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Pronman:
If the calendar says it’s June, that means it is officially mock draft season.
I have already compiled my ranking of the draft-eligible players with profiles of all the prospects. Now, this is a look at what I think will happen on draft day.
New Jersey: Jack Hughes, C, USNTDP-USHL
Despite a very strong late push from Kaapo Kakko at worlds, all indications are the Devils’ preference is Hughes at this stage – even if the decision is a little tougher than it would have been a month ago.
New York Rangers: Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS-Liiga
The Rangers haven’t really hidden their cards on this front. It’s expected they will take whomever of Hughes or Kakko is available at No. 2. I haven’t heard any mentions or rumblings otherwise.
Chicago: Alex Turcotte, C, USNTDP-USHL
I’ve heard a myriad of names for Chicago, between Turcotte, Bowen Byram, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach and Trevor Zegras. Enough people seem reasonably confident that Turcotte will be the pick that I’m slotting him here, but it is not close to a consensus among sources.
Colorado: Bowen Byram, D, Vancouver-WHL
I’ve heard Colorado’s preference is to get a forward/center so they would love to get Turcotte. With that said, if Turcotte goes at No. 3, more hockey people than not think the Avalanche will take Byram as the best player available rather than go after Zegras or Dach, who are the other names rumored to be of interest to Colorado.
Los Angeles: Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon-WHL
The names I’ve heard with the Kings are the two Western centers Dach and Dylan Cozens. I don’t think it’s a lock that Dach gets to No. 5, but there’s been very strong interest in him all season from NHL folks despite his just fine numbers because of his elite toolkit. I think if Byram doesn’t go in the top four, he lands here (sorry, Detroit fans).
Detroit: Trevor Zegras, C, USNTDP-USHL
I’ve heard Zegras, Dach and Vasili Podkolzin rumored to Detroit. It makes sense given Steve Yzerman’s preference for drafting skill, as well as how little hesitance he shows for drafting Russians. There was skepticism talking to sources at the combine about Zegras being Detroit’s pick, but enough people have pegged him there that I’ll go with that one.
Buffalo: Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge-WHL
I could see Buffalo go with Caufield or Matthew Boldy here, but Cozens is a more well-rounded player than both and would make Buffalo feel more comfortable than picking an average skater in Boldy or the 5-foot-7 player in Caufield. Cozens could play center or winger to fit multiple ways into the Sabres’ growing stockpile of young forwards.
Edmonton: Philip Broberg, D, AIK-Allsvenskan
The sense in the industry is the Oilers want immediate help, whether with the No. 8 pick or using the pick to get something. I think that rules out Podkolzin. And while Caufield seems like a player that could help the Oilers, teams are worried that, if he doesn’t truly hit, you might be waiting for him to develop for a while. Broberg will need a year or two, but he has the physical tools to move quickly to the NHL and makes sense on talent. Cozens is a possibility here, too, for that reason.
Anaheim: Peyton Krebs, C, Winnipeg-WHL
Anaheim’s been a tough team to pin down. I could see Krebs, Alex Newhook or Broberg as the pick here. I haven’t gotten the sense the Ducks are in on Caufield. The organization could use another top-level center prospect to accompany Sam Steel, and Krebs fits that bill.
Vancouver: Cole Caufield, RW, USNTDP-USHL
If the draft plays out this way, I could see Broberg or Caufield as the pick for the Canucks. The Canucks would likely prefer to get the top defenseman, even if they just picked Quinn Hughes a year ago, but it would be hard to pass on 72 goal scorer Caufield and the ability to line him up next to a guy like Elias Pettersson.
Philadelphia: Matthew Boldy, LW, USNTDP-USHL
I think Philly would love for Broberg to get to them to add a true top-tier defenseman to its farm system. If the draft plays out like this, though, it would be hard for them to pass on the elite skill Boldy has at No. 11. After the Kirill Kaprizov saga in Minnesota, I don’t know if I can see the Chuck Fletcher regime picking a player signed by SKA in Podkolzin.
Minnesota: Arthur Kaliyev, RW, Hamilton-OHL
Minnesota’s organization is in desperate need of a player who can score, and Kaliyev hit 50 this season. I could see Podkolzin as a player the Wild would like stylisically, but the aforementioned Kaprizov saga may test the fanbase if that was the case.
Florida: Moritz Seider, D, Mannheim-DEL
Seider moved very quickly in the past month or two, and I think he’ll go top 15 following his World Championship showing. Florida also would want to pick a defenseman to add to a very forward-heavy farm system.
Arizona: Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA-VHL
This is probably toward the lowest range of where I think Podkolzin gets, I could see him anywhere from No. 6 to 14, but I don’t think Arizona would pass up a chance to add a dynamic player like him.
Montreal: Cam York, D, USNTDP-USHL
It’s been mildly expected all season that Montreal would be interested in adding a true top defense prospect if the player fit on talent. I’ve heard the Habs rumored on Ville Heinola and Victor Soderstrom for example. York had an awesome season and end to his season, and would instantly provide high-end puck-moving ability to their organization.
Colorado: Spencer Knight, G, USNTDP-USHL
Colorado, as a team with two first-round picks, seems like a prime candidate to go after Knight since it lacks a goalie of the future in the pipeline. If they get Byram at No. 4 there may be a temptation to add a potential top-six forward, though, in a guy like Newhook, Ryan Suzuki or Philip Tomasino.
Vegas: Alex Newhook, C, Victoria-BCHL
It would have been tempting to slot Ryan Suzuki to Vegas, giving them the pleasure of drafting both brothers. But Newhook seems to have risen ahead of Suzuki, and provides some of the same dynamic playmaking and IQ Vegas values with a more well-rounded game.
Dallas: Victor Soderstrom, D, Brynas-SHL
Dallas would like to add a defenseman in this draft if the fit is there, and I’ve heard them rumored to be high on guys like Soderstrom and York. Dallas has done well finding defenseman outside the first round, but its system could really use a player like Soderstrom.
Ottawa: Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie-OHL
The center depth in Ottawa is not terrible but not the best, and while the Senators have Logan Brown, Suzuki would instantly increase the amount of skill they have at the position significantly. I think this would be Newhook’s floor, as well.
New York Rangers: Philip Tomasino, C, Niagara-OHL
The Rangers have had a lot of picks lately so the only true pressing “need” is a top-flight defense prospect, but none will be left at this stage. Tomasino is the best player available and would instantly provide a ton of speed and skill to their system. I think they would like Suzuki, as well.
Pittsburgh: Raphael Lavoie, RW, Halifax-QMJHL
The Penguins’ system needs everything, and with a rare first-round pick, they have a chance to add legit NHL talent to their pipeline. Lavoie would add a combination of size, skill and skating they haven’t had in a long time. I could see this as a spot for Thomas Harley, too.
Los Angeles: Thomas Harley, D, Mississauga-OHL
If the Kings get a center at pick No. 5, that would make all five of their first and second-round picks in the past three years centers. That creates a bit of an imbalance in the system and on the big team. Harley is a very good player to get at No. 22 based on talent, and I could see him as a fit for the Kings in terms of what they value.
New York Islanders: Bobby Brink, RW, Sioux City-USHL
The Islanders are never ones to shy away from swinging at skill, and Brink is full of it. He’s a longer-term bet due to needing to clean up his skating, but he, Nils Hoglander or Nicholas Robertson would add a dynamic scoring element that they covet. I think they’d prefer to beef up their center depth, but the draft gets very thin at center at this point of the first round.
Nashville: Nils Hoglander, LW, Rogle-SHL
The Predators’ system is light at the moment and could really use high-end skill, which Hoglander provides in bunches. Ideally, they’d like a top center prospect, but as mentioned before, there’s not many left at this point unless you start discussing low upside types like John Beecher.
Washington: Nicholas Robertson, LW, Peterborough-OHL
The Caps have gone heavy on defensemen and goalies at the draft of late and could really use some scoring in their system. Robertson, Hoglander or Brink around this slot would make a ton of sense.
Calgary: Jakob Pelletier, LW, Moncton-QMJHL
While the Flames used their 2018 draft to pick all forwards, their system could still use a bit more scoring depth, and Pelletier nearly scored 40 this season. I could see Egor Afanasyev as a pick here too.
Tampa Bay: Lassi Thomson, D, Kelowna-WHL
The Bolts haven’t used a high pick on a true puck-moving defenseman in quite a few years. I could see Thomson, Ryan Johnson or Heinola fitting the bill. Thomson would provide a lot of what they value in terms of skating, skill and hockey sense.
Carolina: Patrik Puistola, LW, Taapara-Liiga
Tom Dundon announced to the world the Canes are going forward and I don’t expect he’s a man who is saying that to play three-dimensional chess. If the Canes want skill, Puistola is the most skilled player left at this point.
Anaheim: Ryan Johnson, D, Sioux Falls-USHL
Johnson really came on in the last month or so of the season, and some NHL folks think this is a low slotting for him in the first round. The Ducks love mobile puck-moving defensemen, and Johnnson or Thomson would be a fit at this slot for an organization that’s lost a few of this type of player in recent years.
Buffalo: Ville Heinola, D, Luukko-Liiga
This is likely way too low a slotting for Heinola based on industry buzz, as he is seen as more of a consensus top 20 than top 30, but sometimes the draft plays out that way. The Sabres don’t have many defensemen in the system who play the way Heinola does with his high-end vision and ability to transition the offense.
Boston: Alex Vlasic, D, USNTDP-USHL
Boston typically likes players with high-end athletic tools, and Vlasic is that in bunches as a 6-foot-6 defenseman who is an off the charts good skater for a man his size and whose stock trended up in the second half of the season. |
