I'm doing this third round pretty quickly and with a more laissez-faire attitude, so it will be finished by Saturday. The purpose past the first round has been pretty much to talk about some of the lesser known players that people might not have heard of, it's not really about getting every pick right.
62. The Phoenix Coyotes select Right Winger Ross Olsson of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL.
The 6’4 power forward plays a physical game and is extremely hard to handle on the boards. His skating is ok; good speed when he gets up to speed but is a slow starter. He has an extremely hard shot, but isn’t accurate yet, so it’s very much a raw skill. He has the makings of a 3rd liner…likely 4th…but the raw ability is there for an outside chance at something more. He was fairly cold for the Lincoln Stars before they traded him, where he improved drastically by all accounts. Seems like a Coyote kind of pick/ He’s expected to play at Northeastern University next year.
63. The Colorado Avalanche select Defenseman Jan Kostalek of the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL.
Kostalek had a quality rookie campaign in his first taste of the North American game. He showed that his reputation for being able to log heavy minutes and play a shutdown role is well deserved. He’s a very smart, safe and reliable defenseman; though don’t expect a lot of points. He has some ok puck moving skills (really good stick work), but he’s likely never going to be confused with a PP specialist. The Avalanche have a lot of puck moving offensive defenders in their system, so adding a player like Kostalek would be a logical move. He’s got very good positioning.
64. The Nashville Predators select Centre Lucas Wallmark of Karlskrona in the Allsvenskan.
Wallmark had an excellent year being one of the most productive draft eligibles in the SuperElit which got him a loan to the Allsvenskan where he put up an impressive 10 points in 16 games while adding 5 assists in 7 games in the playoffs. He centred the Swedish top-line in the U18’s and has shown that he has excellent offensive instincts and a great commitment to the two-way game. His major issue is that he is 5’10 and also has below-average speed, which is always a major obstacle for smaller players and something that works very well on the bigger ice, but doesn’t translate as easily to the NHL. I think he could and should go before 64 if everything was fair, but small slow skaters fall a lot despite numbers and skill.
65. The New York Rangers select Left Winger Peter Cehlárik of Luleå in the Elitserien.
Cehlárik dominated the SuperElit in Sweden before getting a call-up to the Elitserien to play for Luleå where in 8 games he was fantastic posting 3 goals and 6 points and a +8. Despite playing only 8 games he was awarded the Most Points by an U18 junior in the Elitserien. The 6’2 Czech native is an August born player so is very young in terms of this draft. He’s got some great passing ability and a strong wrister off the rush. He skates very well and has nice quick turns. There is a little bit more hype surrounding him after his performance at the U18’s where he tied for the lead in points for the Czech’s with 7 and added 2 goals. Big upside.
66. The Carolina Hurricanes select Defenseman Eric Roy of the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL.
Roy’s fall has a lot to do with his defensive game not taking the step forward it needed to. Roy was a disgusting -32 which was one of the worst in the WHL and while +/- rarely tells the whole story, his lapses in concentration, brain farts and mind boggling pinches are causes for concern. What isn’t a concern is his dynamic shot. He tied for 5th in the league with 17 goals of which 7 came on the PP. He plays the role of the big shooter and combined with Pulock on the PP, they were dynamic. The issue is simple though, he’s not that creative and he’s not that reliable in his own zone despite having great size at 6’3. The plus side is that he works hard and tries his best, even if it can be futile. Teams will look at that massive shot and willingness to throw the puck on net, look at the 6’3 frame, look at his hard work and the willingness to play the body and they’ll think…can we turn this project player into a Cody Franson…and how long will it take? He’s got high potential and if he figures it out would be great value. At this stage in the draft, he’s one the better defenseman still available.
67. The Calgary Flames select Left Winger Taylor Cammarata of the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL.
Cammarata led the USHL in goals and points with 38g 93p. Cammarata is a highly skilled, highly competitive scorer who is bursting with offensive prowess and is willing to do whatever it takes to make plays and get the goals. Cammarata is 5’7 154lb which is the reason why a player so skilled is not considered a lock for the top-10. I think the Flames showed that they are willing to gamble on players who might be lacking in size, but are high on skill by selecting players like Markus Granlund and Johnny Gaudreau. USHL Rookie of the Year, USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year, USHL Forward of the Year and USHL Player of the Year highlight the list of accomplishments he’s attained already. High risk, high reward.
68. The Dallas Stars select Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL.
Despite having Campbell in the system, his development hasn’t been as strong as most hoped and expected from the former 11th overall pick. In his rookie campaign in the QMJHL Desrosiers stole the starting job at Rimouski after being named the Best Goalie Prospect in the QMAAA. The 6’1 goalie has decent size, though like many of the high quality goalies in this draft he lacks that 6’3+ frame most teams prefer to draft these days. He’s very athletic with extremely quick feet and side to side movement, he’s described by most as being extremely calm in his net and not extremely daring (playing on the outside of the paint). From my limited viewing of him at the U18’s he looked great positionally and outside of some rough rebound control he was superb. Going along with that theme of U18’s he led the Canadians to Gold taking it away from the Americans for the first time in 4 years with a dominating 0.80 GAA and a .970sv%. He was solid in the playoffs for Rimouski despite their 6 game ousting by Gatineau which involved a few stinkers, essentially if he wasn’t playing great they were losing big. One thing he has going for him is that he’s very young for this draft being an August born player which means he has some more leeway in his development. A lot of people think he’s a goalie that will need 5 years or so of development…and that’s just fine.
69. The Buffalo Sabres select Centre Bogdan Yakimov of Reaktor Nizhnekamsk of the MHL.
Yakimov is gaining more traction after his impressive combine where the 6’4 215lb man-child showed that he is one of the strongest in terms of pure brute strength in this draft. He had an up and down year as he travelled from the MHL to the VHL then got loaned out to another VHL squad, yet despite all the moves continued to play pretty well. Yakimov is considered by most to be the fourth best player coming out of the Russian system this year (Nichushkin, Buchnevich and Dano ahead); his raw potential is very high. As mentioned Yakimov is massive and extremely hard to play against when he is on. He’s got surprisingly quick movements in tight areas which makes him dominate players on the walls during the forecheck and cycle. Defensively he’s fairly reliable and can play a safe game; I do wish he’d start to block shots instead of chicken winging though. On the face-offs it’s a mixed bag, he was excellent in the MHL against players his own age and at the U18’s last year, but in the VHL against men he was usually closer to 40%...something that will improve with time no doubt. The interesting thing is that he will likely end up as a 3rd line centre with some offensive upside. I think I have the Sabres taking 4 Russians…that honestly wasn’t planned, whoops.
70. The Minnesota Wild select Right Winger Tyler Hill of the Chicago Steel of the USHL.
At 6’6 225lbs it’s safe to say that size is the main selling point on Tyler Hill. He’s a hard, huge hitter and looking down the road at his development, he’ll likely be 250 at 23…nasty. He has a strong shot but it’s not his selling point. The main problem for Hill is that his skating is pretty poor. He takes a long time getting up to speed and that has hurt his backchecking and ability to get into the play, so he makes up for it by carrying the puck himself, which in itself causes a few issues since he’s not exactly a bag of skill. He’s a very long term project of a player, but there is hope at getting an NHL player out of him. What is truly interesting is where he will play next season as he has not signed on with any NCAA College/University and the Ottawa 67’s hold his CHL rights.
71. The Montréal Canadiens select Defenseman Jordan Subban of the Belleville Bulls of the OHL.
If his last name wasn’t Subban he would probably fall farther in the draft, but it is, so here we go. The 5’9 offensive defenseman is a high-risk taker with dynamic skating and a flair for the creative. He’s shown he can make unbelievable plays, as well as catastrophic errors. Elite puck moving and PP control are what you can expect from Subban, but poor positional decisions and just a general lack of size in a position that only the rarest of talents can succeed at the same size will harm his potential as an NHL defenseman. You know what you’re getting in Subban in one zone, it’s up to him to develop and find out what to do in the other.
72. The Philadelphia Flyers select Defenseman Brett Pesce of the University of New Hampshire in the NCAA.
Pesce is the top-ranked NCAA player in this year’s draft in what is a pretty weak showing from the NCAA than from years past…coincidentally one of the stronger USHL years. The 6’3 defender showed some good signs at becoming a shutdown defenseman and played that role for New Hampshire despite being a freshman 18 year old. Solid skating, good positioning and aggressive physical coverage are the strong facets of his game. He’s not flashy and he’s not going to wow anybody, but he’s solid and could end up being a very good defensive defender. The Flyers need is on defense.
73. The Phoenix Coyotes select Right Winger Zach Nastasiuk of the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL.
Nastasiuk is the typical Coyote kind of player. He’s an extremely hard worker who is a hound on the forecheck and backcheck who excels as a penalty kill specialist. At 6’1 he has good size and likes to use it. His skating is below-average however and that is the major knock on him, that and his potential offensive upside. A strong playoff performance (4g 11p in 12 games) and an impressive U18’s where he was the top-PKer and added 4 points in 7 games; will likely see him go higher than 73, but his potential in the NHL is rather limited to a 3rd/4th liner that can give you solid PK time. Safe pick and somebody that screams Tippett style hockey.
74. The Winnipeg Jets select Left Winger Tyler Motte of the USNTDP Juniors of the USHL.
Motte is an extremely quick one shot scorer with a great release. He’s a top penalty killer and pressures people with his speed forcing turnovers. At 5’10 he has a long hill to climb to make the NHL, however he did have a very good U18 tournament potting 5 goals in 7 games and showed his one shot scoring at the USHL level (11 in 26 games). The two-way ability and his shot are what will get him drafted; his height will see him fall. He’ll suit up for the University of Michigan next season.
75. The New York Rangers select Right Winger Sven Andrighetto of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL.
This is the first overager I have in the draft as Andrighetto went undrafted the past two years. The 20 year old has to believe this is his time after yet another great season in the Q and internationally. He’s a high-end skater with a host of creative skills when in the offensive zone. Playmaking or sniping are things he does with ease. He finished fourth in PPG in the Q and was the only non-Moosehead in the top-5 for scoring in the playoffs (highest PPG in the playoffs). He led the Swiss in goals and points in the U20’s with 5g 8p in 6 games showing his creativity. His offensive skills are excellent and he has high potential as a top-six scorer. The downside is that he is 5’10 and at times will avoid contact.
Thanks for reading. 76-91 and the end of this series up next.
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