| Pick | Team | Player | Pos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | Auston Matthews | C | "Great things come to those who wait." It may have taken eight years to find Mats Sundin's replacement as a first-line center, but American Auston Matthews will fit the bill thanks to his tantalizing combination of size, skill and speed. He will step into a top-two role in Toronto next season and bring fans out of their seats with his rare ability to handle and protect the puck at high speeds. It wouldn't be surprising if he led the Leafs in goals as early as next season, and his selection would take the pressure off of William Nylander having to develop into a first-line center, something many consider to be an unrealistic projection. It may inevitably lead to Nylander going back to the wing on a "top-ten line" with Mitch Marner and Matthews. |
| 2 | Winnipeg | Patrik Laine | LW | A top-two center is a priority for Winnipeg down the road, but the opportunity to pick up a 6-4 winger with 50+-goal potential will be impossible to pass on with the second selection. Neither has played a minute in the NHL, but it could already be argued that the Jets have the best left-wing tandem in the league in Kyle Connor and Laine...it will not be a position of need for the next decade or more. Laine is the draft's top scorer, shooter and stickhandler... rare to see a 6-4 player with skill and hands like Laine (think Mario)..he will play a top-six role in Winnipeg right from training camp. |
| 3 | Columbus | Jesse Puljujarvi | RW | Columbus has a need at center after dealing away Ryan Johansen to pick up Seth Jones, and while Puljujarvi has played on the wing up until now, there is a good chance he could end up filling the first center role for the club down the road given his smarts, defensive hockey sense, playmaking talent, size/speed combination and competitiveness. If he stays on the wing Jenner and Wennberg can still offer a solid one-two punch down the middle... but his selection gives the Blue Jackets options if there is some doubt, and yet another big, skilled forward added to the mix. |
| 4 | Edmonton | Olli Juolevi | D | The disappointment of dropping out of the top three should dissolve quickly in Edmonton when fans get an opportunity to see Juolevi play, and that will most likely happen right away as the Oilers lack talent/depth on the blueline. There may be a few hiccups the first season or two as Juolevi continues to add strength to his underdeveloped body, but with time there is no reason not to expect him to be on the team's top defensive pairing, offering tremendous hockey sense, poise and two-way abilities. |
| 5 | Vancouver | Pierre-Luc Dubois | LW | A myriad of possibilities for the Canucks with the fifth-overall pick, and there may be a half-dozen or more players that could go at this point, but the versatility Dubois brings will be hard to pass up considering that the Canucks may have some question marks at first-line center in the future. With Jared McCann's departure, Bo Horvat may never assume the top center mantle from Henrik Sedin... and if that's the case Dubois has the potential to eventually fill that role given his size speed and skill. Moreover, if Virtanen or Boeser don't pan out as first-line wingers and one of the young centers steps up to replace Sedin with time, Dubois could plug into a top-line wing position seamlessly. |
| 6 | Calgary | Matthew Tkachuk | LW | The Flames look to be set down the middle with Monahan and Bennett in tow, and while the club may look long and hard at blueliners with the sixth pick, it will be difficult to pass on the big, tough winger as he seems like a natural fit to plug into the first-line left wing slot to complement the undersized Johnny Gaudreau on the other side. Tkachuk's size, board work and smarts should fit nicely with Gaudreau going forward, and give the Flames a legitimate top-line piece for many years to come. He will be tough to pass on if he's still available with the sixth pick. |
| 7 | Arizona | Michael McLeod | C | The Coyotes filled one of their top-line future center needs with the selection of Strome third overall last season...McLeod would offer a terrific complement to Strome in the other slot. In some ways he's almost a polar opposite to Strome...faster and more competitive/consistent and solid in his defensive zone. He seems like a natural bookend for a club that already has some solid young pieces on the wing in Domi, Duclair, Perlini and Merkley among others. Even if Christian Dvorak beats him out for a second-line center position, McLeod has the size-skill package to become one of the league's premier third-line centers who can fill a penalty-killing role and even play wing on the power play. |
| 8 | Buffalo | Alexander Nylander | LW | The Sabres would be delighted to see one of the top wingers fall into their hands at eighth overall as that is the club's most glaring need with the possible exception of defence. Nylander may be too enticing to pass up over the available blueliners as he brings top-line potential, while there's no guarantee a defenceman selected at eight would supplant Ristolainen or Bogosian on the top pairing anytime soon as both are still young. Nylander would fit in nicely with Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly and Sam Reinhart given his offensive skills as both an intelligent passer and talented shooter... not hard to picture him reaching the 30-goal, 50-assist level some day given centers of that quality. |
| 9 | Montreal | Logan Brown | C | The Habs would go from being one of the smallest top three center groups six months ago to arguably the largest if Brown were to join Mike McCarron and Alex Galchenyuk as the core trio going forward. Montreal's glaring weakness the past couple of decades has been a lack of size and top-end skill at the center position...both issues could be addressed significantly with one pick. He would also complement Galchenyuk nicely given his playmaking skills to go along with Alex's goal-scoring abilities. A first power-play unit of Brown centering Pacioretty with Galchenyuk on the right side has intriguing possibilities. |
| 10 | Colorado | Mikhail Sergachev | D | It may be unlikely that Colorado gamble on the talented Russian at this point given they already have an enigmatic Russian blueliner in Zadorov, but Patrick Roy loves big bodies on the blueline risky or not - and he has a big say in all draft decisions. A team loaded with young talent up front should be looking to add a talented offensive defenceman to its talent pool, especially if they lose Tyson Barrie.... and Sergachev will put up points even if there are some issues on occasion in his own zone with consistency. If he can overcome his weaknesses he has the upside to be Colorado's go-to defenceman in the future. |
| 11 | New Jersey | Jake Bean | D | The Devils hope the future first-line center role was addressed at last year's draft with Pavel Zacha - and now the main focus should be to draft a potential bona fide number one defenceman for the first time since Scott Niedermayer, and their best bet is to look west again and take the smooth-skating Bean, considered by many scouts to be the rearguard with the most offensive potential in this draft. Bean has 50+-point potential thanks to his smarts, mobility, puck skills and vision, and while the Devils have needs at all positions, a talented power-play quarterback should be at or near the top of the list. |
| 12 | Ottawa | Clayton Keller | C | The Senators drafted a solid center prospect in Colin White last season, but the fact remains that the club still may be in search of a number-one pivot with top-end offensive upside, and there may be no center besides Matthews with the dynamic qualities of the 5-10 center, who cemented his status as a highly sought-after prospect with a sensational performance at the U-18's. Keller has terrific hands and feet in addition to unparalleled vision and playmaking abilities. The list of centers 5-10 or shorter who are top two centers in the NHL is short, but Keller has the tools to overcome the odds. |
| 13 | Carolina | Tyson Jost | C | With the drafting of Noah Hanifin last season and the departure of Eric Staal at the trade deadline, the Hurricanes' priority heading into the draft should be pointed towards filling a top-two center role as opposed to a potential top pairing defenceman. Jost bolstered his status as one of the more desired center prospects by breaking Connor McDavid's Canadian points record at the U-18's. Slated to attend the University of North Dakota next season, Jost will likely need at least two years of seasoning before being able to step into an NHL role. Jost has the smarts, character and skill to be a nice complement to Lindholm down the middle. |
| 14 | Boston | Jakob Chychrun | D | The uncertainty about Jakub Zboril's potential to develop into a top-two defenceman leaves the Bruins with an easy choice of Chychrun if he falls to that point as some suspect he might. Chychrun's stock dropped this season because of concerns with his decision making, but his physical attributes and ability to produce points will be enticing to the Bruins. He's a tough defender to beat one-on-one, and his character, hard shot and strong skating skills would make him a viable candidate to fulfill a top-two role in Boston within a couple of years. |
| 15 | Minnesota | Charles McAvoy | D | Ryan Suter won't be around forever, and there have even been whispers that the club might have to deal Brodin to alleviate salary cap concerns, so if one of the top five defencemen are still on the board with the 15th pick it would behoove the Wild to grab the last of the coveted blueliners. McAvoy is a mobile defenceman with grit who can look after his own end while providing offence with his smart puck-moving skills. With one year of college under his belt already as a top-line blueliner at Boston University, McAvoy may well be ready to step into an NHL lineup after a couple of seasons. |
| 16 | Detroit | Dennis Cholowski | D | The Red Wings have been without a high-end defenceman since the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom, and in recent drafts have selected forwards with first-round picks in Anthony Mantha, Evgeni Svechnikov and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings may well surprise the many pundits and select the smooth-skating Cholowski over the more highly regarded Dante Fabbro. If Cholowski puts it all together after some seasoning at St. Cloud State University, he has the skills to become a top-pairing defenceman in a few years on a team that certainly could use one in the system. |
| 17 | Nashville | Luke Kunin | LW | The Predators have only had two first-round picks in the past five drafts so it's time to start restocking the farm system, and Kunin brings top-six potential as well as versatility; having shown in the past two seasons that he can play both the wing and at center. A couple of years down the road Nashville will have an opening at center which Kunin may be able to fill if he is switched back to his natural position. Either way, he's still a valuable piece to add at any forward position as a hard-working player with speed and grit who can score goals thanks to a natural goal-scoring talent. |
| 18 | Philadelphia | Max Jones | LW | The Flyers are well stocked at center on the big club and defence in the farm system, so being able to add a big, speedy, powerful winger to the mix makes sense for a club that drafted undersized wingers with top 60 picks in Travis Konecny and Nicolas Aube-Kubel the last two drafts. Jones has been compared favourably to Chris Kreider, and while he may not possess a ton of hockey sense his physical attributes will make him at the very least an effective third line NHLer who is a pain to play against. |
| 19 | New York Islanders | Kieffer Bellows | LW | The Islanders have selected a number of wingers with first-round picks in the past decade, but none of them have yet to develop into bona fide goal scorers on a team that could certainly use one on John Tavares' wing. Bellows is a 'shoot-first-ask-questions-later' type who may fit splendidly with a playmaking wizard like Tavares in a couple of years. The son of former NHLer and second-overall pick Brian Bellows, Kieffer has one of the best shots in the draft and a nose for the net.... and may provide an ideal tandem along with Michael Dal Colle for their franchise center in the years to come. |
| 20 | Arizona (From New York Rangers) | Julien Gauthier | RW | Anthony Duclair and Max Domi added plenty of speed and skill to the winger position this past season. Gauthier would also be a speedy addition and also brings much-needed size and strength to a team in rebuilding mode. There is also a need to add defencemen to the mix, but there should be a number of decent defence prospects available in the second round. Gauthier's lack of production in the second half and concerns about his playmaking abilities and hockey sense caused a sharp drop in his ranking since January, but there is no denying his physical attributes... he will play in a team's top nine and score goals in the NHL. |
| 21 | Carolina (From Los Angeles) | Riley Tufte | LW | With a second pick in the opening round, Carolina can take a chance on the 6-5 Tufte as the club isn't exactly teeming with large wingers that project top-line upside. However they will have to be patient with the raw high schooler, but given time and proper development, they may have a powerful winger with imposing speed and goal-scoring potential. The future University of Minnesota-Duluth forward will likely need all four years of schooling before making the jump to pro, but the payoff could be significant, and Carolina will have fortified a position that lacks as much depth as defence and center, especially if they pick Tyson Jost at 13th overall. |
| 22 | Winnipeg (From Chicago) | Dante Fabbro | D | Adding Armia, Lemieux, Connor, Roslovic, and most likely Laine in the past year makes the choice of a defenceman the most likely direction for the Jets with this selection. There are some desirable blueliners slated to be available at No. 22 including Fabbro, who didn't hurt his draft stock at the U-18's, tying for the tournament lead in defenceman assists while providing some of the steadier defensive play on the Canadian blueline with his mobility and smarts. It may take three seasons at Boston University to round out his game and acquire the requisite strength to compete in the NHL, but Fabbro should eventually compete for a top-pairing spot. |
| 23 | Florida | Filip Gustavsson | G | The Panthers are fairly stocked with young talent at every position except in goal, so it wouldn't be shocking if the club stepped up and drafted Gustavsson in the first round. The 6-2 Swedish netminder may not be that high on most draft lists, but Roberto Luongo isn't getting any younger, and with no heir apparent and a farm system stocked with young skater talent, Florida may be in a position to draft for need in the latter stages of the first round. Perhaps the Panthers look at trading down a few spots to add another second-round pick if a goalie is their target and they think he will still be available. |
| 24 | Anaheim | Rasmus Asplund | C | Ducks' GM Bob Murray has never been shy about acquiring Swedish talent, and the club hasn't added many center prospects with high picks in recent drafts, so Asplund would be a logical choice at 24th overall if he's still on the draft board. A two-way center with good skating skills and smarts, he played a regular top-line role for Sweden at the U-20's last winter following an injury to William Nylander, and didn't look out of place. The Ryan's - Getzlaf and Kesler - won't be around forever... and there will eventually be a need to have potential replacements developing in the system. |
| 25 | Dallas | German Rubtsov | C | Rubtsov has second-line potential if he can develop better consistency and improve his speed, offering a big, two-way pivot to complement Tyler Seguin, and a possible replacement for Jason Spezza a few years from now. Rubtsov is considered a top 20 prospect in some circles and certainly top 22 by most in terms of talent, but the Russian U-18 team doping scandal may well see him drop on draft day. Dallas' scouting staff has displayed in the past with the Valeri Nichushkin pick that they are not averse to 'gambling' on a talented Russian who drops on draft day. |
| 26 | Washington | Tage Thompson | RW | The Oyster Bay, NY native is a huge power play presence with soft hands and a sniper's release and would be a welcome addition to any club, even if he may be three or four years away from contributing. The Capitals definitely have a need to add young wingers with top-six potential, more so than at center considering both Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov are just entering their primes. Thompson still needs to work on his skating speed and add some strength, however if those things come along he projects to be a solid pro who may well challenge for a second-line spot. |
| 27 | Tampa Bay | Brett Howden | C | Even if he's spent a fair bit of time on the wing recently, the probable departure of Steven Stamkos through free agency in July will leave a significant hole at center in future years. Tampa has made several draft-day additions at both defence and wing in recent years, and the uncertainty of Vladislav Namestnikov becoming a top-two player makes Howden a smart addition even if he only reaches third-line center status. A gritty hard-working forward with good size, Howden impressed scouts with his performance in a couple of games in particular at the U-18's, displaying good puck protection and playmaking skills. |
| 28 | St. Louis | Jordan Kyrou | RW | The Blues have only picked one center with their top pick in the past eight drafts, and with David Backes hitting free agency, there is a certain need to replenish the center depth in the organization. The issue with that logic however, is that there may not be any natural centers available that are worthy of a late first-round pick. Kyrou spent a good part of the season playing on the wing with Sarnia, although he could wind up being a center at the pro level. A terrific skater who has only recently begun to show the offensive potential that many expected from him, Kyrou offers the versatility and speed to step into various top-nine roles. |
| 29 | Boston (From San Jose) | Adam Fox | D | The Bruins drafted two defencemen in the top 40 last season, but there are no guarantees they will develop into top 4 blueliners, Taking a gamble on an undersized defenceman after selecting a larger, safer one in Chychrun would go a long way towards replacing the hits they took when parting ways with Dougie Hamilton and Johnny Boychuk. Fox may have a better opportunity than Zboril to develop into a top-four defenceman; certainly he has more offensive upside, perhaps even more than Chychrun. He'd be a strong candidate to be running Boston's power play in a few years given his smarts and puck skills. |
| 30 | Toronto (From Pittsburgh | Lucas Johansen | D | The Leafs are another team that will in all likelihood be looking at blueliners with their late first-round pick and there should be some decent ones available. The younger brother of Nashville forward Ryan Johansen would be a welcome addition to a team lacking in quality top-four defencemen. Given his combination of smarts, puck skills and mobility, Lucas may one day develop into a reliable two-way rearguard and top-three defenceman on the Leafs once he fills out and adds strength. He possesses the hockey sense and skill set to one day play on both the power play and penalty kill at the pro level. |
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2016 NHL Draft Guide: Mock Draft
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