The fourth mock Hockey Buzz mock draft driven by the readers and a few special guests is underway. Hank Bailing did not go off the board with the Sabres pick, selecting Owen Power first overall, while Sean Maloughney took Matthew Beniers as the first ever Seattle draft pick and Ryan Armstrong completed the Michigan trifecta with Kent Johnson. Zabber selected Luke Hughes with the Devils' pick. Slimtj selected Simon Edvinsson for Columbus with fed91stammer's grabbing William Eklund for Detroit.
Hockeygm traded San Jose’s pick to Ottawa, who, represented by optimus-rein, selected Dylan Guenther. Dudestar's pick for LA is below. Below is the voting poll, please weigh in with your view
First, some logistical information just for this blog: Thanks to all who have agreed to participate. Almost all teams are spoken for, meaning we have close to a full complement of General Managers, but need a few more. As a reminder, when you have your pick, rationale for the selection, who else you considered and if you weighed a trade, please send that to me via email to jan.levine@gmail.com. As said previously, for those who agree to participate, please make sure I have your real name to go with your Hockey Buzz ID.
The draft is July 23 and we will start the draft July 8 in the morning. That will give us 15 days or so to complete the draft, even factoring in the Sabbath. For weekdays and Sunday, I will post a pick in the am, theen a second in the pm with voting in between, for around the first 20 picks. The last 11, we will run three per day so we get all 31 picks by or on July 23.
As a reminder, for each pick, included should be: a) Selection and reasoning/scouting report, and b) Alternatives considered(both players and trades). Please provide me via email your pick with the aforementioned information following the posting of the prior pick on the site. If I become aware of a pick or a few picks in a row, I will email you to help facilitate moving the mock draft along. I will post the blog with the pick and the voting poll within each blog.
Overall Rules and Process
As mentioned previously, there is a little kicker. 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 seriously 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 will work: each morning and evening (for now, two picks per day, but we will go to three when we get to latter third of the mock draft, so that we complete on time) the team’s selector will email me at jan.levine@gmail.com their pick and their rationale for that selection. 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 will post that pick and rationale on the site and create a voting poll. For now, I was thinking solely 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 8th Overall Pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the LA Kings, represented by Dudestar, select Brandt Clarke, RHD, HC Nove Zamhy
Rationale for the selection with scouting report along with alternatives considered (both players and trades):
Rationale:
With the Kings loaded at center (Byfield, Turcotte, and Vilardi) the positions considered wing and defense. For the Kings they could use a scoring winger, but with Brandt Clarke falling this far and being the best RHD in this draft I just can’t pass this up. Great RHD are too hard to find.
Scouting Report:
This past season Clarke still played 19:40 a game while being used on their middle pairing and quarterbacking the top power-play unit. Clarke led all Nové Zà¡mky defenders with a 0.58 points-per-game average, and he also fired an impressive 3.04 shots per game.
For a defenseman Clarke is as mobile as they come. Although his skating can be awkward at times he is always able to be where he needs to be and able to get where he wants to go. In terms of strength with the puck, the men in the Slovakia league found it difficult to remove him from the puck. He shows poise with the puck on his stick and with his speed this allows him to be a threat whenever he enters the offensive zone with the puck on the stick.
Clarke has both a powerful slap shot and wrister. He uses a pump fake on both sometimes to create better scoring chances for himself or teammates. His pass accuracy is a plus as well, whether it be backhand or forehand.
From a physical stance he is more than willing to play a physical game, even if it is against men over in Slovakia.
Ultimately, Brandt Clarke will be an understudy to Doughty and LA will be very happy with that. He projects to be a Norris contender in the future. Other Selections Considered:
Fabian Lysell: He is a high motor, play-making winger. I felt it was a little early for him.
Carson Lambos: LHD, it is too early to pick Lambos, besides Clarke has more upside.
Trade back to 10th overall: I had an offer and moving down two spots and still adding a 2nd round pick would be cool.
“Brandt Clarke: Point-Scoring Pointman of the Future?… from Scouching Report
2021 NHL DRAFT ORDER 1. Buffalo Sabres - Hank Bailing, Owen Power, D, Michigan (73%, 267 votes) 2. Seattle Kraken - Sean Maloughney, Matthew Beniers, C, Michigan (85%, 144 votes) 3. Anaheim Ducks - climbdenali12, Ryan Armstrong, Kent Johnson, C, Michigan (20%, 192 votes) 4. New Jersey Devils - Zabber, Luke Hughes, D, USDP (U-18) (81%, 239 votes) 5. Columbus Blue Jackets, slimTJ, TJ Reilly, Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda (49% of 140 votes)
6. Detroit Red Wings - fed91tstammer, William Eklund, LW, Djurgardens (SHL) (72%, 162 votes) 7. San Jose Sharks - hockeygm, pick traded to Ottawa who selects Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL) (83%, 82 votes)8. Los Angeles Kings - dudestar, Nicholas Plazio, Brandt Clarke, RHD, HC Nove Zamhy 9. Vancouver Canucks - Nucker101, Monday, July 12 pm 10. San Jose from Ottawa- hockeygm, Tuesday, July 13 am
11. Chicago Blackhawks - Theo Fox, Blackhawks blogger from site, Tuesday, July 13 pm 12. Calgary Flames - ShallowLarynx, Wednesday, July 14 am 13. Philadelphia Flyers - Flyersfan328, Phil Brunner, Wednesday, July 14 pm 14. Dallas Stars - NYRangers1124, Thursday, July 15, am 15. New York Rangers - Jan Levine, Thursday, July 15 pm
16. St. Louis Blues - Tommycasino, Tom Dueck, Friday, July 16 am 17. Winnipeg Jets - Ross77, Darren Ross, Friday, July 16 pm 18. Nashville Predators - Russ Cohen, Saturday, July 17 pm 19. Edmonton Oilers - maximumbone, Silas Bengtsson Sunday July 18 am 20. Boston Bruins - Anthony Travalgia, Bruins blogger on site, Sunday, July 18 afternoon
21. Minnesota Wild - jryan88 - Sunday, July 18 pm 22. Detroit Red Wings (from Washington Capitals) - fed91tstammer, Monday, July 19 am 23. Florida Panthers - jimbo, Jimmy Reilly - Monday, July 19, afternoon 24. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Toronto Maple Leafs) - slimTJ, TJ Reilly, Monday, July 19, pm 25. Minnesota Wild (from Pittsburgh Penguins) - jryan88, Tuesday, July 20, am
26. Carolina Hurricanes - Bingo, Chris Cote, Tuesday, July 20, afternoon 27. Colorado Avalanche - TommyGTrain, Tuesday, July 20, pm 28. New Jersey Devils (from New York Islanders) - Zabber, Wednesday, July 21, am 29. Las Vegas Golden Knights - Burnt_Juice, Clay Arseniuk, Wednesday, July 21, afternoon 30. Montreal Canadiens - Karine Hains, Montreal blogger on site, Wednesday, July 21, pm 31. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Tampa Bay Lightning) - slimTJ, TJ Reilly, Thursday, July 22, am
Looking forward to running this again. We had a ton of fun the last few seasons. That should be the same again this year with New York having the 15th pick in the first round.
In Rangers news, Gerard Gallant made his first two hires, adding Mike Kelly, who pretty much has followed him everywhere, and Gord Murphy as assistant coaches to his staff. One slot remains to be filled.
Rangers have hired Gord Murphy, Mike Kelly as assistants to join Gallant's staff, Post has learned. Both have prior experience with Gallant. Blueshirts still seeking third assistant.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) July 12, 2021
Kelly's connection to Gallant dates back to when he was an assistant under Gallant when the latter coached Saint John in the QMJHL. He also was an assistant to Gallant in Florida, Vegas and with Team Canada at the World Championships, so if he did not join Gallant in NYC, it would have been even more suspiring. Look for Kelly to handle the forwards and maybe the power play.
Murphy was an an assistant under Gallant in Columbus. The last two seasons, he was an assistant at Hartford for Kris Knoblauch. for the defense. Murphy will handle the defense and could be in charge of the penalty kill.
The third coach, replacing Greg Brown, will likely an eye in the sky. New York could look for a young coach to mold or bring in a veteran assistant. The hiring of Murphy pretty much means Jacques Martin will not be back with the squad.