Welcome to my Mock Draft 2.0. In the first go around, I attacked this with the “what would I do” mindset.
Now, I’ve read up on what some insiders are saying these teams will do, and I’m going to predict how these teams will pick on draft day. There will be some crazy reaches, but that is the case in every draft.
Some of the picks that remained the same will not have a long write-up or a simple copy/paste, but here is a link to my Mock Draft 1.0 for certain picks. A lot has changed after pick 8, I promise. Enjoy!
#1: Chicago Blackhawks – Connor Bedard – C
Lower expectations for Bedard’s first season, I still think he will be great, but not 50+ goals great. I would also love to be super wrong. Regardless, he is a generational talent and will more than likely be a top-five player in the NHL in 3-4 years.
#2: Anaheim Ducks – Adam Fantilli – LW
Again, Fantilli is no consolation prize. I would love to believe Jeff Marek’s theory of the Ducks going with Matvei Michkov at #2, but I just don’t think they can pass on Fantilli. He’s a special talent.
#3: Columbus Blue Jackets – Leo Carlsson – C
I believe this pick is Carlsson or Will Smith. Like any team in the league, Columbus needs a high-level centre in the system and either of those guys can get there.
#4: San Jose Sharks – Matvei Michkov – LW
I don’t believe the Michkov to Washington rumours. He’s too talented to slide that far, and I think the new GM in San Jose, Mike Grier, has enough job security to take a shot on the talent and wait 3 years for arguably the second-best player in the class. His production is other-worldly.
#5: Montreal Canadiens – Will Smith – C
Will Smith is the end of the tier-2 prospects, and the Canadiens are thrilled with this pick as they boost their centre core even further. Suzuki, Dach, Smith, are all young centres that could be a part of their franchise for the next 10 years.
#6: Arizona Coyotes – Ryan Leonard – RW
The hype around Ryan Leonard has been real. You have insiders calling him the most “Matthew Tkachuk-like” prospect in the draft, and you just know that will drive him up, boards. If Michkov slides, I see Leonard going at #5 to MTL, but in this draft, the Coyotes snatch him at 6.
#7: Philadelphia Flyers – David Reinbacher – RD
One of the safest bets in this draft is Austrian defenceman David Reinbacher, and the Flyers need a sure thing on their blue line. He projects to be a solid, top-four two-way defenceman at the NHL level.
#8: Washington Capitals – Colby Barlow – W
I do like Colby Barlow as a prospect, and I think he is more in the 12-16 range, but his size combined with his wicked shot sees him rise up boards. Washington is a team that loves that skill set, so it works.
#9: Detroit Red Wings – Dalibor Dvorsky – C
Dvorsky is a 6’1, 201-pound centre that can affect the game in a multitude of ways. Detroit is fairly good on young defencemen, which allows them to go the best forward available, which many believe at this spot is Dvorsky.
#10: St. Louis Blues – Nate Danielson – C
The St. Louis Blues are in trade talks with the Flyers right now, inquiring about Kevin Hayes, which may change this pick for me. I am not this high on Danielson myself, but lots of insiders are saying he will go much higher than expected.
#11: Vancouver Canucks – Tom Willander – RD
Tom Willander is being hyped up as well, and that’s not to say he isn’t a good prospect, but I believe he has risen above the ranks of Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and the Canucks are the type of team to believe that hype.
#12: Arizona Coyotes (via OTT) – Zach Benson – LW
Zach Benson slides for some made-up reason. Scouts often look at height and then dismiss the player, and that’s what I think will happen on draft day. Benson is an absolute steal at #12, and if I were a team in the late teens (the Winnipeg Jets) I would be looking to trade up to this spot.
#13: Buffalo Sabres – Gabe Perrault – LW
I’ve been pretty vocal in the fact that I think Perrault is a top 8 player in this class, but scouts don’t see it the same way (they are the ones that are probably right)
I think this is a solid compliment to the Buffalo Sabres’ power forward-heavy lineup, as they add a bonafide sniper in Perrault.
#14: Pittsburgh Penguins – Axel Sandin-Pellikka – RD
The Penguins drafted Owen Pickering last year, and they continue to solidify that group with Sandin-Pellikka.
#15: Nashville Predators – Brayden Yager – C/W
I feel like Brayden Yager is the type of player that could go anywhere from 10-25 in the draft. The Predators have two firsts in this draft, and this first pick is a good one with Yager.
#16: Calgary Flames – Matthew Wood – RW
Matthew Wood is a player with size and skill, and if he can put it all together, can be an absolute force at the NHL level. I’m blessing Flames fans with this pick, because it seems like everyone wants out of Calgary these days.
#17: Detroit Red Wings – Dmitriy Simashev – D
The Red Wings go defenceman after taking Dvorsky at #9, and they take Simashev. A 6’4 defenceman that can skate, and scouts love that. I had him going at #28 in my first mock, but I’ve seen his name higher and higher as the draft process has crawled along.
#18: Winnipeg Jets – Oliver Moore – C
The ever-so-popular mock for the Winnipeg Jets at 18, Oliver Moore. Corey Pronman of The Athletic and Craig Button of TSN share this same thought, and even though his production wasn’t at the level you would’ve hoped, I love this outcome for the Jets.
You get a lightning-quick centre, who is often labelled as the best skater in the draft, to reinforce your already strong forward prospect pool. I’ve kept the mindset that the Jets need to take the best player available, regardless of position, and this pick satisfies that. I have Moore ranked as the #13th best player in the class, so him sliding to 18 isn’t out of the question, and would be a great value in my eyes.
#19: Chicago Blackhawks (via TBL) – Andrew Cristall – W
I saw a ranking list that had Cristall as the 45th-best player in the class. If you were ever wondering how many rankings from 10-50 are fluctuating, Cristall is likely the best example. Skilled forward to play with Bedard makes him an easy pick here.
#20: Seattle Kraken – Danil But – C/W
I had Danil But going to the Avalanche at #27 in my first mock, but I’ve seen his name rise in recent mocks, and rightfully so. I’ve been really impressed with his shot, and at 6’5, has the size and tools to develop into a really nice player. The Kraken already have a loaded forward core, but this will hopefully add to that in the near future.
#21: Minnesota Wild – Samuel Honzek – LW
This is an identical pick from 1.0. I wrote – “I really like Samuel Honzek’s game, and as a 6’4, 185-pound winger, I feel like the Minnesota Wild will too. He’s got the size and tools to develop into a beast at the NHL level, and the Wild are the team to take that gamble.”
#22: Philadelphia Flyers – Calum Ritchie – C/W
If the Flyers trade away Hayes, they will look to take another centre to replenish that spot in 2-3 years. Ritchie, at 6’2, is a solid bet to become at minimum a middle-six player.
#23: New York Rangers – Gavin Brindley – W
I like the Rangers to take a forward in the draft, and Brindley is the guy here. I think he flew under the radar a bit due to Fantilli’s brilliance, so the Rangers may be getting a top-15 talent here.
#24: Nashville Predators – Riley Heidt – C/W
The Predators now combine the pick of Yager at 15, with Heidt at 24 and as a result, they get to incredible talents when they have the puck on their stick.
#25: St. Louis Blues – Oliver Bonk – RD
Oliver Bonk has been sneaking into the first round of a ton of mocks, and he makes sense here for the Blues with them trying to move off of Colton Parayko.
#26: San Jose Sharks – Quentin Musty – W
Quentin Musty is a player I have ranked in my top 14. The 6’2 winger plays a heavy, all-around game that has really impressed me. The issue is, I have not heard a peep of hype surrounding his name, which I believe results in a major slide on draft day. The Sharks get a massive steal here at 26.
#27: Colorado Avalanche – Eduard Sale – W
One spot behind Musty in my rankings is Eduard Sale at #15. I think he is a top-three passer in the class. The good teams are always the ones to take advantage of other teams passing up on talented players, and the Avalanche go right ahead and take advantage of that by selecting Sale.
#28: Toronto Mape Leafs – Etienne Morin – LD
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a lock to take a defenceman, given they are fairly short in that department when it comes to prospects. Here they take the 6’0 Morin, who is a talented defenceman offensively and in my opinion, doesn’t get enough credit defensively.
#29: St. Louis Blues – Theo Lindstein – LD
This is a reach, but there are always a few shocks near the end of the first round. The Blues with their 3rd first-round pick, take the “safe” way out with the two-way talent of Lindstein. I have him ranked down at #49 in my rankings, but like I said, there are always a few reaches.
#30: Carolina Hurricanes – Bradly Nadeau – W
Bradly Nadeau is a player that I did not include in my first mock, despite having him #24 in my rankings. I think he is a pure offensive-chance generator, and that just screams Carolina Hurricane. Nadeau has grown on me as a player more and more over the past week or two, and I believe scouts are thinking the same way.
#31: Montreal Canadiens – Lukas Dragacevic – RD
The Canadiens took a forward in Smith, and now they turn their attention to the back-end with Dragacevic. This adds to a defensive prospect pool that is stellar, to say the least.
#32: Vegas Golden Knights – Charlie Stramel – C
A 6’3, 216-pound centre that has shown flashes of skill? He is a Vegas Golden Knight in this mock, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see it play out this way. He fits the exact mould of a forward that this franchise likes, and they can take a shot on him being NHL-ready in the next 4 years of the Eichel window.
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