2021 VHL Mock Draft
Jun 25, 2021 10:00:49 GMT -5
Seattle Kraken, Toronto Maple Leafs, and 5 more like this
Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2021 10:00:49 GMT -5
Following the draft lottery the GM's of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers got together for a full 1st round mock draft. Playoff teams have been ranked according to points percentage. A big thank you to Matt Wills for his time and attention to this exercise.
1. Owen Power (Florida Panthers)
No need to overthink this one. Power used the platform of the World Championships to cement his place at the top of the board. Florida has a fantastic group of young players and prospects, and adding Power could be enough to put that group over the time in a few years time.
2. Matthew Beniers (Chicago Blackhawks)
Now in full rebuild mode and beginning to build their prospect pool the Hawks go with the #1 ranked centre of the draft. They address an area of need and one of the most important positions. A two way threat, Beniers might not dazzle you the way other prospects do but in an unsure year he is a safe pick.
3. William Eklund (Ottawa Senators)
The draft is wide open after the top pick, with a variety of options. Given the unpredictable nature for the draft, Ottawa sticks to what he knows best and selects another highly skilled Scandavian.
4. Luke Hughes (Seattle Kraken)
An electrifying skater, the Kraken can’t pass up on the opportunity to begin building their d core with the youngest Hughes brother. An ankle injury may have ended his season early but make no mistake, Luke Hughes can emerge from this draft as the best offensive defenseman.
5. Simon Edvinsson (Philadelphia Flyers)
Much like the GM in Philly, Edvinsson is a wild card. The Flyers add another high upside defenseman to the rebuild, but will they have the patience to wait for Edvinsson to round out around the edges? Time will tell.
6. Brandt Clarke (Nashville Predators via VAN)
Help on the back end is what Nashville needs and that’s exactly what they’ll get with Clarke. He possesses an extremely high IQ, and already has experience in a pro league(Slovakia).
7. Kent Johnson (Tampa Bay via SJS)
With the quality of high-end skill dipping at the draft nears the end of the top 10, GM Chiu grabs arguably the most skilled player in the draft. Tampa Bay loves players with high production, and with so many shortened seasons, Johnson is one of a few guys remaining who was able to prove his talent on the score board last year.
8. Dylan Guenther (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Pittsburgh GM Brad Palmer will probably sprint to the podium if the VHL draft unfolds this way. A shifty waterbug with one hell of a shot ,one could argue that Guenther is the best forward of the draft. One does have to wonder if the pick is moved for immediate defensive help, something Pittsburgh desperately needs. If Guenther is on the board, the value of this pick skyrockets.
9. Mason McTavish (Nashville Predators)
Much like their NHL counterparts, the Preds look for complete players with few holes, and McTavish is absolutely that guy. Skating may be a minor concern that could limit his upside, but there are not a lot of players in this draft that are projected to stick at centre in an NHL top six.
10. Jesper Wallstedt (Boston Bruins)
Two words, Martin Jones. Boston made a crucial mistake in re signing Jones, forcing them to expose Thatcher Demko in the expansion draft. After a move that could potentially set his rebuild back, it gets put back on track by drafting a goalie with franchise level potential in Wallstedt.
11. Fabian Lysell (Dallas Stars via CAR)
Another highly skilled Swede for our European GM contingent. Dallas is loaded with young talent, and that just continues to accumulate with a guy that opened the season in a lot of scout's top 5.
12. Chaz Lucius (Detroit Red Wings via STL)
The owner of 3 1st round picks, Detroit gets things started by selecting a goal scoring center in Lucius. He’s simply the best player available at this point, going top 10 on some scouts lists.
13. Sebastian Cossa (New York Rangers)
We haven't seen two goalies in the first half of a first round in a long time, and time will tell if it's warranted. But both Cossa and Wallstedt look like the real deal, and the Rangers need to add a goalie to their young group.
14. Carson Lambos (Detroit Red Wings)
Due to a season ending injury, Lambos will more than likely drop on draft day. With some uncertainty around the nature of his injury, many GM’s will be hesitant to call his name. Not Detroit, they see the potential and with multiple 1st round picks they are okay with making a risky play here.
15. Matthew Coronato (Florida Panthers via CGY)
Florida continues to add high end skill with their second pick in this draft. Coronato is a natural scorer with a high compete level, and seems like a guy that will produce.
16. Cole Sillinger (Vegas Golden Knights)
He would be a lock for a top 10 pick if not for skating issues. Vegas continues to add to their skilled prospect group and hope that with time that Sillinger works out his skating and becomes a legit top 6 scorer.
17. Aatu Raty (Anaheim Ducks)
One of the most fascinating prospects in this draft, Raty has slipped from being the consensus #1 in early rankings, to a late first. Raty has all the tools, but seems unable to put it all together...so far. The Ducks will recall the early scouting reports and take a chance on Raty here.
18. Zachary Bolduc (Detroit Red Wings via TOR)
Another risky pick for Detroit. At times Bolduc looks like a top 10 prospect and other times he can make plays that leave you scratching your head. With some consistency he will make GM’s regret passing on him.
19. Corson Ceulemans (Washington Capitals)
Ceulemans is another wild card coming out of the AJHL, but the Caps have shown a willingness to gamble.
20. Francesco Pinelli (Arizona Coyotes via MON)
GM Doogan-Smith goes with the BPA here in Pinelli. A speedy two-way forward, he’s an ideal fit in any lineup. With his OHL season cancelled he spent his year overseas. Had the OHL season happened he may have slid into the top 15.
21. Isak Rosen (Colorado Avalanche)
Is it too easy to just pick all the Swedes when the VHL's European GM's come up? Maybe. Are we gonna do it anyway? Yes.
22. Zachary L’Heureux (Florida Panthers via EDM)
The Panthers system is filled with high end skill so they go a little off the board and select a rat. L’Heureux is a mixture of Marchand and Tom Wilson, yeah you heard that right. While he might not be as skilled as those two, he will still be a pain in the ass to play against.
23. Aleksander Kisakov (Tampa Bay Lightning via MIN)
Tony loves to go off the board, and he's going to take a big risk with Kisakov here. If the U-18's are any indication, this is a smart bet.
24. Xavier Bourgault (New Jersey Devils)
A hard worker and high end playmaker, Bourgault doesn’t come without flaws. His defensive game and skating are a work in progress, and that progress has been slow. If he can fix these issues, he’s a steal this late in the 1st round.
25. Nikita Chibrikov (Chicago Blackhawks via NYI)
It's been a while since we've had a top Russian prospect high in the draft, but the Hawks are hoping they can unearth a hidden gem here.
26. Brennan Othmann (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Another OHL prospect that went overseas to get playing time in, Othmann has one of the best shots in this draft class. A very high risk high reward prospect, CBJ takes a chance here.
27. Logan Stankoven (Florida Panthers via WPG)
More high-end skill for the Panthers, what else did you expect?
28. Daniil Chayka (Tampa Bay Lightning via ARZ)
Ranked much higher on most lists, Chayka falls to Tampa and GM Tony Chiu scoops him right up. A strong two way defender, he spent the year in Russia and even got some playing time in the KHL.
29. Oskar Olausson (Dallas Stars)
If you know you know.
30. Simon Robertsson (Dallas Stars via LAK)
New Dallas GM Jussi Kalmi can’t resist adding Robertsson to an already stacked prospect pool. A pure goal scorer, some may say he’s overlooked after putting up strong numbers in the J20 league in Sweden.
31. Fedor Svechkov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Svechkov played a big role in all situations for Russia at the U-18's and looked the part, so Tony goes back to the dart board with another risky selection.
32. Mackie Samoskevich (Carolina Hurricanes via BUF)
With the final pick in the 1st round, Carolina takes a big swing for the fences and drafts a highly skilled forward in Samoskevich (i do not know how to pronounce that). With a weaker prospect pool and a possible re tool on the horizon, Carolina wants to add high end skill and they do so with this pick.
1. Owen Power (Florida Panthers)
No need to overthink this one. Power used the platform of the World Championships to cement his place at the top of the board. Florida has a fantastic group of young players and prospects, and adding Power could be enough to put that group over the time in a few years time.
2. Matthew Beniers (Chicago Blackhawks)
Now in full rebuild mode and beginning to build their prospect pool the Hawks go with the #1 ranked centre of the draft. They address an area of need and one of the most important positions. A two way threat, Beniers might not dazzle you the way other prospects do but in an unsure year he is a safe pick.
3. William Eklund (Ottawa Senators)
The draft is wide open after the top pick, with a variety of options. Given the unpredictable nature for the draft, Ottawa sticks to what he knows best and selects another highly skilled Scandavian.
4. Luke Hughes (Seattle Kraken)
An electrifying skater, the Kraken can’t pass up on the opportunity to begin building their d core with the youngest Hughes brother. An ankle injury may have ended his season early but make no mistake, Luke Hughes can emerge from this draft as the best offensive defenseman.
5. Simon Edvinsson (Philadelphia Flyers)
Much like the GM in Philly, Edvinsson is a wild card. The Flyers add another high upside defenseman to the rebuild, but will they have the patience to wait for Edvinsson to round out around the edges? Time will tell.
6. Brandt Clarke (Nashville Predators via VAN)
Help on the back end is what Nashville needs and that’s exactly what they’ll get with Clarke. He possesses an extremely high IQ, and already has experience in a pro league(Slovakia).
7. Kent Johnson (Tampa Bay via SJS)
With the quality of high-end skill dipping at the draft nears the end of the top 10, GM Chiu grabs arguably the most skilled player in the draft. Tampa Bay loves players with high production, and with so many shortened seasons, Johnson is one of a few guys remaining who was able to prove his talent on the score board last year.
8. Dylan Guenther (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Pittsburgh GM Brad Palmer will probably sprint to the podium if the VHL draft unfolds this way. A shifty waterbug with one hell of a shot ,one could argue that Guenther is the best forward of the draft. One does have to wonder if the pick is moved for immediate defensive help, something Pittsburgh desperately needs. If Guenther is on the board, the value of this pick skyrockets.
9. Mason McTavish (Nashville Predators)
Much like their NHL counterparts, the Preds look for complete players with few holes, and McTavish is absolutely that guy. Skating may be a minor concern that could limit his upside, but there are not a lot of players in this draft that are projected to stick at centre in an NHL top six.
10. Jesper Wallstedt (Boston Bruins)
Two words, Martin Jones. Boston made a crucial mistake in re signing Jones, forcing them to expose Thatcher Demko in the expansion draft. After a move that could potentially set his rebuild back, it gets put back on track by drafting a goalie with franchise level potential in Wallstedt.
11. Fabian Lysell (Dallas Stars via CAR)
Another highly skilled Swede for our European GM contingent. Dallas is loaded with young talent, and that just continues to accumulate with a guy that opened the season in a lot of scout's top 5.
12. Chaz Lucius (Detroit Red Wings via STL)
The owner of 3 1st round picks, Detroit gets things started by selecting a goal scoring center in Lucius. He’s simply the best player available at this point, going top 10 on some scouts lists.
13. Sebastian Cossa (New York Rangers)
We haven't seen two goalies in the first half of a first round in a long time, and time will tell if it's warranted. But both Cossa and Wallstedt look like the real deal, and the Rangers need to add a goalie to their young group.
14. Carson Lambos (Detroit Red Wings)
Due to a season ending injury, Lambos will more than likely drop on draft day. With some uncertainty around the nature of his injury, many GM’s will be hesitant to call his name. Not Detroit, they see the potential and with multiple 1st round picks they are okay with making a risky play here.
15. Matthew Coronato (Florida Panthers via CGY)
Florida continues to add high end skill with their second pick in this draft. Coronato is a natural scorer with a high compete level, and seems like a guy that will produce.
16. Cole Sillinger (Vegas Golden Knights)
He would be a lock for a top 10 pick if not for skating issues. Vegas continues to add to their skilled prospect group and hope that with time that Sillinger works out his skating and becomes a legit top 6 scorer.
17. Aatu Raty (Anaheim Ducks)
One of the most fascinating prospects in this draft, Raty has slipped from being the consensus #1 in early rankings, to a late first. Raty has all the tools, but seems unable to put it all together...so far. The Ducks will recall the early scouting reports and take a chance on Raty here.
18. Zachary Bolduc (Detroit Red Wings via TOR)
Another risky pick for Detroit. At times Bolduc looks like a top 10 prospect and other times he can make plays that leave you scratching your head. With some consistency he will make GM’s regret passing on him.
19. Corson Ceulemans (Washington Capitals)
Ceulemans is another wild card coming out of the AJHL, but the Caps have shown a willingness to gamble.
20. Francesco Pinelli (Arizona Coyotes via MON)
GM Doogan-Smith goes with the BPA here in Pinelli. A speedy two-way forward, he’s an ideal fit in any lineup. With his OHL season cancelled he spent his year overseas. Had the OHL season happened he may have slid into the top 15.
21. Isak Rosen (Colorado Avalanche)
Is it too easy to just pick all the Swedes when the VHL's European GM's come up? Maybe. Are we gonna do it anyway? Yes.
22. Zachary L’Heureux (Florida Panthers via EDM)
The Panthers system is filled with high end skill so they go a little off the board and select a rat. L’Heureux is a mixture of Marchand and Tom Wilson, yeah you heard that right. While he might not be as skilled as those two, he will still be a pain in the ass to play against.
23. Aleksander Kisakov (Tampa Bay Lightning via MIN)
Tony loves to go off the board, and he's going to take a big risk with Kisakov here. If the U-18's are any indication, this is a smart bet.
24. Xavier Bourgault (New Jersey Devils)
A hard worker and high end playmaker, Bourgault doesn’t come without flaws. His defensive game and skating are a work in progress, and that progress has been slow. If he can fix these issues, he’s a steal this late in the 1st round.
25. Nikita Chibrikov (Chicago Blackhawks via NYI)
It's been a while since we've had a top Russian prospect high in the draft, but the Hawks are hoping they can unearth a hidden gem here.
26. Brennan Othmann (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Another OHL prospect that went overseas to get playing time in, Othmann has one of the best shots in this draft class. A very high risk high reward prospect, CBJ takes a chance here.
27. Logan Stankoven (Florida Panthers via WPG)
More high-end skill for the Panthers, what else did you expect?
28. Daniil Chayka (Tampa Bay Lightning via ARZ)
Ranked much higher on most lists, Chayka falls to Tampa and GM Tony Chiu scoops him right up. A strong two way defender, he spent the year in Russia and even got some playing time in the KHL.
29. Oskar Olausson (Dallas Stars)
If you know you know.
30. Simon Robertsson (Dallas Stars via LAK)
New Dallas GM Jussi Kalmi can’t resist adding Robertsson to an already stacked prospect pool. A pure goal scorer, some may say he’s overlooked after putting up strong numbers in the J20 league in Sweden.
31. Fedor Svechkov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Svechkov played a big role in all situations for Russia at the U-18's and looked the part, so Tony goes back to the dart board with another risky selection.
32. Mackie Samoskevich (Carolina Hurricanes via BUF)
With the final pick in the 1st round, Carolina takes a big swing for the fences and drafts a highly skilled forward in Samoskevich (i do not know how to pronounce that). With a weaker prospect pool and a possible re tool on the horizon, Carolina wants to add high end skill and they do so with this pick.
