I keep seeing all these draft ranking lists, is there a list that is a mock draft that looks at team needs, interviews, history trends, etc.
I'm curious because I keep hoping a special player, like caufield, falls to us.
Here's an attempt
1. NYI - Schaefer, no questions asked
2. SJS - Misa, again, no questions asked
3. CHI - Frondell, it gets quite complex as of this pick, I think there's a strong chance they see Bedard as being a better fit on the wing and I feel like they go Frondell
4. UTAH - Martin, lots of smoke here that they might love Martin and are comfortable with leaking it because he ain't going top 3
5. NSH - Desnoyers, best C available and a better fit for the system they've had in place for so long
6. PHI - Hagens, I think they'd ideally like more size here with Konecny and Mitchov in their top 6 but a top 6 center is an absolute must here, you can't pass
7. BOS - Martone, while I think they'd consider O'Brien and more so Martin had he been available but in this scenario, I think they go PM
8. SEA - Mrtka, they got lots of center depth, they also lack solid D depth in the pipelines why not opt for the 6'5 RD which is a profile that rarely if ever goes beyond 10.
9. BUF - Bear, I think their whole identity needs to be questioned and getting players that play with a passion and an edge is something Buffalo needs to add, Bear is clearly the profile here and f*** it, every mock needs its surprises
10. ANA - O'Brien, not much to think about, I'd say it's him or McQueen but the lack of back issues make this the easy pick
11. PIT - McQueen, top 5-7 talent but too many health concerns which probably get them wondering but he isn't a guy that will fall much more than that
12. NYR - Eklund, I think ideally they go Dman here but I think Eklund is in a tier above any Dman available here and I refuse to be another dude mocking Eklund to Detroit because Yzerman collects Swedes
13. DET - Aitchenson, best dman available, I think he's got a lower ceiling that a Smith but has a higher bottom, a safe pick that plays with some punch
14. CBS - Smith, 13 or 14 is where I see Smith going, both teams probably prefer to add dmen to their prospect pools and both Smith and Aitchenson line up well here in the rankings
15. VAN - Lakovic, I do see the Canucks and hope they grab him, selfishly to simply making him unavailable when we pick, I'd hope their scouts saw something they liked from him while he did indeed play in their back yard
16. MTL - Hensler, not a pick I'd be fond of here but it feels like he'd be the pick if this scenario plays out and also because all the best forwards available here are slightly undersized so this compensates for the next pick
17. MTL - Cootes, the three guys I'd personally consider here are Reschny, Kindel and Cootes in this order, especially if we do take a D or a big forward as to who we'd take, I'd go with what the organization might think and the rumors that we don't love Reschny.
18. CGY - Reschny, great fit here, BPA and IMO an actual center for the future
19. STL - Kindel, Can't see him drop more than that but what do I know, STL is well built to just go BPA and not are about size or position
20. CBS - Prokhorov, following the Smith pick and what better player to pick here than the smooth skating hard hitting Russian, the Jackets know a thing or two about developing big eastern Europeans and Russians lately and Prokhorov would probably be comfortable landing there.
21. OTT - Carbonneau, I do see this as being a realistic destination for Carbo, he needs a lot of development and coaching but the fit in Ottawa looks good to me and the profile matches.
22. PHI - Fiddler, Philly adds an RD with size here and hopes Fiddler can become a solid #4 or a 5 one day
23. NSH - Reid, I think it's a no brainer here, they went forward at 5, historically they. Have done well developing Dmen and the can definitely add some puck moving Dmen to their prospect pool, I think Reid has more upside than most players which are picked after 18 or so
24. LAK - Zonnon, don't ask me why, have been mocking him here consistently, it just feels like the perfect fit
25. CHI- Vansaghi, Chicago needs anything and everything and could add some size to their forward core, I like Vanshaghi and can see how many times picking in the 20s will want him
26. NSH - Potter, after selecting Desnoyers and Reid why not go for the undersize but dynamic winger, probably the best pure talent (which actually works hard) available
27. WSH - Gastrin, not gonna fall into the Ryabkin generic pick here, I think he's a player that should be way later, Gastrin would give the Caps a young responsible center that already plays a smooth game and looks to be a future 3C
28. WIN - Nestrasil, I see it already, another huge forward on the Jets, it was already written, I also think this is the range for this player where if he's picked here the value is proper
29. CAR - Limatov, he's big, mobile, plays the proper way, I think if we wasn't Russian he'd be ranked close to Smith and Aitchenson and the Hurricanes drafting and identifying top talent has been as good as it gets
30. SJS - Brzustewicz, why not select the London Knight RD and maybe have him eventually pair up with Dickinson
31. CGY - Spence, after going Reschny, Spence is a good complement and select the big hard working winger but one with third line upside IMO
32. PHI - Frolov, the Flyers selecting the big 6'3 goalie with their third and final pick of the first, I think if any team selects a goalie in the first it's Philly and potentially with this pick
Written on mobile so odds are there's a lot of typos etc
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