Lays 2018 final top 150 draft ranking+2 round mock draft

[NJ DevLolz]

Lovejoy, Greene won’t be here long. Santini is flat out not good and Mueller is meh. Walsh and Davies had good seasons and I did acknowledge that but they’re still not safe bets to end up top 4.

That's my point. Guys who don't have puck skills tend to not be good. Defensive dmen are nearly impossible to judge. The odds of them being bad are much higher than being good.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Samuelsson is ranked early 20s (but 28 for me) and with the Devils need for defense I could see them going with Samuelsson, he’s also a local boy

Meh, I don't think the need for defense will sway their pick selection in terms of avoiding the BPA. And I skimmed your post below, and I don't think NHL-readiness will play a big factor, if at all. Needs change and quick. A few seasons ago Devils looked to be set on defense and terrible at forwards, now it's the opposite. We still "need" another top line RW to play with Nico and Hall so maybe that plays a factor?

The Devils have also placed a heavy emphasis on skating and skill, and I know they can't just go after those things, but if there's a prospect that fits that mold better and is just a flat out better prospect in general, I don't see why they would think of going with Samuelsson.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

1. Growing up in NJ will have absolutely 0 impact on who they will take.
2. The Devils have Lovejoy, Greene, Santini and Mueller, who all lack puck skill. If they are looking for "safe" players, they have them in spades, unfortunately. The latter two are both 22/23, so they are young af.
3. Walsh and Davies definitely have top-4 upside. Davies just crushed his conference as a sophomore.

Greene and Lovejoy won't apply to Samuelsson. They are 15-20 years older than him.

The other two are more defensive guys, but thats two defensive guys, not 8, and its not like those two guys you can count on to be stalwart top 4D for 10 seasons. Samuelsson might be a better hockey player than both of them right now, and he has a significantly higher ceiling.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Greene and Lovejoy won't apply to Samuelsson. They are 15-20 years older than him.

The other two are more defensive guys, but thats two defensive guys, not 8, and its not like those two guys you can count on to be stalwart top 4D for 10 seasons. Samuelsson might be a better hockey player than both of them right now, and he has a significantly higher ceiling.

I'm not saying Samuelsson is any worse than those two, but they do already have those "stay-at-home" elements. They do not have anyone who remotely resembles elite talent on D. Severson, Butcher and Vatanen are all above-average, but not much better than that.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I'm not saying Samuelsson is any worse than those two, but they do already have those "stay-at-home" elements. They do not have anyone who remotely resembles elite talent on D. Severson, Butcher and Vatanen are all above-average, but not much better than that.

I'm not going to tell you guys what you have to want, but Samuelsson looks comparable to a player like Adam Larsson who you guys know can be a big impact player, much more so than Mueller or Santini. If Samuelsson was drafted 7 years ago like Larsson was, I think he'd go somewhere similar to where Larsson went at 4OA.

I personally wouldn't mind my team drafting Samuelsson. I get that the appearance of drafting a "1D" is more appealing to most fans. I want the Rangers to replace McDonagh's game and role, but if we can get prime Marc Staal, I'll have no issue with that. I think thats the type of game Samuelsson can play, he'll be a very reliable 2D, and one of the best defensive players in the game. Maybe he even shows more offense, and you get Ekholm. He's not without offense. He has a decent shot, passes the puck well, can carry the puck up ice with reasonable speed, but he's just not one of these danglers at the blue line. How much more offense will Noah Dobson give you? I'm not sure its that much more.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I think I'm cool with Wise at #24.

 

[uncleben]

@Lays Lundkvist taken at 33, but not in your 150... that on purpose?

Also have Stastney at 116 and 136, so you know

 

[HoseEmDown]

You got McLaughlin at 25 but not in the mock? If he falls to the lightning in the 2nd I hope they jump all over him.