NHL mock draft: Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and then what?
The 2015 NHL draft will be held June 26-27 at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla.
Forwards Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are widely considered the two best prospects in the draft and will almost certainly go 1 and 2. But how will the rest of the draft shake out?
The following mock draft comes from a pair of Red Line Report scouts working in tandem. Note that this mock draft has a number of significant differences from Red Line's own value board. The purpose of Red Line Report is to be a pure scouting service, and ultimately rank prospects in the order we would select the available players if we lived in a vacuum where "needs" and other outside forces never entered the equation. The purpose of mock drafts, on the other hand, is vastly different. Mock drafts merely represent a fun exercise in scenarios that we think might actually play out on draft day.
1. Edmonton — Connor McDavid. The city of Edmonton hasn't been this excited about hockey since the days of Gretzky, Messier and Co. McDavid will do for the Oilers what Sidney Crosby did for Pittsburgh. Is there anyone in the NHL the Oilers would trade this pick for? Unlikely! The prospect of the young Oilers growing as a team while McDavid grows as a player is an exciting proposition.
2. Buffalo — Jack Eichel. If Buffalo fans were watching the World Championships on TV, they won't be disappointed about picking No. 2. At 18, Eichel will play and contribute significantly right away. Within two years, he will be among the NHL's best American-born players. If the NHL goes to the 2018 Olympics, Eichel will be the No. 1 center for the States.
3. Arizona — Dylan Strome. This is a franchise that still needs to attract fans and it would help greatly if they could develop an exciting offensive game. The Coyotes barely averaged two goals per game, and we all know that people come to see their team score. So they have to ignore the talented defenseman sitting there. The 'Yotes need an exciting young center, and Strome fits the bill.
4. Toronto — Noah Hanifin. Word is that the Maple Leafs would prefer Strome to launch their rebuilding, but they will be very happy with Hanifin, who is a well-rounded defender. He has a strong offensive upside and has always been underappreciated as a defender.
5. Carolina — Mitch Marner. With the way Tyler Johnson has performed for Tampa Bay during the 2015 playoffs, there should be no concern about Marner being a smaller forward. He is a dynamic presence on the ice, and could be a Patrick Kane-style impact player.
6. New Jersey — Lawson Crouse. Some scouts aren't sold on his offensive potential, but the Devils would be happy to find him here because he will be that power forward that every team covets.
7. Philadelphia — Mikko Rantanen. He is a jumbo-sized winger with a big shot and rapidly improving skating stride, and he's already maturing in the Finnish Elite League.
8. Columbus — Ivan Provorov. Plays such an advanced game and does everything well both offensively and defensively, plus he likes to use the body. His selection would help ease the pain of losing Mike Reilly.
9. San Jose — Zach Werenski. You can find some who believe there's a chance that he could end up having the same impact as Hanifin. It's a bonus that the fit is perfect as the Sharks really need to upgrade their defense.
10. Colorado — Pavel Zacha. The Czech standout is big, skilled and fast. What's not to like? The Flyers actually considered him at No. 7.
11. Florida — Kyle Connor. The speedy forward was the USHL's MVP and scoring champion with 80 points, and was a 34-goal scorer. He would give the Panthers another potential scorer up front.
12. Dallas — Timo Meier. He's known as a bullish physical player with a strong offensive upside. Dramatically improved his on-ice vision while also scoring 44 goals this season. Safe pick will definitely play in the NHL.
13. Los Angeles — Matthew Barzal. He can really skate and is a wizard with the puck on his stick. More of a playmaker than scorer, but makes everyone around him better.
14. Boston — Jakob Zboril. The Czech-born defenseman has an offensive touch and is projected as a possible power play point man.
15. Calgary — Thomas Chabot. This seems like a potential home run pick because Chabot is a 6-2, terrific skating defenseman who handles the puck with flair. Both the Kings and Bruins may consider him.
16. Edmonton (from Pittsburgh) — Nick Merkley. He's a slick offensive player with a burning passion for the game who has played well in junior with previously drafted Oilers prospect Leon Draisaitl.
17. Winnipeg — Paul Bittner. Some are down on Bittner because he didn't make the strides they hoped he would, but he's a smooth puck-handling 6-4 winger who netted 34 goals this season. Yeah, so not all bad…
18. Ottawa — Travis Konecny. It's just too logical to ignore that a dynamic Ottawa 67s forward is projected to be selected right around where the Sens are drafting. He will be a hit with local fans before he ever plays his first game in an NHL sweater.
19. Detroit — Joel Eriksson-Ek. The Red Wings have had great success with Swedish players just like Eriksson-Ek: highly competitive, reasonably skilled players who play hard both ways.
20. Minnesota — Jeremy Roy. Roy owns the best pure skill set of any defenseman with keen offensive instincts. The Wild get a huge bonus if he's still sitting here at #20.
21. Buffalo (from NY Islanders) — Oliver Kylington. Buffalo GM Tim Murray once upon a time stepped up to draft small Swedish offensive dynamo Erik Karlsson at No. 15 overall for the Ottawa Senators. This kid is Karlsson-lite: all the same fabulous skating and skills, but none of Karlsson's head for the game. Given the Sabres' deep prospect stockpile, and owning multiple first-round picks, they can afford to gamble on a potential difference-maker.
22. Washington — Jansen Harkins. Many see him as a David Krejci style center. He's a good playmaker, and a competitive athlete.
23. Vancouver — Jacob Larsson. Canucks are looking to upgrade their defense, and he's a smooth 6-2 blueliner with plenty of potential.
24. Toronto (from Nashville) — Evgeny Svechnikov. He's a big, rambunctious winger with overflowing skill and a dangerous shot.
25. Winnipeg (from St. Louis) — Ryan Pilon. As the nephew of former longtime NHLer Rich Pilon, Ryan grew up with the NHL in his blood. He's a versatile two-way defenseman with the proper understanding of what it takes to play in the league.
26. Montreal — Gabriel Carlsson. He's 6'-4", and projects to be a dependable stay-at-home defenseman. Think of a Jonathan Eriksson type.
27. Anaheim — Jordan Greenway. The Ducks like their players big and strong, and at 6-5, 222 pounds, there's nobody bigger or stronger than Greenway. He's a long-term project, but the payoff could be worth the wait.
28. Tampa Bay (from NY Rangers) — Jake DeBrusk. The son of former NHL player Louie DeBrusk, Jake is not surprisingly a smart two-way player who scored 42 goals in his second Western Hockey League season.
29. Philadelphia (from Tampa Bay) — Brandon Carlo. He improved significantly this season. He's big, highly mobile, and plays a smart game.
30. Arizona (from Chicago ) — Colin White. If the Coyotes land two centers who will definitely play in the league, this will be a splendid draft. White is a solid prospect who will definitely play in the NHL.
PHOTOS: Top draft prospects
