Zemgus26 Final Mock Draft + Rankings

[MackAttack26]

Haven't done one of these in a while so put a little more effort and thought into the fourth and final one. Lemme know what you think.


1. - Auston Matthews (C)
Reason: Although there has been some discussion of Laine creeping up, the only way I don't see Matthews going #1 overall is if the team badly needs wingers over centers. This is not the case for Toronto, as despite having Marner and Nylander, Matthews gives them the guaranteed 1C you can win cups with.
Projection/Grade: Franchise two-way 1C (9.0 B)
If not Matthews: Patrik Laine

2. - Patrik Laine (LW/RW)
Reason: Like mentioned, Laine has made a serious play for #1 with his playoff performance and has cemented himself as a top-2 player in this draft. Jets are thrilled to fill out a top-6 wing group already featuring Wheeler, Ehlers and soon to be Kyle Connor with the superstar sniper.
Projection/Grade: Franchise scoring 1W (9.0 C)
If not Laine: Jesse Puljujarvi

3. - Jesse Puljujarvi (RW)
Reason: Puljujarvi fills out the clear top-3 players of the draft. Columbus could have used the top C like Matthews, but won't complain lucking out on the well rounded and pro ready Finnish winger. Even if he doesn't fill that 1C hole for them, it adds more size and skill to a top-6 group with plenty of that already.
Projection/Grade: Powerful two-way 1RW (8.5 B)
If not Puljujarvi: Pierre-Luc Dubois

4. - Matthew Tkachuk (LW)
Reason: The first tough pick, and it has MANY question marks. Will Edmonton trade the pick? Will they select a D for need that might be years away? My guess is they take a player who can fit in with McDavid down the road, such as Tkachuk, and worry about filling out their D group immediately by trading one of their other many good young forwards.
Projection/Grade: Gritty playmaking 1LW (8.0 B)
If not Tkachuk: Pierre-Luc Dubois

5. - Pierre-Luc Dubois (C/LW)
Reason: Vancouver has two glaring holes to fill, 1C and 1D. Dubois is the BPA here and gives Vancouver the best chance of filling one of those holes. With the recent trade and Benning's comments, it seems apparent that Vancouver will go for a forward with this pick.*
Projection/Grade: Powerful offensive 1C (8.0 B)
If not Dubois: Tyson Jost

6. - Alex Nylander (LW/RW)
Reason: With a solid D core in place along with a 1-2 duo of Monohan-Bennett at C, Calgary looks to the wings here. Nylander oozes skill and would fill a top-6 RW that Calgary is completely void of right now. If those five other forwards are off the board, Nylander is the obvious choice here.
Projection/Grade: Skilled 2W (8.0 C)
If not Nylander: Logan Brown

7. - Jakob Chychrun (LHD)
Reason: Arizona has built up quite the young forward group with quality going 10+ players deep. On the back end though, besides OEL the organization as a whole is lacking in top end talent. Chychrun is seen by most as the best D in the draft and would be a big piece for the Yotes, whether behind OEL or playing with him.
Projection/Grade: Physical two-way #2 D (8.0 C)
If not Chychrun: Olli Juolevi

8. - Olli Juolevi (LHD)
Reason: Buffalo has added some high end forwards since the 2014 draft. Outside of Ristolainen they lack top D though, especially on a bare left side with no sure fire top-4 defenders. Juolevi gives them the perfect finnish counterpart for Ristolainen in the future.
Projection/Grade: Playmaking two-way #2 D (7.5 B)
If not Juolevi: Clayton Keller

9. - Logan Brown (C)
Reason: Galchenyuk has a bright future at C, but it wouldn't hurt to add another potential top-6 C like Brown. He brings a great two-way game and monstrous size that Montreal has lacked up front for a while. With his great end to the season, teams will be clambering to get a guy like him who is the complete package.
Projection/Grade: Powerful playmaking 2C (7.5 B)
If not Brown: Tyson Jost

10. - Mikhail Sergachev (LHD)
Reason: Now I know Colorado doesn't need defense as bad as many other posters think. And I see them going forward here... that is unless Sergachev falls into their laps. They have a few good LHD in Zadorov, Bigras and others but no guy with Sergachev's dominant #1 upside.
Projection/Grade: Explosive two-way #2 D (8.0 C)
If not Sergachev: Tyson Jost

11. - Tyson Jost (C)
Reason: Going into this year, it was clear the offense in Jersey would struggle to score for wins. Even with impressive years from some fairly young players such as Palmieri and Henrique, they were bottom of the league. As evident by his U18 Tourney, Jost can provide a ton of offense and is a terrific player in his own end too. Jost gives the Devils a potential 1C that they desperately need.
Projection/Grade: Two-way 2C (7.5 B)
If not Jost: Clayton Keller

12. - Clayton Keller (C)
Reason: Although the few teams ahead of him will strongly consider Keller, if he falls to Ottawa they will scoop him up. Despite his size, Keller has lit up every league and tournament he plays at. With his skill, you can only fall so far, and Ottawa needs a dynamic forward up front with his capabilities.
Projection/Grade: Skilled 1C (8.0 D)
If not Keller: Michael McLeod

13. - Kieffer Bellows (LW)
Reason: Carolina has built up a group of young defenseman in the league that is skilled, deep, and arguably the best in the league. Unfortunately, the forward youth is relatively void of both skill and size. Bellows brings a physical offensive game that Carolina lacks and is one of the best scorers in this draft.
Projection/Grade: Scoring 2LW (7.5 C)
If not Bellows: Julien Gauthier

14. - Charlie McAvoy (RHD)
Reason: Straight out of Boston University, McAvoy won't have long to travel to reach the NHL. McAvoy had a terrific freshman year and projects well to becoming a two-way, top-4 RHD in this league; something Boston badly needs to replace the aging blueline.
Projection/Grade: Offensive #3 D (7.5 C)
If not McAvoy: Michael McLeod

15. - Luke Kunin (C/RW)
Reason: Minnesota has already 5+ D that are considered top-4 (or future top-4) quality. They need to retool their forward core, starting with the high upside of Luke Kunin. Kunin has the offensive skills needed to be a top line center and even if he doesn't become that, he has a good chance of being a quality middle six scoring piece for Minny.
Projection/Grade: Offensive 2C (7.5 C)
If not Kunin: Michael McLeod

16. - Michael McLeod (C)
Reason: With an aging core, Detroit needs to target high end centers and defensemen to replace them. McLeod brings an excellent two-way game that projects safely to a middle six role in the future. Larkin-McLeod is a good way to start building a playoff contender in Detroit once again.
Projection/Grade: Two-way 3C (7.0 B)
If not McLeod: German Rubtsov

17. - German Rubtsov (C)
Reason: As always with Nashville, the D core is very deep and strong. However, despite some bright young pieces, the forward group requires a lot of help. Rubtsov would help Nashville immensely down the middle and with his strong two-way play can hopeful provide Nashville with a reliable presence behind Johansen.
Projection/Grade: Reliable two-way 3C (7.0 B)
If not Rubtsov: Jake Bean

18. - Max Jones (LW)
Reason: Philly has built up a spectacular core of young D led by Provorov. They have ignored forwards these past couple of years to achieve that, so to balance it out they pick up the strong LW here. Jones brings a game filled with size and skill that the Flyers love to play and plays a position that is relatively bare throughout the whole organization.
Projection/Grade: Powerful 3LW (6.5 B)
If not Jones: Riley Tufte

19. - Jake Bean (LHD)
Reason: The slight fall of Bean stops as the Islanders go after BPA and fill a positional need. With so much offensive talent in the organization up front, they decide to add more of it to the back end as well with the skilled, slick defender.
Projection/Grade: Skilled #3 D (8.0 D)
If not Bean: Julien Gauthier

20. (VIA NYR) - Dante Fabbro (RHD)
Reason: After adding arguably the best defenseman in the draft early, Arizona goes right back to D and drafts Fabbro, who projects as a two-way/top-4 D in the NHL one day. Arizona has possibly the best group of forward prospect in the league. Adding Chychrun and Fabbro would do wonders for a defense group that lacks high end talent outside of OEL. Those 3 combined with a guy like Stone could round out a bright looking future roster in Arizona.
Projection/Grade: Two-way #3 D (7.5 C)
If not Fabbro: Julien Gauthier

21. (VIA LAK) - Julien Gauthier (RW)
Reason: With an impressive first half, the large goal scorer was in contention for a top-10 spot. A disappointing finish to the year has had him fall to the low teens or later in many rankings. A right wing with his size and goal scoring ability is exactly what Carolina lacks though, and after heavily considering him at 13, they are thrilled he falls to their 2nd pick.
Projection/Grade: Powerful scoring 2RW (7.5 C)
If not Gauthier: Tage Thompson

22. (VIA CHI) - Kale Clague (LHD)
Reason: They lucked out winning 2nd in the lottery to assure yet another high end winger in the organization. Sooner or later they need to address their organizational need with a LHD. Clague has had a very strong end to the year after a shaky start and appears to be the best option when looking at solid two-way defenseman here.
Projection/Grade: Two-way #4 D (7.0 C)
If not Clague: Libor Hajek

23. - Tage Thompson (C/RW)
Reason: Smith has impressed in Florida's top-6 and Jagr is still rocking but can't play forever. Besides those two, the outlook of the organization at RW looks bleak. Thompson has almost gone PPG in the NCAA this year as he adds size and scoring to this weakness for Florida.
Projection/Grade: Heavy scoring 2RW (7.0 C)
If not Thompson: Alex DeBrincat

24. - Riley Tufte (LW)
Reason: Anaheim has loaded up for a frightening look D in the future. They have some alright forward prospect depth, but they lack the high end talent. Tufte had a great year and has tons of potential as a scorer with size; however he also played in a lesser league than most. He has a lot of risk, but it is a risk Anaheim is in a position to make.
Projection/Grade: Powerful, scoring 2LW (7.5 D)
If not Tufte: Rasmus Asplund

25. - Libor Hajek (LHD)
Reason: Dallas has the fire power on offense that can take you deep in the playoffs. They lack the defensive prowess to go all the way IMO though. Hajek is a great shutdown defender with lots of room to grow and develop into a two-way, top-4 force in Texas.
Projection/Grade: Shutdown #4 D (7.0 C)
If not Hajek: Logan Stanley

26. - Vitali Abramov (LW/RW)
Reason: Washington has had success with skilled Russians in the past so why not take a gamble on another. Abramov likely has the best offensive talents out of everyone left in the draft and despite his size, he finds a way to slip into round 1. Ovi-Kuz-Abramov someday?
Projection/Grade: Skilled 2W (7.5 D)
If not Abramov: Rasmus Asplund

27. - Lucas Johansen (LHD)
Reason: Tampa could use a player to fortify their defense as they lack good depth players on the back end. Johansen is a great two-way defender straight out of the Kelowna factory of good defenseman. If all goes well, he could be a nice compliment to DeAngelo on a 2nd pair for the consistent contenders.
Projection/Grade: Two-way #4 D (7.0 C)
If not Johansen: Markus Niemelainen

28. - Rasmus Asplund (C/LW)
Reason: Blues have 3 stud RHD's at the NHL level and a plethora of talented LHD's in the system. A forward is the wise choice here, and Asplund is the best available. Rasmus may not have game breaking abilities but he has a solid game that has a good chance of enabling him to be a pro. Even if it is just a 3rd liner, all St. Louis needs is solid role players to support a core with high end skill.
Projection/Grade: Two-way 3LW (7.0 C)
If not Asplund: Carl Grundstrom

29. (VIA SJS) - Pascal Laberge (C/RW)
Reason: Size, speed and skill. Laberge has a very well rounded game that makes him very likely to succeed as an effective middle-six forward in the NHL. Boston balances out their strong prospect pool after the addition of a D earlier, with a talented and versatile forward.
Projection/Grade: Two-way 3RW (7.0 C)
If not Laberge: Carl Grundstrom

30. (VIA PIT) - Logan Stanley (LHD)
Reason: Toronto is filled with small but skill forward prospects. They also have some nice offensive D in the organization. They still lack a true shutdown guy on defense though, and Stanley's combination of size and defensive ability will be a unique add to their future group.
Projection/Grade: Defensive #6 D (6.5 C)
If not Stanley: Carter Hart

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[MackAttack26]

31. - Carl Grundstrom (LW)
Breakdown: Toronto has highly offensive skilled forward prospects. Grundstrom is a guy who I see giving them a different style, in a reliable two-way player, and at LW where they are most bare. He would be a solid pick late 1st/early 2nd for any team.

32. - Luke Green (RHD)
Breakdown: Although they trade for a RHD in my 1st round pick scenario, they still need more. Green has a good chance of being an NHLer and with them lacking in both talent and depth, going for a reliable game like his seems like the smart choice. I think he is a lock to go round 2.

33. (VIA VAN) - Markus Niemelainen (LHD)
Breakdown: After drafting the massive RW in Thompson earlier, Florida goes for the massive LHD in Niemelainen. If he uses his body to his advantage, he could become a key shutdown piece in the top-4 for them and replace Gudbranson in his role.

34. - Brett Howden (C/LW)
Breakdown: Not as high on him as others, but still recognize he would be good value here. Howden brings yet another tough to play against player with two-way ability and scoring punch up front that seems to fit in well with how Columbus wants to build their team.

35. - Nathan Bastian (RW)
Breakdown: Bastian seems like a guy who is solidly in the 25-45 range on all boards and mine is no different. Flames badly need RW, plain and simple. Adding their 2nd of the draft here, but one with a vastly different game is a rather easy choice IMO.

36. - Jonathan Dahlen (LW)
Breakdown: Not many people who follow the draft are higher on the kid than me (ranked: 18). As much as I want him to drop 2 more spots, he brings high end skill to a position that Winnipeg could improve on and a team with great depth like the Jets can take the risk.

37. - Carter Hart (G)
Breakdown: The best goalie in the draft with a very good and consistent year. Arizona has seen some progress in their goalie youth, but I still don't think they have that stud starter in the organization. Someone will take Hart mid-early 2nd, Arizona seems like a reasonable fit.

38. - Alex DeBrincat (LW/RW)
Breakdown: DeBrincat no doubt has 1st round skill, but like how it happens every year, some small guys will fall. After selecting the much needed D earlier in the draft, Buffalo swings for the fences hoping to find a potential top-6 winger fit for Eichel, Reinhart or ROR.

39. - Samuel Girard (LHD)
Breakdown: Girard could become a great top-pair 50+ point D with his skills...or he could easily bust. At this point, some team will likely gamble on the small, skilled OFD. Montreal needs a top-4 LHD to replace the aging Markov and Girard has the best chance of being that of what is left.

40. - Tyler Benson (LW)
Breakdown: The injury no doubt hurt his value. Yet despite, people like what they saw enough before this year to rank him as consistently in the top-45. Benson gives Colorado another high quality young forward, and given his past, his injury dropping him this far could prove to be a blessing for the Avs.

41. - Adam Mascherin (C/RW)
Breakdown: He may be short but he is still built. The heavy sniper has been consistently rising up draft boards this year up to the late 1st/early 2nd round. At 41 he is good value, and NJ is a team who needs a player of his caliber in the system at RW.

42. - Cameron Morisson (LW)
Breakdown: Morisson put up great numbers in the USHL and teams would be making a mistake if he were to fall out of round 2. Adding a power forward with skill for an organization who is pretty bare throughout the whole organization at LW seems like a great move.

43. - Sam Steel (C)
Breakdown: A bit undersized and underwhelming stats saw the consensus 1st rounder fall hard. His good playoff run has boosted him backup but he will need to prove next year it was no hot finish. Still needing to stock up on offense, (even after getting two powerful scoring wingers in round 1), Carolina looks for a potential top-6 C with skill.

44. (VIA BOS) - Taylor Raddysh (RW)
Breakdown: A great energy player in the mid-2nd to support the Bolts powerful top end offense. I'd like to see Raddysh's success on a more average team to get a feel for his offensive game, but he should at very least have a good shot at being a threat as a bottom-6 option.

45. (VIA MIN) - Will Bitten (C/RW)
Breakdown: Some team will pick him in round 2 and he is the type of guy who could explode in a better situation and become your typical small but skilled top-6 force in the NHL. Montreal could sure use to take the risk and have proven in the past they aren't afraid too shy away from skill due to size.

46. - Jacob Cederholm (RHD)
Breakdown: Like I said earlier, Detroit needs to rebuild their C and D skill/depth now to get them back on track. McLeod was step 1, step 2 is the obligatory Detroit later Europen pick that ends up being a huge steal. Cederholm has offensive potential, but he already has a great shutdown ability that would be a stabilizing force on any backend even if his offensive game does not develop.

47. - Cam Dineen (LHD)
Breakdown: A guy who came out of nowhere with a fantastic season in which he was an offensive catalyst for his team, I think Dineen should go 40 at latest. However, his size combined with having a defensive game that still needs work is something I think will drop him on draft day. Nashville has a pretty balanced group of prospects so they go BPA, hoping they could have another Ryan Ellis type defenseman in the future.

48. - Frederic Allard (RHD)
Breakdown: Philadelphia has a ton of good LHD prospects but the right side still has room for improvement. Allard is an underrated two-way defenseman who is first round calibre IMO and Philly should be thrilled if he fell all the way to them here.

49. (VIA NYI) - Ryan Lindgren (LHD)
Breakdown: We see the third straight underrated D go off the board. Lindgren has been getting credit for his great all around game more of late, but he still isn't a consensus 2nd rounder when he should be. Boston continues to build on a top-5 prospect pool in the league and hope they find a gem just like Lauzon at this point last year.

50. - Adam Fox (RHD)
Breakdown: Skill, skill and more skill. On that alone Fox is clearly top-30. However, his lack of size and defensive ability will keep him out of that. Still, you can only pass over his potential for so long and although Carolina has been focusing on forwards in this draft, they need to take a D eventually and Fox has the qualities (RHD, Upside) Carolina would be looking for.

51. - Evan Fitzpatrick (G)
Breakdown: He may have put up what seems like poor numbers this regular season, but when you consider the league he played in and the potential he has, you could see why GM's might overlook that. The massive goalie played great in the latter half of the year and considering LA's lack of goalie talent (besides Quick) and depth in the organization, using a late 2nd for a potential starter is a smart move.

52. (VIA CHI) - Boris Katchouk (LW)
Breakdown: Katchouk is a guy who has been a steady riser over the year with his play that brings a little bit of everything to the ice. Philly added the big LW in Jones earlier, but it is still a position of weakness for the organization. Adding another strong LW with skill can do no harm for an organization known for their tough to play against type of game.

53. (VIA COMP.) - Simon Stransky (LW)
Breakdown: A bit of a disappointing season for Stransky but he has a lot of good tools and if he put them together he could become a nice pickup here. I can see him going anywhere from 45th to 100th but a team who could use a LW like Arizona after the continual disappointment of their top one (Perlini) might take a chance here.

54. (VIA FLA) - Dillon Dube (C/LW)
Breakdown: Dube doesn't have great size or game breaking skill, but he still has a fair bit of talent to one day become a top-9 guy. The likely 2nd rounder is scooped up by Calgary as their third winger in the early part of the draft, hoping he can take his game to a next level that many saw him being capable of heading into the year.

55. (VIA ANA) - Cliff Pu (C/RW)
Breakdown: Stuck behind great depth in London, it wasn't until the playoffs when Pu got his chance to shine. I see him as the Senyshyn of this year, with underrated and uncovered skill that will be seen with a bigger role next year. Pittsburgh hopes this is the case, and that he can become an ideal winger for Crosby or Malkin someday.

56. (VIA DAL) - Dennis Cholowski (LHD)
Breakdown: The BCHL kids haven't had the exposure of most, but like his first round counterparts, he has flashed skill you just can't ignore. Calgary has had success with recent OFD so take a chance on Cholowski as their 1st D of the draft after using the first 3 to improve the wings.

57. (VIA WAS) - Filip Gustavsson (G)
Breakdown: Gustavsson, like Fitzpatrick, is a goalie with great size and potential that will cause them to be drafted earlier despite poor numbers this year. Toronto looks for their future #1 goalie here as it is one of the only positions in their organization that they have nobody coming up to fill.

58. - Filip Hronek (RHD)
Breakdown: Hronek is a guy who hasn't played in a league with a lot of exposure, but he has shown good defensive abilities and a bit of offensive potential. After drafting the two-way LHD in Johansen earlier, Tampa looks at a solid RHD to stabilize their bottom-4 down the road.

59. - Givani Smith (LW/RW)
Breakdown: It's really hard to accurately judge Smith given the horrible team he played for all year. But he still showed he possesses so many attributes that you look in for a NHL player. Someone will take a risk that his offensive game could shine with a competent team, and a team needing forward prospects like the Blues could be a fit.

60. - Jordan Kyrou (RW)
Breakdown: Kyrou doesn't have great size or goal scoring ability. But he is a great playmaker and an even better athlete which should have the kid from Sarnia should go within the first 3 rounds. San Jose has a good, but aging, forward core up front and Kyrou has a good a chance of replacing them as any.

61. PITTSBURGH - Chad Krys (LHD)
Breakdown: Krys has skyrocketed down from his pedestal over the past year or two with inconsistent play. He still has potential to become a top-4 two-way D however so won't fall too far. Pittsburgh got a potential top-6 winger a few spots earlier, now they look to stabilize a questionable defense.


My Final Draft Rankings

1. Auston Matthews (C)
2. Patrik Laine (RW)
3. Jesse Puljujarvi (RW)
4. Pierre-Luc Dubois (C)
5. Matthew Tkachuk (LW)
6. Clayton Keller (C)
7. Jakob Chychrun (LHD)
8. Alex Nylander (RW)
9. Olli Juolevi (LHD)
10. Mikhail Sergachev (LHD)
11. Tyson Jost (C)
12. Charlie McAvoy (RHD)
13. Kieffer Bellows (LW)
14. Jake Bean (LHD)
15. Dante Fabbro (RHD)
16. Luke Kunin (C)
17. Logan Brown (C)
18. Jonathan Dahlen (LW)
19. German Rubstov (C)
20. Michael McLeod (C)
21. Kale Clague (LHD)
22. Julien Gauthier (RW)
23. Riley Tufte (LW)
24. Tage Thompson (RW)
25. Alex DeBrincat (LW)
26. Vitali Abramov (RW)
27. Lucas Johansen (LHD)
28. Rasmus Asplund (LW)
29. Frederic Allard (RHD)
30. Pascal Laberge (C)
-------------------------------
31. Libor Hajek (LHD)
32. Cam Dineen (LHD)
33. Max Jones (LW)
34. Brett Howden (C)
35. Carl Grundstrom (LW)
36. Tyler Benson (LW)
37. Adam Mascherin (C)
38. Samuel Girard (LHD)
39. Ryan Lindgren (LHD)
40. William Bitten (C)
41. Sam Steel (C)
42. Cameron Morrison (LW)
43. Nathan Bastian (RW)
44. Carter Hart (G)
45. Luke Green (RHD)
46. Adam Fox (RHD)
47. Cliff Pu (RW)
48. Boris Katchouk (LW)
49. Taylor Raddysh (RW)
50. Tyler Parsons (G)
51. Markus Niemelainen (LHD)
52. Dennis Cholowski (LHD)
53. Dmitry Sokolov (C)
54. Evan Fitzpatrick (G)
55. Jordan Kyrou (RW)
56. Dillon Dube (C)
57. Sean Day (LHD)
58. Logan Stanley (LHD)
59. Jacob Cederholm (RHD)
60. Mikhail Berdin (G)

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Keller to the Sens. Yes please.

Good rank

 

[ProspectsSTC]

Same top 14 as me, couldn't agree more

 

[tigervixxxen]

I like it. Thank you for acknowledging that Colorado isn't desperate for defensemen like everyone thinks and I do think they could take Sergachev. I don't think he quite has that #1 upside but he'd be a nice pick. Getting Benson would be fantastic, great pick there.

 

[Zaddy]

LHD or not, I'd happily take Dineen over Green for the Oilers. BPA > need.

 

[thethinglonger]

I think if Keller is available when the Devils pick, we would select him. Also interesting to note that in your description of Jost you said "Jost gives the Devils a potential 1C that they desperately need." but then projected him to be a two-way 2C. Not that I would be upset if the Devils selected Jost, but I think Keller would be a better option. Good mock though! I'd be happy with Mascherin with our 2nd rounder.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

I'd be thrilled with this draft for Buffalo. DeBrincat is a great prospect, I'm just worried he doesn't fit the "size+skill" mold that Murray is using to build the team.

Also, a quick note, Nashville picks #17, Philly picks #18.

 

[59Rosebuds]

This to me seems like a super realistic way for the draft to go. Perfect for the Canes. I think Raddysh would be another good choice with our first pick in the second. I think Tampa would be ok with Steel then.

 

[MackAttack26]

LHD or not, I'd happily take Dineen over Green for the Oilers. BPA > need.

While I agree Dineen > Green, I'm not sure that's how many other GM's would see it. Dineen seems like the type that just falls on draft day due to size/some work to do defensively. Green to me is a better two-way player with a higher floor, and I think for Edmonton they would consider him both need and BPA.

 

[MackAttack26]

I think if Keller is available when the Devils pick, we would select him. Also interesting to note that in your description of Jost you said "Jost gives the Devils a potential 1C that they desperately need." but then projected him to be a two-way 2C. Not that I would be upset if the Devils selected Jost, but I think Keller would be a better option. Good mock though! I'd be happy with Mascherin with our 2nd rounder.

If I was the Devils, I would pick Keller too. I think they need skill more than anything else. However, from what Jost showed he was capable of late season offensively + the fact that he has an excellent two-way game, I am willing to bet majority of GM's have him ranked around the same tier as Keller, but prefer his safer game. I absolutely believe Jost has 1C potential, but when projecting what he will become, I think the safer/more realistic bet is a very good 2C. Still worth a shot for the Devils, but I can see them going either way between those 2 guys.

 

[Ashasx]

Really like this for the Flames

 

[MackAttack26]

I'd be thrilled with this draft for Buffalo. DeBrincat is a great prospect, I'm just worried he doesn't fit the "size+skill" mold that Murray is using to build the team.

Also, a quick note, Nashville picks #17, Philly picks #18.

I'm hoping Murray is willing to overlook "size+skill" to take a pick with great value at 38. I'm confident we have enough size + skill pieces to fill a bottom-6, but at that pick I'd rated swing for the fences and hope it works out as a long term top-6 fit with Eichel/ROR/Reinhart.

Thanks for the note. Will fix that

 

[rehf]

Jets fans should like this, nice to see someone realizing we need a LHD, if Klague was available at 22 we would be very happy.

Good write ups and seems like you did your research, at least in regards to the Jets.

 

[MackAttack26]

This to me seems like a super realistic way for the draft to go. Perfect for the Canes. I think Raddysh would be another good choice with our first pick in the second. I think Tampa would be ok with Steel then.

Unfortunately even the most realistic looking mocks are way off from the actual draft which is full of surprises! Anyways, I can easily see Steel and Raddysh swapped around but think Steel is the more likely pick because (1) He's the better prospect IMO and (2) After drafting 2 big wingers they might want to address possibly adding a center with top-6 upside.

 

[MackAttack26]

Jets fans should like this, nice to see someone realizing we need a LHD, if Klague was available at 22 we would be very happy.

Good write ups and seems like you did your research, at least in regards to the Jets.

Thanks. Yeah, although a few months ago I would say there was no LHD (outside of those who went earlier) good enough for the Jets to pick at 22, Clague really impressed me the last couple months making him a definite option for them at 22. I could also see them going BPA (a forward) at 22 and picking one of the many LHD up at 36 but either way, they should get at least one high end LHD with those picks.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Don't see Tampa going defenseman in the 1st round, we need impact forwards more than defenders. We have Koekkoek and Masin as 2nd pair LD prospects. If the board fell like that I'd go Labarge at 27 and Dineen at 44.

 

[MackAttack26]

Don't see Tampa going defenseman in the 1st round, we need impact forwards more than defenders. We have Koekkoek and Masin as 2nd pair LD prospects. If the board fell like that I'd go Labarge at 27 and Dineen at 44.

I could see either way. To me, their prospect pool is balanced (F - Point, Erne, Yan, Stephens, etc = D - DeAngelo, Koekkoek, Masin, etc). They have a really good young core forward group that have already established themselves in the NHL, so I lean them to target D first (and potentially BPA here IMO)

 

[HoseEmDown]

I could see either way. To me, their prospect pool is balanced (F - Point, Erne, Yan, Stephens, etc = D - DeAngelo, Koekkoek, Masin, etc). They have a really good young core forward group that have already established themselves in the NHL, so I lean them to target D first (and potentially BPA here IMO)

It's balanced but to me the D prospects are higher end so we need more high end forwards. I also don't see Johanson as a 1st rounder but Labarge as one so he'd be BPA to me.

 

[FlareKnight]

I agree with the first pick for Toronto and certainly hope they'd take a goalie in the first two rounds. So no issue with Matthews and Gustavsson (hopefully goes better than the last Gustavsson goalie we had...)

Not so sure about the middle two though. The Leafs have more skill in the system because that's what they are targeting. Skill, skill, skill and trade for what they need because skill is generally more valuable in trades than bottom pairing shutdown D. Don't think they take Stanley unless they see more offensive upside than others see in him.

 

[MackAttack26]

I agree with the first pick for Toronto and certainly hope they'd take a goalie in the first two rounds. So no issue with Matthews and Gustavsson (hopefully goes better than the last Gustavsson goalie we had...)

Not so sure about the middle two though. The Leafs have more skill in the system because that's what they are targeting. Skill, skill, skill and trade for what they need because skill is generally more valuable in trades than bottom pairing shutdown D. Don't think they take Stanley unless they see more offensive upside than others see in him.

I know they have targeted skill, and I like that plan. But they have so much guys like that, I think adding a little variety would do them good. Although I don't see it, many see Stanley as a 1st rounder. I think 1 of those 2 picks should be D and while guys like Dineen, Allard, Girard, etc might interest them if they continue to go skill, I think Stanley (if he makes the NHL) could be a big, and good defensive precense that great teams need in their lineup.

As for Grundstrom...he has skill AND a safer game. I look at him and see a very likely 3rd liner at a position the Leafs need. Again, they could go skill with Dahlen or other guys like that, but useful depth pieces should never be underrated for a team trying to build for a cup.

As for your trade argument: I think skill guys are more valuable in a trade if they make it obviously, but if not they hold no value. Stanley and Grundstrom are more likely to make it and if they do, contenders won't give up players like them for cheap

 

[Mugzy97]

Can't imagine the leafs don't take Carter Hart at 31. You even said so yourself when they picked Stanley at 30 (which I would really like BTW)

 

[MackAttack26]

Can't imagine the leafs don't take Carter Hart at 31. You even said so yourself when they picked Stanley at 30 (which I would really like BTW)

Haha yeah editing mistake. Went back and forth since I can see it either way. They either go Hart + BPA at 56 or BPA at 31 + Gustavsson/other goalie at 56. Depends how high they are on Hart really.

 

[CapSpace]

One of the best mock I've seen so far. Great job.

 

[danvincent78]

As a Canes fan, I'd be pleased with Bellows and Gauthier as our 2 1st rounders