With just days to the NHL Entry Draft, T has dropped his final mock draft
Hello, my fellow DBTB’ers! With a thrilling Game 7 for all the marbles on Monday night, and the Draft just a few short days away, I wanted to get my final Mock Draft and Big Board up and running as soon as I could. As I’m sure you all know, the first night of the Draft takes place on June 28th at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and the 2nd night – Rounds 2-7 – will follow the next day.
This may be the last of this generation of Drafts, there are rumors aplenty that the Draft will be cut down by one, two, or even three rounds in the near future. Additionally, next season they will try to emulate the NFL Draft by ending the practice of having all 32 teams on-site for the Draft. Instead they will call in their selections from their respective ‘war rooms’. I love both of these elements of the current Draft, and dislike these proposed changes, but I’m just a voice crying out in the wilderness. Nobody cares what I think!
So rather than worry about something you can’t control, let’s focus on this year’s Draft. As of this typing, the Sabres own the 11th overall pick in the Draft. This may, like last season’s #13, turn out to be one of the most interesting spots in the Draft. Why, you ask?
Well, the #1 overall has been long known – centerman Macklin Celebrini from Boston University. After that, however? It could go a thousand different ways. And that makes things really interesting. Particularly from the Sabres’ point of view. A top-flight defensive prospect could slide into their lap. A dynamic forward with size, speed or grit could do the same. This gives the Sabres two good options: 1) keep the pick and make the selection, adding another top flight player – one that they might not even expect to be available at this point – to their group, or 2) deal the pick, especially if that certain someone becomes available and teams start calling.
The Sabres should have been calling around already to see where the teams behind them are, who they are coveting, and what they might be willing to give up for the #11 choice. It’s due diligence, and I’m sure GM Kevyn Adams is in the process of doing so.
As far as the class goes, I wouldn’t mind most of the guys in that 2-15 range. Not crazy about Parekh, because he doesn’t really play defense that well, or that consistently, and they already have 3 highly-talented offensive drivers on the back-end. Dickinson is a nice shut-down leftie, but he doesn’t have much offense at this point and the Sabres are loaded with lefties… even at the prospect level with RyJo and Novikov. So I would rather they focused on the right-shots if they do go defense, although Zeev Buium is my favorite defender in the Draft so I wouldn’t mind adding him. Also not that interested in Cole Eiserman. While he is probably the most gifted shooter in the Draft, and can score goals from anywhere, his overall game has atrophied quite a bit after 2 years at the NTDP. Can the Sabres develop other facets of his game and make him a valuable sniper, or might they be adding a new Jeff Skinner, another player who is equally talented but limited? Lot of risk there, and I’m not willing to do that, not at this point, anyways.
I don’t think we talked about the Combine in this space, not much anyways, but just a few nuggets worth mentioning. First off, some players had a notable showing in the fitness portion of the Combine. Names that popped up near the top of every category were guys like Cole Beaudoin (OHL C), EJ Emery (US NTDP D-Man), Linus Eriksson (SWE C), Ollie Josephson (WHL C), Jett Luchanko (OHL C) and Stian Solberg (Norwegian D-Man). Several of these guys are known gym rats, so it didn’t surprise too many Draft observers, but some of these kids put up really impressive numbers. As far as the interview process, we know some of the players that the Sabres met with: Berkley Catton, Konsta Helenius, Carter Yakemchuk, Cole Eiserman, Tij Iginla, and Stian Solberg. But I haven’t found a comprehensive listing anywhere. Still, a lot of those players could be available in that #11 range. Again…due diligence.
All in all, this isn’t a great Draft, it’s OK. But the jumble of players that could go anywhere from #2 to #15 or so, and only one real sure thing at the top, will detract from the overall quality of the Draft. It does have some decent depth, as I think there are players who could go in the 1st round as far back as, saying, #45 overall. So that 1st/2nd sort of 25-45 group has some interesting talent there. But the lack of any high-end goaltending prospects hurts the Class as well. With that in mind, I’m totally comfortable moving around the Board or moving #11 for more immediate help. They aren’t missing out on high-end quality like, say, in the 2015 Draft. But I’m also fine with them choosing someone with #11. Depends on what the market looks like and what other picks are made available (New Jersey, by chance?).
As we come down to the end of Draft Season, I wanted to say thanks for reading and thanks to the new DBTB for allowing me to come on here and ramble about prospects. Always fun!
Let’s go Sabres!
ROUND ONE:
#1: SAN JOSE: Macklin Celebrini, 5’11 C, NCAA
#2: CHICAGO: Artyom Levshunov, 6’2 RHD, NCAA
#3: ANAHEIM: Cayden Lindstrom, 6’5 C, WHL
#4: COLUMBUS: Ivan Demidov, 5’11 RW, RUS
#5: MONTREAL: Beckett Sennecke, 6’3 RW, OHL
#6: ARIZONA/UTAH: Zeev Buium, 6’1 LHD, NCAA
#7: OTTAWA: Zayne Parekh, 6’0 RHD, OHL
#8: SEATTLE: Anton Silyayev, 6’7 LHD, RUS
#9: CALGARY: Sam Dickinson, 6’3 LHD, OHL
#10: NEW JERSEY: Berkly Catton, 5’11 C/LW, WHL
#11: BUFFALO: Tij Iginla, 6’0 C/LW, WHL
#12:PHILADELPHIA: Carter Yakemchuk, 6’2 RHD, WHL
#13: MINNESOTA: Konsta Helenius, 5’11 C/RW, FIN
#14: SAN JOSE (PITTSBURGH): Cole Eiserman, 6’0 RW, US NTDP
#15: DETROIT: Stian Solberg, 6’2 LHD, NWY
#16: ST LOUIS: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, 6’1 RW, SWE
#17: WASHINGTON: Terik Paraschek, 5’11 RW, WHL
#18: CHICAGO (NY ISLANDERS): Julius Miettinen, 6’3 C, WHL
#19: VEGAS: Jett Luchanko, 5’11 C, OHL
#20: NY ISLANDERS (CHICAGO/TAMPA BAY): Marek Vanacker, 6’0 LW, OHL
#21: LOS ANGELES: Liam Greentree, 6’2 RW, OHL
#22: NASHVILLE: EJ Emery, 6’5 LHD, US NTDP
#23: TORONTO: Adam Jiricek, 6’1 RHD, CZE
#24: COLORADO: Igor Chernyshov, 6’2 LW, RUS
#25: OTTAWA (BOSTON): Sasha Boisvert, 6’2 C, USHL
#26: MONTREAL (WINNIPEG): Alfons Freji, 6’1 LHD, SWE
#27: CAROLINA: Cole Hutson, 5’9 LHD, US NTDP
#28: CALGARY (VANCOUVER): Cole Beaudoin, 6’2 C, OHL
#29: DALLAS: Jesse Pulkkinen, 6’6 LHD, FIN **
#30: NY RANGERS: Charlie Elick, 6’4 RHD, WHL
#31: ANAHEIM (EDMONTON): Sam O’Reilly, 6’1 C/RW, OHL
#32: PHILADELPHIA (FLORIDA):Michael Hage, 6’1 C, USHL
ROUND TWO:
#1: SAN JOSE: Gabriel Eliasson, 6’6 LHD, SWE
#2: CHICAGO: Matvei Shuravin, 6’3 LHD, RUS
#3: ANAHEIM: Lukas Fischer, 6’4 LHD, OHL
#4: COLUMBUS: Dean Letourneau, 6’6 C, OJHL
#5: WINNIPEG (MONTREAL): Trevor Connolly, 6’1 LW, USHL
#6: UTAH/ARIZONA: Adam Kleber, 6’5 RHD, USHL
#7: OTTAWA: Linus Eriksson, 6’0 C, SWE
#8: SEATTLE: Matvei Grindin, 6’1 C, USHL
#9: CALGARY: Andrew Basha, 6’0 LW, WHL
#10: NEW JERSEY: Dominik Badinka, 6’2 RHD, FIN
#11: BUFFALO: John Mustard, 6’1 C, USHL
#12: CAROLINA (PHILADELPHIA): Emil Hemming, 6’2 LW, FIN
#13: MINNESOTA: Colton Roberts, 6’4 RHD, WHL
#14: PITTSBURGH: Miguel Marques, 6’0 W, WHL
#15: DETROIT: Teddy Stiga, 5’10 RW, US NTDP
#16: ST LOUIS: Aron Kiviharju, 5’10 LHD, FIN
#17: UTAH/ARIZONA (WASHINGTON): Raoul Boillard, 6’1 C, QMJHL
#18: CHICAGO (NY ISLANDERS): Henry Mews, 6’0 RHD, OHL
#19: WASHINGTON (VEGAS): Adam Jecho, 6’3 RW, FIN
#20: NASHVILLE (TAMPA BAY): Yegor Surin, 6’1 C/W, RUS
#21: NY ISLANDERS (CHICAGO/LOS ANGELES): Will Skahan, 6’4 LHD, US NTDP
#22: NASHVILLE: Hagen Burrows, 6’2 W, US HS
#23: ST LOUIS (TORONTO): Tomas Lavoie, 6’3 RHD, QMJHL
#24: MONTREAL (COLORADO): Nathan Villeneuve, 6’0 C, OHL
#25: ANAHEIM (BOSTON): Maxim Masse, 6’2 LW, QMJHL
#26: NASHVILLE (WINNIPEG): Lucas Pettersson, 6’0 C, SWE
#27: CAROLINA: Veeti Vasainien, 6’0 LHD, FIN
#28: NY ISLANDERS (CHICAGO/VANCOUVER): Simon Zether, 6’3 C, SWE
#29: DALLAS: Kevin He, 6’1 LW, OHL
#30: SEATTLE (NY RANGERS): Nikita Artamonov, 5’11 RW, RUS
#31: EDMONTON: Noel Fransen, 6’1 LHD, SWE
#32: UTAH/ARIZONA (FLORIDA): Tanner Howe, 5’10 RW, WHL
#33: PHILADELPHIA: Jacob Battaglia, 6’1 RW, OHL
ROUND THREE:
#1: ANAHEIM (SAN JOSE): Danill Ustinkov, 6’1 RHD, SWISS
#2: CHICAGO: Ryerson Leenders, 6’2 G, OHL
#3: ANAHEIM: Carson Wetsch, 6’3 RW, WHL
#4: COLUMBUS: Pavel Moysevich, 6’4 G, RUS **
#5: MONTREAL: Nate Misskey 6’3 RHD, WHL**
#6: UTAH/ARIZONA: Tarin Smith, 6’1 LHD, WHL
#7: CHICAGO (OTTAWA): Leo Sahlin-Wallenius, 6’0 LHD, SWE
#8: SEATTLE: Ryder Ritchie, 6’0 LW, WHL
#9: CALGARY: Harrison Brunicke, 5’11 RHD, WHL
#10: NEW JERSEY: Ondrej Becher, 6’0 C/W, WHL **
#11: BUFFALO: Mikhail Yegorov, 6’4 G, USHL
#12: PHILADELPHIA: Ben Danford, 6’1 LHD, OHL
#13: MONTREAL (MINNESOTA): Kamil Bednarek, 6’0 C, US NTDP
#14: ANAHEIM (PITTSBURGH): Carter George, 6’1 G, OHL
#15: DETROIT: Melvin Fernstrom, 6’1 C/RW, SWE
#16: ST LOUIS: Heikki Ruohonen, 6’1 C, FIN
#17:WASHINGTON: Spencer Gill, 6’3 RHD, QMJHL
#18: WASHINGTON (NY ISLANDERS): Herman Traff, 6’3 RW, SWE
#19: VEGAS: Tanner Henricks, 6’3 RHD, USHL
#20: SAN JOSE (TAMPA BAY): Sebastian Sioni, 6’1 RHD, FIN
#21: COLUMBUS (LOS ANGELES): Max Curran, 6’3 C, WHL
#22: NASHVILLE: Kasper Pikkarainen, 6’3 RW, FIN
#23: SEATTLE (TORONTO): Leon Muggli, 6’0 LHD, SWISS
#24: UTAH/ARIZONA (COLORADO): Eemil Vinni, 6’2 G, FIN
#25: WASHINGTON (BOSTON): Tomas Galvas, 5’10 LHD, CZE
#26: NEW JERSEY (WINNIPEG): Luca Marelli, 6’2 RHD, OHL
#27: CAROLINA: Aatos Koivu, 6’0 C, FIN
#28: VANCOUVER: Gabrial Frasca, 6’0 C, OHL
#29: NASHVILLE (DALLAS): Markus Kearsey, 5’11 LHD, QMJHL
#30: ST LOUIS (NY RANGERS): Justin Poirier, 5’8 RW, QMJHL
#31: UTAH/ARIZONA (EDMONTON): Luke Misa, 5’10 C, OHL
#32: FLORIDA: Colin Ralph, 6’4 LHD, US HS
ROUND FOUR:
#1: UTAH/ARIZONA (SAN JOSE): Fyodor Avramov, 6’3 W, RUS
#2: NASHVILLE (CHICAGO): Hunter Liang, 6’6 W, WHL
#3: ANAHEIM: Ollie Josephson, 6’0 C, WHL
#4: COLUMBUS: Arsen Taimazov, 6’4 RHD, RUS
#5: MONTREAL: Ilya Nabokov, 6’1 G, RUS **
#6: UTAH/ARIZONA: Anthony Romani, 6’0 RW, OHL **
#7: OTTAWA: Jared Woolley, 6’4 LHD, OHL
#8: SEATTLE: Dawson Cowan, 6’3 G, WHL
#9: CALGARY: Eriks Mateiko, 6’4 LW, QMJHL
#10: VANCOUVER (NEW JERSEY): Alexander Siryatsky, 6’2 LHD, RUS
#11: BUFFALO: Jakub Fibigr, 6’1 LHD, OHL
#12: BUFFALO (PHILADELPHIA): Tory Pitner, 6’1 RHD, USHL
#13: MINNESOTA: David Svozil, 6’1 LHD, FIN
#14: PITTSBURGH: Oskar Vuollet, 5’10 C/W, SWE
#15: OTTAWA (DETROIT): Markus Gidlof, 6’4 G, SWE
#16: ST LOUIS: Timur Kol, 6’3 LHD, RUS
#17: WASHINGTON: Ondrej Kos, 6’1 LW, FIN
#18: NY ISLANDERS: Brodie Ziemer, 5’11 RW, US NTDP
#19: SAN JOSE (VEGAS): Kim Saarinen, 6’4 G, FIN
#20: OTTAWA (TAMPA BAY): Felix Lacerte, 5’10 C, QMJHL
#21: LOS ANGELES: Alexis Bernier, 6’1 RHD, QMJHL
#22: NASHVILLE: Clarke Caswell, 5’11 C/LW, WHL
#23: TORONTO: Nilopekka Muhonen, 6’4 LHD, FIN
#24: COLORADO: Jack Berglund, 6’3 C/RW, SWE
#25: BOSTON: Logan Sawyer, 6’1 C/LW, BCHL
#26: WINNIPEG: Will McIssac, 6’4 RHD, WHL
#27: CAROLINA: Ethan Procyszyn, 6’3 RW, OHL
#28: VANCOUVER: Will Zellers, 5’11 C, US HS
#29: DETROIT (DALLAS): Karl Sterner, 6’3 RW, SWE
#30: NY RANGERS: Alexander Zetterberg, 5’8 C, SWE
#31: NASHVILLE (EDMONTON): AJ Spellacy, 6’3 LW, OHL
#32: FLORIDA: Tyler Thorpe, 6’4 W, WHL **
ROUND FIVE:
#1: MONTREAL (SAN JOSE): Max Plante, 5’10 C, US NTDP
#2: CHICAGO: Tomas Mrsic, 5’11 RW, WHL
#3: COLORADO (ANAHEIM): Luke Ashton, 6’5 LHD, BCHL **
#4: COLUMBUS: Austen Burnevik, 6’4 LW, USHL **
#5: MONTREAL: Darels Uljanskis, 6’1 LHD, SWE
#6: UTAH/ARIZONA: Luke Osburn, 6’0 LHD, USHL
#7: OTTAWA: Hiroki Gojsic, 6’3 RW, BCHL
#8: COLORADO (SEATTLE): Tuomas Suoniemi, 5’10 C, FIN
#9: CHICAGO (CALGARY): Miro Satan Jr, 6’7 C, SVK
#10: NEW JERSEY: Nicholas Kempf, 6’2 G, US NTDP
#11: MINNESOTA (BUFFALO): Andrei Krutov, 5’11 W, RUS
#12:FLORIDA (PHILADELPHIA): Danny Nieminen, 6’0 LHD, FIN
#13: MINNESOTA: Evan Gardner, 6’2 G, WHL
#14: SAN JOSE (PITTSBURGH): Kieron Walton, 6’5 C, OHL
#15: DETROIT: Josh Fluker, 5’11 RHD, WHL
#16: ST LOUIS: Lukas Matecha, 6’3 G, WHL **
#17: WASHINGTON: Jonnie Morello, 6’3 C, OJHL
#18: NY ISLANDERS: Mitja Jokinen, 5’10 LHD, FIN
#19: PHILADELPHIA (VEGAS): Javon Moore, 6’2 RW, US HS
#20: TAMPA BAY: Topias Hyninnen, 5’10 C/RW, FIN
#21: PHILADELPHIA (LOS ANGELES): Martin Hronik, 6’5 G, SVK
#22: CHICAGO (NASHVILLE): Max Vilen, 6’2 LHD, SWE
#23: TORONTO: Christian Humphreys, 6’0 C, US NTDP
#24: NEW JERSEY (COLORADO): Svante Sjodin, 6’1 C, SWE **
#25: BOSTON: Thomas Desruisseaux, 5’11 C, QMJHL
#26: WINNIPEG: Markus Loponen, 6’1 C, FIN
#27: CAROLINA: Tristan Sarsland, 6’1 RHD, NCAA**
#28: TORONTO (VANCOUVER): Axel Nyman, 6’5 G, SWE
#29: DALLAS: Aiden Park, 6’0 C/W, US HS
#30: NY RANGERS: Xavier Veilleux, 6’0 LHD, USHL
#31: EDMONTON: Jesse Heslop, 5’10 RW, WHL
#32: BUFFALO (FLORIDA): Charlie Forslund, 6’3 W, SWE
ROUND SIX:
#1: VANCOUVER (SAN JOSE): Gian Meier, 6’2 RHD, SWISS
#2: CHICAGO: Noah Powell, 6’0 W, USHL**
#3: ANAHEIM: Simon Brunet 6’2 RHD, QMJHL
#4: COLUMBUS: Jack Bodin, 6’4 RHD, SWE
#5: MONTREAL: Matvei Babenko, 6’3 RW, RUS
#6: UTAH/ARIZONA: Jack Pridham, 6’1 RW, BCHL
#7: OTTAWA: Kyrill Zarubin, 6’5 G, RUS
#8: SEATTLE: Brenden McMorrow, 6’2 LW, US NTDP
#9: CALGARY: Caleb Heil, 6’3 G, USHL
#10: NEW JERSEY: Jake Fisher, 6’2 C, USHL**
#11: BUFFALO: Roman Luttsev, 6’0 C, RUS
#12:PHILADELPHIA: Miro Holinka, 6’2 C, CZE
#13: MINNESOTA: Artyom Shchuchinov, 5’11 LHD, RUS
#14: PITTSBURGH: John Whipple, 6’1 LHD, US NTDP
#15: DETROIT: Jack Sadowski, 6’0 C/LW, US HS
#16: PHILADELPHIA (ST LOUIS): Keith McInnis, 6’1 LHD, BCHL
#17: WASHINGTON: Ilya Protas, 6’3 C, BLR
#18: NY ISLANDERS: Parker Von Richter, 6’1 RHD, OHL
#19: VEGAS: Kambryn Henrickson, 6’2 G, USHL
#20: TAMPA BAY: Jan Golicic, 6’5 LHD, QMJHL
#21: LOS ANGELES: Jamiro Reber, 5’10 C, SWISS
#22: EDMONTON (NASHVILLE): Vladimir Mikhalyov, 5’11 RW, RUS **
#23: TORONTO: Owen Allard, 6’3 RW, OHL **
#24: COLORADO: Matyas Melovsky 6’0 C, QMJHL**
#25: BOSTON: Leo Gruba, 6’2 RHD, USHL **
#26: WINNIPEG: Jakub Milota, 6’2 G, QMJHL
#27: CAROLINA: Ilya Pautov, 5’10 W, RUS
#28: VANCOUVER: Viggo Gustafsson, 6’2 LHD, SWE
#29: UTAH/ARIZONA (DALLAS): Lucas Van Vliet, 6’1 C, US NTDP
#30: NY RANGERS: JJ Monteiro, 6’0 C, BCHL
#31: EDMONTON: Jimmy Dodig, 6’5 LHD, US HS
#32: FLORIDA: Vasili Zelenov, 5’11 W, AUS
ROUND SEVEN:
#1: SAN JOSE: Tanner Adams, 6’0 C, NCAA **
#2: TAMPA BAY (CHICAGO): Anthony Cristoforo, 5’11 RHD, OHL
#3: EDMONTON (ANAHEIM): Chase Wurtzke, 6’2 G, WHL
#4: VEGAS (COLUMBUS): Timur Rogachyov, 6’0 LHD, RUS
#5: MONTREAL: Joey Henneberry, 6’2 C, QMJHL
#6: UTAH/ARIZONA: Nico Antenen, 6’2 C, SWISS
#7: TORONTO (OTTAWA): Danill Natasky, 6’3 C, RUS
#8: SEATTLE: Josh Zakreski, 5’11 RW, WHL
#9: SEATTLE (CALGARY): David Green, 6’2 LHD, OJHL
#10: DETROIT (NEW JERSEY): Landon Miller, 6’3 G, OHL
#11: BUFFALO: Parker Alcos, 6’3 RHD, WHL
#12:PHILADELPHIA: Roman Shokhrin, 6’5 LHD, RUS
#13: TAMPA BAY (MINNESOTA): Mac Swanson, 5’8 C, USHL
#14: SAN JOSE (PITTSBURGH): Caeden Harrington, 6’1 RHD, US HS
#15: DETROIT: Will Felicio, 5’11 LHD, USHL
#16: ST LOUIS: Brayden Edwards, 6’1 C/RW, WHL **
#17: MONTREAL (WASHINGTON): Matthieu Tallifer, 6’0 RHD, AJHL
#18: ST LOUIS (NY ISLANDERS): Adam Belusko, 5’11 LHD, SVK
#19: VEGAS: Chase Stefanek, 6’2 C, BCHL
#20: TAMPA BAY: Kevin Reidler, 6’6 G, USHL **
#21: LOS ANGELES: Anton Ohlsson, 6’0 LHD, SWE
#22: COLORADO (NASHVILLE): Christian Kirsch, 6’4 G, SWISS
#23: TORONTO: Cooper Cleaves, 6’4 RHD, US HS
#24: COLORADO: Matti Butkovskiy, 6’2 LW, FIN
#25: EDMONTON (BOSTON): James Reeder, 5’10 RW, USHL
#26: WINNIPEG: Riley Patterson, 6’0 C, OHL
#27: CAROLINA: Trent Swick, 6’7 LW, OHL **
#28: VANCOUVER: Petr Sikora, 5’11 C, CZE
#29: DALLAS: Vincent Desjardins, 5’11 C, QMJHL
#30: PITTSBURGH (NY RANGERS): Erik Burger, 5’11 LHD, SWE
#31: MONTREAL (EDMONTON): Bruno Idzan, 6’0 W, SWE
#32: FLORIDA: Lucas Romeo, 6’3 RW, QMJHL
The Sabres’ Draft Haul:
Rd1 #11: BUFFALO: Tij Iginla, 6’0 C/LW, WHL:
Yep, THAT Iginla. Jarome’s kid. Tij (Tee-jj) is a fascinating player who really went from a mid-round guy who works his tail off at the beginning of the year, to a hard-to-play against, pure scoring wing that happens to be one of the younger players in the Draft class. What makes him a potential Top 10 selection? A lot, to be honest.
First off, the thing that jumps out to me when I watch him is his motor. He plays a determined, relentless, exhausting style. The pace of very shift runs high, remains a puckhound regardless of the game situation, never quits on a play. Tenacious. Is the kind of player other teams just get tired of playing against. Contests every 50/50 puck, is a monster on the boards and in the corners, doesn’t mind giving or taking a bump now and then, and has a disruptive stick that he uses to constantly pressure puck carriers. Always wanting to cause a turnover and never hesitates to engage with any player, bigger or smaller, who happens to be around the puck.
What separates Iginla from a lot of his peers is just the breadth of his tool box. Shoots it, passes it, plays a heavy board game, defends in space, good on the puck, can play in transition or out of sets, can be a shooter, a passer or a defensive forward. Good skater with a lot of power, fantastic hands, sees the ice well, understands spacing and leverage in the D-zone. He can do whatever you ask, and you will get maximum effort in the process. But at his heart, he’s a goal-scorer. And he has the ability to be a very good one.
Already one of the Top 3 scorers in the class, Iginla has a vicious, heavy shot. He can use it in a variety of ways, from a variety of locations, and has a varied arsenal that can trip up goaltenders trying to get a read on him. Can blow it past you or pick a spot and hit it accurately and quickly. Release is top-end. Incredible hands let him change the shot angle in a blink. Puck just jumps off his stick. Not just a shooter, Iginla scores in a variety of ways. Obviously, he can rip a puck from the top of the circle, but he will crash the crease and poke in a loose puck. Will take a beating in front to deflect or tip pucks, can get open on the back post or catch and shoot from the top of the slot. More of a scorer than a shooter, despite the high quality of his shot. Just a true nose for the puck.
Still, he’s not one-dimensional. A good playmaker, Iginla does his best work with the puck on his stick. Skating is more than good enough to put defenders on their heels, and will either cut to the net or draw a crowd before putting the puck on a platter into the slot for a Grade A scoring chance. Makes decisions quickly. Doesn’t waste a lot of motion. He can dangle you to death, but he rarely does. More interested in getting the puck off his stick to the open guy. Not that he’s impatient. Will look over the zone if the defense gives him the time. Still, he recognizes how effective moving the puck quickly can be, and that is his default. The most fascinating thing about his game, when you think of how young he is relative to the class, is his ability to link all these things together.
Disrupts a play in the Neutral Zone, will come flying down the wing and stick his nose right into the ensuing board battle. Wins the fight, comes out with the puck, feints going to the near post, and then dishes into the slot for the assist. Scrappy and strong on the walls. Very good skater, excellent balance. He’s not an explosive skater, won’t win a ton of end-to-end races, but is just a notch below that with a lot of power and really crisp lateral movement. The balance separates him, though, as he can take contact – sometimes a lot of it – and hang onto the puck and still make a play.
Not as shifty in board battles as, say, Zach Benson, but gets in the mix physically, gets underneath opponents, and uses those hands to pull the puck out and immediately get on the attack. He’s not a physical presence, really, as he doesn’t go out of his way to lay a hit or bang bodies down low. Focused on the puck. Rarely gets lazy with his stick, only had 15 minor penalties in 64 games, and none in the WHL playoffs. So those who think they’re getting a clone of Tij’s father will be sorely disappointed.
Defensively, he plays a detail-oriented game that has only gotten better since early in the season. Much better on-puck defender. Has a good understanding of space in the D-Zone and a lot of basic defensive concepts, can play off the puck and help where needed without losing his check. Still some hiccups as far as keeping stick-on-puck, and pressing puck carriers hard enough in his own end, but nearly every kid this age has some gaps in their defensive game. Iginla put up 84P in 68 games (including 47 goals!), and then improved upon that with 15P in 11 playoff games. Finished up with 12P in 7 games for the Canadian U-18 team in their surprising Gold Medal win. I think if he hits his ceiling, and this will seem crazy and old-mannish, but I just see a lot of Michel Goulet in his game for those of you who remember him. Another guy I can see in Iginla’s game is Zach Parise. Not a bad addition to the Sabres.
Rd2 #11: BUFFALO: John Mustard, 6’1 C, USHL:
Yes, you can call him ‘Colonel.’ Yes, it’s an all-time name. But there’s more to this kid than sharing a name with a condiment. Mustard is a guy who plays with speed and pace. He’s a tremendous skater with explosive linear speed and can get up and down the ice in a flash. But there’s still some rawness to his game…which is good, as the Sabres can let him percolate for a while to round out his game. And they’ll have time, as he is one of the younger players in the Draft class.
Mustard’s calling card is his wheels. He can really motor. Great burst coming out of a stop, he can change directions and get up to top speed almost immediately. Low center of gravity makes it tough to knock him off stride, and he can use solid change of direction to evade checks and find open space. Lateral movement is exceptional as well; he cuts inside or outside with equal agility, crossovers are efficient and generate a lot of power. Can turn the corner on a defender and forget about it. He’s getting the shot he wants and there’s nothing the defender can do about it. Mustard also has that knack of finding space that goal scorers seem to possess.
He does a lot of the simple things that help you score. Goes to the net, stays around the crease, always tries to get to the high slot. He’s a shoot-first center, rarely passes up a shot, sometimes to his detriment when there are players with better looks. Yes, you could say he’s a bit of a puck hog. Uses his speed and wheels to get to his spot. Dangerous in transition with the puck, as he can come down the wing, cut inside and get off a laser of a shot…or without the puck, as he’ll use his speed to outrace a defender, get to a dangerous area, and wait for the pass or rebound. Deadly one-timer where he chokes up on his stick and just rifles pucks into the net. Just has that nose for the puck. It seems to follow him around. Always seems to be able to get, and keep, his stick loose. That shot is a rocket, as well. He waits for a defender to commit or take a wrong step, and boom, the puck’s off his blade and into the back of the net. Doesn’t need a big wind-up to generate torque. Has a killer of a snapshot, especially when he’s on the move. And gets a lot of pucks through, even if there’s a crowd in the slot. It’s in the other parts of his game that things start to lose their magic.
Mustard is wildly inconsistent as a playmaker and puck carrier. At times he shows flashes of great awareness and precision passing…at other times, he misses wide-open teammates around the net as tunnel vision sets in and he thinks of nothing else but shooting the puck. Or he goes offsides without waiting for his teammates. Or comes to a dead stop waiting for someone to pass him the puck. All of these things need to improve, and he’s getting better – you could tell that toward the end of the season, he started making adjustments to become more aware. Unfortunately, as can tend to happen, it impacted his offense a bit. And his defense…well, that needs quite a bit of work in a variety of areas.
That said, we need to remember that Mustard missed the cut-off for next year’s Draft by less than a month. And this was his first year in major junior (the USHL). So his raw ability is obvious. He just needs to learn the game and become more of a two-way player, both things he can work on next season in Waterloo and then, the following year, when he enrolls at Providence. The Sabres may not see Mustard for a few years while he develops, but he’s a player whose a dangerous goal scorer and everyone likes to have a few of those. Mustard was a Top 5 goal scorer among draft eligibles in the USHL this year; he put up 29G in 60 games, 56 points altogether, while winning Rookie of the Year. And he’s from Newmarket, ONT…home of the renowned DBTB poster (and aptly named) Newmarketguy! You’re probably looking at a player like a Bryan Rust from PIT down the road, a complimentary scorer with great speed. And maybe more!
Rd3 #11: BUFFALO: Mikhail Yegorov, 6’5 G, USHL:
You wanted the Sabres to draft another goalie, and your voices were heard. One of the most projectable goaltenders in the Draft class, Yegorov to his credit came over to North America to learn the game. And Year One was most certainly a learning experience. Still, he showed enough that he could be one of the most highly regarded goalies in this Draft Class as we come down to the wire. He has the ideal frame at 6’5 190#, not very different from UPL in terms of size. But it’s how he uses it that becomes important.
Yegorov came out of the box pretty slow, and was relegated to the #2 guy on a bad team in Omaha. But around the turn of the year he got the net more and more often, and started flashing some high-end talent. A very structured player in the pipes, Yegorov’s reflexes and small area movement are impressive. He’s very tough to beat in tight around the goalmouth. Sure, he’s got long legs and his are extremely flexible, but he also has superb reflexes with his glove.
Just with his size alone he eats up a lot of the space in and around the net, but that quick glove hand leaves shooters with a very limited number of opportunities to find openings. Even in the butterfly he remains upright most of the time, and has gotten vastly better at sealing the lower half of the net. Positioning he does a nice job of finding pucks and staying square to the shooter, even playing a little hybrid style at times when he’s feeling very comfortable. Now, when I said projectable, I meant it.
Yegorov had a real baptism by fire the 2nd half of the season; he faced 45+ shots in almost 20% of his games. Omaha was a bad team, and he suffered the most for it, playing in 43 games and allowing a 3.88 GAA and .892 SV%. Hardly big-time numbers, right? But the Lancers got outscored by almost 2 Goals per game, and only won 16 games (Yegorov won 8!). And he struggled at times with his skating, particularly getting from post to post quick enough and getting out of his crease to make plays on the puck. In the NHL, those are critical attributes and so Yegorov’s game needs a lot of fine-tuning. That said, there are plenty of positive elements to his game that have him rated so high, and the Sabres in particular will have time to develop him with two young goalies at the NHL level already. They should know what they have with Yegorov by the time Levi and UPL are looking down the barrel of their next contract.
Rd4 #11: BUFFALO: Jakub Fibigr, 6’1 LHD, OHL:
We waited until the 4th Round, but Buffalo finally got into the defensive side of the ice. Here they go to the OHL to add a steady, smart, reliable blueliner who can do a little bit of everything. Transitioning from Europe to the US this year, he adjusted quickly and had a very successful season. An aggressive blueliner, Fibigr has a variety of talents that he displays from shift-to-shift, but his consistency in an issue right now. More of a defense-first player, his compete level is sky high, and that makes him tough to play against in all 3 zones.
Skating is very good, not elite, but has excellent mobility in all directions, shows slick edgework, and transitions fairly well as he changes directions. Doesn’t have much explosion, and he could use some more balance – we’ll get back to that in a minute – so there’s still some work to be done. But he’s smooth and if he can get a clear lane, he can build up really good speed and become very difficult to contain. Maybe more confident in his skating than he should be; he’s not afraid to stand guys up on the blue line or cut across the Neutral Zone to try and disrupt plays. But when his gaps aren’t tight, or he makes a bad read, he’ll get caught and give up a good scoring chance. Some of this can be attributed to his rapid adjustment to the North American game, but some of it needs to get cleaned up in how he reads plays and when to pick his spots.
All things considered, I prefer the aggressive defender. And Fibigr is that. Not only does he like to meet his check at the blue line, but he instantly puts pressure on the opponent entering the D-Zone. That persistence, with his feet and his stick, causes a lot more dump-ins that usual. His stick – like his body – is constantly moving, very aggressive, getting it in tight to forwards and preventing a lot of stickhandling, while he gets his body in the way. And there’s no hesitation in bumping, putting a forearm in the chest of a check, or spinning them around with a hip check if the opportunity presents itself.
His on-puck defense is normally exceptional. And he’s always working. Rarely takes a shift off. Away from the puck can be a bit hit-or-miss. Excellent at closing out on a shooter, forcing them to be uncomfortable as he eliminates shooting lanes. Very physical and assertive around the net front, tying up opponents, getting inside leverage and preventing them from getting easy rebound opportunities. But he rarely seems to remain in place, sometimes chasing an opponent or the puck (or both) and getting caught out of position.
Offensively, he’s a dangerous passer, able to connect on zone exits precisely and on-time to trigger counter-attacks and transition. Also a surgical stretch passer, his vision of the entire ice is really surprising coming over from Czechia. Springs a good number of breakaways and odd-man rushes. In the O-zone, he’s patient with the puck and always scanning the ice, looking for openings, and he keeps his feet moving along the blue-line to constantly force the defense to be aware of what he’s doing. Rarely puts his partner in a bad spot, however. When he does pinch, or attack deep in the zone with the puck, he’s very conscious of the situation and does it with purpose.
All in all, Fibigr has flashed a lot of things to like: good instincts at both ends, intensity, and physicality. If he can improve his balance and smooth out those first couple strides, and establish more consistency across the board, he could be a find. Had 43P in 61 games for Misssissauga, wore a letter for the Czechs at the U-18s while also playing for the National Team at the Hlinka. Reminds me a little of Justin Faulk (only a little more physical) when you think of what he might become if everything goes right.
Rd4 #12: BUFFALO (PHILADELPHIA): Tory Pitner, 6’1 RHD, USHL:
A McGee favorite, Pitner is a player I thought would really find his offensive game and become a 1st rounder at the beginning of the Draft season. He did not do that, so now we find him here, in the 4th round. And he is a defensive terror on the ice. Pitner doesn’t necessarily fit the traditional mold of a shut-down defender but make no mistake – this kid is as fierce a pure defender as there is in this Draft. Pitner’s game revolves around shutting down the other team and turning the puck up ice to let his teammates attack. A good skater, his game really starts with his attention to detail.
Defensive game is so advanced for a kid his age, it’s really impressive. He rarely gives an onrushing attacker the center of the ice. He will herd them to the walls with a really active stick, solid positioning, and some pushing and shoving. Then ride them into the corners and finish his check authoritatively. That’s when he doesn’t break up zone entries before they cross the blue-line, which is really one of his specialties. He stands up at the blue-line, anticipates passes or inside cuts, and disrupts them with his stick or simply intercepts the pass. Not a gunslinger by any means, so he doesn’t take unnecessary chances, but his reads are just impeccable. Gaps are airtight.
In his own zone, he’s a physical presence. Not blowing guys up left and right – something that just isn’t done much anymore – but he doesn’t pass up a big check. A real pain to deal with down low, Pitner is relentlessly aggressive, boxing players out, tying up sticks and constantly getting his arms and hands involved in directing opponents where he wants them to be to minimize their chances. Works hard on top of the crease, clearing it and keeping his goalie as clean as possible. Once the puck is turned over, Pitner is typically a play ahead of everyone else. Puck recovery is often followed by a quick, short pass to get the puck out of danger and his teammates can exit the zone with control. He’s surprisingly effective with his first pass to start transition. But that’s typically where his game ends, at the red line.
Pitner is not one to push the play and has a notable lack of creativity on the offensive end. It’s an interesting dichotomy, as most kids this age have advanced offensive games and struggle on the other end…with Pitner, his offensive game is barely there in some games. It’s almost as if he is afraid of it distracting from his defense. So he rarely engages in the offense, not having a big shot and not willing to make moves with the puck to create passing lanes or threaten the opposition. This is something he’s going to have to develop if he wants to become a pro player.
He’s off to the University of Denver – NCAA Champion – next season, where he’ll likely get the chance to play with Zeev Buium on a top-flight D-corps. This is a kid who will take time to develop, but that’s OK. He plays a bit of a Chris Tanev style of game and replicating that would be my hope if I selected him.
Rd5 #32: BUFFALO (FLORIDA): Charlie Forslund, 6’3 W, SWE:
Another late riser, Forslund started the season in a Tier II U-18 league in Sweden, which he promptly took apart. He was elevated to a similar U-20 league, where he was even better. And he finished up in their Tier III Men’s League, Ettan, where he went for a point-per-game and went for a goal per game in the playoffs. All this largely from out of nowhere. Forslund is a pure shooter. He has a remarkable laser beam of a shot that he uses from everywhere, and he is an absolute menace on the PP. Release is lightning quick, and he can disguise his shot and manipulate his angles, making it really tough for a goalie to pick up his intended target before the puck is off his stick. Can pick corners as well, especially from the top of either circle. If given space he’ll cut into the middle where he can get his shot off against almost anyone. Sound familiar?
But he’s not a one-trick pony. Forslund works hard and smart around the crease. Really has a nose for the puck, and seems to relish contact, which he initiates to give himself more room in getting to the net. Manages to keep his stick loose in tight quarters, and can make plays in traffic, which speaks to his strength. Locating the puck does not seem to be a problem for him as he bangs in his share of rebounds and second-chance opportunities. Surprisingly, a slick skater for his size as well. He gets around the ice smoothly, and when he needs to change direction, Forslund has a really powerful couple of strides to get up to speed.
His transitions, however, can be clunky and sometimes require him to outright stop before going in a different direction. He’s not bad in transition, and he flashes some high-end processing that turns plays into highlight reel goals, but he can too easily stay in his lane and just go to the net without seeing his teammates or knowing where to distribute the puck for a better look. Interestingly, coming from the lower tier leagues like he has, he tends to give the puck up to his teammates as if he doesn’t feel like he should be controlling play. That will certainly change as he gets older and more experienced. But his passing can be spotty at best, and his stickhandling – if you can call it that – looks like he’s handling a grenade when he’s trying to create space and time for himself and his team.
His defense, as you might expect, is a work in progress. And that’s being a bit generous. Not as if his effort lacks, it doesn’t. But his execution and ability to remain in the structure while keeping tabs on his check is rough. Needs more time, and that’s OK for a 5th round pick. He’ll be able to stay over in Sweden for a couple years, then get a couple more years in the AHL before he even thinks about the Sabre line-up. He finished the year with Falu’s Tier II Men’s team, where he notched 19P in 19 games, including 9 goals before going for 4P in 3 playoff games. Has some Owen Tippett in his game, as far as a pure shooter from the wing who also has some size.
Rd6 #11: BUFFALO: Roman Luttsev, 6’0 C, RUS:
Back to Mother Russia for another young forward prospect. And this kid is a bit of the forward version of Tory Pitner. He might not dazzle you with his offensive skill set, but he is rock solid defensively. Luttsev didn’t get as much prime offensive opportunity because he played behind McGee favorite Yegor Surin for much of the season, but managed to put up respectable numbers as a middle-6 centerman and then really shone in the playoffs, where he finished 4th in scoring for Loko.
Luttsev isn’t out there to put up big points, however. Instead, he’s a shutdown centerman with great wheels and remarkable tenacity. He is a sharp skater with quick feet, able to execute tight turns and get up to speed quickly. Unfortunately, at his size (155#) he’s not generating a ton of power, but his feet are good. Nimble lateral movement, good straight-line speed, and small area skating are all advantages to his game. These wheels help him play a strong on-puck defensive game. When he gaps up, he’s tough to shake.
Good stick work, keeps himself positioned properly, and never seems to cheat by blowing the zone early or leaving his check. Has a developed defensive instinct, and he couples that with a big-time work ethic to be an entirely annoying pest. Repeatedly tips or deflects pucks, blocks shots, and generally disrupts high-danger chances before they get started. Maybe it stands out more because that part of the game is not as prevalent in the Russian leagues as it is in the NHL, but Luttsev doesn’t sell you short. He’s working nearly every shift to keep the puck out of his net.
A set of soft hands allows him to be a stealthy stick lift guy, often with perfect timing to disrupt a dangerous shot or pass. But those hands help him on the offensive end. He flashes some high-end skill, although it comes and goes at this point in his career. Partly his slight frame makes it tough to get inside to the slot and create from there, but in transition Luttsev can shimmy with or without the puck, get loose at speed, and process the defense on the fly. He’s also got a sneaky dangerous shot, which is used best when he’s shooting on the move. He can shift his weight at get off a hard, accurate wrister. Passing is OK, but he’s a shot-first centerman when all is said and done.
I think the hope would be for him to get a lot stronger/bigger, and use that added strength and power to improve his skating and make him more of a threat in traffic. If he can do that, the Sabres might have themselves a real diamond in the rough. Luttsev put up 27P in 36 games as the #2 center on Loko, but really showed out in the playoffs, where he added 13P in 19 games (including 8G!). Ideally, you will get yourself a Pius Suter kind of player out of Luttsev, and there’s a lot of value in that for a 6th round pick!
Rd7 #11: BUFFALO: Parker Alcos, 6’3 RHD, WHL:
We started in the WHL, and now we’re finishing back there in the Wild Wild West with a big, mobile right-shot defender to take a flier on. Alcos is young as well, with a late July birthday, so given that and his size, much of his game remains fairly raw. Where this kid really shines is his skating. Able to skate with both power and ease, his stride is smooth and his agility is superior. Possesses a nice burst when changing direction and can outrace smaller forwards to win loose pucks. Also transitions well in all directions, with easy pivots and tight gaps when defending against transition.
Strong in his on-puck defense, stands up at the blue line and tracks back to the top of the crease without a hitch. Can be a bit of a risk-taker in the Neutral Zone, moving side to side to break up passing plays or knock a forward off their line before they enter Alcos’ end. Plays aggressive but isn’t overly physical. Finishes his checks. Doesn’t go looking for big hits. Rarely hits someone clean in open ice but will use his body and length in the corners and around the net where he can be very physically intimidating. Relies on getting inside position against forwards. Drives opponents out of the crease with his ridiculous reach and powerful legs. His quickness, length and power make him particularly effective retrieving the puck and getting it going the other way.
A solid passer, Alcos can handle the puck, and can beat the forecheck one v one and get up ice in a hurry. His first pass is usually his best, but every so often he will surprise you with a precise cross-ice pass across two zones and on the tape. It’s these flashes that make you think there’s more puck skill here than the kid is letting on so far. Those same flashes come up in the O-zone, where at times he will make perfect reads, slip back-door for an easy tap-in at the back post or draw a defender off his spot to open up room for a teammate in the low slot. For all that’s made of Alcos’ low production, there’s more there that the right development could unlock.
One thing he is not is a shooter. Alcos rarely shoots the puck from on top of the zone, and even when he does, it isn’t especially heavy or hard. In short, not a weapon. Fairly timid with his pinches, he’s not going to generate a lot of offense from the blueline. At least, not yet. But for now, Alcos is a steady, smart, and physically gifted defensive D-Man who can really skate. And I’ve got a lot of time for those sorts of players. He managed 15P in 67 for the Edmonton Oil Kings, in his rookie year in the WHL. Can do more? I think so, but time will tell.