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, Edmonton is on the board and strong whispers are that a deal is in the works.
Consensus was that Boqvist was the right selection, with 72% of the approximately 280 votes as of press time of this blog agreeing with the pick
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 9th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Rangers select Evan Bouchard, defenseman, London (OHL).
Rationale for the selection:
Bouchard is one of the smartest players in this draft and the is a natural PP QB, something the Rangers haven't had in almost 2 decades. He's not without his flaws. He doesn't have elite skating ability and needs to get strong. But he's a natural leader that knows how to put up points.
I asked why not Veleno, Kotkaniemi or Ty Smith?
Response: Veleno reminds a lot of Kevin Hayes. He's very good. I just don't know if he's gonna score enough at the NHL level to justify himself as a top 10 pick, Kotkaniemi is great, I just don't know if he's a center or LW, he spent this past year the Finnish league as a LW. Ty Smith is left handed and undersized. And not that there is anything wrong with that, look at Neal Pionk, Torey Krug, Ryan Ellis etc, but Ty Smith would go on the side with Day, Lindgren, Rykov, Skjei, O'Gara (expendable), Hajek and Gilmour.
Up for the 10th pick in the draft are the Oilers and selecting for Edmonton will be slimtj100, who is on the clock (Pick or trade 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 - Slimtj100
Islanders (2x) - Chiefs
Dallas - tumbleweed/Adam French
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)
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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