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Mock Draft : 31-41 - The Second Round |
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Keeping things going in this mock draft. I don't have much more to add except congrats to the Blackhawks and their fans on winning the Cup, not sure Kane really deserved the Conn Smythe, but oh well, they had a lot of big performances throughout the ordeal so I guess it's hard to pick a winner.
31. The Florida Panthers select Defenseman Mirco Müller of the Everett Silvertips in the WHL.
Müller has a nice combo of size and hockey sense, he’s 6’3 and still has good mobility. He’s got an excellent mind for the game, showing that he can stretch plays out and make right decisions often, whether it is little things like getting the puck off the boards and out on the PK or a nice crisp breakout pass. He had a very good first year in the WHL, taking it by trial by fire as Ryan Murray was injured forcing him to take front billing on an already weak squad. His defensive game is very solid, both positionally and in anticipation. He could stand to play more physical with that size of his, but overall his game is very sound and he has high upside as a two-way defenseman that can play on the 2nd PP and top PK. He had an extremely impressive U20’s and U18’s for Switzerland on the bigger ice which might elevate him higher than where I have him to around the 20-25 range depending on team preference.
32. The Colorado Avalanche select Right Winger Ryan Hartman of the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL.
Hartman fills a major need for the Avalanche despite some decent defenders left around this area. He’s a bulldog who gives his all and plays bigger than his 5’11 stature. The Avs need right wing prospects in a desperate way and players that can play defensive roles, while still possessing some scoring ability. The 18 year old did yeoman’s work for the United States in the U20’s being the youngest player on their squad, he added 2 goals and an assist while playing on the second PK unit and leading the team in hits. His physicality and relentless forecheck are major pluses on his side, but he has been known to go overboard and throw the cheapshots. He’s hard to play against and can burn you on the score sheet as a complimentary player. Some question his offensive upside though, which is why he’s slipped in most rankings from his projected 15-18 ranking to the lower twenties and into the 2nd round.
33. The Tampa Bay Lightning select Left Winger Pavel Buchnevich of Almaz Cherepovets in the MHL.
The Lightning have liked picking high talent Russian players who have slipped due to the…well…Russian factor, and as years go on this factor will encourage more and more young players to go to the CHL to play if they wish to be drafted early and given the benefit of the doubt. Buchnevich had a good season, though he underwhelmed for a large chunk of it after starting out hot, getting a foot injury which sent him to the MHL, then he got hurt in the leg, then the wrist, before finally finishing the year healthy and on fire yet again. He was the second best player at the U18 tournament after Wunderkind Connor McDavid and the best Russian by far (including Nichushkin). His speed and shot are the highlights like the stereotypical Russian, but his puck possession is the unheralded aspect. Despite being a lanky 6’0 160, he’s hard to get off the puck because he’s so shifty and smart with his hands, he tricks defensemen constantly. I can’t stress how good he was for Russia in the U18’s and how good he has been when healthy. Bulking up and working on his defensive game are keys for his development, but his overall scoring and passing abilities are very hard to pass up, especially a team like the Lightning that have made a habit of catching the high-end fallers.
34. The Montréal Canadiens select Defenseman Ian McCoshen of the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL.
McCoshen has an extremely high ceiling as a potential steal, whether he goes as late as around here where most have him or as early as 18 where one drafter had him. 6’3 and strong, with impressive offensive skills on the PP and at even strength are coupled by solid defensive play. He benefited by playing with the highest scoring USHL team, so being the shooter on the PP really helped his numbers. That said, he’s shown major progression year by year and is trending in the right direction at both ends of the ice. He does play physical which is good because he needs to use his size even more in my opinion, some say he’s not hard hitting enough, some that he hits enough but the big hits are few and far between yet costly. He has a lot of upside and Timmins loves his American system players. It’s important to point out he ended up second in the USHL in defense scoring (First in PPG) with 44 points in 53 games.
35. The Carolina Hurricanes select Goaltender Zachary Fucale of the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL.
Fucale is the top rated goalie in the draft. He’s played two straight years as the starter of the Mooseheads, one as an underrated hero, the other as an overrated piggy backer. I really hate the hate on Fucale for the presence of the star studded offense that Halifax had…how the heck does that help him other than wins? He had Abeltshauser as his top defender, and the big man still has problems with his game, after him it’s a lot of nobodies. He had a very good season, an excellent playoffs and a track meet of a Memorial Cup where he eventually pulled it through despite the porous defense. I can go on about his strengths, but I’m not very good at predicting goalies, though not very many appear to be either. The Hurricanes really don’t have much in the pipeline after losing Andersen (I know they have long shots Olson and Altshuller), so I think that if Fucale was there at 35, he would be somebody the Canes would love to have.
36. The Montréal Canadiens select Left Winger Jacob de la Rose of Leksand in the Allsvenskan.
De La Rose has been a bit of a faller because people wonder over his eventual offensive upside (I’ve been writing that a lot it seems). The 6’2 power forward is a great defensive forward and a prime penalty killer who has shown he can perform in a variety of roles. He has excellent skating ability and gives his all every shift. Like I mentioned with Poirier, De La Rose is the kind of player I think the Habs are looking to grab; he’s bigger and plays big. He’s shown that he can be a physical demon like when he captained the U18 Swedish team and threw hit after hit…and knee on knee hit…but the important thing to note is that he was also given a chance on the U20 team because of his defensive game and physicality. His low minutes of time on the ice in the Allsvenskan might make him fall like Collberg last draft who fell to the selfsame Canadiens.
37. The Edmonton Oilers select Goaltender Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL.
I’m sorry Oilers fans, but Katz seems to need his Oil Kings player, and this year they will at least get a potential good one. Jarry was not the starter for the Oil Kings, but was dominant in his part time play and will be the starter going into next season when Brossoit moves into the AHL. One thing about Jarry is that he is quick, just fast and…another word for fast. Not much else to say other than I think the Oilers unless MacT smacks them will take the best Oil King they can with their second, and Jarry does have some high upside. Bunz/Roy and so on are not the highest of goalie prospect, but they are decent, yet one can never have too many right?
38. The Buffalo Sabres select Defenseman Chris Bigras of the Owen Sounds Attack in the OHL.
Bigras has shown very strong defensive play and has shown the ability to play in tough situations. The interesting thing is that his offensive upside is still untapped. He’s shown it…the decent wrist shot, the solid passes, times on the PP and random showings of great instincts…there is something there…and if it isn’t well…he’s defensively responsible and has the size to back it up (6’0 186). You have to hope he can be grittier with the size. Overall he’s a solid candidate as a two-way defenseman down the road and Buffalo doesn’t really have a need other than “good player.”
39. The New Jersey Devils select Left Winger Morgan Klimchuk of the Regina Pats in the WHL.
The 5’11 winger had a solid year for the Pats scoring 36 goals, doubling his rookie output. He’s shown internationally that he can be a major offensive contributor, having great showings at the U17 tournament last year and the U18’s this year on the top line. He has quick hands and feet that make him effectively on the rush. He’s a hard working winger who has some nice scoring upside, something I think the Devils could use more of, especially with some of their aging parts. His passing is pretty underrated because most expect his shot, so it’s not hard to see why his excellent play on the PP is standing out, he can do it all in the scoring areas. He really needs to strengthen up though, because he’s very slim.
40. The Dallas Stars select Right Winger Artturi Lehkonen of KalPa in the SM-liiga.
Lehkonen had a fantastic year and one worthy of a first round selection in my mind. He was the top scoring Finn in the U18’s this year, as well as having a solid showing in the U20’s where he scored 3 goals in 7 games, added to this was his crazy 7 goal tournament last year at the U18’s and you have a player who has proven he’s an offensive threat internationally. He had a very strong season domestically as well for KalPa, finishing with 14 goals and 30 points. The issue with Lehkonen is that he is small and physically weak, he’s only 5’10 152lbs and is muscled off the puck on the boards…he needs time to bulk up if he ever wants to play the North American game. He can get away from a lot of that on the bigger ice, not so on the smaller. He won the SM-liiga rookie of the year finding himself in good company with winners like Teuvo Teräväinen, Teemu Pulkkinen and Mikael Granlund. He has elite hockey sense and a host of scoring and playmaking skills to go along with great speed. As mentioned before, Dallas doesn’t have any needs in particular, so taking the best player they can is essential before the drop of talent around 60.
41. The Philadelphia Flyers select Centre Nicolas Petan of the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL.
Hard to believe that the CHL top scorer could fall into the second round, let alone to 41, yet that is the way of small players and the NHL draft sadly, especially when you play on a stacked powerhouse team. Petan did more than triple his numbers from his rookie year adding 46 goals and 120 points playing on the CHL’s top scoring line. The 5’8 centre brings great offensive instincts, but more importantly excellent work ethic. You might remember that it was he and Rattie who almost singlehandedly pulled off the comeback for Portland in the Memorial Cup finals starting with Petan’s shorthanded goal. He’s been lights out all year and was one of the most impressive players during the season, playoffs and Mem Cup, showing consistent production. He can make high level plays with the puck, be it in terms of controlling it, outmaneuvering opponents, or making top-end passes. He is a very creative, instinctive offensive player, showing a knack for turning normal plays into scoring chances. The Flyers need every prospect they can get, and despite his size, you can’t go wrong with somebody with his impressive resume and very solid defensive game for a smaller centre.
Thanks for reading.
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