NHL Entry Draft: Mock Draft Poll: 18th Overall

[Edge]

With the 17th pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks select Kaiden Gugle with Prince Albert of the WHL.

The draft thus far:

1. The New York Rangers select Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski
2. The LA Kings select Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury
3. The Ottawa Senators select Tim Stutzle, LW, Adler Manheim
4. The Detroit Red Wings select Cole Perfetti, LW, Saginaw
5. The Ottawa Senators select Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie
6. The Anaheim Ducks select Lucas Raymond, RW, Frölunda
7. The New Jersey Devils select Alexander Holtz, RW, Djurgårdens
8. The Buffalo Sabres select Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa
9. The Minnesota Wild select Anton Lundell, C, HIFK
10. The Winnipeg Jets select Jake Sanderson, D, USA NTDP
11. The Nashville Predators select Seth Jarvis, RW, Portland
12. The Florida Panthers select Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa
13. The Carolina Hurricanes select Yaroslav Askarov, G, SKA St. Petersburg
14. The Edmonton Oilers select Dawson Mercer, RW, Drummondville
15. The Toronto Maple Leafs select Braden Schneider, D, Brandon
16. The Montreal Canadiens select Hendrix Lapierre, C, Chicoutimi
17. The Chicago Blackhawks select Kaiden Guhle, D, Prince Albert

The New Jersey Devils are on the clock...

Click to read more...

 

[eco's bones]

I see New Jersey drafting another scoring winger--either Gunler or Reichel. They've really only one dangerous winger Palmieri to go between centers Hughes and Hischier. This is their chance to give those two guys a couple finishers. Having already taken one SHL winger in Holtz--they take a second in Gunler.

 

[True Blue]

This could be complete wishful thinking on my part, as naturally I want a specific player to drop, but am thinking that the Devils need more scoring up front and Perrault becomes an easy choice here for them.

 

[Edge]

We're really into the part of the draft where guessing gets interesting.

Something tells me Amirov is a candidate here. But I also wonder if high-reward types like Gunler and Perrault could be targets.

Reichel and Peterka feel like they could also be candidates here.

I'm going to go with a dark horse here and say they take Perrault.

 

[Harbour Dog]

I think they would like to lean towards offense.

I also don't know how much risk Shero is going to want to take here. Zacha is still in the back of my mind.

Zary feels like the guy to me.

 

[Edge]

I think they would like to lean towards offense.

I also don't know how much risk Shero is going to want to take here. Zacha is still in the back of my mind.

Zary feels like the guy to me.

When reached at home, Shero said the Devils can take whoever they want. He's done giving a shit.

 

[Harbour Dog]

When reached at home, Shero said the Devils can take whoever they want. He's done giving a shit.

Lmfao completely forgot they got rid of him.

I may actually change my vote now. I was thinking that he would be trying to hold onto a job lol

 

[Edge]

Holloway leading at this point.

I actually pegged him as a potential pick for the Devils, but possibly with their 20th pick. I thought they'd go for more offensive upside here, and then finish off their first round with someone like Amirov, Holloway, or even Greig.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Yeah, I still think they lean offense, but let's take a bit more of a swing with this newfound GM leash we have.

Perreault, Gunler, and Bourque are all in that wheelhouse for me. I'll go with Perreault to make the race a little more interesting.

 

[Trxjw]

Went with Gunler. Bit of a swing but they're picking again at 20 and should have plenty of those safer options available.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I have a feeling the Devils are going to balance one "safe" pick and one higher upside swing pick at 18 and 20. I don't think they'll go Holloway here, but I could see them locking in Amirov here and then Gunler at 20. Amirov has a pretty safe 3rd floor ceiling if the offensive tools never catch up to him, and then Gunler can be their huge swing at 20. They're already sitting pretty with Holtz at 7, which I'm not too happy about to begin with.

 

[eco's bones]

We're really into the part of the draft where guessing gets interesting.

Something tells me Amirov is a candidate here. But I also wonder if high-reward types like Gunler and Perrault could be targets.

Reichel and Peterka feel like they could also be candidates here.

I'm going to go with a dark horse here and say they take Perrault.

In my draft scenario New Jersey takes Holtz at 7, Gunler at 18 and Amirov at 20 or three what they hope are top 6 wingers.

 

[Edge]

In my draft scenario New Jersey takes Holtz at 7, Gunler at 18 and Amirov at 20 or three what they hope are top 6 wingers.

Mine is more or less in the same boat - Holtz with some combination of Gunler/Perrault and Amirov/Holloway.

 

[eco's bones]

Mine is more or less in the same boat - Holtz with some combination of Gunler/Perrault and Amirov/Holloway.

To me New Jersey should use their largesse of first rounders to try to get guys who can play with Hughes and Hischier down the road. The Devils as a team and as an organization are short of wingers who can finish now and if you're going to get the best out of Hughes and Hischier you're going to have to give them talent they can play with. Amirov may be more of a solid plug in guy when all's said and done. Holloway does have that thing where he can switch from center to wing so I could see that too and I can see Perreault or Reichel.

 

[Ghost of jas]

Zary jumped out at me as a typical Devils pick.

 

[Edge]

Zary jumped out at me as a typical Devils pick.

I felt that with him and Calgary.

But it begs an interest question as to where he might go.

As a board, I don't think we're too enamored with Zary. The Rangers really liked him earlier in the year and then seemingly cooled on him. Not sure if that was just in relation to picking higher, or if it was a broader cooling to his potential. But you'd have to think he's in play around 22 and quite possibly comes off the board before players we as a board seem to like better.

 

[eco's bones]

I felt that with him and Calgary.

But it begs an interest question as to where he might go.

As a board, I don't think we're too enamored with Zary. The Rangers really liked him earlier in the year and then seemingly cooled on him. Not sure if that was just in relation to picking higher, or if it was a broader cooling to his potential. But you'd have to think he's in play around 22 and quite possibly comes off the board before players we as a board seem to like better.

Probably it's not the Rangers don't like Zary but that they like a bunch of others better. Nobody really had a playoffs this year either---usually there are players that really step up in the postseason and raise their stock or don't and lower their stock---so in a sense you could say there's reason to be guessing about things more.

 

[CasusBelli]

Gunler. I don’t know anything about him, but I am a fervent believer in drafting BPA, and he’s performed will in most of my FHM sims.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Yeah, I still think they lean offense, but let's take a bit more of a swing with this newfound GM leash we have.

Perreault, Gunler, and Bourque are all in that wheelhouse for me. I'll go with Perreault to make the race a little more interesting.

Yah, I went Bourque for this reason.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Gunler. I don’t know anything about him, but I am a fervent believer in drafting BPA, and he’s performed will in most of my FHM sims.

Gunler is a boom or bust type player. The type the Rangers should go for. With Lafreniere being a given, just shoot for the stars. Gunler really has some assets to his game that NHL fans will like. He forechecks, creates a lot of turnovers and doesn't shy away from hitting his opponents. That's on top of a lethal shot

 

[Edge]

Gunler is a boom or bust type player. The type the Rangers should go for. With Lafreniere being a given, just shoot for the stars. Gunler really has some assets to his game that NHL fans will like. He forechecks, creates a lot of turnovers and doesn't shy away from hitting his opponents. That's on top of a lethal shot

Going to be very interested to see whether teams consistently have him ranked later in the first, or whether it’s all over the map.

McKenzie has him at 28, which usually implies there isn’t a ton of interest in him for the teens. But that’s not a given either.

Sometimes it only takes one team. You also have scenarios where some teams have him 20th, and some teams has him 36th, and the average is 28. Other times everyone has a player around the same range (say 26-30).

 

[Leetch3]

Gunler is a boom or bust type player. The type the Rangers should go for. With Lafreniere being a given, just shoot for the stars. Gunler really has some assets to his game that NHL fans will like. He forechecks, creates a lot of turnovers and doesn't shy away from hitting his opponents. That's on top of a lethal shot

as a teammate of Lundkvist the last 2 seasons plus the start of this season, I'd imaging that good or bad the rangers have seen a LOT of gunler to make a decision on him

 

[Edge]

as a teammate of Lundkvist the last 2 seasons plus the start of this season, I'd imaging that good or bad the rangers have seen a LOT of gunler to make a decision on him

In theory, Gunler and Holloway are two kids the Rangers have pretty strong opinions on.

Got the impression they think very highly of Holloway. The responses on Gunler were more...hedged.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

In theory, Gunler and Holloway are two kids the Rangers have pretty strong opinions on.

Got the impression they think very highly of Holloway. The responses on Gunler were more...hedged.

Gunler is a very polarizing prospect when talking to scouts. They praise his on-ice performance, but there's still this notion stemming from his treatment by Monten which (rightfully or wrongfully) affects the way scouts see Gunler.

Luleå coaches like Gunler a lot and want to put him in a position to succeed. When you talk to them, you hear what he does best. He's lauded for his comradry and when you track him on the bench, I can confirm that. He talks to his teammates a lot. It almost reminds me of quarterbacks in the NFL.

He's not perfect, but who is in that range?

 

[Harbour Dog]

Yah, I went Bourque for this reason.

I was going to go Bourque too, but I let the voting sway me to try to tighten up the chase of Holloway (who has blown the doors off since anyway).