2018 NHL Mock Draft: Fourth Edition

Here is my fourth 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- Brady Tkachuk, Wing, Boston University (NCAA): The Sens have a ton of needs regardless of what they do with Eric Karlsson. Tkachuk has a lot of offensive talent and has greatly improved his skating as the year went on.

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 defenseman who will likely be the second one off the board.

6. Detroit Red Wings- Oliver Wahlstrom, Central/Wing, USNTDP: The Red Wings have a lot of needs although they do have some promising young players. Wahlstrom is a talent that they might not want to pass up on and he has off-the-chart levels of creativity mixed with a high end shot and vision.

7. Vancouver Canucks- Quinn Hughes, Defenseman, Michigan (NCAA): Hughes would be a solid choice here for the Canucks considering they have a 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- 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.

12. New York Islanders (via Calgary Flames)- Joel Farabee, Wing, USNDT: The Isles take another forward here in Farabee. He possesses an elite shot for his age and is also a gifted skater and he knows how to use it to benefit himself.

13. Dallas Stars- 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.

14. 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.

15. Florida Panthers- Joe Voleno, Center/Wing, Drummondville (QMJHL): The Panthers don't have many needs, but Voleno would fit nicely. He is a smart and versatile center who is just as effective defensively as he is offensively.

16. Colorado Avalanche- 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.

17. New Jersey Devils- Bode Wilde, Defenseman, USNDT: The Devils really don't have a need at defense, but passing up on a talent like Wilde will be hard. 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.

18. Columbus Blue Jackets- Rasmus Kupari, Center, Liija: The Jackets don't have that many needs but Kupari would be a nice fit. Kupari is a very skilled center from Finland and he may have some the best hands in the draft.

19. Philadelphia Flyers- 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.

20. Los Angeles Kings- 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.

21. San Jose Sharks- 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.

22. Ottawa Senators (from Pittsburgh Penguins)- Dominik Bokk, Wing, Vaxjo (WHL): The Sens take Bokk here, who's been a fast riser on folks mock boards of late. He has shredded international competition and is closer to the NHL than you’d think.

23. Anaheim Ducks- Grigori Denisenko, Wing, Lokomotiv (MHL): Denisenko projects as a high end scorer, but will need to be less generous with the puck on the attack. He has high and dangle and deception skills, and seems to be able to take games over or at very least, looks to me a cut above everyone else on the ice sheet.

24. Minnesota Wild- 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.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs- Jacob Olofsson, Center, Timra IK (SHL): Olofsson is also good at controlling the puck down low and making plays out of the cycle game. He also gets to the front of the net and has the hand-eye coordination to tip in pucks, and the quickness to pounce on rebounds. 

26. New York Rangers (from Boston Bruins)- K'Andre Miller, Defenseman, USNTD: Miller falling this far could be a steal for the Rangers. He 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 him, his best attribute is his defensive play. As he continues to develop his game he will only get better.

27. Chicago Blackhawks (from Nashville Predators)- Ryan McLeod, Center, Mississauga (OHL): McLeod can create chances everywhere on the ice with his elite skating ability. He can also stickhandle through anyone on the ice at any time.

28. New York Rangers (from Tampa Bay Lightning)- Martin Kaut, Wing, HC Dynamo (Czech): Kaut is a pure goal scorer. His powerful skating ability allows him to drive the net. When he gets there, he has the quick hands to finish in tight. He can also pounce on rebounds or tip in shots. 

29. St. Louis Blues (from Winnipeg Jets)- Ryan Merkley, Defenseman, Guelph (OHL): The Blues are pretty much set on defense, but Merkley would be a nice fit. Merkley is a boom-or-bust prospect with the most offensive upside of all defensemen in the draft.

30. Washington Capitals- Alexander Alexeyev, Defenseman, Red Deer (WHL): Alexeyev is a big Russian import who has really improved the pace at which he plays in all phases. He's a rangy defender with footwork, who can transport through the neutral zone in a few strides.

31. Detroit Red Wings (from Vegas Golden Knights)- 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.