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 was Brandt Clarke. Nucker101's selected Mason McTavish for Vancouver while Hockeygm's pick for San Jose was Cole Sillinger and Theo Fox's pick for Chicago was Chaz Lucius. ShallowLarynx selected Fabian Lysell for Calgary while Flyersfan328 pick for the Flyers was Aatu Ray and NYRangers1124’s choice for Dallas was Matthew Coronato. My pick for the NY Rangers at 15 was Fedor Svechkov and Tommycasino's selection for St. Louis at #16 was Xavier Bourgault.
Ross77 traded Winnipeg's pick to Columbus, represented by Slimtj, who selected Jesper Wallstedt for the Blue Jackets. Russ Cohen's pick for the Predators was Carson Ceulemans while maximumbone, Silas Bengtsson's, pick for the Oilers was Sebastian Cossa and Anthony Travaglia selected Zachary Bolduc for Boston to close out the next 10 picks. Jryan88's pick for Minnesota to kick off the last 11 picks was Carson Lambos while fed91stammer's pick for the Red Wings at #22 was Logan Stankoven. Jimbo's pick for the Panthers was Brennan Othmann while Ross77 selected Sasha Pastujov for Winnipeg and jryan88 added Nikita Chibrikov for Minnesota. Bingo's pick for Carolina was Zachary L'Heureux while TommyGTrain's selection for Colorado is below as 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
[email protected]. 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 [email protected] 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 With the 27th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Colorado Avalanche, represented by TommyGTrain, are pleased to select: Francesco Pinelli C/W HDD Jesenice
Rationale for the selection with scouting report along with alternatives considered (both players and trades):
The Avalanche are a deep, talented team. Due to several previous trades, they only have 4 picks in this draft..
Colorado recently promoted a new Director of Amateur Scouting Wade Klippenstein. Klippenstein has been with the organization since 2016 and was primarily focused on players from western Canada, specifically the WHL. Picking this late in the first round, there are no players worthy of the 27th pick here from the WHL.So the Avalanche are happy to see Pinelli available to add to their prospect depth.
Pinelli played for Kitchener in the OHL in 2020 and had a solid season. However, with the 2021 COVID shutdown, he chose to go overseas and played in only 13 games with HDD Jesenice . Had he played a complete OHL season, I think he would have been a much better known player. He also was a leading player for Team Canada at the U18 WJC. He was tied for 3rd in scoring on that gold winning team with the better known prospect Mason McTavish, Thus, I believe he is an under the radar player who may be a hidden gem.
Steve Kourianos did a great review:
If anyone is going to challenge Othmann for the best two-way forward out of the OHL’s 2021 draft class, there’s a good bet it will be Pinelli, who is a well-rounded player and displays consistency both on and off the puck. He is a persistent forechecker who also performs admirably in his own end. You rarely see Pinelli go an entire shift without being involved in one form or another, and his tenaciousness and stick positioning help create turnovers in any zone.
On the puck, Pinelli is a dual-threat who can be a catalyst in the offensive end. In one shift he can catch a goalie off guard with a hard shot; the next, Pinelli can draw defenders out of position with deft stickhandling that opens lanes for his linemates. Like Othmann, Pinelli is used as a one-timer option on the power play, but he also has the ability to be a game breaker at even strength. Although he is listed as center, Pinelli played the majority of last season on the wing.
Other players considered:
1) Zachary L'Heureux: To me, a very overrated prospect. So many comparisons to Marchand have clouded people's judgement. He is a dirty player. Avalanche already have felt the pain of Nazem Kadri, so they will steer clear. (note: went to Carolina the previous pick)
2) Samu Tuomaala and 3) Simon Robertsson: Both are excellent prospects, however as noted above, I believe their first pick will be a Canadian reflecting their new head of scouting's expertise and best player available mentality.
Trades considered: None
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 (87%, 130 votes)
9. Vancouver Canucks - Nucker101, Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough (89%, 168 votes)
10. San Jose from Ottawa- hockeygm, Cole Sillinger, C, Sioux Falls (59%, 68 votes)
11. Chicago Blackhawks - Theo Fox, Blackhawks blogger from site, Chaz Lucius, C, US-NTDP (50%, 109 votes)
12. Calgary Flames - ShallowLarynx, Fabian Lysell, RW, Luleå HF (SHL) (77%, 121 votes)
13. Philadelphia Flyers - Flyersfan328, Phil Brunner, Aatu Raty, C, Oulun Kärpät (Liiga) (58%, 172 votes)
14. Dallas Stars - NYRangers1124, Matthew Coronato, LW, Chicago Steelheads (51%, 43 votes)
15. New York Rangers - Jan Levine, Fyodor Svechkov, C, Ska-1946 (Russia) (59%, 67 votes)
16. St. Louis Blues - Tommycasino, Tom Dueck, Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan (39%, 46 votes)
17. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Winnipeg Jets) - slimTJ, TJ Reilly, Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea (61%, 122 has Winnipeg winning deal) (67%, 66 votes)
18. Nashville Predators - Russ Cohen, Corson Ceulemans – Defense – Brooks Bandits – AJHL (45%, 47 votes)
19. Edmonton Oilers - maximumbone, Silas Bengtsson, Sebastian Cossa, Goalie, Edmonton Oil Kings (81%, 64 votes)
20. Boston Bruins - Anthony Travalgia, Bruins blogger on site, Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski (QMJHL) (55%, 53 votes)
21. Minnesota Wild - jryan88, Carson Lambos, LHD, Winnipeg Ice (75%, 28 votes)
22. Detroit Red Wings (from Washington Capitals) - fed91tstammer, Logan Stankoven, (48%, 33 votes)
23. Florida Panthers - jimbo, Jimmy Reilly, Brennan Othmann, LW, Flint (OHL) (79%, 24 votes)
24. Winnipeg Jets (from Columbus Blue Jackets from Toronto Maple Leafs) - Ross77, Darren Ross, Sasha Pastujov, RW, U.S. NTDP-USHL (68%, 28 votes)
25. Minnesota Wild (from Pittsburgh Penguins) - jryan88, Nikita Chibrikov RW SKA Saint Petersburg (73%, 22 votes)
26. Carolina Hurricanes - Bingo, Chris Cote, Zachary L'Heureux, LW, Halifax (89%, 28 votes)
27. Colorado Avalanche - TommyGTrain, Francesco Pinelli C/W HDD Jesenice
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. Winnipeg Jets (from Columbus Blue Jackets from Tampa Bay Lightning) - Ross77, Darren Ross,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.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»