As the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, a critical date on the pre-draft calendar is taking place Tuesday with the annual draft lottery. Fans of teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs will be closely monitoring the results.
The team that ends up with the first overall pick will immediately find themselves in control of the draft board. Do they keep the pick and, likely, select consensus number one ranked Macklin Celebrini? Or do they take offers for the draft slot and trade down in exchange for a current NHL roster player, prospect, or additional picks?
It’s my opinion that this year’s NHL Draft is going to have many moving parts strategically. This year’s class of players doesn’t have the same first-round depth others have provided. Having said that, several players here have evolved and emerged as intriguing targets for scouting staffs to consider.
I have returned from Helsinki, Finland and the U18 World Championship with fresh perspective on some of the prospects, and several of them presented the best version of themselves at the event. The additional intel, combined with what I monitored at the college level this season and continue to monitor as the major junior playoffs near their conclusion, has resulted in some changes to my first-round rankings.
With the draft lottery upon us, I’ve ranked a list of 18 players who I think will be considered for selection within one of those first 16 picks. And, by the end of the night, we’ll know which teams will be slotted in at each pick.
Note: Click on the player cards to make them flip.
No. 1: Macklin Celebrini, F, Boston University (NCAA)
Height: 6-feet Weight: 190 pounds
Projection: Top line NHL forward. Play driver. Equal parts distributor and goal. Relentless competitor.
No. 2: Ivan Demidov, F, SKA St. Petersburg (MHL)
Height: 5-foot-11 Weight: 181 pounds
• Elite offensive talent who produced 23G-37A in 30 regular season games playing in the MHL(Russia’s top junior league) for SKA. He didn’t slow down in the playoffs either, chipping in 11G-17A in 17 games.
• Spent time in the KHL at the beginning of the season before being sidelined with an injury that kept him out for some time and ended with him landing in the MHL.
• Attacks the net off the rush.
• Doesn’t waste opportunities to direct pucks on net. Quick “catch and release.” Shoots the puck with authority and accuracy.
Projection: Top line NHL forward. Excellent skater. Reliable compete. Elite offensive upside.
No. 3: Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (NCAA)
Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 208 pounds
•Two-way, transitional defenceman.
• Active joining the rush and extending plays in offensive zone.
• Coveted right shot.
• Produced 9G-25A in 38 games.
• Impressive plus-27.
• Solid skater with good size. Physical at times. Ability to be used in all situations.
• His elite element is offensive upside.
Projection: Top pairing NHL defenceman who can be deployed in a variety of roles. Primary ice time will come at even strength and the power play. Aggressive when attacking on offence.
No. 4: Zeev Buium, D, Denver (NCAA)
Height: 6-foot Weight: 183 pounds
• Top scoring defenceman in the NCAA with 11G-39A in 42 games played.
• National champion at Denver and world junior gold medallist for Team USA.
• Very competitive. Never backs down from contact. Engaged defensively.
• Quick to space. Jumps to win pucks in all three zones. Walks the offensive blue line to open up shooting lanes and direct pucks on net.
• High end offensive upside, but also capable of matching up against top six forwards.
• Significant riser in the second half of the season.
Projection: Top pairing NHL upside. Attractive combination of quickness, skill, physical push back and overall competitiveness. Proven winner.
No. 5: Tij Iginla, F, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Height: 5-foot-11 Weight: 182 pounds
Note: Iginla was part of the Gold medal-winning U18 men’s team in Finland. He played a significant role for Team Canada, producing 6G-6A in seven games, including 1G-2A in the final.
Projection: Top line NHL forward. 200-foot game has evolved. Provides more than just offence, but does compete and produce. Pushes through checks. Has the hockey sense to be used in a variety of roles.
No. 6: Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Height: 6-feet Weight: 179 pounds
• Elite offensive talent. Transitional defenceman. Creative thinker.
• Impacts the game offensively almost every time he hits the ice.
• Produced an incredible 33G-63A in 66 regular season games for Saginaw.
• Light area defender. Average-plus overall in his own zone.
• An easily defined power play quarterback. Elusive. It’s impossible to teach his skill set. Needs to be paired with a defence partner who is a stay-at-home and more physical style of player.
Projection: Top unit NHL power play quarterback. Potential top pair player at even strength, but second pairing at worst. Play driver. Has style of play to skate more than 20 minutes per game with ease.
No. 7: Anton Silayev, D, Torpedo (KHL)
Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 211 pounds
I’ve struggled ranking Silayev. Part of me is so impressed by him that I toyed with slotting him as high as No. 3 on my list. Ultimately, I decided (until I talk myself out of it before my year-end rankings) to slot offence ahead of Silayev’s defensive prowess.
• Massive body who’s long and rangy. Kills plays and boxes out opponents exceptionally well.
• Defensive defenceman.
• Provides very little offence, but he’s a fantastic skater for his size and has the ability to match up against top lines and slot into the first penalty-killing unit.
Projection: At worst a second pairing defenceman at even strength. Possible top pair player who complements a more active partner (think Cale Makar). Arguably the top “defensive defender” in the draft class.
No. 8: Sam Dickinson, D, London Knights (OHL)
Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 199 pounds
Projection: Middle pairing or potential top pairing defender in time. Two-way defenceman. Ability to be used in a variety of roles and skate well over 20 minutes per game.
No. 9: Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 201 pounds
Yakemchuk is a fascinating prospect. He’s a throwback on a lot of levels. Unfortunately, his Calgary Hitmen team didn’t qualify for WHL playoffs, which meant his season finished at the end of March. However, his body of work over the course of the year rocketed him up the draft rankings.
• Ended his season with an impressive stats line that included 120 penalty minutes.
• Scored 10 goals on the power play.
• Big body. Mobile. Creative off the rush. Ability to break pucks out on his own or distribute and join as an extra layer.
• Defends with purpose.
• Used in all situations and logged a ton of minutes.
• Coveted right shot who brings offence and has a mean streak.
Projection: Middle pairing and potential top pairing NHL defenceman who can be used in all situations.
No. 10: Berkly Catton, F, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Height: 5-foot-10 Weight: 170 pounds
Projection: Top six NHL scoring forward. Primary ice time comes at even strength and the top power play. Equal parts shooter and distributor. He makes plays and is difficult to check.
No. 11: Cayden Lindstrom, F, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 210 pounds
• Big body forward who plays the game with a mix of skill and will.
• Extends plays in traffic.
• Occasional threat off the rush, in transition. Takes the play to the net.
• Hard to play against with his combination of power and skill.
• Leans goal scorer more than distributor.
Projection: Top six NHL forward. Potential “power forward” goal scorer.
No. 12: Liam Greentree, F, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 207 pounds
Projection: Power style forward. Goal scorer and secondary play maker. Extends plays in hard areas.
No. 13: Cole Eiserman, F, USNTDP
Height: 6-feet Weight: 195 pounds
• Pure shooter and goal scorer who craves the puck in the offensive zone.
• Possesses the most elite “catch and release” in the draft class. Pucks are on and off his stick in the blink of an eye.
• Exceptionally dangerous ripping pucks from the weak side flank on the power play.
• Mid-range battle instincts in the hard areas of the ice.
• Solid skater with the ability to attack off the rush.
• Defensive detail, track back effort and execution is only adequate and needs to improve for the NHL game.
Projection: Top six forward at even strength. First unit power play.
No. 14: Konsta Helenius, F, Jukurit (Liiga)
Height: 5-foot-11 Weight: 180 pounds
• Play driver who attacks off the rush and leads the power play breakout and zone entries.
• Sees the ice, makes plays and takes what is given. Equal parts shooter and distributor.
• Excellent skater who’s quick to space.
• Darts in and out of the small areas on the ice.
• Always in motion, but not overly physical.
• Hockey sense to be used in a variety of roles.
• Generally responsible in all three zones and tracks the full 200 feet.
Projection: Second line or middle six forward. Better than secondary scoring upside. Primary ice time will come at even strength and power play.
No. 15: Beckett Sennecke, F, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 177 pounds
• Plus size forward who has significant room for additional weight and strength on his frame as he matures.
• Outstanding release. Pucks are on and off his stick quickly and accurately.
• Significant threat on the power play from either the bumper or weak side.
• Combination of power and finesse.
• Solid skater.
• Defensive detail has improved exponentially over the course of the entire season.
• Extends plays along the wall.
• Equal parts goal scorer and play extender that leads to offence.
Projection: Second line NHL power/finesse forward is possible. At worst a middle six forward who contributes on the power play.
No. 16: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, F, Mora (Allsvenskan)
Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 194 pounds
• Excellent skater and a threat off the rush.
• Opponents have to respect his speed and ability to pull up and distribute from the half wall via offensive zone entries.
• Competes along the wall to extend plays.
• Defensively aware and responsible. Tracks the entire 200 feet.
• Entire game has evolved over the course of the entire season playing pro in Sweden.
• Trustworthy player who provides better than secondary offence.
• Elevated his game in the playoffs, with 4G-6A in 12 games.
Projection: Middle six forward with the potential to slide into full-time second line role as he matures at the NHL level. Likely a No. 2 power play forward.
No. 17: Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)
Height: 5-foot-11 Weight 180 pounds
Projection: Potential second line NHL forward, at worst middle six. Type of player who provides better than secondary offence and a matchup forward who can be used in all situations.
No. 18: Trevor Connelly, F, Tri-City Storm (USHL)
Height: 6-feet Weight: 156 pounds
• Elusive offensive talent who is very difficult to contain and check.
• Solid skater who has the agility to beat opponents on straight lines or moving east/west.
• Elite puck touch.
• High end vision and play making on the power play.
• Pure offence. Equally comfortable shooting or distributing.
• Defensive detail is barely adequate
• Joined Team USA at U18 worlds and played to his identity with 4G-5A in seven games.
Projection: Risk/reward prospect who needs to skate in the top six forward group to impact the game playing to his identity.
