2020 NHL Draft: Reviewing First Round Mock Scenarios for Teams

by

The mocking is done — at least for the first round.

Now it’s on to the real challenge — my annual seven-round mocks. But, first, let’s review the first round to determine a consensus of sorts based on the 10 scenarios presented in this mock series.

I’ve already reviewed the top 10 for the teams, so I’ll recap those results and start providing analysis at 11th overall with Minnesota. For each team, I’ll highlight their most common match and list all of their selections by likelihood — accounting for availability and predicting their preference. That process of elimination will produce a consensus mock for the teams.

Without further ado, here is how the teams fared throughout this mock series:

Detroit Red Wings

HIGHEST: 1

LOWEST: 4

MOST COMMON: Tim Stutzle (4)

SELECTION RECAP: Tim Stutzle (4), Alexis Lafreniere (3), Lucas Raymond (2), Quinton Byfield (1)

Ottawa Senators

HIGHEST: 1

LOWEST: 6

MOST COMMON: Lucas Raymond (5)

SELECTION RECAP: Lucas Raymond (5), Marco Rossi (4), Quinton Byfield (3), Jamie Drysdale (3), Alexis Lafreniere (2), Tim Stutzle (2), Alexander Holtz (1)

Los Angeles Kings

HIGHEST: 1

LOWEST: 6

MOST COMMON: Jamie Drysdale (6)

SELECTION RECAP: Jamie Drysdale (6), Alexis Lafreniere (1), Quinton Byfield (1), Yaroslav Askarov (1), Cole Perfetti (1)

Anaheim Ducks

HIGHEST: 2

LOWEST: 7

MOST COMMON: Alexander Holtz (4)

SELECTION RECAP: Alexander Holtz (4), Cole Perfetti (3), Quinton Byfield (2), Jamie Drysdale (1)

New Jersey Devils

HIGHEST: 1

LOWEST: 10

MOST COMMON: Marco Rossi (5), Jack Quinn (5)

SELECTION RECAP: Marco Rossi (5), Jack Quinn (5), Yaroslav Askarov (2), Alexis Lafreniere (1), Quinton Byfield (1), Lucas Raymond (1), Alexander Holtz (1), Cole Perfetti (1), Noel Gunler (1)

Buffalo Sabres

HIGHEST: 2

LOWEST: 9

MOST COMMON: Tim Stutzle (3), Anton Lundell (3)

SELECTION RECAP: Tim Stutzle (3), Anton Lundell (3), Quinton Byfield (1), Lucas Raymond (1), Alexander Holtz (1), Noel Gunler (1)

Montreal Canadiens

HIGHEST: 1

LOWEST: 9

MOST COMMON: Cole Perfetti (4)

SELECTION RECAP: Cole Perfetti (4), Alexis Lafreniere (2), Anton Lundell (2), Lucas Raymond (1), Alexander Holtz (1)

Chicago Blackhawks

HIGHEST: 2

LOWEST: 10

MOST COMMON: Jake Sanderson (3)

SELECTION RECAP: Jake Sanderson (3), Alexander Holtz (2), Quinton Byfield (1), Tim Stutzle (1), Cole Perfetti (1), Yaroslav Askarov (1), Seth Jarvis (1)

Arizona Coyotes

HIGHEST: 1

LOWEST: 3

MOST COMMON: Alexis Lafreniere (1), Marco Rossi (1)

SELECTION RECAP: Alexis Lafreniere (1), Marco Rossi (1)

RELATED:THW Writers Mock Draft

Minnesota Wild

MOST COMMON: Anton Lundell (4)

SELECTION RECAP: Anton Lundell (4), Jake Sanderson (2), Yaroslav Askarov, Dylan Holloway, Connor Zary, Hendrix Lapierre

ANALYSIS: If Lundell makes it out of the top 10, Minnesota is a good bet to take him as a successor for fellow Finn Mikko Koivu. If Lundell is gone and Sanderson is available, the Wild could see him as an eventual replacement for Ryan Suter. If both go in the top 10, which is entirely possible, then Askarov becomes an attractive option, though Minnesota might prioritize centre as a position of need — thus taking one of Holloway, Zary or Lapierre.

Winnipeg Jets

MOST COMMON: Connor Zary (3)

SELECTION RECAP: Connor Zary (3), Dylan Holloway (2), Jake Sanderson (2), Anton Lundell, Seth Jarvis, Braden Schneider

ANALYSIS: Zary to Winnipeg makes a whole lot of sense, with the Jets needing a second-line centre behind Mark Scheifele — especially with the uncertainty surrounding Bryan Little’s future due to injury. Ironically, Little was also taken 12th overall back in 2006 when this franchise was still in Atlanta. There are similarities between Little and Zary, but Holloway would also warrant consideration as another Western Canadian centre. Winnipeg is strong at left defence — with Josh Morrissey, 2019 first-rounder Ville Heinola and NCAA standout Dylan Samberg, among other prospects — but Sanderson could be seen as the best player available at this spot. Lundell is obviously a long shot to fall this far whereas the Jets might reach for Jarvis or Schneider as WHL prospects that their scouts will be very familiar with.

New York Rangers

MOST COMMON: Noel Gunler (3), Rodion Amirov (3)

SELECTION RECAP: Noel Gunler (3), Rodion Amirov (3), Jan Mysak (2), Dylan Holloway (2), Yaroslav Askarov (2), Hendrix Lapierre, Dawson Mercer, Justin Barron, Martin Chromiak, Theodor Niederbach, Zion Nybeck, Alexander Pashin, Jake Neighbours

ANALYSIS: The Rangers have two first-round picks — selecting 13th and 23rd in this mock series — so they can afford to take a riskier prospect like Gunler, who has a lot of upside but seems to be getting flagged as a boom or bust type. Some teams will certainly be higher on him than others. Gunler is a good fit for the Rangers, potentially pairing with Mika Zibanejad as Swedish snipers and complementing Kaapo Kakko as part of their future core. Amirov, Mysak, Holloway and Askarov could also be options at 13th, though it should be noted that Amirov was taken as a faller at 23rd for two of his three selections by the Rangers. Mysak and Askarov also slid to 23rd for one of their two selections. The Rangers don’t really need another goaltender, but I can’t see them passing on Askarov twice if he is still available at 23rd, which seems unlikely. If the Rangers are unable to land two of those five prospects — which also seems fairly unlikely — they could opt for another faller in Lapierre, Mercer or Barron. Or they could take a flyer on another high-ceiling prospect like Chromiak, Niederbach, Nybeck or Pashin. Neighbours would be a safer selection with a high floor.

Florida Panthers

MOST COMMON: Rodion Amirov (2), Jake Sanderson (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Rodion Amirov (2), Jake Sanderson (2), Seth Jarvis, Kaiden Guhle, Braden Schneider, Jack Quinn, Justin Barron, Dylan Holloway

ANALYSIS: Assuming Sanderson is taken in the top 13 — and less likely to be available for Florida at 14th — Amirov could be a prime target for the Panthers. They took fellow Russian winger Grigori Denisenko at 15th overall in 2018 and he is trending well — having signed for next season — so Florida wouldn’t be scared off by the Russian factor. However, if Sanderson happened to be slipping, the Panthers may snag him instead. Or if Florida feels Amirov is too similar to Denisenko and thus redundant, that could open the door for any of those six other prospects in Jarvis, Guhle, Schneider, Quinn, Barron and Holloway. A case can be made for each of them, but Amirov might be the best bet for Florida.

Columbus Blue Jackets

MOST COMMON: Noel Gunler (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Noel Gunler (2), Dawson Mercer, Hendrix Lapierre, Jack Quinn, Jake Sanderson, Helge Grans, Kaiden Guhle, Yaroslav Askarov, Jean-Luc Foudy

ANALYSIS: If Gunler does go to the Rangers, Columbus could go in several different directions. Mercer would be a quality option as a future wingman for Pierre-Luc Dubois, while fellow QMJHLer Lapierre could form a one-two punch down the middle with Dubois. Quinn scored 52 goals during his draft year — the most of any CHL-eligible prospect — so he could be enticing, but so could the defence trio of Sanderson, Grans and Guhle. Sanderson would be higher on Columbus’ list if there was much hope of him being available at 15th. Askarov is intriguing too, while Foudy is the younger brother of Blue Jackets prospect Liam Foudy, who went 18th in 2018 and made his NHL debut on an emergency recall this season.

Calgary Flames

MOST COMMON: Kaiden Guhle (2), Braden Schneider (2), Dylan Holloway (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Kaiden Guhle (2), Braden Schneider (2), Dylan Holloway (2), Connor Zary, Seth Jarvis, Hendrix Lapierre, Justin Barron

ANALYSIS: Calgary doesn’t have much for defence prospects, so the Flames could be deciding between Guhle and Schneider at 16th. Both are Western Canadian blueliners developing in the rough and tumble WHL, which would prepare them for the Battle of Alberta. Guhle is actually from Edmonton, but that wouldn’t deter Calgary from taking him as a two-way force. Schneider is more of a shutdown defender and perhaps closer to being NHL ready in that role as one of the older prospects in this draft class. Guhle has a higher ceiling and may contribute more offensively in his prime, but Schneider might be more coveted by Calgary since he is right handed. That could be a coin flip for the Flames. But don’t rule out Holloway as a hometown kid who would be quite the complement to Matthew Tkachuk. Those three appear fitting for Calgary, but the Flames could also be contemplating Zary, Lapierre and Barron.

Vancouver Canucks

MOST COMMON: Noel Gunler (3)

SELECTION RECAP: Noel Gunler (3), Rodion Amirov (2), Jack Quinn, Dylan Holloway, Connor Zary, Justin Barron, Helge Grans

ANALYSIS: Vancouver would gladly take Gunler or Amirov, but in the event that both of them are gone — and with Quinn gaining momentum towards the top 10 — the Canucks might not get their guy this year. Of course, the Canucks might not even be picking here at 17th — depending on the NHL’s decision regarding conditional picks, with a pretty good chance that this selection will belong to New Jersey, via Tampa Bay, from the J.T. Miller and Blake Coleman trades. If Vancouver retains the pick, Holloway could be the top forward left on the Canucks’ list, while Barron and Grans could be defencemen of interest.

Nashville Predators

MOST COMMON: Justin Barron (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Justin Barron (2), Connor Zary, Seth Jarvis, Jan Mysak, Kaiden Guhle, Helge Grans, William Wallinder, Ryan O’Rourke, Lukas Cormier

ANALYSIS: Nashville knows defencemen and will know just how good Barron could be — providing he bounces back from an unfortunate draft year that included a lengthy absence due to a blood clot, which forced him to miss the World Juniors. Barron was expected to have a big role there for Canada and had been expected to challenge Jamie Drysdale as the top defender for 2020, having drawn comparisons to Ryan Ellis and Thomas Chabot. If the Predators prefer to draft a forward this year, Zary could be in their sights if he were still available at 18th, but Jarvis and Mysak would also be tempting options. There will be no shortage of blueliners for the Predators to consider at this spot, so if Nashville isn’t sold on Barron, then Guhle and Grans could become targets. Wallinder, O’Rourke and Cormier would make for interesting picks — going higher than anticipated here.

Carolina Hurricanes

MOST COMMON: Jan Mysak (2), Jacob Perreault (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Jan Mysak (2), Jacob Perreault (2), Tyson Foerster, Connor Zary, Seth Jarvis, Rodion Amirov, John-Jason Peterka, Kasper Simontaival

ANALYSIS: Mysak could be on Carolina’s radar as a scoring forward to flank fellow Czech Martin Necas, while Perreault will surely be a known commodity as a teammate of Jamieson Rees, who the Hurricanes took in the second round of last year’s draft. Carolina only takes forwards in the first round — as mandated by owner Tom Dundon — so that helps narrow down their targets. Foerster could be on the short list as another OHL scorer and perceived riser, while WHLers Zary and Jarvis would demand serious consideration at 19th overall. As would Amirov, while Peterka and Simontaival aren’t expected to crack the top 20.

Edmonton Oilers

MOST COMMON: Jack Quinn (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Jack Quinn (2), Seth Jarvis, Tyson Foerster, Jan Mysak, John-Jason Peterka, Connor Zary, Rodion Amirov, Yaroslav Askarov, Helge Grans

ANALYSIS: Edmonton would be doing cartwheels on their way to the podium if Quinn fell this far, but that is probably wishful thinking. Jarvis is also iffy to be available at 20th overall as another riser thanks to his second-half surge, but he is on the smaller side and that could cause him to slide. If not Jarvis or Quinn, then Foerster could be a real possibility for the Oilers — as could Mysak or Peterka, who would be a fellow German for Leon Draisaitl. Zary, Amirov and Askarov are less likely to be available this late — though stranger things have happened at the NHL draft over the years — but Edmonton is almost certainly going to take a scoring forward this year, which makes Grans the least likely of all.

Ottawa Senators

MOST COMMON: Hendrix Lapierre (2), Dawson Mercer (2), Jan Mysak (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Hendrix Lapierre (2), Dawson Mercer (2), Jan Mysak (2), Yaroslav Askarov, Justin Barron, Martin Chromiak, Theodor Niederbach

ANALYSIS: This is Ottawa’s third selection of the first round, so the Senators could totally take a swing on Lapierre, who was touted as a top-10 talent coming out of last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup but missed most of his draft year with concussion and neck issues. Those are legitimate concerns going forward and other teams will presumably pass on Lapierre in the top 20 as a result. Ottawa might pass too, at 21st, if Mercer or Mysak make it out of the top 20. Askarov is the real wild card for the first round — even more so than Lapierre and Barron — so he shouldn’t be ruled out for the Senators. If Askarov is still available here, he would be awfully hard to pass up — labelled the best goaltending prospect to come through the draft since Carey Price went fifth overall in 2005. Chromiak and Niederbach would be swinging for the fences in hopes of hitting on a home-run prospect.

Dallas Stars

MOST COMMON: 10 Tied (1)

SELECTION RECAP: Connor Zary, Helge Grans, Dylan Holloway, Seth Jarvis, Rodion Amirov, Roni Hirvonen, Topi Niemela, Jacob Perreault, William Wallinder, Joni Jurmo

ANALYSIS: Dallas was one of seven teams to take 10 different prospects in this mock series — not surprisingly, all seven are selecting between 22nd and 31st, considering there isn’t much separation between 20 and 50 in this year’s draft class. In my May rankings, that tier went from 21 to 53 as first-round contenders. Worth noting, a whopping 56 prospects were taken at least once in the top 31 during this mock series, with 21 of those 56 appearing in all 10 scenarios. As for the Stars’ options at 22nd, nobody would be surprised if they took another Nordic defender like Grans or Niemela. Those two make sense as righties rather than Wallinder or Jurmo as lefties, which is already a position of strength for Dallas with Finns Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell patrolling that side in the present and 2019 first-rounder Thomas Harley also looking like a big part of their future. If Zary is still available, he has ties to Dallas owner Tom Gaglardi — who also owns Zary’s junior team, the Kamloops Blazers — so that would be an obvious choice. Holloway, Jarvis and Amirov could also be snatched up by the Stars as fallers, while Hirvonen and Perreault could easily and justifiably go in this range too.

Pittsburgh Penguins

MOST COMMON: 10 Tied (1)

SELECTION RECAP: Justin Barron, Hendrix Lapierre, Dawson Mercer, Brendan Brisson, Mavrik Bourque, John-Jason Peterka, Lukas Reichel, Kaiden Guhle, Jeremie Poirier, Lukas Cormier

ANALYSIS: Pittsburgh is another team that took 10 different prospects — perhaps targeting a QMJHLer in Barron, Lapierre, Mercer, Bourque, Poirier or Cormier, but don’t sleep on Brisson as the son of Sidney Crosby’s agent or on the Germans in Peterka and Reichel. Guhle is more of a long shot, assuming he’ll be gone by the Penguins’ pick at 24th overall. If any of those first three QMJHLers were available, Pittsburgh probably wouldn’t pass on them.

Philadelphia Flyers

MOST COMMON: 10 Tied (1)

SELECTION RECAP: Tyson Foerster, Jan Mysak, Mavrik Bourque, Dawson Mercer, Hendrix Lapierre, Braden Schneider, Helge Grans, Ridly Greig, Seth Jarvis, John-Jason Peterka

ANALYSIS: Philadelphia also went with 10 different prospects, but the OHL has been good to the Flyers in recent years — selecting Travis Konecny and Morgan Frost in the first round — so Foerster and Mysak could be high on their list. The QMJHL is also a hotbed for Philly’s roster — led by the likes of Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier — so Bourque, Mercer and Lapierre will likely be on the Flyers’ radar as well. They also like their WHL defenders and have always had strong ties to the Brandon Wheat Kings, which makes Schneider and Greig potential targets, while Jarvis would fit well with Philadelphia’s future forward group if he fell to 25th. Grans and Peterka also struck me as the type of players that could be in Philly’s sights.

Colorado Avalanche

MOST COMMON: Martin Chromiak (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Martin Chromiak (2), Hendrix Lapierre, Dawson Mercer, Mavrik Bourque, Brendan Brisson, Justin Barron, Jan Mysak, Kasper Simontaival, Thomas Bordeleau

ANALYSIS: Colorado took Chromiak twice at 26th, swinging on his high ceiling and the fact that he’ll be flanking Shane Wright — the potential first overall pick for 2022 — over the next couple seasons in Kingston. That reality makes Chromiak appealing as a first-round option and he is also one of the younger prospects in this draft class with an August birthdate, which suggests plenty of upside. If not Chromiak, the Avs could be another team eyeing the Q — for Lapierre, Mercer, Bourque or Barron — or perhaps Brisson from the USHL, whose father’s high-profile clients also include Nathan MacKinnon. Mysak would be tempting for Colorado — perhaps even more so than Chromiak — if he falls to here, while Simontaival and Bordeleau would likely be labelled as reaches in the first round.

San Jose Sharks

MOST COMMON: 10 Tied (1)

SELECTION RECAP: John-Jason Peterka, Lukas Reichel, Brendan Brisson, Mavrik Bourque, Thomas Bordeleau, Ridly Greig, Jack Finley, Jaromir Pytlik, Jeremie Poirier, Kaiden Guhle

ANALYSIS: San Jose took 10 different prospects, but the two German wingers — Peterka and Reichel — might be their most likely candidates considering the Sharks’ long history with players from that non-traditional nation, including Marco Sturm, Christian Ehrhoff, Marcel Goc and Thomas Greiss, plus current forward prospects Lean Bergmann and Manuel Wiederer. However, San Jose also selected six centres in this mock series — Brisson, Bourque, Bordeleau, Greig, Finley and Pytlik — with the Sharks potentially looking to address that position of need. A few of them would be reaches here at 27th, but teams often draft by need rather than best player available in the later stages of the first round. Poirier would be a similar selection to 2018 first-rounder Ryan Merkley, while Guhle will likely be long gone by here.

Vegas Golden Knights

MOST COMMON: 10 Tied (1)

SELECTION RECAP: Braden Schneider, Emil Andrae, Brendan Brisson, Seth Jarvis, Kaiden Guhle, Ridly Greig, Luke Tuch, Marat Khusnutdinov, Vasily Ponomarev, Anton Johannesson

ANALYSIS: Vegas took 10 different prospects, with Schneider and Greig as obvious targets since Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon still owns and operates the Wheat Kings in Brandon. Andrae and his less heralded defence partner Johannesson come from the same HV71 program in Sweden as Erik Brannstrom, who Vegas selected in the first round in 2017 before trading to Ottawa as the key piece in the package for Mark Stone. Jarvis and Guhle will almost certainly be gone by 28th, but Brisson could still be available and there is a good chance that Khusnutdinov and Ponomarev will be among the Golden Knights’ many options. Last but not necessarily least, Tuch is the younger brother of Vegas forward Alex Tuch, so those bloodlines and familiarity with the family were the thought process behind that pick.

Washington Capitals

MOST COMMON: 10 Tied (1)

SELECTION RECAP: Jacob Perreault, Tyson Foerster, Martin Chromiak, Braden Schneider, Kaiden Guhle, Ridly Greig, Vasily Ponomarev, Marat Khusnutdinov, Theodor Niederbach, Shakir Mukhamadullin

ANALYSIS: Washington took 10 different prospects, returning to the OHL for Perreault, Foerster and Chromiak after taking Connor McMichael from that league in last year’s first round. McMichael was taken 25th and is already looking like a steal there, so any of those three OHL forwards would be tempting here at 29th. The Capitals have also taken their share of WHL prospects in recent years, which ensures Schneider and Guhle will be on Washington’s radar as well as Greig to a lesser degree. The Capitals might be due to take a Russian in the first round — be it Ponomarev, Khusnutdinov or perhaps even Mukhamadullin — while Niederbach is a high-upside Swede who could mentor under Nicklas Backstrom.

St. Louis Blues

MOST COMMON: 10 Tied (1)

SELECTION RECAP: Ryan O’Rourke, Tyson Foerster, Jacob Perreault, John-Jason Peterka, Lukas Reichel, Carter Savoie, Braden Schneider, Vasily Ponomarev, Dawson Mercer, Tyler Kleven

ANALYSIS: St. Louis took 10 different prospects, also making their rounds in the OHL with O’Rourke, Foerster and Perreault. The forwards would be fitting — following the likes of Robby Fabbri, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou — but O’Rourke is quite reminiscent of Blues defender Vince Dunn and could prove to be a value pick at 30th. St. Louis drafted a German forward in the first round in 2018 — that being Dominik Bokk, who has since been traded to Carolina as part of the package for Justin Faulk — so the Blues could also be high on Peterka and Reichel. Savoie has several similarities to Jaden Schwartz — from production to playing style — while Ponomarev would be another Russian centre from the QMJHL after previously selecting Ivan Barbashev in 2014 and Nikita Alexandrov in 2019. Schneider could become a poor man’s Colton Parayko as a shutdown beast without much offensive upside, while Kleven is a physical specimen that might be just scratching the surface of his potential. Mercer would be an obvious choice this late, but that is likely wishful thinking. The Blues didn’t end up taking Brendan Brisson in this mock series, but he could be another possibility for St. Louis and would have been their selection in an 11th scenario.

Anaheim Ducks

MOST COMMON: Mavrik Bourque (2), William Wallinder (2)

SELECTION RECAP: Mavrik Bourque (2), William Wallinder (2), Helge Grans, Braden Schneider, Kaiden Guhle, Justin Barron, Hendrix Lapierre, Dawson Mercer

ANALYSIS: Anaheim is a good bet to take either a QMJHL forward or a Swedish defenceman to close out the first round, with Bourque and Wallinder each selected twice at 31st. The Ducks have recently drafted Max Comtois, Bo Groulx and Antoine Morand as QMJHL forwards in the second round, while previously selecting Hampus Lindholm and Jacob Larsson as Swedish defencemen in the first round. Anaheim also acquired three more Swedish defenders at this year’s trade deadline in Christian Djoos, Joel Persson and second-round prospect Axel Andersson. The Ducks would prefer Grans over Wallinder as a fellow Swede since their need is for right-handed defencemen — both in the present and for the future — but Wallinder is a more realistic target here. Ditto for Schneider over Guhle among the WHL defenders, with Schneider being another righty, while Guhle’s older brother Brendan is already on Anaheim’s blue line. Barron is a righty too, but he will likely be gone — along with Grans, Guhle and Schneider, based on most of the scenarios. The Ducks had a tendency to take fallers at this spot, which was the case with those four defenders as well as with Mercer and Lapierre as other QMJHL forwards. Of Anaheim’s eight different selections, Bourque and Wallinder have the best chance of being available.

Consensus Mock for Teams

1) Detroit Red Wings — Alexis Lafreniere

2) Ottawa Senators — Quinton Byfield

3) Ottawa Senators — Lucas Raymond

4) Anaheim Ducks — Alexander Holtz

5) Los Angeles Kings — Jamie Drysdale

6) New Jersey Devils — Marco Rossi

7) Buffalo Sabres — Tim Stutzle

8) Montreal Canadiens — Cole Perfetti

9) Chicago Blackhawks — Jake Sanderson

10) New Jersey Devils — Jack Quinn

11) Minnesota Wild — Anton Lundell

12) Winnipeg Jets — Connor Zary

13) New York Rangers — Noel Gunler

14) Florida Panthers — Rodion Amirov

15) Columbus Blue Jackets — Dawson Mercer

16) Calgary Flames — Kaiden Guhle

17) Vancouver Canucks — Dylan Holloway

18) Nashville Predators — Justin Barron

19) Carolina Hurricanes — Jan Mysak

20) Edmonton Oilers — Seth Jarvis

21) Ottawa Senators — Hendrix Lapierre

22) Dallas Stars — Helge Grans

23) New York Rangers — Yaroslav Askarov

24) Pittsburgh Penguins — Brendan Brisson

25) Philadelphia Flyers — Tyson Foerster

26) Colorado Avalanche — Martin Chromiak

27) San Jose Sharks — John-Jason Peterka

28) Vegas Golden Knights — Braden Schneider

29) Washington Capitals — Jacob Perreault

30) St. Louis Blues — Ryan O’Rourke

31) Anaheim Ducks — Mavrik Bourque

ANALYSIS: I really like the results of this consensus mock and might stick with these 31 prospects for the first round of my seven-round mock. However, Stutzle seems low at seventh and could perhaps be flipped with Raymond to go third overall. It is also hard to imagine Askarov lingering around until the Rangers’ second pick at 23rd, but goaltenders are always tough to predict in the first round. If the Devils end up with Vancouver’s pick at 17th — which would become New Jersey’s third selection of the first round — that would be a logical landing spot for Askarov, who could still be taken in the top 10 by New Jersey, Chicago or even Los Angeles. Failing that, the Senators would be wise to halt Askarov’s fall with their third selection of the first round at 21st. Quinn and Barron might be a bit high here, while Jarvis and Schneider could be too low for the liking of other draft pundits. But that is probably nitpicking with regards to those four, while everybody else appears to be slotted appropriately — at least to my eyes. I can’t afford to be making any bets right now, but I feel fairly confident that at least 25 of these prospects — from this consensus mock — will be taken in the top 31 whenever the NHL draft takes place.

Get the latest NHL Draft & Prospect rankings, news and analysis