Picks 1-5
As I noted, beyond the top two, the next three players are subjective. There are at least five players who could go in slots three to five.
The New Jersey Devils will enjoy the first-overall draft pick for the second time in three years, and I, for one, will hate them for it. They will get Jack Hughes, an elite player who can suffocate next to Taylor Hall (if they re-sign him) and 2017’s first-overall, Nico Hischier.
I can’t be too mad at the New York Rangers jumping up — they were pretty darn bad this season. With New Jersey selecting Hughes first-overall, they’ll naturally pick the bona fide second-overall, Kaapo Kakko.
Blackhawk Up: “Mark Kelley has said Blackhawks are going with BPA, but I think it’s down to Turcotte or Byram at #3.”
Yeah, I’m salty as you-know-what that a team that was competing for a playoff spot in late March jumped all the way up to the third-overall position. I also hate that it’s a Central Division rival — just like happened in 2017.
And, just like 2017, I think that rival will pick the player the Colorado Avalanche really want — Bowen Byram.
This pick is from the Ottawa Senators.
I vacillated back and forth. I really thought I’d have the Avalanche select Kirby Dach with this pick. However, Avs fans have been agitating for Alex Turcotte, and he does have the three things scout Alan Hepple has said the team is looking for — speed, skill, and hockey smarts.
The LA Kings are probably going to try and transition into the smaller, faster game, but they’re not going to be able to help themselves. I think they’ll go for yet another big, powerful forward who’s not the fastest player on the block.