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Mockable Mock Draft : I'm Late! (Picks 4-6) |
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I apologize for the delay on this. With some recent events and some more tape watching I made massive changes to my list. I will be pumping these out rather quickly from here on out.
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, Winger, 6’1 185lbs, 18 Years Old, Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL
57gp 44g 38a 82p
If you discount Chabot as a “prospect” as he’s pretty much established himself as an NHL player, then you will find the majority of the Senators prospects are forwards. White, Brown, Chlapik and Formenton. While on defense there is an obvious disparity. Claesson has let his chance fly by, Harpur is dreadful, Englund is pedestrian, Wolanin is a wildcard and Jaros is barely a prospect at all. The problem they’re facing is that they need “A” quality prospects and need to hit this fourth overall pick out of the park.
So despite a need for defense, they take the best prospect left in Zadina. Especially with the potential departures of both Hoffman and Duchene. Zadina has been consistently ranked in the top-5 going back to last year. The crafty winger made the move that many Europeans do to the CHL to help boost their draft potential. He joined the likes of Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Jakub Voracek, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and Nikolaj Ehlers as high end products from the juggernaut Mooseheads. Zadina’s year puts him comfortably in the Ehlers levels of potential. His 44 goals in 57 games were enough to tie him for third in the league in goal scoring. What really has Zadina’s stock so high is his performance at the U20’s. 7 goals in 7 games. Helping him to being named to the All-Star Team.
Zadina is a dynamic winger that has played both sides. Most of the time I’ve seen him he’s on the right side, but he played on the left in some of the Czech games. It gives him some versatility, especially on the Power Play. His individual puck skills are elite as well as his release. Which causes a lot of problems for his opponents. He’s a player that won’t cost you in his own end either and can use his size on the boards well.
In the end, I feel that Ottawa needs to draft talent first over anything and it’s hard to argue against Zadina’s skill level.
Potential : Top-Line Winger
NHL Comparable : Patrick Marleau
5. The Arizona Coyotes
Quinn Hughes, Left Defenseman, 5’10 178lbs, 18 Years Old, University of Michigan in the B1G
37gp 5g 24a 29p
The Arizona Coyotes have been steadily accruing a very nice group of forward prospects. The big names are obviously Strome and Keller, but they have other young players with potential littered throughout their system. The same cannot be said for their defense prospects, especially when I don’t count Chychrun as one at this time. The Coyotes went heavy on defense in last year’s draft, but none are really “A” level prospects. With the 5th overall pick, the Coyotes have a shot at drafting a plethora of high end defensemen. The one I think they would pick is Quinn Hughes.
Hughes may be undersized, but he is an elite level skater and puck mover. Abilities that are becoming more and more important in today’s NHL. His ability to generate offensive zone pressure and charge through the neutral zone is extremely impressive. What separates Hughes from similar style defenders is that he is actually quite good defensively. Not in the traditional style of clearing the crease, but more in terms of puck retrieval and puck possession. His speed forces wingers to go wide and into the less dangerous zones on the ice. Creativity to match his speed is key as to why many think he has the potential to be a difference maker in the NHL. We also have to talk about bloodlines, because sadly it is a “thing” in the NHL. Hughes is the son of Jim Hughes, a lifelong hockey man. He’s also the older brother of presumptive 1st overall for 2019 Jack. Not to mention the youngest Hughes in Luke who also looks promising. Hey, meet the new Staal family!
Hughes made two appearances on the international scene and was impressive in both. He played in the U20 and World Championship. A rare feat for an 18 year old, let alone an 18 year old defenseman. Winning Bronze in both. Domestically he had a great year for the University of Michigan in the B1G division. His 29 points were good for third overall on his team and tops for defensemen. Oddly enough he had the same PPG as Brady Tkachuk.
Potential : Number 2 Offensive Defenseman
NHL Comparable : Ryan Ellis
6. The Detroit Red Wings
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Centre, 6’2 188lbs, 17 Years Old, Ässät in the SM-liiga
57gp 10g 19a 29p
This one will probably look quite naive when he goes third overall to the Canadiens. Kotkaniemi has been the biggest riser in the draft clawing from the pre-season 25-40 level, all the way to as high as 3rd per Bob McKenzie. It’s been a remarkable adventure for the Finn who is clearly the best centre prospect available in a year filled with defensemen and wingers. The Wings are in need. No I didn’t make a typo there, they need everything and anything with a young pulse they can get their hands on. Centre is a need, but they have needs everywhere in their prospect chart.
The lanky centreman had a strong season in the SM-liiga, on par with fellow top ranked Finns in previous years. He ended up playing in a relatively unsheltered role playing almost 50% Offensive vs Defenseive Zone Starts. He managed to score at a first line pace 5vs5 despite being their third line centre. What really set him apart however was the U18’s where he led the Finns to a Gold Medal. He was the best player in the Gold Medal game in my opinion and dominated at both ends of the ice. His line with Nordgren (2018) and Kakko (2019) were dominant in all three zones. Led primarily by the puck possession and quick passing of Kotkaniemi. While Jack Hughes came away with the individual awards and justly so, Kotkaniemi came away with the Gold and a huge boost to his draft stock.
He’s a smart player who anticipates plays and teammates very well. He’s a good enough skater for there to be few problems adjusting to the NHL and was able to keep up with arguably the fastest straight line skater in the draft in Nordgren. Attention to details, a strong two-way game and the tantalizing potential of his size make him the perfect fit for Detroit who desperately need more skill.
Potential : Top-Line Two-Way Centre
NHL Comparable : Ryan O’Reilly
Thanks for reading.
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