The Hockey Buzz Mock Draft rolls on. Rasmus Dahlin went first to Buffalo, Andrei Svechnikov to Carolina, Filip Zadina to Montreal, Noah Dobson to Ottawa, Oliver Wahlstrom to Arizona, Quinn Hughes to Detroit, Vancouver selected Brady Tkachuk, Chicago picked Adam Boqvist, the Rangers selected Evan Bouchard and Edmonton drafted Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Starting the next 10 pick, the Islanders picked Joseph Veleno and Ty Smith, Dallas grabbed Vitali Kravtsov, Philadelphia selected Joel Farabee, Florida took Grigori Denisenko, Colorado added Rasmus Kupari and New Jersey added K'Andre Miller.. The consensus was that Miller was the right pick, with 58% of the approximately 240 votes agreeing with the selection.
Columbus' pick is below. As a reminder, beginning Sunday, I hope to go with three picks a day so we can finish by Wednesday evening, allowing Thursday for rumors etc. leading into the draft Friday.
Overall Rules and Process :
After the pick or trade is made, a poll will be posted to rate the selection or deal. If the majority of people like the pick or trade, that selection stands and it moves on to the next team’s picks. If not, the majority rules and that’s what happens with that team and pick. I have the last right of refusal to keep everything on the up and up and avoid ballot box stuffing. My request to you is that you take this serious and not make a mockery of the mock draft, because that would be an insult to the others who are participating and makes the whole process a sham. But by playing this out, we get to have healthy debate and conversation to remain engaged up and possibly beyond the draft. If teams make deals and they occur before a team’s selection is due, that deal will play a part as to when each person’s selection occurs.
Here how this is working: each evening (for now, one pick per day, but we will go to two when we get to second half of the mock draft and possibly even before that, so that we complete on time) the team’s selector emails me their pick and rationale for that selection to [email protected]. If making a trade, the same applies, and all the selectors have been listed below along with their screen name if from this site or their twitter handle if external to help facilitate making trades. I am posting that pick and rationale on the site and create a voting poll. For now, we are using just a yes or no vote for the poll, but if people want me to list other options for the selection at that pick number in cases of a no vote, I am happy to do so, to help make it more robust.
With the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets, represented by Paul Berthelot, select Bode Wilde, defenseman, USNDP
Rationale for the selection:
The Jackets should obviously be taking the best player available but it that happens to be a defencemen it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. The Jackets have some of the best young defencemen in the NHL, but their system is lacking a top end puck moving defencemen. Wilde can fill that. He’s a highly skilled defencemen putting up 41 points in 60 games with the USNDP. He has great hands for a player of his size (6’2) he can skate shoot and move the puck. He’s far from perfect, there are concerns with his awareness and decision making, but I felt his skill level was enough to overlook that. He has a big ceiling which is why I went with Wilde over others like a Rasmus Sandin. Ryan Merkely was also considered for this spot but he has just one too many red flags, for me to take a swing at this spot.
Wilde fits what the Blue Jackets are trying to do as a big skilled puck rushing offensive defencemen.
Up for the 19th pick in the draft are the Flyers and selecting for Philadelphia will be jmatchett383, who is on the clock.
Lottery teams :
Buffalo - Rasmus Dahlin
Carolina - Andrei Svechnikov
Montréal – Filip Zadina
Ottawa - Noah Dobson (nyrangers9479 will be up again later with pick 22)
Arizona - Oliver Wahlstrom
Detroit - Quinn Hughes (Pete will also pick 30th)
Vancouver - Brady Tkachuk
Chicago - Adam Boqvist (Panarin27 will also pick 27th)
Rangers - Evan Bouchard (Tom Burton will also pick 26th and 28th)
Edmonton – trade overturned, Oilers pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Islanders (2x) – Joseph Veleno and Ty Smith
Dallas – tumbleweed, original trade overturned, select Vitali Kravtsov,
Philadelphia (via st Louis)- Joel Farabee (jmatchett383 will also pick 19th)
Florida - Grigori Denisenko
Non-lottery teams :
Colorado - Rasmus Kupari
New Jersey - K'Andre Miller
Columbus - Bode Wilde
Philadelphia - jmatchett383
Los Angeles - Steve Kournianos (@thedraftanalyst)
San Jose- Sharksfan68
Ottawa (via Pittsburgh) - nyrangers9479
Anaheim - Climbdenali12
Minnesota - Dan Wallace (Wild blogger on site)
Toronto - Matt1337
Rangers (via Boston) - tomburton
Chicago (via Nashvile) - Panarin27
Rangers (via Tampa Bay) - tomburton
St. Louis (via Wnnipeg) - Isles (Vukota)
Detroit (via Las Vegas) - Pete V
Washington - Russ Cohen (@sportsology)
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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