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Mockable Mock Draft : Changing The Formula (Picks 19-22) |
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What came before.
1. The Buffalo Sabres - Rasmus Dahlin
2. The Carolina Hurricanes - Andrei Svechnikov
3. The Montreal Canadiens - Noah Dobson
4. The Ottawa Senators - Filip Zadina
5. The Arizona Coyotes - Quinn Hughes
6. The Detroit Red Wings - Jesperi Kotkaniemi
7. The Vancouver Canucks - Evan Bouchard
8. The Chicago Blackhawks - Brady Tkachuk
9. The New York Rangers - Oliver Wahlstrom
10. The Edmonton Oilers - Adam Boqvist
11. The New York Islanders - Ty Smith
12. The New York Islanders - Vitali Kravtsov
13. The Dallas Stars - Martin Kaut
14. The Philadelphia Flyers - Barrett Hayton
15. The Florida Panthers - Mattias Samuelsson
16. The Colorado Avalanche - Rasmus Sandin
17. The New Jersey Devils - Jonatan Berggren
18. The Columbus Blue Jackets - Joseph Veleno
19. The The Philadelphia Flyers
Joel Farabee, Left Winger, 6’0 168lbs, 18 Years Old, USNTDP Juniors in the USHL
26gp 15g 25a 40p
In my write up for Oliver Wahlstrom I mentioned how he and Jack Hughes (Presumptive 2019 1st overall) were attached at the hip for the vast majority of their seasons at all three of the USHL, USDP and the U18’s. Whom I didn’t mention was the third member of the trio, the dangerous speedster Joel Farabee. While Wahlstrom and Hughes have the flashy elite skills that make people stand out of their seats, Farabee is a talented and hardworking forward that provides the simple passes and intelligent spacing to make those around him better. Think of him as a more talented “Hyman” to Hughes and Wahlstrom’s “Matthews and Nylander.”
Farabee had a strong year both internationally and domestically. He captained the U18 squad in the USDP and finished second in scoring with 76 points in 62 games behind Wahlstrom. He had a great season in the USHL finishing third behind Hughes and Wahlstrom and he finished third again behind the same duo in the U18’s for the USA. Starting to see a trend here.
He has a lot of room to grow and I think he might be a player who doesn’t enter the NHL for another 3 seasons, but if he develops physically to go with his natural gifts, Farabee has the potential be a star two-way winger and a great complementary piece to any line. Defensively he’s very sound and is consistently breaking up plays. On the forecheck he hounds players down and reads defenders very well. He’s able to cause a lot of havoc and turnovers. His skating allows him to open up the ice and he has great ability in changing directions with little time.
The Flyers previously picked Barrett Hayton, another strong two-way player and I think they go for another one who likely has more offensive upside, but less perceived value due to being a winger. Giroux, Voracek, Simmonds and the gang aren’t getting any younger and having these two coming up the ranks to add to their young defense could pay huge dividends.
Potential : Top-6 Two-Way Winger
NHL Comparable : Mark Stone
20. The Los Angeles Kings
Isac Lundestrom, Left Winger, 6’0 185lbs, 18 Years Old, Luleå HF in the Elitserien
42gp 6g 9a 15p
The LA Kings aren’t a fast team. Adding Vilardi and Dolan in last year’s draft was a step in the right direction, but they still need more speed if they want to compete in the modern NHL. The Kings did well dipping their toes in the Swedish market with Adrian Kempe and I think they could find similar success in 2018. While not the fastest player in the draft, Lundestrom is a very capable power skater and moves around the rink with ease. He’s very hard to take off the puck due to his powerful strides.
Lundestrom entered the year with a lot of hype. He was the third ranked European skater and was having local media outlets compare him to Peter Forsberg. Even reffering to him as the “next one.” While unable to live up to such lofty hype, Lundestrom nevertheless had a strong year and finished ranking 8th among European skaters. I think he suffers from the overexposure and second guessing that happens to players that are seen a lot.
Lundestrom is a very good player on the forecheck and does a lot of his damage behind the net. He sets up plays very well from a standstill and can create scoring chances from very little, especially on the Power Play. His 15 points puts him in second among draft eligible scorers from the Elitserien. Behind Dahlin. The fact that by 18 he has played 91 games in the highest level of Professional Swedish Hockey is quite an accomplishment and a testimony to his maturity.
Lundestrom played a bit part on the Silver Medal Swedes at the U20 tournament this past year. He managed to score 2 goals from the fourth line in 7 games. He looked poised and confident. He had a better showing last year at the U18’s as Sweden’s best forward.
Potential : Top-6 Winger
NHL Comparable : Peter Forsberg (obviously)
21. The San Jose Sharks
Jared McIsaac, Left Defender, 6’1 194lbs, 18 Years Old, Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL
65gp 9g 38a 47p
At the start of the year McIsaac was viewed in that group of defenders just past Dahlin. While some pushed their way into that discussion like Bouchard and Dobson, others fell a little like McIsaac. Despite a very good year, McIsaac finds himself tumbling down the mock draft tables as other defenseman have shown more elite tendencies than the very solid, but unspectacular skillset McIsaac brings.
McIsaac is a tough two-way defenseman that defends very well in his own zone and can transition well through the neutral zone. McIsaac is one of the most mature and defensively responsible defenders in the draft. His physicality on the boards, his smart reads and strong skating allow him to stop forwards momentum. While he shows some offensive instincts as he did end up being third in QMJHL scoring by draft eligible defensemen, it’s fair to say he is a defense first oriented player that is known more for his transition game than making beautiful passes or unloading lethal shots from the point. In the NHL where there are better PP options, I think he will be hard pressed to put up large numbers. 45% of his points came with the man advantage.
McIsaac really impressed me at the U18’s. I felt he was easily one of Canada’s better defenders. Solid and very strong. A lot of forwards had issues dealing with him when he was out on the penalty kill.
McIsaac does not have the perceived high-end elite abilities that some others around him do, however he plays a very responsible NHL style game and should find himself a job in the NHL going forward. The Sharks haven’t hit on a defenseman since Jason Demers in 2008. They definitely could use one coming through the pipeline and McIsaac fits the bill of a Western Conference defender.
NHL Potential : 3-4 Two-Way Defenseman
Comparable : Matt Niskanen
22. The Ottawa Senators
Bode Wilde, Right Defenseman, 6’2 196lbs, 18 Years Old, USNTDP Juniors in the USHL
25gp 3g 13a 16p
Wilde is…well pardon the pun…a wildcard. At times he’s reminiscent of Brent Burns at other times he’s reminiscent of Jack Johnson at his worst. Which Wilde will you get? Spin the wheel. The U18’s were really the only exposure I had to him and he was a mixed bag. He has amazing tools, but not sure he has the box to put them in. Regardless teams will want to gamble on a 6’2 fantastic skating defenseman that teases offensive skill. The Senators have been drafting well in the first few rounds recently. Chabot, White, Formenton and Brown all look like solid pieces. Bowers and Dahlen also look solid for their new teams. Wilde is all over the place from as high as 11 to as low as 40. It will depend on if a team believes that he can put his various elite talents together and become a consistent player.
The Senators depth chart on defense is not great. Especially on the right side. After Karlsson you have Ceci and then…Wideman, Bergman and Jaros. Even with Karlsson staying, this needs to be addressed. Despite the risk, Wilde could be a superstar should he put it together. He has great speed. He defends well without the puck and plays with some physicality. He has a very hard shot and can get it away in a hurry. Some decision making issues when he has the puck are an occurrence, but he has shown he can be very creative.
All in all I think after the year they have had, the Sens can afford to gamble with this second first rounder. Wilde has also de-committed to Michigan, the Saginaw Spirit own his rights in the CHL, so this could be an interesting situation. He could potentially join the Belleville Senators next year and begin to be familiarized with the organization right away. Knowing Wilde will not have the potential to remain unsigned in the NCAA should help teams decide on him.
Potential : Top-Pairing Two-Way Defenseman
NHL Comparable : Jack Johnson
Thanks for reading.
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