Draft order was determined by a random draw in which each team was given even chances of getting the number one pick.

1. Buffalo- Nathan MacKinnon, C, Halifax
Selecting the best player in the draft is a no brainer for the Sabres. MacKinnon has it all: skill, speed, work ethic and character. A top 6 of Grigo, Cody, Nate, Zemgus, Joel and Marcus will set the Sabres up for a decade.

2. Vancouver- Seth Jones, D, Portland
Maybe not the guy that I would pick personally, But Jones is the consensus 1A on the board. He is an outstanding athlete, who a lot of people felt was ready for the NHL last season. Size, skill, grit, poise and a bit of nastiness, this kid has it all.

3. Dallas- Sean Monahan, C, Ottawa
The Stars like big, physical players and Monahan is that. In my opinion, there is no other forward that brings the size, leadership, skill and physical play like Monahan does. If Benn is locked up long-term, then Monahan will be a great number 2 behind him.

4. Colorado- Elias Lindholm, C, Brynas
The Avs select another Swede to go with their already dominant one. I think Lindholm is going to be a steal in the draft. He has the speed, skill, intelligence, work ethic and character to be a star in the NHL. He has been compaired to Forsberg, but I see more Zetterberg in his game.

5. Montreal- Jonathan Drouin, LW, Halifax
And the Canadiens fans go crazy. Montréal takes the most dynamic star to come out of the province in awhile. He has the speed, skill and vision to make the players around him better. Drouin and Gally will be fun to watch in a few years.

6. Pittsburgh- Hunter Shinkaruk, LW, Medicine Hat
The Pens have searched for a wingman for Crosby for ages and Shinkaruk has the potential to be that. He has explosive speed, skill and may end up being the best scorer in the draft. Shinkaruk also stepped up against Russia and showed he can play a physical game as well.

7. Ottawa- Alexander Barkov, LW, Tappara
Billed as the best European player in this year's draft, Barkov falls into the Sen's laps at seven. He is already playing in Finland's top league and staring. He has all the things that you look for in a franchise player, size, skill and leadership. Barkov/Zibanejad/Silfverberg would be a fun line to watch in Ottawa.

8. Minnesota- Valeri Nichushkin, LW, Chelyabinsk
The skinny Russian has been compared to Malkin and that is worth the risk at number 8. He is another player in this deep draft who has the potential to be the best player down the road. He protects the puck well and uses his speed to find holes in the zone. The Wild's offence could use a bit of a punch Valeri Nichushkin gives them that.

9. Calgary- Ryan Pulock, D, Brandon
One of my favourite players in the draft, Pulock has the potential to be a stud blueliner for a long time. While he can be a bit of an adventure in his our end, his offence, and leadership are as good as any in the draft. He fits the Flames need for a top pairing D to the tee.

10. New Jersey- Josh Morrissey, D, Prince Albert
Because of the luck of the draw, I guess the Devils will be picking this year and forfeiting next. Morrissey is one of the smartest players in the draft. He is an excellent skater and can control the game from the backend. While the Devils have decent depth on D in their prospect pool, Morrissey is too good to pass on.

11. Boston- Nikita Zadorov, D, London
The London Knights rearguard has a lot of untapped offensive potential. He fits the big bad Bruins to a tee and may be the most intimidating D in the draft. He routinely lays guys out with big hits and moves well for a player with his size. He may never be a star, but he os the kind of stay-at-home D you win with.

12. Carolina- Adam Erne, RW, Quebec
The Canes go a bit off the boards and grab one of the best power-forward prospects in the draft. Erne isn't the type to go around players, but he is the type to go through them. He is a good skater that finishes his checks and can score around the net.

13. San Jose- Rasmus Ristolainen, D, TPS Turku
The Sharks take a bit of a project with the umber 13 pick. Ristolainen has all the offensive skills to be a very good power-play QB in the NHL. He handles the puck well and has a great shot. While he needs to work on his positioning in his own end, he is known to be a big hitter with a nasty streak.

14. Winnipeg- Darnell Nurse, D, Sault Ste. Marie
To me, Darnell Nurse is a poor man's Seth Jones. Nurse is one of the better athletes in the draft and plays with a lot of enthusiasm. The problem that Nurse has is that sometimes that enthusiasm gets the better of him and he runs around a bit. I expect Nurse to figure things out in a few years and become a very good, very intimidating presence on an NHL blueline.

15. Florida- Max Domi, C, London
If Domi was a tad taller or a bit faster he would likely be a top 10 pick. He is an exceptional hockey player, who plays a scrappy game. When he is on the ice, chances are he is going to end up with the puck as he is relentless at attacking the puck carrier. I think there is a Selke or two in his future because he never gives up on the play and is one of the hardest players to play against.

16. Columbus- Anthony Duclair, LW, Quebec
One of the most electrifying players in this year's draft, Duclair will either be a homerun or a strikeout. With three first round picks and no real star power up front he is worth the risk for the Jackets. Every time Duclair touches the puck he has the potential to go end-to-end.

17. Phoenix- Hudson Fasching, RW, USDP
Fasching is just a guy to me that is a perfect fit for the Yotes system. He has size, skill and speed. He works hard at both ends of the rink and finishes his checks. While I'm not sure he will ever be a star player, I can see him fitting in well in Phoenix and being a solid pro.

18. Detroit- Robert Hägg, D, MODO Jr.
Detroit has the best Swedish D fall into their laps at number 18. Hägg is one of those players that plays a smart game and makes it look so easy. The kid never seems to panic and make all the right decisions with the puck. In some ways, he may remind you of another wings D who recently re-tired.

19. NY Islanders- Anthony Mantha, LW, Val-d’Or
After drafting only D in last year's draft, the Isles take a forward that has the potential to be a very good NHL player. He's a big kid, who can skate and put the puck in the net. The knock on him right now is that he doesn't use his size as well as he could, but if that happens look out.

20. Columbus (from NYR)- Nicolas Petan, C, Portland
Petan is a bit undersized, but more than makes up for it with his speed, hustle, skill and smarts. He currently sits third in WHL scoring and is one of those types of players you never want to count out. He should help the Blue Jackets offence in a few seasons.

21. Tampa Bay- Kerby Rychel, LW, Windsor
Rychel is one of those players that the only real way to describe him is "he's a hockey player". He's pretty average sized but he will hit anything that moves and he never backs down from a fight. He isn't a great skater, but he finds way to be in the right place at the right time. All in all, I see him having a long career and playing on a number of winning teams.

22. Nashville- Shea Theodore, D, Seattle
If one Shea is good, two has to be better right? No but seriously, Theodore is part of a very good WHL draft class. He is an outstanding skater and has drawn comparisons to Mike Green of the Capitals because of his offensive instincts and size. He has a good shot and is solid in his own end.

23. Philadelphia- Curtis Lazar, C, Edmonton
Although he is having a bit of an underachieving offensive season, Lazar has the skills to put up points. Now whether he achieves that at the NHL level is debatable, but he is still a very good player. He is one of the best forecheckers in the draft and uses his exceptional speed to cause turnovers. I fully expect him to be a solid NHL player, who reminds me a little of Ryan Kesler at that age.

24. Toronto- Zachary Fucale, G, Halifax
Toronto needs a goalie and Fucale is the best goalie in the draft. He will give the Leafs a number one goalie moving forward. He has alright size and covers the net well. His butterfly style is good and he controls his rebounds well.

25. Anaheim- Frederik Gauthier, C, Rimouski
Gauthier has the makings of becoming a big, strong, number two centre. He uses his size well and is a load to handle a load the boards. He is strong in all three zones and can play in most situations. A player he reminds me a bit of is Jason Arnott.

26. Columbus (from LA)- Madison Bowey, D, Kelowna
Bowey is my dark horse for this year's draft. He is an outstanding athlete that is not afraid of laying the body. He is solid in his own end, but when he does have a break down in his own end his athletic ability generally covers it up. He has a great shot and does a decent job on the power-play.

27. Edmonton- William Carrier, C, Cape Breton
The best player left on the board, the Oiler take an player who scored 70 points last year in the Q and is putting up more than a point a game this season. Carrier is a powerful skater who takes the puck north-to-south as good as any. His defensive zone play is adequate and he will fight when needed.

28. St. Louis- Bo Horvat, C, London
There is just something about Bo Horvat that makes me picture him playing for the St. Louis Blues. He's one of the players that is good at everything but isn't great at any one thing. He competes hard every shift and is reliable in his own end.

29. Chicago- Jason Dickinson, C, Guelph
Dickinson has the makings of being a big, strong, goal scoring centre in the mold of Jeff Carter. He is good at finding openings and he has a good shot. For his size Dickinson is a good skater and is strong in front of the net. While he has to work on things in his own end a bit, Dickinson is not terrible.

30. Washington- J.C. Lipon, RW, Kamloops
The Caps take a bit of a gamble on the second leading scorer in the WHL. Lipon has a high hockey IQ and never gives up on the play. He plays with a lot of skill and make the players around him better. Lipon is capable of playing physical when it is called upon.


That's a wrap.

Ian

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