The second annual Hockey Buzz Mock Draft is underway, Jack Hughes went first to New Jersey, Kappo Kakko to the Rangers and Bowen Byram to Chicago. At first, Colorado's selection looked to be in but the Avalanche dealt that pick, as you will see below, with the acquiring team's choice below as well. The Kings are on the clock, presuming the deal goes through following the vote.
Overall Rules and Process:
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 serious 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 is working: each evening (for now, one pick per day, but we will go to two when we get to second half of the mock draft and possibly even before that, so that we complete on time) the team’s selector emails me their pick and rationale for that selection to [email protected]. 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 am posting that pick and rationale on the site and create a voting poll. For now, we are using 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.
The 4th overall pick was traded from Colorado to Buffalo with the Sabres selecting Alex Turcotte
The trade:
To Buffalo
4OA
J.T. Compher
*Rights to Brassard (*conditional 2020 2nd if he does not resign)
To Colorado
7OA
30/31OA
Alexander Nylander
Rationale for the trade:
As Sabres GM, Paul reached out to the other GMs in the 3 – 6 spots to try to move up to select Alex Turcotte. He felt that he would be selected in either the 3 or 4 spot. Luke (optimus-reim) and Paul exchanged several proposals over the weekend and finally decided this deal made the most sense for both teams.
Luke wanted flexibility to maneuver around the draft board to find the best value for the Avs with multiple selections.
Paul was very much focused on landing “our guy” in Turcotte, but backstopped that with trying to find a way to land Cozens a pick or two later.
After several changes to the proposed Trade, we settled on the above.
In the end, both GM got what they wanted for their respective teams.
- Sabres consolidated picks to move up 3 spots…the combined value of those two picks was a 15% over-payment (according to Schucters Draft Value Chart). That premium was offset by the Compher / Nylander exchange. Nylander is now considered NHL-ready after being improperly rushed in his development by being sent to the AHL at a way-too-young-age of 18. Compher was originally picked by the Sabres in the 2013 Draft.
- Avalanche achieved their immediate goal of Flexibility and are armed with three (3) 1st round picks to maximum that flexibility in finding their sweet spot in more prospects in a loaded draft through the 1st round. With Nylander, the Avs potentially could add four 1st round or former 1st round picks to their thin prospect pool.
Rationale for the selection:
With the 4th Overall selection in the 2019 Hockey Buzz Mock Draft, the Buffalo Sabres make the following pick after trading-up with the Avalanche:
Alex Turcotte, Center, US National Development Team.
When selected by Jan to represent the Sabres, I decided to make this a more collaborative effort with the many posters on Michael Pachla’s blog on HB. Through a Survey with nearly 40 posters, we identified:
I) Sabre’s three (3) biggest needs in terms of position
o 1st was Center, 2nd was Right Wing, 3rd was Right Defense
II) Internal Ranking of Top 10 Prospects
o 1st Tier = Hughes& Kakko, 2nd Tier = Turcotte and Byram, 3rd Tier was close between Cozens, Dach, Caufield and Zegras
III) Desired Player Attributes
o Top 3 were, 1st = Sniper/Shoot 1st, 2nd = Strong 200’ Game, 3rd = Skating
The challenge was how to intersect the results of those 3. We determined the best alignment would be at the loaded Center position. Turcotte immediately jumped out as he most closely matched the:
-Roster Needs,
-Attributes desired in the Prospect
-Proper Value for the draft pick.
Next was Cozens. If those were gone, we were prepared to take one of Zegras or Dach at Center, Caufield at RW.
Now the Challenge became how to move up into 3 or 4 to snag Turcotte as I felt that is where he would go.
With this pick, we felt good as there exists a plethora historical data analysis which reveals the best value in the NHL Draft resides in the top tier of draft selections (Selections 1 -> 3 or 4). We felt Turcotte is in the argument for the 3rd best prospect and could end up being in the discussion for best overall player from this draft years down the road. We are looking forward to him anchoring a Center position which now includes Jack Eichel, Casey Mittlestadt and also JT Compher. I believe in being strongest down the middle will yield the best team results
Los Angeles is on the clock and selecting for the Avalanche will be TJ Reilly.
2019 NHL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND ORDER and GMs to Date
1. New Jersey Devils - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett - Jack Hughes
2. New York Rangers - Jan Levine, Kappo Kakko
3. Chicago Blackhawks - kevin6, Kevin Braeunle, Bowen Byram
4. Colorado Avalanche (from Ottawa Senators) - optimus-reim, Luke Herrington, trafded pick to Buffalo, who selects Alex Turcotte
5. Los Angeles Kings - slimtj, TJ Reilly
6. Detroit Red Wings - Feds91Stammer
7. Buffalo Sabres - lonsabres, Paul Schott, traded to Colorado
8. Edmonton Oilers - Reveen, Curtis Lavoie
9. Anaheim Ducks - climbdenali12, Ryan Armstrong
10. Vancouver Canucks - Carol Schram, Canucks blogger on the site
11. Philadelphia Flyers - Flyerfan328, Philip Brunner and Streit2ThePoint, Ryan Snyder
12. Minnesota Wild - MaximumBone, Silas Bengtsson (or Colorado or Edmonton)
13. Florida Panthers - jimbo, Jimmy Reilly
14. Arizona Coyotes - jediman, Brendan Smith, and if he is unsable to draft, then phantom19, Norm Braeunle
15. Montreal Canadiens - Karine Hains, Canadiens blogger on the website
16. Colorado Avalanche - optimus-reim, Luke Herrington
17. Vegas Golden Knights - Jeff Paul, Vegas blogger for Hockey Buzz
18. Dallas Stars - Panarin27, Mark Choate
19. Ottawa Senators (from Columbus Blue Jackets) - Trevor Shackles, Ottawa blogger on the site
20. New York Rangers (from Winnipeg Jets) - Jan Levine
21. Pittsburgh Penguins - Datools55, Julien Michel
22. Los Angeles Kings (from Toronto Maple Leafs) - slimtj, TJ Reilly
23. New York Islanders - eichiefs9
24. Nashville Predators - Russ Cohen, sportsology
25. Washington Capitals - nyrangers9479
26. Calgary Flames - beandip, Andrew Horenbein
27. Tampa Bay Lightning - Panarin27, Mark Choate
28. Carolina Hurricanes - Bingo, Chris Cote
29. Buffalo Sabres [or Anaheim Ducks] (from San Jose Sharks) - lonsabres, Paul Schott
St. Louis’ pick is owner by Buffalo, pick to be made by lonsabres, Paul Schott
Boston to be covered by Anthony Travalgia, HB Bruins blogger
30. Stanley Cup Final losing team
31. Stanley Cup winner
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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