We revealed our Steal of the 2020 NHL Draft on Monday. It’s now time to unveil our Do Not Draft list.
This list will be full of players that will hear their name called. Some of them will hear their name called early. In case you are new to this, the point of the Do Not Draft list is to pinpoint players that the consensus have in a certain range and then I’ll tell you why it’s a bad idea to draft them in that spot. Hopefully this will give you an idea of some of the decisions teams are facing.
Many of these players are going to have long, successful NHL careers. But every decision is an important decision, even if it’s within the top-10. Not every top-10 pick pans out the way you expect them to.
We will have 10 players that make this season’s Do Not Draft list. I will give you a player and the scenario I would not draft them in and then give you up to a few sentences as to why. Without further ado, let’s start the list with a player a lot of people love.
The 2020 NHL Do Not Draft List
- Tim Stutzle: Do not draft him second overall. Don’t get cute. The second spot is reserved for Byfield, Quinton.
- Cole Perfetti and Marco Rossi: Do not draft them in the top-five. I can already hear the screaming. I get it. Two great players and I’m saying don’t draft in the top-five. That’s correct. I have questions. Can Perfetti’s skating improve enough? Can Rossi play 1C in the NHL? You have to nail your picks in the top-five. Unless you are beyond shadow of a doubt sure that these aren’t legitimate concerns, I don’t think you can take that chance. As well, I’d rather have Alexis Lafreniere, Byfield, Stutzle, Jamie Drysdale and Lucas Raymond over them. Being in a deep top of the draft is a big reason for this. Perfetti and Rossi are 6/7 for me so if someone reaches, I’d be fine with it. I just wouldn’t do it myself.
- Yaroslav Askarov: Do not draft in the top-10. I’m going to openly admit that I think he goes in the top-10 especially if it’s the Devils or Blackhawks. But with the other talent available at the top, I couldn’t do it. Askarov is 12th on my list so him going in the top-10 absolutely could happen. But is he for 100% certain the next big thing? To take him this high would mean hall of fame career. You better be sure.
- Dylan Holloway: Do not draft in the top-10. I get that he’s very young for an NCAA player and has the tools to be successful at the next level. This is more about the talent at the top. A team starving for a center could reach. Now if we’re talking 13-15 range, I’m in. But don’t overspend.
- Jan Mysak: Do not draft in the lottery. I love this player but with the talent available above, this is a numbers game. Names like Connor Zary, Dawson Mercer and Jack Quinn come in ahead of Mysak for me. Don’t overspend if you don’t have to.
- Kaiden Guhle: Do not draft in the top-20. Guhle is on many first-round draft boards and I expect he will go in the first. While he has some nice attributes such as his skating, I see a middle-pair defenseman at best.
- William Wallinder: Do not draft in the first round. Classic case of great skater but not elite at either end of the ice. He’s a day two pick for me.
- Shakir Mukhamadullin: Do not draft in the first round. He’s big and can shoot. But that’s about it. Need more from someone who many consider a first-round talent.
- Jacob Perreault: Do not draft in the first round. I love the offensive talent. I don’t love the other side though. He needs to show some strong improvement away from the puck.
In Conclusion
Could Stutzle go second overall? Absolutely if the team picking is concerned for some reason about Byfield. Could Perfetti or Rossi go in the top-five? Most definitely if the team believes in them strongly enough.
That’s what will make this draft particularly fun and unpredictable. We can mock draft all we want and give our own analysis as to why you should draft this player or not draft that player. But with no playoffs and less viewings, we could get some major surprises. It’s all in the hands of the teams. Remember when we all thought Jesse Puljujarvi was going third overall? Yeah, we all bought it. You just never know.
These 10 players will hear their name called. But I wouldn’t draft them in a certain spot. What do you think of the list? Who makes your Do Not Draft list? Let me know your thoughts. See ya next time as we’ll release our list of must-have prospects for the 2020 NHL Draft in the coming days.
