As the 2021 NHL Entry Draft is just mere days away, The Win Column gave a go at our own first-round mock draft. Splitting drafting duties between six people, each person was randomly assigned to five selections with one person getting a bonus selection to fill out the 31 picks of the first round. This gave a bit more motivation to the draft to pick the right players for the right team, while making sure there’s be stolen players and near misses along the way.
Without further ado, here’s how TWC’s live mock draft went down.
1. Buffalo Sabres: Matthew Beniers
Pick selected by Bill Tran
The Buffalo Sabres could stray away from selecting Owen Power and opt for Matthew Beniers instead. The reason being is he’s a reliable two-way centreman that has all the right tools that any team could use. The Sabres however could hedge their bets with centremen and a talent like Beniers would be tough to pass on in that position. On top of that, it’s hard to go into the draft without addressing how there are potential issues with keeping Jack Eichel around, and while it’s always a tough pill to swallow seeing the “number one” guy express dissatisfaction, any team would be wise to soften the potential blow before it even happens by filling in the possible gaps.
2. Seattle Kraken: William Eklund
Pick selected by Aman Kurji
The Kraken need someone to be the face of their prospect pool and Eklund is the man for the job. An elite Swedish winger, he is someone the organization can sell their fanbase on as the player of the future. A no-brainer choice for Seattle with their first ever NHL Draft selection.
3. Anaheim Ducks: Owen Power
Pick selected by Khalid Keshavjee
Owen Power is projected to be the first overall pick in this year’s draft, so the fact that the Ducks could get him at third is a steal. They have been very good at finding quality forwards in Sam Steel, Max Comtois and Trevor Zegras and others, but their defensive depth aside from Jamie Drysdale is lacking. Power is still a few years from being NHL-ready, but with an aging core on the main club, Power and Drysdale would be an elite top-pairing for the Ducks for a generation.
4. New Jersey Devils: Dylan Guenther
Pick selected by Aman Kurji
The Devil’s prospect system has a lot of forwards but it is very hard to pass up on Dylan Guenther here. This addition will add to an already promising looking forward core, and will give us a treat to potentially watch Guenther – Jack Hughes/Nico Hischier – Alexander Holtz top line in the future. Guenther could be the missing piece that the Devils need up front and this line could prove to be a very electric and unstoppable line in a few years.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets: Luke Hughes
Pick selected by Mike Gould
Columbus hasn’t picked a defenceman in the first round of an NHL Entry Draft since 2015, when general manager Jarmo Kekalainen selected Zach Werenski eighth overall. With Seth Jones reportedly on his way out of Ohio and Werenski’s current deal set to expire next summer, the Blue Jackets could certainly stand to add a blue-chip piece on the back-end. At 6’2″, Luke Hughes is bigger than brothers Quinn and Jack but he also has the excellent skating ability and offensive instincts of his siblings. If Hughes lives up to his potential, he and Werenski could form an excellent one-two punch on Columbus’ left side.
6. Detroit Red Wings: Jesper Wallstedt
Pick selected by Karim Kurji
Detroit has done a great job selecting high value picks in recent drafts. With high potential prospects at almost every skater position, the one area that could use the most improvement is in goal. Jesper Wallstedt is the best goalie in the draft by a considerable margin, and with the overall depressed potential of this draft class in general, the Wings select the best available in Wallstedt. He might be NHL ready much sooner than others in the draft, and adding him to Detroit’s cupboards gives them a well rounded pool of youngsters that will fit right into their competitive window.
7. San Jose Sharks: Mason McTavish
Pick selected by Khalid Keshavjee
The Sharks’ prospect pool is developing as they go through a rebuild, but without a high first-round pick since 2015, this is an opportunity to make a splash. The two areas of focus for this team are goal scoring and goaltending, and with Jesper Wallstedt already claimed, Mason McTavish felt like the ideal choice. An elite goal scorer who has already shown his talent playing against men, McTavish brings a hardworking the two-way game that Doug Wilson loves. Goals, goals, and more goals are what Sharks fans can expect from the OHLer, and that can only be good news.
8. Los Angeles Kings: Brandt Clarke
Pick selected by Joshua Serafini
With arguably the deepest prospect pool in the entire NHL, the one piece the Kings are missing is a top end defence prospect. The team hasn’t selected a defenceman in the top 10 since picking Drew Doughty second overall in 2008. The Kings would be absolutely ecstatic if they could get Clarke at eighth. Clarke is arguably the most dynamic defenceman available in the draft this year and he would immediately become the teams best defensive prospect and one of their best overall prospects. Clarke has high end skating, puck skills and hockey IQ making him an elite offensive producer from the back end. He could be a steal at eighth overall if his development goes well. Clarke would be a perfect successor to Drew Doughty in a couple years.
9. Vancouver Canucks: Kent Johnson
Pick selected by Bill Tran
The opportunity to draft Kent Johnson and bring him back to British Columbia as a top-end forward prospect is exactly what the Canucks should be hoping for when it’s their turn to select a player. It’s a near perfect match for the team and the player, and he’d bring an injection of skill for Vancouver’s prospect system. He followed up his dominant display of offence in his last year in the BCHL with an impressive NCAA debut where he meshed well with his fellow top-ranked teammates.
10. Ottawa Senators: Sebastian Cossa
Pick selected by Joshua Serafini
Will the Senators go goalie or forward? If Wallstedt was here he’d be an automatic pick, but even with him off the board I still think they go with a goalie if Cossa is available. Ottawa has built up a very solid group of young forwards and defencemen, however the one piece they’re still missing in their rebuild is a goalie. The Matt Murray experiment has been a disaster and although Joey Daccord and Filip Gustavsson had some decent showings this past season, they aren’t the answer in goal long-term. Should the Senators pick up one of the many high-end forwards who will be available at 10th? Probably, but that doesn’t mean they will. Cossa would fill their need for a top end goalie prospect and can take over in the NHL as soon as he’s ready.
11. Arizona Coyotes: Forfeited pick
12. Chicago Blackhawks: Simon Edvinsson
Pick selected by Karim Kurji
If Edvinsson slips this far down to 12th overall, the Blackhawks would be stupid not to take him. Some are touting Edvinsson as the best defensemen in the draft, ahead of Owen Power, Brandt Clarke, and Luke Hughes. His mobility, size, defensive prowess, and experience playing against men in the SHL make him a steal for the Hawks at 12, and a pick that will only actually happen if the dominos fall in just right right way. This pick also addresses an organizational need as there is a considerable drop off from Adam Boqvist to the next best defender in their prospect pool. This was a no-brainer.
13. Calgary Flames: Matthew Coronato
Pick selected by Aman Kurji
I already know Flames fans are getting painful flashbacks of a particular player from the New York area who also happened to be a Crimson. Maybe you are still resentful and play Olivia Rodrigo’s “Traitor” whenever a highlight of his comes up (I know I sure do), but either way, the Flames need two types of forwards: Agile skaters with elite speed, and pure goal scorers. Coronato seems to be the perfect fit as he is a tremendous goal scorer but is not a bad skater either. I think he is a safer bet than Lysell who has the elite skating but needs to improve his shot, and Sillinger who has the shot but lacks the skating. If the Flames have done their homework and feel sure he will sign with them, Coronato is a great pick.
14. Philadelphia Flyers: Cole Sillinger
Pick selected by Bill Tran
Having Cole Sillinger available when the Flyers are up makes for a perfect example of the best player available. Playing in a different league than expected with the WHL season being delayed, Sillinger easily transitioned into the USHL where he was immediately the best player on the Sioux Falls Stampede this past season. Put onto a unique hockey journey that Sillinger took in stride and played to perfection, he’s a forward that has a high drive on offence that makes the 14th pick a little bit too easy of a selection for Philadelphia.
15. Dallas Stars: Chaz Lucius
Pick selected by Karim Kurji
One of the biggest needs for the Stars is down the middle. With some of the best young winger depth in the NHL, and one of the best young defenders in the game signed long term, the real need for the Stars is at center and they fill that with Lucius. He’s in consideration for the best goal scorer in the draft, scoring over a goal per game this past season in the USHL and USDP. He’s a prospect that could easily go well above the Stars’ pick at 15th, and it was an easy pick in this mock draft. Even if Lucius isn’t NHL ready just yet, Dallas is an enticing destination for NCAA players and will almost definitely sign with the Stars once he’s ready.
16. New York Rangers: Fyodor Svechkov
Pick selected by Mike Gould
The Rangers haven’t taken a centre in the first round since 2017, when they selected two of them. Four years later, Lias Andersson is gone and Filip Chytil looks like a decent bet to become a second-line pivot. New York has spent the last three seasons heavily investing in wingers, drafting Vitaly Kravtsov, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafrenière with top-10 picks. With Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller both displaying excellence on the back-end, the Rangers’ biggest need is down the middle. Svechkov may not project as a top-line centre but he’s an excellent two-way forward who would fit right in with New York’s large contingent of Russian players.
17. St. Louis Blues: Aatu Raty
Pick selected by Bill Tran
Selecting Aatu Raty here would be based on his potential and it’d act as a bit of a higher risk, high reward pick. After his fall in the draft rankings, he’d be a prospect that the Blues could develop with less pressure, given that they’re prospect pool has a good amount of centremen already. The hope with selecting Raty here is that he could regain the hockey prowess that earned him top projections not too long ago, and going at 17th overall is a good spot to nab the Finnish forward.
18. Winnipeg Jets: Carson Lambos
Pick selected by Joshua Serafini
A match made in heaven. The Winnipeg kid returning home. The Jets have had one of the weaker defensive groups in the league the past couple seasons and it will only get worse if Seattle claims Dylan DeMelo. Despite already having Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg in the pipeline on defence, adding another solid prospect on the back end in Lambos wouldn’t be a bad move from Winnipeg. Lambos fell down draft boards after an injury plagued 2020–21 season, meaning getting him at 18 could be some solid value down the line for Winnipeg. He isn’t as dynamic as the defenceman picked before him, but he has a solid well-rounded game and could develop into a potential #2 or #3 option on the blueline for the Jets in the future.
19. Nashville Predators: Zachary Bolduc
Pick selected by Khalid Keshavjee
The Predators finished last season 10th from the bottom in goalscoring in the league, and are desperate for players who can put the puck in the net. Bolduc fits that bill to a tee. While he does need to develop a stronger two-way game, the Predators are very good at building this skillset in prospects, which makes Bolduc a natural choice. The other option for the Predators was to go with a defenceman, but Bolduc felt like a better fit.
20. Edmonton Oilers: Fabian Lysell
Pick selected by Joshua Serafini
Most draft pundits have Lysell going in the top half of the first round but there is certainly a chance he falls. It’s no secret the Oilers desperately need some talented wingers in their system to play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. I mean they just protected Zack Kassian and Josh Archibald in the expansion draft. Lysell would be a perfect fit alongside 97 or 29. Lysell offers some of the most exciting and highlight reel skill among forwards in the draft. He has great top end speed and can change direction quickly with ease. He isn’t afraid to get into the dirty areas and retrieve loose pucks either. Lysell would be a great addition for the Oilers given their needs and he could be a force playing with McDavid or Draisaitl one day.
21. Boston Bruins: Corson Ceulemans
Pick selected by Aman Kurji
When you are a successful franchise who goes on playoff runs every year, your prospect pool will be a little shallow. I think an offensive defenseman who has great skating is just too good of an opportunity to pass up on. Not only is he offensive, but with great defensive abilities too, he seems like a safe bet to select at number 21. On top of that, the hard checking style that he plays makes him a great fit with the Bruins franchise. As Elliotte Friedman would say, “he’s a Bruin.”
22. Minnesota Wild: Isak Rosen
Pick selected by Khalid Keshavjee
The Wild organization has a lot of things, but right wing depth is not one of them. Being able to snag a smooth skating Swedish winger in Rosen at this point in the draft is a huge win for them. Not only is he one of the best skaters in the draft, he can also score and play a reliable two-way game. While he will need to build muscle, Rosen feels like the type of pick that the Wild would absolutely love.
23. Detroit Red Wings (from the Washington Capitals): Logan Stankoven
Pick selected by Karim Kurji
Drafting the best goalie early allows Detoit to take a bit of a risk with their next pick. The Wings have good depth on the wing, but behind Larkin there’s much to be desired down the middle. Stankoven is one of the fastest risers in this draft, and despite his small size, he’s a high potential prospect that would fit right in with Detroit’s impressive stockpile of young forwards. This pick gives Detroit a bit of breathing room with how Joe Veleno’s development has gone and inspires internal competition as well.
24. Florida Panthers: Simon Robertsson
Pick selected by Bill Tran
The Florida Panthers are shallow when it comes to right wingers in their prospect pool and Simon Robertsson would be a good player to start replenishing the position with. Playing entirely out of Sweden so far in his career, he racked up 30 games in the SHL under his belt at the age of 18 with a plethora of experience across various Swedish leagues. If he can transition his hockey IQ into the smaller North American ice surface, he’d be one to watch for as a consistent offensive threat.
25. Columbus Blue Jackets (from the Toronto Maple Leafs) Nikita Chibrikov
Pick selected by Mike Gould
Columbus really just needs help everywhere. In our mock, Chibrikov was the best player available at the 25th pick. He’s a speedy winger who generates a ton of offence and has more KHL experience than almost every other first-year draft-eligible player. Kekalainen has never shied away from taking Russian players with high picks—see Yegor Chinakhov, Kirill Marchenko, and Daniil Tarasov—and Chibrikov would instantly become one of Columbus’ top wing prospects.
26. Minnesota Wild (from the Pittsburgh Penguins): Xavier Bourgault
Pick selected by Khalid Keshavjee
The hole on the Wild’s right side cannot be overstated, and using both of their first round picks on wingers seems like a smart decision. While Bourgault is not the strongest skater, he is an excellent goalscorer and playmaker. Projecting to be a top line scoring winger would compliment the Wild’s other forwards, and help them become an elite offensive team for the next generation.
27. Carolina Hurricanes: Olen Zellweger
Pick selected by Joshua Serafini
The Hurricanes have only used two of their last 14 first or second round picks on defencemen since 2016. With former first rounder Jake Bean reportedly on his way to Seattle in the expansion draft and Dougie Hamilton most likely leaving in free agency, the team needs to start adding some young talent on the blueline. Zellweger has great skating, an above-average hockey IQ, and is solid defensively despite his small stature at 5’9″. At this point of the first round he offers the highest upside among defencemen still on the board. He missed the 2022 draft by just one week, making him one of the youngest players available this year. If he continues his current rate of progression into his D+1 and D+2 years he could look like a steal at 27th. For a team like the Hurricanes who can afford to take a swing on a high risk player, Zellweger would make a ton of sense.
28. Colorado Avalanche: Francesco Pinelli
Pick selected by Mike Gould
Believe it or not, Colorado hasn’t selected a centre in the first round since Joe Sakic announced Tyson Jost’s name to the crowd at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center in 2016. Pinelli is a player who could potentially replace—or even improve upon—Jost at some point down the road. He posted numbers comparable to consensus top-10 pick Mason McTavish in the 2019–20 OHL season before spending the past year in Slovenia during the OHL’s shutdown. He represented Canada at the 2021 U-18s, tying McTavish for third in tournament scoring with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in seven games.
29. New Jersey Devils (from the New York Islanders): Daniil Chayka
Pick selected by Aman Kurji
With Hughes and Hischier on the roster, and forwards like Holtz, Mercer, and in this case Guenther in their prospect pool, I think the Devils look to strengthen their Defense. As Ty Smith is more of an offensive option for them, it would be a good opportunity to add some pure defense to their prospect pool. Chayka is someone who can be consistently relied on to be in position, and also a player who can keep up with the paly with his skating too. This will be especially helpful off the rush.
30. Vegas Golden Knights: Sasha Pastujov
Pick selected by Karim Kurji
The Golden Knights’ prospect pool is deficient in two areas: right wing and goal. Pastujov is a player that many believe might slip to the second round, but should be selected much, much higher. Vegas will be extremely happy snapping up the scoring machine and will not sweat one bit about his defensive shortcomings. This pick fits an immediate need and could be in the conversation for steal of the draft in short order.
31. Montreal Canadiens: Brennan Othmann
Pick selected by Joshua Serafini
The Canadiens have selected only one winger in the first round since 2014, picking Cole Caufield 15th overall in 2019. Yes they hit the jackpot with that pick, but there aren’t any other notable prospects in the organization at the position. Othmann would immediately become their second best wing prospect after Caufield. He offers some of the best pure goal scoring and shooting ability in the draft, and fills the Habs need for goal scorers. He comes with some question marks around his skating that will keep him from being an elite forward, however he has the shot, hockey IQ, and puck skills to potentially develop into a second line winger for the Canadiens and a good complement to one of the Habs young center’s in Nick Suzuki or Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
32. Columbus Blue Jackets (from the Tampa Bay Lightning): Benjamin Gaudreau
Pick selected by Mike Gould
The Blue Jackets currently have two good NHL goalies in Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo but they’re both set to become unrestricted free agents in 2022. The Blue Jackets only have three goaltenders in their system beyond Merzlikins and Korpisalo; of them, only Daniil Tarasov has shown any real promise. Of course, Columbus’ situation in net cannot be fully addressed without mentioning the tragic death of promising prospect Matiss Kivlenieks earlier this month. After selecting a defenceman and a forward for the Blue Jackets earlier in this mock draft, it felt right to conclude the first round by adding Gaudreau to Columbus’ system. He’s quick, stands reasonably tall at 6’2″, and held the fort as a 16-year-old tandem goaltender behind a very weak Sarnia Sting team in 2019–20.
First round fortunetelling
We’ll see who’s right and wrong soon enough—bragging rights are available for the one most in tune with NHL front offices. Best of luck to all of the prospects heading into the entry draft.
Featured image made with Venngage.
