2021 NHL Entry Draft

[Nucker 67]

1. BUF - Clarke

2. SEA - Beniers

3. ANA - Power

4. NJ - Eklund

5. CBJ - McTavish

6. DET - Edvinsson

7. SJ - Johnson

8. LA - Wallstedt

9. VAN - Hughes

[Isam]

2 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

1. BUF - Clarke

2. SEA - Beniers

3. ANA - Power

4. NJ - Eklund

5. CBJ - McTavish

6. DET - Edvinsson

7. SJ - Johnson

8. LA - Wallstedt

9. VAN - Hughes

Different, but would be happy with hughes at this value

[Isam]

20 minutes ago, Alflives said:

We are trading them Holtby tomorrow too. 

I see both goalies, Geunther, Lysell, Beniers, and Eklund taken before we pick.  That’s six spots.  So we get either Edvinson, Clarke, or Hughes.  

Alf has spoken; all shall bow.  

Bad alf. Lay off the cats and scotch

[Isam]

On a serious note. I can see sillinger slip into the top ten. People tend to overvalue the scouching report, but he only does a small sample size of games. Usually a two week burst. If you suck that week then you are brought down in his eyes

[Isam]

And you cant teach his shot or offensive instincts

[Isam]

Onboard with stankoven in the second. Kid is good but is gonna be undervalued by his height 

[Isam]

Kid reminds me of point or theo fleury. Just gutsy and willing to play beyond his size^

[ShawnAntoski]

1 hour ago, Sp3nny said:

Having watched a lot of Carolina games this year (second favorite team), I think Ned is legit. I very much like the trade for Detroit, and dislike it from Carolina's POV. Carolina's achilles has been their goaltending, and with how money tight they are, having a legit starter in Ned at a reasonable cap hit was perfect. I rly don't understand it from their side, unless they are going to chase another starter past Mrazek/Reimer, but I don't see that happening.

Thanks for the context.

 

i only saw him in the playoffs and he looked likea solid (young) goalie.   Hopefully, he does well and cements his reputation as Deteoits' goalie of the future but the (short term) contract seems like a prove me type deal (?).

Edited July 23, 2021 by ShawnAntoski

[Sp3nny]

27 minutes ago, ShawnAntoski said:

Thanks for the context.

 

i only saw him in the playoffs and he looked likea solid (young) goalie.   Hopefully, he does well and cements his reputation as Deteoits' goalie of the future but the (short term) contract seems like a prove me type deal (?).

Ya I'm a little surprised they didn't try for a longer term deal, but I also think Ned probs wanted something shorter as well, as is takes him to UFA. If he can keep up the good play, he will be a hot commodity to move to a contender, or if Detroit has worked some magic by then, can resign on an up and coming contender longer term. Ned will be 27 by then, so basically his prime window to move to a playoff team and contend.

 

It's a win win for both Det and Ned as they basically both get two years of opportunity, and then can reassess in any direction they want.

Edited July 23, 2021 by Sp3nny

[MeanSeanBean]

Been putting this off as long as I can, but here it is. This is how I think the top 10 goes down tomorrow. Flame away.

 

1. Buffalo: Beniers

2. Seattle: Powers

3. Anaheim: Eklund

4. Jersey: Hughes

5. Columbus: McTavish

6. Detroit: Wallstedt

7. San Jose: Guenther

8. L.A. : Edvinsson

 

9. THE GOOD GUYS: Clarke

 

10. Ottawa: Johnson

Edited July 23, 2021 by shayster007

[Podz92]

14 minutes ago, shayster007 said:

Been putting this off as long as I can, but here it is. This is how I think the top 10 goes down tomorrow. Flame away.

 

1. Buffalo: Beniers

 

2. Seattle: Powers

 

3. Anaheim: Eklund

 

4. Jersey: Hughes

 

5. Columbus: Mc Tavish

 

6. Detroit: Wallstedt

 

7. San Jose: Guenther

 

8. L.A. : Edvinsson

 

9. VAN: Clarke

 

10. Ottawa: Johnson

I sure hope you are right!! I would be thrilled if Clarke dropped to us...

[Canuck Surfer]

1 hour ago, Isam said:

Kid reminds me of point or theo fleury. Just gutsy and willing to play beyond his size^

I don't reckon Stankoven will be there at, what is it, 41st?

[Isam]

20 minutes ago, Canuck Surfer said:

I don't reckon Stankoven will be there at, what is it, 41st?

Yeah but this draft is weird. Thn has him at 39 in their draft guide and iss has him at 42 in their final rankings. So there is a shot

[Off_The_Schneid!]

Could anyone see a :

 

To Van : Ekblad 

 

To Florida: 9th , Schmidt 

[Isam]

2 minutes ago, Off_The_Schneid! said:

Could anyone see a :

 

To Van : Ekblad 

 

To Florida: 9th , Schmidt 

No

[86Viking]

I watched the Cole Sillinger interview on tsn, just going off his interview I really like the kid and remember his dad being a wizard at faceoffs. Sounds like he has one heck of a shot with a unique release. Has decent size, knows he needs to work on his first step or 2. Models his game after our Captain Horvat as well as MacK and Matthews with the shot release.

 

Not sure if we take him at #9 but sounds like a good head on his shoulders and is the youngest of 3 brothers so he has some grit in him from that alone. Put up solid stats as a youngster in the WHL pre covid and had solid numbers again down in the USHL.

 

Kid might be a good 2 way player in the NHL 1 day.

[Wolfgang Durst]

quotes from some scouts:

Who was your favorite to scout and why?

“Olen Zellweger was awesome to watch because of the early ID we got on him from D-1 film. While there’s no victories to be claimed until the kid is on an NHL roster, it was awesome to see Zellweger mould his games translatable skills and take massive steps forward while adding many more layers to his game. I think he’s got all the tools to be a contributor and solid transitional defender.” – Froese

 

“Matthew Coronato was easily my favourite player to watch in this draft. So energetic, so competitive and always on the puck. One of those players referred to as ‘high event’ as he’s all over the puck in the offensive zone and so energetic in all three zones. Highly active and effective through transition, his ability to read the play happening in front of him allows him to change up his point of entry and grab space away from his opponents and enables him to get into great positions to shoot. He’s a ton of fun to watch.” – Galloway

 

“I have all the time in the world for Matthew Beniers. I just love his mental approach to the game, with how smart and focused and competitive he is. His small details are simply fantastic. It’s always special to see guys who make as huge of a difference as Beniers does without being the most purely skilled. He’s going to be a guy who wins a lot in his career.” – Neumeier

 

“I came into the season pretty high on Zach Dean but his season was delayed due to injury. Coming back, he took some time to get his feet under him. Once he did, he excelled tremendously. Dean has all the transferrable components that teams should drool over. He has excellent hands, he’s fearless in his pursuit and drives to the net, and doesn’t give up in his own end. Dean is an absolute blast to watch and I think he should be a fan favourite at the next level.” – Bell

 

“Lucas Forsell was my favorite player to scout this year. In my viewings of him he had that ‘electric’ factor that made you think he was going to do something special whenever he touched the puck. His ability to skate up and down the ice, make people miss with his puckhandling ability and then spot an open teammate with a great pass was so fun to see. I think he’s a prospect that has a ton of upside, and if he can continue to play the game with the same pace and skill he flashed this past season he’s going to be a guy to watch out for in the future.” – Broad

 

“There are a few players that I really enjoyed scouting this year, but one that stands out is Chaz Lucius. He makes you really zone-in and focus on the impressive plays he’s making on a consistent basis. He’s so creative with and without the puck, understanding where he needs to be and what to do to get there most efficiently. His hands are among the best in the draft and he catches many eyes with the dekes he can make in such small spaces.” – Krill

“Beniers  was a player that grabbed me early in this process and was just always a treat to watch. His awareness with the puck on his stick, his commitment to supporting teammates in his own zone, his ability to make plays in transition, he’s a player that I think NHL coaches are going to absolutely adore, he’s hard not to love.” – Holmes

[Wolfgang Durst]

Which player did you struggle most to get a read on this year despite multiple views?

“Carson Lambos had one of the tougher years in my region. He looked like a top-10 lock coming into the season with a phenomenal rookie campaign last year, but really struggled to nose his game forward in Finland and subsequently was shut down for the season due to heart procedure. I had high hopes, but developmentally he’s a wild card.” – Froese

 

“In a season with so many stops and starts, players moving between leagues, and in general a significant amount of chaos, it was hard to get a read on many players in this draft. Taking all of that out of it, one of the players I struggled to understand most was Zachary L’Hereux. His inconsistency, particularly with his behaviour on the ice, made it difficult to rank him in this draft class. Looking at his pure skill alone, he should be a first round candidate, but the inconsistency in his overall play, in combination with multiple suspensions, made it difficult to rely on the good viewings as a basis of what he projects to be at the next level.” – Galloway

 

“This is an easy one for me: Oskar Olausson. I watched him at the J20 level, in the SHL, in the Allsvenskan and at the World Juniors, and I just never got a great viewing of him. I know other scouts really like him, but he just never impressed me in the games I watched. I see the tools he has, with his size and mobility and puck skill, but I find him too lackadaisical and lacking in intensity. I want to see him take charge and drive the play more than he does. I also have questions about his awareness and hockey sense.” – Neumeier

 

“Kirill Kirsanov was a strange player to watch this season. I was very impressed after my initial viewing, thinking that this is a player that has first-round potential. The next game I saw, I wouldn’t have drafted him at all. This became a theme for Kirsanov, where he’d have standout games and then disappear or make numerous mistakes in the next. It was like watching a completely different player. Kirsanov is a high-risk, high-reward player in my opinion. The ceiling is high but the floor is just as low. If a team can develop him into a more consistent defender where he makes an impact every night, watch out. I’ll be very interested to see how he progresses in his development curve.” – Bell

 

“Aatu Raty was a guy that I struggled to get a read on this year. I knew he had a lot of hype before heading into his draft year, but in my viewings of him he was very inconsistent and one of my viewings was cut short when he suffered an apparent injury. Raty is a prospect that understands the game very well and he brings a solid two-way approach, but when I saw him he showed virtually no offensive upside. I think he’s a player that still has a decent shot at being a second line center in the NHL, but when I watched him play, I couldn’t get a read on him.” – Broad

 

“I’d say, that would probably be Scott Morrow. When you watch him you can instantly tell that he is full of high-end skill and looks like the best player on the ice. If you were just watching for skill he looks like a clear first rounder, but there are concerns to his game. This is Morrow’s third season playing with Shattuck’s U18 team, so you would expect a big step in his game, but he didn’t look as dominant as you would want. There are improvements to be made in his defensive game as well, having the tendency to lose positioning and not having the awareness to cover his zone. The potential is huge with Morrow, but you can’t ignore his flaws.” – Krill

 

“Kent Johnson was a difficult one to evaluate despite spending a lot of time watching the University of Michigan simply because the range of outcomes was so wide for him. There were some nights where Johnson was electric, displaying dazzling skill and making things happen in the offensive zone all game, while there were other games where he was largely neutralized at even strength and had difficulty penetrating the interior of the ice. He seems to be a true boom or bust player, but when he’s on he’s really on.” – Holmes

[Wolfgang Durst]

Which prospect will come out of nowhere to be plucked in the first round?

“Colton Dach or Ethan Samson. Neither player brings a lot of flash to the table but have developing skills games, make articulated choices and have projectable frames and styles which are sought after by teams. I feel both players have their respective flaws and a top-31 selection is a bit rich for me, but I wouldn’t be stunned to see them high on some boards.” – Froese

 

“Morrow could be that player. He played Prep this year and was extremely dominant at that level. His skating and skill with the puck make him really enticing for a team that thinks he can translate that skill to tougher, more competitive leagues.” – Galloway

“I’ll go with Cole Jordan here. He is a fantastic skater for a defenseman and is confident enough to drive play on his stick. I’m pretty sure he went through a growth spurt relatively recently, so I think he’s still growing into his body and filling in his frame. Playing on a bad team might have held him back a bit, too. He really looks like a guy with a lot of upside but isn’t as well-known because he’s a late bloomer.” – Neumeier

 

“Ville Koivunen has caused some discussion in our group, as his consistency and impact has been questioned in some of our views. However, he’s also shown an ability to take over games and show up clutch. Koivunen shows high intelligence and exceptional competitiveness. At the Under-18s, he shows off just how strong his offensive game is, creating strong passes and showing an ability to open up opportunities for his teammates. I can see teams being very high on Koivunen.” – Bell

 

“I could see a team taking a shot on Danila Klimovich in the first round. With this season being so out of the ordinary and with teams getting limited views on players, I think you might see someone take a shot on a high-end offensive player. Klimovich impressed all season with his ability to score goals, and when you watch him play you get the sense that he has that ‘it’ factor. His performance for Belarus at the Under-18s put him on the map and I think he could be that dark-horse first round talent.” – Broad

 

“With a lost OHL season and being dependent on his play at the Under-18s, I believe Wyatt Johnston proved that he is worth a late first round pick. Being a center will catch many  eyes as there aren’t many true centers available in this range. He plays a strong two-way game with great intensity, having good vision and a quick release to contribute in the offensive zone. He is expected to have a big role with the Windsor Spitfires next season, so this pick might seem risky at the time but it has a big payoff.” – Krill

 

“Shai Buium is a player that I think will get interest towards the end of the first round, especially for teams with multiple first round picks that want to swing on raw tools on defense. Buium has a high-end work ethic, prototypical size, can move well for a player his size and owns upside as a defensive-leaning two-way blueliner.” – Holmes

[Wolfgang Durst]

final one:

 

Which prospect outside our top-10 has the most potential to be selected in the top-five?

“Scorers are coveted and there are few snipers in this draft like Cole Sillinger. Blessed with an elite shot and ability to play between checks, his offensive game is one of the best in the draft and outshines a lot of the blemishes to his game. A team who believes he can slot in beside a play-driver and fill the net may like him over others on our list.” – Froese

 

“Mason McTavish. His shot, combined with his physicality and smarts, is just too enticing of a package to pass up in a draft filled with question marks. McTavish plays a style that you know NHL teams will be drooling over and I think he could break the top three players selected, let alone the top-five.” – Galloway

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some teams are totally in love with McTavish, especially after the performance he had at the Under-18s. There aren’t a lot of centers at the top of this draft, and he’s going to be an instant hit anywhere he ends up.” – Neumeier

 

“Sillinger is likely a player that has been ranked too low all season. His creativity is elite and his understanding of how to play the game — and perhaps more importantly, how his opponents player the game — is tremendous. He’s one of the strongest offensive weapons in this class and at the next level he has the potential to be a star. I can see numerous teams having him higher. This is an exceptional talent and his selection could surprise on draft day.” – Bell

 

“I think Fabian Lysell has the most potential to be picked within the top-five. When you watch him play, you see a player with elite level offensive potential. He’s one of the more exciting players to watch when he has the puck on his stick and always catches your eye even if he’s not your main focus for that game. There are some questions about him, but out of anyone outside the top-10 I think he has the strongest case as the riser here.” – Broad

 

“I believe there is an outside chance that someone takes a swing and selects Lucius in the top-five. Being one of the best goal scorers in this draft and playing a premium position like center will be attractive to teams, and may be enough to entice them to draft him with a top pick. He has very high skill and displays great confidence with the puck consistently. With a draft like this years, it seems unlikely that teams will be willing to trade back/trade up, so some team in the top-five may just select him, not wanting to let him pass.” – Krill

 

“Lucius is a player I could see sneaking his way into the top-five for a team looking to add scoring punch to their forward group. Lucius is a very intelligent attacker to gets to high-danger areas, owns an excellent shot and and skill, and has versatility as both a wing and center, which when combined could be a tantalizing package for a team selecting high in this year’s draft.” – Holmes