The 2018 National Hockey League Entry Draft is in the books.
The Pro Hockey News Mock Entry Draft is also I the books and we did well. Our staff writers turned scouts and talent assessors turned prognosticators were exceptional this season.
The Buffalo Sabres were first up and tapped consensus number one, Rasmus Dahlin which immediately made an impression on the Sabres’ fan base.
:Yeah, they are great fans,” Dahlin said after his selection. “. I heard so many great things about them. Like they love hockey in that city and I can see that, when they come to me, they know me and I don’t even play in the NHL. So they probably love hockey.”
Andrei Svechnikov went number two to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Canes have struggled late in recent seasons and an injection of speed and youth may be the answer.
“I was there a couple weeks ago, and I think it was fine and the team looks like going on the way up and just suits me,” Svechnikov said.
The Montreal Canadiens stepped to the podium in the third position and announced centerman Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Habs need forwards who can make things happen and create plays.
“I’m mostly a playmaker, I think. I love to find the passing lanes. That’s my thing, but I also have a good shot,” Kokkaniemi said. “I need to use it a little bit more I think, but yeah, I’m a big guy. I love to go in the corners and battle hard. That’s my thing.”
The Ottawa Senators were a major disappointment in 2017-18 in missing the playoffs. The team fell apart early and were never consistently competitive. Moves were made in the off season in preparation for the draft and at number four, the Sens called out Brady Tkachuk.
Tkachuk is slated for college next season and the question was asked whether he thought he could play in the NHL this coming season and how the Senators reacted to his academic plans.
“We didn’t really talk about that on the visit. Just kind of taking it day by day and just kind of cherish this moment right now,” Tkachuk said. “But we’ll probably discuss that the next night or so, but I’m going to talk to them and talk to my parents and see what’s best moving forward.”
The Arizona Coyotes went off the PHN script and selected Barrett Hayton number five on Friday night.
In his press interview, Hayton said he was looking forward to getting to the Coyotes.
“Really, everything about it,” Hayton said of heading to the desert. ” The direction in which their organization is going. I can’t lie, it was the organization I wanted to go to the most. So it’s just amazing.”
One surprise was Filip Zadina being passed on by the Habs. He as asked by media his impression of being picked up by the Detroit Red Wings at six.
“I don’t want to call it that I fall to sixth,” Zadina said. ” It’s a draft and I am in Detroit, so I don’t care what position I’m in. I’m a Detroit player. I just want to prove to Detroit that they have done a pretty good decision, so I’m just glad that I could be here.”
PHN was just one spot off on the selection of Quintin Hughes. We had him going to the Wings but the Vancouver Canucks were there to scoop him up at seven.
“I got a pretty good feeling when it slipped past Vancouver,” Hughes said after the pick. ” I always thought Vancouver was a solid option and I have Jeff Tambellini, the coach at Michigan this year, and he obviously played in Vancouver. And Will Lockwood who was also drafted by Vancouver. They said great things about the city and got me really excited. If there’s a spot I wanted to pick, Vancouver would probably be it.”
Adam Minnick of PHN made the spot on pick in the late top ten with Adam Boqvist going to the Chicago Blackhawks at eight.
Boqvist was straight up about his assessment of his status as a player, “I think I need to improve my defensive play and need to be bigger and stronger. Of course, my hockey stick can be better, too, so all those other things.”
The New York Rangers were in the top ten for the first time since mastodon leather was used for goalie equipment and the selected Vitali Kravstov.
“m ready for this. I’ve worked for this,” Kravstov said.
PHN had the youngster Evan Bouchard going to the Coyotes at number five this draft but he ended up in the top ten anyway with the Edmonton Oilers tapping the London Knights player.
He was asked if he thinks he is ready for the NHL this coming season.
“For me, I’m just trying to take it one step at a time. Enjoy the process. I know there’s a lot of stuff to work on for next season, but the goal for me is to go into main camp ready and turn heads from there and go from there,” Bouchard said.
Now the skates hit the ice to test the prognostication of the pros in the NHL and see who made the best decisions for their clubs.
We may not see some of these players for several years as they hone skills and bulk up for the 82-game slog that is an NHL season.
We wish them all well.
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