Official HF.net 2018 Mock NHL Draft Order

[Davey J]

Is there a list of players selected, or do I need to weed through all the comments to figure it out?  

[bbgarnett]

1 minute ago, Davey J said:

Is there a list of players selected, or do I need to weed through all the comments to figure it out?  

 

weed through but here ya go 

#1 Dahlin

#2 Svechnikov

#3 Thachuk

#4 Walstrom

#5 Zadina

#6 Bouchard

#7 Dobson

[pilldoc]

47 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

I also saw Dobson a little lower in several mock drafts and have also seen the Canucks go forward in several,

 

You know I really thought about going outside the box and going forward.  I have read that that Benning had been talking to the Canes for possibly trading the #7 pick for Noah Hanifin.

 

"The Vancouver Canucks have been linked to Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Noah Hanifin. Our staff here at The Canuck Way discusses whether or not they should make a play for him."

 

https://thecanuckway.com/2018/06/06/vancouver-canucks-roundtable-debating-a-noah-hanifin-trade/

 

"Hanifin is a terrific player who could instantly provide a boost on the Canucks’ blue line. The stars don’t line up for a trade, however, unless new general manager Don Waddell has a surprisingly low asking price. Spoiler alert: He won’t. "

 

If the Nucks did trade for Hanifin, which I don't think occurs, then that solves the the problem on the blue line.  That in turns lets you go forward.  However the forwards that I have read that Vancouver  would be targeting would be Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Isac Lundestrom.  Both would be reaches at #7 IMO.  (Although I have seen some rankings having Kotkaniemi rated in t he 7-10 range) Who would they target?  Farabee or Hayton?  Unless they trade back, I just don't see Vancouver going forward here with such a need on defense. 

 

1 hour ago, ruxpin said:

I originally thought Bodqvist would be one of the defensemen taken by now, but he's fallen some and I guess there's some concern with his concussion history.

I missed the concussion history with him.  Never played into my decision.

 

46 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

For the most part though the two of them are as close as the next two pringles out of a can.

 

Hmmm Pringles

 

[pilldoc]

20 minutes ago, Davey J said:

Is there a list of players selected, or do I need to weed through all the comments to figure it out?  

 

The list is also on the homepage, on the right hand side.

https://www.hockeyforums.net/

 

and listed here.

https://www.hockeyforums.net/1/2018-mock-nhl-draft/

 

@hf101 and myself will try to keep the list up to date.

[Davey J]

Thank you!

 

[hf101]

20 minutes ago, Davey J said:

Is there a list of players selected, or do I need to weed through all the comments to figure it out?  

 

Pilldoc and I are keeping up with the picks on the chart on the home page of the site.  Once I get home tonight from work I will update the mock draft page with all the write-ups. That is located via the menu under HFPages.

[pilldoc]

33 minutes ago, jammer2 said:

 If anyone is shooting up the draft boards like a bolt out of hell...it's Dobson. If he was there at 8, I would not even have looked at who was remaining...and he could go top 5 still.

 

I just saw this after you posted your comment..... (and after I posted my pick)

 

https://thehockeywriters.com/2018-nhl-mock-draft-round-1/

 

7) Vancouver Canucks — Noah Dobson (RHD, Canada, Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 177 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 20 GP-3 G-10 A-13 PTS; 4 GP-2 G-5 A-7 PTS at Memorial Cup

Regular Season Stats: 67 GP-17 G-52 A-69 PTS

Central Scouting: 5 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 8

THW Brett Slawson: 6

THW Ryan Pike: 10

 

ANALYSIS: One of the biggest risers over the course of this draft year, Dobson finished on a high note in winning the Memorial Cup and could go even higher here as a result. Some mocks will have him in the top five, perhaps even the top three, but I still think he lands in Vancouver’s lap. An all-around defender that isn’t overly flashy but effective at both ends of the ice and in all situations. Dobson doesn’t have the same ‘wow’ factor as Boqvist and Hughes, but he’s probably the safer and possibly the better pick between the three.

Jim Benning has already passed on one Tkachuk brother in favour of a defenceman — taking Olli Juolevi over Matthew Tkachuk at fifth overall in 2016 — and the Canucks do it again here.

[ruxpin]

37 minutes ago, Davey J said:

Is there a list of players selected, or do I need to weed through all the comments to figure it out?  

 

33 minutes ago, bbgarnett said:

weed through but here ya go 

#1 Dahlin

#2 Svechnikov

#3 Thachuk

#4 Walstrom

#5 Zadina

#6 Bouchard

#7 Dobson

 

What @bbgarnett said, but there's also a running list on the right sidebar of the "home" page on the site.

[jammer2]

 Ok....just looking at the Hawks situation at Center....both Toews and Anisimov are 29, turning 30 with this coming year. Not a whole lot underneath them at the pro or prospect level. IC and 2C should be pressing needs in the years ahead. They picked a D last year, which of course, does not count out Boqvist or Hughes, both legit prospects in their own rights.....I just don't see the Hawks going that way again. I have a direct tie between Hayton and Jesperi Kotkaniemi....they are both well known for being defensively responsible. I ithink Jesperi has a lot more offensive upside. I think his upside is 1C, and a tad worried that Hayton's upside is 2C due to a possible lack of elite scoring at the next level. Either way, the Hawks leading C scorer was Towes with 52 and Artem is 39....so a REAL need to inject offense in that spot, even if it is a few years away. 

 

 With the 8th pick, Chicago takes Jesperi Kotkaniemi.....and do it quickly. This kid is still 17 until a month after the draft, so any skating concerns may be deflected by his big frame and youth, he needs to grow into his body still. 

 

 Some nice video and stats of Jesperi in this link....

 

http://www.mynhldraft.com/2018/NHL-Draft-Profiles/Jesperi-Kotkaniemi

[bbgarnett]

@pilldoc yeah thehockeywirters do good work, they also have Brady Thachuk going at #9 to the rangers which I don't know if I can see that happening.

[ruxpin]

21 minutes ago, pilldoc said:

However the forwards that I have read that Vancouver  would be targeting would be Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Isac Lundestrom.  Both would be reaches at #7 IMO

 

Yeah, I've seen both.   Kotkaniemi makes some sense but, IMO, is a slight reach.   I think Lundestrom would require a trade backward. At #7, I think that would be way too big a reach and should deserve a termination letter to the GM.  Don't you think?   I really like the defenseman pick there.

[ruxpin]

20 minutes ago, pilldoc said:

@hf101 and myself will try to keep the list up to date.

 

So far, brilliant job!

[ruxpin]

2 minutes ago, bbgarnett said:

@pilldoc yeah thehockeywirters do good work, they also have Brady Thachuk going at #9 to the rangers which I don't know if I can see that happening.

 

If Carolina goes with Zabina and Arizona goes defenseman, I could see him sliding to 7-9.  At that point, it's some teams going with need rather than BPA, I think.   Of course, all of this is barring trades and screwing up the draft order.

[jammer2]

 Just to let everyone know, I gave up an hour of sleep before my back to back 12's to make this pick.....because that is what grown men do when they make a commitment. Your word has to be good for something? right?

[ruxpin]

5 minutes ago, jammer2 said:

 Ok....just looking at the Hawks situation at Center....both Toews and Anisimov are 29, turning 30 with this coming year. Not a whole lot underneath them at the pro or prospect level. IC and 2C should be pressing needs in the years ahead. They picked a D last year, which of course, does not count out Boqvist or Hughes, both legit prospects in their own rights.....I just don't see the Hawks going that way again. I have a direct tie between Hayton and Jesperi Kotkaniemi....they are both well known for being defensively responsible. I ithink Jesperi has a lot more offensive upside. I think his upside is 1C, and a tad worried that Hayton's upside is 2C due to a possible lack of elite scoring at the next level. Either way, the Hawks leading C scorer was Towes with 52 and Artem is 39....so a REAL need to inject offense in that spot, even if it is a few years away. 

 

 With the 8th pick, Chicago takes Jesperi Kotkaniemi.....and do it quickly. This kid is still 17 until a month after the draft, so any skating concerns may be deflected by his big frame and youth, he needs to grow into his body still. 

 

I think you had the hardest pick in the draft so far.   I really like Kotkaniemi.  That's a good pick there.   At this point, if you're looking for offense, I like him better than Hayton.

 

I've seen some rumors--I forget where and it may not be that realistic--that Chicago may start thinking about moving Toews to free up cap space.   I guess if it's Toews or Kane, I go Toews, but that's a whopper and it may change my thoughts on Hayton vs. Kotkaniemi.   I think they can wait until later in the draft for a defenseman.

[ruxpin]

1 minute ago, jammer2 said:

 Just to let everyone know, I gave up an hour of sleep before my back to back 12's to make this pick.....because that is what grown men do when they make a commitment. Your word has to be good for something? right?

 

Have a good (and safe) night!

[bbgarnett]

With the 9th pick in the 2018 draft the New York Rangers are proud to select Quinn Hughes, 5-10/170, University of Michigan.

Smooth-skating offensive defenseman with a superior command of his puck control and distribution, Hughes is the very best of a talented group of American draft-eligible rearguards. Raised and nurtured within a deeply-rooted hockey family, the current freshman at Michigan is one of the NCAA’s top newcomers and became an instant go-to option on a team loaded with NHL prospects and quality upperclassmen. The first thing you notice about Hughes is his calmness with the puck — he rarely, if ever, gets frazzled or frustrated in the face of a relentless or physical opponent. His ability to maintain control of the puck under harrowing circumstances is excellent, but it’s the plays he makes immediately after eluding pressure that sets him apart from the significant majority of not only his draft peers but all defensemen in college hockey.

Hughes is a strong playmaker with excellent vision, capable of threading the needle with either hard or saucered cross-ice passes. Additionally, he has a heavy shot with a quick release, and goaltenders have to work hard to control rebounds of his shots. Hughes makes plays on his backhand look effortless, and he’s adept at receiving and settling down pucks while traveling at a high rate of speed. His defensive play is relatively sound in terms of positioning and one-on-one tactics. Hughes has improved the timing of his step-ups and hip checks, and he stands his ground on zone entries despite obvious limitations in size and stick length. Losing slot territory to bigger players should be expected, but Hughes is a clever thief with a quick stick who transitions from defense to offense in the blink of an eye. He has top-pairing potential and can quarterback any power play regardless of the talent or skill level of the surrounding personnel.

 

 

@FD19372 is OTC

[yave1964]

@bbgarnett

 

Nice pick. I compare him to a Barrie or Krug type which is a complement. It makes a lot of sense for the Rangers as with losing Mcdonough, Klein and Girardi in recent years and Staal getting old on the blueline a nice youthful infusion makes sense.

[yave1964]

@FD19372

 

With the Rangers selection you and the Edmonton Oilers are on the clock.

[bbgarnett]

@yave1964  Totally I mean I was basically going through the same thing in my head in terms of why they need a D-man and possibly 2 and was like Mcdonough is now gone Staal ain't getting any younger and their D depth chart IMO leaves much to be desired and well I think a lot of their depth chart leaves much to be desired. But they have 3 draft picks in Rd 1 but I truly think they'll package one and try to move up or trade for a younger player who can help the team right now. Now I will say I was expecting Bouchard and Bovqist to be my two options at #9 but can't complain as like I said earlier they all bring the same qualities so none of these guys would be  a bad choice at any position minus probably the Top 2 or 3 

[pilldoc]

12 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

I've seen some rumors--I forget where and it may not be that realistic--that Chicago may start thinking about moving Toews to free up cap space.   I guess if it's Toews or Kane, I go Toews, but that's a whopper and it may change my thoughts on Hayton vs. Kotkaniemi.   I think they can wait until later in the draft for a defenseman.

 

my question ...who is going to take on that monster of a contract ...and who would be on his short list since he has a NMC.

 

I agree with you @ruxpin, This by far was the hardest pick.  Great job @jammer2. 

[bbgarnett]

https://www.nhlnumbers.com/team-salaries 

 

Now it looks like the Hurricanes, Knights, Isles and Rags  have the most Salary cap space but I can't really see any of them apart from maybe Vegas taking on that contract but even then it's just such a large contract that even though it may not harm them do they really want to take on an aging veteran or just go with the younger guys and build them up as they have many vets already from the expansion draft and they traded 3 picks for Tatar so do they really want a 30 year old.

[ruxpin]

7 minutes ago, pilldoc said:

 

my question ...who is going to take on that monster of a contract ...and who would be on his short list since he has a NMC.

 

I agree with you @ruxpin, This by far was the hardest pick.  Great job @jammer2. 

 

You ask good questions.   I have no idea and haven't seen that part.  And the NMC part only further muddies it because it would be hard to imagine his waiving to go to the bottom feeders who also have cap room. Can you imagine?  "Thanks for the 2 Cups and the memories; here's your ticket to Phoenix."

[ruxpin]

4 minutes ago, bbgarnett said:

https://www.nhlnumbers.com/team-salaries 

 

Now it looks like the Hurricanes, Knights, Isles and Rags  have the most Salary cap space but I can't really see any of them apart from maybe Vegas taking on that contract but even then it's just such a large contract that even though it may not harm them do they really want to take on an aging veteran or just go with the younger guys and build them up as they have many vets already from the expansion draft and they traded 3 picks for Tatar so do they really want a 30 year old.

 

Exactly.  And a 30-year old whose contract doesn't expire until he's 35.   His contract is structured in a way that may make him attractive to a team trying to hit the cap floor without spending the money, but it's still really high the next two seasons.  I just don't see it, and it the NMC is, I think, a killer.

[yave1964]

Yeah Toews...… Everythng you guys have been saying. HOFer in decline phase of career overpaid nobody touches that contract. Bowman wants to move it out? Good luck, wishful thinking. On second thought looking at the teams you mentioned....

  Of the teams with money.....

 

Carolina to me is in an interesting position, a new bombastic owner willing to spend, they may be the sleeper team on Tavares. Or if anyone can remember when Pegula bought the Sabres and gave Ville Leino, Moulson,and Gionta more money than God himself gets on a Sunday. Lafontaine resigned in disgust kinda like Francis has left the building in Raleigh. I think if they miss on a big boy they overspend on a medium boy.  Or Toews is the statement center they go after which in its own way makes sense as Carolina has nothing down the middle.

 

Isles, if they miss on Tavares they are all in on Kovie. If they miss there they might go after Toews to offset the loss PR wise.

 

Rangers front runner for Kovie because they are the Rangers and nobody has yet scheduled the intervention and the ghost of Slats Sather still hangs around haunting the halls. THEY might make a move for Toews allowing Zibenajad to slot as a 2C.

 

Knights appear to have the most money and are a preferred destination of a lot of players, Doughty or Karlsson would appear to be the best fits, Toews doesn't really solve anything for them.

 

So Carolina because they are stupid, the Islanders out of desperation or the Rangers because they are like a fat kid around a cake. Yeah I can kind of see any of those.