2015 NHL Re-Draft

Here I'm going to re-draft the First Round of the 2015 NHL Draft. How many picks will be the same? How many picks will be different?

1. Edmonton Oilers- Connor McDavid, Center, Erie Otters (OHL): No due-over here as the Oilers take their man in McDavid. He's the best player in the league already and has a Hart Trophy under his belt and he'll have many more of those throughout what should be a Hall of Fame career.
Actual Pick: McDavid

2. Buffalo Sabres- Jack Eichel, Center, Boston University: No due-over here either as the Sabres take their guy in Eichel. He hasn't been healthy for parts of his young career, but still has the upside and ability to be a franchise player.
Actual Pick: Eichel

3. Arizona Coyotes- Mathew Barzal, Center, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL): The Coyotes take Barzal here in the re-draft as he's emerged as one of the steals of this draft where the Isles took him. Barzal is the runaway favorite for the Calder Trophy as he put up gaudy numbers as a rookie.
Actual Pick: Dylan Strome, Center, Erie Otters (OHL)

4. Toronto Maple Leafs- Zach Werenski, Defenseman, Michigan: The Leafs take Werenski here to improve their defense. Werenski is emerging as one of the defensive players in this league and will be on the Jackets top pairing with Seth Jones for years to come.
Actual Pick: Mitch Marner, Wing, London Knights (OHL)

5. Carolina Hurricanes- Noah Hanifin, Defenseman, Boston College: No due-over here as the Canes take their guy in Hanafin, who has room to grow as a player. He made the All-Star team this year and he will be a top pair guy for years to come.
Actual Pick: Hanifin

6. New York Devils- Mikko Rantanen, Wing, TPS Turku (Finland): Rantanen proven to be a steal at where the Avs selected him. Rantanen put up gaudy numbers playing alongside Nathan MacKinnon and imagine how much of a weapon he'd by in the Devils offense alongside Taylor Hall?
Actual Pick: Pavel Zacha, Center, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

7. Philadelphia Flyers- Mitch Marner, Wing, London Knights (OHL): Marner drops to 7 in the re-draft as the Flyers would get a steal. Marner has been a big part of the Maple Leafs success the last two seasons playing alongside Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
Actual Pick: Ivan Provorov, Defenseman, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

8. Columbus Blue Jackets- Ivan Provorov, Defenseman, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL): With Werenski off the board, the Jackets take Provorov to improve their blue-line. Provorov has been a big part of the Flyers success this season and will be key for them going forward.
Actual Pick: Zach Werenski, Defenseman, Michigan

9. San Jose Sharks- Brock Boeser, Wing, Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL): Boeser proved to be a steal at where the Canucks selected him. Boeser should be a finalist for the Calder Trophy and he would be a nice fit in the Sharks top six too.
Actual Pick: Timo Meier, Wing, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

10. Colorado Avalanche- Sebastian Aho, Wing, Karpat (Liiga): With Rantanen off the board, the Avs take Aho, who proved to be a monster steal at where the Canes selected him in the second round. Aho will be a top six forward for years to come and he would have fit nicely with the Avs.
Actual Pick: Mikko Rantanen, Wing, TPS Turku (Finland)

11. Florida Panthers- Kyle Connor, Wing, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL): Connor proved to be a steal at where the Jets selected him. The Panthers take Connor here to add to their young offensive core and would nicely fit into their top six.
Actual Pick: Lawson Crouse, Wing, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

12. Dallas Stars- Colin White, Center, USA NTDP (USHL): White hasn't played up to potential and injuries are a huge reason why. White still has a chance to be a top six guy and he would have been a solid choice here for the Stars.
Actual Pick: Denis Guryanov, Wing, Lada Togliatti (KHL)

13. Boston Bruins (from Los Angeles Kings)- Travis Konecny, Center, Ottawa 67’s (OHL): Konency proven to be a steal at where the Flyers selected him. Konency helped the Flyers make the playoffs this season and would have been either trade bait or a third line guy for the Bruins.
Actual Pick: Jakub Zboril, Defenseman, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

14. Boston Bruins- Jake DeBrusk, Wing, Swift Current (WHL): No due-over here as the B's take DeBrusk to get themselves another young asset. DeBrusk has helped the Bruins this season and I'm interested to see if he's apart of their long term future or not due to all their young assets they have and they cannot keep everybody.
Actual Pick: DeBrusk

15. Boston Bruins (from Calgary Flames)- Thomas Chabot, Defenseman, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL): The Sens snagged a probable steal with Chabot at where they selected him. His upside is a top pairing defenseman and a future Bruins top pairing of Chabot and Charlie McAvoy would have been enticing.
Actual Pick: Zachary Senyshyn, Wing, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

16. New York Islanders (from Pittsburgh Penguins via Edmonton Oilers)- Timo Meier, Wing, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL): With Barzal off the board, the Isles take another forward in Meier, who could have fit nicely with the Isles too. Meier has room to grow as a player and has contributed for the Sharks this season.
Actual Pick: Mathew Barzal, Center, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

17. Winnipeg Jets- Anthony Beauvillier, Wing, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL): Beauvillier proved to be a steal where the Isles selected him. Beauvillier was productive for the Isles this season and will be a piece for them going forward.
Actual Pick: Kyle Connor, Center/Wing, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)

18. Ottawa Senators- Dylan Strome, Center, Erie Otters (OHL): With Chabot off the board, the Sens go offense and take Strome to bet on his upside and potential. He hasn't really panned out thus far, but he still has room to grow as a player.
Actual Pick: Thomas Chabot, Defenseman, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

19. Detroit Red Wings- Nick Merkley, Wing, Kelowna (WHL): Merkley proved to be a bit of a steal at where the Coyotes picked him. He's probably a long term piece for them going forward and would have been a nice fit in the Red Wings rebuild too.
Actual Pick: Evgeny Svechnikov, Wing, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)

20. Minnesota Wild- Jakub Zboril, Defenseman, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL): Zobril drops a few spots in the re-draft as the Wild take him here. Zbroil will probably slide into the Bruins top four
someday and he would have been a nice depth piece here for the Wild.
Actual Pick: Joel Eriksson EK, Center, Farjestad BK (Sweden)

21. Ottawa Senators (from New York Islanders via Buffalo Sabres)- Jack Roslovic, Center, USA NTDP (USHL): With White off the board, the Sens take another US center from the Development Team. Roslovic has done a nice job for the Jets and should be in their long term plans and he would have fit fine in Ottawa too.
Actual Pick: Colin White, Center, USA NTDP (USHL)

22. Washington Capitals- Pavel Zacha, Center, Sarnia Sting (OHL): Zacha drops to the Caps hoping they'd get a steal. He hasn't produced very much for the Devils the last few seasons, but he still is young and has room to grow as a player.
Actual Pick: Ilya Samsonov, Goalie, Metallurk (KHL)

23. Vancouver Canucks- Zachary Senyshyn, Wing, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL): With Boeser off the board, the Canucks take another young winger in Senyshyn. It remains to be seen whether Senyshyn is apart of the Bruins long term plans considering their slew of great young players. Senyshyn would have been a nice fit in Vancouver.
Actual Pick: Brock Boeser, Wing, Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)

24. Philadelphia Flyers (from Nashville Predators via Toronto Maple Leafs)- Denis Guryanov, Wing, Lada Togliatti (KHL): With Konecny off the board, the Flyers take another young forward in Guryanov. He's only played in one NHL game thus far in this career and it's taking longer than expected for Guryanov to make a contribution.
Actual Pick: Travis Konecny, Center, Ottawa 67’s (OHL)

25. Winnipeg Jets (from St. Louis Blues from Buffalo Sabres)- Joel Eriksson EK, Center, Farjestad BK (Sweden): With Roslovic off the board, the Jets take another young center in Eriksson. He's
contributed for the Wild this season and probably will have a larger role next season.
Actual Pick: Jack Roslovic, Center, USA NTDP (USHL)

26. Montreal Canadiens- Lawson Crouse, Wing, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL): The Habs take a chance here with Crouse instead of going with a defenseman. Crouse has underwhelmed and he was traded from the Panthers to the Coyotes so it should be interesting to see how he pans out.
Actual Pick: Noah Juulsen, Defenseman, Everett Silvertips (WHL)

27. Anaheim Ducks- Noah Juulsen, Defenseman, Everett Silvertips (WHL): The Ducks take Juulsen to strengthen their defense depth. Juulsen showed some promise with the Habs this past season and should be a part of their long term future.
Actual Pick: Jacob Larsson, Defenseman, Frolunda HC (Sweden Jr)

28. New York Islanders (from New York Rangers via Tampa Bay Lightning)- Ilya Samsonov, Goalie, Metallurk (KHL): The Islanders take their possible future franchise goalie in Samsonov here in the re-draft. He's put up really good numbers in the junior leagues and does Washington look at him as a future replacement for Brayden Holtby or trade bait?
Actual Pick: Anthony Beauvillier, Wing, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)

29. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Tampa Bay Lightning via Philadelphia Flyers)- Jacob Larsson, Defenseman, Frolunda HC (Sweden Jr): The Jackets keep adding to their defense with selecting Larsson here. He saw some action with the Ducks in the past and I figure he's apart of their future too.
Actual Pick: Gabriel Carlsson, Defenseman, Linköpings HC (SHL)

30. Arizona Coyotes (from Chicago Blackhawks)- Gabriel Carlsson, Defenseman, Linköpings HC (SHL): With Merkley off the board, the Coyotes go defense and pick Carlsson. He's has shown some promise in limited NHL action and I think he'll be a long term piece for the Jackets going forward.
Actual Pick: Nick Merkley, Wing, Kelowna (WHL)