2016 NHL Mock Draft: Final Edition

Here is my final edition of my 2016 NHL Mock Draft.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs- Auston Matthews, Center, Zurich, Switzerland: Matthews has the look of the kind of franchise center a team can build around. Matthews was a dominant force in the Swiss league and was Team USA's best player at the World Championship at just 18 years old. He appears to be the total package, with good speed, strength, excellent hockey sense, a quick and accurate shot, high-end puck skills and improving defensive play. He could be an instant impact player for the Leafs.

2. Winnipeg Jets- Patrik Laine, Wing, Tappara, Finland: There's a good reason Laine has closed the gap on Matthews in the first overall debate. His MVP performance in the Finnish league playoffs during which he scored 10 goals in leading Tappara to the championship was nothing short of remarkable. A natural goal scorer with a big 6-foot-4, 209-pound frame, he has the potential to be one of the NHL's elite snipers.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets- Jesse Puljujarvi, Wing, Karpat, Finland: The Blue Jackets are reportedly entertaining the idea of trading this pick, but it appears more likely they'll keep it. Puljujarvi, who had 28 points in 50 games in the Finnish league this year, would be the best player available. Puljujarvi is a gifted all-around forward, whose skill has allowed him to be a top offensive contributor. Puljujarvi was the MVP of the World Junior Championship last year after putting up an absurd 17 points in seven games in leading Finland to gold.

4. Edmonton Oilers- Matthew Tkachuk, Wing, London (OHL): It’s definitely a reach for the Oilers to consider taking a defenseman at this point, and we think it’s more likely the Oilers package this pick with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Nail Yakupov to deal for a veteran blueliner. But if they stay put, it would be awfully hard to pass on a gritty winger who can ride shotgun to Connor McDavid for the next decade.

5. Vancouver Canucks- Pierre-Luc Dubois, Wing/Center, Cape Breton (QMJHL): Dubois is an intriguing talent out of the QMJHL where he had 99 points in 62 games for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Another big-bodied forward who plays primarily on the wing, Dubois has some more power-forward elements in his game. He's also considered among the better two-way forwards in this group of the top five. He has the size, strength and snarl that should attract the Canucks even though they'd have to think long and hard about taking one of the top three defensemen in this position.

6. Calgary Flames- Logan Brown, Center, Windsor (OHL): He’s a 6-6 center, and the Flames want to be a big team that is difficult to play against. Can’t you see Brown playing for a Brian Burke team?

7. Arizona Coyotes- Mikhail Sergachev, Defenseman, Windsor (OHL): Despite the change just ahead of them, the Coyotes will still get one of the three top-end defensemen available in the draft. Sergachev has good size and tremendous offensive instincts. There's poise in his game that suggests an easy transition to the pros. He also would help the Coyotes address their most glaring need in their system.

8. Buffalo Sabres- Olli Juolevi, Defenseman, London Knights (OHL): Since they acquired Jimmy Vesey earlier this week, the needs the Sabres might still have up front start to go away. This addresses some of the problems the team still has with its blue line, as Juolevi is considered a quality puck-mover because he, too, is a great skater. Extremely high IQ, big body, all that kind of stuff. The overall Buffalo offense for 2018-19 gets a whole lot scarier.

9. Montreal Canadiens- Clayton Keller, Center, U.S. National Development Team: Keller's not exactly big, but his skill is overwhelming. Between the US Development programs games in the USHL and in other games, he scored 158 points in 94 appearances, which is a whole hell of a lot. It's not like the Canadiens are shy about taking highly skilled, smaller guys (one of the organization's admirable qualities). Plus, Keller is heading to Boston University in the fall, and that place is quickly turning into even more of an NHL factory than it has been historically.

10. Colorado Avalanche- Jakob Chychrun, Defenseman, Sarnia (OHL): Coming into the year, many believed Chychrun was Matthews' best competition for No. 1, but just because Chychrun slipped down the rankings doesn't mean he had a disappointing year. A solid two-way defenseman, the Avs would be loving it if he slipped to 10. Chychrun had 49 points in 62 games.

11. New Jersey Devils- Alexander Nylander, Wing, Mississauga (OHL): The Devils, as ever, need offense, and the kid who finished first in the OHL in points per game among U-18s fits the bill. The bloodlines are there, and his obvious skill level immediately tells you plenty about what he can do with the puck. He needs to fill out the body a little more, but basically anyone you're picking at this point of the draft is very unlikely to be in the NHL in the next season or two anyway.

12. Ottawa Senators- Tyson Jost, Center, Penticton (BCHL): Another player that very well could go higher than this, Jost was phenomenal this season. Set to play for the University of North Dakota next year, teams are going to be taken by his high-end offensive IQ with the puck skills to match. He had 42 goals in 48 games for Penticton, then dominated the World U18 Championship with 15 points in seven games for Canada.

13. Carolina Hurricanes- Kieffer Bellows, Wing, U.S. National Development Team: After taking defensemen with their top picks in each of the last two years, the Hurricanes could be looking at a forward at No. 13. One of the best available is Bellows, who put up 50 goals playing alongside Clayton Keller last season at the National Team Development Program. The son of former NHL sniper Brian Bellows, Kieffer has some power elements in his game to go along with his devastating shot.

14. Boston Bruins- Jake Bean, Defenseman, Calgary (WHL): The buzz is growing around Bean. He was listed as the third best defenseman on Bob McKenzie's final rankings on TSN and is one of the draft's most dynamic offensive defensemen. Boston needs more of what Bean can bring to the roster in the near future.

15. Minnesota Wild- Charlie McAvoy, Defenseman, Boston University (NCAA): The Wild are reportedly going to be busy in the trade market and may be dealing from their stable of younger defensemen. That opens a spot to pick one at No. 15, at which point McAvoy looks like a strong possibility. He's polished and productive.

16. Detroit Red Wings- Dante Fabbro, Defenseman, Penticton (BCHL): Fabbro is a talented puck mover who will also be in the neighborhood bext year as he has committed to play at Boston University. He had 67 points in 45 games last season and starred for Canada at the World Under-18 championship.

17. Nashville Predators- Luke Kunin, Center, Wisconsin (NCAA): Kunin never looked like a true freshman at Wisconsin last season. The 18-year-old finished with 32 points in 34 games and was the best player on a poor team.

18. Philadelphia Flyers- Julien Gauthier, Wing, Val-d’Or (QMJHL): The point total isn't there for this guy  — 57 in 54 — but consider this: 41 of those points (almost 3 out of every 4) were goals. This has to be the CHL Cy Young winner by a pretty wide margin. He's a 6-foot-4 power forward who scored 40 damn goals in his draft year. Flyers are lucky to get him here.

19. New York Islanders- Michael McLeod, Center, Mississauga (OHL): Every scout believes McLeod will be a player. The discord comes when they argue about what type of player he'll be. Some see him as a dependable, two-way forward who makes things happen at both ends of the ice with his skating. Others think he can be a dangerous weapon once his hands catch up to his feet. He'd add size and speed to an organization that is loaded on the back end and needs some talent up front.

20. Arizona Coyotes (via New York Rangers)- Max Jones, Wing, London (OHL): Big, strong, aggressive, borderline dirty ... this kid was born to wear black and orange. Jones projects as a middle-six power forward who can rev up the team with his motor or a big hit. Plays a hard north-south game and has better offensive tools than he gets credit for.

21. Carolina Hurricanes (via Los Angeles Kings)- Riley Tufte, Wing, Fargo Force (USHL): Tufte could be a good long-term option, but he’s really raw and his dominance of high-school hockey didn’t translate to junior. He would be a nice fit with Carolina.

22. Winnipeg Jets (via Chicago Blackhawks)- Logan Stanley, Defenseman, Windsor (OHL): With one first round win under their belts, the Jets can afford to swing for the fences with this high-upside prospect. Stanley is a massive, shutdown defender who uses his size and physicality to quell any opposing attack. But is that all there is? Any team using a first-rounder on him will have to believe that he can become more effective outside his own zone.

23. Florida Panthers- Alex DeBrincat, Center/Wing, Erie (OHL): The Panthers are a real wild card based on how they shuffled their draft. It's not entirely clear who will have the final say on this pick. That said, this team has never been scared of drafting smaller players. When that player has two 51-goal seasons in the OHL, it makes that decision even easier.

24. Anaheim Ducks- German Rubstov, Center, RussiaU18 (MHL): It is notoriously difficult to determine how good Russian players actually are. Scoring in that league is weird, and the relatively new MHL is rather low-level in terms of junior development. But his performances in international competition are solid (1-3-4 in five games at the Ivan Hlinka, 2-4-6 in four at the Junior A U-19s). Well-rounded, elite hockey sense, etc. That's what you get when you read about him, and at 24 that might become a value pick for you.

25. Dallas Stars- Brett Howden, Center, Moose Jaw (WHL): There's a good chance Howden doesn't slip this low, especially after his outstanding performance at the World Under-18 Championship in the spring. He had five goals over six games at that tournament, which followed his junior season. With the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors, Howden had 64 points in 68 games and put up 15 points in 10 postseason contests. Another center with a pro build, Howden should have the edge on the players remaining.

26. Washington Capitals- Dennis Cholowski, Defenseman, Chilliwack: It's all projection with Cholowski, who feasted on lesser competition in the BCHL this season. He's painfully thin and that's made him easy to push around, but scouts look at how quickly he's grown and think it's only a matter of time before his body fills out. In the meantime, they rave about his skating, his hockey sense and his positioning.

27. Tampa Bay Lightning- Tage Thompson, Center, Connecticut (NCAA): A frame like that is bound to grab the attention of scouts, but that doesn't mean they agree on what he could become. Thompson's 14 goals were a decent total for a freshman, but 13 of them came with the extra man. That will drop him in some books, but raise him in others since that total led the nation.

28. Saint Louis Blues- Libor Hajek, Defenseman, Saskatoon (WHL): Solidly build, defense-first defenseman. That's not to downplay his skating ability or hockey sense—he's strong in both areas. But his natural inclination is to take care of his own zone. He has great instincts, has a good stick and is tough to beat one-on-one. He's a safe bet to play on the second pair.

29. Boston Bruins (via San Jose Sharks)- Pascal Laberge, Wing/Center, Victoriaville (QMJHL): Laberge scored 68 points in 56 games, but was a pretty late birthdate (he's about six months younger than Matthews). Didn't exactly set the world on fire shooting the puck, but his passing is of a high quality.

30. Anaheim Ducks (from Toronto Maple Leafs via Pittsburgh Penguins)- Boris Katchouk, Wing, Ste. Marie (OHL): There's nothing fancy about Katchouk. He fills that hard-nosed energy role, bringing intensity and determination to every shift. He's more of a support player in the attack zone than a driver, but don't underestimate his offensive potential. He won't be a highlight reel staple, but he'll score the kind of goals that make a difference come crunch time.