The fourth mock Hockey Buzz mock draft driven by the readers and a few special guests is underway. Hank Bailing did not go off the board with the Sabres pick, selecting Owen Power first overall, while Sean Maloughney took Matthew Beniers as the first ever Seattle draft pick and Ryan Armstrong completed the Michigan trifecta with Kent Johnson. Zabber selected Luke Hughes with the Devils' pick. Slimtj selected Simon Edvinsson for Columbus with fed91stammer's grabbing William Eklund for Detroit.
Hockeygm traded San Jose’s pick to Ottawa, who, represented by optimus-rein, selected Dylan Guenther. Dudestar's pick for LA was Brandt Clarke. Nucker101's selected Mason McTavish for Vancouver while Hockeygm's pick for San Jose was Cole Sillinger and Theo Fox's pick for Chicago was Chaz Lucius. ShallowLarynx selected Fabian Lysell for Calgary while Flyersfan328 pick for the Flyers was Aatu Ray and NYRangers1124’s choice for Dallas was Matthew Coronato. My pick for the NY Rangers at 15 was Fyotor Svechkov and Tommycasino's selection for St. Louis at #16 is next. Below is the voting poll, please weigh in with your view.
First, some logistical information just for this blog: Thanks to all who have agreed to participate. Almost all teams are spoken for, meaning we have close to a full complement of General Managers, but need a few more. As a reminder, when you have your pick, rationale for the selection, who else you considered and if you weighed a trade, please send that to me via email to
[email protected]. As said previously, for those who agree to participate, please make sure I have your real name to go with your Hockey Buzz ID.
The draft is July 23 and we will start the draft July 8 in the morning. That will give us 15 days or so to complete the draft, even factoring in the Sabbath. For weekdays and Sunday, I will post a pick in the am, theen a second in the pm with voting in between, for around the first 20 picks. The last 11, we will run three per day so we get all 31 picks by or on July 23.
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.
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: each morning and evening (for now, two picks per day, but we will go to three when we get to latter third of the mock draft, so that we complete on time) the team’s selector will email me at [email protected] their pick and their rationale for that selection. If making a trade, the same applies, and all the selectors have been listed below along with their screen name if from this site or their twitter handle if external to help facilitate making trades. I will post that pick and rationale on the site and create a voting poll. For now, I was thinking solely just a yes or no vote for the poll, but if people want me to list other options for the selection at that pick number in cases of a no vote, I am happy to do so, to help make it more robust.
With the 16th Overall Pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the St.Louis Blues, represented by Thomas Dueck, select Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan
Rationale for the selection with scouting report along with alternatives considered (both players and trades):
St. Louis was very disappointed to see Svechkov get selected just before they were on the clock. They considered moving up for him as they viewed him as #1 Centre, but gambled and lost that he would still be there for their pick.
Xavier Bourgault is rated as the 6th best centre in the 2021 NHL Draft by Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com and the 13th overall prospect in the final NA NHL Central Scoutings rankings. St. Louis is high on several of the centres in this draft but feels after Bourgault there is a drop off.
The Blues have lacked depth at the center position for a few years so drafting a prospect at the position is of significance. Xavier Bourgault does have aspects that make him a first-round talent and a top rated centre prospect. He is known for his hockey intelligence and has good skating ability but needs to work on his defensive skills. Bourgault had 40 points (20 goals and 20 assists) in 29 regular season games this season in the QMJHL for Shawinigan.
Bourgault can become a top-six centre in the NHL if he is able to reach his potential.
Steve Kournianos -The Draft Analyst: "An exceptional stickhandler with buttery-soft hands and a quick-strike mentality, Bourgault has to be in the running for the flashiest wingers available in the draft. "
Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet: "An excellent finisher who works best in the offensive zone. An underrated playmaker, too."
Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com: "Bourgault is a dynamic offensive player who is relentless in his puck pursuit."
He is a few years away though. Bourgault will likely head back to junior for his final season before moving to the AHL in 2022-23. He will need to continue to get stronger and work on his defensive play to reach the next level. With his outstanding work ethic, he should be able to improve those areas with good coaching going forward.
The Blues had considered both Ceulemans and Lambos in this spot but they have solid defensive prospects starting with Scott Perunovich already in house. Perunovich is an elite puck-handler whose hockey-IQ and skating should more than compensate for his size as he transitions to the next level. Jake Walkman is also knocking on the door to the NHL being a great skater and heavy shot.
Blues have great talent in net from the NHL right down to Junior, so a goalie is not on their radar. The Blues are set with Binnington, and already having a WJC gold-medal goalie in Joel Hofer and another who put up record numbers in the QMJHL this year in Colten Ellis.
The Blues have a bunch of good forward prospects but none that could become a #1 center. Nikita Alexandrov looks like a responsible bottom-six center with some offensive upside and ability to contribute on special teams. After his performance at the WJC, his confidence has to be at an all-time high. Niko Mikkola possesses little offensive upside, but in the modern-day NHL, he possesses enough skating, size, and defensive ability to make it.
The Blues spent their first-round draft pick in the 2020 Draft on Jake Neighbours, a big forward playing with the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL). Standing 5-foot-11 and with over 200 pounds already on his frame, Neighbours is cut in the mold of a traditional power forward. Kostin still has plenty of skill, but he has to prove that he can put it all together before getting a permanent role in the NHL.
So that brings us back to why Bourgault is the right choice. He has a high hockey IQ, constantly looking for opportunities to use his offensive skills. Those smarts translate to the offensive end, where he has good spatial awareness and vision to set up his teammates for scoring chances.
Bourgault’s game is reminiscent of Brad Marchand without the pest-like qualities and antics. This is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on skill and ability. He will need to continue to add muscle and fill out his frame to play the aggressive style he favours.
So with Svechkov off the board, Bourgault is a pretty good fallback option as he has a solid mid-six floor and potential to have a higher ceiling if he can show just a little improvement, which the Blues are betting he will.
2021 NHL DRAFT ORDER
1. Buffalo Sabres - Hank Bailing, Owen Power, D, Michigan (73%, 267 votes)
2. Seattle Kraken - Sean Maloughney, Matthew Beniers, C, Michigan (85%, 144 votes)
3. Anaheim Ducks - climbdenali12, Ryan Armstrong, Kent Johnson, C, Michigan (20%, 192 votes)
4. New Jersey Devils - Zabber, Luke Hughes, D, USDP (U-18) (81%, 239 votes)
5. Columbus Blue Jackets, slimTJ, TJ Reilly, Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda (49% of 140 votes)
6. Detroit Red Wings - fed91tstammer, William Eklund, LW, Djurgardens (SHL) (72%, 162 votes)
7. San Jose Sharks - hockeygm, pick traded to Ottawa who selects Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL) (83%, 82 votes)
8. Los Angeles Kings - dudestar, Nicholas Plazio, Brandt Clarke, RHD, HC Nove Zamhy (87%, 130 votes)
9. Vancouver Canucks - Nucker101, Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough (89%, 168 votes)
10. San Jose from Ottawa- hockeygm, Cole Sillinger, C, Sioux Falls (59%, 68 votes)
11. Chicago Blackhawks - Theo Fox, Blackhawks blogger from site, Chaz Lucius, C, US-NTDP (50%, 109 votes)
12. Calgary Flames - ShallowLarynx, Fabian Lysell, RW, Luleå HF (SHL) (77%, 121 votes)
13. Philadelphia Flyers - Flyersfan328, Phil Brunner, Aatu Raty, C, Oulun Karpat (Liiga) (58%, 172 votes)
14. Dallas Stars - NYRangers1124, Matthew Coronato, LW, Chicago Steelheads (51%, 43 votes)
15. New York Rangers - Jan Levine, Fyodor Svechkov, C, Ska-1946 (Russia) (59%, 67 votes)
16. St. Louis Blues - Tommycasino, Tom Dueck, Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan17. Winnipeg Jets - Ross77, Darren Ross, Friday, July 16 pm
18. Nashville Predators - Russ Cohen, Saturday, July 17 pm
19. Edmonton Oilers - maximumbone, Silas Bengtsson Sunday July 18 am
20. Boston Bruins - Anthony Travalgia, Bruins blogger on site, Sunday, July 18 afternoon
21. Minnesota Wild - jryan88 - Sunday, July 18 pm
22. Detroit Red Wings (from Washington Capitals) - fed91tstammer, Monday, July 19 am
23. Florida Panthers - jimbo, Jimmy Reilly - Monday, July 19, afternoon
24. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Toronto Maple Leafs) - slimTJ, TJ Reilly, Monday, July 19, pm
25. Minnesota Wild (from Pittsburgh Penguins) - jryan88, Tuesday, July 20, am
26. Carolina Hurricanes - Bingo, Chris Cote, Tuesday, July 20, afternoon
27. Colorado Avalanche - TommyGTrain, Tuesday, July 20, pm
28. New Jersey Devils (from New York Islanders) - Zabber, Wednesday, July 21, am
29. Las Vegas Golden Knights - Burnt_Juice, Clay Arseniuk, Wednesday, July 21, afternoon
30. Montreal Canadiens - Karine Hains, Montreal blogger on site, Wednesday, July 21, pm
31. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Tampa Bay Lightning) - slimTJ, TJ Reilly, Thursday, July 22, am
Looking forward to running this again. We had a ton of fun the last few seasons. That should be the same again this year with New York having the 15th pick in the first round.
The Rangers signed Julian Gautheir to a one-year, $775K contract. With Gautheir under contract, it now becomes slightly easier to deal him, if the Rangers opt to go that route. Colin Blackwell, Kevin Rooney, Brett Howden and Gauthier are now all under contract for next year with one of the four to be protected and the other three exposed. The list for retentions for all teams is due tomorrow.
Gauthier showed offensive potential offset by poor defense and ill-timed penalties, landing him in former coach David Quinn's doghouse. If exposed, Gauthier could be a solid option for the Kraken, who have Ron Francis, who drafted Gauthier when in Carolina, as their GM. I would be fine with keeping any of the four, other than Howden, who is the one who should be exposed. In addition, I think Gauthier could be an effective third-line winger with offensive upside. But would not be shocked if Gauthier is dealt to acquire a blueliner that would be a better keeper option than Libor Hajek.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»