2018 NHL Mock Draft: First Edition

Here is the first edition of my 2018 NHL Mock Draft.

1. Buffalo Sabres- Rasmus Dahlin, Defenseman, Frolunda (SHL): Dahlin is the consensus best player in this draft class and Dahlin gets the chance to go to a young team that needs more transcendent talent other than Jack Eichel. He will pair on the top pair with Rasmus Ristolainen for the foreseeable future.

2. Carolina Hurricanes- Andrei Scechnikov, Wing, Barrie (OHL): The Canes have an up and coming defense, so here they address their biggest need which is scoring. He has elite scoring touch but can also play a power forward game.

3. Montreal Canadiens- Filip Zadina, Wing, Halifax (QMJHL): The Canadiens are a team that is in dire need of young talent and Zadina would be a nice start. He is a pure shooter and his talented shot can be used from anywhere in the offensive zone.

4. Ottawa Senators- Oliver Wahlstrom, Central/Wing, USNTDP: The Sens have a ton of needs regardless of what they do with Eric Karlsson. He has off-the-chart levels of creativity mixed with a high end shot and vision.

5. Arizona Coyotes- Adam Boqvist, Defenseman, Brynas IF J20 (SHL): The Coyotes have a need on defense and Boqvist would be a nice fit. He is an elite puck-moving forward who will likely be the second defenseman off the board.

6. Detroit Red Wings- Brady Tkachuk, Wing, Boston University (NCAA): The Red Wings have a lot of needs although they do have some promising young players. Tkachuk has a lot of offensive talent and has greatly improved his skating as the year went on.

7. Vancouver Canucks- Quinn Hughes, Defenseman, Michigan (NCAA): Many mocks have the Canucks taking a forward here, but I feel that they have a bigger need on defense. Hughes is a top puck mover and can skate like the wind.

8. Chicago Blackhawks- Evan Bouchard  Defenseman, London (OHL): The Blackhawks are a team that is aging, especially on the blue line with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook aging. Enter Bouchard, who is one of the smartest defensemen in the draft and his passing ability allows him to generate offense from all three zones of the ice while staying in great position.

9. New York Rangers- Noah Dobson, Defenseman, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL): After the Rangers traded Ryan McDonagh away and got rid of Dan Girardi last summer, they need to rebuild their defensive depth. Dobson had a tremendous second half of the season and climbed up draft boards everywhere.

10. Edmonton Oilers- Ty Smith, Defenseman, Spokane (WHL): The Oilers have a major need on defense and Smith fits the bill. He is more known for his offensive game rather than his defensive game and is slightly undersized but as the game continues to evolve that is less and less of an issue as long as the talent is there to back it up.

11. New York Islanders- Joe Voleno, Center/Wing, Drummondville (QMJHL): The Islanders could very well lose John Tavares this summer in free agency so it's a good thing they have two picks and here they take the versatile Voleno. He is a smart center who is just as effective defensively as he is offensively.

12. New York Islanders (from Calgary Flames)- Bode Wilde, Defenseman, USNDT: The Islanders use their second lottery pick on a defenseman and Wilde would be a nice fit. He is a complete defenseman who is talented in both ends of the ice and has a pro level shot and close to pro level skating at the age of 18.

13. Dallas Stars- Ryan Merkley, Defenseman, Guelph (OHL): The Stars are another team that has a need at defense. Merkley is a boom-or-bust prospect with the most offensive upside of all defensemen in the draft.

14. Philadelphia Flyers (from St. Louis Blues)- Joel Farabee, Wing, USNDT: The Flyers really don't have any needs with a lot of young talent up and coming. Farabee possesses an elite shot for his age and is also a gifted skater and he knows how to use it to benefit himself.

15. Florida Panthers- Ryan McLeod, Center, Mississauga (OHL): The Panthers don't really have any big needs, but I like the fit of McLeod here. He can create chances everywhere on the ice with his elite skating ability. McLeod can stickhandle through anyone on the ice at any time. 

16. Colorado Avalanche- Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Center, Assat (FHL): As expected for a 17-year-old Korkaniemi needs to grow and develop. He is a very good skater and offensive player but he needs to grow his defensive positioning. 

17. New Jersey Devils- Barrett Hayton, Center, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL): People out there think Hayton is the best two way center in this draft. The one thing holding Hayton back is his production. He has all of the tools to be successful and an elite player, but his numbers just didn’t show it.

18. Columbus Blue Jackets- Vitali Kravstov, Wing, Traktor (KHL): For Kravstov's age and the level of competition, he plays at he is a good defender. He needs to continue to grow but he has talent and uses his speed to get himself into a good position, cause turnovers and generate offense.

19. Philadelphia Flyers- Isac Lundestrom, Center/Wing, Lulea (SHL): Lundestrom won’t blow past anyone with blinding speed, but he is a talented skater. He has versatility and powerful strides that make him hard to knock off of the puck.

20. Los Angeles Kings- Rasmus Sandin, Defenseman, Woo (WHL): What makes Sandin great is his ability to play in all situations. It does not matter if it is on the powerplay, penalty kill or even strength Sandin thrives in all of them.

21. San Jose Sharks- Jet Woo, Defenseman, Moose Jaw (WHL): Woo is an above average defenseman when he has the puck on his stick and seems to get better the more freedom he is given in the offensive zone. His vision is great but his hockey IQ is even better.

22. Ottawa Senators (from Pittsburgh Penguins)- K'Andre Miller, Defenseman, USNTD: Miller will be a little bit of a project but a project that will be well worth the wait. A lot of young defensemen struggle with defensive responsibility. Not K’Andre Miller, his best attribute is his defensive play. As he continues to develop his game he will only get better.

23. Anaheim Ducks- Akil Thomas, Center, Niagara (OHL): Thomas is a center who can put up points in bunches. One of his best attributes is his work ethic with and without the puck and is responsible in all three zones and never takes a shift off.

24. Minnesota Wild- Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Center, Halifax (QMJHL): Groulx is not a bad skater but he needs to work on his acceleration. He has a tremendous shot that is both powerful and accurate and has a strong understanding of his defensive responsibilities as well.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs- Mattias Samuelsson, Defenseman, USNDT: There are plenty of talented offensive defensemen in this year’s draft, but Samuelsson is not nearly as flashy or talented offensively. His game is taking care of the puck in his own end and shutting down opponents.

26. New York Rangers (from Boston Bruins)- Filip Hallander, Center/Wing, Sundsvall (SHL): Hallander is one of the most offensively intriguing prospects in the first round of the draft this season. He has all of the talent and all of the tools, but he needs a lot of development. He can change a game at any moment with his elite speed and amazing talent.

27. St. Louis Blues (from Winnipeg Jets)- Serron Noel, Wing, Oshawa (OHL): Noel is one of the elite wingers this year in terms of projected first round prospects. He is really strong offensively featuring good hands, and a great shot and because of his size and good hands, he can score a lot of his goals from in tight.

28. Washington Capitals- Calen Addison, Defenseman, Lethbridge (WHL): Addison will probably be a late round steal and could be a very nice consolation prize for a team that picks late in the first round (or early in the second). He’s a promising young player with a ton of potential and a high ceiling if he can continue to add to his offensive repertoire.

29. Detroit Red Wings (from Vegas Golden Knights)- Jack McBain, Center, Boston College (NCAA): McBain is physically gifted and successful at using his great size to create space in the offensive zone. When the puck is in the offensive zones at times he can be unstoppable.

30. New York Rangers (from Tampa Bay Lightning)- Ty Dellandrea, Center, Flint (OHL): Dellandrea is versatile and his best attribute is his skating with the puck on his stick. Some players his age have great speed but can struggle to handle the puck he is the opposite and actually gets better with the puck on his stick.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (from Nashville Predators)- Jared McIssac, Defenseman, Halifax (QMJHL): Due to his great skating talent, McIssac is able to carry the puck out of his zone and start the offense. He is also able to quickly recover when necessary and does well to get back into position.