The third installment of the needs and mock draft continues, and this is where trades figure into the equation. Every team is still getting covered, in order of original draft position, but the mock draft will go as planned, as well as the first picks of teams without a first round pick.
16. St. Louis Blues
A team that may not go into free agency much this offseason, the Blues now have to consider moving on from Vladimir Tarasenko, who requested a trade. Depth pieces up front and blue line help are possible needs.
Projected pick: Mason McTavish, C, Olten
A team short on high end talent if Tarasenko does get traded, McTavish can provide goal scoring and a big body down the middle for a team that needs to harder to play against, something that has been missing since 2019.
17. Winnipeg Jets
Offense up front is a major need, especially since Pierre-Luc Dubois is not a guy that can replicate the goal scoring totals Patrik Laine had. That is where replenishing the wings can be a factor. Having fewer worries about free agents in their own end should help the Jets zero in on getting scoring help there, either through draft or free agency.
Projected pick: Oskar Olausson, LW, HV71
The Jets can afford to develop another player if Cole Perfetti and Kristian Vesalainen both make the leap next season. Olausson has upside that can be worked with for a couple more seasons, as he's signed with HV71 until 2023.
18. Nashville Predators
The search for a top center continues, and there isn't a top guy available in the draft, much less where the Predators are drafting. As for free agency, it's going to be about shedding either Ryan Johansen or Matt Duchene's contract through the expansion draft.
Projected pick: Fyodor Svechkov, C, Togliatti Jr.
Probably the safest pick if you take away the Russian Factor, Svechkov projects as a middle six player, at worst, thanks to the overall balance in his game.
19. Edmonton Oilers
The search for wing men that can play alongside either McDavid or Draisaitl continues, as depth once again, became an issue. Blue line help is also a problem, but acquiring Duncan Keith should help the younger players mentally, even if Keith is no longer the player he was even a few years ago. Goalie help is also needed, as there's no sure fire starter now, nor is there a guarantee the prospects will develop as promised.
Projected pick: Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton (WHL)
Goalie is the thinnest spot in the Oilers prospect pool, as they drafted all forwards last season, and they're expecting Evan Bouchard to try for a spot next season. Keeping Cossa in Edmonton would be a boon, as they can keep an eye on him as he looks to continue to post great numbers for a strong Oil Kings squad.
20. Boston Bruins
An aging core will need much more than just David Pastrnak up front and Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo on the blue line. Depth continues to be a major problem, even as Patrice Bergeron continues to play at a high level and Taylor Hall is a possibility to resign with the team. Down the middle is a worry that could be solved in free agency while the blue line needs a more sure thing.
Projected pick: Aatu Raty, C, Karpat
A top 10 projected pick prior to this season, his confidence was rattled at times and he missed the cut for the 2021 WJC tournament, due to no practice for the Finnish squad prior to the start. He still has the tools, and could be an eventual replacement for David Krejci.
21. Minnesota Wild
Even as they move on from the Parise/Suter era, the Wild need to continue to fill holes in their prospect pool, especially defensively, where only Calen Addison is a top 10 prospect. Their most important thing on the to-do list is getting Kirill Kaprizov signed.
Projected pick: Sean Behrens, D, US NTDP
A mobile defenseman that got overshadowed by teammate Luke Hughes, Behrens has upside to an already good all-around game and projects to more of a sure thing than 2018 pick Filip Johansson.
22. Washington Capitals
The Capitals first round pick was traded to Detroit in the Anthony Mantha deal, and while Mantha had his moments, not having that first round pick means they don't draft until late in the second round. Their biggest concern is what to do with Alex Ovechkin, who is a UFA. Whether they think they can win one more Cup is going to be a factor in the decision making for at least a couple seasons. Beyond that, they could use another above average prospect in the system, especially up front, as Ovechkin won't easily be replaced by one player.
Projected pick (Detroit): Nikita Chibrikov, RW, CKA
His game is bent more towards offense, and with both size concerns and the Russian Factor, it's easy to see Chibrikov fall. Still, his offense is better than most players in the draft.
Projected pick (Washington): Brett Harrison, C, Koovee Jr.
An offensive threat with consistency issues that were exposed when he had to head to Europe when the OHL season was ultimately canned, Harrison should benefit by returning to Oshawa this coming season, where he performed well. If he can use his size more to his advantage, his potential is higher.
23. Florida Panthers
Defense is a sore point depth-wise, as evidenced by Aaron Ekblad's injury. Cutting ties with Keith Yandle further reinforces this idea, and with a decent amount of cap space, they can add another player there, if needed, although they did commit 3 million per year for three years to Anthony Duclair.
Projected pick: Scott Morrow, D, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Far better offensive starter than in his own end at this point, Morrow has the desire to improve upon his weaknesses. It helps that he is a bigger player than the trendy smaller, yet mobile defender some teams take a chance on.
No comments:
Post a Comment