NHL Draft: 5 Bold Predictions for 1st Round
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Draft: 5 Bold Predictions for 1st Round in Buffalo on Friday Night
After months of anticipation, the NHL Draft in Buffalo kicks off Friday night with the 1st round.
Following the World Juniors, plenty of buzz surrounded the “big three” (Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, and Jesse Puljujarvi). The draft lottery in April painted a clearer picture for the top 14 picks, with the final 16 being determined as the Stanley Cup Playoffs unraveled.
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While we’ve had fun with our mock drafts over the past eight months, the one thing to keep in mind with the NHL Draft is to expect the unexpected. Scouting is an imperfect art, and while rankings and mock drafts are a fun way to keep engaged, draft day rarely plays out as scripted.
Several trade rumors are still swirling around leading into Friday’s Draft. Big names such as P.K. Subban, Matt Duchene, Cam Fowler, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evgeni Malkin, among several others are all being bantered about.
With looming expansion less than a year away, we can expect to see a lot of player movement over the next calendar year.
As we do with most major NHL events, we present five bold predictions for the NHL draft.
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5 Bold Predictions for the NHL Draft
Edmonton Oilers Draft a Defenseman Regardless of Where They Pick
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In an ideal world, Edmonton would trade the 4th overall pick as part of a deal to acquire a defenseman (preferably right-handed) with a team that picks in the 7-12 range.
This would allow the Oilers to still get their hands on a potential no.1 defender (Olli Juolevi, Mikhail Sergachev, Jakob Chychrun, or Charlie McAvoy – all LH).
If that fails, same scenario but a pick in the 13-25 range would at least allow Edmonton to draft a RH defender (i.e. Jake Bean, Dante Fabbro).
Worst case scenario, Peter Chiarelli keeps the pick and drafts a blue-liner at 4th overall.
Matthew Tkachuk is tempting, but BAP hasn’t exactly worked for Edmonton in recent years. It’s time to take a defenseman who can feed those forwards the puck.
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No Goaltenders Taken in the 1st Round
Even though Filip Gustavsson and Carter Hart have made their way into some mock drafts, it’s unlikely that a netminder is taken on Friday night.
It’s a strange year for goaltenders. Not necessarily a weak class overall, but it lacks standout talent. You could realistically make an argument for Filip Gustavsson, Carter Hart, Evan Fitzpatrick, or Tyler Parsons to be the first goalie off the board.
The first one should be selected early to mid 2nd round, and once that goalie is taken, the other three should come off the board quickly following.
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Calgary Flames Address Goaltending via Trade
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Now that Toronto has Frederik Andersen, the Flames are the lone team in search of an answer between the pipes.
While most experts/analysts expect Calgary to target a long-term answer (i.e. Marc-Andre Fleury), their options extend much further.
It’s easy to forget about Jon Gillies and Mason McDonald, but there’s a good chance one of those prospects is the long-term answer for the Calgary Flames.
What the team should be looking for is a stop-gap option that can fill in for two or three years until one of Gillies or McDonald is NHL ready.
Whether they choose a stop-gap or a long-term solution, don’t be surprised if GM Brad Treliving finds an answer before the conclusion of the 1st round on Friday night.
Stop-Gap Options: Jimmy Howard (DET), Jaroslav Halak (NYI), Brian Elliott (STL), Ondrej Pavelec (WPG)
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At Least One Surprise Pick Mid-to-Late 1st Round
It happens every year; one player who ranks as a mid-to-late 2nd rounder finds their way into the first round. Last year, it was Zachary Senyshyn selected by Boston during their trio of picks.
5 Players Who Could Sneak Into the 1st Round
C Jordan Kyrou, Sarnia (OHL) – 34th NA CSS Final Rankings
D Cam Dineen, North Bay (OHL) – 39th NA CSS Final Rankings
D Luke Green, Saint John (QMJHL) – 40th NA CSS Final Rankings
C Will Bitten, Flint (OHL) – 43rd NA CSS Final Rankings
C Henrik Borgstrom, HIFK (Sweden) – 9th EU CSS Final Rankings
Next: 1st Round Mock Draft: Aly's Final Rankings
Olli Juolevi First Defenseman Off the Board
Realistically, the top three defenders in this draft class have the potential to be impact NHLers. Some have suggested that Mikhail Sergachev is now the top defender, with TSN’s Craig Button labeling the Russian a future Norris candidate.
Make no mistake though, Olli Juolevi is the best blue-liner and should be the first one-off the board. Experts compare him to Pittsburgh’s Olli Maatta, although Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen might be a better comparison. The scary part, he’s more mature and further ahead in development than Rasmus was at Juolevi’s age.