2018 Mock Draft 1st round

[Gecklund]

Not going to provide reasoning for every pick but if you'd like me to provide reasoning on a pick just let me know!

1. Rasmus Dahlin
2. Andrei Svechnikov
3. Filip Zadina
4. Adam Boqvist
5. Quinton Hughes
6. Noah Dobson
7. Evan Bouchard
8. Oliver Wahlstrom
9. Ty Smith
10. Brady Tkachuk
11. Joe Veleno
12. (from CAL) Vitaly Kravstov
13. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
14. (from STL) Joel Farabee
15. Rasmus Kupari
16. Barrett Hayton
17. Jared McIsaac
18. Isac Lundestrom
19. Serron Noel
20. Bode Wilde
21. Grigori Denisenko
22. (from PIT) Rasmus Sandin
23. Ryan McCleod
24. Ryan Merkley
25. Jett Woo
26. (from BOS) Akil Thomas
27. (from WIN) Jake Wise
28. Mattias Samuelsson
29. (from Vegas) Martin Kaut
30. (from TBL) Dominik Bokk
31. (from NSH) K'Andre Miller

Click to read more...

 

[IPreferPi]

Although it's very understandable to peg Hughes/Tkachuk to the Yotes in these mocks, I wonder what the reactions will be when Wahlstrom handily wins the vote in the team board mock.

 

[Gecklund]

Although it's very understandable to peg Hughes/Tkachuk to the Yotes in these mocks, I wonder what the reactions will be when Wahlstrom handily wins the vote in the team board mock.

My thinking was more of that they have so many good young forwards while they don’t have too many good young D.

 

[Hockeypete49]

Tkachuk will be a Flyer. Mark it.

 

[IPreferPi]

My thinking was more of that they have so many good young forwards while they don’t have too many good young D.

We don't have a guy with top pairing upside in pipeline at the moment but POJ, Dineen, and Capobianco all look like they have 3/4D upside and Westerlund, Hofenmeyer, Mayo, and Crotty with 5/6D potential. Not saying that Chayka won't go D at 5, but our blueline pool has the depth to at the very least replace the over 30 guys in the roster like Hammer and Goligoski in a few years while OEL and Chychrun remain the cornerstones. And there may be top four talent available in later rounds given this appears to be a deeper draft class for defensemen than forwards.

In contrast, Fischer and Merkley are the only two right handed shots we have at forward. And neither have close to the goal scoring upside that Wahlstrom would provide.

 

[Bobblebee]

Not disputing your choice for Florida. But i'd like to hear your thoughts on your pick as im not very educated on this draft.

 

[Gecklund]

Not disputing your choice for Florida. But i'd like to hear your thoughts on your pick as im not very educated on this draft.

The Draft Analyst | 2018 Draft Profile: C Rasmus Kupari

Here’s a good scouting report on Kupari. Basically I just see the Panthers as taking the player with the most potential left. Kupari is one of those players that can boom and be an amazing player. I see him as a future winger for either Barkov or Trocheck or creating amazing center depth with Barkov-Kupari-Trocheck. The other player I could see Florida taking is Bode Wilde. A good D prospect.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

Saw Jake Wise on the Blues, got really excited.

Then saw Dominik Bokk selected three picks later, became disappointed.

 

[MasterMatt25]

Tkachuk will be a Flyer. Mark it.

Flyers are trading up?

 

[Skolman]

Unfortunately Brady won't drop to 10

 

[TorontoTrades]

Tkachuk at 10 would be a shock. Most mocks have him 4-7.

 

[Gecklund]

Tkachuk at 10 would be a shock. Most mocks have him 4-7.

I just don’t rate him that high. Especially with so many teams in the top 10 in desperate need of D and so many great D. I think that for me everyone but possibly Smith I would rate higher than Brady.

 

[AZviaNJ]

Tkachuk will be a Flyer. Mark it.

Philly will need to give up a solid piece(s) in addition to 19OA to get Tkachuk.

 

[Kevin Musto]

I just don’t rate him that high. Especially with so many teams in the top 10 in desperate need of D and so many great D. I think that for me everyone but possibly Smith I would rate higher than Brady.

Yeah but this is a mock not a ranking. I also wouldn't rank Tkachuk in the top 10, but in a mock? He's certainly getting drafted high.

 

[Gecklund]

Yeah but this is a mock not a ranking. I also wouldn't rank Tkachuk in the top 10, but in a mock? He's certainly getting drafted high.

And like I said. I don’t see him getting taken in the top 10 because so many teams need D. There aren’t many years where there’s this many top end D prospects and I would for sure take Svech, Zadina, and Wahlstrom over him and then there are 6 D that are great and I could see teams taking over him. I could also see a team taking Kotkaniemi and Kravstov over Tkachuk too. I really feel like Tkachuk is one of those super safe picks. Like I said earlier though I could definitely see him taken higher but I just don’t feel like he will be

 

[Skolman]

And like I said. I don’t see him getting taken in the top 10 because so many teams need D. There aren’t many years where there’s this many top end D prospects and I would for sure take Svech, Zadina, and Wahlstrom over him and then there are 6 D that are great and I could see teams taking over him. I could also see a team taking Kotkaniemi and Kravstov over Tkachuk too. I really feel like Tkachuk is one of those super safe picks. Like I said earlier though I could definitely see him taken higher but I just don’t feel like he will be

I'll personally send you some $$$ if the Oilers draft Brady at #10. It isn't happening

 

[Gecklund]

I'll personally send you some $$$ if the Oilers draft Brady at #10. It isn't happening

I would take that like I said multiple times though. I definitely could see Tkachuk getting taken higher. In my opinion though this is how it should go. I think teams are going to see these high end D and take them. Most drafts don’t have this many high end D and I see a lot of teams in the top 10 that need D bad enough to draft for position

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Tkachuk won't go lower than 4

 

[Gecklund]

Tkachuk won't go lower than 4

Very much disagree on that. In my opinion the top 5 will play out pretty much how I have it laid out. What do people see in him? He’s a safe pick that doesn’t have high potential like say Wahlstrom. I don’t think that he will even play C in the NHL.

 

[MasterMatt25]

Tkachuk won't go lower than 4

Tkachuk won't go lower than 10

 

[scott99]

I can guarantee you, that YOU have a better chance of being the lead ballerina at the nutcracker than the Isles drafting a Russian, ESPECIALLY in the 1st round. Garth Snow, very rarely selects Russians. I think he’s chosen FOUR in 12 years, 2 refused to come over, Golyshev is rumored to come over this year. And Kirill Kabanov was a bust.

Though I would LOVE to see the Isles draft Kravstov. I love him as a prospect. Super talented. But no chance in hell Snow takes him. Maybe Lamoriello becomes GM before the draft.

 

[Dan Kelly]

Tkachuk will be a Flyer. Mark it.

Are they trading up?

 

[Sundinisagod]

Philly will need to give up a solid piece(s) in addition to 19OA to get Tkachuk.

They've got 14OA as well. Good chance 19+14 gets you Tkachuk. I could see it happening.

 

[Gecklund]

They've got 14OA as well. Good chance 19+14 gets you Tkachuk. I could see it happening.

Do you really want to trade 2 firsts for Tkachuk though?

 

[Sundinisagod]

Do you really want to trade 2 firsts for Tkachuk though?

If you see him as a top 5 talent, and your team has good depth, and would love a power forward...then yes, I think Philly might want to.