Craig Simpson joins Kyper and Bourne to discuss the importance of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals for the Edmonton Oilers and why they need to split the first two games in Florida to gain some momentum and confidence heading back home.
The NHL Combine represents the final major event of the scouting season. Some teams will have invited players to their cities for a deeper look under the hood. Agencies will hold pre-draft camps to provide additional opportunities for on-ice looks. Finally, NHL teams will also use the time in Vegas to get final meetings with players to double and triple check their previous due diligence. This time frame also offers teams a chance to regroup after in-person meetings and generate test results from any professionals that may have been in those meetings. Lastly the exercise and sport science departments will extrapolate the physical testing results and put them in an easy-to-understand format to allow draft decision-makers a chance to see if there’s anything that pops from an off-ice perspective.
Some teams will have met during the Combine, others will meet directly after while the event is still fresh in their minds. And other clubs will take a little time to get away from the grind and reconvene when the dust has settled.
Team lists will really start to take shape — and while lists won’t be finalized right away, the time between the Combine and the draft will generate plenty of fodder before those lists are closed.
Unlike years past, where I would produce a post-lottery mock draft of the first 16 teams and a complete mock draft right before the event, I’ve worked with our team at Sportsnet to create a post Combine mock draft. This is our first edition, and there will be final edition mock drafts released by both Jason Bukala and myself leading up to our first-round coverage on June 28 and 29 on Sportsnet.
Keep in mind, mock drafts are different than rankings. Where I might have a player ranked may not be where I think a team will select that player. As usual, there are a number of factors that enter into that equation, such as: GM/team biases; need versus best player available, etc.
Here is Mock Draft 1.0:
1. San Jose Sharks — Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA)
Height: Six-foot Weight: 190 pounds
The worst kept secret in hockey. Not only did Sharks GM Mike Grier make mention of it on Draft Lottery night, he doubled down in this recent interview
2. Chicago Blackhawks — Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight: 181 pounds
Chicago’s prospect pool is fairly balanced (including goalies), so that allows GM Kyle Davidson to lean towards the next best player, and that’s Demidov. There’s still one year left on his deal in the KHL, but that timing is fine as this rebuild has just started to take shape.
3. Anaheim Ducks — Artyom Levshunov, RD, Michigan State University (NCAA)
Height: Six-foot-two Weight: 208 pounds
You can never have enough defencemen and the Ducks have a few on the horizon. Having said that, Levshunov will be too hard to pass up with the number of things he can do. Add in the size factor, and he’s a perfect fit for GM Pat Verbeek.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets — Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Height: Six-foot-three Weight: 210 pounds
If centre doesn’t work out, he can bring his power-forward game to the wing to complement a young and talented group up front.
5. Montreal Canadiens — Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Height: Six-foot-two Weight: 175 pounds
While Tij Iginla would be enticing, the Habs could go a little rogue here by getting the size they need up front, albeit on the wing instead of at centre.
6. Utah Hockey Club — Anton Silayev, D, Torpedo (KHL)
Height: Six-foot-seven Weight: 211 pounds
With two Russian players picked at Nos. 6 and 12 last year, the Utes seem to be undeterred by the risk. This player fits the Bill Armstrong mold to a T. When all is said and done, “Yeti” will be the most appropriate nickname for a team that will be scary, big on the back end.