Way Too Early 2018 NHL Mock Draft 2

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

Now that I have a bit more "knowledge" about the 2018 NHL Draft I'll try this again. Also, idk if I'm getting all their teams correct if you could tell me who they are playing for October if you know, I would very much appreciate.

1. Andrei Svechnikov RW Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
2. Rasmus Dahlin D Frolunda HC (SHL)
3. Brady Tkachuk C Boston Univ. (NCAA)
4. Bode Wilde D U.S. National U18 Team (USDP)
5. Jared McIsaac D Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
6. Benoit-Olivier Groulx C/LW Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
7. Joseph Veleno C Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
8. Filip Zadina LW HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czech)
9. Adam Boqvist D Brynas IF J20 (SuperElit)
10. Anderson MacDonald RW Sherbooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
11. Ryan Merkley D Guelph Storm (OHL)
12. Alexander Khovanov C Irbis Kazan (MHL)
13. Akil Thomas C Niagara IceDogs (OHL) (My 2nd favorite player in the draft)
14. Evan Bouchard D London Knights (OHL)
15. Oliver Wahlstrom C D U.S. National U18 Team (USDP)
16. Quinton Hughes D U.S. National U18 Team (USDP)
17. Jett Woo D Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) (My Favorite, his name is the best)
18. Allan McShane C Oshawa Generals (OHL)
19. Joel Farabee LW U.S. National U18 Team (USDP)
20. Jack McBain C No Idea (IDK)
21. Alexis Gravel G Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
22. Calen Addison D Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
23. Jakub Sharek G HC Sparta Praha (Czech)
24. Isac Lundeström C/LW Luleå HF (SHL)
25. Xavier Bouchard D Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
26. Ryan McLeod C Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
27. Grigori Denisenko LW Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
28. David Levin W Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
29. Vitali Kravtsov C/W Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)
30. Ty Smith D Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
31. Alexander Zhabreyev C MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)

Honorable Mentions
Lukas Wernblom C/LW
Olivier Rodrigue G
Jacob Ingham G
Jacob Olofsson C
Mattias Samuelsson D
Jacob Pivonka C
Ty Emberson D
Jake Wise C

Hopefully I didn't get this one super wrong like last time. I made a few leaps with some picks like Akil Thomas, Adam Boqvist (I think?), and possibly Jett Woo. Who's Jack McBain playing for next year!?!?!?!?

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[RememberTheName]

I feel like Ryan McLeod is a tad bit low. I personally think he is top 15 but that is just me

 

[GetThePuckOuttaHere*]

I like it. IMO picks 3-7 can be interchanged in any way currently and still be a fair prediction, they're all pretty much on the same level as of now.

 

[GetThePuckOuttaHere*]

I'd say:

3: Wilde
4: Veleno
5: McIsaac
6: Tkachuk
7: Groulx

 

[Zaddy]

Don't think Tkachuk will go that high. Farabee should be higher.

 

[Luddowich]

Think Veleno and Khovanov will be top 5 picks come draft day. Think Tkachuk is a tad to high.
And I don't see Levin being a first rounder.

 

[FrodoBeggins]

I wonder who will be selected earlier. Khovanov and Denisenko, who will play in the MHL or Kravtsov, who will play in the KHL.

 

[Marcobruin]

Think Veleno and Khovanov will be top 5 picks come draft day. Think Tkachuk is a tad to high.
And I don't see Levin being a first rounder.

I don't see veleno being a top 5

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

If Detroit was fortunate to land the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, Then it's definitely down to two either Rasmus Dahlin or Andrei Svechnikov would love to have both Svechnikov brothers on the team.

 

[edguy]

If Detroit was fortunate to land the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, Then it's definitely down to two either Rasmus Dahlin or Andrei Svechnikov would love to have both Svechnikov brothers on the team.

As a non-Red wings fan, to me it just seems like Dahlin is exactly what they have been missing since Lidstrom.

I think it's more common to get players like Svechnikov then it is Dahlin.

But thats just my non wings fan opinion

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

As a non-Red wings fan, to me it just seems like Dahlin is exactly what they have been missing since Lidstrom.

I think it's more common to get players like Svechnikov then it is Dahlin.

But thats just my non wings fan opinion

Agree i think Detroit would take Rasmus Dahlin over Andrei Svechnikov. Dahlin is going to be a generational D man much like Lidstrom he's going to be a special player. I think seeing that the 2017 NHL draft is heavily laden with Centers and the 2018 NHL draft is heavily laden with D i think that's how Detroit is going to lean.

 

[WaW]

The idea of Levin going in the first round is...out there...to say the least.

 

[Icebreakers]

Wow this draft is so Q heavy for Canadians.

 

[Daximus]

The idea of Levin going in the first round is...out there...to say the least.

Kid is a pretty decent talent.

 

[Daximus]

Wow this draft is so Q heavy for Canadians.

Yeah the Q has some great prospects for 2018 and 2019 as well.

 

[WaW]

Kid is a pretty decent talent.

I mean I've watched him play about 30 times in the last 2 seasons. Yeah, he's a decent talent, but there's ALOT of work to be done with his game before we can talk about the first round.

I'll skip the whole he's only been skating for 5 years thing, we all know the story. His defensive awareness gets an "F", he's not physical enough & and gets pushed around too easily, often gets benched for lack of back checking, trying to carry the puck end to end, etc. His shot is weak, and his passing needs work too.

The raw talent is definitely there, but considering how much development is still needed I think he's more of a late 2nd to 3rd rounder. All of the above are certainly fixable, but there's still alot to fix. I think he'll become an NHLer at some point, but there is more risk than you'd see in the average mid-late first rounder.

 

[Daximus]

I mean I've watched him play about 30 times in the last 2 seasons. Yeah, he's a decent talent, but there's ALOT of work to be done with his game before we can talk about the first round.

I'll skip the whole he's only been skating for 5 years thing, we all know the story. His defensive awareness gets an "F", he's not physical enough & and gets pushed around too easily, often gets benched for lack of back checking, trying to carry the puck end to end, etc. His shot is weak, and his passing needs work too.

The raw talent is definitely there, but considering how much development is still needed I think he's more of a late 2nd to 3rd rounder. All of the above are certainly fixable, but there's still alot to fix. I think he'll become an NHLer at some point, but there is more risk than you'd see in the average mid-late first rounder.

He definitely has a lot to work on but so do a lot of these kids a year out. Putting up 53 points as a 16/17 year old in the OHL is still a very respectable and actually pretty easily puts him in the conversation of the back half of the 1st. He may add more seperation as he improves or he may fall behind kids as they improve but I dont think it's a stretch at all to put him at the back half of the 1st a year out.

 

[Pepsi91]

Zadina

He disappointed me at WCu18, he was an average player, but no one from czechs team impressed, they played bad like a team. I think that Zadina is the best czech prospect since Jakub Voráček was drafted. He is a pure goal scorer, a great offensive talent. I'm not saying that he is like Laine (but Laine wasn't in top 5 in early mock drafts too), but he is a talent for top 5. He hadn't a good season, but i think that it wasn't his fault, because the work with young talents isn't good in Czech Republic, and his team was struggling, so they put him on the 4th line. I hope that he will go away, Sweden or Finland may be the best option and be that new Jaromír Jágr that all czechs are waiting for.

 

[Brock]

I mean I've watched him play about 30 times in the last 2 seasons. Yeah, he's a decent talent, but there's ALOT of work to be done with his game before we can talk about the first round.

I'll skip the whole he's only been skating for 5 years thing, we all know the story. His defensive awareness gets an "F", he's not physical enough & and gets pushed around too easily, often gets benched for lack of back checking, trying to carry the puck end to end, etc. His shot is weak, and his passing needs work too.

The raw talent is definitely there, but considering how much development is still needed I think he's more of a late 2nd to 3rd rounder. All of the above are certainly fixable, but there's still alot to fix. I think he'll become an NHLer at some point, but there is more risk than you'd see in the average mid-late first rounder.

Agree completely. Levin wouldn't even be in my top 15 of OHL's available for 2018 right now, let alone in the first round of the draft. I read an article Ryan Kennedy put out relatively recently that talked about Levin potentially being the first Jack Ferguson winner to go undrafted into the NHL since John Hughes.

As for the list itself, I think Ty Dellandrea is a major omission. He'd be right there with Merkley, Thomas, Bouchard, and McLeod as a potential top 15 pick for me. When all is said and done, he may actually end up being the first guy off the board from the OHL next year. Big center with skill. There's a reason he made the U18 team this year.

 

[Wooren]

He disappointed me at WCu18, he was an average player, but no one from czechs team impressed, they played bad like a team. I think that Zadina is the best czech prospect since Jakub Voráček was drafted. He is a pure goal scorer, a great offensive talent. I'm not saying that he is like Laine (but Laine wasn't in top 5 in early mock drafts too), but he is a talent for top 5. He hadn't a good season, but i think that it wasn't his fault, because the work with young talents isn't good in Czech Republic, and his team was struggling, so they put him on the 4th line. I hope that he will go away, Sweden or Finland may be the best option and be that new Jaromír Jágr that all czechs are waiting for.

Yeah, he wasn't as dominant as I had hoped he would be. Still managed to finish 3+3, best on the team. He is sniper like Laine, but a very different style imo. I consider Laine the volume type sniper, huge one time bombs, getting the shot through a lot of traffic. Zadina on the other hand likes to use wrist shots and snap shots, and rather try to deke through the traffic. He is probably the best one since Voracek, but I think Necas closed the gap signifacntly this past season.
Staying in Czech Republic would be terrible decision, I think he will go to CHL and have Hischier-like impact.

 

[Pepsi91]

Zadina

Unfortunately, he can't go to the CHL, because he is drafted to Vancouver Giants and they already have 2 non-canadian players in their team. Maybe he'll go to USHL and we'll se a battle between him and Svechnikov for the 1st overall pick. Nečas is good, but i think that Zadina is slightly better. But that's because i like Zadina style of play.

 

[coolwood]

Unfortunately, he can't go to the CHL, because he is drafted to Vancouver Giants and they already have 2 non-canadian players in their team. Maybe he'll go to USHL and we'll se a battle between him and Svechnikov for the 1st overall pick. Nečas is good, but i think that Zadina is slightly better. But that's because i like Zadina style of play.

One of the imports that can be back next year probably won't be because 1. hes drafted so ahl is an option and 2. he'll be an overager and import overagers cost two overage slots so they happen very rarely

Also Vancouver is allowed to just put one import on waivers if im not mistaken.

If he wants to go to vancouver, the spot will be there for him

 

[Pepsi91]

One of the imports that can be back next year probably won't be because 1. hes drafted so ahl is an option and 2. he'll be an overager and import overagers cost two overage slots so they happen very rarely

Also Vancouver is allowed to just put one import on waivers if im not mistaken.

If he wants to go to vancouver, the spot will be there for him

Oh, i didn't know. So WHL, be prepared for Filip Zadina!

 

[Wooren]

One of the imports that can be back next year probably won't be because 1. hes drafted so ahl is an option and 2. he'll be an overager and import overagers cost two overage slots so they happen very rarely

Also Vancouver is allowed to just put one import on waivers if im not mistaken.

If he wants to go to vancouver, the spot will be there for him

Does Vancouver still hold his right though? I thought he is eligible for the CHL draft this year again.

 

[coolwood]

Does Vancouver still hold his right though? I thought he is eligible for the CHL draft this year again.

maybe he is lol. im not that knowledgeable. that would make sense though because you are only allowed to hold the rights for 2 players