Post your 2023 Draft List

[pvr]

Why was my list thread merged into a post on this? Don't they know who I am??

Who are you?

 

[wetcoast]

He's 5th lol

He is also basically a consensus pick at #2 right now and on draft day.

 

[Ribsy14]

This is My Top 50 Rankings

1.Connor Bedard
2.Adam Fantilli
3.Leo Carlsson
4.Matvei Michkov
5.Will Smith
6.Ryan Leonard
7.Zach Benson
8.David Reinbacher
9.Dalibor Dvorsky
10.Oliver Moore
11.Axel Sandin-Pellikka
12.Gabe Perreault
13.Dmitri Simashev
14.Callum Ritchie
15.Nate Danielson
16.Matthew Wood
17.Quentin Musty
18.Tom Willander
19.Colby Barlow
20.Samuel Honzek
21.Eduard Sale
22.Brayden Yager
23.Otto Stenberg
24.Daniil But
25.Gavin Brindley
26.Andrew Cristall
27.Riley Heidt
28.Ethan Gauthier
29.Mikhail Gulyayev
30.Gracyn Sawchyn
31.William Whitelaw
32.Oliver Bonk
33.Michael Hrabel
34.Tanner Molendyk
35.Charlie Stramel
36.Bradley Nadeau
37.Hunter Brzustewicz
38.Kalan Lind
39.Maxim Strbak
40.David Edstrom
41.Etienne Morin
42.Lukas Dragicevic
43.Jayden Perron
44.Theo Lindstein
45.Nick Lardis
46.Carson Rehkopf
47.Kasper Halttunen
48.Caden Price
49.Jacob Fowler
50.Oscar Fisker Molgaard

 

[LemonSauceD]

Top 32:

Bedard
Michkov
Fantilli
Carlsson
Leonard
Smith
Reinbacher
Benson
Simashev
Dvorsky
Moore
Wood
Danielson
Barlow
Honzek
Willander
Perrault
Musty
Sandin-Pelikka
Sale
Yager
Lardis
Cristall
Ritchie
Heidt
Brindley
Bonk
Gulyayev
Gauthier
But
Stenberg
Allen

 

[Antonche]

Why in all your's rankings Yager fall down?

 

[CutOnDime97]

My final list

2023 NHL Draft - Final Rankings - Elite Prospects

User submitted ranking at Eliteprospects.com - 2023 NHL Draft - Final Rankings

www.eliteprospects.com

 

[Doublechin]

Why in all your's rankings Yager fall down?

Didn't really improve and is perhaps softer then expected, has the tools but I question the toolbox type of player. Based on tools alone though, he still goes mid 1st

 

[NYRFANMANI]

My scouting report and kind of list, maybe the last update, enjoy. (excuse the format)

• Connor Bedard – CAN – C/RW - SNP; franchise, we all know.
  
  
• Matvey Michkov – RUS – RW - SNP; elite/franchise, most controversial prospect imo, the RUS factor, his KHL contract. Best tangible skill is his shot, shows flashes of wizardry in the o-zone. Backchecking issues, though age and league are a factor. The skating is agile, but not really fast. Years away from making an NHL roster. idk if it's a good thing or what, but Michkov makes it look easy ... way too easy.
  
  
• Adam Fantilli – CAN – C - TWF; elite/franchise, he's your do it all, captain center. If you want comparisons, maybe Beniers², Stevie Y shit. Question is where is the ceiling? Just can't go wrong here, he's your #1 or if your team's loaded, #2 C.
  
  
• Leo Carlsson – SWE – LW/C - PWF; elite/franchise, this is a ridiculous body right here, huge yet nimble, has all the tools, if he gets them all right, he's a menace. Thinks the game right in both directions. His skating has finesse, speed is ok, he might add speed. Not sure that I buy it, specially from Carlsson himself, that he'll be a C in NHL. Dude's a winger imo. Not sure on physicality yet, as in throwing the weight around.
  
  
• Will Smith – USA – C/RW - PLY; elite, changed from TWF to PLY bc after further review, if there is a weakness, it's defensive play and skating. He lets his linemates do the hard back-checking, which might be deceptive, because when your linemate is Leonard, he'll just go and get it. Skating is negligible as it's good, just not standing out. Creativeness and puck-control are off the charts though, like get you out of your seat type stuff. A light body, not sure he'll have an easy time his first couple of seasons in the NHL.
  
  
• Ryan Leonard – USA – LW - PWF/TWF; elite, can see him go as high as 5, maybe higher if Michkov falls. The tape is very very impressive. Offensive dynamo, create or finish, pure energy on the ice. Great skating obv, powerful, fast. Two-way pain in the bunda. Can do it all it seems, at a high pace. This is pretty much the safest bet outside Bedard imo.
  
  
• Andrew Crystall – CAN – LW - SNP/PLY; elite, offense = pure filth. Puck control is sick, dekes for days, 1-on-1 deadly. Can backcheck, needs to do it more, maybe endurance/conditioning. Size is underwhelming, skating is sufficient. Maybe underrated. I'm basing this on everything panning out.
  
  
• David Reinbacher – AT – TWD; elite, sizeable RHD. Not Moritz Seider physically but has a major jump to his game. Best D prospect in the draft. Skating is a major major asset and hockey IQ.
  
  
• Brayden Yager – CAN – C/RW – SNP: top 6/elite, I can see him as a C in the NHL, others project a wing. Serious rip on his shot, top 5 shot in the draft, with kind of an unique style to it. Has a solid two-way game, but teams could certainly just put him on the wing and tell him to shoot the puck. Lacks skating a tid bit and he's a lightweight as of now.
  
  
• Dalibor Dvorsky – SVK - C - SNP; top 6/elite, left-handed; this will sound like some bs, but there is something about this kid. An aura, leadership, just something, destined for greatness type stuff. Tangibles, shot is legit, he can pick a corner alright, and should be your PP bomber. Again not a trailblazer with the skating, but more importantly, great positioning and awareness. Plays all situations, iirc. Captain material for sure.
  
  
• Oliver Moore – USA – C - TWF/GRD – top 6/elite; elite skating and defensive IQ, left-handed center. Skating and defense will guarantee the NHL, offense the rest. He's not that small either, or light for that matter. He's got serviceable skill in the o-zone, if it all clicks in the NHL, another jackpot pick here, the ceiling is very high, if there is more offense to come.
  
  
• Colby Barlow – CAN – LW - SNP; top 6, left-handed. Absolute puck hound, with a major rip. Maybe the best shooter in the draft. Couple of guys sleeping on this. Comes with a two-way game as I said. Gets in your face. Will need to work on endurance and speed, for the NHL level.
  
  
• Samuel Honzek – SVK - W/C - TWF; top 6, left-handed. One of my dark horses - definitely one of the the high upside picks and underrated imo. Not sure about the risk part. Makes it look easy and makes stuff happen, certainly too good for the WHL. Played all situations for the Giants. Big kid on the ice. Very interesting around pick 20 as he does it all, with dekes and backhanded goals and what you will.
  
  
• Gabe Perreault – USA – RW - PLY; top 6, played all year with Will Smith and Ryan Leonard, (complemented) them greatly. Passing is off the charts; dangling, shot, offense are all very solid. A little bit of a size issue maybe. Speed is lacking just a bit. Looks to be very disciplined.
  
  
• Zach Benson – CAN – LW - TWF; top-6, his skating is sus to me, he’s extremely effective against his age group. Size and weight are an issue. I'm not as sold as other. I certainly underrate him.
  
  
• Eduard Sale – CZE – RW- SNP; top-6, strong and accurate shot. Scouting reports talk about non-existant back-checking and general lack of interest when the puck is going the other way. That's not good, but his offense is very strong, making plays and shooting. Skating is fine. At the combine I saw picture. Looks to lean to me. One hit and he's toast.
  
  
• Nate Danielson - CAN - C - TWF/GRD; middle-6/bottom-6, right-handed. Many like the prospect (in the middle of the 1st rd), I don't. He's got above average skating, and is great defensively. But offense is sus. Puck control is the mechanical kind, not the intuitive flow of truly offensively talented players. His numbers look good on paper, he was to go to guy in all situations for his club.
  
  
• Dimitri Simachev – RUS – LHD - DFD; top 4, really great skating (speed and agility/edges) for his size, rather soft though. I don't get where people come up with the physical aspect, in the MHL ok, but not in the KHL. Weak shot, but good passing ... imo, 2nd rd pick and one of the traps in the 1st rd. (<- this is an old statement that can stay here, I can see the upside and this kid is a great prospect)
  
  
• Quentin Musty - USA - PLY - LW; top-6, big body that can playmake. Genarally an offensive threat, great shot too. Can shield the puck but is shy throwing the body around. Takes penalties and some questionable decisions. Nothing that can't be taught.
  
  
• Riley Heidt – CAN – LW - PLY; top-6/elite, size is super sus!! whether or not he's a center too, imo no way, junior tape, he wasn't playing much center either. His play making, puck control, passing and offensive IQ are a sight to behold though.
  
  
• Bradly Nadeau - CAN - RW/C - SNP - top-6, right-handed, best attribute are a very heavy slapper and generally his offense. He can deke, and make great passes. He's pesty fore-checker and responsible in his own zone. Generally strong stick. Skating is fine, good agility and edges. Not the biggest guy but certainly a nice pick-up late in the 1st. Steal potential.
  
  
• Daniil But – RUS – RW -TWF; top-6, gigantuan with good playmaking, right-handed. Huge body that can skate. He needs to be meaner in the NHL. His strength is actually the defensive part of his game. Great on the PK and solid distribution on the PP. Unclear on upside, depends on how his skill translate to the NHL. But he can be a monster. Steal potential.
  
  
• Matthew Wood - CAN - LW/RW - PWF; top-6, big body, right-handed, strong along the boards, shy on the hitting. Very weak skater. Great offensive skills, heavy shot, accurate and creative passing. Needs to work on D and skating or he won't make it imo.
  
  
• Gavin Brindley - USA -RW - TWF; middle-6/bottom-6, Fantilli's sidekick in Michigan. Skates like a beast, fore-check, back-check, he does it. Has a nice shot and ok passing. Biggest issue is obv. size, one of the smallest and lightest prospects.
  
  
• Charlie Stramel – USA - C - PLY/TWF; top-6, big, a tad bit slow for it and lacks strength, he's is raw, BUT. Great back-checker and high IQ on D and O. Right-handed shot. Strong face-off guy.
  
  
• Calum Ritchie - CAN - C/RW - TWF/PLY; middle-6, high defensive IQ in the O and D zone, great positioning, more of a playmaker. The ability isn't that over the top. Ok shot, ok passing. Skating can be worked on. EP has him at 6"2 ... which I find optimistic. Doesn't look that big on the ice. Maybe it's his legs, he got like o-legs. Risky pick imo, if you're looking for a homerun.
  
  
• Luca Dragicevic - CAN - RHD - TWD/OFD; top 4, good skating and agility, ok size, not much tape on D work. Can whip it from the point. Nifty moves, great passing and offensive IQ. Maybe the #2 defenseman of this draft, when we look back in a decade or two.
  
  
• Mikhail Gulyayev – RUS – OFD – LHD; top 4, elite skating, passing and play in the O-zone. Not much happening in the D zone. Undersized like ASP, and since Lundkvist, these type of undersized defenseman scare me. I like Gulli's skating better, but ASP had the better competition.
  
  
• Sandin Pellikka – SWE – OFD - RHD; top 4, elite skating, passing and play in the O-zone. Not much happening in the D zone.Undersized like Gulyayev, and since Lundkvist, these type of undersized defenseman scare me.
  
  
• Hunter Brzustewicz – USA – RHD - TWD; top 4, kid has a motor, jumps on the rush frequently and effectively. Ok size, bit short but heavy, not sure on physicality. Plays all situations. Safer pick than the smaller OFD, imo.
  
  
• Ethan Gauthier - CAN - RW - TWF; bottom-6, small but feisty winger with a great backhand pass. He's engaged physically, but he can't lay anybody out, that spells doom imo. His skating isn't anything special either, does make up much ground with all the steps he takes. Not a 1st rd talent imo.
  
  
• Otto Stenberg - SWE - tape was quite meh. Don't like the size or much of the skill. Tbh, I just stopped watching after 2 minutes. Like without having scouted Edstrom or that Dower-NIlson (?) kid, I can fairly certainly conclude, that they are better than Stenberg.
  
  
• Etienne Morin - CAN - TWD/OFD; fell of for me during the year. Size and skating issues. When he's off his offensive play, everything takes a dive. Should drop out of the 1st rd.

 

[pgfan66]

Didn't really improve and is perhaps softer then expected, has the tools but I question the toolbox type of player. Based on tools alone though, he still goes mid 1st

Someone compared him to Owen Tippett recently and I think that's both an accurate comparison and good to describe why he's dropped on many lists.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

My final list. Biggest change is I dropped the Russians because of related risks. Even though they are better players than where they are ranked, if you could get nearly as good of a player with less risk I think you take them:

1. Bedard

2. Carlsson
3. Fantilli
4. Smith
5. Dvorsky
6. Willander
7. Leonard
8. Reinbacher

9. Honzek
10. Ritchie
11. Wood
12. Sale
13. Benson
14. Michkov
15. Sandin Pellikka
16. Edstrom
17. Moore
18. Stenberg
19. Barlow
20. Perrault

21. Lindstein
22. Nadeu
23. Wahlberg
24. Strbak
25. Danielson
26. Fisker Molgaard
27. Bonk
28. Yager
29. Sawchyn
30. Simashev

31. Morin
32. Gauthier
33. Dragicevic
34. Pekarcik
35. Gibson
36. Musty
37. Heidt
38. But
39. Minnetian
40. Nelson
41. Akey
42. Cristall

43. Halttunen
44. Cowan
45. Brindley
46. McCarthy
47. Myatovic
48. Gulyayev
49. Rehkopf
50. Terrance

The following HM players are listed alphabetically:

Cataford
Hameenaho
Lind
Molendyk
Perron
Stramel
Ziemmer

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Made a few more tweaks after rewatching U18s and finishing CHL playoffs. This is my final top 32:

1	Connor Bedard (C)
2	Leo Carlsson (C)
3	Matthew Wood (F)
4	Matvei Michkov (RW)
5	Adam Fantilli (C)
6	Dalibor Dvorský (C)
7	Zach Benson (F)
8	Will Smith (C)
9	David Reinbacher (D)
10	Gavin Brindley (F)
11	Andrew Cristall (LW)
12	Axel Sandin Pellikka (D)
13	Oliver Moore (C)
14	Ryan Leonard (C)
15	Gracyn Sawchyn (C)
16	Quentin Musty (F)
17	Gabe Perreault (F)
18	Eduard Sale (RW)
19	Tom Willander (D)
20	Otto Stenberg (C/RW)
21	Calum Ritchie (C)
22	Jayden Perron (F)
23	Mikhail Gulyayev (D)
24	Nate Danielson (C)
25	Riley Heidt (F)
26	Colby Barlow (LW)
27	Brayden Yager (C)
28	Samuel Honzek (C)
29	Daniil But (LW)
30	William Whitelaw (F)
31	Nick Lardis (F)
32	Dmitri Simashev (D)

 

[Mrb1p]

1	1) Connor Bedard (RC/RW, Canada, Regina WHL)
2	2) Matvei Michkov (RW, Russia, SKA St. Petersburg VHL)
3	3) Adam Fantilli (LC, Canada, Michigan NCAA)
4	4) Leo Carlsson (LC, Sweden, Orebro SHL)
5	5) David Reinbacher (RD, Austria, Kloten NL)
6	6) Zach Benson (LW, Canada, Winnipeg WHL)
7	10) Matthew Wood (RW, Canada, Connecticut NCAA)
8	8) Will Smith (RC, USA, NTDP U18)
9	14) Ryan Leonard (RW, USA, NTDP U18)
10	7) Andrew Cristall (LW/RW, Canada, Kelowna WHL)
11	11) Dalibor Dvorsky (LC/LW, Slovakia, AIK Allsvenskan)
12	13) Brayden Yager (RC, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL)
13	12) Colby Barlow (LW, Canada, Owen Sound OHL)
14	17) Nate Danielson (RW, Canada, Brandon WHL)
15	31) Quentin Musty (LW, USA, Sudbury OHL)
16	18) Nick Lardis RW, Canada, hamilton OHL)
17	9) Riley Heidt (LW, Canada, Prince George WHL)
18	22) Etienne Morin (LD, Canada, Moncton LHJMQ)
19	29) Calum Ritchie (RC, Canada, Oshawa OHL)
20	15) Eduard Sale (RW, Czechia, Kometa Brno Czechia)
21	34) Tom Willander (RD, Sweden, Rogle J20)
22	20) Alexander Rykov (RW, Russia, Chelmet Chelyabinsk VHL)
23	23) Jayden Perron (RW, Canada, Chicago USHL)
24	24) Gabe Perreault (LW, USA/Canada, NTDP U18)
25	25) Axel Sandin Pellikka (RD, Sweden, Skelleftea SHL)
26	60) Gracyn Sawchyn (C, Canada, Seattle WHL)
27	19) Oliver Moore (LC, USA, NTDP U18)
28	16) Samuel Honzek (LW/LC, Slovakia, Vancouver WHL)
29	36) Otto Stenberg (LC/LW, Sweden, Frolunda SHL)
30	21) Koehn Ziemmer (RW, Canada, Prince George WHL)
31	57) Bradly Nadeau (LW/RC, Canada, Penticton BCHL)
32	26) Gavin Brindley (RW, USA/Canada, Michigan NCAA)
33	NR) Felix Unger Sorum (LW, Sweden, Leksand J20)
34	30) Hunter Brzustewicz (RD, USA, Kitchener OHL)
35	33) Ethan Gauthier (RW, Canada/USA, Sherbrooke LHJMQ)
36	32) Noah Dower Nilsson (LC, Sweden, Frolunda J20)
37	36) Kasper Halttunen (RW/LW, Finland, HIFK Liiga)
38	NR) Anton Wahlberg (C, Sweden, Malmo, J20)
39	NR) David Edstrom (C, Sweden, Frolunda J20)
40	61) Andrew Strathmann (LD, USA, Youngstown USHL)
41	34) Maxim Strbak (RD, Slovakia, Sioux Falls USHL)
42	33) Tyler Molendyk (LD, Canada, Saskatoon WHL)
43	NR) Danny Nelson (C/LW, USA, USDP, USHL)
44	28) Lukas Dragicevic (RD, Canada, Tri-City WHL)
45	40) Carson Rehkopf (LC/RW, Canada, Kitchener OHL)
46	NR) Denver Barkey (C, Canada, London, C)
47	37) Mikhail Gulyayev (LD, Russia, Omsk MHL)
48	27) Dmitri Simashev (LD, Russia, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL)
49	NR) Tristan Bertucci (D, Canada, Flint OHL)
50	32) William Whitelaw (RC/RW, USA, Youngstown USHL)
51	NR) Aydar Suniev (LW, Russia, Penticton BCHL)
52	53) Oliver Bonk (RD, Canada, London OHL)
53	52) Theo Lindstein (LD, Sweden, Brynas SHL)
54	39) Daniil But (LW/RW, Russia, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL)
55	65) Oscar Fisker Molgaard(C, Hv 71 SHL)
56	NR) Juraj Pekarcic (LW, Slovakia, HK nitra Slovakia)
57	56) Kalan Lind (LW, Canada, Red Deer WHL)
58	38) Caden Price (LD, Canada, Kelowna WHL)
59	NR) Carter Sotheran (D, Canada, Portland WHL)
60	NR) Nico Myatovic (L, Canada, Seattle WHL)
61	35) Alex Ciernik (LW/RW, Slovakia, Sodertalje Allsvenskan)
62	29) Emil Jarventie (LW, Finland, Ilves Liiga)
63	69) Felix Nilsson (C, Rögle BK, J20)
64	35) Lenni Hameenaho (RW, Finland, Assat Liiga)
65	NR) Timur Mukhanov (C, Russia, Omsk MHL)
66	NR) Jesse Kiiskinen (RW, Finland, SM-Sarja U20)
67	68) Beau Akey (D, Canada, Barrie, OHL)
68	NR) Carey Terrance (C, USA, Erie, OHL)
69	NR) Matthew Mania (D, Canda, Sudbury OHL)
70	72) Brad Gardiner (C, Canada, Ottawa OHL)
71	62 ) Jakub Dvorak (D) Czechia Liberec Extraliga)
72	26) Charlie Stramel (RW/RC, USA, Wisconsin NCAA)
73	NR) Quinton Burns (D, Canada, Kingston OHL)
74	NR) Yegor Sidorov (LW, Belarus, Saskatoon WHL)
75	38) Roman Kantserov (LW/RW, Russia, Stalnye Lisy MHL)
76	NR) Kalem Parker (D, Canada, Victoria WHL)
77	NR) Thomas Verdon (LW, USA, Rouyn-Noranda LHJMQ)
78	NR) Easton Cowan (C, Canada, London OHL)
79	58) Jayson Shaugabay (RW/RC, USA, Warroad USHS)
80	46) Arttu Karki (LD, Finland, Tappara U20)
81	63) Mathieu Cataford (RW, Canada, Halifax LHJMQ)
82	NR) Luca Pinelli (C, Canada, Ottawa OHL)
83	NR) Jordan Tourigny (D, Canada, Shawinigan LHJMQ)
84	55) Luca Cagnoni (LD, Canada, Portland WHL)
85	NR) Jesse Nurmi (LW, Finland, Cookoo, U20)
86	NR) Zeb Forsfjall (C, Sweden, Skellftea J20)
87	NR) Coulson Pitre (C, Canada, Flint OHL)
88	NR) Gavin McCarthy (D, USA Muskegon, USHL)
89	NR) Matthew Soto (RW, Canada, Kingston OHL)
90	NR) Linus Brandl (C, Germany, Mannheim, DEL)
1	1) Michael Hrabal (G, Czechia, Omaha USHL)
2	2) Jacob Fowler (G, USA, Youngstown USHL)
3	3) Carson Bjarnason (G, Canada, Brandon WHL)
4	4) Damian Clara (G, Italy, Farjestad BK J20)
5	5) Adam Gajan (G, Slovakia, Green Bay USHL, overager)
6	6) Noah Erliden (G, Sweden, HV71 J20)
7	7) Yegor Egorov (G, Russia, MHK Dynamo MHL)
8	8) Trey Augustine (G, USA, USDP, USHL)
9	9) Yegor Zavragin (G, Russia, Mamonty Yugry MHL)
10	10) Alexander Hellnemo (G, Sweden, Skeleftea, J20)

Heres what is, I think, my final top 90, with a top 10 goaltender.

My top 8 hasn't moved in quite some time. Took everything I had in my power to not drop Smith below Leonard, dropped Yager for no real reasons, Dvorsky too. There's just so many good prospect in this draft, ive rarely have had such a hard time ranking a top 32.

A guy like Jayden Perron landed at 23rd, but was in contention as early as spot 8. Same for quite a few others.

For this draft, rather than "tiers", Id like to coin the term range. Think of an elastic band centered around a point, where when it stretches too far, it breaks. The only real tiers I can see is
1 and 2 and 3 and 4.

The first range would be centered around Will Smith, the proverbial elastic breaking right before Reinbacher (Included.) and after Yager (Included.). Basically, thats when I put a hard cap on a decision. A "Im having a hard time deciding between these two players" vs a "No, this player is clearly superior.
The second range would be centered around Yager, where Smith would be the limit and would stop at Perrault(My analogy doesn't work for that one, but it does for the first one, lol.)

After Perrault, the next center would be Moore, breaking at (meaning not included) Perrault and Gauthier (Included.)

After that, id have a massive range centered around Gulyayev, from 35 to 58. Another one around Mukhanov, from Simashev to Dvorak and another one centered around Verdon, breaking at Akey and going all the way down.

I can't stress this enough but f*** this draft is good. The last time I was this high for a draft was 2019, and I think it delivered. Were looking at two dozen potential top 6 forwards, a few starter goaltenders, a bunch of mid 6 forward and even a few superstars (1-2, maybe Wood, Sale, Smith and Cristall).

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

Edit and disclaimer: This list is constantly changing. Many of these assessments were on older shift by shift's so are outdated with progression throughout the season. I'd say half the list I would need more games to watch to get a better sample size for more accurate analysis.

--------

Tier: 1
1)Connor Bedard - will be a star in the draft. Almost guaranteed first liner unless derailed by injuries. Phenomenal shot. Phenomenal vision and decent passing. May end up being a top 5 player in the league. Chance at long term NHL career: 100%

Tier 2:
2)Matvei Michkov - very close to Bedard in terms of talent. In my opinion has better hands than Bedard, but Bedard has a better shot overall. Isn't overly physical but will throw the body if unsuspected, but overall super engaged throughout the game. In any other draft I personally have him as the top player. His absolute best ceiling we are looking at a top 10 player. Bedard has higher IQ, but Michkov is a very intelligent player with the best deception in the draft. Absolutely sensational to watch. Only reason I have him higher than Fantilli even though Fantilli does it all and is the jack of all trades is I find he's more consistent with his offensive prowess and the way he generates offense is more translatable to the NHL in my opinion than Fantilli's. Is more of a game changer on a weaker team, however both players could be easily interchanged depending on what style of player you like and although it's a controversial opinion, I am willing to take the risk on this player to unlock a franchise changing offensive player. Very high chance at 1st liner, slight potential of ending up a 3rd line player at minimum but the way he plays the game leads me to believe he will be a star in the league. He is more raw than Fantilli, however some of these tools that he is presenting are EXTREMELY rare and are only seen in the upper echelon of talent in the NHL. His ability to get his release off is very similar to Cole Caufield (who again I also called being a great goal scorer in the NHL because he possesses that ability to get his shot off very quickly) but he has a better one-timer than Caufield and his shot is harder. He just has this cerebral offensive attack to the game that is very similar to a Leon Draisaitl. There is a reason some of his numbers put him above Kaprizov and only behind Ovi and Malkin in the KHL. He has his flaws, as sometimes he can push the puck towards the other team trying to be too creative with his passing and his defense isn't as tight as you'd hope, but he just has those tiny high level capabilities offensively that are so rare to see in a kid his age. This is a hill I will die on and I think if this kid drops in the draft past spot 5, there will be teams kicking themselves for being moronic. If I were to combine types of players from the Canucks I would say he has hands like Petey, skating like Garland, defense and IQ like JT Miller and has some of that cerebral offensive game that Kuzmenko possesses when it comes to being off the puck and willing to be smart offensively. I'd say his passing is a mix between Miller and Kuzmenko as it can sometimes be dangerous, but more often than not works out and is willing to risk a turnover for a high danger chance. Very good with short passes but isn't the safest player, however that in my opinion is one of the easiest things to coach out of a player. You can't coach the confidence and ability to use your hands in a phone booth or to snap off the puck on net before a goalie can react to the play or the deceptiveness to appear like a threat and then have a quick short distribution to an easy tap in. With that said if I'm Anaheim as a GM I would be drafting Fantilli based on the franchise. However I rank these based on how good I think these players will end up. Would you prefer to have a Patrick Kane or would you prefer to have a Ryan Getzlaf type player? Chance at long term NHL career: 90%

3)Adam Fantilli - most versatile player in the draft. Hits, high IQ, engaged, great skill. Very likely to become at minimum a 2nd line player, very good chance at becoming a first line player. Only con is he requires creative players around him to unlock his game to its highest potential. The argument that he should be 2nd overall is extremely fair and I understand why most people have him above Michkov. Much better defensively than Michkov but one thing he lacks (and it's still very very good) in comparison to Michkov is his deceptiveness when he's playmaking. He makes the right passes consistently, but consistency sometimes leads to predictability which is why I don't value him as much as Michkov and I think his scoring ability is a touch less than Michkov, however still elite in terms of prospects. Fantilli will be a very good player and is a very safe pick and any team should be ecstatic to have this prospect. Literally does it all. Most people have him as a clear #2 but his play in the World Juniors was concerning as I didn't feel he had that killer instinct that we often saw when he played for Michigan. I find he leans more into making those around him better as opposed to trying to take control of a game by the neck (he does have this ability). This is a mixed bag as I sometimes see it leading to inconsistency offensively. This is a 9.5/10 prospect. Chance at long term NHL career: 95%

Tier 3:
4)Leo Carlsson - very mature game. Uses his size well. Very engaged offensively away from the puck. A- hands and shot. NHL ready. Ceiling could be 1st line, very high floor. At minimum 3rd line, very likely 2nd line and good chance at first line if he continues to develop. The most challenging thing about this prospect is that you can tell he has the tools, but with him playing such top notch competition in the SHL you don't get to see some of his more shining moments as often. His game looks very translatable to the NHL, but I'm still undecided on if he will be elite or if he will be a middle of the road kind of player. He doesn't take over games but he has the skills to do so. His edge work is phenomenal for somebody 6'3" and he uses his size well. He does a lot of things right which makes me confident in his game but I just don't know if his skill is groundbreaking (could be!) or if it'll simply end up top 6 complementary player. I'd like to see him work on his playmaking a bit more. Opens the ice up really well but needs to just improve his passing a bit to make me more confident. This is where Adam Fantilli gets the nod above him by a noticeable margin. Chance at long term NHL career: 90%




Tier: 4
5)Zach Benson - fairly big drop off in talent here. His skating isn't as good as the class above which hurts his stock. Probably the smartest player in the draft (including Bedard). Understands both ends of the ice. Tenacious on the forecheck, probably top 2 away from the puck after Bedard). Best mix of offensive/defensive player but his skating and raw talent holds him back a bit here. If he can improve his skating he could end up a phenomenal player. Slight chance for first liner, good chance of 2nd liner if he improves his skating, very good chance to become a third liner at minimum. His skating isn't bad but his top speed is very average. If he can get faster and improve his shot he will be a steal in this draft. Playmaking is top tier. Best forechecker in the draft. Chance at long term NHL career: 80%, if he improves his skating then 95%.





Tier 5:
6)Oliver Moore - another drop off in tier here from the top 5. A lot of fundamentals are good with this player and is engaged quite a bit. Playmaking is pretty good but his decision making is what hurts him the most here. He's just inconsistent in this regard. Sometimes he will make a nice seam pass and then the next moment he's skating the puck into defenders and isn't processing the game quickly enough. This happens way too often and is why he is a tier lower than Benson. Benson reads the play incredibly well, as where Oliver Moore sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. Moore and Benson have relatively the same amount of skill (Benson is a better playmaker though with his reads and is better defensively). Moore is no slouch though and has a good motor like Benson does and is a much better skater (above average, I'd probably rate it an 8.5/10). Very active player which is phenomenal to see. Just needs to improve his decision making. So far, not NHL ready and is probably at minimum a year to a couple years or so out from being in the NHL if he improves his game. Decent penalty killer. Has a good chance at being a third liner, a small chance at being a 2nd liner. Would need to improve a lot to become a first liner. Could potentially be a decent complementary piece if he improves but is also fairly decent at play driving. Has good creativity, just needs better IQ on when to use it. He has the raw fundamental tools to build on, and his skating alone will land him a very good chance with his already established skill set that he should be successful as long as he puts in the work. Despite Will Smith being the better playmaker, I believe Moore actually has the highest upside offensively. Chance at long term NHL career: 75%

7)Dmitriy Simashev - the sleeper of the draft. Towering defenseman who knows how to use his size and is absolutely phenomenal with his skating especially for a player this size. Very very smart positionally. In my opinion the most sound positionally defenseman in the draft (when combined both offensively and defensively). Very good activation with and away from the puck. Weak shot which hurts his game but his passing is probably an 8.5/10. Supports the play almost every time and knows how to be a stay at home defenseman. Will very likely be a top 4 dman, has a good chance at being a top 3 and if he can improve his offense can become a top 2. Very good IQ and engagement at his age. Think a larger Chris Tanev but with a bit less IQ. He didn't put up points, but make no mistake that isn't due to his style of play. His skating opens up the blue line for him well (is a pass first player so doesn't walk the line too much but is great at taking space when it's given to him) and he can take the puck into the high slot moving around players to make plays. He has a very high floor and an underrated ceiling. Lots of similarities to Sergachev for me but with a weaker shot but better skating. Is a bit weaker defensively than Reinbacher, but has a higher offensive ceiling than him too. Chance at long term NHL career: 90%



8)David Reinbacher - very similar player to Dmitriy Simashev. Pass first defensemen who are very smart defensively. Is more physical than Simashev however and has a better shot. Skating is good but not as good as Simashev's. Another very intelligent defender away and with the puck. I find he's a very simplified defender but has flashes of creativity offensively. Very likely to be a top 4 pick. Think of Elder in his prime but without the bomb of a shot. He's clever with his shooting and utilizes screens well. Knows most of the time when to make plays and knows what type of play to make in order to play a very mature and safe, NHL ready game. Supports the play well, is very active defensively as well off the puck. Is the best defensively in the draft. The reason why I have him below Simashev is because I'd like to see a bit more creativity but overall he will be very serviceable as a dman. I think most likely he will end up a #3 dman if he can improve his edge work a bit more but has a very high floor so will very likely be top 4 with a low chance of being a #5 dman if his skating doesn't improve. I personally have him very close if not already to NHL ready as long as he can adapt to the speed of the game well. With larger rinks his skating is more than adequate but find with less room to maneuver his skating and pivots are a bit choppy. The best dman in the draft at winning board battles and net front battles. Very active stick which is what you want to see. My only gripe with this player is that I'm not sure if he has a high enough ceiling to be worth being taken at a high spot in the first round. I do find this pick to be very safe though and the team that gets him won't be too disappointed as long as they don't take him in the top 5, in which I don't anticipate happening anyways. Chance at long term NHL career: 95%




Tier 6:
9)Jayden Perron - a decent play driver with good hands and above average playmaking ability. Smaller player that is good at engaging, above average on the forecheck but is prone to releasing the puck in the offensive zone to the other team trying to force passes through. Sometimes shows flash and is really fun to watch but other times keeps the game quite simple and in that simplicity is where I think he shines the most as he can effectively move the puck and get to an open space for give and goes. If he gets his skates going he becomes a very effective player but can also lay off the gas which makes him far less effective. His hands set up his playmaking and isn't shy to take defenders on 1 on 1 and when he's motoring he takes defenders on effectively most of the time. Some of the best hands in the draft. This pick is a sleeper pick and is being way overlooked. He is ranked to be late first round but in my opinion is far more ready for the NHL than a lot of other high ranked prospects. He's reliable defensively. Will cover the points for defensemen, will back check and is decent on the forecheck. If he can find a way to consistently build speed in the neutral zone he will be potentially the worst pass-over of this draft. Has a small chance to be a top line guy and a decent chance to be a top 9 guy, but realistically his ceiling is probably top 6. Good playmaking and vision, decent speed and great hands. If he's with a speedy forward this kid will shine. Really underrated in this draft. Should not be taken in the late first/early 2nd round based on the forwards in this draft as he is currently ranked by most scouts. He is far more consistent in making the right play than many of his peers in this grouping. Needs to improve strength along the walls and to become more consistent with playing to his strengths. On a high flying team he will excel and on a defensive squad he will fit in. Good off the puck. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%.

10)Will Smith - another player similar to Oliver Moore as he has some raw tools but is inconsistent with his decision making. Can make some phenomenal plays but can be a turnover machine as well. Will drive the play. Skating is very average and needs to improve, but is good at utilizing the skating he does have. Has raw talent though, as he has a decent enough shot, great passing when it works and is great at drawing defenders out of position to set up plays. Would like to see him be more of a threat away from the puck however. Can be floaty at times but his raw skill usually sets him up for success but needs to figure out how to unlock this potential more. He is a less complete player than Oliver Moore but also has better raw tools and is a much more consistent playmaker, but is far weaker in skating. Has an inconsistent motor. Can be great at times but weak in others. He is a frustrating player to watch though as he has flashes of brilliant hockey and then will put himself into bad situations the next. His balance is weak as well so is pushed off the puck quite often on games he doesn't quite have it. Small chance at first line, okay chance at 2nd line and a possibly decent chance at third line depending on if a coach will tolerate his lack of defense. He has a relatively high ceiling but also isn't as safe a pick as I'd like. I'd say high risk high reward. Needs to work on his forecheck, skating and consistency. One of his weakest attributes is his skating and although he can anticipate plays, beating faster players to these spots is what hurts him the most. At this level it's okay but unless he improves his skating he has absolutely no chance at the NHL level. His anticipation is his best attribute in the offensive zone but tends to cheat and isn't a great backchecker so he gets more opportunity to puts up points than somebody paying attention to both ends of the ice. He is probably the most consistent passer on his team but can put himself into positions where he holds onto the puck and is too patient. By far the most frustrating player on the team because when he is on he is very good but when he's off you'd wish he wasn't on the ice. This is why I have him dropped in my rankings. His effort is the least consistent on this group of US players. There is a high chance this player ends up playing a few games in the NHL but not sticking because a lot of his tendencies won't work in the NHL but I could see him putting up points in lower levels of hockey easily. I could also see this guy getting murdered by a hit for the style of play and getting derailed by injuries. Without a doubt one of the most creative players in the draft though and his creativity is what boosts him in the rankings. If you analyze how much he pays attention to the details you can see the immaturity in his game however and how many plays he makes will land him turning the puck over at the NHL level. If this pick lands however and he figures these things out and learns to become a bit safer, he could be an elite playmaker in the NHL. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%

11)Ryan Leonard - a poor man's Adam Fantilli. Kind of the jack of all trades but missing the IQ that Fantilli possesses. Will hit, back check, forecheck and anticipate plays well. Has flashes of brilliant playmaking and has a good shot. However like most of his teammates, is very prone to skating the puck into bad positions and turning the puck over. His playmaking I find is his weakness as he's a better goal scorer in my opinion as he moves to open space decently and is good at creating havoc in the offensive zone. If he can work on his decision making we have a really solid player here but with his average level skating and decision making with the puck, he's yet to show at an NHL level where the game has to be processed much faster that he'd thrive in that environment. Has a lot of raw tools and is a good finisher and can force the opposition into turning the puck over, but needs to be smarter with the puck more consistently to make the NHL. Could be a top 6 guy, but will require lots of work on things that are typically naturally you have to be good at. So far I think it's more likely if he does pan out it'd be on a third line role or complementary 2nd line guy, but he is still a couple years from that projection. Medium risk, medium reward. Would like to see him drive the play a bit more. Chance at long term NHL career: 60%

12)Gracyn Sawchyn - sleeper pick alert! The talent is raw but the mindset is phenomenal. If he can work on his conditioning and overall engagement a bit more, he will be a steal in the draft. When this kid is motoring he is extremely dynamic but when he isn't motoring he can sometimes just appear disinterested. Some of the best hands in the draft and will drive the play. Great at finding open space away from the puck and has great anticipation defensively. If this kid can focus on keeping his skates moving he will be a very good player as he has all of the creativity in the world. He was hidden behind a very deep team, so I anticipate him jumping up in value with a bigger role. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%


Tier 7:
13)Colby Barlow - this pick may be wildly different depending on what and where you like to draft specific players. He's a big boy at 6'1" and uses his size to engage physically better than anybody in the draft. Has a motor for days and is willing to engage on the forecheck a lot. Think of Sam Bennet but with less skill and creativity. He's all over the ice, throwing hits, staying engaged and has some offensive prowess to boot. Doesn't have the most raw talent in the world but the way he plays the game is very Canadian and I think really makes him an appealing player. The thing that hurts him the most is his ceiling. At the NHL level his offensive prowess with his plays won't be as strong, so he's likely to end up a third line player but a very effective one if he plays smart and isn't overly aggressive to a fault. Has a small chance at being a 2nd line player but at minimum I see him being an effective 4th line player. Has a very strong shot but what hurts him the most is his skating prevents him from using cuts to head to the more dangerous areas of the ice. Can be a perimeter player a lot of times. Average playmaking ability but can be creative, just not creative enough to be the play driver with the puck necessary to be a top offensive talent. If he can figure that part of his game out he will be a real dark horse in this draft. He has a good shot, but if he can learn to get to more dangerous areas to get this shot off he will become a very very good player. Great floor (should become a depth player) and a small chance at becoming a top 6 player if he can put things together. His IQ is low though. Think Jake Virtanen but with a much better motor. If he can learn to use his hands more and slow the play down instead of panicking with the puck he will be a great pick. This is a safe depth pick, but there is a good chance he will not be an impact player. Could be a good complimentary piece with a smart player however. Chance at long term NHL career: 70%

14)Nate Danielson - big center on a weak team, still produced decently. Good skating for his size, could increase his explosiveness but is quite economic in the use of his energy. Typically makes the safe and smart play. Pretty quick to make decisions. Average passing ability but good vision. Good away from the puck and good but not great defensively. Will cover for teammates well and plays a mature game. If paired with good line mates I can see 2nd line potential, but likely a 3rd line center with a decent chance for this role. Would need to work on being more individualistic and challenging players in order to have a longshot chance of being a first liner however has the smarts for it. With a mature game, he's not a super risky pick but also isn't displaying the highest ceiling yet but also having played on a weak Wheat Kings team, we may not have seen his potential. Needs a bit of work positionally in the defensive zone but has the right idea. Just needs more coaching. I like this player but I'd probably aim to snag him in the 15-20 range. Has a higher chance of making a career in the NHL than a lot of players in the draft but also a lower chance of being a game breaking first round pick. Chance at long term NHL career: 55%

15)Quentin Musty - has raw talent but average skating ability which will need to be improved upon to make it to the NHL. Skating is choppy in transitions as his crossovers don't generate speed however his stride is powerful enough in a straight away that it's okay. However, has a pretty effective release and isn't afraid to get the puck off his stick in a hurry which is one of his best skills. Cheats a bit offensively likely due to awareness of his poor transition skating. Does an above average job at positioning himself for plays. Has a decent chance at becoming a top six player but is likely to be a complementary winger on a line. If he can improve his hands and 1 on 1 situations he could elevate to that top 6 status but as of now I predict more of a third line role or a 2nd unit powerplay guy. Has the offensive talent, just needs to put his game together to become more of a threat at the NHL level. If placed on a good line could be serviceable. Would like to see him work on his skating and challenge defenders more once he figures out how to improve his lateral movement. Not much of a play driver despite having decent hands, a good shot and great vision with 8/10 passing ability. Chance at long term NHL career: 45%

Tier 8:
16)Gavin Brindley - another undersized forward that plays a pretty darn good two-way game. 8.5/10 motor, very engaged and is always competing. Good IQ, has moments of doing very well under pressure but his size limits his ceiling a bit. Great hands, great vision and decent passing. Has a good mix of east/west and north/south game. I like this player, I just worry about his size limiting his effectiveness. Could end up top 6 (small chance) but has a decent chance at top 9 and could be a good depth player. I like this kid. Underrated in this draft due to size like quite a few players this year. Pretty complete player but not a game breaking talent. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%

17)Otto Stenberg - plays a mature, simple possession game. Has flashes of higher talent as he possesses a good shot and can show good hands but overall keeps his game pretty simple unless given lots of room to work with. Decent off the puck. What may limit him is just his high end talent but he does possess enough to have a decent chance at the NHL level as a possible third liner. I expect end of 1st round or somewhere in the 2nd for him to be taken. Chance at long term NHL career: 35%

18)Axel Sandin Pellikka - lots of potential and has flashes of brilliant hockey but also flashes of a really immature game. Not the smartest when under pressure, which leads me to be very very cautious with his development. Doesn't particularly have good board battles, can watch the puck too often and is overly resistant to tying up sticks. Tends to lead with his stick which is okay 1 on 1 but in certain situations it throws him out of position because he's attacking defensively at the wrong angles. Still raw defensively. However has good skating and is known for his offense. As good as it is at a junior level when playing with men it falls off as he becomes noticably less risky. He has an advantage with the large rinks with his style of play and I see a huge adjustment necessary for playing against men in a NA rink. However one thing he is very good at is snapping the puck on net to create havoc and go for tips when he's run himself out of options. Would like to see higher IQ in a dman which is why I'm not as high on him as many other prospects. Ceiling is top 2 but I don't see it personally and would need everything to go right. I can see top 3 with an okayish chance if development goes well but realistically I see him more as a #5 guy unless he finds a way to drastically improve a lot of aspects in his game. I'd target him in the later teens but not before unless he somehow becomes the BPA. This is the perfect candidate of somebody having 100 different tools but not being a master in any of them. If he can master a few of them he has high potential, but he is just very raw with his toolset. I'd like to see better defense from him. He has flashes of it but in the important areas a defenseman should be good in (along the wall and in the slot) he leaves a lot to be desired. With that said offensively he is better than most in this draft. Chance at long term NHL career: 60%

19)Brayden Yager - another player with offensive talent but is just very inconsistent. Worked on his playmaking this year but is a solid finisher with an NHL ready shot (especially his snap shot) and still in my opinion, an average playmaker. Can put up points but still needs to sharpen his decision making and quick reactions. Is 6'0" but plays smaller than he is. He's not bad, but still needs to sharpen all of the tools in the toolbox in order to make the NHL. Skating is good enough though but needs more engagement away from the play. Will take a while to develop, shouldn't be rushed to the NHL and I don't think teams will try to. Not a top ten pick in my opinion but could see him selected in the top 20. I'd like to see more consistency in his game to select him there, but his finishing is probably top 10 in the draft so I think he will be selected there despite flaws in other areas. Has a good shot but I worry about him getting to the areas he needs to get to in order to get it off at the NHL level. Could end up a 30 goal scorer or he could also end up a 10 goal scorer if he doesn't improve in the ways he needs to with limited ice time. Personally, 17-30 is a good range for him. Chance at long term NHL career: 35%

Tier 9:
20)Daniel But - gigantic 6'5" player with good hands and good finish and better than average skating for somebody his size. Not a lot of film on him so I don't know enough about this player and how his IQ is but from highlights looks like he has promise but is a bit of a project. Chance at long term NHL career: not sure. Don't have enough tape on this kid.


Tier 10:
21)Tom Willander - not bad but not great as a dman. Decent anticipation skills, not overly creative offensively, not flashy, not the best defensively. He's alright. Similar to defenseman Elias Petterson. Plays a fairly simple game but can have nice edge work and be effective but nothing ground breaking. Possible top 4 potential that I'd give an okayish chance to. I see him ending up in either the 4 or 5 spot if he continues to progress. One thing I really like is he's very active in tying up sticks. Seems good on the walls but has a tendency to puck watch and not scan enough. Offensively he shines with lots of space but is very mediocre when he isn't given room. I personally wouldn't take him until the 2nd round. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%

22)Andrew Cristall - this player is a very interesting mid-late round pick. Reason being is because he's very small at 5'10", but here's the thing... He's not bad. But also what makes him bad is his height. Now most small players I'm usually against the "being small=bad" automatically train, but in this case I think when it comes to the NHL level his height is going to be a challenge. Although he's aggressive on the forecheck, he doesn't even utilize the little size he has to establish body position. Just kind of pretends to hit behind on forechecks and doesn't try to get in-between stick or puck. Has flashes of being good defensively (like on the backcheck) but then becomes too much of a puck watcher and not sound enough positionally in his own end. Disengaged in his own end is how I'd describe him but will use his speed to get back. Skating is interesting. Very quick acceleration, however average top end speed. Gets up to speed quick but doesn't out-pace the opposition. However what makes him good is that he has good hands and decent playmaking ability and wants to skate the puck to open up the ice to make plays. Now the reason why I'm against him is that I think this is where his size will hurt him. In the NHL a lot of his best aspects will be limited to playing to his strengths. If he can become more shifty and increase his top end speed by bettering his strength, he has a chance to become a steal in this draft. His IQ is decent offensively, but would just like to see him find ways to get to more dangerous areas that could make him more effective. Has potential but like Gabe Perrault, has some fundamental flaws that may limit him from catering to his strengths. If he lands though, will be a solid pick. Ceiling is top 6 (small chance). Big chance however of him not panning out if he can't figure out how to be somebody like Garland who is small but can still be effective. I can see why people like this player. Is dynamic offensively. Jayden Perron is just a bit more complete but a very similar player, but also uses his size more effectively than Cristall. Is a very fun prospect to watch though. High risk with a fairly sizeable reward considering where he's likely to end up being drafted. Reminds me of a Nils Highlander on crack, but with less tools and better vision. Potential sleeper pick. Excited to see where this kid ends up and if he pans out. Chance at long term NHL career: 20%

23)Gabe Perault - a playmaker that is just simply inconsistent. Has flashes of high IQ plays but then times where he displays poor decision making. Has good creativity, shows patience with the puck but can also over handle the puck and put his team in bad spots. Tends to pass more than shoot which can be good a lot of times but can also become predictable. Often times tends to overpass. His vision is very good but sometimes just forces plays that are too fancy. Skating is average (acceleration is weak however) but is a smaller player and can be outmuscled a lot, and with the lack of shiftiness tends to get himself into bad situations. A lot of similarities between the USNDTP players as they all are very creative, can make high quality plays but can also run themselves into trouble very easily and all require some seasoning. Perault is rated a bit lower down due to his weak work along the walls due to his size. Has potential to be a top 6 player but he would get outmuscled heavily in the NHL and would require good line mates around him to be effective. Kind of a high risk medium reward player. I predict he will be drafted around the 17-25 range. If he pans out you could have a decent player but out of all of the US players going in the first round, I found him to be weakest, despite giving decent enough efforts. He tried to be consistent but his physical limitations combined with his poor acceleration take away his strengths in his playmaking. If he can improve his skating and consistency a lot he could be a steal in this draft. I like his play away from the puck and if he can get to where he wants in time does a good job of supporting the play. This one is a project with a high bust potential but also has a much better ceiling than a lot of players around him near the 20's in the draft. Chance at long term NHL career: 15%

24)Oscar Fisker Molgaar - a 6 foot complete two-way player. Nothing fancy, but does a lot of detail oriented things right. Great defensively, good hustle, really good IQ and is good off the puck. He doesn't have all of the tools to be elite but I see him as a potential effective top 9 guy (very small chance, but a chance nonetheless of top 6). His good reads and good forechecking lands him in the late first round for me. I think there is untapped potential there to potentially be a Yanni Gourde type player but would require a lot of seasoning to get there but the potential is certainly there if the stars align. Needs to improve the plays he makes on the wall as he tends to eat up checks and try to protect the puck but if he can get more creative there he will have some good promise. His IQ and ability to read the game is his best asset but needs to improve his tape to tape ability and shooting. Has the right idea but just lacks some execution. Chance at long term NHL career: 35%

25)Samuel Honzek - big body who has a huge advantage playing over junior players. Offensively, leaves a lot to be desired and is kind of just average at most things but one thing he does excel in is his board play. He knows how to shield the puck and make short passes along the wall and is tops in the draft at doing this. Defensively he is actually quite good. He isn't a motor by any means but he's kind of a jack of all trades safe pick who happens to be a big body. Likely will end up middle six but will need lots of improvement to his offensive toolkit to crack the top 6. I don't think he has enough tools to be a top line player but he has a decent chance to be a bottom six guy. There's potential there but so far it's not unlocked but has the physical tools (size and skating) to accomplish this if he is dedicated. Latter third first round pick for me. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%

26)Eduard Sale - this is one of the more interesting picks. In some ways he's a safe player to choose and in other ways he has high bust potential. He is a very mixed bag because he has decent IQ and is very quick to make decisions (often times the right decision but also often times the super safe play). What hurts him the most isn't the skating or the tools he has, it's his tenacity. He's a player that you can see is processing the game and anticipating the game at the right speed, but it's as if he is lethargic and just isn't in the mood to skate hard most of the time. If this kid had a motor and tenacity, he would be probably a 10th overall pick easily but because he does so much gliding around the ice, I think he will slide in the draft. I personally wouldn't feel happy taking him until early 2nd round (as I view the first round as where you take risks to get players that help change your franchise) but I understand why somebody could take him in the 10-20 range also. He's not bad, he just seems disengaged. I struggle ranking him because he does a lot of things right, but he could also end up being a guy that gets to the AHL and phones it in as well. But then again, he has the playmaking, he has the shot, he has the defense, his skating is decent. Could easily be a player that proves me wrong in not being sold on him, but the more I watched of him the more I became a bit more hesitant. The NHL is such a quick game that there's no time to mozey to the puck or where the play is. His mind is that quick, just his feet aren't. Chance at long term NHL career: 35%

27)Calum Ritchie - another middle of the road prospect. Nothing to really write home about. Not the smartest thinking player, but at least shows engagement. Will backcheck and plays on the pk. When he generates speed in the neutral zone he can back off defenders but ultimately his decision making and what to do away from the puck hurts him the most. It's not that he doesn't move his skates, it's that he seems lost in where to to go. Tends to make life on his teammates harder by skating in behind players than presenting easier, simpler passing lanes he can skate into. Can make some really nice passes and his vision has flashes of being great though. Just is missing some of the smart positional play that would really boost his game tenfold. Small chance he ends up a 2nd line player and a slightly larger chance at a 3rd line role. I like his game over Yager's but Yager has more translatable tools in the toolbox when it comes to offense but Ritchie is a much better passer. One thing I do really like is that although his decision making is questionable, he makes his decisions quickly. One of the few players outside of the top 5 forward group with the ability to make snap decisions. His shot can be good but I find his release is slow and needs to be a lot faster at the NHL level. Chance at long term NHL career: 15%

28)Ethan Gauthier - two-way forward with in my opinion, underrated finishing ability. Is good at getting a quick release off and has decent IQ. Not the flashiest of games but has decent vision. My biggest gripe is he has a tendency to not be as creative as his skill set should be. He's got good hands, would just like to see him use them more. His game is too quiet for his raw tools. 2nd round forward who I wouldn't mind being selected. Untapped potential. If he can find a way to elevate his offense he will be a top six forward, but that's a big IF. I don't mind his game as a 2nd rounder but a mid 1st is a bit of a stretch for me. He could live up to that potential though for sure. Chance at long term NHL career: 30%





Bonus scouts I've done that I think are long shots or are suitable for later rounds:

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Mikhail Gulyayev - phenomenal skating dman (a little bit less so transitioning from backwards to forwards if in need of a pivot) who is an offensive dman. He's small though at 5'10" which significantly hurts his stock considering how big a task that is defensively at the NHL level. His gap control is what needs work and can be a puck watcher, but with that said he has a good stick at interrupting passing lanes but that will only work so well at the NHL level based on his style of play. Decent playmaking, is best when he utilizes his speed to generate offense. Has the potential to be a top 4 dman but it'll take a long shot. High risk, good reward. Probably looking at late 2nd, early third round choice for me personally as he is such a long shot but the ceiling may be high. Worth a gamble but not in the first or early 2nd round. Chance at long term NHL career: 20%

Dalibor Dvorsky - one of the more overrated players in this draft. Very slow to read and react to the game. Lots of floating. Lots of puck watching. Not a huge play driver but has talent. Needs to work drastically on his edge work and acceleration and play away from the puck. Very very raw talent. Has flashes of showing anticipation, but also long stretches if standing in poor positions behind defenders, not supporting on walls and working to get to where he needs to. Very immature defensively and would be a huge liability if he were to be placed in the NHL today. His natural talent caries him to points but would absolutely sink in the NHL as he doesn't have enough engagement or anticipation. At least 3-4 years away from reaching the NHL (if he ever does pan out) and needs to improve on way too much before I'd even consider giving him ice time in the show. Chance at long term NHL career: 20%

Tanner Molendyk - late 2nd round pick due to his ability to process the game being so low, but there are a lot of tools to this defenseman but what a prospect he'd be if he panned out. One of the best skaters in the draft (top 3) and can accelerate past players very similar to McDavid however lacks the IQ on what to do after he gets past them. Has good hands, can make nice plays but his anticipation is extremely poor and is the reason why I doubt he ever makes it to the NHL and has a long-term career despite elite level skating and good hands and can play physical. Fun to watch but 10% of the time it's like watching a train wreck awaiting to happen. The other 90% he's fine or even making some nice plays, but I have no idea why this kid plays defense. Would convert him to a winger and see what you'd have there. Chance at long term NHL career: 20%

Riley Heidt - this kid has offensive skill in playmaking and finishing but couldn't care less about playing defense. One of the laziest players I've ever watched in his own end and even in the offensive zone. Stands still like peak bad JT Miller and just watches the play go around him. I don't think he's strong enough offensively to warrant a first round pick but alas, somebody will take him there and pray to God he somehow learns to care. He has vision and ability, but with average skating, a lack of attention to detail he is a long shot at the NHL. I'd only consider taking him until the third round. He's great if the play comes to him but when it doesn't he is absolutely useless. Hard pass. With that said if you can surround this kid with good playmakers, he can be effective. Has good passing and vision but he is just too much of a liability in other areas to compensate. Chance at long term NHL career: 15%

Matthew Wood - large kid (6'3") and is one of the youngest in the draft. Getting ranked pretty high up based on height and age alone. He's got a great shot however his skating is sub-par and will have inflated point totals due to size and strength advantage. More of a powerplay guy than 5 on 5 but is responsible enough defensively. His skating has a super long way to go and I don't see top end IQ necessary to be truly efficient in not relying on his size to make up for it. I have my doubts as to whether he pans out but there's no doubt he has an absolutely evident physical advantage in the game, has a great shot, a decent pair of mits and average passing ability. Needs years of polish and years of skating work to come close to the NHL. This is a case of scouts overvaluing size and not respecting the huge advantage it provides at a lower level of play. I'd take a swing at him in the 2nd round but he will go in the first most likely. I just don't see his skating or decision making being able to sharpen up to the speed of the NHL level where people really underrated how quick the league is and how quick you need to be to make plays. I will say this however, if he lands I'll gladly eat crow. He has the potential but he's just sooooo far behind in his skating that even if he gets to average skating (which I also think is a stretch considering how bad his technique is) then he still needs to improve upon his reliance to hold onto the puck too long. Huge bust potential. Chance at long term NHL career: 10%

Charlie Stramel - similar to Matthew Wood, not a great skater but big in size. Lacklustre IQ but has some good off the puck tendencies like getting into open space on rushes and is actually a solid screen in front of the net. Finishing is decent but lacks some skating ability and creativity to be a dominant player. Is a long shot. Third round is where I'd be okay at taking a swing at him. Another one where size over hockey talent has boosted his stock way too much in the draft. Chance at long term NHL career: 10%

Beau Akey - very agile two way defenseman who is just an example of inconsistency. Sometimes his gap control is elite but then his decision making on when to commit is not making the proper reads. His agile skating, although not super fast but very smooth helps him with 1 on 1 battles immensely. I find that's where he shines but he's just inconsistent on his reads offensively and defensively. Long term project but I wouldn't be mad if somebody took him late 2nd. A 3rd round pick here would be good value though. Chance at long term NHL career: 30%

 

[Antiillafire]

Edit and disclaimer: This list is constantly changing. Many of these assessments were on older shift by shift's so are outdated with progression throughout the season. I'd say half the list I would need more games to watch to get a better sample size for more accurate analysis.

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Tier: 1
1)Connor Bedard - will be a star in the draft. Almost guaranteed first liner unless derailed by injuries. Phenomenal shot. Phenomenal vision and decent passing. May end up being a top 5 player in the league. Chance at long term NHL career: 100%

Tier 2:
2)Matvei Michkov - very close to Bedard in terms of talent. In my opinion has better hands than Bedard, but Bedard has a better shot overall. Isn't overly physical but will throw the body if unsuspected, but overall super engaged throughout the game. In any other draft I personally have him as the top player. His absolute best ceiling we are looking at a top 10 player. Bedard has higher IQ, but Michkov is a very intelligent player with the best deception in the draft. Absolutely sensational to watch. Only reason I have him higher than Fantilli even though Fantilli does it all and is the jack of all trades is I find he's more consistent with his offensive prowess and the way he generates offense is more translatable to the NHL in my opinion than Fantilli's. Is more of a game changer on a weaker team, however both players could be easily interchanged depending on what style of player you like and although it's a controversial opinion, I am willing to take the risk on this player to unlock a franchise changing offensive player. Very high chance at 1st liner, slight potential of ending up a 3rd line player at minimum but the way he plays the game leads me to believe he will be a star in the league. He is more raw than Fantilli, however some of these tools that he is presenting are EXTREMELY rare and are only seen in the upper echelon of talent in the NHL. His ability to get his release off is very similar to Cole Caufield (who again I also called being a great goal scorer in the NHL because he possesses that ability to get his shot off very quickly) but he has a better one-timer than Caufield and his shot is harder. He just has this cerebral offensive attack to the game that is very similar to a Leon Draisaitl. There is a reason some of his numbers put him above Kaprizov and only behind Ovi and Malkin in the KHL. He has his flaws, as sometimes he can push the puck towards the other team trying to be too creative with his passing and his defense isn't as tight as you'd hope, but he just has those tiny high level capabilities offensively that are so rare to see in a kid his age. This is a hill I will die on and I think if this kid drops in the draft past spot 5, there will be teams kicking themselves for being moronic. If I were to combine types of players from the Canucks I would say he has hands like Petey, skating like Garland, defense and IQ like JT Miller and has some of that cerebral offensive game that Kuzmenko possesses when it comes to being off the puck and willing to be smart offensively. I'd say his passing is a mix between Miller and Kuzmenko as it can sometimes be dangerous, but more often than not works out and is willing to risk a turnover for a high danger chance. Very good with short passes but isn't the safest player, however that in my opinion is one of the easiest things to coach out of a player. You can't coach the confidence and ability to use your hands in a phone booth or to snap off the puck on net before a goalie can react to the play or the deceptiveness to appear like a threat and then have a quick short distribution to an easy tap in. With that said if I'm Anaheim as a GM I would be drafting Fantilli based on the franchise. However I rank these based on how good I think these players will end up. Would you prefer to have a Patrick Kane or would you prefer to have a Ryan Getzlaf type player? Chance at long term NHL career: 90%

3)Adam Fantilli - most versatile player in the draft. Hits, high IQ, engaged, great skill. Very likely to become at minimum a 2nd line player, very good chance at becoming a first line player. Only con is he requires creative players around him to unlock his game to its highest potential. The argument that he should be 2nd overall is extremely fair and I understand why most people have him above Michkov. Much better defensively than Michkov but one thing he lacks (and it's still very very good) in comparison to Michkov is his deceptiveness when he's playmaking. He makes the right passes consistently, but consistency sometimes leads to predictability which is why I don't value him as much as Michkov and I think his scoring ability is a touch less than Michkov, however still elite in terms of prospects. Fantilli will be a very good player and is a very safe pick and any team should be ecstatic to have this prospect. Literally does it all. Most people have him as a clear #2 but his play in the World Juniors was concerning as I didn't feel he had that killer instinct that we often saw when he played for Michigan. I find he leans more into making those around him better as opposed to trying to take control of a game by the neck (he does have this ability). This is a mixed bag as I sometimes see it leading to inconsistency offensively. This is a 9.5/10 prospect. Chance at long term NHL career: 95%

Tier 3:
4)Leo Carlsson - very mature game. Uses his size well. Very engaged offensively away from the puck. A- hands and shot. NHL ready. Ceiling could be 1st line, very high floor. At minimum 3rd line, very likely 2nd line and good chance at first line if he continues to develop. The most challenging thing about this prospect is that you can tell he has the tools, but with him playing such top notch competition in the SHL you don't get to see some of his more shining moments as often. His game looks very translatable to the NHL, but I'm still undecided on if he will be elite or if he will be a middle of the road kind of player. He doesn't take over games but he has the skills to do so. His edge work is phenomenal for somebody 6'3" and he uses his size well. He does a lot of things right which makes me confident in his game but I just don't know if his skill is groundbreaking (could be!) or if it'll simply end up top 6 complementary player. I'd like to see him work on his playmaking a bit more. Opens the ice up really well but needs to just improve his passing a bit to make me more confident. This is where Adam Fantilli gets the nod above him by a noticeable margin. Chance at long term NHL career: 90%




Tier: 4
5)Zach Benson - fairly big drop off in talent here. His skating isn't as good as the class above which hurts his stock. Probably the smartest player in the draft (including Bedard). Understands both ends of the ice. Tenacious on the forecheck, probably top 2 away from the puck after Bedard). Best mix of offensive/defensive player but his skating and raw talent holds him back a bit here. If he can improve his skating he could end up a phenomenal player. Slight chance for first liner, good chance of 2nd liner if he improves his skating, very good chance to become a third liner at minimum. His skating isn't bad but his top speed is very average. If he can get faster and improve his shot he will be a steal in this draft. Playmaking is top tier. Best forechecker in the draft. Chance at long term NHL career: 80%, if he improves his skating then 95%.





Tier 5:
6)Oliver Moore - another drop off in tier here from the top 5. A lot of fundamentals are good with this player and is engaged quite a bit. Playmaking is pretty good but his decision making is what hurts him the most here. He's just inconsistent in this regard. Sometimes he will make a nice seam pass and then the next moment he's skating the puck into defenders and isn't processing the game quickly enough. This happens way too often and is why he is a tier lower than Benson. Benson reads the play incredibly well, as where Oliver Moore sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. Moore and Benson have relatively the same amount of skill (Benson is a better playmaker though with his reads and is better defensively). Moore is no slouch though and has a good motor like Benson does and is a much better skater (above average, I'd probably rate it an 8.5/10). Very active player which is phenomenal to see. Just needs to improve his decision making. So far, not NHL ready and is probably at minimum a year to a couple years or so out from being in the NHL if he improves his game. Decent penalty killer. Has a good chance at being a third liner, a small chance at being a 2nd liner. Would need to improve a lot to become a first liner. Could potentially be a decent complementary piece if he improves but is also fairly decent at play driving. Has good creativity, just needs better IQ on when to use it. He has the raw fundamental tools to build on, and his skating alone will land him a very good chance with his already established skill set that he should be successful as long as he puts in the work. Despite Will Smith being the better playmaker, I believe Moore actually has the highest upside offensively. Chance at long term NHL career: 75%

7)Dmitriy Simashev - the sleeper of the draft. Towering defenseman who knows how to use his size and is absolutely phenomenal with his skating especially for a player this size. Very very smart positionally. In my opinion the most sound positionally defenseman in the draft (when combined both offensively and defensively). Very good activation with and away from the puck. Weak shot which hurts his game but his passing is probably an 8.5/10. Supports the play almost every time and knows how to be a stay at home defenseman. Will very likely be a top 4 dman, has a good chance at being a top 3 and if he can improve his offense can become a top 2. Very good IQ and engagement at his age. Think a larger Chris Tanev but with a bit less IQ. He didn't put up points, but make no mistake that isn't due to his style of play. His skating opens up the blue line for him well (is a pass first player so doesn't walk the line too much but is great at taking space when it's given to him) and he can take the puck into the high slot moving around players to make plays. He has a very high floor and an underrated ceiling. Lots of similarities to Sergachev for me but with a weaker shot but better skating. Is a bit weaker defensively than Reinbacher, but has a higher offensive ceiling than him too. Chance at long term NHL career: 90%



8)David Reinbacher - very similar player to Dmitriy Simashev. Pass first defensemen who are very smart defensively. Is more physical than Simashev however and has a better shot. Skating is good but not as good as Simashev's. Another very intelligent defender away and with the puck. I find he's a very simplified defender but has flashes of creativity offensively. Very likely to be a top 4 pick. Think of Elder in his prime but without the bomb of a shot. He's clever with his shooting and utilizes screens well. Knows most of the time when to make plays and knows what type of play to make in order to play a very mature and safe, NHL ready game. Supports the play well, is very active defensively as well off the puck. Is the best defensively in the draft. The reason why I have him below Simashev is because I'd like to see a bit more creativity but overall he will be very serviceable as a dman. I think most likely he will end up a #3 dman if he can improve his edge work a bit more but has a very high floor so will very likely be top 4 with a low chance of being a #5 dman if his skating doesn't improve. I personally have him very close if not already to NHL ready as long as he can adapt to the speed of the game well. With larger rinks his skating is more than adequate but find with less room to maneuver his skating and pivots are a bit choppy. The best dman in the draft at winning board battles and net front battles. Very active stick which is what you want to see. My only gripe with this player is that I'm not sure if he has a high enough ceiling to be worth being taken at a high spot in the first round. I do find this pick to be very safe though and the team that gets him won't be too disappointed as long as they don't take him in the top 5, in which I don't anticipate happening anyways. Chance at long term NHL career: 95%




Tier 6:
9)Jayden Perron - a decent play driver with good hands and above average playmaking ability. Smaller player that is good at engaging, above average on the forecheck but is prone to releasing the puck in the offensive zone to the other team trying to force passes through. Sometimes shows flash and is really fun to watch but other times keeps the game quite simple and in that simplicity is where I think he shines the most as he can effectively move the puck and get to an open space for give and goes. If he gets his skates going he becomes a very effective player but can also lay off the gas which makes him far less effective. His hands set up his playmaking and isn't shy to take defenders on 1 on 1 and when he's motoring he takes defenders on effectively most of the time. Some of the best hands in the draft. This pick is a sleeper pick and is being way overlooked. He is ranked to be late first round but in my opinion is far more ready for the NHL than a lot of other high ranked prospects. He's reliable defensively. Will cover the points for defensemen, will back check and is decent on the forecheck. If he can find a way to consistently build speed in the neutral zone he will be potentially the worst pass-over of this draft. Has a small chance to be a top line guy and a decent chance to be a top 9 guy, but realistically his ceiling is probably top 6. Good playmaking and vision, decent speed and great hands. If he's with a speedy forward this kid will shine. Really underrated in this draft. Should not be taken in the late first/early 2nd round based on the forwards in this draft as he is currently ranked by most scouts. He is far more consistent in making the right play than many of his peers in this grouping. Needs to improve strength along the walls and to become more consistent with playing to his strengths. On a high flying team he will excel and on a defensive squad he will fit in. Good off the puck. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%.

10)Will Smith - another player similar to Oliver Moore as he has some raw tools but is inconsistent with his decision making. Can make some phenomenal plays but can be a turnover machine as well. Will drive the play. Skating is very average and needs to improve, but is good at utilizing the skating he does have. Has raw talent though, as he has a decent enough shot, great passing when it works and is great at drawing defenders out of position to set up plays. Would like to see him be more of a threat away from the puck however. Can be floaty at times but his raw skill usually sets him up for success but needs to figure out how to unlock this potential more. He is a less complete player than Oliver Moore but also has better raw tools and is a much more consistent playmaker, but is far weaker in skating. Has an inconsistent motor. Can be great at times but weak in others. He is a frustrating player to watch though as he has flashes of brilliant hockey and then will put himself into bad situations the next. His balance is weak as well so is pushed off the puck quite often on games he doesn't quite have it. Small chance at first line, okay chance at 2nd line and a possibly decent chance at third line depending on if a coach will tolerate his lack of defense. He has a relatively high ceiling but also isn't as safe a pick as I'd like. I'd say high risk high reward. Needs to work on his forecheck, skating and consistency. One of his weakest attributes is his skating and although he can anticipate plays, beating faster players to these spots is what hurts him the most. At this level it's okay but unless he improves his skating he has absolutely no chance at the NHL level. His anticipation is his best attribute in the offensive zone but tends to cheat and isn't a great backchecker so he gets more opportunity to puts up points than somebody paying attention to both ends of the ice. He is probably the most consistent passer on his team but can put himself into positions where he holds onto the puck and is too patient. By far the most frustrating player on the team because when he is on he is very good but when he's off you'd wish he wasn't on the ice. This is why I have him dropped in my rankings. His effort is the least consistent on this group of US players. There is a high chance this player ends up playing a few games in the NHL but not sticking because a lot of his tendencies won't work in the NHL but I could see him putting up points in lower levels of hockey easily. I could also see this guy getting murdered by a hit for the style of play and getting derailed by injuries. Without a doubt one of the most creative players in the draft though and his creativity is what boosts him in the rankings. If you analyze how much he pays attention to the details you can see the immaturity in his game however and how many plays he makes will land him turning the puck over at the NHL level. If this pick lands however and he figures these things out and learns to become a bit safer, he could be an elite playmaker in the NHL. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%

11)Ryan Leonard - a poor man's Adam Fantilli. Kind of the jack of all trades but missing the IQ that Fantilli possesses. Will hit, back check, forecheck and anticipate plays well. Has flashes of brilliant playmaking and has a good shot. However like most of his teammates, is very prone to skating the puck into bad positions and turning the puck over. His playmaking I find is his weakness as he's a better goal scorer in my opinion as he moves to open space decently and is good at creating havoc in the offensive zone. If he can work on his decision making we have a really solid player here but with his average level skating and decision making with the puck, he's yet to show at an NHL level where the game has to be processed much faster that he'd thrive in that environment. Has a lot of raw tools and is a good finisher and can force the opposition into turning the puck over, but needs to be smarter with the puck more consistently to make the NHL. Could be a top 6 guy, but will require lots of work on things that are typically naturally you have to be good at. So far I think it's more likely if he does pan out it'd be on a third line role or complementary 2nd line guy, but he is still a couple years from that projection. Medium risk, medium reward. Would like to see him drive the play a bit more. Chance at long term NHL career: 60%

12)Gracyn Sawchyn - sleeper pick alert! The talent is raw but the mindset is phenomenal. If he can work on his conditioning and overall engagement a bit more, he will be a steal in the draft. When this kid is motoring he is extremely dynamic but when he isn't motoring he can sometimes just appear disinterested. Some of the best hands in the draft and will drive the play. Great at finding open space away from the puck and has great anticipation defensively. If this kid can focus on keeping his skates moving he will be a very good player as he has all of the creativity in the world. He was hidden behind a very deep team, so I anticipate him jumping up in value with a bigger role. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%


Tier 7:
13)Colby Barlow - this pick may be wildly different depending on what and where you like to draft specific players. He's a big boy at 6'1" and uses his size to engage physically better than anybody in the draft. Has a motor for days and is willing to engage on the forecheck a lot. Think of Sam Bennet but with less skill and creativity. He's all over the ice, throwing hits, staying engaged and has some offensive prowess to boot. Doesn't have the most raw talent in the world but the way he plays the game is very Canadian and I think really makes him an appealing player. The thing that hurts him the most is his ceiling. At the NHL level his offensive prowess with his plays won't be as strong, so he's likely to end up a third line player but a very effective one if he plays smart and isn't overly aggressive to a fault. Has a small chance at being a 2nd line player but at minimum I see him being an effective 4th line player. Has a very strong shot but what hurts him the most is his skating prevents him from using cuts to head to the more dangerous areas of the ice. Can be a perimeter player a lot of times. Average playmaking ability but can be creative, just not creative enough to be the play driver with the puck necessary to be a top offensive talent. If he can figure that part of his game out he will be a real dark horse in this draft. He has a good shot, but if he can learn to get to more dangerous areas to get this shot off he will become a very very good player. Great floor (should become a depth player) and a small chance at becoming a top 6 player if he can put things together. His IQ is low though. Think Jake Virtanen but with a much better motor. If he can learn to use his hands more and slow the play down instead of panicking with the puck he will be a great pick. This is a safe depth pick, but there is a good chance he will not be an impact player. Could be a good complimentary piece with a smart player however. Chance at long term NHL career: 70%

14)Nate Danielson - big center on a weak team, still produced decently. Good skating for his size, could increase his explosiveness but is quite economic in the use of his energy. Typically makes the safe and smart play. Pretty quick to make decisions. Average passing ability but good vision. Good away from the puck and good but not great defensively. Will cover for teammates well and plays a mature game. If paired with good line mates I can see 2nd line potential, but likely a 3rd line center with a decent chance for this role. Would need to work on being more individualistic and challenging players in order to have a longshot chance of being a first liner however has the smarts for it. With a mature game, he's not a super risky pick but also isn't displaying the highest ceiling yet but also having played on a weak Wheat Kings team, we may not have seen his potential. Needs a bit of work positionally in the defensive zone but has the right idea. Just needs more coaching. I like this player but I'd probably aim to snag him in the 15-20 range. Has a higher chance of making a career in the NHL than a lot of players in the draft but also a lower chance of being a game breaking first round pick. Chance at long term NHL career: 55%

15)Quentin Musty - has raw talent but average skating ability which will need to be improved upon to make it to the NHL. Skating is choppy in transitions as his crossovers don't generate speed however his stride is powerful enough in a straight away that it's okay. However, has a pretty effective release and isn't afraid to get the puck off his stick in a hurry which is one of his best skills. Cheats a bit offensively likely due to awareness of his poor transition skating. Does an above average job at positioning himself for plays. Has a decent chance at becoming a top six player but is likely to be a complementary winger on a line. If he can improve his hands and 1 on 1 situations he could elevate to that top 6 status but as of now I predict more of a third line role or a 2nd unit powerplay guy. Has the offensive talent, just needs to put his game together to become more of a threat at the NHL level. If placed on a good line could be serviceable. Would like to see him work on his skating and challenge defenders more once he figures out how to improve his lateral movement. Not much of a play driver despite having decent hands, a good shot and great vision with 8/10 passing ability. Chance at long term NHL career: 45%

Tier 8:
16)Gavin Brindley - another undersized forward that plays a pretty darn good two-way game. 8.5/10 motor, very engaged and is always competing. Good IQ, has moments of doing very well under pressure but his size limits his ceiling a bit. Great hands, great vision and decent passing. Has a good mix of east/west and north/south game. I like this player, I just worry about his size limiting his effectiveness. Could end up top 6 (small chance) but has a decent chance at top 9 and could be a good depth player. I like this kid. Underrated in this draft due to size like quite a few players this year. Pretty complete player but not a game breaking talent. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%

17)Otto Stenberg - plays a mature, simple possession game. Has flashes of higher talent as he possesses a good shot and can show good hands but overall keeps his game pretty simple unless given lots of room to work with. Decent off the puck. What may limit him is just his high end talent but he does possess enough to have a decent chance at the NHL level as a possible third liner. I expect end of 1st round or somewhere in the 2nd for him to be taken. Chance at long term NHL career: 35%

18)Axel Sandin Pellikka - lots of potential and has flashes of brilliant hockey but also flashes of a really immature game. Not the smartest when under pressure, which leads me to be very very cautious with his development. Doesn't particularly have good board battles, can watch the puck too often and is overly resistant to tying up sticks. Tends to lead with his stick which is okay 1 on 1 but in certain situations it throws him out of position because he's attacking defensively at the wrong angles. Still raw defensively. However has good skating and is known for his offense. As good as it is at a junior level when playing with men it falls off as he becomes noticably less risky. He has an advantage with the large rinks with his style of play and I see a huge adjustment necessary for playing against men in a NA rink. However one thing he is very good at is snapping the puck on net to create havoc and go for tips when he's run himself out of options. Would like to see higher IQ in a dman which is why I'm not as high on him as many other prospects. Ceiling is top 2 but I don't see it personally and would need everything to go right. I can see top 3 with an okayish chance if development goes well but realistically I see him more as a #5 guy unless he finds a way to drastically improve a lot of aspects in his game. I'd target him in the later teens but not before unless he somehow becomes the BPA. This is the perfect candidate of somebody having 100 different tools but not being a master in any of them. If he can master a few of them he has high potential, but he is just very raw with his toolset. I'd like to see better defense from him. He has flashes of it but in the important areas a defenseman should be good in (along the wall and in the slot) he leaves a lot to be desired. With that said offensively he is better than most in this draft. Chance at long term NHL career: 60%

19)Brayden Yager - another player with offensive talent but is just very inconsistent. Worked on his playmaking this year but is a solid finisher with an NHL ready shot (especially his snap shot) and still in my opinion, an average playmaker. Can put up points but still needs to sharpen his decision making and quick reactions. Is 6'0" but plays smaller than he is. He's not bad, but still needs to sharpen all of the tools in the toolbox in order to make the NHL. Skating is good enough though but needs more engagement away from the play. Will take a while to develop, shouldn't be rushed to the NHL and I don't think teams will try to. Not a top ten pick in my opinion but could see him selected in the top 20. I'd like to see more consistency in his game to select him there, but his finishing is probably top 10 in the draft so I think he will be selected there despite flaws in other areas. Has a good shot but I worry about him getting to the areas he needs to get to in order to get it off at the NHL level. Could end up a 30 goal scorer or he could also end up a 10 goal scorer if he doesn't improve in the ways he needs to with limited ice time. Personally, 17-30 is a good range for him. Chance at long term NHL career: 35%

Tier 9:
20)Daniel But - gigantic 6'5" player with good hands and good finish and better than average skating for somebody his size. Not a lot of film on him so I don't know enough about this player and how his IQ is but from highlights looks like he has promise but is a bit of a project. Chance at long term NHL career: not sure. Don't have enough tape on this kid.


Tier 10:
21)Tom Willander - not bad but not great as a dman. Decent anticipation skills, not overly creative offensively, not flashy, not the best defensively. He's alright. Similar to defenseman Elias Petterson. Plays a fairly simple game but can have nice edge work and be effective but nothing ground breaking. Possible top 4 potential that I'd give an okayish chance to. I see him ending up in either the 4 or 5 spot if he continues to progress. One thing I really like is he's very active in tying up sticks. Seems good on the walls but has a tendency to puck watch and not scan enough. Offensively he shines with lots of space but is very mediocre when he isn't given room. I personally wouldn't take him until the 2nd round. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%

22)Andrew Cristall - this player is a very interesting mid-late round pick. Reason being is because he's very small at 5'10", but here's the thing... He's not bad. But also what makes him bad is his height. Now most small players I'm usually against the "being small=bad" automatically train, but in this case I think when it comes to the NHL level his height is going to be a challenge. Although he's aggressive on the forecheck, he doesn't even utilize the little size he has to establish body position. Just kind of pretends to hit behind on forechecks and doesn't try to get in-between stick or puck. Has flashes of being good defensively (like on the backcheck) but then becomes too much of a puck watcher and not sound enough positionally in his own end. Disengaged in his own end is how I'd describe him but will use his speed to get back. Skating is interesting. Very quick acceleration, however average top end speed. Gets up to speed quick but doesn't out-pace the opposition. However what makes him good is that he has good hands and decent playmaking ability and wants to skate the puck to open up the ice to make plays. Now the reason why I'm against him is that I think this is where his size will hurt him. In the NHL a lot of his best aspects will be limited to playing to his strengths. If he can become more shifty and increase his top end speed by bettering his strength, he has a chance to become a steal in this draft. His IQ is decent offensively, but would just like to see him find ways to get to more dangerous areas that could make him more effective. Has potential but like Gabe Perrault, has some fundamental flaws that may limit him from catering to his strengths. If he lands though, will be a solid pick. Ceiling is top 6 (small chance). Big chance however of him not panning out if he can't figure out how to be somebody like Garland who is small but can still be effective. I can see why people like this player. Is dynamic offensively. Jayden Perron is just a bit more complete but a very similar player, but also uses his size more effectively than Cristall. Is a very fun prospect to watch though. High risk with a fairly sizeable reward considering where he's likely to end up being drafted. Reminds me of a Nils Highlander on crack, but with less tools and better vision. Potential sleeper pick. Excited to see where this kid ends up and if he pans out. Chance at long term NHL career: 20%

23)Gabe Perault - a playmaker that is just simply inconsistent. Has flashes of high IQ plays but then times where he displays poor decision making. Has good creativity, shows patience with the puck but can also over handle the puck and put his team in bad spots. Tends to pass more than shoot which can be good a lot of times but can also become predictable. Often times tends to overpass. His vision is very good but sometimes just forces plays that are too fancy. Skating is average (acceleration is weak however) but is a smaller player and can be outmuscled a lot, and with the lack of shiftiness tends to get himself into bad situations. A lot of similarities between the USNDTP players as they all are very creative, can make high quality plays but can also run themselves into trouble very easily and all require some seasoning. Perault is rated a bit lower down due to his weak work along the walls due to his size. Has potential to be a top 6 player but he would get outmuscled heavily in the NHL and would require good line mates around him to be effective. Kind of a high risk medium reward player. I predict he will be drafted around the 17-25 range. If he pans out you could have a decent player but out of all of the US players going in the first round, I found him to be weakest, despite giving decent enough efforts. He tried to be consistent but his physical limitations combined with his poor acceleration take away his strengths in his playmaking. If he can improve his skating and consistency a lot he could be a steal in this draft. I like his play away from the puck and if he can get to where he wants in time does a good job of supporting the play. This one is a project with a high bust potential but also has a much better ceiling than a lot of players around him near the 20's in the draft. Chance at long term NHL career: 15%

24)Oscar Fisker Molgaar - a 6 foot complete two-way player. Nothing fancy, but does a lot of detail oriented things right. Great defensively, good hustle, really good IQ and is good off the puck. He doesn't have all of the tools to be elite but I see him as a potential effective top 9 guy (very small chance, but a chance nonetheless of top 6). His good reads and good forechecking lands him in the late first round for me. I think there is untapped potential there to potentially be a Yanni Gourde type player but would require a lot of seasoning to get there but the potential is certainly there if the stars align. Needs to improve the plays he makes on the wall as he tends to eat up checks and try to protect the puck but if he can get more creative there he will have some good promise. His IQ and ability to read the game is his best asset but needs to improve his tape to tape ability and shooting. Has the right idea but just lacks some execution. Chance at long term NHL career: 35%

25)Samuel Honzek - big body who has a huge advantage playing over junior players. Offensively, leaves a lot to be desired and is kind of just average at most things but one thing he does excel in is his board play. He knows how to shield the puck and make short passes along the wall and is tops in the draft at doing this. Defensively he is actually quite good. He isn't a motor by any means but he's kind of a jack of all trades safe pick who happens to be a big body. Likely will end up middle six but will need lots of improvement to his offensive toolkit to crack the top 6. I don't think he has enough tools to be a top line player but he has a decent chance to be a bottom six guy. There's potential there but so far it's not unlocked but has the physical tools (size and skating) to accomplish this if he is dedicated. Latter third first round pick for me. Chance at long term NHL career: 50%

26)Eduard Sale - this is one of the more interesting picks. In some ways he's a safe player to choose and in other ways he has high bust potential. He is a very mixed bag because he has decent IQ and is very quick to make decisions (often times the right decision but also often times the super safe play). What hurts him the most isn't the skating or the tools he has, it's his tenacity. He's a player that you can see is processing the game and anticipating the game at the right speed, but it's as if he is lethargic and just isn't in the mood to skate hard most of the time. If this kid had a motor and tenacity, he would be probably a 10th overall pick easily but because he does so much gliding around the ice, I think he will slide in the draft. I personally wouldn't feel happy taking him until early 2nd round (as I view the first round as where you take risks to get players that help change your franchise) but I understand why somebody could take him in the 10-20 range also. He's not bad, he just seems disengaged. I struggle ranking him because he does a lot of things right, but he could also end up being a guy that gets to the AHL and phones it in as well. But then again, he has the playmaking, he has the shot, he has the defense, his skating is decent. Could easily be a player that proves me wrong in not being sold on him, but the more I watched of him the more I became a bit more hesitant. The NHL is such a quick game that there's no time to mozey to the puck or where the play is. His mind is that quick, just his feet aren't. Chance at long term NHL career: 35%

27)Calum Ritchie - another middle of the road prospect. Nothing to really write home about. Not the smartest thinking player, but at least shows engagement. Will backcheck and plays on the pk. When he generates speed in the neutral zone he can back off defenders but ultimately his decision making and what to do away from the puck hurts him the most. It's not that he doesn't move his skates, it's that he seems lost in where to to go. Tends to make life on his teammates harder by skating in behind players than presenting easier, simpler passing lanes he can skate into. Can make some really nice passes and his vision has flashes of being great though. Just is missing some of the smart positional play that would really boost his game tenfold. Small chance he ends up a 2nd line player and a slightly larger chance at a 3rd line role. I like his game over Yager's but Yager has more translatable tools in the toolbox when it comes to offense but Ritchie is a much better passer. One thing I do really like is that although his decision making is questionable, he makes his decisions quickly. One of the few players outside of the top 5 forward group with the ability to make snap decisions. His shot can be good but I find his release is slow and needs to be a lot faster at the NHL level. Chance at long term NHL career: 15%

28)Ethan Gauthier - two-way forward with in my opinion, underrated finishing ability. Is good at getting a quick release off and has decent IQ. Not the flashiest of games but has decent vision. My biggest gripe is he has a tendency to not be as creative as his skill set should be. He's got good hands, would just like to see him use them more. His game is too quiet for his raw tools. 2nd round forward who I wouldn't mind being selected. Untapped potential. If he can find a way to elevate his offense he will be a top six forward, but that's a big IF. I don't mind his game as a 2nd rounder but a mid 1st is a bit of a stretch for me. He could live up to that potential though for sure. Chance at long term NHL career: 30%





Bonus scouts I've done that I think are long shots or are suitable for later rounds:

--------


Mikhail Gulyayev - phenomenal skating dman (a little bit less so transitioning from backwards to forwards if in need of a pivot) who is an offensive dman. He's small though at 5'10" which significantly hurts his stock considering how big a task that is defensively at the NHL level. His gap control is what needs work and can be a puck watcher, but with that said he has a good stick at interrupting passing lanes but that will only work so well at the NHL level based on his style of play. Decent playmaking, is best when he utilizes his speed to generate offense. Has the potential to be a top 4 dman but it'll take a long shot. High risk, good reward. Probably looking at late 2nd, early third round choice for me personally as he is such a long shot but the ceiling may be high. Worth a gamble but not in the first or early 2nd round. Chance at long term NHL career: 20%

Dalibor Dvorsky - one of the more overrated players in this draft. Very slow to read and react to the game. Lots of floating. Lots of puck watching. Not a huge play driver but has talent. Needs to work drastically on his edge work and acceleration and play away from the puck. Very very raw talent. Has flashes of showing anticipation, but also long stretches if standing in poor positions behind defenders, not supporting on walls and working to get to where he needs to. Very immature defensively and would be a huge liability if he were to be placed in the NHL today. His natural talent caries him to points but would absolutely sink in the NHL as he doesn't have enough engagement or anticipation. At least 3-4 years away from reaching the NHL (if he ever does pan out) and needs to improve on way too much before I'd even consider giving him ice time in the show. Chance at long term NHL career: 20%

Tanner Molendyk - late 2nd round pick due to his ability to process the game being so low, but there are a lot of tools to this defenseman but what a prospect he'd be if he panned out. One of the best skaters in the draft (top 3) and can accelerate past players very similar to McDavid however lacks the IQ on what to do after he gets past them. Has good hands, can make nice plays but his anticipation is extremely poor and is the reason why I doubt he ever makes it to the NHL and has a long-term career despite elite level skating and good hands and can play physical. Fun to watch but 10% of the time it's like watching a train wreck awaiting to happen. The other 90% he's fine or even making some nice plays, but I have no idea why this kid plays defense. Would convert him to a winger and see what you'd have there. Chance at long term NHL career: 20%

Riley Heidt - this kid has offensive skill in playmaking and finishing but couldn't care less about playing defense. One of the laziest players I've ever watched in his own end and even in the offensive zone. Stands still like peak bad JT Miller and just watches the play go around him. I don't think he's strong enough offensively to warrant a first round pick but alas, somebody will take him there and pray to God he somehow learns to care. He has vision and ability, but with average skating, a lack of attention to detail he is a long shot at the NHL. I'd only consider taking him until the third round. He's great if the play comes to him but when it doesn't he is absolutely useless. Hard pass. With that said if you can surround this kid with good playmakers, he can be effective. Has good passing and vision but he is just too much of a liability in other areas to compensate. Chance at long term NHL career: 15%

Matthew Wood - large kid (6'3") and is one of the youngest in the draft. Getting ranked pretty high up based on height and age alone. He's got a great shot however his skating is sub-par and will have inflated point totals due to size and strength advantage. More of a powerplay guy than 5 on 5 but is responsible enough defensively. His skating has a super long way to go and I don't see top end IQ necessary to be truly efficient in not relying on his size to make up for it. I have my doubts as to whether he pans out but there's no doubt he has an absolutely evident physical advantage in the game, has a great shot, a decent pair of mits and average passing ability. Needs years of polish and years of skating work to come close to the NHL. This is a case of scouts overvaluing size and not respecting the huge advantage it provides at a lower level of play. I'd take a swing at him in the 2nd round but he will go in the first most likely. I just don't see his skating or decision making being able to sharpen up to the speed of the NHL level where people really underrated how quick the league is and how quick you need to be to make plays. I will say this however, if he lands I'll gladly eat crow. He has the potential but he's just sooooo far behind in his skating that even if he gets to average skating (which I also think is a stretch considering how bad his technique is) then he still needs to improve upon his reliance to hold onto the puck too long. Huge bust potential. Chance at long term NHL career: 10%

Charlie Stramel - similar to Matthew Wood, not a great skater but big in size. Lacklustre IQ but has some good off the puck tendencies like getting into open space on rushes and is actually a solid screen in front of the net. Finishing is decent but lacks some skating ability and creativity to be a dominant player. Is a long shot. Third round is where I'd be okay at taking a swing at him. Another one where size over hockey talent has boosted his stock way too much in the draft. Chance at long term NHL career: 10%

Beau Akey - very agile two way defenseman who is just an example of inconsistency. Sometimes his gap control is elite but then his decision making on when to commit is not making the proper reads. His agile skating, although not super fast but very smooth helps him with 1 on 1 battles immensely. I find that's where he shines but he's just inconsistent on his reads offensively and defensively. Long term project but I wouldn't be mad if somebody took him late 2nd. A 3rd round pick here would be good value though. Chance at long term NHL career: 30%

Curios to hear your thoughts about Martin Misiak considering how badly he outplayed Jayden Perron and exposed him for the weaknesses that are often highlighted with him in the phantom’s rather easy win over Chicago.

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

Curios to hear your thoughts about Martin Misiak considering how badly he outplayed Jayden Perron and exposed him for the weaknesses that are often highlighted with him in the phantom’s rather easy win over Chicago.

I don't have enough video of this so I dunno. Perron is one of the guys that I would love to have more video on. I've seen 3 games of him so admittedly I may have him too high but in those 3 games he was a very complete two-way player (one game he didn't have the motor he had in the other two and was noticably worse). I will have to look up Misiak! Would love to scout somebody new hopefully he has some shift by shifts I can watch. Thanks for the info, my dude!

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

Curios to hear your thoughts about Martin Misiak considering how badly he outplayed Jayden Perron and exposed him for the weaknesses that are often highlighted with him in the phantom’s rather easy win over Chicago.

Alright, very short sample size but checked out one of his games. This guy is annoying in the best of ways. He seems like a bit of a wrecking ball who simply plays hockey for the chaos of it. Finishes hits, not great but also not bad hands, decent shot. One thing I really really really like is his play away from the puck. Always moving to space or he's always moving to take away space. This is huge in my books but from what little I did see, I question is top end talent. Personally from what I saw I'm guessing third round is where he will go? Maybe? I might be way off base in this. I'd be comfortable in the third testing the waters with him there. Plays big, which I really like and he's not afraid to use his size. I love how it almost looks as if you're standing in front of your goaltender that he's just thinking, "Yeah this is my spot now."

I might be way off base with such a short sample size but he's a lot of fun to watch regardless. I'd like to see him scan more (I find he scans after receiving the puck and not before the puck gets to him, which is a red flag for me) and make quicker decisions with the puck but I could see a team having a lot of excitement with this pick of he gets drafted into the middle rounds.

He definitely doesn't look fun to play against. Seems like an asshole. I like him.

 

[McMozesmadness]

Here's my final list

I do a combo list with a freind. I am more eye test. He is more numbers

For a few years now, we've done them and like how they turn out

In the doc there are three lists. Para, Moss (myself) and the Combo list. We both listed 10 sleepers as well

I can answer any questions on my list or the combo list

 

[Paralyzer008]

Here's my final list

I do a combo list with a freind. I am more eye test. He is more numbers

For a few years now, we've done them and like how they turn out

In the doc there are three lists. Para, Moss (myself) and the Combo list. We both listed 10 sleepers as well

I can answer any questions on my list or the combo list

I approve this message.

Also what I do love about doing these - our takes (and mine end up a bit hotter due to the numbers) really balance out in the combo list and we both end up really respecting it.

 

[McDoused]

Here's my final list

I do a combo list with a freind. I am more eye test. He is more numbers

For a few years now, we've done them and like how they turn out

In the doc there are three lists. Para, Moss (myself) and the Combo list. We both listed 10 sleepers as well

I can answer any questions on my list or the combo list

I like your list more than Para's. Give him hell for putting Moore at 38.

Nervermind you have Yager at 49. You are both crazy.

 

[Paralyzer008]

I like your list more than Para's. Give him hell for putting Moore at 38.

Nervermind you have Yager at 49. You are both crazy.

Our crazy balances out though!

I have no problem with Moore at 17 in the final list and that's why it works!

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

Our crazy balances out though!

I have no problem with Moore at 17 in the final list and that's why it works!

What about the intangibles bro?????

The funny thing is he was one of the first ones I scouted this year and I was like, "Yeah prolly around 17 for me" and then the more I scouted the more he moved up because so many players this year are failing the eye test but are big in numbers. He ended up being one of my better eye test guys (mainly for his skating and ability to push the pace of play for me). I thought for sure his inconsistent passing was gonna land him lower on my list and he ended up 6th, mainly because I see him having such a high ceiling and such a high floor for his tier of players.

 

[Paralyzer008]

What about the intangibles bro?????

The funny thing is he was one of the first ones I scouted this year and I was like, "Yeah prolly around 17 for me" and then the more I scouted the more he moved up because so many players this year are failing the eye test but are big in numbers. He ended up being one of my better eye test guys (mainly for his skating and ability to push the pace of play for me). I thought for sure his inconsistent passing was gonna land him lower on my list and he ended up 6th, mainly because I see him having such a high ceiling and such a high floor for his tier of players.

Moore's skating is certainly elite - and a big reason why I think the floor is pretty safe for him.

I'm not sure if I'm sold on his upside, but I respect the people that do see say, Dylan Larkin in him, because he has some of those tools.

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

Moore's skating is certainly elite - and a big reason why I think the floor is pretty safe for him.

I'm not sure if I'm sold on his upside, but I respect the people that do see say, Dylan Larkin in him, because he has some of those tools.

I think that is an extremely fair thing to say. He's just so inconsistent with his tools but when they do work they're phenomenal. That's my opinion, and I'm banking on that maturing to be more consistent because it's there, it's just not honed in. I think your opinion is very valid.

 

[SantosHalper]

1. CHI: Connor Bedard
- no-brainer
2. ANA: Adam Fantilli
- i think Fantilli suits better in Anaheim's plans. They are still going to tank and apparently Fantilli wants to return in college.
3. CBJ: Leo Carlsson
- no-brainer, POHO Davidson already slipped that they take a center. I think Carlsson is ready to play in NHL but extra year never hurts.
4. SJS: Matvei Michkov
- Russian factor isn't that severe but it is severe enough to drop Michkov to 4th. San Jose also continues their tank, so Michkov fits their plans very well.
5. MTL: Will Smith
- Last year they took size and grit, now they take skill to go with that. Habs could use Reinbacher but i think Smith is too good pass on.
6. ARI: David Reinbacher
- They need D and Reinbacher is the best D available. And since Reinbacher is from Europe, there is no rush for the Coyotes to sign him. He can play in top-3 league in Europe, in a big role until the franchise's affairs are in order.
7. PHI: Ryan Leonard
- New POHO said that he wants to rebuild the defense, other D prospects are too much of a reaches at this point. So they take Leonard who fits in the team identity like a fist in the eye.
8. WSH: Zach Benson
- Caps picks a player who has the highest offensive upside. Not only Benson helps the team, he can help Ovy break Gretzky's record with his playmaking skills.
9. DET: Dalibor Dvorsky
- Dear god let this happen! Dvorsky fits in the team identity better than anyone outside the top-3. Size, skill, 2-way game, character and as a center Dvorsky fills a massive organizational need.
10. STL: Nate Danielson
- BPA, the Blues gets 2nd line center.
11. VAN: Oliver Moore
- Canucks needs a new 2nd line center and Moore is a best center available.
12. ARI: Matthew Wood
- Armstrong likes west canadian kids, like with Reinbacher, Arizona get's time to fix the org before they have to sign Wood. Extra time in NCAA also helps Wood.
13. BUF: Axel Sandin-Pellikka
- Large prospect pool but they are missing RHDs.
14. PIT: Brayden Yager
- Center core is aging and Yager is best center prospect available. And his name is almost Jagr.
15. NSH: Samuel Honzek
- Trotz's first pick and if he's trying to build, like he coached the team, Honzek fit's in that identity very well.
16. CAL: Colby Barlow
- BPA
17. DET: Tom Willander
- 2nd biggest organizational need in Detroit is RHD, Willander will fix that. And announcers will go nuts when Detroit plays Wallinder-Willander pair.
18. WPG: Gabe Perreault
- BPA
19. CHI: Calum Ritchie
- BPA
20. SEA: Lukas Dragicevic
- D prospect pool is empty, no-brainer.
21. MIN: Charlie Stramel
- BPA and a local boy
22. PHI: Oliver Bonk
- Bit of a reach but RHDs don't grow in trees and they wanted D.
23. NYR: Dmitri Simashev
- Russians love New York and New York loves Russians. Miller and Lindgren might end up getting traded to make more cap room eventually and Simashev will be ready to jump straight in by then.
24. NSH: Riley Heidt
- BPA
25. STL: Eduard Sale
- BPA
26. SJS: Otto Stenberg
- Their scouting department likes swedes.
27. COL: Quentin Musty
- Landeskog might be done and Nichushkin has disappeared, suddenly there's need for a top-6 winger in Colorado and Musty is BPA.
28. TOR: Daniil But
- Leafs want size and they get size.
29. STL: Ethan Gauthier
- 3rd 1st round pick for the Blues, another BPA makes sense at this point.
30. CAR: Danny Nelson
- Jerks are looking for more size, i think a utility player like Nelson is what Rod wants.
31. AVS: Mikhail Gulyayev
- BPA
32. VGK: Michael Hrabal
- Champs are hoping the get a long time starter.

 

[emptyNedder]

1. Bedard
2. Fantilli
3. Michkov
4. Carlsson
5. Leonard
6. Smith
7. Dvorsky
8. Reinbacher
9. Benson
10. Yager
11. Moore
12. Danielson
13. Stenberg
14. Barlow
15. Wood
16. Sale
17. Perreault
18. Ritchie
19. Honzek
20. Musty
21. Gulyayev
22. Willander
23. Cristall
24. Heidt
25. Fisker-Molgard
26. Perron
27. Simashev
28. Brzustewicz
29. Lindstein
30. Brindley
31. But
32. Fischer