The third mock Hockey Buzz mock draft driven by the readers and a few special guests kicked off Monday. The first five were Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Tim Sturzle, Marco Rossi and Cole Perfetti, the latter of which favored by 35% of the 200+ voters. But with several other possible choices, Perfetti might have garnered the highest vote of any of those candidates. The selection by Anaheim, with optimus-reim picking, is below with New Jersey, represented by red monsters on the clock and Buffalo, represented by KilkennyDan, on deck. Below is the voting poll, please weigh in with your view.
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: the team’s selector will email me at [email protected] their pick, rationale and any alternatives for that selection. I will post that pick and rationale on the site and create a voting poll. That poll will likely include alternatives that were considered with each voter allowed to select one option.
With the 6th Overall Pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks, represented by optimus-reim, select Anton Lundell, C, HIFK (LIIGA)
Rationale for the selection with scouting report along with alternatives considered (both players and trades):
When you think of elite two way centres you think of Bergeron, Barkov, Couturier, Toews, Koivu and Kopitar.
At 18 years old Lundell has a big, broad NHL ready body at 6’2 and 191 pounds. He is dominant defensively and surprisingly creative in the offensive zone. His faceoff win percentage was higher than Barkov in his draft year.
Lundell has played against men for two years and this past year was HIFK’s #1 centre. Murray picks a player who could easily slot into Anaheim’s forward group this upcoming year and have limited success. Many scouts who have witnessed Lundells rise are sold on him being a Barkov/Bergeron/Kopitar hybrid. Zegras/Lundell/Henrique could be a lethal threat up the middle in a couple years.
Watch the very first clip to see how underrated Lundell is offensively:
https://youtu.be/F4BezExQdgw
Ryan Kennedy - The Hockey News
"Lundell is practically plug-and-play. A big center who always makes sure he takes care of his own end, Lundell will be in the NHL for a long time."
Cam Robinson - Dobber Prospects
"A polished, two-way centre who already brings the full package. His patience with the puck allows him to distribute the puck with more efficiency. Boasts an elite brain to support his well-rounded style. "
Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com
"The two-way left-hand shot is tough to knock off his skates on the cycle, can protect the puck extremely well and finds teammates in traffic."
Steve Koumianos - The Draft Analyst
"Lundell projects to be a top-six center who can play on special teams and take key faceoffs. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that some teams may have Lundell as high as third or fourth on their internal draft boards. He’s intelligent, mature, and one of the more polished prospects available.
Tony Ferrari - Dobber Prospects
"The team drafting him will get about as close to a readymade top-line center. He will be able to affect the game at both ends of the ice almost immediately. He likely won’t have to go through the usual stint on the wing that many young centers have to go through in the NHL because of how mature his game is already."
Trades Considered:
Trade accepted by Minnesota Wild GM “dudestar”.
To Anaheim
Dumba
9th overall
2021 1st (top 10 protected, whichever pick ends up lower - between Penguins and Wild, is the pick that Anaheim gets)
To Minnesota
6th overall66th overall
Lundestrom
Getzlaf (50% retained)
I’m not sure why Wild GM accepts this, however, Anaheim agrees to the trade and takes Lundell 9th overall in this scenario. Dumba, Lundell and a 2021 first? And get rid of Getzlaf?
Anaheim runs to the podium to select the player they were going to pick at 6th. Murray looks like a genius here.
2020 NHL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND ORDER AND GMs
1. New York Rangers - Jan Levine - Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski, OMJHL
2. Los Angeles Kings - Kooleus, Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury, OHL
3. Ottawa Senators (via San Jose Sharks) - spatso, Tim Stutzle, C, Mannheim, DEL
4. Detroit Red Wings - feds91stammer, Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa, OHL
5. Ottawa Senators - spatso, Cole Perfetti, LW, Saginaw, OHL
6. Anaheim Ducks - optimus-reim, Luke Herrington, Anton Lundell, C, HIFK, LIIGA
7. New Jersey Devils - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett, Thursday, Sept 17 am
8. Buffalo Sabres - KilkennyDan, Dan Sovocol, Thursday. Sept. 17 pm
9. Minnesota Wild - dudestar, Nicholas Plazio, Friday. Sept. 18 am
10. Winnipeg Jets - Ross77, Darren Ross, Friday, Sept. 18 around 6pm, then a break
11. Nashville Predators - slimtj, TJ Reilly, Monday, Sept. 21 am
12. Florida Panthers - jimbo, Jimmy Reilly, Monday, Sept. 21 pm
13. Carolina Hurricanes (via Toronto Maple Leafs) - Bingo, Chris Cote, Tuesday, Sept. 22 am
14. Edmonton Oilers - maximumbone, Silas Bengtsson, Tuesday, Sept. 22 pm
15. Toronto Maple Leafs (via Pittsburgh Penguins) - Michael Augello, Leafs blogger on site, Wednesday, Sept. 23 am
16. Montreal Canadiens - Vivian Lapeirre, bi-lingual, Wednesday, Sept. 23 pm
17. Chicago Blackhawks - Theo Fox, Chicago blogger on site, Thursday, Sept. 24 am
18. New Jersey Devils (from Arizona) - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett, Thursday, Sept. 24 pm
19. Calgary Flames - deddie, Dan Ethier, Friday, Sept. 25 am
20. New Jersey Devils (from Vancouver via Tampa Bay) - redmonsters, Kevin Barrett, Friday, Sept 25 pm
21. Columbus Blue Jackets, Thomas Townsend, Columbus blogger on site, Sunday, Sept. 27 am
22. New York Rangers (from Carolina) - Jan, Tuesday Sept. 29 am
23. Philadelphia Flyers - Flyersfan328, Phil Brunner, Tuesday Sept. 29 pm
24. Colorado Avalanche - climbdenali12, Ryan Armstrong, Wednesday, Sept. 30 am
25. Washington Capitals - winerydog, Wednesday, Sept. 30 pm
26. St. Louis Blues, jediman, Brendan Smith, Thursday, Oct. 1 in am
27. Anaheim Ducks (from Boston) - optimus-reim, Luke Herrington, Thursday, Oct. 1 in pm
28-31. Pick order TBD - picks will be Friday, Oct. 2 in am, Friday, Oct 2 around 5 pm, - Monday Oct 5 in am and Monday, Oct 5 inpm
Dallas (Russ Cohen, sportsology)
Vegas (JRR1285, Josh Ruiz)
Ottawa (acquired from New York Islanders in JG Pageau deal - spatso)
San Jose (acquired from Tampa Bay in Barclay Goodrow deal (Jeremy Barber, user id: barberjw, email: barbjw26@gmail) -
Looking forward to running this again. We had a ton of fun last season. That should be the same again this year with New York having the first and 22nd picks in the first round.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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