Anaheim Ducks: 2019 First Round NHL Mock Draft

The 2019 NHL Entry Draft is 5 days away. Today I run through the first round with my prediction of who will go where and what we, as Anaheim Ducks fans, might expect to see on draft day.

Queue up the cheesy Europe song because, ladies and gentlemen, it is “The Final Countdown.” Only Five5 days and counting until the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. This is one of the most exciting events of the NHL offseason and everyone is at full attention waiting with bated breath to see which “shiny new toy” their team gets. Today, I’m going to be running down the entirety of the first round today with my picks for who will likely go where, including the Anaheim Ducks two first-round selections.

I will be doing a brief rundown of why I think each player will go where, and as a reminder, this is not a prospect ranking, just because a player goes 5th doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the 5th best prospect. Team need and who else they have in their prospect pools will play a role in some of these decisions. Others will be the best player available.

Also, keep in mind, these are just predictions. Come draft day, teams could be walking away with different prospects altogether. So, without further ado, let’s dive into what we could expect come Friday, June 21st in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.

1st Overall: New Jersey Devils

Jack Hughes is the logical choice here; he is the best player available and a franchise-changing center. Hughes has been seen as the “next big thing” for the 2019 NHL Draft for years and his time is finally here.

Anytime a team has a chance to choose 1st overall you take the best player available, and that’s exactly what New Jersey will do with this pick. Jack Hughes can do it all and has every chance to be a franchise cornerstone for years and years to come.

2nd Overall: New York Rangers

Jack Hughes may be the best prospect in this draft by most accounts, but Kaapo Kakko is not far off. A big bodied winger with game-breaking potential, there has been some real discussion about whether Hughes or Kakko deserves to go first overall. Most of the time, in those scenarios usually, the center gets taken over the winger.

The Rangers, however, will be more than happy to take the Finnish power forward. One of the more complete players in the draft, Kakko has very few weaknesses and will make an immediate impact for the Rangers.

3rd Overall: Chicago Blackhawks

This is where things get to be a bit foggier. While Kakko and Hughes are the undisputed #1A and #1B prospects in this draft, the next 10 or so picks could go many different ways. The Blackhawks find themselves in the Top 5 for the first time since they took Patrick Kane 1st overall and Jonathan Toews 3rd overall in the 2006 and 2005 drafts respectively. A somewhat unfamiliar position for the team they’ll be looking to add a game-changing talent who will bring a new era of Blackhawks hockey to Chicago.

I went back and forth with whether they would take Bowen Byram or Alex Turcotte but ultimately landed on Turcotte. The Blackhawks have not drafted a forward in the first round since 2014 when they took Nick Schmaltz 20th overall. They’ve drafted 3 defensemen in the first round the last two years and while they do have Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat, who both looked great this year, I still think Alex Turcotte will be drafted 3rd overall.

Turcotte is a dynamic center who is equally responsible in the offensive and defensive zones. Getting a player like that, with the elite level talent of Turcotte is a rarity, and giving him the chance to learn from Jonathan Toews, who plays a somewhat similar style game, might prove invaluable.

4th Overall: Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche find themselves in quite an enviable position. They were just in the 2nd round of the playoffs, and yet still have a Top 5 pick thanks to some shrewd GM work by Joe Sakic, and it doesn’t stop there. In addition to having a Top 5 pick, the Avalanche possess one of the most daunting forward corps in the league that boasts Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Tyson Jost, Alexander Kerfoot, Vladislav Kamenev, J.T. Compher, Mikko Rantanen and Shane Bowers, who all except Gabe Landeskog (who is 26) are under the age of 25.

The Avalanche are in a position to dominate for years to come up front. Their defense, on the other hand, is a bit lacking, they do have Cale Makar and Samuel Girard, the former of which is one of the most highly touted defensive prospects in the league. However, beyond that their defensive crop is fairly “meh.”

An aging Erik Johnson, a good but not elite Tyson Barrie, and a bunch of other “guys”, the Avs could use another blue-chip defensive prospect and Bowen Byram is without a doubt the best prospect in this draft. A defender who screams “top pairing guy”, Byram will be a welcome addition to the Avs and a team with a string of good decisions recently makes another one here.

5th Overall: L.A. Kings

The Kings are likely hoping that Bowen Byram is still here (and if the Avs take Zegras or another player 4th, which is a distinct possibility I think Byram will go 5th) but they will be happy to take Trevor Zegras. The Kings had a disastrous season and were looking to retain their 2nd overall selection entering the draft lottery, only to plummet down to 5th.

The Kings could really use a defender, with an aging core and not much in the way of blue-chip defensive prospects, one could argue that Mikey Anderson or Kale Clague are great prospects, but I have a hard time seeing them as future top line defenders. But when you’re in the Top 5 you don’t draft according to need, you draft according to best player available, and the truth is there’s not a defender that I think is worth taking in the top 10 outside of Byram. So, it’d be a real stretch for the Kings to take one, even if they desperately need it.

Instead, they’ll get Trevor Zegras which will add to their wealth of promising young forward prospects and I’d argue that he would immediately become #1 (or #2 if you’re a big Gabe Vilardi fan) best prospect. An elite playmaker, Zegras has all the tools to be a #1 center in the NHL and learning from Anze Kopitar would be a blessing for the high skill center.

9th Overall: Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are similar to the Red Wings in that they could use one of everything (except a goalie, they’re pretty good on that front.) While I could see the Ducks going for a defender with this pick (and it would fit the Bob Murray way of doing things) I have to think that they’ll use this opportunity to get a center.

They don’t have a top end center prospect (unless you count Sam Steel and I’m not personally sold on him) and it’s a lot easier to get a good defenseman in the later stages of the 1st round or 2nd round than it is to get a top line center, which the Anaheim Ducks desperately need. There are three centers I could see picked at this spot if the Anaheim Ducks go this route. Kirby Dach, Peyton Krebs, and Alex Newhook.

On a personal level, out of the three players, I like them in this order: Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, and finally, Peyton Krebs. While I think Bob Murray has Peyton Krebs higher than Newhook on his draft board, the injury to Krebs might muddy the water a bit. Ultimately, I think the Anaheim Ducks will still go with Krebs. Krebs is likely 1 or 2 years away from being on an NHL team regardless, so the injury isn’t a major issue and if Murray feels the injury won’t be detrimental to his future he’s who I think will go here.

Krebs spent the last couple years on a dreadfully bad Kootenay Ice team where he was the only bright spot. Playing on a subpar team leaves scouts with questions about how he would perform on a team where he isn’t the only valuable player. A big question mark surrounds his ceiling with a lot of comparisons to Matthew Barzal. This would be a risky pick but one that I can get behind.

10th Overall: Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have a couple of options with this pick. They could go center and take a Kirby Dach or the recently injured Peyton Krebs, they could reach on a defenseman like Thomas Harley, Cam York, or Victor Soderstrom, or they could build on team need.

I think they’ll do the last of those options taking Matthew Boldy, a big bodied, yet able skating forward with a great shot. He could be a perfect compliment to Elias Pettersson or Bo Horvat for the future. Boldy has the potential to be the Corey Perry to Elias Pettersson’s Ryan Getzlaf.

11th Overall: Philidelphia Flyers

There’s been a lot of talks that this pick is on the table as a potential trade piece, and if the potential to get some immediate help at the expense of this pick is there, I think the Flyers take it. There’s talk that ownership is growing impatient and want to make the playoffs this season, and that puts GM Chuck Fletcher in a bit of a pickle.

The Flyers have drafted pretty well in recent years and it opens up the potential of moving this pick without emptying the cupboard. So, I think it’s entirely likely the Flyers trade this pick, but, regardless of if they do or not, I think Kirby Dach will be the selection here.

A big bodied playmaking winger cut from the same mold that Ryan Getzlaf is cut from, a player of his caliber falling this far would be hard to pass up for the Flyers or anyone else.

12th Overall: Minnesota Wild

The Wild definitely could use an influx of young center talent and Alex Newhook brings that to a struggling Wild team. The Wild could use one of everything at this point but centers are among the hardest commodity’s to find in the NHL and getting a potential #1 center 12th overall is not exactly common.

I’m pretty high on Newhook, I see a lot to like and a high-end skill set to match a “wise beyond his years” level of maturity. Newhook has the potential to be one of the standouts from this draft. A speedy center with great playmaking ability and overall a really smart player. Newhook isn’t projected to have quite the offensive ceiling of the players taken above him but I think it’s pretty close.

13th Overall: Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers are a team on the rise. They recently hired a high profile coach, they have one of the most potent forward lines in the league and some promising young forwards on the way, their defense, on the other hand, is lacking. Now that we approach the middle of the 1st round, we drop into a point where a lot of the prospects have similar skill levels and there’s more “boom or bust” picks and more “play it safe” players available.

I think Broberg is the former. He has quite possibly the best skating ability among defenders in this draft, he’s also a big player, having both size and skating ability isn’t exactly a given making him a commodity based on that alone. Personally, I’m not a fan of Broberg’s game. He is, no doubt, physically gifted and he uses those tools well, but I find myself wanting more from his game on a mental level.

It’s not uncommon to see him drift out of position or over-commit to a forward he’s pressing, and while his skating is top notch and he uses it to carry the puck through the neutral zone remarkably well, he doesn’t exactly knock it out of the park once in the offensive zone. His shot and playmaking ability are average at best and he seems to get a bit flustered when he has the puck for too long. Don’t get me wrong, he has a lot of potential, but if he doesn’t develop into that dynamic puck-moving defender I think he’s going to end up a liability more than an effective player.

14th Overall: Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes are a team just waiting to break out. They find themselves year after year going on these asinine hot and cold streaks where they look like the best team on the planet one night and the worst ever the next. The Coyotes find themselves riddled with key players being injured every season and it hinders their potential immensely. They have one of the more exciting forward corps on paper for the future and their defense still has promise despite aging.

I think the Coyotes could use an influx of defense more than forwards at this point and for that reason, I think they’ll take the kid from Anaheim, Cam York. York is quite possibly the most exciting defender in this draft to watch. Explosive every time he touches the ice, constantly making plays, a great shot and a good skating ability.

York’s got some concerning habits on defense, however. He often finds himself put into bad positions due to his aggressiveness and isn’t exactly the best shutdown guy in his own end. York has probably the highest offensive ceiling for a defender in this draft and I think that’ll be too enticing for the Coyotes to pass up.

15th Overall: Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens took a step in the right direction this past year. However, they hey still have a long way to go, and while they have a need for defense, I think the prospect of taking a hometown boy who has a dynamic skillset will be too much to pass up.

A high energy player with a blistering shot, a big body with a lot of strength on and off the puck, Lavoie has a lot of potential and adding a player like that to your already impressive stable of forward prospects is always a benefit.

16th Overall: Colorado Avalanche

Back to the Avalanche, if the Avs take a defender with their first pick like I predicted here, then I think they go forward with the second, and vice versa (Thomas Harley is who I’d predict were the Avs to pass on Byram) and I think the Avs will hit another potential home run here. Kaliyev is one of the biggest risers in the draft and for a big reason. He has special goal scoring talent surpassed only by Cole Caufield in my eyes. The biggest issue I’ve seen levied against Kaliyev to this point in his career is his compete level.

Touched on by several analysts, there’s some belief that he doesn’t have that “win at all costs” mindset, playing a bit of a “softer” game not trying to engage in gritty puck battles and not the most active defensive player. If the Avs can get him to become fully devoted to being the best hockey player he can be, he has the skillset to be something special.

When you have two picks in the first round I find that it’s more palatable to take a riskier player with one of them, Byram is not a high-risk pick in my eyes and it opens up the chance for the Avs to take a very high ceiling player with some questions regarding his play.

17th Overall: Vegas Golden Knights

The Knights find themselves in a position that I would never have predicted leading up to the expansion draft. They’ve gone on a roller-coaster ride and find themselves in quite a pickle as they now are in some cap trouble, currently sitting with the least cap space among all NHL teams and they have a couple of players who seem pretty crucial to re-sign.

I think it’s entirely possible they keep all their keep pieces if they make a couple of shrewd moves but they’re certainly in a tricky situation. Part of that is due to Mark Stone who was acquired mid-season from the Ottawa Senators and immediately signed to a massive (well earned) contract. It, unfortunately, came at the expense of their best overall prospect Erik Brännström and I think they’ll use this pick to recoup some of that loss.

Picking up one of the safer picks in my eyes, Victor Söderström, who won’t wow you with his play but will quietly do his job and do it very well. A good two-way defender who can play physically even if it’s not necessarily his bread and butter.

Söderström isn’t the level of prospect that Brännström is, at least not right now, but I feel confident in saying at the very very least, Söderström will be an everyday NHL defender in the future and I could comfortably see him being a top 4 defender.

18th Overall: Dallas Stars

The Stars are relatively set with a young defensive core centered around Esa Lindell, John Klingberg, Jamie Oleksiak and Miro Heiskanen (who was a revelation this year.) They also have Julius Honka who has shown flashes of promise. They also took Jake Oettinger in the first round in 2017 to be their goalie of the future. They have a couple of forward prospects worth being excited over including Ty Dellandrea who was a first-round pick last year, as well as Jason Robertson who’s brother, is a prospect in this draft (and honestly wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to take him with this pick either.)

But, they don’t have a truly standout center who I feel could end up being a top line center in the NHL. Dellandrea I feel is better suited on the 2nd line or at worst the 3rd line but I don’t see top line center from him.

There’s a lot to like out of Philip Tomasino. He’s one of the more dynamic offensive players outside of the Top 10, and he’s a shifty player with good skating ability and a solid shot. He has a habit of ending up in the right place at the right time which makes him a playmakers dream linemate. Overall, I think Tomasino brings a lot to the table and learning from Tyler Seguin would be a big plus for him. He could end up being a big-time player for Dallas were they to pick him here.

19th Overall: Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators were the laughing stock of the NHL in 2018-19. Bad decisions, poor asset management (some good asset management as well, but far more bad than good), and the worst record in the league, the Sens were not great. But, that doesn’t mean they’re lacking talent, it’s just that the talent they have isn’t necessarily ready to shine yet.

They have a strong core of forward and defensive prospects headlined by Brady Tkachuk and Erik Brännström respectively. The Sens have a lot of exciting pieces, one thing they do not have in their stable, however, is a top tier goaltender. The last time the Sens swung big on a goaltender was Robin Lehner in 2009 and that was the 46th overall pick. Craig Anderson is 38, Anders Nilsson and Mike Condon aren’t the answer long term, and I don’t think any of the goalies in their system are either.

Spencer Knight is a truly exciting goaltending prospect considered by many to be one of the most promising goalies to ever go through the US NTDP, which includes names like Jimmy Howard, Thatcher Demko, Jake Oettinger, and our very own John Gibson.

Goaltending prospects are difficult to predict, a lot of the ones drafted high struggle to live up to the hype (Jack Campbell, Malcolm Subban, Zachary Fucale) while some drafted later in the draft thrive (Henrik Lundqvist, Dominik Hasek, Ryan Miller) but if you get one of those top end goalies early it can truly change your franchise, John Gibson is a testament to that.

20th Overall: New York Rangers

The Rangers already picked once, and they got one of the best players in this draft, now they’ll look to double up and get another high-end player to help fortify their offense moving forward. I like the Rangers defensive prospects quite a bit and I think they’ll likely use one of their two-second rounders on a D-Man, but for the 20th overall, I think they’ll find it hard to pass up Suzuki.

Ryan’s brother Nick is currently a prospect for the Canadiens, and while Nick has a lot of talent, a lot of people think Ryan might end up the better player. Ryan is a smart two way player with great playmaking ability and some of the best vision in the draft. He has a lot of creativity and that will come in handy for the Rangers down the line.

21st Overall: Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are a team that will always be going for it with Sidney Crosby on the roster. For that reason, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this pick is traded, but assuming it is not I think the Penguins are going for defense. Yesterday, they traded Olli Maatta. Their current roster has an average age of 28 with only one defender under the age of 25.

They have a wealth of forward prospects but very few defensive prospects and they’ll be looking to get the best available defender here, who I think is Moritz Seider. The big German, Seider is a shutdown defender in every sense of the word, a big physical brute who has a shifty stick that does a great job separating the puck from a forwards stick, and a long reach that does well in cutting off passing lanes. Ultimately Seider has a fairly low offensive ceiling but his defensive ability paired with his physical nature more than makes up for that.

22nd Overall: L.A. Kings

Kings, with their second pick, take a defenseman and one that I think is a steal here. Heinola hasn’t gotten as much hype as the defenders taken before him, but he has a lot to be excited about. A smaller frame player who moves and handles the puck well, future QB of a powerplay and a player who is likely to terrorize teams with his smooth skating in the neutral zone for clean zone entries. Heinola plays a responsible defensive game and plays a lot bigger than his size would make you think. I think Heinola could be a steal here at 22.

23rd Overall: New York Islanders

The Islanders had a significantly better season than anyone predicted after losing their franchise cornerstone for the past decade, John Tavares, via Free-Agency. Matthew Barzal stepped up and more than filled that role as the Islanders surpassed everyone’s expectations and turned a gloomy situation into a glowing one.

The Islanders have done well, drafting wings and defenders over the past couple seasons, they’re pretty well set up for the future at those positions but they lack a blue-chip center prospect and while I personally am not sold that McMichael is a blue-chip prospect necessarily, he’s probably the closest thing to that left on the draft board at this stage.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lou Lamoriello take the over-ager Brett Leason as he fits the bill for the type of player that Lou loves, but the offensive upside of Connor McMichael might be too much to pass up. A talented player who has just a good of a shot as he does passing ability, McMichael might not tear the house down but he’ll certainly make a ruckus.

24th Overall: Nashville Predators

One of my more underrated players entering this draft, I have him at 14th in my overall rankings. Hoglander has some offensive ability albeit not the most in the draft, but his high motor play is his biggest selling point. He is constantly working hard he has the potential to be a centerpiece of a teams forward core in the coming years. In my draft profile of Hoglander, I said:

“He plays a bigger game than his frame would suggest, consistently playing at a feverish pace and not afraid to track pucks down in the greasy areas.”

Hogslander is a smooth skater with great speed, able to reach that top speed in a hurry and maintain it through sharp movements and in tight areas. His best asset might be his puck-handling ability where he navigates crowded areas with the puck with ease. The young forward’s puck handling allows him to open space to make accurate passes through traffic, and even when being pressured by defenders can manage to make things happen, be it a pass or a shot.

25th Overall: Washington Capitals

Bobby Brink is a bit of an unusual case. He’s a smaller forward (5’8), not the strongest physically and he isn’t the strongest skater, he’s not the fastest, but he has some crazy offensive awareness. He thinks the game faster than most and is consistently in the right spot even if he struggles a bit to get there. He has the offensive tools to be a threat in the NHL even if not the most flashy one. That’s something the Washington Capitals could desperately use in their farm system after not taking a forward in the first round since 2014.

Firstly, let’s get the elephant out of the room. This is the coolest name in the entirety of the draft. Agreed? Agreed. Now, to the more pressing issue, is he worth a first round pick? I’m not sure he is, but Calgary doesn’t have a second round pick and I think their most pressing need is at goaltender. So, yes they’re likely reaching a bit here, but they are a team that has a young core and can risk going out to get someone who fits a team need a bit higher than they probably should.

Personally, I think Søgaard is a mid-late second round talent but unless Calgary makes a trade they risk missing out on the second best goalie in this draft in my opinion. A massive 6’7 giant with great athleticism even if he’s not the fastest. His size is something you can’t teach and it’s something that can help make up for his lack of speed. This isn’t the pick I’d make here, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Calgary go off the board and snag up a goalie as I think they’re not sold on David Rittich, Tyler Parsons, or Nick Schneider long term.

27th Overall: Tampa Bay Lightning

Personally, with this pick, I think the Lightning should go with another defender, Matthew Robertson, but Vlasic seems to fit quite a few of the boxes Tampa covets in their draft picks. A big physical player with good puck skills and creativity, Vlasic’s biggest red flag is his inconsistency. He shows signs of brilliance often, but just as often makes critical errors that lead to breaks for the other team.

Vlasic is young and can learn from those moments, especially from someone like Victor Hedman or Ryan McDonagh. Tampa could definitely use a player of his caliber as their forward core is stacked but their defensive cupboard is starting to get kind of barren even if their big club defense is as promising as ever.

28th Overall: Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes had a remarkable season, following in the footsteps of so many teams before them as this year’s Cinderella story. They have a great young core of players and just as many effective veterans, however, their prospect pool is quite depleted as a majority of their players have moved up to the big club. That doesn’t mean they don’t have good prospects still, because they do, but they are in a position where the best player available is what they should be after.

The problem is at this point in the draft there’s no real clear cut BPA unless there is someone in free-fall, in my mock draft there’s no-one of that sort and due to that, it comes down to Patrick Puistola, Lassi Thomson, Nicholas Robertson, and Brett Leason. Ultimately, I went with the player who I feel best fits with the style of play the Hurricanes play and that to me is Puistola, a smaller frame player who doesn’t have the best skating, he has high offensive skill with better passing than shooting ability despite what the stats say. He’s a slippery player and a very creative player who plays hard and makes things happen. The Hurricanes fans will learn to love Puistola pretty quickly I think.

29th Overall: Anaheim Ducks

I’ve been on the Lassi Thomson train for quite some time, going back to my scouting report on him back at the beginning of May. A right shot Defenseman is something the Anaheim Ducks badly need and something specific that Murray mentioned targeting (paraphrasing a bit.) A big right shot defender who can chew minutes, Thomson isn’t the biggest defender but he plays bigger than he is.

He is a great skater and has some very promising offensive ability. He’s likely to follow the path of Jacob Larsson and will take a few years to develop but once he does I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a top 4 role.

30th Overall: Boston Bruins

The Stanley Cup runner-up Boston Bruins are on the board at 30th overall, a team that’s got some players reaching the end of their shelf life and some question marks regarding some of their recent 1st round forward draft picks.

The Bruins could use a player who’s more physically developed and Brett Leason is that he’s a big body player standing 6’4 and is older than most of the other draftees as he has been passed over twice already in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 drafts. Leason worked extremely hard on his skating ability and that has helped him rocket up the draft boards to the point where he’s gone from nigh-undraftable to fringe 1st round pick.

31st Overall: Buffalo Sabres

Finally, we have reached the end of the first round and it’s the Buffalo Sabres picking for the second time in the first round and I think they’ll go for defense. Matthew Robertson is a solid two-way defender who doesn’t leap off the page as a future top pairing guy, and his inconsistency leaves the question as to whether he’ll be a top 4 guy in the league.

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Personally, I think he can be due to his big size and having a fairly good offensive game even if not the most consistent. He’s a left side defender, and obviously won’t be posing any threat to Rasmus Dahlin in the future but in the long run, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Robertson play on the 2nd or 3rd pairing in Buffalo.

Give Us Your Thoughts

And there we have it, folks, 31 picks up and 31 picks done What do you think of my mock draft? I’ve been working hard at this for the past couple of months and have changed my mind countless times over that stretch over countless prospects but I think this is where I stand on things with less than a week to go before the draft.

Do you see anyone that you would rank significantly higher? Lower? What about sleepers, do you think there is anyone in this draft who deserves a lot more respect than they are getting? Make sure to let us know in the comments below or on Twitter or Facebook!

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