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 just picked Adam Boqvist and the Rangers selected Evan Bouchard.
Consensus was that Bouchard was the right selection, with 76% of the approximately 340 votes as of press time of this blog agreeing with the pick.
There is a trade to announce : Edmonton, represented by slimtj, trades the 10th and 133th picks along with Ethan Bear to Dallas, represented by tumbleweed and Adam French, for 13 and Julius Honka. Both teams’ rationale and Dallas’ selection with the pick is below. Isles, represented by eichiefs, is on the board for two picks.
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 jan.levine@gmail.com. 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.
Rationale for the trade:
Tumbleweed
I think I’m getting a good prospect in Bear to replace Honka in the system. Honka can't crack the junk top 6 Dallas is putting out there. I think it's time for change of scenery for him. I really like Kotkainiemi. I would have taken him as high as 6th. so to get him at 10 is a huge win. I also think there is big drop in talent from 5-10 and whoever is available at 11.Honka Despite some gaudy possession numbers, Honka’s play didn’t translate into goals for his team (GAR: 0.32, Corsica) this past season. At 22, he had a lot of trouble cracking the Stars top 6 that needed help. With 9 points in 58 NHL games, a change of scenery may help Honka. But overall, size and defensive play without the puck are still a concern for me. Wish him well in Edmonton where he may get more PP time.
Bear A good mobile dman that replaces Honka in the system (but as a downgrade for upside potential). Put up a very good 0.5 points per game in the AHL as a 20 year-old and is prospect trending up since being drafted. Could be NHL ready this year.
10 for 13: To me there is a significant talent drop off from the top 10 picks to number 11. The price to move up to 10 was high, but well worth it to get the top center in the draft and player I would have taken as high as 6th.
Slimtj100
Rationale would be that once I saw the big 4-5 d-men picked I wanted to trade down. Couldn’t justify taking Wilde or Smith, for example, ahead of a Kotkaniemi. And being that Edmonton is more of a win now mantra, I wanted to get an NHL ready d-man that I could insert into my top 6, rather then a forward id have to wait for, and I think Honka does that.There D is in a pretty bad spot currently. I don’t expect a helluva lot from Honka, but he’s a young cost controlled d-man and a right handed shot (which I value highly). Edmonton salaries are pretty high so getting a player like that is a pretty good positive. And the second part is like I said, I knew at the point where 13 would be I can pretty much guarantee myself getting Wilde or Smith. So I pick up a NHL ready player and only move down a few spots. I will say I had offered around to get maybe a better player then Honka and move down further, but it didn’t materialize.
Also, I think I’d take into account, assuming a real GM covets a player, that he’ll give up something like that to obtain the pick to get the prospect. In this case Jesperi is probably the last of the kids that teams would covet.
With the 10th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the Dallas Stars select Jesperi Kotkaniemi, winger, Assat (FIN).
Rationale for the selection:
At 6’2…, Kotkaniemi has the size, skill and smarts to be a future number 1 center in the NHL. He has decent speed and with high-end play making ability a very strong hockey sense. He’s a high-end offensive player that drives play.
One of the youngest players in the draft, held his own against men in Finland’s top league. Kotkaniemi scored at very similar pace to Miko Rantanen in Finland’s top league; but as a year younger than Rantanen!
I had him as the top forward behind Svechnikov and Zadina. Kotakaniemi is player maker that uses his creativity to drive play and has an NHL shot. Wahlstrom was a player that didn’t drive offense and put up more goals after Q.Huges joined the team. Tkachuk, is a strong but older player that struggled scoring goals against NCAA goalies despite driving play. A steal to get at 10 for me. With Miro Heiskanen and Kotkaniemi the Stars have 2 potential very good future NHL players at key positions.
Up for the 11th and 12th picks in the draft are the Islanders and selecting for New York will be eichiefs, who is on the clock (Pick will be posted tomorrow)
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 – traded to Dallas, Stars pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi Islanders (2x) -Chiefs Dallas – tumbleweed, traded to Edmonton, slimtj100 Philadelphia- jmatchett383 (picks 14 and 19) Florida - jimbo
Non-lottery teams : Colorado - Ranger71 New Jersey - Todd Cordell (Devils blogger on site) Columbus - Paul Berthelot (Jackets blogger on the site) Los Angeles - Steve Kournianos (@thedraftanalyst) San Jose- Sharksfan68 Toronto - Matt1337 Anaheim - Climbdenali12 Minnesota - Dan Wallace (Wild blogger on site) St. Louis - Isles (Vukota) Washington - Russ Cohen (@sportsology)