MackAttack26
Registered User
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
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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