I did a monthly draft last year, start pre-World Juniors, and I'm doing one again this year. I'm not a scout, so everything, including all comparisons should be taken with a grain of salt. Obviously not everyone is going to be a 100% match, or even be or play the same as the player compared. It's all for fun.
Also, the lineup is based on the lineup as per December 2nd, 2017. I'm also basing this on a Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh Eastern Conference Finals and a Nashville-Los Angeles Western Conference Finals. In the finals, I have Tampa Bay beating Nashville for the Cup. The lineup is then adjusted for who makes the playoffs, who makes the ECF/WCF and who wins the Cup.
As for the lottery, I used NHL Lottery Simulator - NHL Draft Odds and the winners were as follows:
1st: Florida
2nd: Detroit
3rd: Arizona
ROUND 1
1. Florida: Rasmus Dahlin, D
He'd be the instant fix for their weak blueline. The hype around him reminds me of that of Jay Bouwmeester when he was first breaking into the league; even with a similar skillset.
Comparison: [young] Jay Bouwmeester-meets-Drew Doughty, if that makes any sense. It's hard to give him one exact comparable because he's so unique.
2. Detroit: Andrei Svechnikov, RW
With his brother already in the system, it'd be an easy pick to make. They often go wth size and scout the OHL, so it's like a perfect match. It'd give them the scoring they'd want upfront.
Comparison: Ilya Kovalchuk, but maybe not as refined in terms of shooting skill.
3. Arizona: Adam Boqvist, D
If they end up trading away Ekman-Larsson to earn assets, he could be considered his replacement. Zadina is the other possible candidate, but they would feel Boqvist would be a better fit, as they don't have someone on defense with the same offensive skill.
Comparison: Erik Karlsson.
4. Buffalo: Filip Zadina, LW/RW
I think they'd prefer if Boqvist was still available. They go with Zadina, in the end, hoping he can help solve their goal scoring woes, especially if they combine him with Jack Eichel.
Comparison: Vladimir Tarasenko, but with not as dynamic or powerful skating.
5. Edmonton: Brady Tkachuk, LW
The rivalry of Alberta gets even more heated as they draft Matt Tkachuk's little brother. It'd fit their idea of insulating Connor McDavid, along with adding someone that help chip in on offense.
Comparison: Corey Perry.
6. Philadelphia: Oliver Wahlstrom, RW/C
The Flyers have put a premium on adding skill these past few years. He's the best possible option for them, with his vision, hands and scoring ability.
Comparison: Tyler Seguin.
7. Ottawa: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, RW/C
I think he's going to be a bigtime riser by the time the season's done. With the Sens loving players with good size and skill, he'd be the ideal pickup for them.
Comparison: Aleksander Barkov.
8. Carolina: Quinton Hughes, D
I know they have plenty of young defensemen already, but taking Hughes allows them to trade one of them for more help up front -- ideally a center. Their best bet would be to follow the Predators mould of "BPA"/strong defensive core.
Comparison: Younger Dan Boyle. Boyle was also undersized, but knew how to use that lack of size to play an elite defensive/offensive game.
9. Anaheim: Isac Lundestrom, C/LW
They love their Swedes and are in need of forwards. It might be a little high for Lundestrom, but I could see teams loving his versatility and the total game he brings, definitely playing a game that the Ducks would appreciate.
Comparison: Bo Horvat.
10. Colorado: Ty Smith, D
They're still building up their defense and a guy like Smith would be another crown jewel for them. He plays on the left side, an area that needs to be built up and his skating ability is incredible. I could see him being this year's Heiskanen.
Comparison: Cam Fowler.
11. Montreal: Noah Dobson, D
I could see the Habs being in love with Dobson and the style of game he brings. I know he plays on the right side -- and the Habs ideally need LHD. However, they think his upside is too much to pass on and he could eventually step in for a declining Shea Weber as a #1 guy.
Comparison: Alex Pietrangelo.
12. Minnesota: K'Andre Miller, D
Without a doubt, a project pick, but he's a local kid with great upside and raw ability. If he can reach his grand upside, it could pay off huge for them.
Comparison: At top end, he could be similar to Jacob Trouba. Maybe moreso of a Brady Skjei type.
13. Vancouver: Ryan Merkley, D
If they were sniffing around on Liljegren last year, as some rumors suggest, then I could see them definitely being high on Merkley. He'd give a high-risk/high-reward type of offensive defender.
Comparison: At times, with the way he moves with the puck, he reminds me of a young PK Subban. However, there was also a reason why Subban fell into the second during his draft year. He could always turn into the next Ryan Murphy, if he doesn't get his defensive game up to par.
14. Chicago: Bode Wilde, D
Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook aren't getting any younger. They've also traded away guys such as Niklas Hjalmarsson. They need some high-end defense on their backend.
Comparison: Oliver Ekman-Larsson is probably his upside; with the same issues with defense, skating, etc.. At minimum, maybe a Dion Phaneuf type.
15. Washington: Jett Woo, D
The run on defense continues, with the Capitals taking someone that can help back there. I'm not certain he can be a top guy; but I feel he can be an effective do-it-all type.
Comparison: Justin Faulk.
16. Boston: Joel Farabee, LW
The Bruins like drafting players out of American systems. He plays with an abundance of skill and would make a good addition to the still-rebuilding Bruins.
Comparison: Zach Parise.
17. New York Islanders (from Calgary): Ryan McLeod, C
He has a bevy of tools and two-way skill that'd make him an important pickup. They can give him plenty of developmental time, plus it strengthens themselves down the middle if Tavares decides to leave.
Comparison: Mika Zibenajad.
18. Dallas: Rasmus Kupari, RW/C
They've shown an affinity towards Finns these past few years. With Kupari still on the board, why stop there?
Comparison: Teuvo Teravainen.
19. New York Rangers: Joseph Veleno, C
Even with Veleno falling down the board, the Rangers are still in need of centers to build around, despite taking some nice guys last year. Their best bet is to take the best center on the board, even the once highly-touted Veleno.
Comparison: Josh Bailey; maybe notas much offensive skill as thought of... but enough two-way ability to be thought of as an underrated complementary type.
20. San Jose: Jared McIsaac, D
The Sharks like taking guys that are fit and have a lot of tools to play with. McIsaac seems like he'd be a good fit there.
Comparison: Alex Edler.
21. Vegas: Dominik Bokk, RW
Vegas's scouting are keen on finding European talent. They'd certainly be aware of Bokk's rise up the rankings these past few months. I'm certain they'd be all over him, if he's still there.
Comparison: David Pastrnak.
22. New York Islanders: Serron Noel, RW
They'd view him as the perfect type to play alongside Mat Barzal and John Tavares. With his size and skill, he could be used as a bulldog in getting to the net.
Comparison: Anthony Mantha.
23. New Jersey: Evan Bouchard, D
The Devils desperately need to build up their defense. Bouchard and his hard shot would make a good start, especially with his ability to play on the right side.
Comparison: Jake Muzzin.
24. Toronto: Barrett Hayton, C
Ideally, they'd like to take a right-shooting defenseman. With no one meeting that mark within their range, they opt to build up their center ranks, grabbing Hayton and his smart, calm, two-way play off the board.
Comparison: Mikael Backlund.
25. Philadelphia (from St. Louis): Akil Thomas, C/RW
After going with Wahlstrom earlier, they return and take another smart, skill guy. They seem to be intent on focusing on skill and smarts for their lineup, making Thomas a great addition for them.
Comparison: Nazem Kadri.
26. Columbus: Allan McShane, C
He's a guy that does a little bit of everything -- including playing well in a center role, which is exactly what the Jackets are looking for. It just makes an easy matchup for the two.
Comparison: David Krejci.
27. Winnipeg: Mattias Samuelsson, D
It isn't a sexy pick, but he's the type of defender that the Jets should probably add. They're known to like guys with size, which makes him stand out even more for the Jets.
Comparison: Marc Staal, before injuries and concussions made him decline.
28. Pittsburgh: Benoit-Olivier Groulx, LW/C
The Pens would go up and target the best player left, in my opinion. It's a bonus that he can play center, too. He's a type of middle 6 bulldog type of forward that'd be a welcome addition.
Comparison: Zemgus Girgensons, with Nino Neiderreiter upside.
29. Los Angeles: Filip Hallander, LW/C
The Kings have a solid European scouting staff. With Hallander coming up clutch and displaying versatility and various roles, they would be all over him.
Comparison: Rickard Rakell.
30. Nashville: Jacob Olofsson, C
Even though they have Johansen and Turris, they do with centers what they did with defensemen: stock up strongly. They take the best player that would be a good fit for them.
Comparison: Derrick Brassard.
31. Tampa Bay: Grigori Denisenko, LW/RW
Going with talented, enigmatic Russians is always scary; except if you're the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which it has worked off quite well. They hope the same thing here, with Denisenko's talents falling into their lap.
Comparison: Artemi Panarin.
That's the end of round 1. This is all pre-WJC, so we'll see who falls, rises, etc. over the next month. Some guys who I think would go early in the second round would be Jack McBain; Calen Addison; Alexis Gravel; Nando Eggenberger; Anderson MacDonald; Ty Dellandre; Jesse Ylonen; etc. I'll do a second round, probably, in my next mock in January.
Thanks for reading.
Also, the lineup is based on the lineup as per December 2nd, 2017. I'm also basing this on a Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh Eastern Conference Finals and a Nashville-Los Angeles Western Conference Finals. In the finals, I have Tampa Bay beating Nashville for the Cup. The lineup is then adjusted for who makes the playoffs, who makes the ECF/WCF and who wins the Cup.
As for the lottery, I used NHL Lottery Simulator - NHL Draft Odds and the winners were as follows:
1st: Florida
2nd: Detroit
3rd: Arizona
ROUND 1
1. Florida: Rasmus Dahlin, D
He'd be the instant fix for their weak blueline. The hype around him reminds me of that of Jay Bouwmeester when he was first breaking into the league; even with a similar skillset.
Comparison: [young] Jay Bouwmeester-meets-Drew Doughty, if that makes any sense. It's hard to give him one exact comparable because he's so unique.
2. Detroit: Andrei Svechnikov, RW
With his brother already in the system, it'd be an easy pick to make. They often go wth size and scout the OHL, so it's like a perfect match. It'd give them the scoring they'd want upfront.
Comparison: Ilya Kovalchuk, but maybe not as refined in terms of shooting skill.
3. Arizona: Adam Boqvist, D
If they end up trading away Ekman-Larsson to earn assets, he could be considered his replacement. Zadina is the other possible candidate, but they would feel Boqvist would be a better fit, as they don't have someone on defense with the same offensive skill.
Comparison: Erik Karlsson.
4. Buffalo: Filip Zadina, LW/RW
I think they'd prefer if Boqvist was still available. They go with Zadina, in the end, hoping he can help solve their goal scoring woes, especially if they combine him with Jack Eichel.
Comparison: Vladimir Tarasenko, but with not as dynamic or powerful skating.
5. Edmonton: Brady Tkachuk, LW
The rivalry of Alberta gets even more heated as they draft Matt Tkachuk's little brother. It'd fit their idea of insulating Connor McDavid, along with adding someone that help chip in on offense.
Comparison: Corey Perry.
6. Philadelphia: Oliver Wahlstrom, RW/C
The Flyers have put a premium on adding skill these past few years. He's the best possible option for them, with his vision, hands and scoring ability.
Comparison: Tyler Seguin.
7. Ottawa: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, RW/C
I think he's going to be a bigtime riser by the time the season's done. With the Sens loving players with good size and skill, he'd be the ideal pickup for them.
Comparison: Aleksander Barkov.
8. Carolina: Quinton Hughes, D
I know they have plenty of young defensemen already, but taking Hughes allows them to trade one of them for more help up front -- ideally a center. Their best bet would be to follow the Predators mould of "BPA"/strong defensive core.
Comparison: Younger Dan Boyle. Boyle was also undersized, but knew how to use that lack of size to play an elite defensive/offensive game.
9. Anaheim: Isac Lundestrom, C/LW
They love their Swedes and are in need of forwards. It might be a little high for Lundestrom, but I could see teams loving his versatility and the total game he brings, definitely playing a game that the Ducks would appreciate.
Comparison: Bo Horvat.
10. Colorado: Ty Smith, D
They're still building up their defense and a guy like Smith would be another crown jewel for them. He plays on the left side, an area that needs to be built up and his skating ability is incredible. I could see him being this year's Heiskanen.
Comparison: Cam Fowler.
11. Montreal: Noah Dobson, D
I could see the Habs being in love with Dobson and the style of game he brings. I know he plays on the right side -- and the Habs ideally need LHD. However, they think his upside is too much to pass on and he could eventually step in for a declining Shea Weber as a #1 guy.
Comparison: Alex Pietrangelo.
12. Minnesota: K'Andre Miller, D
Without a doubt, a project pick, but he's a local kid with great upside and raw ability. If he can reach his grand upside, it could pay off huge for them.
Comparison: At top end, he could be similar to Jacob Trouba. Maybe moreso of a Brady Skjei type.
13. Vancouver: Ryan Merkley, D
If they were sniffing around on Liljegren last year, as some rumors suggest, then I could see them definitely being high on Merkley. He'd give a high-risk/high-reward type of offensive defender.
Comparison: At times, with the way he moves with the puck, he reminds me of a young PK Subban. However, there was also a reason why Subban fell into the second during his draft year. He could always turn into the next Ryan Murphy, if he doesn't get his defensive game up to par.
14. Chicago: Bode Wilde, D
Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook aren't getting any younger. They've also traded away guys such as Niklas Hjalmarsson. They need some high-end defense on their backend.
Comparison: Oliver Ekman-Larsson is probably his upside; with the same issues with defense, skating, etc.. At minimum, maybe a Dion Phaneuf type.
15. Washington: Jett Woo, D
The run on defense continues, with the Capitals taking someone that can help back there. I'm not certain he can be a top guy; but I feel he can be an effective do-it-all type.
Comparison: Justin Faulk.
16. Boston: Joel Farabee, LW
The Bruins like drafting players out of American systems. He plays with an abundance of skill and would make a good addition to the still-rebuilding Bruins.
Comparison: Zach Parise.
17. New York Islanders (from Calgary): Ryan McLeod, C
He has a bevy of tools and two-way skill that'd make him an important pickup. They can give him plenty of developmental time, plus it strengthens themselves down the middle if Tavares decides to leave.
Comparison: Mika Zibenajad.
18. Dallas: Rasmus Kupari, RW/C
They've shown an affinity towards Finns these past few years. With Kupari still on the board, why stop there?
Comparison: Teuvo Teravainen.
19. New York Rangers: Joseph Veleno, C
Even with Veleno falling down the board, the Rangers are still in need of centers to build around, despite taking some nice guys last year. Their best bet is to take the best center on the board, even the once highly-touted Veleno.
Comparison: Josh Bailey; maybe notas much offensive skill as thought of... but enough two-way ability to be thought of as an underrated complementary type.
20. San Jose: Jared McIsaac, D
The Sharks like taking guys that are fit and have a lot of tools to play with. McIsaac seems like he'd be a good fit there.
Comparison: Alex Edler.
21. Vegas: Dominik Bokk, RW
Vegas's scouting are keen on finding European talent. They'd certainly be aware of Bokk's rise up the rankings these past few months. I'm certain they'd be all over him, if he's still there.
Comparison: David Pastrnak.
22. New York Islanders: Serron Noel, RW
They'd view him as the perfect type to play alongside Mat Barzal and John Tavares. With his size and skill, he could be used as a bulldog in getting to the net.
Comparison: Anthony Mantha.
23. New Jersey: Evan Bouchard, D
The Devils desperately need to build up their defense. Bouchard and his hard shot would make a good start, especially with his ability to play on the right side.
Comparison: Jake Muzzin.
24. Toronto: Barrett Hayton, C
Ideally, they'd like to take a right-shooting defenseman. With no one meeting that mark within their range, they opt to build up their center ranks, grabbing Hayton and his smart, calm, two-way play off the board.
Comparison: Mikael Backlund.
25. Philadelphia (from St. Louis): Akil Thomas, C/RW
After going with Wahlstrom earlier, they return and take another smart, skill guy. They seem to be intent on focusing on skill and smarts for their lineup, making Thomas a great addition for them.
Comparison: Nazem Kadri.
26. Columbus: Allan McShane, C
He's a guy that does a little bit of everything -- including playing well in a center role, which is exactly what the Jackets are looking for. It just makes an easy matchup for the two.
Comparison: David Krejci.
27. Winnipeg: Mattias Samuelsson, D
It isn't a sexy pick, but he's the type of defender that the Jets should probably add. They're known to like guys with size, which makes him stand out even more for the Jets.
Comparison: Marc Staal, before injuries and concussions made him decline.
28. Pittsburgh: Benoit-Olivier Groulx, LW/C
The Pens would go up and target the best player left, in my opinion. It's a bonus that he can play center, too. He's a type of middle 6 bulldog type of forward that'd be a welcome addition.
Comparison: Zemgus Girgensons, with Nino Neiderreiter upside.
29. Los Angeles: Filip Hallander, LW/C
The Kings have a solid European scouting staff. With Hallander coming up clutch and displaying versatility and various roles, they would be all over him.
Comparison: Rickard Rakell.
30. Nashville: Jacob Olofsson, C
Even though they have Johansen and Turris, they do with centers what they did with defensemen: stock up strongly. They take the best player that would be a good fit for them.
Comparison: Derrick Brassard.
31. Tampa Bay: Grigori Denisenko, LW/RW
Going with talented, enigmatic Russians is always scary; except if you're the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which it has worked off quite well. They hope the same thing here, with Denisenko's talents falling into their lap.
Comparison: Artemi Panarin.
That's the end of round 1. This is all pre-WJC, so we'll see who falls, rises, etc. over the next month. Some guys who I think would go early in the second round would be Jack McBain; Calen Addison; Alexis Gravel; Nando Eggenberger; Anderson MacDonald; Ty Dellandre; Jesse Ylonen; etc. I'll do a second round, probably, in my next mock in January.
Thanks for reading.
Last edited:
