Prospect Info: STI 2021 Draft Rankings 2.0 for May -- Top 64

[StevenToddIves]

Someone just sent me the new Sam Constantino rankings at Sportsnet:

Sportsnet’s 2021 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: May Edition

I predicted that Brandt Clarke's outstanding U-18 tourney would shoot him up the rankings, and we're already starting to see more #2 and #3 rankings. Here's another one.

Constantino's rankings are generally as conservative as they come and very in tune with the consensus. He has one interesting first-round sleeper in Ayrton Martino, who is a LW with top-6 NHL potential whom I really like for the 2nd round, if he's still there.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Do I have this right - unless the Isles make it to round 3, their pick can be no lower than 18?

 

[aboriginal]

 

[Blackjack]

Do I have this right - unless the Isles make it to round 3, their pick can be no lower than 18?

20. It could theoretically move up to 17 if Nashville, St. Louis, or Winnipeg/Montreal make the 3rd round, but that is extremely unlikely. Dom L at the Athletic has Colorado as the heaviest favorite in a decade in their series against St. Louis. It would be fun to see Montreal beat Toronto, but that is also a very long shot, and Winnipeg is playing like shit. Nashville over Carolina and then Tampa/Florida is probably the best chance for the pick to move up and... yeah.

 

[Eggtimer]

Oh Pinelli Caulemens and Othmann all there around the Islanders pick. I would love any of those 3!

 

[aboriginal]

The pick as it stands is already gravy. I’ll be happy with whatever amount is slathered on.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Palms believe it or not, statistically played worse for the Islanders than he did with us. Now, he can always turn that around in the playoffs and be there hero but this trade turned out quite well for us.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Oh Pinelli Caulemens and Othmann all there around the Islanders pick. I would love any of those 3!

There's a lot of guys to really like with the Islanders pick. I've been talking a lot about Aleksi Heimosalmi, a RD who would jump to the top of the Devils prospect rankings at that position. Nikita Chibrikov is a left shot who can excel at either wing and plays a high-compete, high-skill game and really impressed at the U-18s. LW Isak Rosen might be the highest-upside forward outside the top 10 -- he's blindingly fast and his entire offensive skill-set really jumps off the page.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

There's a lot of guys to really like with the Islanders pick. I've been talking a lot about Aleksi Heimosalmi, a RD who would jump to the top of the Devils prospect rankings at that position. Nikita Chibrikov is a left shot who can excel at either wing and plays a high-compete, high-skill game and really impressed at the U-18s. LW Isak Rosen might be the highest-upside forward outside the top 10 -- he's blindingly fast and his entire offensive skill-set really jumps off the page.

I’m leaning towards Rosen and Othmann as my favorites for the NYI pick if they get one of the 3 D with the first pick. If not, Ham & Salami would be a nice consolation.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I’m leaning towards Rosen and Othmann as my favorites for the NYI pick if they get one of the 3 D with the first pick. If not, Ham & Salami would be a nice consolation.

I'm also curious what the Devils do if Carson Lambos falls to the Islanders pick. There are certainly a lot of questions to answer, but Lambos has tremendous upside -- I feel he has a lot in common with Alex Pietrangelo in his draft year in terms of skill-set and areas of improvement. Lambos has a ceiling which might only trail Hughes, Clarke and Power in the entire 2021 class -- and not by much. But there is certainly a lot of projection here, which combined with his season-ending injury could drop him out of the top 20 altogether.

 

[Hisch13r]

20. It could theoretically move up to 17 if Nashville, St. Louis, or Winnipeg/Montreal make the 3rd round, but that is extremely unlikely. Dom L at the Athletic has Colorado as the heaviest favorite in a decade in their series against St. Louis. It would be fun to see Montreal beat Toronto, but that is also a very long shot, and Winnipeg is playing like shit. Nashville over Carolina and then Tampa/Florida is probably the best chance for the pick to move up and... yeah.

Isn't it 19 because no Arizona pick?

 

[Eggtimer]

There's a lot of guys to really like with the Islanders pick. I've been talking a lot about Aleksi Heimosalmi, a RD who would jump to the top of the Devils prospect rankings at that position. Nikita Chibrikov is a left shot who can excel at either wing and plays a high-compete, high-skill game and really impressed at the U-18s. LW Isak Rosen might be the highest-upside forward outside the top 10 -- he's blindingly fast and his entire offensive skill-set really jumps off the page.

Thanks for the info. I forgot about Heimosalmi . Kid looks very good.

 

[Eggtimer]

Isn't it 19 because no Arizona pick?

It’s 21 , 20 w/o Arizona.

 

[Hisch13r]

It’s 21 , 20 w/o Arizona.

I forgot to count Seattle

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

I'm also curious what the Devils do if Carson Lambos falls to the Islanders pick. There are certainly a lot of questions to answer, but Lambos has tremendous upside -- I feel he has a lot in common with Alex Pietrangelo in his draft year in terms of skill-set and areas of improvement. Lambos has a ceiling which might only trail Hughes, Clarke and Power in the entire 2021 class -- and not by much. But there is certainly a lot of projection here, which combined with his season-ending injury could drop him out of the top 20 altogether.

Haven’t seen any of Lambos. Just watching little by little here and there. I’ll check him out. I’m in the “get one of each” crowd with the two picks. Don’t really see a trade for a good player with the NYI pick coming but that can change with the ExD.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Haven’t seen any of Lambos. Just watching little by little here and there. I’ll check him out. I’m in the “get one of each” crowd with the two picks. Don’t really see a trade for a good player with the NYI pick coming but that can change with the ExD.

Lambos is a tough guy to gauge when you watch him. When he's on? He's huge, fast, strong and lasering passes and displaying his cannon of a shot. When he's off? It's almost like you have to look for him on the ice.

He was actually better in 2019-20 -- playing for the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL -- than he was in 20-21. He had a very inconsistent season which unfortunately ended in injury.

I've seen Lambos ranked as high as #2 and #3 overall. If he puts it all together, look out. But he might come with as much risk as any player taken in the first round. However, it's a chance I'd be willing to take with the Islanders pick -- a lot of the questions with him harken back to Alex Pietrangelo back in his own draft year. This kid's upside is tremendous. I suggest you watch some film on him and make up your own mind. But unfortunately, I suggest you go back to his 19-20 games in the WHL, because he really struggled to acclimate this year with JYP in the Finnish juniors.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Thanks for the info. I forgot about Heimosalmi . Kid looks very good.

Heimosalmi is a good example of a kid using a tournament to up his draft stock. But he's not a player who came out of nowhere, he had 21 points in 35 games in the Finnish junior league while playing very good defense and consistently excelling on transition.

He will scare some teams off because of his modest 5'11-170 measurements and lack of elite skating. There are several teams who simply don't draft defensemen like this, such as Ottawa, Anaheim and Los Angeles.

But in my opinion, if the Devils step up to the podium (well, the Zoom Podium) at #20 and Ceulemans is off the board, there is a good argument to be made that Heimosalmi will be the best RD prospect left on the board. He's high-IQ and competitive and a fantastic passer -- and these are the qualities which, for me, best indicate future NHL success for a defenseman. Though not a Brandt Clarke type who can dictate the pace of play on the ice every time he steps onto it, if you pair Heimosalmi with a more physical, defensive LD -- and the Devils are loaded in this area with Okhotyuk, Bahl, Vukojevic and Misyul -- I think he can really shine at the professional level.

 

[My3Sons]

Heimosalmi is a good example of a kid using a tournament to up his draft stock. But he's not a player who came out of nowhere, he had 21 points in 35 games in the Finnish junior league while playing very good defense and consistently excelling on transition.

He will scare some teams off because of his modest 5'11-170 measurements and lack of elite skating. There are several teams who simply don't draft defensemen like this, such as Ottawa, Anaheim and Los Angeles.

But in my opinion, if the Devils step up to the podium (well, the Zoom Podium) at #20 and Ceulemans is off the board, there is a good argument to be made that Heimosalmi will be the best RD prospect left on the board. He's high-IQ and competitive and a fantastic passer -- and these are the qualities which, for me, best indicate future NHL success for a defenseman. Though not a Brandt Clarke type who can dictate the pace of play on the ice every time he steps onto it, if you pair Heimosalmi with a more physical, defensive LD -- and the Devils are loaded in this area with Okhotyuk, Bahl, Vukojevic and Misyul -- I think he can really shine at the professional level.

When I'd asked about this sort of move previously, your concern then was that at pick 20 NJ would potentially have a first line wing talent available to them and might be best served passing on a defender in this range. Do you still see that as an issue or are you more comfortable now with the mid-first round defenders where you think they aren't a reach? I think most of us can see the right defense pipeline and realize it needs more prospects, but going out of your way to grab one when better talents are on the board is how teams whiff on picks. Thanks as always for the efforts you make for those of us on here who enjoy your thoughtful and reasoned posts.

 

[StevenToddIves]

When I'd asked about this sort of move previously, your concern then was that at pick 20 NJ would potentially have a first line wing talent available to them and might be best served passing on a defender in this range. Do you still see that as an issue or are you more comfortable now with the mid-first round defenders where you think they aren't a reach? I think most of us can see the right defense pipeline and realize it needs more prospects, but going out of your way to grab one when better talents are on the board is how teams whiff on picks. Thanks as always for the efforts you make for those of us on here who enjoy your thoughtful and reasoned posts.

It's my conviction that the Devils have a ton of great candidates to fill the future spots at 2/3/4-line LW. But I feel they lack a true top-line LW -- I see Bratt, Foote and Sharangovich (and I'm a big fan of all 3) more as middle-6 guys. Kuokkanen -- another player I love -- is the perfect 3rd line LW/RW.

This year, the rotating wheel of inconsistently on Jack Hughes' LW really hurt his offense and development. 20+ games alongside a disastrous Andreas Johnsson almost completely dried up Jack's offense output for the entire period. Hughes did not start to really produce with consistency until he had regular, competent line-mates in Sharangovich and Kuokkanen for the final month-plus of the year.

But what if you gave Jack another player on the LW who could also drive play and create scoring opportunities? I feel it would make a huge difference.

Granted, my first choice at the #4 or #5 or #6 pick is to get one of the Big 3 D -- Clarke, Hughes or Power would all become the most talented Devils draft pick for the blueline since Scott Niedermeyer and immediately change the face of the re-build.

But if those three are gone, I feel the Devils would seriously benefit from a bona fide first-line LW like Eklund or Johnson. Guenther is a RW primarily, but has played LW for Edmonton of the WHL and has looked very good anywhere he plays.

My ultimate wish would be for the Devils to get Clarke at RD with their own pick, and then use the Islanders pick to get a LW with big upside like Othmann, Rosen or Chibrikov. Svechkov and Pinelli are left-shot centers who could almost certainly thrive on the LW as well.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

It's my conviction that the Devils have a ton of great candidates to fill the future spots at 2/3/4-line LW. But I feel they lack a true top-line LW -- I see Bratt, Foote and Sharangovich (and I'm a big fan of all 3) more as middle-6 guys. Kuokkanen -- another player I love -- is the perfect 3rd line LW/RW.

This year, the rotating wheel of inconsistently on Jack Hughes' LW really hurt his offense and development. 20+ games alongside a disastrous Andreas Johnsson almost completely dried up Jack's offense output for the entire period. Hughes did not start to really produce with consistency until he had regular, competent line-mates in Sharangovich and Kuokkanen for the final month-plus of the year.

But what if you gave Jack another player on the LW who could also drive play and create scoring opportunities? I feel it would make a huge difference.

Granted, my first choice at the #4 or #5 or #6 pick is to get one of the Big 3 D -- Clarke, Hughes or Power would all become the most talented Devils draft pick for the blueline since Scott Niedermeyer and immediately change the face of the re-build.

But if those three are gone, I feel the Devils would seriously benefit from a bona fide first-line LW like Eklund or Johnson. Guenther is a RW primarily, but has played LW for Edmonton of the WHL and has looked very good anywhere he plays.

My ultimate wish would be for the Devils to get Clarke at RD with their own pick, and then use the Islanders pick to get a LW with big upside like Othmann, Rosen or Chibrikov. Svechkov and Pinelli are left-shot centers who could almost certainly thrive on the LW as well.

tbh, I think it's very likely Rosen will be available with the islanders pick and it would be an extremely good value pick.

 

[StevenToddIves]

tbh, I think it's very likely Rosen will be available with the islanders pick and it would be an extremely good value pick.

If 10 years from now, we looked back on the 2021 draft and Rosen was one of the top two or three scorers in the entire draft class, it would not surprise me in the least. The kid is electrifying in his skating, shooting, passing and compete level. He's also a very good 200-foot player whose intensity and grit belies his slight frame.

Isak Rosen is a great pick at #10 or #11 overall. He's just a ridiculously great pick at #18 or #19 or #20. Those who know me (like yourself) will recall I said similar things about Dawson Mercer last year. Though he is a very different player (obviously) than Mercer, he's like Mercer in that he is being sorely overlooked by many draft rankings because of very superficial and sketchy reasoning.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

If 10 years from now, we looked back on the 2021 draft and Rosen was one of the top two or three scorers in the entire draft class, it would not surprise me in the least. The kid is electrifying in his skating, shooting, passing and compete level. He's also a very good 200-foot player whose intensity and grit belies his slight frame.

Isak Rosen is a great pick at #10 or #11 overall. He's just a ridiculously great pick at #18 or #19 or #20. Those who know me (like yourself) will recall I said similar things about Dawson Mercer last year. Though he is a very different player (obviously) than Mercer, he's like Mercer in that he is being sorely overlooked by many draft rankings because of very superficial and sketchy reasoning.

Yup I would have no issues picking Rosen at #10 or #11 but I have a feeling other teams are gunna have the "undersized" bias again (among other factors too). But hey, maybe I'll be surprised.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Yup I would have no issues picking Rosen at #10 or #11 but I have a feeling other teams are gunna have the "undersized" bias again (among other factors too). But hey, maybe I'll be surprised.

If there's one idiot thing which NHL teams never learn, it's to stop looking at a play who excels in all aspects of the game and saying "he's too small". We can find three players in every draft who made teams look foolish for passing on them for this very reason.

Isak Rosen is terrific at hockey, period. If I'm Calgary picking 11th or Chicago picking 12th -- or even LA picking 9th if Wallstedt is off the board -- he's certainly on my wish list.

 

[TBF1972]

It's my conviction that the Devils have a ton of great candidates to fill the future spots at 2/3/4-line LW. But I feel they lack a true top-line LW -- I see Bratt, Foote and Sharangovich (and I'm a big fan of all 3) more as middle-6 guys. Kuokkanen -- another player I love -- is the perfect 3rd line LW/RW.

This year, the rotating wheel of inconsistently on Jack Hughes' LW really hurt his offense and development. 20+ games alongside a disastrous Andreas Johnsson almost completely dried up Jack's offense output for the entire period. Hughes did not start to really produce with consistency until he had regular, competent line-mates in Sharangovich and Kuokkanen for the final month-plus of the year.

But what if you gave Jack another player on the LW who could also drive play and create scoring opportunities? I feel it would make a huge difference.

Granted, my first choice at the #4 or #5 or #6 pick is to get one of the Big 3 D -- Clarke, Hughes or Power would all become the most talented Devils draft pick for the blueline since Scott Niedermeyer and immediately change the face of the re-build.

But if those three are gone, I feel the Devils would seriously benefit from a bona fide first-line LW like Eklund or Johnson. Guenther is a RW primarily, but has played LW for Edmonton of the WHL and has looked very good anywhere he plays.

My ultimate wish would be for the Devils to get Clarke at RD with their own pick, and then use the Islanders pick to get a LW with big upside like Othmann, Rosen or Chibrikov. Svechkov and Pinelli are left-shot centers who could almost certainly thrive on the LW as well.

I really love your analysis, but here I don't agree. Drafting a LW with the purpose to help Hughes development can't work. Any player drafted this year most likely won't be a player, who can lift Hughes performances. Additionally he found chemistry with Sharangovich and Kuokkanen, as you said. Those two are already on the roster and if you can give them consistent roles might be able to elevate their games.

If the Devils think they need to add a LW/RW partner for Hughes for next season to help his development, this players must come via trade or free agency. They also don't have to be a long term pieces. Once Hughes has found his strides, HE should be the player, who can elevate his less talented line mates.

For next season you could try Hischier with Zacha and Bratt and keep Hughes with Sharangovich and Kuokkanen. If any of the RHS forwards (Holtz, Mercer, Clarke or Thompson) forces their hands and grabs a spot on one of the top lines, all the better.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I really love your analysis, but here I don't agree. Drafting a LW with the purpose to help Hughes development can't work. Any player drafted this year most likely won't be a player, who can lift Hughes performances. Additionally he found chemistry with Sharangovich and Kuokkanen, as you said. Those two are already on the roster and if you can give them consistent roles might be able to elevate their games.

If the Devils think they need to add a LW/RW partner for Hughes for next season to help his development, this players must come via trade or free agency. They also don't have to be a long term pieces. Once Hughes has found his strides, HE should be the player, who can elevate his less talented line mates.

For next season you could try Hischier with Zacha and Bratt and keep Hughes with Sharangovich and Kuokkanen. If any of the RHS forwards (Holtz, Mercer, Clarke or Thompson) forces their hands and grabs a spot on one of the top lines, all the better.

You raise very good points here. You forgot to mention that we could also sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as a UFA and make him our top-line LW, however.