The third mock Hockey Buzz mock draft driven by the readers and a few special guests is underway. I did not go off the board with the Rangers pick, selecting Alexis Lafreniere first overall. Kooleus is on the board for LA's pick with spatso on deck for Ottawa's selection. 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. All teams are not spoken for, meaning we have a full complement of General Managers. 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.
I have projected out times and dates for each of the picks, leading up to the actual first round on October 6. Incorporated within are the Jewish Holidays that start Friday night Sept 18 through Sunday night Sept. 20., Sunday night Sept 27 to Monday night Sept 28 and then Friday, October 2 through Sunday night Oct 4. For those dates, no picks will be made, resulting in two picks per day on the other dates, enabling us to finish just before the draft.
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: 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 1st Overall Pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Rangers, represented by me, select Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski (QMJHL)
Rationale for the selection with scouting report along with alternatives considered (both players and trades):
New York gets to further accelerate the rebuild/retool with the drafting of another gamebreaker. Lafreniere is the top player in the draft. You could argue that the team needs a center more than a wing, why Quinton Byfield's name has been mentioned with this pick. But at the end of the day, you take the best player on the board, especially if he has the potential to be an All-Star winger in the near future. Lafreniere also brings an edge to his game, which also sets him apart from others. He is willing, ready and able to do the dirty work in front and not above playing on the edge, which should endear him to the Rangers' fanbase, especially when they can be inside the building. This pick is pretty much a no-brainer for Jeff Gorton and the Blueshirts. To further evidence this, below are scouting reports from Recruites and The Draft Analyst.
Recruites:
Any time you can draft a player who is arguably both the most talented and the safest pick in a draft, you are rushing to the stage with your sweater and a wide grin. “No doubt about him being the top prospect,” said one scout who won’t be in a position to draft the Rimouski winger. “He's physical, he has speed, the hands, competitive...and he has the poise,” said one eastern conference NHL scout. He's a good guy in the room, he has a lot of enthusiasm, he brings a lot of energy every day. I want this guy on my team.” He’s not getting him. Three years of dominance in the QMJHL has convinced scouts that he will be playing in the NHL next season, and contributing. “I don’t see how he can’t step into your top six; weak team or strong team,” noted one scout. “There are no weaknesses in his game. He is just so smart, both offensively and defensively. He’s no Prima Donna, he is highly coachable and grounded. The NHL coach that gets to work with him will love him from Day 1.”
Lafreniere truly cemented his number one status at the world juniors, leading Canada to a gold medal while averaging two-points-per game, the first player to do so since the Jesse Puljujarvi Show in 2016; joining Puljujarvi as only the second draft eligible player to win the MVP award. “He was Canada’s best player,” said one scout. “How often can you say that about a draft-eligible Canadian? Usually, they are spare pieces; well, you know what? Canada doesn’t win if they don’t have Lafreniere. The club looked ordinary when he was out of the lineup with the knee injury. He was a difference maker.” Dominance in the U-18s as an underager, dominance in the QMJHL for three seasons, dominance at the world junior level. Next up - NHL. Buckle up...NHL defencemen
The Draft Analyst
Scouting Report: The crown jewel of the 2020 draft class, Lafreniere delivered a season for the ages of any major junior player, let alone one who is only 18 years old. After dominating the under-18 Ivan Hlinka and winning the 2019 CHL Player of the Year Award, Lafreniere won the QMJHL scoring title and earned MVP honors at the U20 world junior championship (10 points in 5 games) in leading Canada to gold. Not only is he a virtual lock to become the first French-Canadian skater to go first overall since Vincent Lecavalier in 1998, but he joined Sidney Crosby as the only two pre-draft prospects to win CHL MVP more than once. Lafreniere also is a team-first leader who has made a profound impact on Rimouski, turning them from a 59-point doormat in 2016-17 to back-to-back playoff seasons of 90+ points.
A gifted and versatile scoring winger with outstanding hockey sense and the ability to elevate his game when the situation calls for it, Lafreniere possesses many traits that scream elite and potential NHL superstar. From his deadly wrist shot to his superior playmaking and vision, the St. Eustache native checks every block imaginable when it comes to possessing the puck. What makes Lafreniere unique, however, is his insanely high compete level, tenacity on the puck, physicality, and selflessness. Play him on a line with equally heralded or accomplished prospects, and he’ll make it a point to tap into their strengths rather than make himself the center of attention.
Lafreniere is an excellent skater in all directions, but his powerful stride allows him to separate from opponents in open ice. It’s rare to see a winger nearing 200 pounds of any age to be able to turn on the jets immediately following a physical battle, but Lafreniere’s foot speed, long stride, and expert anticipation places him in open ice with a numbers advantage multiple times a period, let alone an entire game. Playing in a junior league has something to do with that, but there is no reason to believe his escapability in close contact won’t translate to success within the trenches of NHL warfare, where time and space are earned the hard way.
Lafreniere can tailor his game to fit any style of play, and his ability to play physical causes significant matchup problems for smaller opponents. Lafreniere can be used in every situation, and his ability to dominate the puck no matter the in-game environment creates swaths of open ice for his mates. Lafreniere is an incredibly unselfish player, and his youthful exuberance when coupled with his physicality reveal a player of the throwback variety. Lafreniere seems to understand and execute set-plays on or off the puck, and he can be counted on as a reliable and tenacious forechecker who creates turnovers in the neutral zone. Although the volume of high-end prospects being developed out of the QMJHL has slowed down, Lafreniere is at the very top of an elite crop of Quebec Leaguers poised to garner the attention of scouts from all over North American and Europe. The top slot among 2020 draft hopefuls was Lafreniere’s to lose for several years, and never once did he relinquish it.
Biggest Strength - Playmaking: Lafreniere’s vision and passing skills are at the forefront of his game.
Needs Improvement - Discipline: Lafreniere has a history for throwing dangerous elbows and dirty hits near the boards.
Bottom Line - Lafreniere was the best player in Canadian major junior in each of his two seasons prior to the draft and he will undoubtedly become an instant fan favorite for the team lucky enough to draft him. A future superstar.
2020 NHL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND ORDER AND GMs
1. New York Rangers - Jan Levine - Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski
2. Los Angeles Kings - Kooleus, Monday, Sept 14. pm
3. Ottawa Senators (via San Jose Sharks) - spatso, Walter Clare - Tuesday, Sept. 14 am
4. Detroit Red Wings - fed91stammer, Derek Fischer, Tuesday, Sept. 15, pm
5. Ottawa Senators - spatso, Walter Clare, Wednesday, Sept. 16 am
6. Anaheim Ducks - optimus-reim, Luke Herrington, Wednesday. Sept. 16 pm
7. New Jersey Devils - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett, Thursday, Sept 17 am
8. Buffalo Sabres - KilkennyDan, Dan Sovocol, Thursday. Sept. 17 pm
9. Minnesota Wild - dudestar, Nicholas Plazio, Friday. Sept. 18 am
10. Winnipeg Jets - Ross77, Darren Ross, Friday, Sept. 18 around 6pm, then a break
11. Nashville Predators - slimtj, TJ Reilly, Monday, Sept. 21 am
12. Florida Panthers - jimbo, Jimmy Reilly, Monday, Sept. 21 pm
13. Carolina Hurricanes (via Toronto Maple Leafs) - Bingo, Chris Cote, Tuesday, Sept. 22 am
14. Edmonton Oilers - maximumbone, Silas Bengtsson, Tuesday, Sept. 22 pm
15. Toronto Maple Leafs (via Pittsburgh Penguins) - Michael Augello, Leafs blogger on site, Wednesday, Sept. 23 am
16. Montreal Canadiens - Vivian Lapeirre, bi-lingual, Wednesday, Sept. 23 pm
17. Chicago Blackhawks - Theo Fox, Chicago blogger on site, Thursday, Sept. 24 am
18. New Jersey Devils (from Arizona) - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett, Thursday, Sept. 24 pm
19. Calgary Flames - deddie, Dan Ethier, Friday, Sept. 25 am
20. New Jersey Devils (from Vancouver via Tampa Bay) - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett, Friday, Sept 25 pm
21. Columbus Blue Jackets, Thomas Townsend, Columbus blogger on site, Sunday, Sept. 27 am
22. New York Rangers (from Carolina) - Jan, Tuesday Sept. 29 am
23. Philadelphia Flyers - Flyersfan328, Phil Brunner, Tuesday Sept. 29 pm
24. Colorado Avalanche - climbdenali12, Ryan Armstrong, Wednesday, Sept. 30 am
25. Washington Capitals - winerydog, Wednesday, Sept. 30 pm
26. St. Louis Blues, jumbo, Jimmy Reilly, Thursday, Oct. 1 in am
27. Anaheim Ducks (from Boston) - optimus-reim, Luke Herrington, Thursday, Oct. 1 in pm
28-31. Pick order TBD - picks will be Friday, Oct. 2 in am, Friday, Oct 2 around 5 pm, - Monday Oct 5 in am and Monday, Oct 5 inpm
Dallas (Russ Cohen, sportsology)
Vegas (JRR1285, Josh Ruiz)
Ottawa (acquired from New York Islanders in JG Pageau deal - spatso)
San Jose (acquired from Tampa Bay in Barclay Goodrow deal (Jeremy Barber, user id: barberjw, email: barbjw26@gmail) -
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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