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Mockable Mock Draft : The Shocker (Picks 7-9) |
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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, Right Defenseman, 6’2 188lbs, 18 Years Old, London Knights in the OHL
67gp 25g 62a 87p
Yes, those points’ totals are real. Tempting as it was to have Tkachuk go to Vancouver to battle his brother in Calgary, I think the Canucks have a different need altogether. With young budding players like Boeser, Pettersson and Lind in the forward positions, as well as two very promising goalie prospects in DiPietro and Demko, the Canucks need defense in a big way. Especially with the injury to Juolevi. Bouchard has some of the highest potential in that group of highly talented defenders and his domination of the OHL proves it.
With 87 points in just 67 games played, Bouchard led the Knights in points and was second in goals. He also led the entire league in points and assists by a defender. As a defenseman in junior that is a very rare feat. He captained a team expunging assets to the playoffs where they were soundly beaten. His 87 points are the highest by a draft eligible defenseman since Ryan Ellis’ 89 back in 2008-2009. Unlike Ellis, Bouchard has size, which is rare for such a talented defenseman.
His polished offensive game and high levels of skill on the Power Play are attractive qualities. He is the type of defenseman that loves to let the offense run through him. Defensively he’s good, but not great. It didn’t help that he had to play half the game for the Knights with diminishing help. In the three games I’ve seen him live, he can get a little lost without the puck, but he makes up for it with decent reads in the middle of the ice.
There are concerns that his skating is slightly lacking in comparison to the other high end defenders. While those concerns are valid, it’s not like he has Cam Barker speed, he’s a mobile defender and very smooth changing directions and pace. He’s just lacking that pure elite next gear that Dahlin, Hughes and Boqvist have.
Overall Bouchard is a player teams will be lining up for as he’s a big, talented right hand shot defenseman. Those are shockingly rare in today’s NHL.
Potential : Number Two Offensive Defenseman
NHL Comparable : John Carlson
8. The Chicago Blackhawks
Brady Tkachuk, Left Winger, 6’3 191lbs, 18 Years Old, Boston University in Hockey East
40gp 8g 23a 31p
I’m going to preface this by saying that when I use the term “oldest player” I am omitting players passed over in previous drafts. Tkachuk is the oldest player in the 2018 Draft, missing the 2017 cut off by one day. This isn’t always a negative as both Ovechkin and Tavares had the same thing happen in their respective draft years. The difference is they came in as the heavy undisputed favourites, whereas Tkachuk is in the 4-10 race. Age can be a big factor at times when determining development curves, whether it’s fair or not is up for debate. The Blackhawks are a team in a murky situation. This might be their best chance to stock up with a real game changer. All eyes are on their aging defense and only one real top prospect in Jokiharju, but I feel that they can’t let Tkachuk fall past them even for organizational need. He’s too good and his game style might be the perfect blend of skill and grit to bring them back into the competitive fold.
Tkachuk was the highest scoring NCAA eligible player this year, narrowly beating out defenseman Quinn Hughes. He had a strong rookie campaign for BU, though it wasn’t exactly a ground breaking performance for a draft eligible player. Regardless his tenacity and ability to play with higher skilled players was on effect at both last year’s U18’s and this year’s U20’s. His size and bullish nature make him extremely difficult to handle around the net and on the forecheck. Add that to a willingness to play a complete all-around game and you have the potential for a very physical and very sound winger that can complement those around him. Power forwards are rare commodities and every team dreams and covets them.
It’s unavoidable that Tkachuk will be compared to his father and brother. Unlike a lot of familial comparables, this one is very valid. All three play/ed the same style of game. They all have that same nasty edge to their game that borders (and sometimes goes over) on dirty. They have the ability to dominate the corners and front of the net. At the end of the day, Tkachuk is going to be an NHL player. What level of player is still up in the air.
Potential : Top-6 Power Forward
NHL Comparable : Wayne Simmonds
9. The New York Rangers
Oliver Wahlstrom, Right Winger, 6’1 207lbs, 18 Years Old, USNDP in the USHL
26gp 22g 23a 45p
Like the majority of the best American prospects, Wahlstrom joined the National Development Teams system. The USDNP has been pumping out player after player at a very impressive pace. The results can often be seen in the U18 tournament where they have been extremely successful due to the cohesion and chemistry between the team. Wahlstrom has had a fantastic year riding shotgun beside 2019’s presumptive 1st overall selection Jack Hughes. He starred on his wing in the USHL, U18 league (half with Hughes and half with Wise) and at the U18 WJC.
The Rangers are entering year one of their “retool.” With some good young pieces already on the team or just on the cusp, I think it would behoove them to continue building what could be a dynamic forward group. Wahlstrom is highly skilled and very fast. His ability to counter attack off the rush is a very large part of his success. One of the few individual skills he possesses that differentiates him from his peers in this draft are his amazing hands. He has amazing one on one skills and can deke players out of their skates when given an inch. Obviously this type of talent is difficult to translate to the NHL, but it still serves him well to find ways to take his excellent shot.
Wahlstrom staked his claim to a top-10 pick at the U18’s where he scored 7 goals in 7 games. He was the second best American in the tournament. The line of Hughes-Wahlstrom-Farabee were nigh unstoppable in all situations.
Before last year, the Rangers haven’t had many chances to draft in the first round. While the need within the organization is defense, I think they have to take the best player available with the highest potential. That’s Oliver Wahlstrom.
Potential : Top-Line Winger
Comparable : Vladimir Tarasenko
Thanks for reading.
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