Le Barron de HF
Justin make me proud
Hello all, as you guys may remember, Habsfan18 decided last year that the 2016 edition was going to be his last year hosting the draft. I have PM'd him and that still appears to be the case.
Who is interested in continuing this annual tradition on our board?
Here are the assigned teams:
Anaheim: Grant McCagg
Arizona: Boyon90
Boston: Hope of Glory
Buffalo: Ohashi_Jouzu
Calgary: Mathletic
Carolina: QuebecPride
Chicago: Jeffrey
Colorado: WeThreeKings
Columbus: Habs76
Dallas: Toene
Detroit: Subban signed e5
Edmonton: Chris Cutter
Florida: zaluty
Los Angeles: Sergachevosaurus
Minnesota: Khabby
Montreal: TT1
Nashville: hoc123
New Jersey: L4br3cqu3
NYI: MarkovtoSubban
NYR: Ohashi_Jouzu
Ottawa: Whitesnake
Philadelphia: ProspectsFanatic
Pittsburgh: DekeLikeYouMeanIt
San Jose: calder candidate
St. Louis: NotProkofievian
Tampa Bay: OriginalCanadian
Toronto: IceDaddy
Vancouver: le_sean
Vegas: Natey
Washington: yoteshot
Winnipeg: Fozz
Here's a quick reminder of the rules:
STARTS ON APRIL 30TH
- For teams, I will use a randomizer.
- No trades as always.
- As always, please PM the next guy in the draft once you're done making your selection.
- If you feel you may miss your selection, please PM myself or another active draft member with a list of players. If it's decided that you've taken too long and you're MIA, an auto-pick will be made for you.
- When making your selection, please include a gm or scout-like quote about that player stating why you selected him.
- As with the more recent drafts, we will begin the draft with no set time limit on the picks. We're all reasonably active posters, so let's try to make this a very active draft. We'll see how it goes and then make a decision if we have to. If a poster is taking too long, we'll shoot them a PM to see what's up.
Round One:
1 - New Jersey: Nico Hischier
''Hischier is a playmaker, with outstanding vision and passing ability. He has very good hockey sense, and anticipates his teammates movements in the offensive zone. Hischier has a very quick first step, excellent acceleration and agility, as well as great edgework. This, along with quick hands, allow him to avoid defenders and make him very elusive when working the puck in the offensive zone. His ability to make plays with the puck, while moving at top speed is something that is pretty rare to see in a 17-year-old. Hischier also has a very high work ethic, he never seems to stop working during a shift.'' (from http://lastwordonsports.com/2016/11/...ings-top-five/)
2 - Philadelphia: Nolan Patrick
3 - Dallas: Gabriel Vilardi
"We really like Vilardi's strength and puck handling skills, tools that help him create space for himself in the offensive zone. He's agressive on the forecheck and battles hard for pucks along the boards or in front of the net. His finishing abilities are remarkable, he possesses an impressive release. We think he will complement an already deep offense on the Dallas Stars and add a bit of power/punch to our top-6 forwards group, be it at center or wing."
4 - Colorado: Cody Glass
"Had a huge growth spurt, is adjusting to that and put up a huge season number wise for a Portland team that is not as good as they have been in recent years. Soft hands, good vision, great hockey IQ, has a great one-timer and a knack for getting open. Skating needs improvement in the first few steps but we believe that is more an issue with getting used to his height rather than mechanical."
5 - Vancouver: Miro Heiskanen
"We are excited to get the best defenceman at the draft at #5. Heiskanen does everything well and has shot up through the rankings this season, showing fantastic progression. Not out of place as a 17 year old playing in a men's league, he has proved just how much better he is than his peers at the U18s. He is an elite skating defenceman with incredible hockey sense. He his the new breed of NHL defenceman. What entices the Canucks even more is that even though he's a LHD, Heiskanen can play the right side. We feel he could pair up with last year's 5th overall pick, fellow Finn, Olli Juolevi. We are excited to add Miro to our pool that needs a lot of help."
6 - Las Vegas: Owen Tippett
"Since this is our first ever selection, we decided to go big instead of going home. There were some safer selections that our GM Natey would have likely picked had he not had Vegas, but with the inaugural pick of this organization we just could not leave a player with this shot, skill, and speed on the board. Welcome to Vegas, Owen!"
7 - Arizona: Timothy Liljegren
"Elite skater both in terms of speed & agility. Played well at 5-Nations, finishing 2nd in shots"
8 - Buffalo: Casey Mittelstadt
"Though fairly deep already in centres, we feel Casey is quite simply the best player available. Best described as "the complete package of speed, skill, and hockey sense", he makes things happen every time he's on the ice. His speed and puckhandling create plenty of scoring chances for himself, but what sticks out is how much it creates chances for his teammates, too. Smart, highly skilled, excellent vision, good first step, can change speeds creatively and effectively, has a wide arsenal of shots as his disposal, and can make plays in tight spaces. Like all highly skilled/prolific scorers, the main question marks come on the defensive side of the puck, but he has all the tools to develop that side of his game, too."
9 - Detroit: Nick Suzuki
"After an impressive showing at the Ivan Hlinka this summer Suzuki got out of the gate slowly along with his team. The past couple of months, however, no one has been hotter than the 5-11 center, and he’s helped transform the Attack into one of the top teams in the CHL. One of the smartest players in the draft – his keen anticipation and vision make him a very dangerous offensive player at the junior level."
10 - Florida: Eeli Tolvanen
"This goal-scoring winger is a real offensive threat…plays with speed, intensity and skills…elusive with the puck on his stick…likes to shoot and has an impressive accurate shot with an absolutely deadly release…positions himself correctly to be open for the one-timer…a smooth, agile skater and covers ground at high rates of speed in transition…quick thinker who doesn’t stop moving his feet…good speed when carrying the puck and can accelerate quickly"
11 - Los Angeles: Martin Necas
"Necas has the potential to be a two-way, top six centre at the next level. With his speed and play making ability, as well as his work in his own end, he should be highly sought after on draft day. He will needs some time to continue developing and adding muscle mass, and that could either happen in the Czech Republic next year, or perhaps in the CHL or AHL. In terms of a player comparison, his speed and ability to make plays with the puck is reminiscent of Nathan MacKinnon, of the Colorado Avalanche, but that is a style comparison only, and not one based on skill and ability.''
12 - Carolina: Klim Kostin
13 - Winnipeg: Cale Makar
"While he may be considered undersized, Makar is a dynamic offensive defenceman with speed and skill that is very competitive and has the undeniable hockey sense to help him become an impact player in the NHL. The UMass commit is highly intelligent with and without the puck and possesses superb skating skills, blending speed, explosiveness, agility and elusiveness. He consistently makes good decisions, runs the PP exceptionally well and knows when to join the rush."
14 - Tampa Bay: Elias Pettersson
"Elias Petterson has top end speed and uses his strong hockey IQ to get past defenders. With a little more bulk to his 6'2" frame, Elias can become a force with the puck. The combination of his vision, stickhandling, and passing abilities he is a lethal threat with or without the puck. He is a smart two-way player, making him trustworthy in his own zone while rarely being caught out of position. There is no doubt in our minds that with more bulk, his three-zone work ethic and his strong offensive abilities, Elias will become a productive NHL player for the Tampa Bay Lightning."
15 - NYI: Rob Thomas
"GM says "He's a coach's dream, does all the little things right and never takes a shift off. Raised his game in the playoffs. Really strong skater with great vision."
16 - Nashville: Michael Rasmussen
"A strong two way center, he uses his towering size (6'5"), and strong core to win puck battles and to protect the puck. He also is very good in the defensive end, and is able to contribute to the penalty kill. With a style of play like Ryan Getzlaf, his potential is a two way top 6 center."
17 - Calgary: Jesper Boqvist
"The kid is very smart, creative and is an absolute speedster at center. He plays the game at a very high pace. Wtih a great first step, quickness and balance Boqvist is a very skilled puck carrier. He has also shown he's more than willing to play in traffic against men in the Swedish Hockey League. He still has to improve and his game and effort away from the puck and improve on his shot. He has shown he can play center in junior hockey. Has yet done it at the pro level but he has what it takes to make it as a centerman in the long run, with his creativity and puck carrying skills."
18 - Toronto: Callan Foote
"He is not afraid of playing physical and benefits from his big body and strength in battles. Possess decent shooting tools and is not only limited to a pure big and mean defender, but also distributes the puck smoothly and creates offence. We feel he will compliment our young group for many years to come."
19 - Boston: Lias Andersson
"After selecting many good young defensemen and wingers in the top rounds of the last two draft, we were hoping a center would fall to our pick. Given that Andersson was the highest player left on our list, we couldn't be happier to get a solid two-way center with this pick. With a high compete level and solid offensive instincts, we're confident Lias will help us a lot in all three zones down the road."
20 - Ottawa: Kristian Vesalainen
"Aside from the infamous "We can't believe he was still available", needless to say that we love the package that the kid brings. Speed, skills, size and talent are on top of any scout list with regards to Kristian. What's also pretty impressive is his 2-way game that has matured a lot over the past year. We just feel we got an incredible value at this rank, a kid that has room to develop, being one of the youngest player in the draft, into a hell of a package when all is said and done."
21 - San Jose: Kailer Yamamoto
"A small guy who seems to instantly make any linemates better due to his fabulous playmaking ability and smarts. A terrific skater, his ability to change speeds is a weapon, with excellent edge work, great agility and tremendous hands that allow him to be extremely elusive in one-on-one or in tight spaces. Displays excellent vision, darts into the open areas or into the battle areas snatching loose pucks and capitalizing. He is more of a playmaker but he is equally dangerous as set up man or a scorer with a very quick release on is shots which he get off without much of a wind-up at all."
22 - St. Louis: Juuso Valimaki
23 - NYR: Jaret Anderson-Dolan
24 - Edmonton: Conor Timmins
"The Edmonton Oilers are proud to select, from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, defenseman Conor Timmins. We are very impressed by the way he's been used by his team in the OHL and his advanced stats are quite remarkable. Considering our depth up front, it was a no brainer to pick a guy like Conor who was surprisingly still there at #24. The fact that Timmins is a RHD bodes well considering that we have Nurse & Klefbom on the left side. We hope for him to become a main stay on our top three for years to come."
25 - Montreal: Erik Brannstrom
"Brannstrom is supremely talented, he pretty much is the complete package offensively and his shot is a lethal weapon (very accurate wrister) that will do him wonders in the NHL. He will need to fill up before making the jump to the NHL but he's always played against older players and has outperformed them, we believe that he'll be able to transition his game into the NHL.
He's one of the youngest players in the draft and is already holding his own in the SHL, he played his 1st full J20 season last year as a young 16 year old player and was one of the best dmen in the league."
26 - Anaheim: Ryan Poehling
27 - Arizona (from Minnesota): Matthew Strome
28 - Columbus: Nicolas Hague
"Hague is a hulking defender, with good hands, a powerful shot and a long reach. His skating needs some work, but we see a lot of potential in this big man."
29 - Chicago: Jake Oettinger
"Oettinger, whose size and athleticism make him an ideal NHL goalie prospect. Despite his young age, he has a very mature approach to his development and has good insight into his position.
Jake Oettinger is a potential franchise netminder who possess all the tools to succeed at the NHL level. It's always hard to project goaltender and their projection take much longer than other prospects that being said you have to go with the guy with the most potential/talent. I have Oettinger as one of the best goalkeeping prospect in years. He is a guy with a head on his shoulder and the willingness to improve.
As per the hockey news some tidbit from Oettinger:
“Every goalie in the NHL, with maybe the exception of Carey Price, could become a better skater," he said. "If you’re on your feet as long as you possibly can be, you give yourself a better chance to make a save. That’s what I’ve been working on. That, and tracking the puck. That’s so big in the game now. Shots and releases are so fast; you gotta be good at tracking the puck if you’re going to make saves.”
30 - Pittsburgh: Jason Robertson
31 - St. Louis (from Washington): Urho Vaakanainen
"Urho Vaakanainen is a smooth skating, puck moving minute-eater in the making. We couldn't believe he was available with the 31st overall pick. Some doubt his offensive upside, but we feel that his skating, quick thinking, and first pass will do enough to tilt the ice in his team's favour. Already possessing tremendous experience at the professional level in Liiga for his age, we feel that he'll make the big club sooner rather than later."
Round Two:
32 - Colorado: Filip Chytil
"One of the youngest players in the draft, we see tremendous upside in him at the most important forward position. Wins his draws, has soft hands with creative dangles,
makes great passes and shows strong vision. Has high IQ in both zones, regularly supports his defenseman and makes efficient break-outs and zone entries. Is deft with his stick around the net and goes to the front of the net for tips and deflections. We think there is a top 6 C potential with this player."
33 - Vancouver: Kole Lind
34 - Las Vegas: Shane Bowers
"We're very proud to select someone who we project as a steal in this draft. This kid has all the tools to be an everyday player in the NHL very soon. He's quick, agile, and very smart. He gives 110% effort everywhere on the ice and always makes good decisions. People are going to be very surprised by his development over the next couple of years. We see this kid playing in our top-6 sooner than later. We're very happy to welcome Shane to our organization!"
35 - Arizona: Ivan Chekhovich
"The thing that surprise me the most about Chekhovich is when he touch the puck he just switch gear so fast, he make it look like he was just floating around the whole time but yet he was already fast. Got the vision of a peripheral player while pursuing a good north/south play so he doesn't stagnate in the zone with the puck."
36 - New Jersey: Isaac Ratcliffe
''Ratcliffe projects as a middle-six power forward with some upside. With continued improvement in his skating, he could make a run at becoming a consistent top-six player. The size is tantalizing and he’s not done growing. He could approach 220-225 pounds. He could be a force in front of the opponent’s net for years to come. Ratcliffe has the potential to be a top six winger in the NHL, and be the type of power forward that teams covet. With his size, skill, and hockey sense he presents an intriguing package come draft day. Ratcliffe is still a bit of an unpolished player though, he will need time to add the muscle on his frame to play at the pro level, as well as to further refine his skills. In terms of a stylistic comparison, Ratcliffe is reminiscent of Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers. One of the few bright spots on a poor Ghelp Storm team last season, kid really wants it, he's a project, but one that could pay off, especially at 36 (had to do a double check, thought he was long gone)."
37 - Buffalo: Henri Jokiharju
"We're extremely excited to add a player like Henri who can bring a high level of transition play from the right side. He has great speed and agility, is highly elusive, and shows tremendous confidence with the puck and under forechecking pressure. Consistently a driver of transition and offense, to the point where sometimes you wonder if he ever comes off the ice. Not the biggest guy, and that will be one of his obvious challenges adapting to the next level, but his footwork and quick decision-making get him out of most tough spots where others don't. To top everything off, he's skilled at placing both wristers and one-timers, though he'd be well-served with a bit of muscle to add to its velocity. A definite offensive threat with the tools to play a cerebral defensive style."
38 - Detroit: Maxime Comtois
"Comtois is most comfortable at right wing, but can play any forward position; as a center he has won 50.4 percent of the 272 faceoffs he has taken. He can be used in all situations because of his size and speed. He is skilled and very competitive and plays the game with an edge."
39 - Dallas: Pierre-Olivier Joseph
40 - Florida: Nikita Popugaev
"A big kid (6-foot-5, 208 lb.) who can really move his feet and make plays at top speed. He’s a right-hand shot who plays the left wing (traditional Russian)."
41 - Los Angeles: Aleksi Heponiemi
42 - Carolina: Nicklas Henry
"Despite his average skating, Nick has a knack to find the seams in the offensive zone whether it is by feathering a pass to a teammate or isolating himself to pull the trigger. We believe his hockey smarts should propel him to an NHL career."
43 - Winnipeg: Grant Mismash
"LW with a nice blend of skill and grit. He can score with finesse, by using his excellent shot or by driving the net hard. He enjoys the physical side of the game and works hard to excel in all facets of the game."
44 - Philadelphia: Josh Norris
"Josh Norris had a big spike in his development this season and became one of the core pieces of the USDP U18 team. Complemented with his excellent skating ability he has a well rounded game in all areas of the game."
45 - Tampa Bay: Eemeli Rasanen
46 - NYI: Morgan Frost
"He's got elite speed and is smart about how he uses it. Patient with the puck and creative, played on both special teams. Son of Leafs Lunch host Andy Frost, so bloodlines are good. Great name for a fantasy novel character."
47 - Nashville: Marcus Davidsson
"A two-way center, he is quick on the ice. While is speed is good, it's his first step and acceleration, as well strong lower body, that allows to be great against the boards and in puck battles. A simple player, he does all the little things right, although he does suffer a lack of creativity. Defensively he is a smart payer, playing well positionally, and being a penalty killer on Swedish National Teams. While he won't be a top player in the NHL, his potential should a #2C who can play against top lines."
48 - Ottawa (from Calgary): Joni Ikonen
"This diminutive but extremely skilled forward continuously showed his hockey IQ throughout the last U-18. Everyting is impressive in this player especially how NHL ready his wrister already is. Showed some great vision throughout the tournament too. Needs to use his teamates more, great news is that the Sens just reunite this perfect duo with Vesalainen."
49 - Tampa Bay (from Toronto): Ostap Safin
"We believe that we are getting incredible value by picking Ostap Safin at 49th overall. Safin has produced at every level that he has been thrown in, he has proven himself at the international level as well. By using that 6'4" frame of his, he is able to muscle smaller players off the puck and then keep it away from the opposition. He can drive the offense on any line, while also being quite responsible in his own end. His creativity is much to be desired but with his incredibly accurate shot and good foot speed, we do not think that it will become an issue."
50 - New Jersey (from Boston): Jonah Gadjovich
51 - Dallas (from Anaheim/Toronto/Ottawa): Alexei Lipanov
“Open up ice quickly’ type of speed that can break down defenders and leave them defenseless. Also has excellent agility and quickness that he uses in tight areas to be elusive. Very smart and he makes good plays everywhere in the game and he competes hard. Has an excellent shot and is a hungry, determined player. Very responsible centre in the Russian mold of centres.” – Craig Button @ TSN.
52 - Toronto (from San Jose): Adam Ruzicka
"His size and skill level were too compelling for us to pass on. He is a big, solid center with offensive upside. He will fit right in with our core group."
53 - St. Louis: Antoine Morand
54 - Carolina (from NYR): Mason Shaw
"By picking Mason, our scouting staff is swinging for the fences with an offensive sparkplug that is not afraid to get his nose dirty. Although on the smaller side, we believe his offensive acumen and elusiveness combined with good skating ability and agility gives him an interesting expectancy to play in the NHL down the road."
55 - Boston (from Edmonton): Alex Formenton
56 - Montreal: Evan Barratt
"Barratt is an extremely smart player with great hands and playmaking ability, plays a 200 foot game as well."
57 - Anaheim: Josh Brook
"Brook played 25 minutes per game in all situations for a strong team in Moose Jaw. Mobile, poised, smart and a good first pass."
58 - Buffalo (from Minnesota): Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
"This year is fairly deep for goaltending, and we're happy to get one of the very best among them. U-P is a big goalie who rarely looks spectacular because he relies on solid positioning and good, efficient technique, which helps him cut down on rebounds. Has very good reflexes and shows confidence handling the puck a bit, though he could improve that as part of his NHL skills repertoire. Competitive and strong, we think he's definitely among the top 3 goaltenders available this year, despite suffering with pneumonia for part of the season, and great value at this point in the draft."
59 - Columbus: Filip Westerlund
"Westerlund is a defenseman who stands out with his vision and puck control. Plays a calm, cerebral game and can hit forwards with long passes from the backend. Defensively, there is room for improvement given his hockey IQ. Also, his skating could use some work, especially his first few steps. Isn't that agile yet, either."
60 - Chicago: Reilly Walsh
61 - Carolina (from Pittsburgh): Alexandre Texier
62 - Montreal (from Washington): Ivan Lodnia
"Ivan is extremely talented, he works very hard and has a nose for the net. He's struggled to produce in the playoffs but luckily that most likely made him available to us in the late 2nd.
Ivan has had to match up against top lines on a defensive role and sadly he doesnt play with great linemates (Pettit as his center), which has definitely hurt his production. On top of that he's not seeing PP1 minutes with guys like Raddysh, DeBrincat and Strome ahead of him and that has also limited his minutes all season long. That said, i expect big things from him once he gets more minutes and offensive freedom."
Round Three:
63 - New Jersey (from Colorado): Stelio Mattheos
"Projects as a Top 6 Offensive C/RW. More of an offensive off the rush player. Is a very good skater, has a heavy shot (that he should use more often), usually more a pass-first player and he's very good at it. Doesn't mind the rough stuff, goes into the dirty areas, and will defend himself if need be. Pretty solid at the cycling game. Overall hockey sense is questionable at times, offensive instincts are there but he is probably more of a support player, and needs work in his own zone. Still, at this point, he's too enticing to let pass."
64 - Vancouver: Lukas Elvenes
65 - Las Vegas: Michael DiPietro
66 - Florida (from Arizona): Keith Petruzzelli
"We need to replenish our depth at goalie and feel Keith has the skill to play in the NHL. We wre surprised he was still available."
67 - New Jersey: Robin Salo
"Not very big nor a very good skater, Salo’s game start with responsible and effective defensive zone play. He is positionally sound and reads the play well to keep his positioning on the ice where it pushes attacking forward to the board. Salo has a smart and active stick which helps him separate the puck from the opposition. Additionally, he possesses a good shot from the point and launches the puck quickly but accuracy could stand improvement as too many pucks sail wide of the net after he finds a lane.
His decisions with the puck no matter if it is a shot or a pass are quick and his zone exit passes to move the play up ice are dependable as he generates most of his production by getting the puck to the forwards and supporting the play. Defensively Salo sticks to the system and rarely makes an ill-advised pinch in the offensive zone.''
68 - Buffalo: Scott Reedy
"While the U18 tournament has shifted attention to current teammate, and former Shattuck teammate, Grant Mismash, we remain impressed with the size, skill, and compete combination you get from Scott. Has all the tools to play a really effective and aggressive simple game... if he learns to play within the framework of a more simple game. Can try to be too fancy or pull of difficult plays for no reason sometimes, but he is also one of the best players below the hashmarks in his peer group. Big, strong, determined, with the skills to finish or stickhandle in the tight areas down low, but gets around just fine in open ice as well - with or without the puck."
69 - Arizona (from San Jose, from Detroit): Sasha Chmelevski
70 - Dallas: Artyom Minulin
71 - Detroit (from Florida): Ian Mitchell
72 - Los Angeles: Sebastian Aho
"A mobile defenseman with tremendous hockey sense. Is on the small side, but usually solves situations easily with his exceptional way of reading the game. Likes to carry the puck and does that with confidence. Very good passer and a defenseman that can be used in most situations."
73 - Carolina: Antoine Crête-Belzile
74 - Winnipeg: Markus Philips
"Phillips plays both sides of the game well and, while his offensive game may not translate to the next level, he possesses very good mobility, strength, smarts, gap control and an active stick to be very efficient in the defensive side of the game."
75 - Philadelphia: Max Gildon
"Max Gildon is the prototypical NHL defenseman, there is nothing particularly flashy about his game, but he is big guy with good skating abilities who has a strong 2-way game and can play in all situations, who can play a physical game and provide a powerful shot from the point. We project him to be a 2nd/3rd pairing defenseman at the NHL level."
76 - Tampa Bay: Morgan Geekie
"In our opinion, Geekie is the best overager in this year's draft. His development has skyrocketed since going undrafted in 2016. With the lack of a 4th or 5th round pick this year, we decided that we had to act now. Geekie is a strong two-way player who is dominant on the faceoff dot. His footspeed still needs some work. Overall, we like his all around game and see a lot of potential in him."
77 - NYI: Zach Gallant
"Zach is a big strong center, tough as nails and plays hard every shift. One of the best in the league at faceoffs with a win % over 60. Needs work on his skating and agility, but a project with a pro upside."
78 - Nashville: Noel Hoefenmayer
"Noel Hoefenmayer has managed to have a great year with the 67's, becoming one of their most trusted defensemen, playing on both the PK and PP. A jack of all trades defensemen, he is good at every facet of the game, although he lacks an ability he excels at. A creative player on defense, he is great at making small adjustments to find his teammates, and while he is on the small side for a defensemen (just 6"0), he is good defensively, great at breaking up plays, and taking the puck out of the zone. His potential is likely as a steady #4-5 defensemen."
79 - Arizona (from Calgary): David Farrance
80 - Detroit (from Toronto): Jake Leschyshyn
81 - Philadelphia (from Boston): Jack Studnicka
"Studnicka had a strong finish this season leading his team in the playoff with 11-5-10-15. Studnicka is a 2-way player who compete hard every shift. He shown good amount of speed and flashes offensively which could translate at the pro level. Studnicka is the type of player who does the little things well and can be used up and down your lineup."
82 - Chicago (from Carolina, from Ottawa): MacKenzie Entwistle
83 - San Jose: Kasper Kotkansalo
84 - Edmonton (from St. Louis): Greg Meireles
"We like how Meireles fared in his first season in the OHL, despite his small stature we believe he has a lot of the tools required for today's NHL: smarts and speed. We hope that he's a late bloomer and that he keeps progressing as his role in Kitchener grows"
85 - Detroit (from NYR): Brady Lyle
"Lyle has strong hockey sense and vision that make him a two-way defender. Lyle could stand to be more physical and that may come as he adds more muscle to his frame. He is excellent at positioning himself in the d-zone and his stick is very active. He transitions to the offense with relative ease, almost always making the right decisions."
86 - Edmonton: Rickard Hugg
87 - Montreal: Kyle Olson
"Defensively responsible, works hard, smart and skilled player (criterias that we've emphasized on for our current draft). Plays all 3 positions, spent some time on Geekie's wing but then moved to center after Rasmussen went down."
88 - Anaheim: Cale Fleury
"Fleury flew under the radar playing for such a poor team this season, but showed at the Top Prospects Game when playing with better prospects that he is quite possibly one of the four best CHL defencemen available in this draft. Finished second on his team in points...like his brother he is a good skater, competes, passes the puck well and has a dangerous point shot. He has all of the tools to be a number 4 or 5 defenceman in the NHL."
89 - Minnesota: Jarret Tyszka
90 - Columbus: Lane Zablocki
91 - Detroit (from Chicago, from Carolina): Nate Schnarr
92 - Pittsburgh: Michael Anderson
93 - Buffalo (from Washington): Dmitri Samorukov
"What's not to like about Samorukov? Big, mobile, smooth, and rarely makes a mistake with the puck, even under pressure. Continues to get bigger and stronger which will compliment offensive and defensive skills at the next level. Already very patient with the puck, he's pretty consistently able to find openings for his passes and shots. Another one of those 1st round talents that we've been lucky to find still available in the later rounds."
Round Four:
94 - Colorado: Maxim Zhukov
"If you can't get a Russian defenseman who could be a top 4 D, you do the next best thing, you get a Russian goalie who could be the best goalie in the draft. Quick laterally,
one of the best glove hands we've seen in a draft eligible prospect. He steals games and plays with a fire and flair to his game. Great crease management. The only downside is.. focus, which is what all goalies struggle with when they are young. Not an issue, just needs to keep his upward trajectory."
95 - Vancouver: Jonas Røndbjerg
"We are happy to add another skilled winger to our system. Jonas is a big winger with nice skills that shows ability in all zones, a very responsible player. One of the top under 18 scorers in the SuperElit, and even got a 5 game stint with the senior club. We like Jonas' potential hope he can continue his upward trend."
96 - Las Vegas: Kirill Maksimov
"Kirill is a player who really came into his own once he was traded to the Ice Dogs and given an opportunity. The sample size is small, but he has the kind of package you can't turn your head at this late in the game. He's got good size and he's willing to use his size although we feel he could still use it more. He's an above average skater and has a drive to put in the puck in the net. He's able to dish the puck and he sees the offensive zone really well. His defensive game needs work, but he's already working on improving it. This is the kind of player you take further down in the draft. He's got all the tools to be a Top-6 NHL Forward and we believe that he can put all the tools together to make one hell of a player!"
97 - Minnesota (from Arizona): Michael Pastujov
"Michael had a very productive U18 tournament this year, winning the gold medal with USA while being a PPG. Michael also lead the Hlinka Tournament last summer with 9 points in 4 games for Team USA. He will be joining his brother Nick (Islanders draft pick last year) at the University of Michigan in the NCAA."
98 - New Jersey: Nate Knoepke
99 - Buffalo: Joel Teasdale
"In the words of coach Joel Bouchard, he's a Swiss Army knife. Relegated to the 2nd line after loading up for the playoffs, Teasdale still figured prominently on both sides of special teams while chipping in his share of the offense. Not spectacular, but easy to coach and ever-improving, he's strong, smart, and protects the puck well. Good shot, good instincts, good on the forecheck, and willing to work in the dirty areas. Lots to like here from a mid-round pick."
100 - Detroit: Pavel Koltygin
"Koltygin shows good instincts in the offensive zone and can find the open ice and get into a good shooting position where he can release a good, accurate shot. Developing an NHL calibre wrist shot that he puts all his weight into. Has shown improvement in his defensive play over the season but still needs to show consistency in working his way back to the neutral zone to back check."
101 - Dallas: Tyler Steenbergen
"Somewhat of a reach but our scouting staff liked his progression since last season and couldnt help but notice him while scouting his teammate Artyom Minulin."
102 - NYR (from Florida): Jack Rathbone
103 - Los Angeles: Martin Bodák
"Slovakian defender with good mobility, speed, and competitiveness. Smart and effective Slovak defender who has played in Finland. Plays smart and well positioned in his end, always on the right side of the puck. Battles hard for loose pucks. Make simple plays to clear. When in attack mode he either carried it in over the blue line or made those short effective passes to teammates who did. Vocal leader and shows some physicality initiating contact on puck carriers. Keeps his head on a swivel on his breakouts and quickly moves pucks and then supports the attacking play, and can jump right in. Aggressive youngster who looks like he has upside."
104 - Carolina: Jacob Paquette
"With Jacob, we have drafted a mobile 6'3'' 200lbs defender. While he did not have a great draft year to say the least, we feel we're "buying" him at a discount as he possesses abilities that every team looks out for. To become a Pro, he will have to improve his confidence with the puck and his decision making. We believe he has some offensive potential, and hope last year was just a bump in the road."
105 - Winnipeg: Zach Solow
"The leading scorer and USHL forward of the year, Solow is a short but stocky spark plug with excellent playmaking abilities. Funny story about the Northeastern commit and Florida native is his reported hate of cold weather... Welcome to Winnipeg Zach!"
106 - Philadelphia: Stuart Skinner
"6'4 goaltender who had an exceptional season at 16/17y old in the WHL with a 920 save percentage. Goaltender are always harder to project, but Skinner definitely has the skills and size to become a starting goaltender at the NHL level if development goes well."
107 - Philadelphia (from TB): MaCauley Carson
"Gritty player who plays a hard game and finishes his check. Has a willingness to go into those dirty areas which lead him to score 30 goals this season in the OHL. His skating still need improvement to be an impactful player at the NHL level, more projected to be valuable bottom6 forward at the NHL level."
108 - Philadelphia (from NYI): Denis Smirnov
"Smart and skilled smallish forward. Who one of the best player in the NCAA at only 19years old. Can potentially become I high reward pick; he has the tools to become a top6 forward at the NHL level. Size is still a concern though which is why he has been passed over in the last year draft."
109 - New Jersey (from NSH): Luke Martin
''An all-round defender who plays a simple yet effective game…a strong skater who can elude checks with quick bursts of speed…fluid lateral footwork…has the ability to process plays quickly…smooth and cool under pressure, handling the puck without issues while in motion and under pressure…jumps off the point position to hold pucks in and doesn’t hesitate to get a quick wrist shot on net if the opportunity presents itself…dissects opposition coverage schemes by not playing into the obvious options, but showing more of a cerebral approach to his passing game…keeps his stick in the right place to block passing lanes…is positionally strong in odd man situations…physical but not the type to be running over opponents or showing a nasty edge…uses his strength to protect the crease…possesses strong gap control and is patient in his defensive approach…is able to turn the puck up ice in transition quickly but is not a pure offensive guy…a pro defensive defenseman.''
110 - Calgary: David Noël
"A smooth skating defenceman with decent size and a pro shot. Noël started coming into his own after the trade to Val d'Or. He had good playoffs scoring 8 points in 10 games. Still has plenty of work to do, both offensively and defensively but has decent upside."
111 - Toronto: Benjamin Mirageas
112 - Boston: Alexei Toropchenko
113 - Ottawa: Ivan Kosorenkov
114 - Vancouver (from SJ): Dylan Samberg
"We like Dylan's size and all around ability. He's a good skater with a good shot. He has the tools to become a solid top 4 defenceman in the NHL one day, though he is a project. He will play fulltime in the USHL next season and he's committed to a good school at UMD in 2018-19 which has produced some fine NHLers. We are happy he was available at this point in the draft."
115 - St. Louis: Jordy Bellerive
"Jordy isn't the biggest player around, but with his stocky build we believe his heavy, feisty style will transfer well to the pros. Additionally, he has a pro-level shot and lightning quick release that could intimate a decent amount of offensive upside."
116 - Colorado (from NYR): Adam Thilander
"Was seen as a top 5 pick for this draft as a 16 year old in TV-pucken. obviously he hasn't developed as projected but at this point in the draft we are going to risk that it isn't a plateau but merely the circumstances of moving to NA juniors. Thilander has decent size and has offensive skills, he thinks the game at a high level which is what we look for. His skating needs to improve and he needs to be more physical to make up for his lack of reach."
117 - Edmonton: Austen Keating
"We realize that Keating has some work to do on his skating but we believe that he's a project that's definitely worth investing into. We are big believers in his abilities and his hockey sense and by selecting him in the fourth round we are hoping he has a similar progression as a guy like Mark Stone."
118 - Los Angeles (from DAL, MTL): Ty Lewis
119 - Anaheim: Santeri Virtanen
"I like Virtanen. He is a good player. Got some size, got some skill, his skating is going to be pretty good I think. A good two-way guy..kills penalties, even was on the power play. you’ve gotta remember this guy came out of nowhere because he was injured all year..he’s not even where he needs to be yet, so… outta sight outta mind..I’m glad that he ramped it up. He never came over because of the injury. I think he had a shoulder injury. I don’t think it was an injury we need to worry about. I don’t think he has a ton of speed yet but his mechanics are pretty good…I think it’s just about playing and getting his power back."
120 - Minnesota: Olle Eriksson Ek
"Olle is the 2nd ranked European Goalie this year, and has been regarded as one of the top goalietending prospect to come out of Sweden in the last few years. (If EHM has taught me anything, Olle becomes a beast ) Olle posted a 2.16 GAA and .924SV% in 30 starts this year for Farjestad, and recently won Silver at the U18. He has decent size and movement in the crease, with an excellent glove hand and upper body strength."
121 - Columbus: Alexander Polunin
122 - Chicago: Tyler Inamoto
123 - Toronto (from Pittsburgh): Maxim Sushko
124 - Washington: Nick Campoli
Round Five:
125 - Colorado: Patrick Khodorenko
126 - Edmonton (from Vancouver): Leon Gawanke
127 - Las Vegas: Fabian Zetterlund
"Fabian is unlike our other draft picks. He may not see the ice as well as some higher picks and he may not have the offensive hockey sense that we want, but there is no discounting his in your face style. With Fabian we see a for sure thing NHL player. Where he ends up depends on how much works he puts forward, but he's already got a style of play we love. We know that his effort level can be the highest in the ice when he's confident! The offensive potential isn't non-existent either but we would like to see him produce against better talent. His end of the year was great with the U-18's and insane second half production, but he was also against weaker competition after the Super Elit split. We hope for big things this season."
128 - Arizona: Finn Evans
129 - New Jersey: Ian Scott
''A goaltender who balances challenging opposing shooters and when to drop back into his crease and hold the fort…cool when handling shots to the glove hand, keeping the glove angled according to net position and the situation in front…swallows up high shots without any rebounds, pinning pucks to his chest or belly pad…quickness is elite and whether it be his pads or glove hands, he was constantly flashing his limbs at pucks…has a lanky frame, but makes himself look massive in the net by being assertive in the crease…battles and quickly reacts to pucks in tight, often getting into his butterfly and forcing the shooter to be perfect and go high on him…constantly adjusts to square the puck up and seldom is caught out of position…plays a technically superior game and is excellent at controlling motion within the net…weathers the mental grind of the game and keeps himself unphased whether he is untested for stretches or stuck in a pressure cooker with lots of pucks coming his way…has the potential to be a pro starter even though he is a few years away.''
130 - St. Louis (from Buffalo): Bryce Misley
"Leading the OJHL in U18 scoring this year with 26 goals and 62 points in only 46 games, this Vermont commit adds a deadly wrist shot to well-rounded two way center package. One of the youngest players eligible for the draft, he models his play after fellow NCAA alum Jonathan Toews in aspiring to contribute to his team on both sides of the puck. We feel that the longer development path and less intense playing schedule of the NCAA is an ideal setting to allow him to add pounds to his 6'2 frame and hopefully become an impact center for our organization in the future."
131 - Detroit: Maxime Fortier
"Fortier is a quick skater. Shoots the puck a lot and is finding success following his shots up and going to the net. Not a very tall kid, has a good balance on his skates and can turn on a dime and leave defenders in the dust. Has a good release and skates the puck down the wing real well. Would like to see him play better away from the puck as he does get caught standing still too often."
132 - Dallas: Thomas Grégoire
133 - Florida:
134 - Los Angeles: Cayden Primeau
"Son of gritty, former power forward Keith Primeau who enjoyed a 15-year NHL career, Cayden is making his mark in net and currently developing his game with the Lincoln Stars. While his USHL statistics don’t impress (10-8-1, 3.29 GAA, .890 SV %), his tools do. At 6'3" and 180 pounds, Primeau covers the net effectively with a combination of size, agility, and positioning. He projects as a potential NHL starter."
135 - Chicago (from Carolina): Dylan Coghlan
136 - Winnipeg: Jocktan Chainey
137 - Philadelphia: Pavel Shen
"Now listed at 6'1" Pavel Shen is a skilled forward who lead his MHL team in scoring despite being only a 17 years born in august. With our numerous picks selecting this Russian player was worth the risk in the 5th round since we can potentially envision him being a high reward pick."
138 - Los Angeles (from TB): Filip Sveningsson
139 - NYI: Jack Dugan
"Shredded the high school competition and is overdue for the next level of challenge but wanted to finish his academic year. Will play at Providence after a year in USHL next season. Has a 6'2 frame and is a good skater."
140 - Nashville: Linus Nyman
141 - Calgary: Emil Bemström
"Bemstrom’s best attributes are his speed and shot as he excels at finding creases and angles to get pucks on net. Also, not only does he have good speed but he's also very quick to react in tight space. Not very big but he's among the younger players of the draft, so I would think there's still time to grow. He also has to work on his defensive game."
142 - Toronto: Mario Ferraro
143 - Carolina (from Boston): Dereck Baribeau
144 - Pittsburgh (from Ottawa): Ryan Peckford
145 - San Jose: D'artagnan Joly
"Love the name, but the combination of size and skills makes him interesting. Excellent skating, big winger, who handles the biscuit well while in flight and has some creativity in the offensive zone, play for 60min and display a hard quick shoot. He plays for a weaker team, some time tried to do too much alone... Might be is hockey IQ but I think it is the lack of a quality line mate to compliment his game and visualize the attack as well as he does. I think I read somewhere that he has 7 siblings and 2 of them play Pro hockey in the AHL and Germany."
146 - Chicago (from STL): Cameron Crotty
147 - NYR: Brendan De Jong
148 - Edmonton: Jan Drozg
149 - Montreal: Gustav Lindstrom
150 - Anaheim: Scott Walford
"When Reddekopp went down with an injury late in the season Walford was given a more offensive role and responded in spades, scoring 14 points in his final 13 games. He already was impressing scouts defensively...very mobile for his size, and an edge to his game. Look for him to be a key figure on Victoria's blueline next season as a solid-two-way defenceman."
151 - Minnesota: Jesse Koskenkorva
"Jesse is one of the younger players in this draft class being a ’99 born player. He ripped it up in the Finland J20 league this year with over a PPG (41 pts in 38 games) which left him ranked 26th in the Midterm Euro rankings. He joined Kärpät in SM Liiga, but didn’t put up the same production as he did on the junior team, which resulted in his final rankings dropping to 63. We think this production drop was due to the jump to playing with Men at the age of 17. With some more growth in size and strength we feel that Jesse can up his production in Liiga next year, and develop into a 2nd/3rd line centre for our organization.
Scout Report from FinnProspects: He has good skating mechanics. An agile skater with solid speed, he is highly mobile with good footwork. With his sound decision making, play reading and strong commitment to the defensive game, he is already effective defensively at present. He does have pretty good hands and shooting ability. In addition, he hasn’t been extremely effective in the face-off dot. However, there were times this season when he showed lots of positives offensively for Kärpät U20."
152 - Columbus: Sebastien Repo
153 - Chicago: Clayton Phillips
"Clayton Phillips is not overly big or physical but he has good IQ, skating, and puck skills. He's attending Minnesota in the NCAA so he will be able to continue to develop his game and polish his hockey skills as he is a good athlete but could be more solid using his tools."
154 - Pittsburgh: Dylan Ferguson
"Dylan got some time to shine when Connor Ingram left for World Juniors. He posted insane stats and went on a winning streak to hold the fort for the team without their starter. His stock may rise next year when he gets to be the unanimous starter. He moves well, technically sound, a battler in net."
155 - Washington: Tommy Miller
Round Six:
156 - Colorado: Mark Rubinchik
"Rubinchik plays physical even though he's only 6 feet tall. Very good skater, agile, edge work, first steps. He has offensive potential from the back end and had a great year in North America. His potential showed more at the U-18 at the end of the year."
157 - NYR (from Vancouver): Denis Mikhnin
"While on the smaller side, Denis is a great skater with a wide arsenal of shots who finds ways to make plays around the net with slick hands and a quick release. A bit of a perimeter/PP player due to size, but has a feisty element and is an on-ice leader and competitor despite being just a rookie. Has many tools that could serve him well should he survive the increased physicality of the NHL environment."
158 - Las Vegas: Marian Studenic
"Marian is a game changer. His speed his elite and his offensive acumen is second to none. Marian needs to work on better reading the entire play, as well as confidence in himself and his teammates. His defensive game needs to be refined, but his high work ethic should help him understand that part of the game. Coming over to North America and dealing with the high traffic areas, while still being able to put forth the effort he did is quite remarkable. We really feel like his kid is a steal this late in the game."
159 - SJ (from Arizona): Austin Pratt
160 - New Jersey: Kirill Slepets
"Slepets is an offensively skilled player, great shot, good skater, good hockey IQ and offensive instincts. On the downside, he's pretty small, both in height and overall mass, and his defensive play is very 'meh'. Got a nice work ethic though, and got a bit of 'sand' in his game. Pretty bad regular season, but had decent playoffs even though his team got eliminated quickly, and had a very good U-18 tournament. Pure project. "
161 - Buffalo: Samuel Bucek
"Samuel is a big boy with soft hands and a great shot. While perhaps not as physically engaging as you might want/expect from someone with his stature, he does excel in traffic areas and cycling off the half-boards with his work ethic, surprising quickness, and ability to drop the shoulder and get good shots off mid-stride. Skates well enough get up and down the ice quickly, but needs to develop a bit on the defensive side of things. Pretty mobile for a big guy, but could stand to improve there, too. A lack of consistency midseason caused him to drop in some rankings, but his start and finish to the season speak to his potential as he improves and starts playing a larger role (particularly on special teams) next year."
162 - Detroit: Alexander True
163 - Dallas: Dayton Rasmussen
164 - Detroit (from Florida): Sami Moilanen
"Asmall right winger who is a really good and fast skater. A hard working and a tenacious player who is not afraid of contact despite his lack of size."
165 - Los Angeles: Petrus Palmu
"The only thing stopping Palmu from being a sure fire NHL draft pick is his underwhelming size. AT 5'6, 165 pounds, Palmu gets by on speed, smarts, offensive flash and capable defensive play. He was one of Owen Sounds most impressive players this season and has he continues to progress and get stronger, he could be a force in the OHL."
166 - Winnipeg: Simon Stransky
167 - Philadelphia: Liam Hawel
"Former 1st round pick in the OHL, Hawel is 6'5" power forward who played a defensive role in the WJC18 for team Canada. He had limited offensive production last two seasons in the OHL due to the fact that the he was playing on a team who had high depth at the forward positions which meant he had limited ice time/PP. He has been traded in the middle of this season and consequently increased his production at .5ppg. With the physical attributes he posses we can envision him having a rapid growth in his development, he particularly has a lot of room for mass gain to go along his frame. He might eventually become the type of bottom6 forward every NHL team dream of having, if not to surpass those expectations."
168 - Tampa Bay: Vladislav Yeryomenko
"With our last D-man, we chose a massive 6'7" Eemeli Rasanen. With this late round pick, we decided to select a smaller and more speedy D-man with the great vision and playmaking skills. This year being his first taste of North American hockey on a regular basis, we like what we see. The kid seems to be adapting quickly to the environment around him."
169 - Chicago (from NYI): Patrik Hrehorcak
170 - New Jersey (from NSH): Ben Jones
"'He has very good speed and decent size to play an energy role for his squad. Good on faceoffs. He doesn’t shy away from the physical game, but he also doesn’t go out seeking it. At the same time, he doesn’t shy away from the dirty areas and will score most of his goals directly in front of the opposition net. He does possess a hard, accurate shot with a very good release.
Jones is a good skater with good speed and very good vision. He handles the puck extremely well and uses his teammates exceptionally well.
Jones’ biggest need is to add strength and he’s aware of that, taking part in strength building. And having played most of his hockey life to date as a defenceman, he’s aware of the defensive game, which is probably why he’s such a good two-way player.''
171 - Calgary: Daniil Tarasov
"Tarasov was one of the main reasons Russia achieved decent results at the 2016 U18 WJC as he was voted as one of Russia's top 3 players. Tarasov's NHL comparable would be Sergei Bobrovsky. Daniil is a quick and athletic goaltender, which gives him the capacity to make breathtaking saves. Unfortunately Tarasov got seriously injured. He missed the whole 2016-2017 season, with a knee injury. Despite that, Bob McKenzie ranked him 52nd overall in his midseason rankings."
172 - Toronto: Yarsolav Alexeev
173 - Boston: Jacob Tortora
174 - Ottawa: Dylan Plouffe
"Plouffe is a sound and solid defender on all 3 zones. Incredible feature is that he DOUBLED his goal totals from last year (shut up, let me dream) and that I am going to say what everybody says to feel better about themselves....HE'S GOT A LOT OF UNTAPPED POTENTIAL.
175 - San Jose: Logan Cockerill
176 - St. Louis: Kirill Ustimenko
"The big belarussian net-minder adds a mature game with good technique to his size. He played very well in his two starts for Russia at the U18s, posting a shut out in the bronze medal game against Sweden and allowing 1 goal in 62 shots against, total. His numbers were fantastic in the MHL this year, as well."
177 - Nashville (from NYR): Jonathan Smart
A smart all around defender, he is rock solid in his own zone, and has untapped potential in the offensive zone. Really came into his own when he was traded to the Regina Pats.
178 - Edmonton:
179 - Tampa Bay (from Montreal):
180 - Anaheim:
Link to old mock drafts:
2007 - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=377354
2008 - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=516175
2009 - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=626193
2010 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=750317
2010 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=774740
2011 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=891827
2011 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=919706
2012 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1120791
2012 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1195589
2013 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1357589
2013 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1434055
2014 - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1614021
2015 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1850345
2015 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1898677
2016 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2045777
2016 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2078445
Who is interested in continuing this annual tradition on our board?
Here are the assigned teams:
Anaheim: Grant McCagg
Arizona: Boyon90
Boston: Hope of Glory
Buffalo: Ohashi_Jouzu
Calgary: Mathletic
Carolina: QuebecPride
Chicago: Jeffrey
Colorado: WeThreeKings
Columbus: Habs76
Dallas: Toene
Detroit: Subban signed e5
Edmonton: Chris Cutter
Florida: zaluty
Los Angeles: Sergachevosaurus
Minnesota: Khabby
Montreal: TT1
Nashville: hoc123
New Jersey: L4br3cqu3
NYI: MarkovtoSubban
NYR: Ohashi_Jouzu
Ottawa: Whitesnake
Philadelphia: ProspectsFanatic
Pittsburgh: DekeLikeYouMeanIt
San Jose: calder candidate
St. Louis: NotProkofievian
Tampa Bay: OriginalCanadian
Toronto: IceDaddy
Vancouver: le_sean
Vegas: Natey
Washington: yoteshot
Winnipeg: Fozz
Here's a quick reminder of the rules:
STARTS ON APRIL 30TH
- For teams, I will use a randomizer.
- No trades as always.
- As always, please PM the next guy in the draft once you're done making your selection.
- If you feel you may miss your selection, please PM myself or another active draft member with a list of players. If it's decided that you've taken too long and you're MIA, an auto-pick will be made for you.
- When making your selection, please include a gm or scout-like quote about that player stating why you selected him.
- As with the more recent drafts, we will begin the draft with no set time limit on the picks. We're all reasonably active posters, so let's try to make this a very active draft. We'll see how it goes and then make a decision if we have to. If a poster is taking too long, we'll shoot them a PM to see what's up.
Round One:
1 - New Jersey: Nico Hischier
''Hischier is a playmaker, with outstanding vision and passing ability. He has very good hockey sense, and anticipates his teammates movements in the offensive zone. Hischier has a very quick first step, excellent acceleration and agility, as well as great edgework. This, along with quick hands, allow him to avoid defenders and make him very elusive when working the puck in the offensive zone. His ability to make plays with the puck, while moving at top speed is something that is pretty rare to see in a 17-year-old. Hischier also has a very high work ethic, he never seems to stop working during a shift.'' (from http://lastwordonsports.com/2016/11/...ings-top-five/)
2 - Philadelphia: Nolan Patrick
3 - Dallas: Gabriel Vilardi
"We really like Vilardi's strength and puck handling skills, tools that help him create space for himself in the offensive zone. He's agressive on the forecheck and battles hard for pucks along the boards or in front of the net. His finishing abilities are remarkable, he possesses an impressive release. We think he will complement an already deep offense on the Dallas Stars and add a bit of power/punch to our top-6 forwards group, be it at center or wing."
4 - Colorado: Cody Glass
"Had a huge growth spurt, is adjusting to that and put up a huge season number wise for a Portland team that is not as good as they have been in recent years. Soft hands, good vision, great hockey IQ, has a great one-timer and a knack for getting open. Skating needs improvement in the first few steps but we believe that is more an issue with getting used to his height rather than mechanical."
5 - Vancouver: Miro Heiskanen
"We are excited to get the best defenceman at the draft at #5. Heiskanen does everything well and has shot up through the rankings this season, showing fantastic progression. Not out of place as a 17 year old playing in a men's league, he has proved just how much better he is than his peers at the U18s. He is an elite skating defenceman with incredible hockey sense. He his the new breed of NHL defenceman. What entices the Canucks even more is that even though he's a LHD, Heiskanen can play the right side. We feel he could pair up with last year's 5th overall pick, fellow Finn, Olli Juolevi. We are excited to add Miro to our pool that needs a lot of help."
6 - Las Vegas: Owen Tippett
"Since this is our first ever selection, we decided to go big instead of going home. There were some safer selections that our GM Natey would have likely picked had he not had Vegas, but with the inaugural pick of this organization we just could not leave a player with this shot, skill, and speed on the board. Welcome to Vegas, Owen!"
7 - Arizona: Timothy Liljegren
"Elite skater both in terms of speed & agility. Played well at 5-Nations, finishing 2nd in shots"
8 - Buffalo: Casey Mittelstadt
"Though fairly deep already in centres, we feel Casey is quite simply the best player available. Best described as "the complete package of speed, skill, and hockey sense", he makes things happen every time he's on the ice. His speed and puckhandling create plenty of scoring chances for himself, but what sticks out is how much it creates chances for his teammates, too. Smart, highly skilled, excellent vision, good first step, can change speeds creatively and effectively, has a wide arsenal of shots as his disposal, and can make plays in tight spaces. Like all highly skilled/prolific scorers, the main question marks come on the defensive side of the puck, but he has all the tools to develop that side of his game, too."
9 - Detroit: Nick Suzuki
"After an impressive showing at the Ivan Hlinka this summer Suzuki got out of the gate slowly along with his team. The past couple of months, however, no one has been hotter than the 5-11 center, and he’s helped transform the Attack into one of the top teams in the CHL. One of the smartest players in the draft – his keen anticipation and vision make him a very dangerous offensive player at the junior level."
10 - Florida: Eeli Tolvanen
"This goal-scoring winger is a real offensive threat…plays with speed, intensity and skills…elusive with the puck on his stick…likes to shoot and has an impressive accurate shot with an absolutely deadly release…positions himself correctly to be open for the one-timer…a smooth, agile skater and covers ground at high rates of speed in transition…quick thinker who doesn’t stop moving his feet…good speed when carrying the puck and can accelerate quickly"
11 - Los Angeles: Martin Necas
"Necas has the potential to be a two-way, top six centre at the next level. With his speed and play making ability, as well as his work in his own end, he should be highly sought after on draft day. He will needs some time to continue developing and adding muscle mass, and that could either happen in the Czech Republic next year, or perhaps in the CHL or AHL. In terms of a player comparison, his speed and ability to make plays with the puck is reminiscent of Nathan MacKinnon, of the Colorado Avalanche, but that is a style comparison only, and not one based on skill and ability.''
12 - Carolina: Klim Kostin
13 - Winnipeg: Cale Makar
"While he may be considered undersized, Makar is a dynamic offensive defenceman with speed and skill that is very competitive and has the undeniable hockey sense to help him become an impact player in the NHL. The UMass commit is highly intelligent with and without the puck and possesses superb skating skills, blending speed, explosiveness, agility and elusiveness. He consistently makes good decisions, runs the PP exceptionally well and knows when to join the rush."
14 - Tampa Bay: Elias Pettersson
"Elias Petterson has top end speed and uses his strong hockey IQ to get past defenders. With a little more bulk to his 6'2" frame, Elias can become a force with the puck. The combination of his vision, stickhandling, and passing abilities he is a lethal threat with or without the puck. He is a smart two-way player, making him trustworthy in his own zone while rarely being caught out of position. There is no doubt in our minds that with more bulk, his three-zone work ethic and his strong offensive abilities, Elias will become a productive NHL player for the Tampa Bay Lightning."
15 - NYI: Rob Thomas
"GM says "He's a coach's dream, does all the little things right and never takes a shift off. Raised his game in the playoffs. Really strong skater with great vision."
16 - Nashville: Michael Rasmussen
"A strong two way center, he uses his towering size (6'5"), and strong core to win puck battles and to protect the puck. He also is very good in the defensive end, and is able to contribute to the penalty kill. With a style of play like Ryan Getzlaf, his potential is a two way top 6 center."
17 - Calgary: Jesper Boqvist
"The kid is very smart, creative and is an absolute speedster at center. He plays the game at a very high pace. Wtih a great first step, quickness and balance Boqvist is a very skilled puck carrier. He has also shown he's more than willing to play in traffic against men in the Swedish Hockey League. He still has to improve and his game and effort away from the puck and improve on his shot. He has shown he can play center in junior hockey. Has yet done it at the pro level but he has what it takes to make it as a centerman in the long run, with his creativity and puck carrying skills."
18 - Toronto: Callan Foote
"He is not afraid of playing physical and benefits from his big body and strength in battles. Possess decent shooting tools and is not only limited to a pure big and mean defender, but also distributes the puck smoothly and creates offence. We feel he will compliment our young group for many years to come."
19 - Boston: Lias Andersson
"After selecting many good young defensemen and wingers in the top rounds of the last two draft, we were hoping a center would fall to our pick. Given that Andersson was the highest player left on our list, we couldn't be happier to get a solid two-way center with this pick. With a high compete level and solid offensive instincts, we're confident Lias will help us a lot in all three zones down the road."
20 - Ottawa: Kristian Vesalainen
"Aside from the infamous "We can't believe he was still available", needless to say that we love the package that the kid brings. Speed, skills, size and talent are on top of any scout list with regards to Kristian. What's also pretty impressive is his 2-way game that has matured a lot over the past year. We just feel we got an incredible value at this rank, a kid that has room to develop, being one of the youngest player in the draft, into a hell of a package when all is said and done."
21 - San Jose: Kailer Yamamoto
"A small guy who seems to instantly make any linemates better due to his fabulous playmaking ability and smarts. A terrific skater, his ability to change speeds is a weapon, with excellent edge work, great agility and tremendous hands that allow him to be extremely elusive in one-on-one or in tight spaces. Displays excellent vision, darts into the open areas or into the battle areas snatching loose pucks and capitalizing. He is more of a playmaker but he is equally dangerous as set up man or a scorer with a very quick release on is shots which he get off without much of a wind-up at all."
22 - St. Louis: Juuso Valimaki
23 - NYR: Jaret Anderson-Dolan
24 - Edmonton: Conor Timmins
"The Edmonton Oilers are proud to select, from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, defenseman Conor Timmins. We are very impressed by the way he's been used by his team in the OHL and his advanced stats are quite remarkable. Considering our depth up front, it was a no brainer to pick a guy like Conor who was surprisingly still there at #24. The fact that Timmins is a RHD bodes well considering that we have Nurse & Klefbom on the left side. We hope for him to become a main stay on our top three for years to come."
25 - Montreal: Erik Brannstrom
"Brannstrom is supremely talented, he pretty much is the complete package offensively and his shot is a lethal weapon (very accurate wrister) that will do him wonders in the NHL. He will need to fill up before making the jump to the NHL but he's always played against older players and has outperformed them, we believe that he'll be able to transition his game into the NHL.
He's one of the youngest players in the draft and is already holding his own in the SHL, he played his 1st full J20 season last year as a young 16 year old player and was one of the best dmen in the league."
26 - Anaheim: Ryan Poehling
27 - Arizona (from Minnesota): Matthew Strome
28 - Columbus: Nicolas Hague
"Hague is a hulking defender, with good hands, a powerful shot and a long reach. His skating needs some work, but we see a lot of potential in this big man."
29 - Chicago: Jake Oettinger
"Oettinger, whose size and athleticism make him an ideal NHL goalie prospect. Despite his young age, he has a very mature approach to his development and has good insight into his position.
Jake Oettinger is a potential franchise netminder who possess all the tools to succeed at the NHL level. It's always hard to project goaltender and their projection take much longer than other prospects that being said you have to go with the guy with the most potential/talent. I have Oettinger as one of the best goalkeeping prospect in years. He is a guy with a head on his shoulder and the willingness to improve.
As per the hockey news some tidbit from Oettinger:
“Every goalie in the NHL, with maybe the exception of Carey Price, could become a better skater," he said. "If you’re on your feet as long as you possibly can be, you give yourself a better chance to make a save. That’s what I’ve been working on. That, and tracking the puck. That’s so big in the game now. Shots and releases are so fast; you gotta be good at tracking the puck if you’re going to make saves.”
30 - Pittsburgh: Jason Robertson
31 - St. Louis (from Washington): Urho Vaakanainen
"Urho Vaakanainen is a smooth skating, puck moving minute-eater in the making. We couldn't believe he was available with the 31st overall pick. Some doubt his offensive upside, but we feel that his skating, quick thinking, and first pass will do enough to tilt the ice in his team's favour. Already possessing tremendous experience at the professional level in Liiga for his age, we feel that he'll make the big club sooner rather than later."
Round Two:
32 - Colorado: Filip Chytil
"One of the youngest players in the draft, we see tremendous upside in him at the most important forward position. Wins his draws, has soft hands with creative dangles,
makes great passes and shows strong vision. Has high IQ in both zones, regularly supports his defenseman and makes efficient break-outs and zone entries. Is deft with his stick around the net and goes to the front of the net for tips and deflections. We think there is a top 6 C potential with this player."
33 - Vancouver: Kole Lind
34 - Las Vegas: Shane Bowers
"We're very proud to select someone who we project as a steal in this draft. This kid has all the tools to be an everyday player in the NHL very soon. He's quick, agile, and very smart. He gives 110% effort everywhere on the ice and always makes good decisions. People are going to be very surprised by his development over the next couple of years. We see this kid playing in our top-6 sooner than later. We're very happy to welcome Shane to our organization!"
35 - Arizona: Ivan Chekhovich
"The thing that surprise me the most about Chekhovich is when he touch the puck he just switch gear so fast, he make it look like he was just floating around the whole time but yet he was already fast. Got the vision of a peripheral player while pursuing a good north/south play so he doesn't stagnate in the zone with the puck."
36 - New Jersey: Isaac Ratcliffe
''Ratcliffe projects as a middle-six power forward with some upside. With continued improvement in his skating, he could make a run at becoming a consistent top-six player. The size is tantalizing and he’s not done growing. He could approach 220-225 pounds. He could be a force in front of the opponent’s net for years to come. Ratcliffe has the potential to be a top six winger in the NHL, and be the type of power forward that teams covet. With his size, skill, and hockey sense he presents an intriguing package come draft day. Ratcliffe is still a bit of an unpolished player though, he will need time to add the muscle on his frame to play at the pro level, as well as to further refine his skills. In terms of a stylistic comparison, Ratcliffe is reminiscent of Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers. One of the few bright spots on a poor Ghelp Storm team last season, kid really wants it, he's a project, but one that could pay off, especially at 36 (had to do a double check, thought he was long gone)."
37 - Buffalo: Henri Jokiharju
"We're extremely excited to add a player like Henri who can bring a high level of transition play from the right side. He has great speed and agility, is highly elusive, and shows tremendous confidence with the puck and under forechecking pressure. Consistently a driver of transition and offense, to the point where sometimes you wonder if he ever comes off the ice. Not the biggest guy, and that will be one of his obvious challenges adapting to the next level, but his footwork and quick decision-making get him out of most tough spots where others don't. To top everything off, he's skilled at placing both wristers and one-timers, though he'd be well-served with a bit of muscle to add to its velocity. A definite offensive threat with the tools to play a cerebral defensive style."
38 - Detroit: Maxime Comtois
"Comtois is most comfortable at right wing, but can play any forward position; as a center he has won 50.4 percent of the 272 faceoffs he has taken. He can be used in all situations because of his size and speed. He is skilled and very competitive and plays the game with an edge."
39 - Dallas: Pierre-Olivier Joseph
40 - Florida: Nikita Popugaev
"A big kid (6-foot-5, 208 lb.) who can really move his feet and make plays at top speed. He’s a right-hand shot who plays the left wing (traditional Russian)."
41 - Los Angeles: Aleksi Heponiemi
42 - Carolina: Nicklas Henry
"Despite his average skating, Nick has a knack to find the seams in the offensive zone whether it is by feathering a pass to a teammate or isolating himself to pull the trigger. We believe his hockey smarts should propel him to an NHL career."
43 - Winnipeg: Grant Mismash
"LW with a nice blend of skill and grit. He can score with finesse, by using his excellent shot or by driving the net hard. He enjoys the physical side of the game and works hard to excel in all facets of the game."
44 - Philadelphia: Josh Norris
"Josh Norris had a big spike in his development this season and became one of the core pieces of the USDP U18 team. Complemented with his excellent skating ability he has a well rounded game in all areas of the game."
45 - Tampa Bay: Eemeli Rasanen
46 - NYI: Morgan Frost
"He's got elite speed and is smart about how he uses it. Patient with the puck and creative, played on both special teams. Son of Leafs Lunch host Andy Frost, so bloodlines are good. Great name for a fantasy novel character."
47 - Nashville: Marcus Davidsson
"A two-way center, he is quick on the ice. While is speed is good, it's his first step and acceleration, as well strong lower body, that allows to be great against the boards and in puck battles. A simple player, he does all the little things right, although he does suffer a lack of creativity. Defensively he is a smart payer, playing well positionally, and being a penalty killer on Swedish National Teams. While he won't be a top player in the NHL, his potential should a #2C who can play against top lines."
48 - Ottawa (from Calgary): Joni Ikonen
"This diminutive but extremely skilled forward continuously showed his hockey IQ throughout the last U-18. Everyting is impressive in this player especially how NHL ready his wrister already is. Showed some great vision throughout the tournament too. Needs to use his teamates more, great news is that the Sens just reunite this perfect duo with Vesalainen."
49 - Tampa Bay (from Toronto): Ostap Safin
"We believe that we are getting incredible value by picking Ostap Safin at 49th overall. Safin has produced at every level that he has been thrown in, he has proven himself at the international level as well. By using that 6'4" frame of his, he is able to muscle smaller players off the puck and then keep it away from the opposition. He can drive the offense on any line, while also being quite responsible in his own end. His creativity is much to be desired but with his incredibly accurate shot and good foot speed, we do not think that it will become an issue."
50 - New Jersey (from Boston): Jonah Gadjovich
51 - Dallas (from Anaheim/Toronto/Ottawa): Alexei Lipanov
“Open up ice quickly’ type of speed that can break down defenders and leave them defenseless. Also has excellent agility and quickness that he uses in tight areas to be elusive. Very smart and he makes good plays everywhere in the game and he competes hard. Has an excellent shot and is a hungry, determined player. Very responsible centre in the Russian mold of centres.” – Craig Button @ TSN.
52 - Toronto (from San Jose): Adam Ruzicka
"His size and skill level were too compelling for us to pass on. He is a big, solid center with offensive upside. He will fit right in with our core group."
53 - St. Louis: Antoine Morand
54 - Carolina (from NYR): Mason Shaw
"By picking Mason, our scouting staff is swinging for the fences with an offensive sparkplug that is not afraid to get his nose dirty. Although on the smaller side, we believe his offensive acumen and elusiveness combined with good skating ability and agility gives him an interesting expectancy to play in the NHL down the road."
55 - Boston (from Edmonton): Alex Formenton
56 - Montreal: Evan Barratt
"Barratt is an extremely smart player with great hands and playmaking ability, plays a 200 foot game as well."
57 - Anaheim: Josh Brook
"Brook played 25 minutes per game in all situations for a strong team in Moose Jaw. Mobile, poised, smart and a good first pass."
58 - Buffalo (from Minnesota): Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
"This year is fairly deep for goaltending, and we're happy to get one of the very best among them. U-P is a big goalie who rarely looks spectacular because he relies on solid positioning and good, efficient technique, which helps him cut down on rebounds. Has very good reflexes and shows confidence handling the puck a bit, though he could improve that as part of his NHL skills repertoire. Competitive and strong, we think he's definitely among the top 3 goaltenders available this year, despite suffering with pneumonia for part of the season, and great value at this point in the draft."
59 - Columbus: Filip Westerlund
"Westerlund is a defenseman who stands out with his vision and puck control. Plays a calm, cerebral game and can hit forwards with long passes from the backend. Defensively, there is room for improvement given his hockey IQ. Also, his skating could use some work, especially his first few steps. Isn't that agile yet, either."
60 - Chicago: Reilly Walsh
61 - Carolina (from Pittsburgh): Alexandre Texier
62 - Montreal (from Washington): Ivan Lodnia
"Ivan is extremely talented, he works very hard and has a nose for the net. He's struggled to produce in the playoffs but luckily that most likely made him available to us in the late 2nd.
Ivan has had to match up against top lines on a defensive role and sadly he doesnt play with great linemates (Pettit as his center), which has definitely hurt his production. On top of that he's not seeing PP1 minutes with guys like Raddysh, DeBrincat and Strome ahead of him and that has also limited his minutes all season long. That said, i expect big things from him once he gets more minutes and offensive freedom."
Round Three:
63 - New Jersey (from Colorado): Stelio Mattheos
"Projects as a Top 6 Offensive C/RW. More of an offensive off the rush player. Is a very good skater, has a heavy shot (that he should use more often), usually more a pass-first player and he's very good at it. Doesn't mind the rough stuff, goes into the dirty areas, and will defend himself if need be. Pretty solid at the cycling game. Overall hockey sense is questionable at times, offensive instincts are there but he is probably more of a support player, and needs work in his own zone. Still, at this point, he's too enticing to let pass."
64 - Vancouver: Lukas Elvenes
65 - Las Vegas: Michael DiPietro
66 - Florida (from Arizona): Keith Petruzzelli
"We need to replenish our depth at goalie and feel Keith has the skill to play in the NHL. We wre surprised he was still available."
67 - New Jersey: Robin Salo
"Not very big nor a very good skater, Salo’s game start with responsible and effective defensive zone play. He is positionally sound and reads the play well to keep his positioning on the ice where it pushes attacking forward to the board. Salo has a smart and active stick which helps him separate the puck from the opposition. Additionally, he possesses a good shot from the point and launches the puck quickly but accuracy could stand improvement as too many pucks sail wide of the net after he finds a lane.
His decisions with the puck no matter if it is a shot or a pass are quick and his zone exit passes to move the play up ice are dependable as he generates most of his production by getting the puck to the forwards and supporting the play. Defensively Salo sticks to the system and rarely makes an ill-advised pinch in the offensive zone.''
68 - Buffalo: Scott Reedy
"While the U18 tournament has shifted attention to current teammate, and former Shattuck teammate, Grant Mismash, we remain impressed with the size, skill, and compete combination you get from Scott. Has all the tools to play a really effective and aggressive simple game... if he learns to play within the framework of a more simple game. Can try to be too fancy or pull of difficult plays for no reason sometimes, but he is also one of the best players below the hashmarks in his peer group. Big, strong, determined, with the skills to finish or stickhandle in the tight areas down low, but gets around just fine in open ice as well - with or without the puck."
69 - Arizona (from San Jose, from Detroit): Sasha Chmelevski
70 - Dallas: Artyom Minulin
71 - Detroit (from Florida): Ian Mitchell
72 - Los Angeles: Sebastian Aho
"A mobile defenseman with tremendous hockey sense. Is on the small side, but usually solves situations easily with his exceptional way of reading the game. Likes to carry the puck and does that with confidence. Very good passer and a defenseman that can be used in most situations."
73 - Carolina: Antoine Crête-Belzile
74 - Winnipeg: Markus Philips
"Phillips plays both sides of the game well and, while his offensive game may not translate to the next level, he possesses very good mobility, strength, smarts, gap control and an active stick to be very efficient in the defensive side of the game."
75 - Philadelphia: Max Gildon
"Max Gildon is the prototypical NHL defenseman, there is nothing particularly flashy about his game, but he is big guy with good skating abilities who has a strong 2-way game and can play in all situations, who can play a physical game and provide a powerful shot from the point. We project him to be a 2nd/3rd pairing defenseman at the NHL level."
76 - Tampa Bay: Morgan Geekie
"In our opinion, Geekie is the best overager in this year's draft. His development has skyrocketed since going undrafted in 2016. With the lack of a 4th or 5th round pick this year, we decided that we had to act now. Geekie is a strong two-way player who is dominant on the faceoff dot. His footspeed still needs some work. Overall, we like his all around game and see a lot of potential in him."
77 - NYI: Zach Gallant
"Zach is a big strong center, tough as nails and plays hard every shift. One of the best in the league at faceoffs with a win % over 60. Needs work on his skating and agility, but a project with a pro upside."
78 - Nashville: Noel Hoefenmayer
"Noel Hoefenmayer has managed to have a great year with the 67's, becoming one of their most trusted defensemen, playing on both the PK and PP. A jack of all trades defensemen, he is good at every facet of the game, although he lacks an ability he excels at. A creative player on defense, he is great at making small adjustments to find his teammates, and while he is on the small side for a defensemen (just 6"0), he is good defensively, great at breaking up plays, and taking the puck out of the zone. His potential is likely as a steady #4-5 defensemen."
79 - Arizona (from Calgary): David Farrance
80 - Detroit (from Toronto): Jake Leschyshyn
81 - Philadelphia (from Boston): Jack Studnicka
"Studnicka had a strong finish this season leading his team in the playoff with 11-5-10-15. Studnicka is a 2-way player who compete hard every shift. He shown good amount of speed and flashes offensively which could translate at the pro level. Studnicka is the type of player who does the little things well and can be used up and down your lineup."
82 - Chicago (from Carolina, from Ottawa): MacKenzie Entwistle
83 - San Jose: Kasper Kotkansalo
84 - Edmonton (from St. Louis): Greg Meireles
"We like how Meireles fared in his first season in the OHL, despite his small stature we believe he has a lot of the tools required for today's NHL: smarts and speed. We hope that he's a late bloomer and that he keeps progressing as his role in Kitchener grows"
85 - Detroit (from NYR): Brady Lyle
"Lyle has strong hockey sense and vision that make him a two-way defender. Lyle could stand to be more physical and that may come as he adds more muscle to his frame. He is excellent at positioning himself in the d-zone and his stick is very active. He transitions to the offense with relative ease, almost always making the right decisions."
86 - Edmonton: Rickard Hugg
87 - Montreal: Kyle Olson
"Defensively responsible, works hard, smart and skilled player (criterias that we've emphasized on for our current draft). Plays all 3 positions, spent some time on Geekie's wing but then moved to center after Rasmussen went down."
88 - Anaheim: Cale Fleury
"Fleury flew under the radar playing for such a poor team this season, but showed at the Top Prospects Game when playing with better prospects that he is quite possibly one of the four best CHL defencemen available in this draft. Finished second on his team in points...like his brother he is a good skater, competes, passes the puck well and has a dangerous point shot. He has all of the tools to be a number 4 or 5 defenceman in the NHL."
89 - Minnesota: Jarret Tyszka
90 - Columbus: Lane Zablocki
91 - Detroit (from Chicago, from Carolina): Nate Schnarr
92 - Pittsburgh: Michael Anderson
93 - Buffalo (from Washington): Dmitri Samorukov
"What's not to like about Samorukov? Big, mobile, smooth, and rarely makes a mistake with the puck, even under pressure. Continues to get bigger and stronger which will compliment offensive and defensive skills at the next level. Already very patient with the puck, he's pretty consistently able to find openings for his passes and shots. Another one of those 1st round talents that we've been lucky to find still available in the later rounds."
Round Four:
94 - Colorado: Maxim Zhukov
"If you can't get a Russian defenseman who could be a top 4 D, you do the next best thing, you get a Russian goalie who could be the best goalie in the draft. Quick laterally,
one of the best glove hands we've seen in a draft eligible prospect. He steals games and plays with a fire and flair to his game. Great crease management. The only downside is.. focus, which is what all goalies struggle with when they are young. Not an issue, just needs to keep his upward trajectory."
95 - Vancouver: Jonas Røndbjerg
"We are happy to add another skilled winger to our system. Jonas is a big winger with nice skills that shows ability in all zones, a very responsible player. One of the top under 18 scorers in the SuperElit, and even got a 5 game stint with the senior club. We like Jonas' potential hope he can continue his upward trend."
96 - Las Vegas: Kirill Maksimov
"Kirill is a player who really came into his own once he was traded to the Ice Dogs and given an opportunity. The sample size is small, but he has the kind of package you can't turn your head at this late in the game. He's got good size and he's willing to use his size although we feel he could still use it more. He's an above average skater and has a drive to put in the puck in the net. He's able to dish the puck and he sees the offensive zone really well. His defensive game needs work, but he's already working on improving it. This is the kind of player you take further down in the draft. He's got all the tools to be a Top-6 NHL Forward and we believe that he can put all the tools together to make one hell of a player!"
97 - Minnesota (from Arizona): Michael Pastujov
"Michael had a very productive U18 tournament this year, winning the gold medal with USA while being a PPG. Michael also lead the Hlinka Tournament last summer with 9 points in 4 games for Team USA. He will be joining his brother Nick (Islanders draft pick last year) at the University of Michigan in the NCAA."
98 - New Jersey: Nate Knoepke
99 - Buffalo: Joel Teasdale
"In the words of coach Joel Bouchard, he's a Swiss Army knife. Relegated to the 2nd line after loading up for the playoffs, Teasdale still figured prominently on both sides of special teams while chipping in his share of the offense. Not spectacular, but easy to coach and ever-improving, he's strong, smart, and protects the puck well. Good shot, good instincts, good on the forecheck, and willing to work in the dirty areas. Lots to like here from a mid-round pick."
100 - Detroit: Pavel Koltygin
"Koltygin shows good instincts in the offensive zone and can find the open ice and get into a good shooting position where he can release a good, accurate shot. Developing an NHL calibre wrist shot that he puts all his weight into. Has shown improvement in his defensive play over the season but still needs to show consistency in working his way back to the neutral zone to back check."
101 - Dallas: Tyler Steenbergen
"Somewhat of a reach but our scouting staff liked his progression since last season and couldnt help but notice him while scouting his teammate Artyom Minulin."
102 - NYR (from Florida): Jack Rathbone
103 - Los Angeles: Martin Bodák
"Slovakian defender with good mobility, speed, and competitiveness. Smart and effective Slovak defender who has played in Finland. Plays smart and well positioned in his end, always on the right side of the puck. Battles hard for loose pucks. Make simple plays to clear. When in attack mode he either carried it in over the blue line or made those short effective passes to teammates who did. Vocal leader and shows some physicality initiating contact on puck carriers. Keeps his head on a swivel on his breakouts and quickly moves pucks and then supports the attacking play, and can jump right in. Aggressive youngster who looks like he has upside."
104 - Carolina: Jacob Paquette
"With Jacob, we have drafted a mobile 6'3'' 200lbs defender. While he did not have a great draft year to say the least, we feel we're "buying" him at a discount as he possesses abilities that every team looks out for. To become a Pro, he will have to improve his confidence with the puck and his decision making. We believe he has some offensive potential, and hope last year was just a bump in the road."
105 - Winnipeg: Zach Solow
"The leading scorer and USHL forward of the year, Solow is a short but stocky spark plug with excellent playmaking abilities. Funny story about the Northeastern commit and Florida native is his reported hate of cold weather... Welcome to Winnipeg Zach!"
106 - Philadelphia: Stuart Skinner
"6'4 goaltender who had an exceptional season at 16/17y old in the WHL with a 920 save percentage. Goaltender are always harder to project, but Skinner definitely has the skills and size to become a starting goaltender at the NHL level if development goes well."
107 - Philadelphia (from TB): MaCauley Carson
"Gritty player who plays a hard game and finishes his check. Has a willingness to go into those dirty areas which lead him to score 30 goals this season in the OHL. His skating still need improvement to be an impactful player at the NHL level, more projected to be valuable bottom6 forward at the NHL level."
108 - Philadelphia (from NYI): Denis Smirnov
"Smart and skilled smallish forward. Who one of the best player in the NCAA at only 19years old. Can potentially become I high reward pick; he has the tools to become a top6 forward at the NHL level. Size is still a concern though which is why he has been passed over in the last year draft."
109 - New Jersey (from NSH): Luke Martin
''An all-round defender who plays a simple yet effective game…a strong skater who can elude checks with quick bursts of speed…fluid lateral footwork…has the ability to process plays quickly…smooth and cool under pressure, handling the puck without issues while in motion and under pressure…jumps off the point position to hold pucks in and doesn’t hesitate to get a quick wrist shot on net if the opportunity presents itself…dissects opposition coverage schemes by not playing into the obvious options, but showing more of a cerebral approach to his passing game…keeps his stick in the right place to block passing lanes…is positionally strong in odd man situations…physical but not the type to be running over opponents or showing a nasty edge…uses his strength to protect the crease…possesses strong gap control and is patient in his defensive approach…is able to turn the puck up ice in transition quickly but is not a pure offensive guy…a pro defensive defenseman.''
110 - Calgary: David Noël
"A smooth skating defenceman with decent size and a pro shot. Noël started coming into his own after the trade to Val d'Or. He had good playoffs scoring 8 points in 10 games. Still has plenty of work to do, both offensively and defensively but has decent upside."
111 - Toronto: Benjamin Mirageas
112 - Boston: Alexei Toropchenko
113 - Ottawa: Ivan Kosorenkov
114 - Vancouver (from SJ): Dylan Samberg
"We like Dylan's size and all around ability. He's a good skater with a good shot. He has the tools to become a solid top 4 defenceman in the NHL one day, though he is a project. He will play fulltime in the USHL next season and he's committed to a good school at UMD in 2018-19 which has produced some fine NHLers. We are happy he was available at this point in the draft."
115 - St. Louis: Jordy Bellerive
"Jordy isn't the biggest player around, but with his stocky build we believe his heavy, feisty style will transfer well to the pros. Additionally, he has a pro-level shot and lightning quick release that could intimate a decent amount of offensive upside."
116 - Colorado (from NYR): Adam Thilander
"Was seen as a top 5 pick for this draft as a 16 year old in TV-pucken. obviously he hasn't developed as projected but at this point in the draft we are going to risk that it isn't a plateau but merely the circumstances of moving to NA juniors. Thilander has decent size and has offensive skills, he thinks the game at a high level which is what we look for. His skating needs to improve and he needs to be more physical to make up for his lack of reach."
117 - Edmonton: Austen Keating
"We realize that Keating has some work to do on his skating but we believe that he's a project that's definitely worth investing into. We are big believers in his abilities and his hockey sense and by selecting him in the fourth round we are hoping he has a similar progression as a guy like Mark Stone."
118 - Los Angeles (from DAL, MTL): Ty Lewis
119 - Anaheim: Santeri Virtanen
"I like Virtanen. He is a good player. Got some size, got some skill, his skating is going to be pretty good I think. A good two-way guy..kills penalties, even was on the power play. you’ve gotta remember this guy came out of nowhere because he was injured all year..he’s not even where he needs to be yet, so… outta sight outta mind..I’m glad that he ramped it up. He never came over because of the injury. I think he had a shoulder injury. I don’t think it was an injury we need to worry about. I don’t think he has a ton of speed yet but his mechanics are pretty good…I think it’s just about playing and getting his power back."
120 - Minnesota: Olle Eriksson Ek
"Olle is the 2nd ranked European Goalie this year, and has been regarded as one of the top goalietending prospect to come out of Sweden in the last few years. (If EHM has taught me anything, Olle becomes a beast ) Olle posted a 2.16 GAA and .924SV% in 30 starts this year for Farjestad, and recently won Silver at the U18. He has decent size and movement in the crease, with an excellent glove hand and upper body strength."
121 - Columbus: Alexander Polunin
122 - Chicago: Tyler Inamoto
123 - Toronto (from Pittsburgh): Maxim Sushko
124 - Washington: Nick Campoli
Round Five:
125 - Colorado: Patrick Khodorenko
126 - Edmonton (from Vancouver): Leon Gawanke
127 - Las Vegas: Fabian Zetterlund
"Fabian is unlike our other draft picks. He may not see the ice as well as some higher picks and he may not have the offensive hockey sense that we want, but there is no discounting his in your face style. With Fabian we see a for sure thing NHL player. Where he ends up depends on how much works he puts forward, but he's already got a style of play we love. We know that his effort level can be the highest in the ice when he's confident! The offensive potential isn't non-existent either but we would like to see him produce against better talent. His end of the year was great with the U-18's and insane second half production, but he was also against weaker competition after the Super Elit split. We hope for big things this season."
128 - Arizona: Finn Evans
129 - New Jersey: Ian Scott
''A goaltender who balances challenging opposing shooters and when to drop back into his crease and hold the fort…cool when handling shots to the glove hand, keeping the glove angled according to net position and the situation in front…swallows up high shots without any rebounds, pinning pucks to his chest or belly pad…quickness is elite and whether it be his pads or glove hands, he was constantly flashing his limbs at pucks…has a lanky frame, but makes himself look massive in the net by being assertive in the crease…battles and quickly reacts to pucks in tight, often getting into his butterfly and forcing the shooter to be perfect and go high on him…constantly adjusts to square the puck up and seldom is caught out of position…plays a technically superior game and is excellent at controlling motion within the net…weathers the mental grind of the game and keeps himself unphased whether he is untested for stretches or stuck in a pressure cooker with lots of pucks coming his way…has the potential to be a pro starter even though he is a few years away.''
130 - St. Louis (from Buffalo): Bryce Misley
"Leading the OJHL in U18 scoring this year with 26 goals and 62 points in only 46 games, this Vermont commit adds a deadly wrist shot to well-rounded two way center package. One of the youngest players eligible for the draft, he models his play after fellow NCAA alum Jonathan Toews in aspiring to contribute to his team on both sides of the puck. We feel that the longer development path and less intense playing schedule of the NCAA is an ideal setting to allow him to add pounds to his 6'2 frame and hopefully become an impact center for our organization in the future."
131 - Detroit: Maxime Fortier
"Fortier is a quick skater. Shoots the puck a lot and is finding success following his shots up and going to the net. Not a very tall kid, has a good balance on his skates and can turn on a dime and leave defenders in the dust. Has a good release and skates the puck down the wing real well. Would like to see him play better away from the puck as he does get caught standing still too often."
132 - Dallas: Thomas Grégoire
133 - Florida:
134 - Los Angeles: Cayden Primeau
"Son of gritty, former power forward Keith Primeau who enjoyed a 15-year NHL career, Cayden is making his mark in net and currently developing his game with the Lincoln Stars. While his USHL statistics don’t impress (10-8-1, 3.29 GAA, .890 SV %), his tools do. At 6'3" and 180 pounds, Primeau covers the net effectively with a combination of size, agility, and positioning. He projects as a potential NHL starter."
135 - Chicago (from Carolina): Dylan Coghlan
136 - Winnipeg: Jocktan Chainey
137 - Philadelphia: Pavel Shen
"Now listed at 6'1" Pavel Shen is a skilled forward who lead his MHL team in scoring despite being only a 17 years born in august. With our numerous picks selecting this Russian player was worth the risk in the 5th round since we can potentially envision him being a high reward pick."
138 - Los Angeles (from TB): Filip Sveningsson
139 - NYI: Jack Dugan
"Shredded the high school competition and is overdue for the next level of challenge but wanted to finish his academic year. Will play at Providence after a year in USHL next season. Has a 6'2 frame and is a good skater."
140 - Nashville: Linus Nyman
141 - Calgary: Emil Bemström
"Bemstrom’s best attributes are his speed and shot as he excels at finding creases and angles to get pucks on net. Also, not only does he have good speed but he's also very quick to react in tight space. Not very big but he's among the younger players of the draft, so I would think there's still time to grow. He also has to work on his defensive game."
142 - Toronto: Mario Ferraro
143 - Carolina (from Boston): Dereck Baribeau
144 - Pittsburgh (from Ottawa): Ryan Peckford
145 - San Jose: D'artagnan Joly
"Love the name, but the combination of size and skills makes him interesting. Excellent skating, big winger, who handles the biscuit well while in flight and has some creativity in the offensive zone, play for 60min and display a hard quick shoot. He plays for a weaker team, some time tried to do too much alone... Might be is hockey IQ but I think it is the lack of a quality line mate to compliment his game and visualize the attack as well as he does. I think I read somewhere that he has 7 siblings and 2 of them play Pro hockey in the AHL and Germany."
146 - Chicago (from STL): Cameron Crotty
147 - NYR: Brendan De Jong
148 - Edmonton: Jan Drozg
149 - Montreal: Gustav Lindstrom
150 - Anaheim: Scott Walford
"When Reddekopp went down with an injury late in the season Walford was given a more offensive role and responded in spades, scoring 14 points in his final 13 games. He already was impressing scouts defensively...very mobile for his size, and an edge to his game. Look for him to be a key figure on Victoria's blueline next season as a solid-two-way defenceman."
151 - Minnesota: Jesse Koskenkorva
"Jesse is one of the younger players in this draft class being a ’99 born player. He ripped it up in the Finland J20 league this year with over a PPG (41 pts in 38 games) which left him ranked 26th in the Midterm Euro rankings. He joined Kärpät in SM Liiga, but didn’t put up the same production as he did on the junior team, which resulted in his final rankings dropping to 63. We think this production drop was due to the jump to playing with Men at the age of 17. With some more growth in size and strength we feel that Jesse can up his production in Liiga next year, and develop into a 2nd/3rd line centre for our organization.
Scout Report from FinnProspects: He has good skating mechanics. An agile skater with solid speed, he is highly mobile with good footwork. With his sound decision making, play reading and strong commitment to the defensive game, he is already effective defensively at present. He does have pretty good hands and shooting ability. In addition, he hasn’t been extremely effective in the face-off dot. However, there were times this season when he showed lots of positives offensively for Kärpät U20."
152 - Columbus: Sebastien Repo
153 - Chicago: Clayton Phillips
"Clayton Phillips is not overly big or physical but he has good IQ, skating, and puck skills. He's attending Minnesota in the NCAA so he will be able to continue to develop his game and polish his hockey skills as he is a good athlete but could be more solid using his tools."
154 - Pittsburgh: Dylan Ferguson
"Dylan got some time to shine when Connor Ingram left for World Juniors. He posted insane stats and went on a winning streak to hold the fort for the team without their starter. His stock may rise next year when he gets to be the unanimous starter. He moves well, technically sound, a battler in net."
155 - Washington: Tommy Miller
Round Six:
156 - Colorado: Mark Rubinchik
"Rubinchik plays physical even though he's only 6 feet tall. Very good skater, agile, edge work, first steps. He has offensive potential from the back end and had a great year in North America. His potential showed more at the U-18 at the end of the year."
157 - NYR (from Vancouver): Denis Mikhnin
"While on the smaller side, Denis is a great skater with a wide arsenal of shots who finds ways to make plays around the net with slick hands and a quick release. A bit of a perimeter/PP player due to size, but has a feisty element and is an on-ice leader and competitor despite being just a rookie. Has many tools that could serve him well should he survive the increased physicality of the NHL environment."
158 - Las Vegas: Marian Studenic
"Marian is a game changer. His speed his elite and his offensive acumen is second to none. Marian needs to work on better reading the entire play, as well as confidence in himself and his teammates. His defensive game needs to be refined, but his high work ethic should help him understand that part of the game. Coming over to North America and dealing with the high traffic areas, while still being able to put forth the effort he did is quite remarkable. We really feel like his kid is a steal this late in the game."
159 - SJ (from Arizona): Austin Pratt
160 - New Jersey: Kirill Slepets
"Slepets is an offensively skilled player, great shot, good skater, good hockey IQ and offensive instincts. On the downside, he's pretty small, both in height and overall mass, and his defensive play is very 'meh'. Got a nice work ethic though, and got a bit of 'sand' in his game. Pretty bad regular season, but had decent playoffs even though his team got eliminated quickly, and had a very good U-18 tournament. Pure project. "
161 - Buffalo: Samuel Bucek
"Samuel is a big boy with soft hands and a great shot. While perhaps not as physically engaging as you might want/expect from someone with his stature, he does excel in traffic areas and cycling off the half-boards with his work ethic, surprising quickness, and ability to drop the shoulder and get good shots off mid-stride. Skates well enough get up and down the ice quickly, but needs to develop a bit on the defensive side of things. Pretty mobile for a big guy, but could stand to improve there, too. A lack of consistency midseason caused him to drop in some rankings, but his start and finish to the season speak to his potential as he improves and starts playing a larger role (particularly on special teams) next year."
162 - Detroit: Alexander True
163 - Dallas: Dayton Rasmussen
164 - Detroit (from Florida): Sami Moilanen
"Asmall right winger who is a really good and fast skater. A hard working and a tenacious player who is not afraid of contact despite his lack of size."
165 - Los Angeles: Petrus Palmu
"The only thing stopping Palmu from being a sure fire NHL draft pick is his underwhelming size. AT 5'6, 165 pounds, Palmu gets by on speed, smarts, offensive flash and capable defensive play. He was one of Owen Sounds most impressive players this season and has he continues to progress and get stronger, he could be a force in the OHL."
166 - Winnipeg: Simon Stransky
167 - Philadelphia: Liam Hawel
"Former 1st round pick in the OHL, Hawel is 6'5" power forward who played a defensive role in the WJC18 for team Canada. He had limited offensive production last two seasons in the OHL due to the fact that the he was playing on a team who had high depth at the forward positions which meant he had limited ice time/PP. He has been traded in the middle of this season and consequently increased his production at .5ppg. With the physical attributes he posses we can envision him having a rapid growth in his development, he particularly has a lot of room for mass gain to go along his frame. He might eventually become the type of bottom6 forward every NHL team dream of having, if not to surpass those expectations."
168 - Tampa Bay: Vladislav Yeryomenko
"With our last D-man, we chose a massive 6'7" Eemeli Rasanen. With this late round pick, we decided to select a smaller and more speedy D-man with the great vision and playmaking skills. This year being his first taste of North American hockey on a regular basis, we like what we see. The kid seems to be adapting quickly to the environment around him."
169 - Chicago (from NYI): Patrik Hrehorcak
170 - New Jersey (from NSH): Ben Jones
"'He has very good speed and decent size to play an energy role for his squad. Good on faceoffs. He doesn’t shy away from the physical game, but he also doesn’t go out seeking it. At the same time, he doesn’t shy away from the dirty areas and will score most of his goals directly in front of the opposition net. He does possess a hard, accurate shot with a very good release.
Jones is a good skater with good speed and very good vision. He handles the puck extremely well and uses his teammates exceptionally well.
Jones’ biggest need is to add strength and he’s aware of that, taking part in strength building. And having played most of his hockey life to date as a defenceman, he’s aware of the defensive game, which is probably why he’s such a good two-way player.''
171 - Calgary: Daniil Tarasov
"Tarasov was one of the main reasons Russia achieved decent results at the 2016 U18 WJC as he was voted as one of Russia's top 3 players. Tarasov's NHL comparable would be Sergei Bobrovsky. Daniil is a quick and athletic goaltender, which gives him the capacity to make breathtaking saves. Unfortunately Tarasov got seriously injured. He missed the whole 2016-2017 season, with a knee injury. Despite that, Bob McKenzie ranked him 52nd overall in his midseason rankings."
172 - Toronto: Yarsolav Alexeev
173 - Boston: Jacob Tortora
174 - Ottawa: Dylan Plouffe
"Plouffe is a sound and solid defender on all 3 zones. Incredible feature is that he DOUBLED his goal totals from last year (shut up, let me dream) and that I am going to say what everybody says to feel better about themselves....HE'S GOT A LOT OF UNTAPPED POTENTIAL.
175 - San Jose: Logan Cockerill
176 - St. Louis: Kirill Ustimenko
"The big belarussian net-minder adds a mature game with good technique to his size. He played very well in his two starts for Russia at the U18s, posting a shut out in the bronze medal game against Sweden and allowing 1 goal in 62 shots against, total. His numbers were fantastic in the MHL this year, as well."
177 - Nashville (from NYR): Jonathan Smart
A smart all around defender, he is rock solid in his own zone, and has untapped potential in the offensive zone. Really came into his own when he was traded to the Regina Pats.
178 - Edmonton:
179 - Tampa Bay (from Montreal):
180 - Anaheim:
Link to old mock drafts:
2007 - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=377354
2008 - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=516175
2009 - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=626193
2010 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=750317
2010 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=774740
2011 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=891827
2011 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=919706
2012 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1120791
2012 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1195589
2013 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1357589
2013 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1434055
2014 - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1614021
2015 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1850345
2015 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1898677
2016 (Part 1) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2045777
2016 (Part 2) - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2078445
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