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2019 HF.net NHL Mock Draft and Discussion


hf101

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Welcome to the 2019 HF.net mock draft and discussion which consists of picks made by our members.  The order of picks is listed below. 

We will begin the draft at 9:00 AM Sunday June 9th EST.

 

Upon making your selections please provide a paragraph as to why this players is being selected this can include his skill set, unique abilities, accomplishments, etc.  Provide a video or image, and a quote or two by experts. 

 

 

Here are the rules:

  1. The draft window will be about 6-8 hours. (of course, there will be flexibility but try to stay on schedule possible).  We do allow and understand tolerances for work schedules and family events. 
  2. Try to make the pick as realistic as possible. (Don't purposely let a Hughes or Kakko drop to #24 or #25. There of course, will be some surprise drops)
  3. There are NO TRADES. (we all know trades can happen, but it is too complicated for all parties involved)
  4.  @hf101and @pilldoc will try to have a running draft order on the HF..net Draft page so everyone knows who has been picked.  A sidebar table will also be visible on the Home Page.  I will also list it below.    This is our in progress page https://www.hockeyforums.net/1/2019-hf.net-mock-draft/
  5. After you have made your selection, please use the @(mention members name) function to notify the next person on the draft order that they are now the clock.   
  6. Have fun with it.  Remember there is no right or wrong answer here.  If you disagree with someone's pick then discuss it and make a case why you think the pick is not in the best interest of that team.
  7. Please use this thread exclusively for your picks and discussion.

 

 

1. New Jersey Devils - @BobbyClarkeFan16
2. New York Rangers - @bbgarnett
3. Chicago Blackhawks - @AJgoal
4. Colorado Avalanche (from Ottawa Senators) - @hf101
5. Los Angeles Kings - @FD19372
6. Detroit Red Wings - @yave1964
7. Buffalo Sabres - @ruxpin
8. Edmonton Oilers - @OccamsRazor
9. Anaheim Ducks - @Hale
10. Vancouver Canucks - @bbgarnett
11. Philadelphia Flyers - @BobbyClarkeFan16
12. Minnesota Wild - @CreaseAndAssist
13. Florida Panthers - @FD19372
14. Arizona Coyotes - @AJgoal
15. Montreal Canadiens - @Hale
16. Colorado Avalanche - @hf101
17. Vegas Golden Knights - @pilldoc
18. Dallas Stars - @yave1964
19. Ottawa Senators (from Columbus Blue Jackets) - @CreaseAndAssist
20. New York Rangers (from Winnipeg Jets) - @bbgarnett
21. Pittsburgh Penguins  @pilldoc
22. Los Angeles Kings (from Toronto Maple Leafs) - @FD19372
23. New York Islanders - @OccamsRazor
24. Nashville Predators - @AJgoal
25. Washington Capitals - @BobbyClarkeFan16
26. Calgary Flames - @CreaseAndAssist
27. Tampa Bay Lightning - @hf101
28. Carolina Hurricanes - @yave1964
29. Anaheim Ducks @Hale
30. Buffalo Sabres @ruxpin
31. Boston Bruins @pilldoc

 

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Hello everyone and welcome to the HF.net annual mock draft. 

 

It was a struggle between selecting the physical mature and dominating Finnish winger in Kaapo Kakko or the dimunitive, but electrifying center in Jack Hughes. In the end, look at the needs of the team, the New Jersey Devils are proud to select from the US National Team Development Program, Jack Hughes.

 

Just some quotes from three of the top scouts:

 

“Hughes has tremendous first step which sets him apart; at times you don’t notice him cause he is small but when he gets the puck, watch out.” – Tyler Marshall,ISS Hockey

 

“Turbo-charged center with blinding speed and fantastic vision who has dominated his peers at every level. Hughes’ skill is noticeable from the second he hits the ice, but his ability to make every single one of decisions seem calculated is what separates him from a very talented group of draft-eligible forwards. His sixth sense allows him to sniff out trouble before it’s within striking distance while simultaneously identifying weaknesses within the opponent’s scheme to stop him. It’s cliche to say he makes everyone around him better, but Hughes does so in more ways that one.” – Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst

 

“We’re running out of superlatives for the electrifying 17-year-old. Hughes brings dynamic acceleration, top-end speed, edgework, puck skills… I can keep going but you get the idea. He’s been at his best when his USNTDP team has played high-end NCAA squads. Despite an injury slowing him down at the WJC, he still displayed his impressive skills against players two years his senior.” – Cam Robinson, Dobber Prospects

 

In the end, Hughes is just a better fit for what the Devils are trying to rebuild. 

 

 

JackHughes-RenaLavertyUSAHockey.jpg

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With the 2nd pick the New York Rangers are proud to select Kappo Kakko. What really is there to say. He is the concensus number 2 and even showed he could have been number one. He is 6'2 180lbs and just has a skill set you have to see. He didn't struggle at all in the world juniors this year and actually showed he could play with the best and even dominate. There really isn't much else you can say just need to see him in action. 

 

A quick-thinking winger, Kakko never seems to be in a rush. He reads the game exceptionally well and finds himself a step ahead while the play is still developing. He is confident with the puck and capable of handling it in small spaces. With decent size for a player of his age, Kakko protects the puck well and uses his high hockey IQ to make smart offensive plays. He plays a mature game and is already strong enough to compete with men in the Finnish Liiga. Kakko excels offensively and beats opponents with smarts and skill both on and off the puck. (Matias Strozyk, 2018)

 

Blessed with incredibly soft hands and tight-quarter quickness, Kakko is a reliable stickhandler who uses timing plays to either get open or create space for his linemates. It’s hard to call a bigger winger elusive, but Kakko’s shiftiness is both rapid and unpredictable — he constantly lures defenders into a compromising position before exploiting the smallest of windows into an unabated path to the goal.

Kakko uses a variety of moves and fakes to get himself into shooting position, but he doesn’t not require optimal conditions to wire off a blistering, accurate shot that is labeled for the corner or far post. Kappo’s endurance is excellent during the first half of his shifts, but like most larger forwards, he can run out of gas in the middle of a play. (Steve Kournianos of The Draft Analyst) 

 

 

@AJgoal is on the clock with the 3rd pick. 

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Well at this rate 2 picks in 3 hours i will be at the gym when the Oilers are on the clock.

 

I have waited so i hope everyone else will wait on my pick then. I'm not complaining it's sunday so i know we also have lives too. 

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19 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

Well at this rate 2 picks in 3 hours i will be at the gym when the Oilers are on the clock.

 

I have waited so i hope everyone else will wait on my pick then. I'm not complaining it's sunday so i know we also have lives too. 

 

If it's like last year, it will be in fits and starts.   Early on in the mock draft last year, I thought it would have been better to actually do the mock draft for this year.   And then all of the sudden it's six picks later.  Then wait for a few, then a whole bunch again.  The other part of this is once we get after 5 picks, there really is some time to decide and then to write something up to justify it.   

 

I'm drafting one ahead of you at #7.   I'm horrible at waiting, but in this case it's giving me the excuse to come in from mowing the lawn to check.

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43 minutes ago, hf101 said:

I've added everyone who is participating to follow this topic that should help with notifications.

Yeah.

Just for clarity: mine really wasn't a complaint.  It is what it is, and there's really no rush.  It's all just for fun.

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37 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Yeah.

Just for clarity: mine really wasn't a complaint.  It is what it is, and there's really no rush.  It's all just for fun.

What time is the draft?

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33 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

 

Nevermind what time.   What day????

 

 

What's a draft?

 

 

Never mind what day, what site are we doing it on???

Edited by OccamsRazor
never mind i will ask hockey junkie he is an expert
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With the third pick in the 2019 NHL Entry draft, the Chicago Blackhawks are pleased to select Kirby Dach, Centre, Saskatoon. 

 

Big-bodied playmaking center with outstanding passing skills and soft hands who is one of the best draft-eligible players at incorporating all his teammates into the attack. Dach has a tremendous wingspan and reach that help him maintain control the puck for lengthy periods inside the offensive zone. He is a confident puck carrier up ice, and you’ll rarely see him advance via direct routes. Dach can create time and space using a variety of methods on zone entries, and he can stutter-step defenders out of position. All these traits force opponents to back away from him, which provides him with the opportunity to unleash a wicked wrist shot. Still, Dach certainly is more of a set-up man than a shooter, and you can make a strong argument that he is the best saucer-passer of any forward prospect.

 

Dach has elusiveness for a big man, and his agility in tight spaces allows him to outmaneuver pesky opponents. His straight-line speed is average but deceptive, and his skating style and stride appears a bit choppy and short. Nonetheless, Dach has no problem inserting himself into a rush or initiating one himself, and you can count on him to create several odd-man chances each game. He can run a power play from the half wall and has confidence in his passes from either forehand or backhand, and he can sense when the time is right to make a decisive pay during a stagnant possession. Defensively, Dach will pressure the points, and he relies on his long stick to break up plays. He is, however, neither physical nor consistent on draws. Dach will drop down to support his defensemen, but he’ll dig for loose pucks rather than use his strength to knock it free. (https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/2019-nhl-draft/2019-draft-profile-c-kirby-dach/)

 

If any team has the leadership group to break Dach of his few bad habits, it's Chicago. The upside here is immense.

 

 

The Colorado Avalanche and @hf101 are on the clock.

Edited by AJgoal
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The Colorado Avalanche are proud to select Bowen Byram with the fourth pick of the draft.  

 

Byram is the perfect prototype of the modern day defensemen. He is a prolific skater with the ability to break out of his defensive zone with great instincts with the puck as he enters the offensive zone.

 

In 71 regular season games, Byram has led Western Hockey League defensemen with 26 goals. He took his game to another level in the playoffs, leading all players with 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 22 games.

 

"I don’t think he’s truly tapped into how good offensively he can be despite his great numbers," wrote Corey Pronman, The Athletic's draft analyst. "I’ve watched him in practice manipulate the puck at an elite level. While he makes plenty of skilled plays, I think his individual creativity has another level than he’s shown. Defensively, he’s solid with good gaps, awareness and compete level, plus some physical edge; but it’s how often the team has the puck when he’s on the ice that makes him so good."

 

Josh Williams - Central Scouting Apr. 15th: "[Byram] was Vancouver's best player, and if he wasn't their best player he was their second-best player, because he impacted play every night. He's a physically strong player, thinks the game so well and has a little bit of that nasty stick and push back in his game."

 

 

 

The next person up is @FD19372 with the LA Kings

 

 

 

 

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10 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

The Avalanche just took him with the previous pick

The Los Angeles Kings select Alex Turcotte, C, U.S. National Team U18 developmental program.

Edited by FD19372
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And at number six, Steve Yzerman steps to the podium and.....

 

  I was debating on taking Philip Broberg as a reach to draft for need if my guy was not available but he is still here so instead, WITH THE SIXTH PICK IN THE DRAFT THE RED WINGS ARE POSITIVELY THRILLED TO SELECT DYLAN COZENS.

 

Cozens is a big boy, nearly six four and still growing, a net front presence who loves to shoot and skates like the wind. Combining with the rest of the Wings skilled young forwards we have been putting together over the past several seasons Cozens will simply make a position of strength even more so. We will find defense in the second with our three second rounders, Cozens at six is a dream come true.

 

@ ruxpin and the Buffalo Sabres are on the clock.

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With the 7th pick of the 2019 draft, the Buffalo Sabres take, from from Sweden, defenseman Philip Broberg.

 

Thank you, @yave1964 for resisting temptation.

 

I don't think this is actually a stretch, though I've seen him at #4 (Button) and #18 (Pronman, from the Athletic). 

 

Buffalo is odd in that they need a bit of everything.  They are short on right wingers, so Caufield was a temptation, but not a big one (the irony of that choice of words only struck me after posting).  Any other right winger, I think, would be a huge stretch at #7.   The Sabres do need to buttress their defense and they've drafted quite a few from both Sweden and Finland, including 2018 1st overall, Rasmus Dahlin.     At 6'3" he's a smooth skater and more of a two way player.  Some day, I could see him on the second pair in Buffalo next to Risto (I think his ceiling is actually top pair, in the vein of Viktor Hedman, but he'd have to switch sides to play next to Dahlin).

 

https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/2019-nhl-draft-philip-broberg-has-all-the-upside-scouts-want

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/349467/philip-broberg

 

https://www.coppernblue.com/2019/6/8/18657523/2019-draft-preview-philip-broberg-edmonton-oilers-evan-bouchard-nhl-entry-draft

 

 

 

@OccamsRazor,  you and the Edmonton Oilers are on the clock.

Don't forget to try to keep this realistic--meaning you have to blow it.  :)

 

 

 

 

 

bb_philipbroberg_2018-10-22.jpeg

Edited by ruxpin
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With the 8th pick in the 2019 NHL draft...

 

..the Edmonton Oilers are proud to select from the United States National Development Program....

 

...LW Matthew Boldy...

 

boldy2019-696x484.jpg

 

 

@JR Ewing

 

Cam Robinson - Dobber Prospects May 15th

"Silky, silky, silky. Boldy loves to use his teammates and takes pride in his soft touch and exceptional vision. Owns a deadly release to compliment the play creation. Acts a chameleon by providing exactly what is needed depending on his mates or the situation."

 

Sam Cosentino - SportsNetMay 8th: "Highly skilled with size and speed make for an ideal combination."

 

Chris Peters - ESPNMay 6th: "A 200-foot winger whose coach compared him to Marian Hossa, Boldy has a unique combination of great puck skills, absurd creativity and exceptional defensive effort."

Hannah Stuart - theScoreMay 1st: "He's got an NHL-level release, and he can set up his teammates as well as he can score himself. His vision allows him to read the play and know when to strike or when to hesitate."

Sam Conentino - SportsNetApr. 9th: "The size and skill combination projects a skilled power forward."

 

 

@Hale

 

And the Anaheim Ducks are on the clock...

 

 

Edited by OccamsRazor
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2 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

..LW Matthew Boldy...

 

I really like this kid.  And a high-end LWer with some size is exactly, I think, what the Oilers need.

 

And defense and a goalie, but nothing makes sense there. Great pick.

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3 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

 

I really like this kid.  And a high-end LWer with some size is exactly, I think, what the Oilers need.

 

And defense and a goalie, but nothing makes sense there. Great pick.

 

I wanted to get @JR Ewing another D man to pair with Bouchard for the future but @hf101 stole him (Bowen Byram).

 

I thought he might fall but after leading the CHL in the playoffs his draft year i kind of knew he wouldn't slide.

 

Oilers need some LW depth...even though he is headed to college at BC. They have Ryan Mcleod and Yamamoto already.

 

Tyler Benson might be ready to make the jump to the NHL now to maybe push Tobias Rieder out the lineup.

 

Boldy will be ready to sign in a year or two maybe. I tried to think it through from a depth viewpoint too.

 

I thought hard about Zegras and maybe even Podkolzin hard...but said Boldy is the guy.

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