StevenToddIves
Registered User
There will be many more changes to the draft order and to the prospect rankings as the season winds down. I just wished to reiterate that these are not prospect rankings -- I'm also weighing in team needs/draft tendencies to the best of my abilities. Prospect rankings will come closer to the draft, both positional and overall.
1 Colorado: C Jack Hughes -- the best news out of Colorado since the pick of Nathan MacKinnon would be the worst news out of Ottawa in franchise history. The Matt Duchene deal will go down as perhaps the worst ever NHL trade if the Avalanche win the lottery with the Senators' pick and get this generational, superstar talent.
2 Detroit: W Kappo Kakko -- whomever picks #2, Kakko is the pick. He's a can't-miss franchise winger, and he's ready to make a big NHL impact right away.
3 Los Angeles: C Dylan Cozens -- years of Stanley Cup contention has left the Kings with an aging core and a prospect pipeline needing everything. Cozens is a scoring machine; he's big, fast, smart, skilled and has no weakness in his game whatsoever.
4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS: LD Bowen Byram -- it is truly rare when a draft-eligible defenseman has zero question marks in his game. Not only is Byram without weakness, every aspect of his game can be considered a strength. He's a brilliant skater, hits like a freight-train, defensively sound, offensively skilled, competitive as hell. We're talking a Norris Trophy type talent here.
5 Anaheim: C Kirby Dach -- the Ducks need centers, and love pivots with size. It cannot hurt that Dach's closest comparable is to longtime Anaheim star Ryan Getzlaf.
6 Vancouver: LW Peyton Krebs -- the Canucks sorely want a blue-chip D to add to their stable of young and extremely talented forwards, and thus must be considered a serious threat to trade up in the attempt to get Bowen Byram. In this scenario, they decide to draft Krebs, a veritable wolverine on skates with his off-the-charts compete level and with the high-end offensive skill-set to match.
7 Chicago: W Vasili Podkolzin -- though some draft pundits have Podkolzin ranked as high as #2 and most have him in the 3/4 range, I predict that his lack of initiative in coming to North America sinks him a bit in the top 10. The Blackhawks would be thrilled to find this Tkachuk-like, physical power F at #7.
8 NY Rangers: LD Philip Broberg -- under the current Rangers' regime, the European scouts certainly have the power. In the past two drafts, the Rangers passed on far more highly regarded North American players with early first rounders in order to draft Andersson and Kravtsov. I'm betting they do it again with Broberg, an incredibly talented and huge athlete who has been questioned for his decision making with and without the puck.
9 Edmonton: W Matthew Boldy -- it's not secret that the Oilers are desperate to find weapons on the wing for superstar centers McDavid and Draisaitl. Boldy is not only an offensive beast, he has one of the highest hockey IQs in the draft and plays with future-Selke-winner type defensive acumen.
10 Florida: C Alex Turcotte -- Devils fans are certainly familiar with Turcotte's closest comparable: Nico Hischier. Though injury concerns could drop him into the bottom end of the top 10, this lightning-fast two-way competitor is a star in the making.
11 Buffalo: C Trevor Zegras -- though much was written out of Buffalo about their need for a second-line center behind Eichel, Mittlestadt will soon be ready to take the mantle. Enter Zegras, an electrifying offensive player comparable to Barzal, who also has shone on the wing alongside Jack Hughes and Alex Turcotte for the US-NTDP.
12 Arizona: C Alex Newhook -- despite years of high-draft positions, the Coyotes still lack a franchise #1 center. Newhook's jersey-flapping speed and scintillating scoring upside can potentially change this.
13 Colorado: RW Cole Caufield -- in this scenario, Colorado gives generational future star Jack Hughes a huge gift by pairing him with his US-NTDP linemate Caufield, a lights-out shooter comparable to Alex DeBrincat.
14 Minnesota: C Ryan Suzuki -- some of Wild GM Paul Fenton's decision-making has been puzzling, but years working under David Poile must have taught him that you cannot win without strength at center. Suzuki is fast, incredibly skilled and will put in points at any level.
15 Philadelphia: RW Rafael Lavoie -- the Flyers love big wingers who can score, and Lavoie is considered by many to be the best prospect out of the QMJHL.
16 Dallas: RD Victor Soderstrom -- in my opinion, Soderstrom is the top Swede available in the 2019 draft class -- he's fast, smart and a tremendous puck-distributor from the blueline. Dallas is building a talented blueline around Heiskanen and Klingberg, but need some more young pieces to fill out the picture on the back end.
17 Buffalo: W Arthur Kaliyev -- though questions have been raised about his 200-foot game, there are few questions about the Staten Island native's pure scoring ability. His play with the puck in the offensive zone is dominating, his shot is absolutely sick. This pick would be a huge gift for Jack Eichel a year or two down the road.
18 Las Vegas: LD Cam York -- after trading their top defense prospect in Erik Brannstrom in order to acquire Mark Stone, Vegas takes an offensive D out of the US-NTDP with even more upside in order to immediately fill the void.
19 Ottawa: C Connor McMichael -- despite how poorly the Senators management has run the team as a whole in recent years, they have actually drafted pretty well. McMichael is a player who is very good in every aspect of the game, though he does not wow you with any one particular ability. A perfect 2C down the road.
20 Montreal: LD Matthew Robertson -- the primary need of the Habs prospect pool is on D, and Robertson is my #2 D in the class of 2019. He's big, strong, smart and competitive -- a future shut-down specialist who also skates very well and moves the puck with efficiency and expediency.
21 Pittsburgh: RD Moritz Seider -- Seider might be the most NHL-ready D in the class of 2019. Though he lacks the upside of a Byram or Harley or Soderstrom, he does everything well and thinks the game at a high level. He's big and mobile and a future middle-pairing, all-situations minute muncher on the blueline.
22 Carolina: G Spencer Knight -- okay, I know it's taboo to mock a goalie in the first round. But the Canes have suffered through some awful net minding over the past decade, and Knight is the best goaltending prospect since a fellow named Carey Price.
23 NY Rangers: LW Jakob Pelletier -- after blowing it with their first first-round pick the past two years (Andersson, Kravtsov), the Rangers made up for it with an incredible steal later in the first round (Chytil, Miller). I'm predicting this happens again with Pelletier, an unbelievably competitive scorer with the upside of a Brad Marchand type-player, minus the diving and whining and cheap shots.
24 Nashville: LD Thomas Harley -- no one drafts and develops D like David Poile in Nashville. Harley could wind up being a huge steal in much the same way as K'Andre Miller in 2018 -- he's huge and an outstanding skater with incredible offensive skill. He needs a lot of work in his own zone, but has sick upside if he can be coached into a complete, rounded game.
25 Washington: W Nils Hoglander -- the Caps have a few more years in the Stanley Cup window, and this feisty and supremely skilled Swedish winger would immediately become the top forward in their prospect pool.
26 NY Islanders: C John Beecher -- GM Lou Lamoriello has done an incredible job for the Isles, and no player in this draft is more his type of player than Beecher, a hulking Bobby Holik/Ryan Kesler hybrid who can play a physical, shut-down role while scoring big goals from the dirty areas of the ice.
27 Anaheim: LD Alex Vlasic -- no team covets size more than Anaheim, and the 6'6" Vlasic is more than just big; he's mobile and smart and extremely solid in all three zones.
28 Los Angeles: LW Pavel Dorofeyev -- with three picks in the top 35, the Kings really need a huge draft to replenish the shallowed-out prospect pool. Dorofeyev has terrific skill and top-6 potential.
29 Boston: C/W Brett Leason -- Boston has an aging core, but they're still a cup contender. The overaged Season was passed over in the draft twice, but his much-improved skating could land him on an NHL roster as early as next season.
30 Calgary: C Phil Tomasino -- one cannot discuss the wild-cards of the 2019 draft without mentioning this explosive and lightning-fast center from Niagara of the OHL. Much like with Ty Dellandrea in 2018, Tomasino could be in the second round of many mock drafts, but it would not be surprising to see a team fall in love with his first-line, high-scoring upside and take him just after the top 10.
31 NY Rangers: C Ilya Nikolayev -- if, as many predict, the Tampa Bay Lightning win the 2019 Stanley Cup, the Rangers will find themselves with three first-rounders for the second consecutive draft. Nikolayev is highly skilled and has top 6 upside.
Early Second Round
32 Ottawa: LW Samuel Poulin -- this big, power F is the type of player the Ottawa scouting team always covets.
33 Detroit: LD Marshall Warren -- if Detroit gets a lottery pick F as we have occurring in this scenario, you can bet on them to concentrate on D for the rest of the draft. Warren is a terrific puck-mover with skating and smarts, but for some inexplicable reason a lot of draft pundits are sleeping on him.
34 Los Angeles: LD Artemi Knyazev -- the offensively-gifted blueliner has been shooting up draft boards as he consistently impresses in the QMJHL for Chicoutimi.
35 NEW JERSEY DEVILS: RD Lassi Thomson -- it might raise some eyebrows that I have the Devils taking defensemen with their first two picks in a draft not particularly celebrated for its blueline crop, but in my mind Thomson is the most underrated D in the class of 2019. Lassi is an outstanding skater, and not afraid to play the body at 6'0-185. He features plus skills as a shooter and passer, and is very good in his own zone for a player primarily considered an offensive defenseman. You may be hearing it here first, but I firmly believe that this young Finn has more top-pairing upside than several defensemen likely to be snatched up in the first round.
Other Players for Devils fans to watch in round 2:
G Mads Sogaard
D Drew Helleson
D Billy Constantinou
D Tobias Bjornfot
D Antti Tuomisto
D Vladislav Kolyochonok
D Mikko Kokkonen
RW Ryder Donovan
RW Bobby Brink
RW Sasha Mutala
LW Robert Mastrosimone
LW Michal Teply
LW Nicholas Robertson
C Yegor Spirodonov
C Shane Pinto
C Oleg Zaitsev
1 Colorado: C Jack Hughes -- the best news out of Colorado since the pick of Nathan MacKinnon would be the worst news out of Ottawa in franchise history. The Matt Duchene deal will go down as perhaps the worst ever NHL trade if the Avalanche win the lottery with the Senators' pick and get this generational, superstar talent.
2 Detroit: W Kappo Kakko -- whomever picks #2, Kakko is the pick. He's a can't-miss franchise winger, and he's ready to make a big NHL impact right away.
3 Los Angeles: C Dylan Cozens -- years of Stanley Cup contention has left the Kings with an aging core and a prospect pipeline needing everything. Cozens is a scoring machine; he's big, fast, smart, skilled and has no weakness in his game whatsoever.
4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS: LD Bowen Byram -- it is truly rare when a draft-eligible defenseman has zero question marks in his game. Not only is Byram without weakness, every aspect of his game can be considered a strength. He's a brilliant skater, hits like a freight-train, defensively sound, offensively skilled, competitive as hell. We're talking a Norris Trophy type talent here.
5 Anaheim: C Kirby Dach -- the Ducks need centers, and love pivots with size. It cannot hurt that Dach's closest comparable is to longtime Anaheim star Ryan Getzlaf.
6 Vancouver: LW Peyton Krebs -- the Canucks sorely want a blue-chip D to add to their stable of young and extremely talented forwards, and thus must be considered a serious threat to trade up in the attempt to get Bowen Byram. In this scenario, they decide to draft Krebs, a veritable wolverine on skates with his off-the-charts compete level and with the high-end offensive skill-set to match.
7 Chicago: W Vasili Podkolzin -- though some draft pundits have Podkolzin ranked as high as #2 and most have him in the 3/4 range, I predict that his lack of initiative in coming to North America sinks him a bit in the top 10. The Blackhawks would be thrilled to find this Tkachuk-like, physical power F at #7.
8 NY Rangers: LD Philip Broberg -- under the current Rangers' regime, the European scouts certainly have the power. In the past two drafts, the Rangers passed on far more highly regarded North American players with early first rounders in order to draft Andersson and Kravtsov. I'm betting they do it again with Broberg, an incredibly talented and huge athlete who has been questioned for his decision making with and without the puck.
9 Edmonton: W Matthew Boldy -- it's not secret that the Oilers are desperate to find weapons on the wing for superstar centers McDavid and Draisaitl. Boldy is not only an offensive beast, he has one of the highest hockey IQs in the draft and plays with future-Selke-winner type defensive acumen.
10 Florida: C Alex Turcotte -- Devils fans are certainly familiar with Turcotte's closest comparable: Nico Hischier. Though injury concerns could drop him into the bottom end of the top 10, this lightning-fast two-way competitor is a star in the making.
11 Buffalo: C Trevor Zegras -- though much was written out of Buffalo about their need for a second-line center behind Eichel, Mittlestadt will soon be ready to take the mantle. Enter Zegras, an electrifying offensive player comparable to Barzal, who also has shone on the wing alongside Jack Hughes and Alex Turcotte for the US-NTDP.
12 Arizona: C Alex Newhook -- despite years of high-draft positions, the Coyotes still lack a franchise #1 center. Newhook's jersey-flapping speed and scintillating scoring upside can potentially change this.
13 Colorado: RW Cole Caufield -- in this scenario, Colorado gives generational future star Jack Hughes a huge gift by pairing him with his US-NTDP linemate Caufield, a lights-out shooter comparable to Alex DeBrincat.
14 Minnesota: C Ryan Suzuki -- some of Wild GM Paul Fenton's decision-making has been puzzling, but years working under David Poile must have taught him that you cannot win without strength at center. Suzuki is fast, incredibly skilled and will put in points at any level.
15 Philadelphia: RW Rafael Lavoie -- the Flyers love big wingers who can score, and Lavoie is considered by many to be the best prospect out of the QMJHL.
16 Dallas: RD Victor Soderstrom -- in my opinion, Soderstrom is the top Swede available in the 2019 draft class -- he's fast, smart and a tremendous puck-distributor from the blueline. Dallas is building a talented blueline around Heiskanen and Klingberg, but need some more young pieces to fill out the picture on the back end.
17 Buffalo: W Arthur Kaliyev -- though questions have been raised about his 200-foot game, there are few questions about the Staten Island native's pure scoring ability. His play with the puck in the offensive zone is dominating, his shot is absolutely sick. This pick would be a huge gift for Jack Eichel a year or two down the road.
18 Las Vegas: LD Cam York -- after trading their top defense prospect in Erik Brannstrom in order to acquire Mark Stone, Vegas takes an offensive D out of the US-NTDP with even more upside in order to immediately fill the void.
19 Ottawa: C Connor McMichael -- despite how poorly the Senators management has run the team as a whole in recent years, they have actually drafted pretty well. McMichael is a player who is very good in every aspect of the game, though he does not wow you with any one particular ability. A perfect 2C down the road.
20 Montreal: LD Matthew Robertson -- the primary need of the Habs prospect pool is on D, and Robertson is my #2 D in the class of 2019. He's big, strong, smart and competitive -- a future shut-down specialist who also skates very well and moves the puck with efficiency and expediency.
21 Pittsburgh: RD Moritz Seider -- Seider might be the most NHL-ready D in the class of 2019. Though he lacks the upside of a Byram or Harley or Soderstrom, he does everything well and thinks the game at a high level. He's big and mobile and a future middle-pairing, all-situations minute muncher on the blueline.
22 Carolina: G Spencer Knight -- okay, I know it's taboo to mock a goalie in the first round. But the Canes have suffered through some awful net minding over the past decade, and Knight is the best goaltending prospect since a fellow named Carey Price.
23 NY Rangers: LW Jakob Pelletier -- after blowing it with their first first-round pick the past two years (Andersson, Kravtsov), the Rangers made up for it with an incredible steal later in the first round (Chytil, Miller). I'm predicting this happens again with Pelletier, an unbelievably competitive scorer with the upside of a Brad Marchand type-player, minus the diving and whining and cheap shots.
24 Nashville: LD Thomas Harley -- no one drafts and develops D like David Poile in Nashville. Harley could wind up being a huge steal in much the same way as K'Andre Miller in 2018 -- he's huge and an outstanding skater with incredible offensive skill. He needs a lot of work in his own zone, but has sick upside if he can be coached into a complete, rounded game.
25 Washington: W Nils Hoglander -- the Caps have a few more years in the Stanley Cup window, and this feisty and supremely skilled Swedish winger would immediately become the top forward in their prospect pool.
26 NY Islanders: C John Beecher -- GM Lou Lamoriello has done an incredible job for the Isles, and no player in this draft is more his type of player than Beecher, a hulking Bobby Holik/Ryan Kesler hybrid who can play a physical, shut-down role while scoring big goals from the dirty areas of the ice.
27 Anaheim: LD Alex Vlasic -- no team covets size more than Anaheim, and the 6'6" Vlasic is more than just big; he's mobile and smart and extremely solid in all three zones.
28 Los Angeles: LW Pavel Dorofeyev -- with three picks in the top 35, the Kings really need a huge draft to replenish the shallowed-out prospect pool. Dorofeyev has terrific skill and top-6 potential.
29 Boston: C/W Brett Leason -- Boston has an aging core, but they're still a cup contender. The overaged Season was passed over in the draft twice, but his much-improved skating could land him on an NHL roster as early as next season.
30 Calgary: C Phil Tomasino -- one cannot discuss the wild-cards of the 2019 draft without mentioning this explosive and lightning-fast center from Niagara of the OHL. Much like with Ty Dellandrea in 2018, Tomasino could be in the second round of many mock drafts, but it would not be surprising to see a team fall in love with his first-line, high-scoring upside and take him just after the top 10.
31 NY Rangers: C Ilya Nikolayev -- if, as many predict, the Tampa Bay Lightning win the 2019 Stanley Cup, the Rangers will find themselves with three first-rounders for the second consecutive draft. Nikolayev is highly skilled and has top 6 upside.
Early Second Round
32 Ottawa: LW Samuel Poulin -- this big, power F is the type of player the Ottawa scouting team always covets.
33 Detroit: LD Marshall Warren -- if Detroit gets a lottery pick F as we have occurring in this scenario, you can bet on them to concentrate on D for the rest of the draft. Warren is a terrific puck-mover with skating and smarts, but for some inexplicable reason a lot of draft pundits are sleeping on him.
34 Los Angeles: LD Artemi Knyazev -- the offensively-gifted blueliner has been shooting up draft boards as he consistently impresses in the QMJHL for Chicoutimi.
35 NEW JERSEY DEVILS: RD Lassi Thomson -- it might raise some eyebrows that I have the Devils taking defensemen with their first two picks in a draft not particularly celebrated for its blueline crop, but in my mind Thomson is the most underrated D in the class of 2019. Lassi is an outstanding skater, and not afraid to play the body at 6'0-185. He features plus skills as a shooter and passer, and is very good in his own zone for a player primarily considered an offensive defenseman. You may be hearing it here first, but I firmly believe that this young Finn has more top-pairing upside than several defensemen likely to be snatched up in the first round.
Other Players for Devils fans to watch in round 2:
G Mads Sogaard
D Drew Helleson
D Billy Constantinou
D Tobias Bjornfot
D Antti Tuomisto
D Vladislav Kolyochonok
D Mikko Kokkonen
RW Ryder Donovan
RW Bobby Brink
RW Sasha Mutala
LW Robert Mastrosimone
LW Michal Teply
LW Nicholas Robertson
C Yegor Spirodonov
C Shane Pinto
C Oleg Zaitsev
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