Mock Draft Poll: Second Overall Pick

[Edge]

Now that the Canes pick is set, and we know the Rangers hold the 22nd pick, I thought it would be fun to do a mock draft of picks leading up to our second selection.

Right off the bat, I am going to take Lafreniere off the board with the first pick. It's just not worth wasting time debating what the Rangers will do first overall. They're taking Lafreniere.

I'm also not going to include trades in this mock. Let's just keep it simple and not go down the rabbit hole of trade options. Obviously we can discuss them, but let's not include them in the draft order.

I'd ask participants to try to find a balance between where they have a player ranked, and which player we think the selecting team will take. Also, let's try to assume the role of the selecting team and not pick certain players in the hopes it pushes them closer to the Rangers.

To make things easier on myself, I am using Tankathon's mock draft as the rankings for players. I'll list the first 10, and participants can vote for a write-in candidate, while also telling me who they want added. If a player gets enough write-in votes, he will be the candidate added.

Think of it like our annual prospect poll. I'm going to give each pick around 24 hours. If it's close, I might give it a little extra time. But getting to the 22nd pick is going to take us a good three weeks.

Withour further delay:

1. The New York Rangers select Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski

2. The LA Kings are on the clock....

Click to read more...

 

[UnSandvich]

I have Stutzle ahead of Byfield by a hair. That said, i'm sad I couldn't vote for Taro Tsujimoto with our pick

 

[gravey9]

Picked Stutzle because I love the impact he has on the ice but Byfield is right there.

 

[Edge]

Went with Byfield because of the potential player he is 5 years down the road. But it's tight.

Stutzle is the flashier, keep you on the edge of your seat prospect.

Byfield is significantly younger than most of his peers and a bit of a man-child physically. But if puts the pieces together, there are very, very few players who would bring what he brings in the modern NHL.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

I vehemently disagree with anyone who puts Stutzle over Byfield but I might even have Stutzle as the 4th best prospect on my draft board. But I think Quinton Byfield’s game has started to fly under the radar a bit. He’s my clear #2. Think he’s closer to being #1 than he is to #3 in all honesty.

 

[Edge]

Depending on how this vote goes, we could consider making the runner-up the third pick.

I say that mainly because this is going to be a multi-week process and could have two runaway choices for the 2-3 spot.

 

[duhmetreE]

Turcotte-Byfield would be a good start to a 're-build'

 

[Mikos87]

The upside wins out for me. Went with Byfield.

 

[nyr2k2]

Byfield. If we had 2 instead of 1 I would take Byfield in a heartbeat. The upside is so huge.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Byfield. If we had 2 instead of 1 I would take Byfield in a heartbeat. The upside is so huge.

This.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Stutzle.

There are some red flags in Byfields game that scream good not great at the next level.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

I took Stutzle but only because that’s who I think the Kings are taking. If we had 2 I’d be Byfield all day.

 

[bbny]

I think Stutzle's game is built better for today's NHL, so I'd pick him. 20-25 years ago it would have been Byfield in a landslide though.

 

[UnSandvich]

Imo, the big difference between them is hockey IQ. If (yes, IF) Byfield continues to develop in that aspect, he's got the higher upside.

I think Stutzle is more likely to be an upper echelon player, but Byfield's ceiling is higher. Gonna come down to how they develop, but atm I have Stutzle a shade higher

 

[Thirty One]

Why were we not allowed to vote for #1? This is a dictatorship.

 

[Edge]

Why were we not allowed to vote for #1? This is a dictatorship.

Just for you, I am half-tempted to put up a poll where all the choices are Lafreniere.

 

[2Leetch_94]

Just for you, I am half-tempted to put up a poll where all the choices are Lafreniere.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Imo, the big difference between them is hockey IQ. If (yes, IF) Byfield continues to develop in that aspect, he's got the higher upside.

I think Stutzle is more likely to be an upper echelon player, but Byfield's ceiling is higher. Gonna come down to how they develop, but atm I have Stutzle a shade higher

this is how I see it.

Hockey sense is one of those things that is either there or it isn’t. Now phenomenal tools are one way to make up for lower iq so maybe he turns into one of those guys.

He isn’t dumb, so I want to make that clarification, but I don’t think he feels/commands the game on the level of laf, stutzle, Perfetti, Raymond or Rossi.

also the sample size isn’t huge, but he’s been pretty underwhelming during best on best competition.

 

[Edge]

Imo, the big difference between them is hockey IQ. If (yes, IF) Byfield continues to develop in that aspect, he's got the higher upside.

I think Stutzle is more likely to be an upper echelon player, but Byfield's ceiling is higher. Gonna come down to how they develop, but atm I have Stutzle a shade higher

It's funny, I almost kind of see it the opposite way.

I don't think Byfield's problem is IQ. I think Byfield's problem is that he's awkward and still developing physically. He's kind of like a baby giraffe out there at times. But the difference between him and most kids his size is that he's also incredibly skilled. But I see a player who isn't totally comfortable in his body yet, and from a maturity standpoint, is significantly younger than his classmates.

For perspective, Byfield is almost a full year younger than Lafreniere. The latter was already being put down for naps before Byfield was even a concept in his parents’ lives. Heck, even Stutzle has a good 8 months on him.

Stutzle is a bit more closer to resembling the player you're going to get at this point. He's exciting, he operates at a high rate of speed, and most of the pieces are already in place. It's a matter of fine-tuning and having them mature a bit more for tougher competition. I'd argue that he really doesn't have higher IQ than Byfield, he just has better control and understanding of the tools in his toolbox at this point.

 

[aufheben]

Why were we not allowed to vote for #1? This is a dictatorship.

Correct.

 

[bbny]

Just for you, I am half-tempted to put up a poll where all the choices are Lafreniere.

Do it and spell his name with an é on one and without it on the other. Cause chaos.

 

[Lion Hound]

Stutzle...and i wouldn't even select Byfield at 3.

 

[True Blue]

This.

Times 2

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Stutzle...and i wouldn't even select Byfield at 3.

I don't think I would either.

It's tough because his tools really are that great but I've got him behind Sanderson, just based on the sole fact that Sanderson's strengths are all super translatable and the overall upside with him is also really significant.

 

[Edge]

I feel reasonably comfortable about calling this.

Frankly, the spread is so high, and we have so much ground to cover, I’m thinking we insert Byfield and Stutzle into the second and third spots respectively.

I know there are outliers, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But it seems a shame to spend time when it’s likely not going to make a difference.