Toronto Maple Leafs: 2018 NHL Mock Draft – Picks 1-15

The Toronto Maple Leafs may be eliminated, but June is still a very exciting month for hockey.

The Stanley Cup Finals are on, and once the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights finish duking it out in their quest for Lord Stanley, the offseason will have officially started. And what better way to start the offseason than with the NHL Entry Draft? The Toronto Maple Leafs will draft 25th this year.

The Leafs have had a successful couple of drafts. They managed to select former projected top five pick Timothy Liljegren at 17th overall last year, which may end up being the steal of the draft.  As the youngest defenseman in the AHL this year, Liljegren has had great success and may even find himself in the NHL next season.  (Though possibly not).

The Leafs took superstar centre Auston Matthews in 2016, and he’s lived up to every bit of the hype as the team’s franchise player.  IN 2015, the Leafs drafted local-born playmaker Mitch Marner who looks like he’ll be one of the best players in the NHL sooner than later.

This year, once again, there’s more question. The Leafs own the 25th selection in the 2018 draft, but in this piece we’ll take a look at who will go for picks 1-15.

1st Overall – Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Dahlin (D, Frolunda HC, SHL)

After a number of years of being absolutely terrible and yet consistently missing out on the first overall pick, the Sabres finally had luck on their side this year.

And there’s really nobody else to pick than Rasmus Dahlin.

Ever since he turned pro in Sweden, he’s been given high praise from scouts and coaches all around the world and been compared to guys like Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t drool over a player of their calibre on their defensive core?

Dahlin is everything a coach could ask for. He’s very, very good offensively, reliable in every zone and he’s an accomplished open ice hitter. He put up 20 points in 41 games as an 18 year old in Sweden’s top league and he will be a cornerstone defenseman for the Sabres when they draft him. (Yes, when. Not if, when.)

2nd Overall – Carolina Hurricanes: Andrei Svevhnikov (RW, Barrie Colts, OHL)

Carolina is loaded with young talent on the back end. From guys like Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin to guys like Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin, they certainly aren’t lacking on that front. So it only makes sense to add a dynamic forward to balance it out.

Then again, they fired Ron Francis and the team who put that great blueline together after a season of disappointing results.  The Hurricanes were a surprisingly good team last year that just didn’t get the goaltending they needed to succeed.

So who better to draft than a guy like Andrei Svechnikov?

Svechnikov is reportedly at the top of Carolina’s draft list, and for good reason. He’s a very, very good goal scorer as proven in the OHL where he recorded 40 goals and 72 points in 44 games. Carolina needs somebody who can put the puck in the net and Svechnikov is the perfect guy for the job.

3rd Overall – Montreal Canadiens: Filip Zadina (RW, Halifax Mooseheads, OHL)

Montreal is another team that’s lacking on the goal scoring front more than anywhere else, and Zadina is far from a consolation prize.

Zadina put up 82 points in 57 games for the Halifax Mooseheads this year and would instantly bolster Montreal’s forward group. He’s an accomplished goal scorer as well as an amazing playmaker and if Svechnikov goes second, Zadina should go third without question.

The Canadiens haven’t picked this high since 2012 when they selected Alex Galchenyuk, and its safe to say they’re probably hoping to do better with this pick.  (That years the Leafs picked Morgan Rielly at #5, and you could argue that he’s better than any player picked before him. )

The Canadiens have one of the worst management teams pro sports and you never have any idea what they’ll actually do, so this is our best guess.

4th Overall – Ottawa Senators: Quinn Hughes (D, University of Michigan, NCAA)

This top five is a Leafs fan’s nightmare isn’t it?

Regardless, if those three are taken off the board (which they more than likely will be) then I think the Senators go with an ultra-skilled defenseman in Quinn Hughes. If the rumours are true, the Senators could be looking for an Erik Karlsson replacement, although good luck with that.

As a university freshman, Hughes had an outstanding offensive season considering his age and position and put up 29 points in 37 games for U of Michigan. He’s an all around complete defenseman and would be a very good addition to the Senators’ defensive core.

The Leafs arch rivals are choosing to keep this pick instead of sending it to the Avalanche as part of the Matt Duchene trade. Since they are keeping it, that means that they have to send next year’s pick to the Avalanche no matter how high it is.  Therefore, the Senators might trade this pick in order to get better now and avoid finishing so low that they trade away a higher pick next year. They’ve definitely started down a dangerous path here that Leafs fans are all too familiar with.

5th Overall – Arizona Coyotes: Brady Tkachuk (LW, Boston University, NCAA)

At this point, Tkachuk joining the coyotes just seems like a match made in heaven. The Coyotes traded their pick last year in a deal to acquire Annti Raanta and Derek Steppan.

The obvious reason behind this pick is that his father, Keith, spent the majority of his time with the Coyotes and as everybody knows, was one of the best players in their franchise history. This will give Yotes’ fans the opportunity to watch the Tkachuk name carry on in Arizona.

On top of the feel-good story, the brother of Matthew Tkachuk is no slouch himself. He put up 31 points in 40 games as a freshman for Boston University and projects to be a dynamic offensive forward who has the versatility of playing centre or wing.

The Coyotes, with Tkachuk, Domi, Strome and Keller will boast one of the most exciting groups of forwards in the NHL.

7th Overall – Vancouver Canucks: Evan Bouchard (D, London Knights, OHL)

After years of competing with the Sedins as their foundation, the Canucks have fallen on hard times under the tenure of the oft criticized Jim Benning.

The Vancouver Canucks love their London Knights.

They took Bo Horvat in 2013. They took Olli Juolevi in 2016. And they appear to be poised to take Bouchard this year.

Evan Bouchard is just about everything you could ask for in a defenseman. He’s very good offensively, with 87 points in 67 games in the OHL this year. He’s very stable defensively and he’s also a born leader, acting as captain of the Knights this year. If he’s available when the Canucks are on the clock, they will be adding an excellent defenseman.

The Canucks still figure to be one of the worst teams in the NHL again next year, but they are starting to at least build a nice cche of prospects.

8th Overall – Chicago Blackhawks: Oliver Wahlstrom (C/RW, USNTDP, USHL)

Remember that little nine year old who performed that incredible trick shot in the Boston Bruins pregame penalty shot competition?

That kid is Oliver Wahlstrom. And now he’s poised to be a top ten pick in the NHL draft.

If Wahlstrom is taken by the Blackhawks, they’ll be getting a very, very good goal scorer who also has great vision and has a knack for setting teammates up too. He projects to eventually be a top six forward at the NHL level.

The Hawks may have missed the Playoffs last year, and they may have some salary cap problems, but they’ve still got an exciting roster and with Wahlstrom and Kane and DeBrincat they’ll be loaded with offensive talent for years to come.

9th Overall – New York Rangers: Jesper Kotkaniemi (C, Porin Assat, SM-Liiga)

Jesper Kotkaniemi is a guy who’s somewhat flown under the radar this year, but he’s arguably one of the top forward prospects in the draft. That, and he’s also one of the youngest players in the draft. And he spent the year playing against grown men in Finland’s top league.  Playing against grown men at an early age always seems to be an advantage for young players looking to transition into the NHL.

Kotkaniemi put up 29 points in 57 games which are very good totals for somebody of his age. He’s got good size for his age, standing at 6’2, and has a comparable game to Jeff Carter.

If the Rangers get even half of a Jeff Carter here they’re going to be very, very happy with this pick.

The Rangers have been known to deal their first round picks for current players, but the tables seemed to have turned and they’ll be getting a very good prospect in Kotkaniemi.

10th Overall – Edmonton Oilers: Noah Dobson (D, Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL)

You’d think the Edmonton Oilers would be done picking in the top ten (Hall, Nugent-Hopkins, Yakupov, Draisaitl, Nurse, McDavid, Puljujarvi) but they aren’t.  They will be picking in the top ten for the eighth time in nine years.

It’s incredible that they don’t currently have the best team in the NHL by about six miles, but what can you do? Last year they selected 22nd and got Kailer Yamamoto.

This year we are predicting that they will take Noah Dobson.

Let’s see. Right handed defenseman, good size, great offensively and defensively. What’s not to like?

Well, truthfully there isn’t much. Dobson is very good at what he does and he would be a very good addition to an Oilers team that’s known to struggle defensively. With 69 points in 67 games this year, he also has a comparable playing style to Zach Werenski. That alone should be enough to get Oilers fans excited.

Then, they’ll remember that their team didn’t fire Peter Chiarelli yet and go back to being very, very sad.

11th Overall – New York Islanders: Ty Smith (D, Spokane Chiefs, WHL)

The Islanders had a very, very good offensive team this year. So it only makes sense to add a defenseman. Then again, by the time you’re picking at 11, your looking at players who are generally several years away, so drafting for positional need may not be the best idea.

The Islanders have a new GM, soon they’ll have a new coach, and they may or may not be in the marker for a new franchise player.  They’re not going to find one at 11th overall (at least probably not), but Smith is still a good choice.

Smith is also very good offensively. He put up 73 points in 69 games for the Chiefs this season. He’s solid defensively and his best trait is his skating ability. The only setback is his size, but having just turned 18 two months ago, there’s definitely room to grow.

Then again, it seems like every year size becomes less and less of a priority.

12th Overall – New York Islanders (via Calgary): Joel Farabee (LW, USNTDP, USHL)

Thanks to last summer’s Travis Hamonic deal (which the Leafs, thankfully didn’t make, despite rumours that they were close to trading JVR for Hamonic) the Islanders will be picking twice in a row.

I’m sure the Flames would like to have this one back.

Joel Farabee was another prospect who went under the radar this year, but whoever gets him will be getting a very, very good two-way forward. And in this case, the Islanders pick him with their second in a row.

Having acquired this pick from the Calgary Flames in the Travis Hamonic deal, they took a defenseman with their first pick and will take a forward with their second. Farabee is a very good power forward with great defensive skills and he put up 76 points in 62 games for the US U18 National Team. He will be a great pick for whoever selects him.

13th Overall – Dallas Stars: Joseph Veleno (C, Saint-John Sea Dogs, QMJHL)

The Stars were kind of unlucky to miss the playoffs and to be drafting so high, and they have a good roster they may wish to add to.  That makes the Stars a good candidate to trade their pick.  If they do keep it, I think they’ll select Joseph Veleno out of Saint John.

Veleno came into the QMJHL with all the pressure in the world on his shoulders.

He was the latest player to be granted exceptional player status. An early grant to junior hockey, most notably by players such as John Tavares and Connor McDavid.

Realistically, Veleno really shouldn’t have been granted this. He’s a very, very good prospect and will be a top six forward at the NHL level, and he faces less pressure as he moves up the rankings in the hockey world. He put up a combined total of 79 points in 64 games this year and could be a future top six centre for Dallas should they take him.

14th Overall – Philadelphia Flyers: Bode Wilde (D, USNTDP, USHL)

The Flyers have a boatload of good young defensemen. And should they take Wilde, he will join a talented group that includes guys such as Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere. That would be adding a great prospect to what is already one of the best young groups in the NHL.

Last year the Flyers picked second and got Nolan Patrick.  They’ll soon be graduating into contender status, but for now they are still picking in the top 15.  Bode Wilde is a great selection for this spot in the draft.

Wilde has good size at 6’2 and has a very good right handed shot. (Everyone is always looking for good right hand shooting defensemen). He has a great eye for the game and is never in the wrong place, and he’s reliable all around the ice. He will be a top four defenseman for whoever drafts him.

15th Overall – Florida Panthers: Rasmus Kupari (C, Oulun Karpat, SM-Liiga)

Kupari is another young Finnish centre who had a very good season playing against men in Finland’s top pro league.

He put up 14 points in 39 games and he plays a game that resembles fellow Finn Sebastian Aho, and if Florida could land a player of Aho’s calibre at 15th overall, they should definitely capitalize on it.

The Panthers have drafted Huberdau, Barkov and Aaron Ekblad in recent years, and Rasmus Kupari should make for another good selection. It remains to be seen if Florida can put together a decent team under the woeful management of Dale Tallon, but if they pick Kupari it should be a step in the right direction.

Thanks for checking out the mock draft, we’ll have part two along shortly, but in the meantime, be sure to check out our mock draft from last year to see how we did.

Next: 2017 Mock Draft: How'd We Do?

Thanks for reading.

All statistics and information obtained from eliteprospects.com