Colorado Avalanche Style 2017 NHL Draft Round 1 Mock, Complete With Trades
By Ross Sellers
No. 6 Las Vegas Golden Knights Select Cody Glass
This is a no-brainer for the Golden Knights. When you’re building a new franchise, you either build it through a player on the blueline, or a No. 1 center. Seeing as Miro Heiskanen is already off the board, the Knights will go with the center option. Cody Glass is the perfect future No. 1 pivot in this league, with high-end skill, and a well refined two-way game to boot.
No. 7 Arizona Coyotes Select Owen Tippett
The Coyotes selected at the same position last summer and found themselves a special player in Clayton Keller. However, he’s a little undersized as not as much as a finisher as Owen Tippett at forward. But, there is one thing the two have in common, and that is their elite skating ability. Watching the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Cups has teams wanting speed, and the Coyotes, as well as the Avs, are headed in that direction. Tippett makes sense as a scorer for them, and a speedster.
No. 8 Buffalo Sabres Select Timothy Liljegren
The Sabres need defensive help. Sure, they have Rasmus Ristolainen and Zach Bogosian, but beyond those two they don’t have clear-cut top-four defensemen. Liljegren was once considered a No. 1 overall pick not long ago, but his draft stock has fallen much like Jacob Chyrchrun’s did a year ago. The Sabres will be happy to see him come to them at No. 8, and they’ll select him to fill some blueline holes in just a few short years.
No. 9 Detroit Red Wings Select Michael Rasmussen
Beyond Dylan Larkin, the Wings are sorely lacking center depth, and they’ll jump at the opportunity to select Michael Rasmussen. He’s a hulking beast on the ice, and he’s also got a ton of skill. The Red Wings are starting to phase into the rebuild, and they need to restock their prospect cupboard. Michael Rasmussen will instantly become their top prospect, and a great addition to the team somewhere down the line.
No. 10 Florida Panthers Select Cale Makar
Cale Makar is a dynamic defenseman with the potential to become an offensive dynamo in the NHL. However, he is a bit undersized and he leaves much to be desired in his own end. He also played in a league (AJHL) many don’t consider to be as competitive as other junior leagues. However, Tyson Jost was the same way during last year’s draft, and he was also selected at No. 10 by the Avs. Makar will be a great addition on the blueline for the Panthers after a season or two in college at UMass.