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, Edmonton drafted Jesperi Kotkaniemi while the Islanders picked Joseph Veleno and Ty Smith, Dallas grabbed Vitali Kravtsov and Philadelphia selected Joel Farabee. The consensus was that Farabee was the right pick, with 86% of the approximately 265 votes agreeing with the selection
Florida's pick is below ending the lottery selections and Colorado is on the clock. I am waiting to hear from Ranger71 and have DDM-Coga lined up to make the pick in case Ranger71 doesn't get back to me. In addition, beginning Sunday, I will start going 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 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.
With the 15th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the Florida Panthers, represented by jimbo, select Grigori Denisenko, left wing, Yaroslavl 2 (RUS-JR.)
Rationale for the selection: Disappointed by the inability to sign their 2016 2nd round pick, LW Adam Mescherin, the Panthers take a gamble a go after a Russian dynamo who could be one of the top pure offensive players and most fluid skaters in the draft.
Signability could once again become an issue, as Denisenko could ultimately become a problem to lure to North America from the KHL, but the Panthers can't resist a talent like Denisenko, and envision him riding shotgun alongside the great Aleksander Barkov for years to come.
Up for the 16th pick in the draft are the Avalanche and selecting for Colorado will be Ranger71, who is on the clock (Pick posted later today).
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- Joel Farabee (jmatchett383 will also pick 19th) Florida - Grigori Denisenko
Non-lottery teams : Colorado - Ranger71/DDM-Coga 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)