yoteshot
Lazy Habs fan
Ok, so my mock will probably change a little until the draft, but I felt like sharing it to get some feedback.
*The write-ups were written quickly for this post, the original mock is 5200 words long (in French)*
**In this scenario, LA, BOS, PIT and CHI make the conf. finals and CHI beats PIT to win the Stanley Cup**
1. Colorado Avalanche
Seth Jones - D
Obvious pick here, local kid and franchise defenseman in the making. Easiest pick in the mock.
2. Florida Panthers
Nathan MacKinnon - C
I feel Drouin is more similar to Huberdeau, so the Panthers opt for Mackinnon who completes Huberdeau better and gives them a bonafide number 1 center
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
Jonathan Drouin - LW
BPA by a mile here, it's almost unfair to give them Drouin. St-Louis' career is ending and the bring in Drouin who is going to pursue TB's tradition of having the league's best duo.
4. Nashville Predators
Sasha Barkov - C
One of the youngest players in the draft is also one of the better ones. Put up impressive numbers in Finland despite his young age. Will bring a lot of skill to Nashville, but defensively conscious too, perfect for Nashville who finally gets a franchise center.
5. Carolina Hurricanes
Sean Monahan - C
The Hurricanes need defense, but the BPA here is Monahan and Rutherford doesn't like taking D-men early. Gives them another big center who might push one of the Staals to the wing as he is a perfect two-way center with offensive potential.
6. Calgary Flames
Elias Lindholm - C
The Flames need help everywhere, but they finally draft early to address this. Lindholm is BPA and a center which has been a position of weakness for the Flames. Creative center begins a long-due rebuild in Calgary.
7. Edmonton Oilers
Rasmus Ristolainen - D
Worst case scenario because I think the Oilers take a center if one is available. Might be a downtrade, but for the purpose of the mock, Ristolainen is a great pick for them as he is probably NHL-ready and brings them a future top-pair defenseman.
8. Buffalo Sabres
Darnell Nurse - D
Had trouble not giving them Nichushkin but with Myers' troubles, I think they might wanna get another future top pair defenseman. He's a great athlete but must develop as a player.
9. New Jersey Devils
Valeri Nichushkin - LW/RW
I'm guessing they're not forfeiting and they hope Kovalchuk's long term contract can lure the Russian phenom to Newark. Has been compared to Malkin but might scare the teams before them who need sure bets.
10. Dallas Stars
Hunter Shinkaruk - LW
Defense is quite deep, well, way more than offense where they could really use a pure offensive player like Shinkaruk. They wish he could play center, but I think Domi's little stature scares them off.
11. Philadelphia Flyers
Ryan Pulock - D
Offense is young in Philly and there are some nice d-men left here. Pulock fits well as a righthanded D who can quarterback the powerplay.
12. Phoenix Coyotes
Max Domi - C
Hesitated a lot between him and Lazar, but I think Phoenix needs some high-end skill and Domi is pretty much the last player who can bring that on offense.
13. Winnipeg Jets
Nikita Zadorov - D
Winnipeg has interesting D prospects/young players, but Trouba, Bogosian and Byfuglien all play the right side. Zadorov brings an element of physicality on the left side along with some huge shutdown potential.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
Bo Horvat - C
Columbus has solid D prospects and likes character upfront. Horvat has had incredible playoffs with clutch play and brings all the intangibles one might want. Maybe not the highest offensive potential, but I'd be surprised if he fell further.
15. New York Islanders
Anthony Mantha - LW
Can't say I'm a fan, but 50 goal scorers who are 6'4" are a nice asset I've heard. Must work on his consistency but would give the Islanders some secondary scoring they really need.
16. Buffalo Sabres
Curtis Lazar - C
Since I gave them a d-man earlier, I think Lazar is the best forward left here. Brings a lot of character and is a pure goalscorer (38 goals on a second line). Interested to see what he can bring as a go-to guy next year.
17. Ottawa Senators
Alexander Wennberg - C
What, I really have Wennberg at 17? I guess it's that kind of draft. Ottawa likes their Swedes and they can afford to wait for him to get his offensive game to the next level.
18. Detroit Red Wings
Valentin Zykov - RW
They have had some success recently in the Q (Jurco, Frk, Ouellet), and I had them picking between Erne and Zykov, both physical wingers, but I think Zykov has a higher offensive potential and Detroit usually gets the best out of their Euros.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (NYR)
Adam Erne - LW/RW
I said earlier that Columbus wanted character players, so adding Erne is another step in the right direction in that regard.
20. San Jose Sharks
Josh Morrissey - D
The Sharks have a lot of character guys and they need some high-end skill (other than Hertl). Their better options would be Burakovsky and Morrissey. Not a fan of Burakovsky and Morrissey reminds me a lot of their own Dan Boyle, who is not getting younger. Could become a top pair defender, they don't have any prospect like that.
21. Toronto Maple Leafs
Frédérik Gauthier - C
Toronto likes their character guys and since I don't see top-end skill guys available here, I think Gauthier fills a void there as a shutdown center who could still grow into a 2nd line center behind Kadri.
22. Calgary Flames (STL)
Samuel Morin - D
The second Rimouski giant doesn't wait long to get picked as the Flames snag him at 22. They picked Jankowski last year and I feel they understand they must be patient. Morin is obviously a project, but he has such potential that I'd be shocked if he fell much further than this on draft day.
23. Washington Capitals
Ryan Hartman - C/RW
Washington has some high-end skill guys and while they might be interested in picking a D, I think Hartman is exactly what they need as I see a lot of Ryan Callahan in his play and what team wouldn't want that?
24. Vancouver Canucks
Morgan Klimchuk - LW
Hesitated between him and Rychel, but in the end, I feel his offensive game translates better to the pros. Pure goalscorer is something the Canucks need.
25. Montreal Canadiens
JT Compher - C/LW
Can't say I'm a huge fan of his, but I believe the Habs want to add some character and grit to their pool and Compher brings a lot of that along with leadership and underrated offense. Timmins loves his USNTDP kids too.
26. Anaheim Ducks
Steve Santini - D
Anaheim has a great prospect pool, but their righthanded defensemen are pretty much all offense (Fowler, Vatanen, Welinski), so I think Santini brings something new to their pool. I liked McCoshen too here, but Santini has been rising quickly up the charts.
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (LA)
Kerby Rychel - LW/RW
Ok, I know, 3 forwards for the Blue Jackets, but I really like their d-men pool and I think they'll be able to pick some defensemen later. Rychel gives them a 3rd character forward who can score.
28. Dallas Stars (BOS)
Robert Hagg - D
Might be low for Hagg, but can't say I'm a huge fan of his. Still, I think he is going 1st round for sure. Dallas has lots of defensive minded d-men, but no real offensive threat from the blueline, which Hagg is (had him or Theodore here). After getting Shinkaruk on offense, thought Hagg was better than Burakovsky for them.
29. Calgary Flames (PIT)
Madison Bowey - D
Was looking for them to pick another defenseman and after Morin, thought an offensive D was a better option. Theodore still an option, but I like Bowey's potential as a top pairing d-man better. More boom or bust, but then again, they will not be rushing him and I really like his toolset (reminds me of Subban-lite)
30. Chicago Blackhawks
Ian McCoshen - D
Really a tossup between him and Mueller, but for some reason, I like his potential better. Huge player with untapped offensive potential. Chicago can afford to wait on him.
Honorable mentions
Zach Fucale (G): pretty sure he is getting picked in the 1st round, just don't know where
Mirco Mueller (D): also think he is getting picked in the 1st, just a victim of numbers here (so many D prospects)
Shea Theodore (D): fast riser late this season, pure offensive d-man, but I think there are better options/more complete players
Andre Burakovsky (LW): nice skills, but hasn't translated to a lot of production, so I can't say I'm a big fan.
Nic Petan (C): Everyone knows the knocks on him. He will be picked in the top 5 of the 2nd round or by a team reaching a little. Personnally, I worry more about his ability to produce while not on a powerhouse than his small stature.
*The write-ups were written quickly for this post, the original mock is 5200 words long (in French)*
**In this scenario, LA, BOS, PIT and CHI make the conf. finals and CHI beats PIT to win the Stanley Cup**
1. Colorado Avalanche
Seth Jones - D
Obvious pick here, local kid and franchise defenseman in the making. Easiest pick in the mock.
2. Florida Panthers
Nathan MacKinnon - C
I feel Drouin is more similar to Huberdeau, so the Panthers opt for Mackinnon who completes Huberdeau better and gives them a bonafide number 1 center
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
Jonathan Drouin - LW
BPA by a mile here, it's almost unfair to give them Drouin. St-Louis' career is ending and the bring in Drouin who is going to pursue TB's tradition of having the league's best duo.
4. Nashville Predators
Sasha Barkov - C
One of the youngest players in the draft is also one of the better ones. Put up impressive numbers in Finland despite his young age. Will bring a lot of skill to Nashville, but defensively conscious too, perfect for Nashville who finally gets a franchise center.
5. Carolina Hurricanes
Sean Monahan - C
The Hurricanes need defense, but the BPA here is Monahan and Rutherford doesn't like taking D-men early. Gives them another big center who might push one of the Staals to the wing as he is a perfect two-way center with offensive potential.
6. Calgary Flames
Elias Lindholm - C
The Flames need help everywhere, but they finally draft early to address this. Lindholm is BPA and a center which has been a position of weakness for the Flames. Creative center begins a long-due rebuild in Calgary.
7. Edmonton Oilers
Rasmus Ristolainen - D
Worst case scenario because I think the Oilers take a center if one is available. Might be a downtrade, but for the purpose of the mock, Ristolainen is a great pick for them as he is probably NHL-ready and brings them a future top-pair defenseman.
8. Buffalo Sabres
Darnell Nurse - D
Had trouble not giving them Nichushkin but with Myers' troubles, I think they might wanna get another future top pair defenseman. He's a great athlete but must develop as a player.
9. New Jersey Devils
Valeri Nichushkin - LW/RW
I'm guessing they're not forfeiting and they hope Kovalchuk's long term contract can lure the Russian phenom to Newark. Has been compared to Malkin but might scare the teams before them who need sure bets.
10. Dallas Stars
Hunter Shinkaruk - LW
Defense is quite deep, well, way more than offense where they could really use a pure offensive player like Shinkaruk. They wish he could play center, but I think Domi's little stature scares them off.
11. Philadelphia Flyers
Ryan Pulock - D
Offense is young in Philly and there are some nice d-men left here. Pulock fits well as a righthanded D who can quarterback the powerplay.
12. Phoenix Coyotes
Max Domi - C
Hesitated a lot between him and Lazar, but I think Phoenix needs some high-end skill and Domi is pretty much the last player who can bring that on offense.
13. Winnipeg Jets
Nikita Zadorov - D
Winnipeg has interesting D prospects/young players, but Trouba, Bogosian and Byfuglien all play the right side. Zadorov brings an element of physicality on the left side along with some huge shutdown potential.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
Bo Horvat - C
Columbus has solid D prospects and likes character upfront. Horvat has had incredible playoffs with clutch play and brings all the intangibles one might want. Maybe not the highest offensive potential, but I'd be surprised if he fell further.
15. New York Islanders
Anthony Mantha - LW
Can't say I'm a fan, but 50 goal scorers who are 6'4" are a nice asset I've heard. Must work on his consistency but would give the Islanders some secondary scoring they really need.
16. Buffalo Sabres
Curtis Lazar - C
Since I gave them a d-man earlier, I think Lazar is the best forward left here. Brings a lot of character and is a pure goalscorer (38 goals on a second line). Interested to see what he can bring as a go-to guy next year.
17. Ottawa Senators
Alexander Wennberg - C
What, I really have Wennberg at 17? I guess it's that kind of draft. Ottawa likes their Swedes and they can afford to wait for him to get his offensive game to the next level.
18. Detroit Red Wings
Valentin Zykov - RW
They have had some success recently in the Q (Jurco, Frk, Ouellet), and I had them picking between Erne and Zykov, both physical wingers, but I think Zykov has a higher offensive potential and Detroit usually gets the best out of their Euros.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (NYR)
Adam Erne - LW/RW
I said earlier that Columbus wanted character players, so adding Erne is another step in the right direction in that regard.
20. San Jose Sharks
Josh Morrissey - D
The Sharks have a lot of character guys and they need some high-end skill (other than Hertl). Their better options would be Burakovsky and Morrissey. Not a fan of Burakovsky and Morrissey reminds me a lot of their own Dan Boyle, who is not getting younger. Could become a top pair defender, they don't have any prospect like that.
21. Toronto Maple Leafs
Frédérik Gauthier - C
Toronto likes their character guys and since I don't see top-end skill guys available here, I think Gauthier fills a void there as a shutdown center who could still grow into a 2nd line center behind Kadri.
22. Calgary Flames (STL)
Samuel Morin - D
The second Rimouski giant doesn't wait long to get picked as the Flames snag him at 22. They picked Jankowski last year and I feel they understand they must be patient. Morin is obviously a project, but he has such potential that I'd be shocked if he fell much further than this on draft day.
23. Washington Capitals
Ryan Hartman - C/RW
Washington has some high-end skill guys and while they might be interested in picking a D, I think Hartman is exactly what they need as I see a lot of Ryan Callahan in his play and what team wouldn't want that?
24. Vancouver Canucks
Morgan Klimchuk - LW
Hesitated between him and Rychel, but in the end, I feel his offensive game translates better to the pros. Pure goalscorer is something the Canucks need.
25. Montreal Canadiens
JT Compher - C/LW
Can't say I'm a huge fan of his, but I believe the Habs want to add some character and grit to their pool and Compher brings a lot of that along with leadership and underrated offense. Timmins loves his USNTDP kids too.
26. Anaheim Ducks
Steve Santini - D
Anaheim has a great prospect pool, but their righthanded defensemen are pretty much all offense (Fowler, Vatanen, Welinski), so I think Santini brings something new to their pool. I liked McCoshen too here, but Santini has been rising quickly up the charts.
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (LA)
Kerby Rychel - LW/RW
Ok, I know, 3 forwards for the Blue Jackets, but I really like their d-men pool and I think they'll be able to pick some defensemen later. Rychel gives them a 3rd character forward who can score.
28. Dallas Stars (BOS)
Robert Hagg - D
Might be low for Hagg, but can't say I'm a huge fan of his. Still, I think he is going 1st round for sure. Dallas has lots of defensive minded d-men, but no real offensive threat from the blueline, which Hagg is (had him or Theodore here). After getting Shinkaruk on offense, thought Hagg was better than Burakovsky for them.
29. Calgary Flames (PIT)
Madison Bowey - D
Was looking for them to pick another defenseman and after Morin, thought an offensive D was a better option. Theodore still an option, but I like Bowey's potential as a top pairing d-man better. More boom or bust, but then again, they will not be rushing him and I really like his toolset (reminds me of Subban-lite)
30. Chicago Blackhawks
Ian McCoshen - D
Really a tossup between him and Mueller, but for some reason, I like his potential better. Huge player with untapped offensive potential. Chicago can afford to wait on him.
Honorable mentions
Zach Fucale (G): pretty sure he is getting picked in the 1st round, just don't know where
Mirco Mueller (D): also think he is getting picked in the 1st, just a victim of numbers here (so many D prospects)
Shea Theodore (D): fast riser late this season, pure offensive d-man, but I think there are better options/more complete players
Andre Burakovsky (LW): nice skills, but hasn't translated to a lot of production, so I can't say I'm a big fan.
Nic Petan (C): Everyone knows the knocks on him. He will be picked in the top 5 of the 2nd round or by a team reaching a little. Personnally, I worry more about his ability to produce while not on a powerhouse than his small stature.
