BUMPER CROP OF BLUE-LINERS
STARTING WITH LIKELY NO. 1 PICK DAHLIN, DEFENCEMEN SURE TO BE IN DEMAND AT NHL DRAFT
It doesn’t matter if you finished dead last or won the Stanley Cup, the NHL draft has a way of breathing new life into even the most beleaguered fan bases.
With just one pick or one trade, you can theoretically turn a franchise around.
And with five of the seven Canadian teams having missed the playoffs last year, that certainly is the hope heading into the two-day event in Dallas on June 22 and 23.
From finding a trading partner for Erik Karlsson and Max Pacioretty to why Canadians could be shut out of the top five picks, here are eight questions heading into the draft:
Q Will Ottawa trade Karlsson and Hoffman?
A The Senators have the fourth and 22nd picks in the first round, but expect them to have plenty more if Karlsson and Mike Hoffman are moved. In Karlsson’s case, look for Vegas as a potential destination with a package including centre Cody Glass (sixth overall, 2017) and defenceman Erik Brannstrom (15 th overall), as well as a roster player such as Tomas Tatar. Hoffman won’t fetch nearly as much now that Ottawa is painted into a corner of having to move the forward, but it’s not unrealistic to assume that the Rangers could offer one of the firstround picks they acquired from Tampa Bay or Boston.
Q What other trades might we see?
A Montreal already acquired Max Domi from Arizona in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk, but it doesn’t mean the Canadiens won’t trade captain Pacioretty if it means filling a void at centre. Nashville is reportedly gauging interest on P.K. Subban, while Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot might be available and just about everyone needs a defenceman.
Q How good is this year’s No. 1 pick?
A The term “generational talent” gets thrown around more than it probably should. But in the case of Rasmus Dahlin, who is going to be the first Swede since Mats Sundin to go first overall, it’s appropriate. Described as a mix between Nicklas Lidstrom and Karlsson, the six-foot-two defenceman has the potential to be a franchise changer. In other words, get your Sabres jokes out of your system. The days of Buffalo being a punch line are coming to an end.
Q If Dahlin is so good, why are people comparing him to a first-overall bust?
A The comparison to Nail Yakupov is more a reflection of the 2012 draft, which saw eight defencemen selected in the top 10. This year’s draft could be just as rich with defenders. It obviously begins with Dahlin at
No. 1, but scouts also believe Adam Boqvist, Quinn Hughes, Noah Dobson, Evan Bouchard and Bode Wilde could all grow into toppairing defencemen in a few years.
Q Why did the Senators keep their pick?
A As part of the Matt Duchene trade in November, the Senators have the choice of giving the Avalanche either this year’s or next year’s first-round pick. It looks like they are keeping this year’s pick, which is a bit of a gamble considering that Ottawa could be just as bad next year and potentially lose out on the No. 1 pick and a chance to select top prospect Jack Hughes. At the same time, selecting fourth overall in this year’s draft was too much to pass up considering that their choices in that spot (wingers Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk) are NHL ready and could make the sort of impact as rookies that ensures Ottawa won’t be picking in the top five again.
Q Which top prospect is going to tumble?
A It was a year ago when Gabe Vilardi fell outside the top 10 — despite being the fourth-ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting — because of concerns with his skating. That’s not an issue with Hughes or Boqvist, who might be the two best skaters in the entire draft.
But there are concerns surrounding their size. It’s not just that the five-foot-10 Hughes or the five-foot-11 Boqvist are short, it’s that they are also slight with Hughes weighing in around 170 pounds and Boqvist barely tipping the scales at 154 pounds. Maybe one of the teams picking in the top five will look past this, but with six-foot-three Dobson and six-foot-two Bouchard also available in that area, expect one of Hughes or Boqvist to drop.
Q Who is this year’s sleeper pick?
A There were five other players ahead of Jesperi Kotkaniemi on NHL Central Scouting’s latest European rankings, but don’t be surprised if he leapfrogs past most of them at the draft. After all, he can do something that none of the others can: play centre. Teams will say they don’t select based on position, but finding a No. 1 centre — or even a No. 2 — these days is next to impossible outside of the draft. In other words, don’t be surprised if the Canadiens, who are picking third overall, already have Kotkaniemi’s name on a jersey.
Q Where are all the Canadians?
A The best defenceman in the draft is Swedish. The best forwards are Russian, American, Finnish or Czech. So where does that leave Canada, which enters this draft lacking in top-end talent? It’s been almost 20 years since a Canadian-born player wasn’t selected in the top three. This year, there probably won’t even be one taken in the top five. That’s not a knock on Bouchard or Dobson, who are this country’s top-ranked prospects and should be snatched up within the top 10 picks. Just don’t expect them to be the next Connor McDavid or even Aaron Ekblad.
RANKING THE TOP 10 PROSPECTS (WITH MOCK DRAFT) 1 Buffalo: Rasmus Dahlin, D
❚ Six-foot-two, 181 pounds
❚ Frolunda (Swe) 41GP 7G 13A 20PTS
The Sabres, who finished last but didn’t win the lottery in 2014 and ‘15, are finally picking first overall. And they really couldn’t have picked a better year to do it. The team already has a star centre in Jack Eichel and one of the best forward prospects in Casey Mittelstadt. Now they’re adding what could be a future Norris Trophy winner.
2 Carolina: Andrei Svechnikov, RW
❚ Six-foot-three, 186 pounds
❚ Barrie (OHL) 44GP 40G 32A 72PTS
Svechnikov cannot play centre, but that’s about all he cannot do. The Colts winger has been compared to Marian Hossa because of his responsible two-way game, but don’t classify him as a defensive checker. He scored nearly a goal per game with the Colts and finished in the top 25 in scoring despite missing 24 games.
3 Montreal: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C
❚ Six-foot-two, 188 pounds
❚ Assat (Fin) 57GP 10G 19A 29PTS
The Canadiens need a centre — a legitimate one, that is. And the Finnish-born Kotkaniemi, who has been shooting up the draft rankings, is the best one available. Scouts compare him to Anze Kopitar because he can score, but also because he’s noticeable even when he’s not on the scoresheet. Either way, he’s a better option up the middle than Jonathan Drouin.
4 Ottawa: Filip Zadina, LW
❚ Six-foot-one, 196 pounds
❚ Halifax (QMJHL) 57GP 44G 38A 82PTS
With Hoffman likely gone in a trade this summer, the Senators are going to need someone to replace his offence. Zadina can do that and more. A pure sniper who led Quebec league rookies in goals and points, his stock took off at this year’s world juniors, where he scored seven goals in seven games for the Czech Republic.
5 Arizona: Brady Tkachuk, LW
❚ Six-foot-three, 196 pounds
❚ Boston University (NCAA)
❚ 40GP 8G 23A 31PTS
Arizona missed out on drafting Auston Matthews. But Tkachuk, who was born in St. Louis but lived in Phoenix when his dad was playing for the Coyotes, is the next closest thing. Big, mean and skilled, he should free up space for Clayton Keller and Galchenyuk and at the very least make the Coyotes tougher to play against.
6 Detroit: Evan Bouchard, D
❚ Six-foot-two, 193 pounds
❚ London (OHL) 67GP 25G 62A 87PTS
Ever since Lidstrom retired, the Red Wings have been searching for the next one on defence. Bouchard won’t fill those skates, but he will fill the net after leading Ontario Hockey League defencemen in points last season. As a late birthday — he missed out on last year’s draft by a month — he could also be NHL ready for next season.
7 Vancouver: Adam Boqvist, D
❚ Five-foot-11, 154 pounds
❚ Brynas IF (Swe) 15GP 0G 1A 1PTS
The Canucks went the safe route by selecting two-way defenceman Olli Juolevi with the fifth-overall pick in 2016. Boqvist is the opposite. Highly skilled and with a nose for the net, the offensive-minded defenceman won’t be playing on your penalty kill. But pair him with Juolevi and Vancouver could have a tandem that does it all.
8 Chicago: Noah Dobson, D
❚ Six-foot-three, 180 pounds
❚ Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) 67GP 17G 52A 69PTS
Dobson finished second among defencemen in scoring, but he really put his name on the map in the playoffs, by leading AcadieBathurst to a league championship and then winning a Memorial Cup. In a pressurefilled atmosphere, he stood out with his poise on the back end.
In other words, he could be the next Duncan Keith.
9 N.Y. Rangers: Oliver Wahlstrom, RW
❚ Six-foot-one, 198 pounds
❚ (USA Hockey National Team
❚ Development Program)
The top scorer in the under-18 program, where he was often paired with Hughes, Wahlstrom patterns his game after Patrik Laine and plays a hybrid game that is the result of having a father who played professionally in Sweden. He’s committed to Harvard next season.
10 Edmonton: Quinn Hughes
❚ Five-foot-10, 174 pounds
❚ University of Michigan (NCAA) 37GP 5G 24A 29PTS
The Oilers hired Paul Coffey last year to help coach the defence into being more offensive. But at the end of the day, you need the horses to pull it off. Hughes can be that defenceman. He skates and thinks the game like Coffey, meaning McDavid might finally have someone who can pass him the puck.