HF Habs: 2023 Early Bird 15th Annual Mock Draft (COMPLETE)

[Goldenhands]

With the 59th overall selection, is proud to select. from Flint Firebirds, foward Coulson Pitre.

"A pure powerfoward with smooth hands who doesnt miss an opportunity to finish his checks, he is very strong on pucks and really hard to countain 1 on 1, has a good hockey brain, good playmaking, smooth skating and his style reminds us a bit of a smaller Slafkovsky."

21-Gavin Brindley
53-David Edstrom
59-Coulson Pitre

@Pompeius Magnus

 

[Mrb1p]

Our first 3 picks we got Benson, Yager and Hunter Brzustewicz. Would most you draft guys like that for Habs?

Yep

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

With pick #60, the Chicago Blackhawks are happy to select, from the Barrie Colts of the OHL, defenseman Beau Akey.

''Akey is among the best skaters in this OHL draft class and indeed one of the best in the entire crop. His impact on the transition game is profound when he's being aggressive as a transporter. He can carve up space and really put pressure on opposing defenses thanks to his elite level top speed and effortless four way mobility. His hands are excellent and his small area skill is good enough to help him weasel his way out of pressure at both ends '' .

@calder candidate is on the clock.

2. Adam Fantilli (C) - U of Michigan (NCAA)
28.Ethan Gauthier (RW) - Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
34. Caden Price (LD) - Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
46. Kasper Halttunen (RW) - HIFK (Liiga)
57. Jordan Tourigny (RD) - Shawinigan Cataracts (QMJHL)
60. Beau Akey ( RD) - Barrie Colts ( OHL)

 

[calder candidate]

#61 Seattle Kraken

With the 61th pick of the 2023 NHL entry draft the Seattle Kraken are proud to select for the Rögle BK J20 of the J20 Nationell.

RD – Tom Willander 6‘1‘’ 186lbs

Scouting report:

He boasts good size, he also possesses mobility and tools that could give him an impressive upside despite already ranking as Sweden’s second-highest scoring defender at the J20 level.
Willander plays a calm, cool, and collected game. He spins off opposing forecheckers and escapes pressure, diffusing danger before finding a teammate in the neutral zone. While playing for the Swedish under-18 squad, he routinely showed more confidence with the puck. Willander tends to lean towards a conservative style of play despite having the skill to play a bit more aggressively. He is committed to Boston University, which could be an excellent place to develop more of a killer instinct with the puck.

#22 LW– Quentin Musty 6‘2‘’ 203lbs
#50 RW- Mathieu Cataford 5‘11‘’ 187lbs
#54 LD – Jakub Dvorak 6‘5‘’ 203lbs
#61 RD – Tom Willander 6‘1‘’ 186lbs

NJ GM @Stive Morgan is now on the clock for pick #62
@Stive Morgan has been PM

 

[WeThreeKings]

Wanted Akey. Got another name left that I put in my brain before I left. If be goes ill be a bit.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Wanted Akey. Got another name left that I put in my brain before I left. If be goes ill be a bit.

At 60 he's an absolute steal. I just couldn't let him slip any further

 

[Schooner Guy]

With the 59th overall selection, is proud to select. from Flint Firebirds, foward Coulson Pitre.

View attachment 665614

"A pure powerfoward with smooth hands who doesnt miss an opportunity to finish his checks, he is very strong on pucks and really hard to countain 1 on 1, has a good hockey brain, good playmaking, smooth skating and his style reminds us a bit of a smaller Slafkovsky."

21-Gavin Brindley
53-David Edstrom
59-Coulson Pitre

@Pompeius Magnus

Damn you @Goldenhands. I was hoping to get Pitre with my pick early in the 3rd. Nice pick!

 

[Goldenhands]

Damn you @Goldenhands. I was hoping to get Pitre with my pick early in the 3rd. Nice pick!

Decided to re-watch the top prospects game for the mock and saw that kid starting on the top line with Bedard and Benson, so I tried to pay more attention and actually thought he was a standout in this game, I really liked his game, then watched some more on Youtube and the pick was easy to make at that point.

 

[Stive Morgan]

With the 62nd pick, New Jersey selects C Luca Pinelli from the Ottawa 67's of the OHL

@WeThreeKings has been PM'ed (unless I missed a trade again lol)

 

[Schooner Guy]

Decided to re-watch the top prospects game for the mock and saw that kid starting on the top line with Bedard and Benson, so I tried to pay more attention and actually thought he was a standout in this game, I really liked his game, then watched some more on Youtube and the pick was easy to make at that point.

I think he's going to be a riser on many of the lists.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Alright 10 PM! We're done for the night.

Great, great day guys! We're almost finished 2nd Round just 2 more picks to go.

OP is updated to the New Jersey pick.

Clock starts up at 8am for Carolina, which is @WeThreeKings

Good night.

 

[WeThreeKings]

With the 63rd pick in the 2023 NHL Draft,

the Carolina Hurricanes are proud to select from the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.

Goaltender

Jacob Fowler.

Can someone PM next?

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

Our first 3 picks we got Benson, Yager and Hunter Brzustewicz. Would most you draft guys like that for Habs?

I'm with WTK in that I would tee up a top goalie in the second round. If anything, a promising recruit whom we can develop into a top starter or whom we might trade for someone like Askarov. A top goalie is the most glaring need of our talent pool.

Nothing to complain about regarding the forwards, though I think that I would skew toward combinations of skill, size and grit for at least one of the two picks, if we are icing 3-4 smallish guys like Farrell, Hutson, and Caufield in the future.

 

[Mrb1p]

I'm with WTK in that I would tee up a top goalie in the second round. If anything, a promising recruit whom we can develop into a top starter or whom we might trade for someone like Askarov.

A top goalie is the most glaring need of our talent pool. Nothing to complain about regarding the forwards.

The draft tapers off after 55 for skaters, that's where Id start looking at Gs.

 

[Playmaker09]

Willander and Molendyk were the two I was waiting for, I think both are first rounders, or at least don't make it to the Habs 2nd rounder.

 

[HuGort]

I'm with WTK in that I would tee up a top goalie in the second round. If anything, a promising recruit whom we can develop into a top starter or whom we might trade for someone like Askarov. A top goalie is the most glaring need of our talent pool.

Nothing to complain about regarding the forwards, though I think that I would skew toward combinations of skill, size and grit for at least one of the two picks, if we are icing 3-4 smallish guys like Farrell, Hutson, and Caufield in the future.

I am not really a goalie fan. They are too unpredictable to select in first two rounds. Take Carey Price for example, he was 24 before he started to show something. Halak, a 5th round Euro goalie beat him out of starting job in 2010 run to final 4. Price was one of best also.

Just takes too long to develop them. Only have 3 years of control after turning pro and Most are not really by 23.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Last pick of 2nd Round goes to Anaheim Ducks.

I pmed @Mrb1p

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

I am not really a goalie fan. They are too unpredictable to select in first two rounds. Take Carey Price for example, he was 24 before he started to show something. Halak, a 5th round Euro goalie beat him out of starting job in 2010 run to final 4. Price was one of best also.

Just takes too long to develop them. Only have 3 years of control after turning pro and Most are not really by 23.

Carey Price is an excellent exemplar of why to take a goalie early . Were it not for his knee injuries he might still be backstopping the team. The time it takes to mature is offset by the relatively long shelf life, especially compared to forwards.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Not sure why @Mrb1p didn't just pick last night since he posted after WTK?

Oh well ... clock starts at 8am. He has 6 hours starting then.

 

[Mrb1p]

I got a PM 9h after the pick :/

Anaheim selects Lenni Hämeenaho.

@bopeep Is next with Chicago.

 

[SwiftyHab]

Not sure why @Mrb1p didn't just pick last night since he posted after WTK?

Oh well ... clock starts at 8am. He has 6 hours starting then.

are we going the full 7 rounds? I’ll be fine for 3 but after that I’ll need a longer prospect list. Anyone got links to share?

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I got a PM 9h after the pick :/

Anaheim selects Lenni Hämeenaho.

@bopeep Is next with Chicago.

Columbus

 

[Schooner Guy]

are we going the full 7 rounds? I’ll be fine for 3 but after that I’ll need a longer prospect list. Anyone got links to share?

7 rounds baby!! Your best bet is probably the NHL Central Scouting lists.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

are we going the full 7 rounds? I’ll be fine for 3 but after that I’ll need a longer prospect list. Anyone got links to share?

You can find some that do the whole 7 rounds ( here's one NHL Mock Draft 2023 | NHL Draft Rounds - Lines.com). Doing the research and building your own list is half the fun IMO, but I certainly get that some people might just not have the time!

 

[bopeep]

Our scouting team can't quite determine where this young prospect's floor may end up being, but we know that his ceiling is through the roof. The Columbus Blue Jackets are proud to select from the Portland Winter Hawks, LD Luca Cagnoni.

Chicago @Pompeius Magnus is on the clock