental side of the game froma young age, thanks to his father’s profession. Throughout his youth, he had personal access to NHL stars including Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and John Tavares.While he does not project to their heights, Brisson certainly gained from the unique experience.
A bit of a late developer, in his three years at the SSM program, his point totals rose stratospherically, from 22 to 67 to 101, before being named the USHL Rookie of theYear this year. Brisson’s draft year experienced a big boost thanks to his work at theWorld Junior A Challenge in December. On a roster including some of the best theUSHL had to offer (USNTDP not included), Brisson led the way with 12 points acrosssix games, leading not only the American squad, but the entire tournament.
On a personal level, it was also around that time that I began to notice theconsistency with which positive notes about Brisson were accumulating in mynotebook. Some players could have bad games and fail to leave an impression. NotBrisson. In every viewing he would show a different side of his game, revealingthe high-end potential slowly, like peeling the layers off an onion. This trait shone through even when the Steel lines were jumbled, separating Brisson and his most frequent partner-in-crime, fellow draft-eligible Sean Farrell.
Among the top playmakers in the USHL, Brisson moves the puck around exceptionallywell, and his ability to create movement between the dots is especially impressive.Whether it was his childhood experiences, or his work with Uber-skills coach DarrylBelfry through the latter’s association with the Chicago Steel, Brisson also has highend ability to manipulate the puck. He is athletic and coordinated, with the abilityto adjust to misplaced passes with his hands or his skates and prepare the puck for ashot or follow-up pass without a hitch. He reads the play with great maturity, enabling him to dish beautiful passes to his linemates regularly. And despite being somewhat physically underdeveloped, he shows surprising balance and strength on the puck, allowing him to win an unexpectedly high number of battles along the boards.
Brisson also shows commendable commitment away from the puck. He backcheckshard and has been known to sneak in behind an opposing puck carrier to strip thepuck from him and get the game going back the other way again. Much like his playin the offensive zone, Brisson’s goal is to make sure that his team has the puck and hewill do whatever is needed to get it back, and to keep it once he has it.
The aforementioned hustle helps Brisson’s skating play to its potential. His top speedis average or slightly above average, but he adds plus-agility, balance, and a non-stopmotor to keep his feet moving to the mix which makes the whole play better than thesum of his parts. If there is a part of his game that can stand most to improve, it is hisshot. The shot is fine but could be much better. Most attempts are from the dots onin and his shooting percentage this year was surpassed by only four regular skaters inthe league, but this year’s class of goalies in the USHL was poorer than usual and I donot expect him to be nearly as lethal in college, or beyond. He needs to quicken his trigger to maintain scoring rates in the same vicinity.
It was hard to always know which talented forward on the Steel was doing the mostto help his team dominate and other teams may have the aforementioned Farrellranked higher, but for my money, Brisson was the most consistent weapon on theteam, and the one with the fewest weak spots to boot. The Michigan commit has cleartop six upside and enough versatility to carve out a lower role if push comes to shove
Other Prospects Considered:
Mavrik Bourque, Rodion Amirov, Jan Mysac, Ridley Greig
Trade considered:
In general, I expect the Rangers to trade this pick unless a player ranked high on their board slides here. Targets might be a second line center or left-handed blueliner. New York, as jimbo mentioned, could try and slide down from 22 to 28, dealing with Ottawa, to acquire one of the Senators' four, second-round picks, as the Blueshirts lack a pick in this round, traded in the Adam Fox deal. This might be especially true if we get to the 22nd selection in this round and the team has 5-6 players all with similar grades remaining on the board. On the flipside, if the draft is moving along and someone they really like is there around 15, don't be shocked if they move up, using an asset or future pick to accomplish that goal.
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%)
6. Anaheim Ducks - optimus-reim, Anton Lundell, C, HIFK, LIIGA (62/222, 28%)
7. New Jersey Devils - redmonsters, Alexander Holtz, RW, Djurgarden, SHL (183/333, 55%)
8. Buffalo Sabres - KilkennyDan, Lucas Raymond, RW, Frolunda, SHL, (191/266, 72%)
9. Minnesota Wild - dudestar, Jarsolav Askarov, G, SKA-NEVA, VHL (73/142, 51%)
10. Winnipeg Jets - Ross77, Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie, OHL (278/305, 91%)
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 (107/423, 25%)
16. Montreal Canadiens - Vivian Lapeirre, Hendrix Lapierre, C, Chicoutimi, QMJHL, (109/239, 45%)
17. Chicago Blackhawks - Theo Fox, Dylan Holloway, C/LW, Wisconsin, NCAA, (179/216, 83%)
18. New Jersey Devils (from Arizona) - redmonsters, Kaiden Guhle, D, Prince Albert, WHL (84/133, 63%)
19. Calgary Flames - deddie, Braden Schneider, D, Brandon WHL (82/109, 75%)
20. New Jersey Devils (from Vancouver via Tampa Bay) - redmonsters, Jacob Perreault, C/RW, Sarnia, WHL (60/137, 44%)
21. Columbus Blue Jackets, Thomas Townsend, Connor Zary, C, Kamloops, (97/118, 82%)
22. New York Rangers (from Carolina) - Jan, Brendan Brisson, C, Chicago USHL
23. Philadelphia Flyers - Flyersfan328, Phil Brunner, Thursday, Oct. 1 in am
24. Colorado Avalanche - climbdenali12, Ryan Armstrong, Thursday, Oct. 1 in am
25. Washington Capitals - winerydog, Thursday, Oct. 1 in pm
26. St. Louis Blues, jediman, Brendan Smith, Thursday, Oct. 1 in pm
27. Anaheim Ducks (from Boston) - optimus-reim, Friday, Oct. 2 in am
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. Dallas (Russ Cohen, sportsology), Friday, Oct 2 around 5 pm
31. San Jose (acquired from Tampa Bay in Barclay Goodrow deal (Jeremy Barber, user id: barberjw, email: barbjw26@gmail)- Friday, October 2 in pm
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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