First Round Mock Draft: Part One (32-21)
June 20th 2023
Alex Rickman
As the NHL draft gets closer on the calendar, teams begin finalizing their draft boards and fans start to get excited about their teams potential prospects. In the first part of this mock draft, we are listing who we expect will join some of this past seasons best teams near the bottom of the draft order.
Pick 32, Vegas Golden Knights- Lukas Dragicevic, D, Tri-City Americans
Coming off the franchise's first Stanley Cup win, the Knights' prospect pool is extremely depleted, so they can safely just take the player they believe to be the best available. At this point in the draft, that player may be Richmond, BC native Lukas Dragicevic, a smooth-skating offensive defenceman with the potential to one day be one of the league's premier power-play quarterbacks. Dragicevic’s defensive game isn’t anything to write home about, but if he can bring his defensive game anywhere near where his offensive game is, he could become a key piece on the ice in Sin City.
Pick 31, Montreal Canadiens- Oliver Bonk, D, London Knights
While Bonk, the son of former Ottawa Senators defenceman Radek Bonk, may not excel in any one area of the game, he really doesn’t show any glaring weaknesses in his game either. This simple yet effective style of play should appeal to the Habs, who are certainly in need of some help on the backend. Montreal’s forward core provides the team with plenty of flash, so adding a steady, calculated blueliner to keep pressure off the goalies would be a welcome sight for Canadiens fans.
Pick 30, Carolina Hurricanes- Ethan Gauthier, RW, Sherbrooke Phoenix
After another disappointing end to an otherwise strong season, the Hurricanes may look to add an energy guy to help them take it to teams like the Panthers who may stand in their way. Gauthier may not be the fastest player available in this draft, but his energetic style and strong 200-foot game will have the Hurricanes itching to add him to their organization. Putting up 69 points in his 66 games for the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix this past season, Gauthier’s production may not be at the absolute pinnacle of this draft class, but his energy and competitive nature will give him the tools necessary to bring his production up to snuff as his development continues.
Pick 29, St Louis Blues- Daniil But, LW, Loko Yaroslavl
Many are unsure of how exactly But’s game will translate to the NHL, but with 3 first-round picks to their name, the Blues can afford to take that risk and bet on But’s potential. At 6’5 and 200 lbs at just 18 years of age, But’s size will be attractive to executives across the NHL, but questions about his acceleration and occasional lack of willingness to engage in physical play will have some teams questioning whether or not he’s worth using a first-round pick on. However, But’s hands and goalscoring ability will have some teams, including possibly the Blues, willing to take a flyer on him in hopes of one day turning him into a solid contributor on their team.
Pick 28, Toronto Maple Leafs- Koehn Ziemmer, RW, Prince George Cougars
With it becoming increasingly likely that one of the Leafs' “core four” forwards get moved out of Toronto this offseason, they may look to bring in another winger to replace a potentially outgoing player. Enter Prince George Cougars winger Koehn Ziemmer, a player with a different profile to many of the Leafs' current forwards. Ziemmer has the tools and mentality needed to become a great power forward in the NHL, something that it has become increasingly obvious that the Maple Leafs lack. Adding a player who’s willing to fight for goals and can withstand opponents playing physically against them would be invaluable for Toronto, and could turn out to be the missing link in their quest to survive the second round.
Pick 27, Colorado Avalanche- Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury Wolves
The Avs appeared to suffer from something of a Stanley Cup hangover this past season, struggling at different points throughout the regular season before falling in the first round to the Seattle Kraken. No player picked this late in the first will give Colorado the immediate roster help they seem to need, but Quentin Musty would give their prospect pool a playmaker who could provide some help to their current core when he breaks onto the scene in a few years. Musty has a solid frame, standing at 6’2 and weighing 190 lbs, and can skate and stickhandle very well for someone his size. It’s unclear what the future holds in Colorado, but they’ll be in a better position for any future with Quentin Musty in their system.
Pick 26, San Jose Sharks- Gavin Brindley, RW, University of Michigan
While Brindley may only stand 5’9, it seems like nobody told him, as he’s considered one of the NCAA’s most tenacious players. Paired with high-end speed and a seemingly bottomless gas tank, Brindley’s play is reminiscent of smaller NHL players like Brendan Gallagher and Conor Garland, seeming to always find a way to get under the skin of his opponents and never shying away from physical play. Brindley’s shot isn’t quite NHL calibre yet, but his other skills will make him a worthwhile project for San Jose and could make him a fan-favourite player in the Bay Area.
Pick 25, St Louis Blues- Mikhail Gulyayev, D, Omskie Yastreby
After years of success, a struggling Blues team decided to sell at the deadline, prompting the beginning of a rebuild. The Blues will likely look to add prospects to fill a variety of different roles and may opt to add an offensive defenceman with great upside like Gulyayev. While Gulyayev is undersized and isn’t the most defensively astute player available, his puck skills and offensive game make up for a lot of what he lacks in his own zone. Gulyayev’s talent on the powerplay has drawn some comparisons to Tyson Barrie, and while like Barrie Gulyayev won’t be the guy your team wants to lean on in close games, this offensive gift will be of use to whoever calls his name in Nashville.
Pick 24, Nashville Predators- Samuel Honzek, C, Vancouver Giants
With Barry Trotz taking over as the Predators' GM, Nashville may look to add some size and grit to their prospect pool. To find that player, they need to look no further than Vancouver Giants centre Samuel Honzek. While Honzek is likely to have to be moved to the wing in order to succeed in the NHL, his size, skating, and shot give him and the Predators an excellent tool chest to use to help him hit his full potential. Honzek’s defensive game will need some work, but this is an area that players often manage to improve on with age, so it isn’t too big of a red flag today. Honzek may one day be a major thorn in the side of Central Division opponents should he develop well in Nashville.
Pick 23, New York Rangers- Calum Ritchie, C, Oshawa Generals
The Rangers, unlike many other teams, don’t have many glaring weaknesses in their organization, and will likely be able to comfortably select whoever they deem to be the best available player. Oshawa centre Calum Ritchie could well be this player, as his 200-foot game, playmaking ability, and competitive nature could one day make him a good top 6 centre for whichever team selects him. Ritchie does need to be a bit more selfish at times, as he will on occasion pass up a good shooting opportunity in favour of making a pass. Still, if this trait can be taught away nothing is stopping him from becoming a difference maker on a good Rangers team.
Pick 22, Philadelphia Flyers- Dmitri Simashev, D, Loko Yaroslavl
The Flyers are another team in need of help basically everywhere, so adding one of the best defensive defencemen in this draft will fill one of their many areas of need. Defence is the name of the game with Simashev, who uses his size and speed to great effect with the MHL’s Loko Yaroslavl. While his offensive game is lagging behind his defence at the moment, Simashev seems like a safe pick to make a solid depth defenceman at the very least and could play higher up the lineup if and when he hones his offensive game more. The Flyers have always tried to win by being a difficult team to play against, and Simashev would certainly fit this identity well.
Pick 21, Minnesota Wild- Riley Heidt, C, Prince George Cougars
Heidt is one of the best playmaking forwards that this draft class has to offer, and this ability to set himself and his teammates up could be a useful asset in Minnesota’s quest to finally make it out of the first round. Minnesota is one of the NHL’s bigger teams, so adding a smaller, more skilled player like Heidt wouldn’t be an issue for them, and his speed and energy would be a welcome addition to a team that can look a bit static at times. Heidt would do well to put on a bit more muscle, but his small frame has yet to become an issue, and with some age and NHL training he will likely bulk up a little bit.