Sorry but I did try posting this in the last blog, just made a post lottery mock draft going up to pick 15. I apologize for the length of this post.
I would also like to point out and underline I have changed from a life long Toronto fan to the Senators. I love Dorions style of managing and I love the scouts and whole development program that the Sens put out.
I love drafts, prospects and trying to find players who will be stars without using a top 10 pick.
It’s as fascinating to me as the way the game of hockey is played.
- optimus-reim

2. Los Angeles Kings - Tim Stutzle
Turcotte, Kupari, Vilardi, JAD and Thomas make up an impressive young center core for the Kings. Stutzle is drafted as a winger but could easily slot over as a center if the Kings deemed it necessary. I see Kupari as a winger, and if Stutzle takes on the center role then I could see one of JAD or Thomas switching to wing.
Most, if not all, mock drafts have Byfield as the 2nd overall pick, however, Luc Robitaille and Rob Blake have shown a desire to go for speed, versatility, and skill.
I think the idea is that this leadership group shares the same sentiments as what brought LA two cups recently - defense, size and physicality, but I see them going for skill and speed here to which Stutzle shares an abundance of.

3. Ottawa Senators - Quinton Byfield
It's clear with the interviews that Dorion has had that he wants Stutzle with a passion. Unfortunately they are robbed of that opportunity and Dorion is forced to take Byfield. This all sounds bad and that's probably just my bias being floated through passively, however, Byfield is part of the same tier that Stutzle is in - potentially generational. He's big, skilled and fast, and with Brown, White, Norris and Pinto the Senators could hold a very deep center core.
Someone like Norris or even Pinto could be moved to wing and easily replace any top-9 injuries that will occur in the future. Going back to my bias, I honestly hope Byfield is taken by LA. Watching Dorion getting all giddy and bubbly talking about Germany, the German league, German prospects is probably the highlight of my corona virus "quarantine".

4. Detroit Red Wings - Cole Perfetti
I love this guy and I can't see Yzerman taking Drysdale here, I'll bet my unborn children on it. Perfetti is a beaut to watch and could really start a wave of change in Detroit. If Zegras and Point ever got together to make a hockey baby the end result would be Perfetti. A #1C who can create time and space to make jaw dropping passes and offensive plays. Might be on the smaller side but I believe he can hold his own given we are in 2020 now.

5. Ottawa Senators - Marco Rossi
Dorion plucks Rossi from the Ottawa 67's and runs away laughing.
Tkachuk-Byfield-Rossi would be an amazing first line for years to come.
Great draft for the Sens so far. Feisty guy who can create something from nothing, seriously watch his highlights. I don’t see him as a center but I could be wrong, either way the guy oozes superstar potential.

6. Anaheim Ducks - Jamie Drysdale
With a lingering need for an upgrade at defense the Ducks take advantage of Drydales "fall" to 6th. Smooth skating, PP quarterback and top pairing potential give Drysdale the reigns as the best defenseman going into the 2020 draft.
Losing Theodore and Montour hurt their long term depth on defense but Murray makes the right pick here considering the situation. A Lindholm-Drysdale pairing could mean a quicker return to the show for the Ducks.

7. New Jersey Devils - Lucas Raymond
Speaking of a fall, Raymond was a potentially a top-5 pick for a large portion of the year. Hischier or Hughes will be more than happy to have a sniper of Raymonds caliber available. I could see Sanderson being an option here mainly due to the Devils lack of defense depth and quality, however, BPA dictates that Raymond goes here. Good get.

8. Buffalo Sabres - Jack Quinn
A versatile two way forward with slick hands, great compete, consistency, hockey sense, and a wicked release is a huge welcome to the Buffalo Sabres. 52 goals in 62 games while playing without Rossi should raise eyebrows. Quinn could bury a lot of the apples that Eichel provides, however, could provide Eichel with a few extra apples himself.

9. Montreal Canadiens - Alexander Holtz
At this point I am going based on how the season ended statistically and the 16 playoff teams will not be included. The only difference being that Florida has won the 1st overall pick.
I don’t like the Habs but I do like this pick. Holtz is a competitor and will drive the net like a bull in a China shop. He seems more like a sniper/finisher at this point but he could easily slot into a finesse type with a finishing pedigree. I see him in Montreal’s top-nine as soon as the 2020-21 season.

10. Chicago Blackhawks - Jake Sanderson
After rebuilding the offense to a point where they trade Jokiharju for Nylander one might suspect that Chicago would go either goalie, defense or BPA. I don’t think Askarov will go this high but I also don’t know what I’ll be eating for dinner tomorrow so I’m just assuming here.
Sanderson could be a first pairing defenseman with great skating, excellent defense and what most scouts decipher as “untapped offensive potential”. Where that leads to nobody knows but he bleeds top-4 potential with upside to the top pairing. He was great in the NTDP program and showed strides in development. Finishes checks, reads the play, incredibly poised, hockey sense and a natural leader.
Great pick here.

11. New Jersey Devils - Braden Schneider
Back to back defensemen? With Zary, Mercer and Jarvis available?
Okay here is my logic; Schneider is not a defensive defenseman. In fact, if you watch his shot and positioning he is actually a very underrated offensive talent. He is big, he plays big and yes, he does finish his checks, but he’s also got offensive zone awareness.
I don’t think he has top pairing potential but I think he could slot into a top pairing role later on down the road. He has the two way ability to be a top-four defenseman. Reminds me of a tougher, more confident, albeit slower, version of Jake Gardiner.
The Devils might go for a position of need based on the fact that their defense is literally garbage, sorry P.K but not sorry.

12. Minnesota Wild - Hendrix Lapierre
My God can this guy play. He is smooth like butter on hot toast.
Everywhere I read about this guy says “if this” and “if that” but if this guy puts it together and the injuries don’t wreck him mentally? His potential seems to be untapped. Watch his highlights and you will be excited. First line winger with slick, slick hands, vision, hockey sense, high IQ and competes hard.

13. Winnipeg Jets - Anton Lundell
Lundell was a top-ten pick in most mock drafts and I would have to say that Chevy would be skipping all the way up to the podium to make this pick. The future replacement of Little with a “little” bit of Bergeron in his style. I’m not saying he will be Bergeron or anything like that but he is an extremely talented defensive specialist with “untapped offensive potential”. Could be a huge steal here, could also be a “safe pick” compared to the players left on the board.
I see him as a 1B/2A center with a mix of Couturier and Bergeron, offensive abilities unknown.

14. New York Rangers - Connor Zary
The second coming of Horvat? Apparently. A puck possession machine, consistent, patient beyond his years and competes in all three zones. Yes, he is a little bit older than his peers but honestly, factoring in the two-way abilities this guy could be everything that New York needs on the 3rd line and special teams. He’s the guy you want out on the ice when there’s two minutes left in a game whether you’re down a goal, up a goal or needing a goal.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets - Seth Jarvis
Incredible hockey player at his age. A lot of upside here depending on development.
Competes hard, high octane offensive player and has the tools to succeed in a top six role.
Again, how he develops and when he reaches the NHL are huge influences on where Jarvis could slot in. Could easily slot in on the first line in a few years for Columbus if all things go right.
- optimus-reim

I really hope Ottawa gets Stutzle over Byfield - even though if we are going for need it's Byfield! Byfield has huge upside and could play Malkin type hockey, which is why many people believe LA will take him

Having Jack Quinn in the top 10 makes a lot of sense. Jarvis is someone I would have in my top 10 or at least top 12

I have a feeling that Islanders pick is going to be higher than expected.
Quinn has really been trending lately so it's hard to say. If you watch the post-lottery video interview between Freidman and Dorion he says there are four tiers; Tier 1 - Lafrenier, Tier 2 - Byfield, Stutzle, Tier 3 - Picks 4-12, Tier 4 - 13-23, and that all the players in these slots will be "very good NHL players".
It's an impressive draft year and reminds me of 2003 mixed with 2015. The first two rounds are going to pump out a lot of high caliber NHL talent.

I also think that the Sabres will make drafting a forward - preference on wing, a high priority, and with that thought it's one of Holtz, Quinn, or if he falls - Raymond, going to be taken. I could see Raymond falling mainly due to his perimeter playing style, meanwhile Holtz and Qunn are more dirty area/clean up guys.
In theory he was seen as a top five pick along with Holtz, Perfetti, Byfield and Lafrenier years ago.


I still think landing Stutzle will grant Ottawa a Stanley Cup at some point. That kid wants to win. I'm excited to see where the Islanders pick ends up and which player we will be landing there. Excited to see where Dorion goes with the 5th as the 3rd will be batting clean up of the 2nd tier (Byfield/Stutzle). Rossi or Perfetti would be a huge win.

Full confidence in Dorion and the scouts.
Bring back the pesky Sens.
- SarthGnome

Great point ! I also see a deep desire for him to win

On paper, they have a team that can easily make the playoffs. Burns, Karlsson, Thornton maybe older but still brings tons of compete and impact. But then you look at the young stars Couture, Hertl, Meier -- even Kevin Labanc and Evanader Kane killed it the previous year.
- AlfieisKing

It was also a weak division. Or at best a division with a lot of question marks outside the big three.

I really hope Ottawa gets Stutzle over Byfield - even though if we are going for need it's Byfield! Byfield has huge upside and could play Malkin type hockey, which is why many people believe LA will take him

Having Jack Quinn in the top 10 makes a lot of sense. Jarvis is someone I would have in my top 10 or at least top 12
- AlfieisKing

Pretty confident LA takes Stutzle.

Byfield
Brown

is a one two punch that could be lethal.

Pretty confident LA takes Stutzle.

Byfield
Brown

is a one two punch that could be lethal.
- david22

I think it's more likely to be

byfield
Norris

package brown to move up in the draft

I don't believe for one second that they made a legitimate effort to re-sign stone.....not for ONE SECOND.
every move this team makes is about putting more money in Melnyk's pocket, and not about making this team better...….and nobody will ever be able to convince me otherwise
- sensarmy_11

This would be "Exhibit A" supporting my earlier point that some people are just one-dimensional about any issue regarding Melnyk. Regardless of what you believe, the majority of accounts suggested that Dorion was actively trying to re-sign Stone. Stone himself even suggested that it wasn't a matter of money, but rather not wanting to play for a team where his prime years would be during a lengthy rebuild.
https://twitter.com/TSN12.../1217519882021019651?s=20

I'd also add that the 2017/18 season was the most expensive year in team history in terms of payroll, and expectations were high after a Conference Finals run... and what happens? They absolutely $hit the bed, and finish with the 2nd worst record in the entire league. Whine all you want about the owner, but any owner who doesn't seriously re-evaluate their investment and team direction in that situation is a complete idiot.

I think it's more likely to be

byfield
Norris

package brown to move up in the draft
- sensarmy_11

I think you're right. I have more optimism in Norris than Brown.

I'm basing my post solely on the size of the players and if they can reach their ceilings (pun intended).

This would be "Exhibit A" supporting my earlier point that some people are just one-dimensional about any issue regarding Melnyk. Regardless of what you believe, the majority of accounts suggested that Dorion was actively trying to re-sign Stone. Stone himself even suggested that it wasn't a matter of money, but rather not wanting to play for a team where his prime years would be during a lengthy rebuild.
https://twitter.com/TSN12.../1217519882021019651?s=20

I'd also add that the 2017/18 season was the most expensive year in team history in terms of payroll, and expectations were high after a Conference Finals run... and what happens? They absolutely $hit the bed, and finish with the 2nd worst record in the entire league. Whine all you want about the owner, but any owner who doesn't seriously re-evaluate their investment and team direction in that situation is a complete idiot.
- khawk

what has Melnyk ever done to show that it isn't all about saving money and lining his own pockets?

as for Stone, had Ottawa really wanted to keep him, or could have afforded to keep him, then they would have. i'm sure they offered him a contract, i'm sure it was completely not competitive relative to what he was worth (taking signing bonus into consideration), so he walked. that fact that he also left because he wanted to win also points to Melnyk's unwillingness to spend.

letting karlsson go i'm fine with.....it was time for both parties to move on......letting a player like Stone go, who was right at the beginning of his prime, because he was unwilling to spend money to try and win, is COMPLETELY unforgivable. he said it himself, he left because Vegas was committed to winning, and Ottawa wasn't.....winning means spending money, and Melnyk is unwilling to do it.

letting karlsson go i'm fine with.....it was time for both parties to move on......letting a player like Stone go, who was right at the beginning of his prime, because he was unwilling to spend money to try and win, is COMPLETELY unforgivable. he said it himself, he left because Vegas was committed to winning, and Ottawa wasn't.....winning means spending money, and Melnyk is unwilling to do it.
- sensarmy_11

I realize that common ground here is unlikely, but those statements are in direct contradiction. Once Karlsson was gone, the team was officially in rebuild mode... so I don't see how you can be fine with that, if you're not fine with the larger consequence of that decision. Stone wasn't going to keep the team competitive by himself, so it really wasn't a matter of money at that point. Regardless of who your GM is, you can't just force a player to sign a long-term contract, and that's not necessarily the owner's fault.

I realize that common ground here is unlikely, but those statements are in direct contradiction. Once Karlsson was gone, the team was officially in rebuild mode... so I don't see how you can be fine with that, if you're not fine with the larger consequence of that decision. Stone wasn't going to keep the team competitive by himself, so it really wasn't a matter of money at that point. Regardless of who your GM is, you can't just force a player to sign a long-term contract, and that's not necessarily the owner's fault.
- khawk

if your goal is to rebuild, having a 26 year old superstar player, who fans love and would pay to see, to build around is a PERFECT place to start. Stone wouldn't have kept the team competitive, but he would have helped get them there faster, and still been in his prime when they got there. getting rid of him was absolutely about money, they couldn't afford to pay him a competitive contract (which means millions of dollars a year in bonuses) which is what it takes to sign an elite player right now. Had Ottawa offered him the same contract vegas did, and convinced him that they would spend to win when the time was right, I have no doubt he would have stayed. but stone isn't stupid, he knows Melnyk can't afford to ice a winning team, and he knows that Melnyk can't afford to pay him market value (despite only spending to the cap floor).

you can defend him all you want, but every move that he makes is about minimizing the amount of money that he has to spend on this team......even down to firing the anthem singer (who was paid) and bring in a bunch of rando's who do it for free.

if your goal is to rebuild, having a 26 year old superstar player, who fans love and would pay to see, to build around is a PERFECT place to start. Stone wouldn't have kept the team competitive, but he would have helped get them there faster, and still been in his prime when they got there.
- sensarmy_11

Agree to disagree, I guess... but there's no way that my "perfect" rebuild starts with a 26yo player who has openly stated that he doesn't want to be on a rebuilding team. I really don't blame Stone for wanting to be on a Cup-contender as he hits his prime, but it's questionable logic at best to assume that throwing a bit more money at him would have changed his decision, or that because he didn't sign it means the team didn't even try to retain him. I'm hardly a Melnyk apologist, but there's way too much of a biased lens in some of your statements for me to agree with. And personally, I think the team is vastly better off built around the likes of Chabot/Tkachuk and some of the emerging talent. If they want to add a "king-maker" veteran presence down the road, they'll have more than enough prospect ammunition to bring in a very impressive player when they're legitimately ready to contend.

if your goal is to rebuild, having a 26 year old superstar player, who fans love and would pay to see, to build around is a PERFECT place to start. Stone wouldn't have kept the team competitive, but he would have helped get them there faster, and still been in his prime when they got there. getting rid of him was absolutely about money, they couldn't afford to pay him a competitive contract (which means millions of dollars a year in bonuses) which is what it takes to sign an elite player right now. Had Ottawa offered him the same contract vegas did, and convinced him that they would spend to win when the time was right, I have no doubt he would have stayed. but stone isn't stupid, he knows Melnyk can't afford to ice a winning team, and he knows that Melnyk can't afford to pay him market value (despite only spending to the cap floor).

you can defend him all you want, but every move that he makes is about minimizing the amount of money that he has to spend on this team......even down to firing the anthem singer (who was paid) and bring in a bunch of rando's who do it for free.
- sensarmy_11

Another question is how much better would the team have been with Stone here.

He's a 50-60 point guy even on a team as bad as the Sens. They wouldn't have been picking 3rd and 5th as it stands right now.

3rd and 8th? They were only 9 points behind Montreal. Maybe we'd be gearing up for the team to the play in round.

*I realize this brings up the whole argument regarding high draft picks vs a winning team + stone.

Dude was a fine player and leader in his prime. As sensarmy mentioned, basically singlehandedly carried the team to one goal of a Finals appearance. You even saw his injuries catching up with him during the run.

His injuries caught up with him and in hindsight, it was a good time to move on. But for people to comment that he made poor decisions etc is absurd.

The "let's hate on the former player" rhetoric is old.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

Love Karlsson, loved the show. But I am a strong believer that teams shouldn't give retirement contracts. Once a player hits prime (around age 28) they should be looking at salary discounts if you were paying on the basis of true market value.

Karlsson lost a step. For a guy who had relied so heavily on his on skating to drive his game it was a total crusher. Sens dodged a bullet when the avoided resigning him.

I have also said similar things about Mark Stone. Mark Stone is not a good technical skater. Not unlike Bobby Ryan. One day (soon) he will step on the ice and find he can no longer keep up. Love Mark Stone. But Dorion does not want to pay him top dollar through to age 36.

Pretty confident LA takes Stutzle.

Byfield
Brown

is a one two punch that could be lethal.
- david22

I was saying this the other day. LA is very high on Stutzle.

Ottawa takes Byfield at #3 and then Drysdale at #5

Then maybe packages something together or makes a deal to move up and pick up Rossi