NHL Mock Draft: picks 24-31

The last section of the NHL mock draft is here, and just like every other section, there is unpredictability abound.

24. Nashville Predators-Philip Tomasino, C, Niagara (OHL)

A solid all-around player that has elusiveness, Tomasino could be a sleeper in this year's draft, since the Ice Dogs were trying to load up on their OHL run, pushing Tomasino around the lineup. With some of those players graduating, he figures to have the same impact that Barrett Hayton and Morgan Frost did in their respective post-draft years.

25. Washington Capitals-Jakob Pelletier, LW, Moncton (QMJHL)

Size is an issue with Pelletier, who will need to gain a few pounds, but everything else about him grades out to the next level. Speed and hockey sense are what will get him into the NHL, but so too, will his possession game despite his size.

26. Calgary Flames-Matthew Robertson, D, Edmonton (WHL)

More of a stay-at-home defender, Robertson has offensive potential that could be on the level of a Shea Weber. He already has the size and is surprisingly good at skating for a guy his size. Where Robertson could elevate his game is on the physical side, where his size will be a major factor.

27. Tampa Bay Lightning-Cam York, D, US NTDP (USHL)

Victor Hedman's injury that led him to being out of the first round against Columbus this season exposed a problem with the Lightning's blue line depth, as they didn't have the puck mover that was needed to push their offensive game. York isn't as big, but he has all of the ability to start the offense from his own end and can slot in on the power play.

28. Carolina Hurricanes-Brett Leason, C, Prince Albert (WHL)

Passed over twice, Leason appears to be taking the same route as another player that had been passed over twice in Tanner Pearson. Given a chance to shine on a loaded Raiders team, Leason put up great numbers en route to helping them win the Ed Chynoweth Trophy. He could be an immediate contributor on the Hurricanes right now, and at worst, may need a year in the AHL.

29. Anaheim Ducks (from San Jose via Buffalo)-Philip Broberg, D, AIK (Sweden)

Blue line depth, much like forward depth, is in need, as the Ducks will need to eventually rebuild there, especially since Shea Theodore and Sami Vatanen are gone and Cam Fowler had injury issues while Hamphus Lindholm was not great. Broberg provides a big body that can skate, but will need work on puck moving.

30. Boston Bruins-Lassi Thomson, D, Kelowna (WHL)

A work in progress in his own end, Thomson has the ability to let one go from the blue line, and his puck moving skills are above average, things that could play well once Zdeno Chara finally hangs it up and Thomson is ready for the NHL.

31. Buffalo Sabres (from St. Louis)-Bobby Brink, RW, Sioux City (USHL)

The offense is definitely there for Brink, who will head to Denver for college. His skating will need work, but he is a great playmaker who showed that he could score, too, ending the USHL regular season as the league's player of the week three times in a row.

NHL Mock Draft: picks 16-23

The NHL entry draft is officially one week away, and now, the final order is set, thanks to St. Louis winning the Stanley Cup. Though they won't have a first round pick, thanks to surrendering it to Buffalo in the Ryan O'Reilly trade, it does go to show that drafting wisely can reap its rewards, as Robert Thomas was a key contributor on the Cup-winning team.

16. Colorado Avalanche-Alex Turcotte, C, US NTDP (USHL)

This is another opportunity for the Avs to load up on forwards, and while Turcotte has had injury issues, he does boast some high-end talent. Where he ends up is unknown, since he played on the second line behind Jack Hughes, but putting up nearly two points a game is worth considering.

17. Vegas Golden Knights-Moritz Seider, D, Mannheim (Germany)

The only team to not have had a homegrown rookie on their NHL roster thus far, the Golden Knights are likely to continue that trend unless Cody Glass makes the roster. As it is, their blue line could use some refreshing, and they go with a physical specimen that could stand to benefit from better competition, but has the size and potential to one day succeed Deryk Engelland as the stay-at home type.

18. Dallas Stars-Egor Afanasyev, RW, Muskegon (USHL)

The lack of scoring depth was ultimately the Stars' undoing, and there isn't likely an immediate option to help that outside of free agency. Afanasyev has the tools to be a scoring power forward, but does need refinement, something that will happen in Windsor of the OHL next season.

19. Ottawa Senators (from Columbus)-Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie (OHL)

A playmaker whose stock took a hit due to Barrie being in rebuilding mode, Suzuki is more of a playmaker at this point, but given the Senators' woeful center depth, combined with needing the help within a year or two, at the latest, Suzuki goes here instead of Alex Newhook.

20. New York Rangers (from Winnipeg)-Ville Heinola, D, Lukko (Finland)

Heinola has a similar skill set to Miro Heiskanen, but with less in the skating department at the moment. Given that the Rangers are fairly loaded with forward depth, it is possible that they choose to address defense here.

21. Pittsburgh Penguins-Ryan Johnson, D, Sioux Falls (USHL)

The Penguins need a puck mover in their system, as Kris Letang is not getting any younger, and his ability in his own end is eroding along with the rest of the team getting slower. Johnson will have time to develop and gain some weight, but his ability to start the offense from his own end is already pro-level.

22. Los Angeles Kings (from Toronto)-Alex Newhook, C, Victoria (BCHL)

Smart, two-way player that has quibbles with level of competition, Newhook is seen as a Tyson Jost clone, in that he has the ability to lead a team one day, but will need time to develop, something he can do at Boston College.

23. New York Islanders-Samuel Poulin, LW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

The Islanders are loaded just about everywhere in the pipeline, but they do lack a big body that can at worst, play on the third line right away. Poulin is the prototypical power forward that the team lacks, and given the Isles just re-signed both Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle, they can take some time here and possibly just go with the best player available to them.

2019 NHL mock draft: picks 9-15

Picks 9-15 are up, and like everything after pick three, it's anyone's guess where the teams will go.

9. Anaheim Ducks-Matthew Boldy, LW, US NTDP (USHL)

Skill is not the problem with Boldy, but the consistency in which he shows it is, which is why he is not mentioned among the top five. The Ducks will still need to replace their aging stars up front, particularly since prospects such as Sam Steel, Max Jones, and Isac Lundestrom don't appear to be ready for big roles right away and once they do crack the NHL roster, will need to replenish their pipeline.

10. Vancouver Canucks-Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay (WHL)

Krebs has played well on an Ice team that has largely struggled in the standings, and given that he has the prerequisite tools and work ethic, it is likely he could be drafted earlier than the tenth spot. As it is, the Canucks need more help up front, especially down the middle, and Krebs fits the bill here as a Bo Horvat clone.

11. Philadelphia Flyers-Raphael Lavoie, RW, Halifax (QMJHL)

The Flyers have built themselves a nice pipeline, but not many of them have had an impact on the NHL thus far. Eventually, some of that talent is going to stick, and when it does, it will need to be refilled. Lavoie helped himself in the QMJHL playoffs and Memorial Cup tournament with Halifax after an okay regular season, and projects to be a power forward.

12. Minnesota Wild-Spencer Knight, G, US NTDP (USHL)

The Wild have little in the way of talent in the pipeline, as they were the only team without a representative in the WJC tournament in January. The other problem is that they need reinforcements everywhere and will likely need to trade out a player to pick up more draft picks. Where the Wild hurt the most in the system is in goal, where there is nothing behind Devan Dubnyk. Knight is the consensus top goalie in the draft, and it is possible that the Wild panic and draft a goalie earlier than they should.

13. Florida Panthers-Trevor Zegras, C, US NTDP (USHL)

If the Wild don't panic and take Knight, it is likely the Panthers will take him here, since their goalie situation is just as big of a mess, with Sam Montembeault not ready for the starting role and Roberto Luongo likely headed to long term IR. Forward depth was tested this season, and it was not good. Zegras is a few years away, but with Henrik Borgstrom ready for the NHL, he will be allowed to develop.

14. Arizona Coyotes-Thomas Harley, D, Mississauga (OHL)

Depth is still an issue on the blueline for the Coyotes, who will eventually see guys like Niklas Hjalmarsson, Alex Goligoski, and Jason Demers fall off a cliff, if they haven't already, from a skill set point of view. Harley is the most well-rounded defensive prospect of the class, and he could be a fringe top defender with definite second defender potential.

15. Montreal Canadiens-Arthur Kaliyev, RW, Hamilton (OHL)

Kaliyev excels at scoring goals, and the Canadiens were the second-worst team on the power play. The rest of his game isn't great, but that should come with experience. As it is, he would give the Canadiens the thing they sorely need: goal scoring.

2019 NHL mock draft: picks 1-8

The NHL entry draft is less than two weeks away, and the draft order is almost set, as the final game that will be played on Wednesday will determine the last two spots. As is the tradition of this blog, I will take a shot at who will be taking who. Today, it is picks 1-8.

1. New Jersey Devils-Jack Hughes, C, US-NTDP (USHL)

The Devils need offense in a bad way, and that fact was further exposed when Taylor Hall missed significant amount of time this season. The middle Hughes brother (Quinn is a defenseman in the Vancouver Canucks system and Luke is eligible in 2021) reminds many of Patrick Kane when he came out in his draft year, and if Hughes is anything close to his potential, the Devils will be happy to take it.

2. New York Rangers-Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS (Finland)

The other top candidate to go first overall, Kakko is a great consolation prize for a Rangers team that needs a flagship player that the team can sell their fans on in their rebuilding phase. While he's purely a winger, Kakko does just about everything well and has come up big in the clutch, scoring the gold-medal winner at the WJCs this year.

3. Chicago Blackhawks-Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge (WHL)

The Blackhawks would prefer a winger, but Cozens would be a great pickup here, as he has the size to be a power forward and the skill to eventually be a top line talent. It's uncertain where Dylan Strome's ceiling truly is, so picking Cozens makes sense in hedging their bets here.

4. Colorado Avalanche-Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA-Neva (Russia)

The Avalanche missed out on elite talent thanks to a few bounces of the ping pong balls, but they still get to draft a great talent here. Between Kirby Dach and Podkolzin, the Avs are getting a great talent to fill their forward depth. Given their depth in the pipeline that needs to come through, the Avs can afford to let Podkolzin develop, and when he is ready, they can be getting a Brad Marchand clone that plays more in control of his emotions.

5. Los Angeles Kings-Bowen Byram, D, Vancouver (WHL)

Without any real room for anything other than an immediate game changer, the Kings will need to play a little bit of a long game, and where the team has needs in the long-term is on the blue line. Byram is more of an offensive defenseman at this point in his development, but that is a spot where the Kings will need help down the line on the back end, especially since Jarret Anderson-Dolan and possibly Rasmus Kupari could crack the lineup up front within a year or two and there just simply isn't any cap room with eight players in their 30's on big deals and only Ilya Kovalchuk and Dion Phaneuf will have their deals expire in two years, which is the earliest that cap relief can come outside of a buyout.

6. Detroit Red Wings-Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon (WHL)

The Red Wings still need an elite defender, but that isn't available in the draft this year. The good news is that the Wings still need help up front, and Dach will help out here. He may need a year or two in Saskatoon, but with Filip Zadina and possibly Joe Veleno being favorites to make the NHL next season, the wait may be a blessing for a team that simply needs all the help they can get, especially since they can be rid of Jonathan Ericsson's contract after next season.

7. Buffalo Sabres-Cole Caufield, RW, US NTDP (USHL)

Depth on the wings is terrible with the Sabres, and that has a trickle down effect on an offense that if it ever matched the potential of the unit on hand, would have not had this problem. As it is, potential still must turn into actual production, and only Jack Eichel has shown that of the forwards developed by the team. Caufield would be helpful as a second line winger with either Casey Mittelstadt or Sam Reinhart right now.

8. Edmonton Oilers-Victor Soderstom, D, Brynas (Sweden)

There's so many things the Oilers need, but with Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse needing pay raises and so little cap room, the Oilers desperately need to fill that hole in case they lose either or both. Soderstom would be a year away, but he would provide a puck moving defender that the team lacks in the system.

Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Two months of playoff hockey have whittled the field down to two teams. The final games begin Monday, and it's plenty of time to dissect the teams.

(2)Boston Bruins vs. (3)St. Louis Blues

The Bruins had to outlast Toronto, Columbus, and Carolina to get to their third final this decade. On the strength of Tuukka Rask in goal and a combination of veteran talent such as Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Zdeno Chara, as well as youth such as Charlie MacAvoy and Danton Heinen, the Bruins are poised to bring another championship back to Boston. Where they need to succeed is with Brad Marchand, who frequently straddles the line on his play, but can also hurt you on the scoresheet.

The Blues survived Winnipeg, Dallas, and a blown call against the Sharks in game 3 to make the Finals for the first time since 1970. Ironically, it's against the team they last saw when they made the Finals. Jordan Binnington is the team's backbone in goal, but it is longtime stalwarts such as Alex Pietrangelo and Jaden Schwartz who have propelled them here, as well as newcomers Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Bozak. The Blues need Vladimir Tarasenko to get untracked if they want to bring home a championship to St. Louis for the first time in hockey.

Prediction: Bruins in 6

Handicapping the 2019 Memorial Cup

The 101st Memorial Cup Tournament begins tomorrow in Halifax, NS, and as is tradition, the host team will kick off the tournament in their special Memorial Cup themed uniforms. The tournament will also feature the QMJHL champion, OHL champion, and WHL champion, so who fills those roles? Let's look at the teams vying for the ultimate prize in major junior hockey.

Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)-The Mooseheads are the host team this year, which ensured their berth into this tournament. However, don't think of them as a pushover, as they actually made the QMJHL finals, falling in six games. Their NHL prospects to watch for include Jared McIsaac, Benoit-Oliver Groulx, and Antoine Morand. They are led by overager Samuel Asselin, and are backstopped by Alexis Gravel, who is a Chicago Blackhawks prospect. As with any host team, the Mooseheads are all in this year, and given that they made the league finals this year, have a great shot at skating away with the Memorial Cup.

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)-The QMJHL champion, they were the hottest team entering the league's playoffs, and this is their second appearance in four seasons, having fallen short in 2016 to London in the Memorial Cup final. Led by coach Mario Pouliot, who will look to win his second straight Memorial Cup (he accomplished the feat last year with Acadie-Bathurst), the Huskies rely on the overagers, with Peter Abbandonato Jacob Neveu, and Samuel Harvey leading the way. However, it is New York Islanders prospect Noah Dobson who is the team's best player, having also won with Acadie-Bathurst last year.

Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)-The Ed Chynoweth trophy winner, the Raiders actually had the most difficult path of the four teams, being challenged by Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Vancouver before claiming their spot in an overtime game 7 in the finals. Led by Ian Scott in goal and a glut of forwards such as Dante Hannoun, Noah Gregor, Parker Kelly, and Cole Fonstad, the Raiders are well-tested and will look to give the WHL their third Memorial Cup championship in 11 years.

Guelph Storm (OHL)-The most resilient team in the tournament, the Storm had to win three game 7s, needing to come back from a 3-0 series deficit against London and a 3-1 deficit to Saginaw in two of those series before ultimately overcoming a 2-0 series deficit to Ottawa in the finals to win the championship in 6 games. They have counted on a bounty from Owen Sound in Nick Suzuki, Sean Durzi, and Markus Phillips, as well as holdovers in Isaac Ratcliffe and Dmitry Samorukov to carry the team. The player to watch is Alexey Tropochenko, who has had a breakthrough year while impressing St. Louis Blues brass.

NHL Conference Finals Preview

The NHL playoffs keep getting exciting, and with four teams remaining, it's a time to be alive. Which teams are still in it and what could happen? Let's sort through the mess.

(3) St. Louis Blues vs. (2) San Jose Sharks

The Blues are once again on the doorstep of making the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1970, and this time, it is on the back of some timely scoring and sterling goaltending from Jordan Binnington. They outlasted the Stars, as they had to make a comeback from a 3-2 series deficit. Jaden Schwartz continues to be an unsung hero, but it is the resurgence of the likes of Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko that continue to push the Blues forward.

The Sharks are still inconsistent, but keep finding ways to win, thanks to contributions from the likes of Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture. Getting Joe Pavelski back after missing all but the last game of the Colorado series was a shot in the arm. Where the Sharks desperately need to improve is contributions from the back end, as Brent Burns has been quiet and the team is still waiting on Erik Karlsson to contribute. Martin Jones still has consistency issues, but rises to the occasion when things are on the line.

Prediction: Blues in 6

(2) Boston Bruins vs. (4) Carolina Hurricanes

The Bruins are still the physical team that can wear down opponents to win, as evidenced by their series win over Columbus. However, they are also a team that can outscore opponents, as needed, with David Pastrnak and David Krejci leading the way. The team has done well despite little in the way of offensive output from Brad Marchand. Defensively, this is a unit that is getting healthy at the right time, with Charlie MacAvoy and Brandon Carlo pushing the unit forward with a guiding hand from veterans such as Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug. Tuukka Rask continues to hold down the fort in goal, with more consistency in his numbers.

Carolina has solid depth all around, and though the output from Sebastian Aho hasn't been as great, it has been the likes of Teuvo Teravainen, Nino Niederreiter, and unsung hero Warren Foegele who have pushed the offense forward. Defensively, they suffered a blow when Trevor van Riemsdyk was announced to be out for the rest of the playoffs, but others have stepped up, and that will continue to be the case here. Where the Hurricanes could be vulnerable is in goal, where Petr Mrazek missed the last two games to injury, and though the Hurricanes have had time off, it remains to be seen if he can be 100 percent if he comes back during the series. In the interim, Curtis McElhinney held down the fort well, and he will be a key if Mrazek is unable to go or isn't completely healthy.

Prediction: Hurricanes in 7