Toronto Maple Leafs: 2018 NHL Mock Draft – Picks 16-31
It’s time for the second part of my mock draft, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be on the clock.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made solid progress over the past three seasons. After finishing dead last in 2015-16 and earning the first overall pick, they made the playoffs two seasons in a row.
Last year, they selected at 17th overall and picked Timothy Liljegren, who could end up being one of the steals of the draft. Especially after seeing that he was once a projected top three pick.
This year, they pick at 25th overall.
In the first part, we saw Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, and Filip Zadina go in the top three to Buffalo, Carolina, and Montreal respectively. In this part, we’re going to take a look at how the second half of the first round could shape out.
As the draft moves on, the picks become more unpredictable. So, buckle up.
16th Overall – Colorado Avalanche: Dominik Bokk (RW, Vaxjo Lakers, SHL)
The Avalanche have had lots of success in recent draft years.
They picked Mikko Rantanen in 2015 and he’s proven to be an incredible selection so far. 2016 first rounder Tyson Jost had a solid first season and Cale Makar is looking like a very good pick so far. After making the playoffs this season, I think the Avalanche are going to go with a very skilled winger.
That winger is Dominik Bokk, who they’ll take at 16th.
A German-born forward, Bokk has lots on his resume that NHL executives and scouts would find attractive. He has experience playing against men in the SHL, and he’s a smooth skater with good size and a good shot. He would be a long-term upgrade to Colorado’s wing.
Bokk scored 41 points in 35 games in the Super Elite league last season, a very impressive total. With a roster of Nathan McKinnon, Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, Bokk would be a phenomenal addition to Colorado’s forward corps.
17th Overall – New Jersey Devils: Isac Lundestrom (C, Lulea HF, SHL)
The Devils will go German with pick 17.
Last year, the Devils did exactly what the Leafs did the year before. That being, they had the first overall pick, drafted their franchise centre, made the playoffs and then drafted at 17th overall the following year.
While the Maple Leafs took advantage of a steal with Timothy Liljegren, I have the Devils going to another centre in Lundestrom.
The 18-year-old Gallivare, Sweden native spent last season playing for Lulea HF in the SHL and had a successful season for his age. The youngster put up 15 points in 42 games.
It’s more than likely that Lundestrom will spend the next few seasons playing overseas. But, if the Devils decide to draft him, then they will likely have landed themselves a future middle-six centre to play below Nico Hischier.
With centres being the most coveted position in all of hockey, Lundestrom is a worthy gamble in the middle of the first round.
18th Overall – Columbus Blue Jackets: Akil Thomas (C, Niagara Ice Dogs, OHL)
It’s no secret that the Jackets have an elite defensive core.
With a surplus of talented young defensemen highlighted by Zach Werenski and Seth Jones, the Jackets will be fine on the back end for the foreseeable future. So, in this draft I have them taking a skilled forward in Akil Thomas.
Thomas has spent both of his OHL seasons playing with the Niagara Ice Dogs. In 2017-18, he just finished a very successful campaign, putting up 81 points in 68 games. Thomas has elite vision of the ice in his game to pair with a similar elite passing ability. This is evidenced by 59 of his 81 points being assists.
Due to his small stature at 5’11 and 169lbs, whether or not he remains a centre at the NHL level is a question. But, regardless of where he plays, he will be a very solid addition to the Jackets’ forward group.
The Jackets are in dire need of another scring forward to compiment their stacked D corps. Thomas could be just that, if all things go properly.
19th Overall – Philadelphia Flyers: Vitali Kravtsov (RW, Chelyabinsk Traktor, KHL)
After using the pick acquired from St.Louis to select a defenseman in Bode Wilde, the Flyers will go with a forward here and take Vitali Kravtsov.
Kravtsov jumped back and forth between the MHL and the KHL this season but spent most of it with Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL, where he recorded seven points through 35 games.
While most may not think these totals are impressive, he really stepped it up in the playoffs and put up 11 points in 16 games. This is not only impressive for an 18-year-old playing against men. But, it shows that he has an elite ability to show up when it matters most. Which, as can be assumed, is valuable no matter what your skillset is.
In terms of NHL comparisons, Kravtsov has been compared to fellow Russian forward Evgeni Dadonov. Dadanov just returned to the NHL and had a successful comeback season after multiple years in Russia.
If the Flyers can get a Dadonov-type of player in the first round then they will have found success. Especially with Wayne Simmonds inching toward free agency.
20th Overall – Los Angeles Kings: Grigori Denisenko (LW, Loko Yaroslavl, MHL)
Back-to-back Swedes. Then a Canadian. And now, back-to-back Russians to kick off the second half.
The Kings have a very good defensive core highlighted by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin who are both considerably young. Saying that, it’s inevitable that they will take a forward in Grigori Denisenko here.
The Novosibirsk native is another one of the youngest players in the draft at age 17. He turns 18 on June 24th, a few days after the draft. You’d have to think getting drafted will be the best birthday present he’s ever received, no?
Denisenko spent the season playing in the MHL, Russia’s junior league. It was there where he put up 22 points in 31 games. He’s another one of those players who will likely spend the next few years playing overseas in order to hone his skills before being brought to North America.
As of now, he’s signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl for next season. So, it will be interesting to see how he fares in his first pro season.
Regardless, the Kings were limited offensively this season, evidenced by their dismal showing in the first round versus Vegas. While it may take a while to actually use his services, Denisenko will be a positive addition to their offensive attack.
21st Overall – San Jose Sharks: Mattias Samuelsson (D, USNTDP, USHL)
At 21st overall, the San Jose Sharks will take defenceman Mattias Samuelsson. Samuelsson has Swedish background but was raised as an American. In fact, Samuelsson’s father is former New York Ranger Kjell Samuelsson. The elder Samuelsson went on to play 863 games in the NHL, despite being drafted in the 6th round.
So, the NHL bloodline runs strong in this one. Only this time, the younger of the two will be going in the first.
Born in Voorhees, New Jersey, Samuelsson has spent his entire hockey career playing in the States. Most notably for the US National Team Development Program, where he put up 31 points in 58 games.
In addition, he also captained the U.S. at the U18 World Juniors this year. An undoubtedly impressive feat, considering his age.
Samuelsson has good size for his age, standing at 6’4 and weighing in at 216lbs. Throughout his time in the US Development Program, he’s already demonstrated very good leadership skills.
So, if he’s available when the Sharks are on the clock, they’ll be getting a very solid defenseman.
22nd Overall – Ottawa Senators (via Pittsburgh): Barrett Hayton (C, Sault St. Marie Greyhounds, OHL)
Steals tend to happen in the first round. And I think this will be one of them.
At 22nd overall, the Ottawa Senators will use the pick they received from Pittsburgh in the Derek Brassard trade to take another centre. This one being Sault St. Marie alum Barret Hayton.
There’s a lot to like about Hayton and his game. He just turned 18 on June 9th, and had some key roles for a very successful Greyhounds team that made it to the OHL finals. Putting up 60 points in 63 games during the regular season, he also showed up to play in the playoffs with 21 points in 24 games.
While his totals don’t necessarily jump off the board at you for a first rounder, there’s more to it. Hayton has a work ethic that you can’t teach and could end up being a very, very good forward for the Senators in the future.
Considering they may lose Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson in the near future, Ottawa certainly needs to restock the treasure chest. They might as well start here.
23rd Overall – Anaheim Ducks: Ty Dellandrea (C, Flint Firebirds, OHL)
At 23rd overall, the Anaheim Ducks will likely turn to the centre position. After seeing half their lineup decimated by injuries at the start of the year, they are in dire need of offensive reinforcements.
So, the Ducks will target Flint Firebirds centre Ty Dellandrea. If the Ducks select Dellandrea at 23rd overall, they’ll be getting a really solid forward.
Dellandrea is another one of the youngest players in the draft. He’s 17, not turning 18 until well into July. Despite his age, he also put together a very solid season with Flint, with 59 points in 67 games.
Dellandrea was also given the alternate captaincy. A move which shows that he has very good leadership skills, especially given how young he is.
The Ducks have two ageing centres in Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler. So, once these two retire, the Ducks will need some depth to take over the realm. Enter Dellandrea, who looks to be one of the best for the job given their position.
Getting a potential replacement in the late first round is an incredible value.
24th Overall – Minnesota Wild: Serron Noel (RW, Oshawa Generals, OHL)
The Wild are building a surplus of skilled young forwards. And this year will see them add to their total.
They somehow managed to grab Ivan Lodnia in the third round last year. And, in the years to follow, they selected Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek in 2016 and 2015 respectively. That’s not shabby. Not shabby at all.
At 24th overall, they’ll be set to add Oshawa Generals winger Serron Noel to their bounty.
Noel is a monster for his age, standing at 6’5 and 209lbs. He had a very solid season this year, putting up 53 points in 62 games for the Generals. Noel scored 28 goals while playing your typical power-forward game. In fact, he’s the son of former CFL player Dean Noel. And, if the Wild pick him, he has potential to be a future middle-six power forward at the NHL level.
For years the Wild have been mired in the dreaded middle class of the NHL. Not good enough to content. And, not bad enough to tank. This year is no different, and Noel is the best option for where they end up picking.
25th Overall – Toronto Maple Leafs: K’Andre Miller (D, USNTDP, USHL)
The Leafs are absolutely loaded on offense. There’s no question about that.
The back end is a different story, however. They’ve started to shift their attention to defensemen lately, taking Liljegren in the 2017 draft. And, if all goes well, they could definitely end up with a player like K’Andre Miller here.
That, my friends, would be great.
Miller possesses good size for his age, standing at 6’4 and 205lbs. This season, the hulking defenceman put up 29 points in 58 games for the US National U18 team. He’s been compared to Seth Jones in terms of his playstyle, and if the Miller could pan out to be even half of what Jones is, it will have been a good pick.
Miller is committed to the University of Wisconsin for next season where he’ll join fellow Leafs D prospect J.D. Greenway.
It may be worrying to see the Leafs pick a tall, heavy defenceman. Those picks tend to struggle to keep up with the NHL pace of play. Although, Miller is different. He combines his height with offensive ability and puck movement. If those skills can translate to the NHL, the Leafs will continue to shore up their weakest positional group on the roster.
26th Overall – New York Rangers (via Boston): Alexander Alexeyev (D, Red Deer Rebels, WHL)
This is the point in the first round where we get to the traded picks. To elaborate a little bit, only one of the following six picks still belongs to its’ original owner. As we creep into the last five picks of the first round, talent begins to get blurred. In essence, there’s not too much of a difference between an early second rounder and a late first rounder.
So, if the Rangers choose to keep their pick rather than trading down, it will an interesting strategy.
Regardless though, if the Rangers take Jesperi Kotkaniemi at ninth overall like I predicted, then they’ll take a skilled defenseman in Alexander Alexeyev.
The St. Petersburg native didn’t play a full season this year. But, he impressed during his tenure with the Red Deer Rebels with 37 points in 45 games.
Alexeyev has good size at 6’3 and 190lbs and plays a very reliable defensive game. With the Rangers losing Ryan McDonagh, they’re in dire need of adding to their blueline. If Alexeyev can replace even a little bit of the value lost in their former captain, it will be worth it.
He will be a very good pick for the Rangers should they select him.
27th Overall – Chicago Blackhawks (via Nashville): Ryan McLeod (C, Mississauga Steelheads, OHL)
It’s no secret that the Chicago Blackhawks took a massive step backwards in 2017-18. Pretty much everything went wrong for them, as they ended up missing the playoffs. Now, they find themselves in a completely foreign circumstance. That being, a quasi-rebuild.
With Jonathan Toews getting older, the Hawks are beginning to need reinforcements down the middle. And, in a market as used to success as Chicago’s they can’t afford to botch this pick.
Enter Ryan McLeod.
Some experts and scouts have deemed McLeod one of the safest picks in the draft. While that isn’t always a good thing, it gives the team that drafts him the satisfaction of knowing exactly what they’re getting. The former Mississauga Steelhead is both solid offensively, solid defensively, and, well, solid everywhere.
He’s an effortless skater who is poised to further raise his totals next season.
The brother of Devils first round pick Michael McLeod, he put up 70 points in 68 games this year. And, if the Blackhawks take him, he will likely have a ceiling of a middle-six two-way forward.
For a team looking to turn right back around and contend, that’s really as best they can hope for i the later stages of the first round. McLeod is a solid, if unspectacular pick and could help the Hawks down the line at a crucial position.
28th Overall – New York Rangers (via Tampa Bay): Ryan Merkley (D, Guelph Storm, OHL)
One forward and one defenseman. With their third first round pick, the Rangers will take a project in Ryan Merkley. And boy, what a project he is.
It’s strange to see the Rangers with so many first rounders. Especially considering that they’ve lately been known as a team that trades their picks for roster players. Need proof? The Rangers didn’t own a first round pick from 2013-2016. That’s just crazy.
Anyways, Merkley was the first pick of the 2016 OHL Priority selection and burst into the league with 55 points in 62 games his first season.
He still impressed this year with 67 points in 63 games this year, but he supposedly struggles on the defensive side of the game. Which is kind of important considering he’s a defenseman.
On the ice, he’s a fine player. Off the ice, it’s not as pretty. Reports have surfaced that Merkley clashes with both teammates and coaches, being a notoriously hard player to reign in. That level of immaturity may deter NHL teams from spending a pick on him, especially in the first round.
Regardless, if the Rangers don’t trade any of their first rounders then using one of them on a project isn’t necessarily a bad idea. Merkley is a high reward player and if he pans out the way they want him to, they’ll be a getting a very skilled top-four defenseman.
29th Overall – St. Louis Blues (via Winnipeg): – Calen Addison (D, Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL)
The Blues shocked most observers by selling at the trade deadline while still challenging for a playoff spot. In the midst of their fire sale, they ended up acquiring a 1st rounder from Winnipeg in exchange for Paul Stastny. It seems as if the trade has worked out swimmingly for both parties, as Stastny was incredible for the Jets in the playoffs and St. Louis can now bolster their team with yet another first rounder.
So, at 29th, they’ll set their sights on Lethbridge Hurricanes product Calen Addison. Addison is a very solid defenseman, one capable of fitting in on a talented Blues team.
If he’s still on the board at 29th overall, the Blues will be getting a very skilled player. Addison put up 65 points in 68 games which are very solid totals for somebody of his age and position. Nearly a point per game, Addison would be an embarrassment of riches to a Blues roster already housing high-end talent.
Addison has a very diverse skillset and can quarterback a powerplay. In addition to all that, he can play a reliable defensive game as well. If the Blues select him, he will be joining a very good defensive group with players such as Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko.
That’s almost unfair, likely setting the Blues up for continued success down the road.
30th Overall – Detroit Red Wings (via Vegas): Rasmus Sandin (D, Sault St. Marie Greyhounds, OHL)
After dominating their very first draft, the Golden Knights will now sacrifice their first round pick to the Red Wings in 2018. A product of the Tomas Tatar trade, one must wonder if it was worth it. Tatar played sparingly in the Cup Final. He was expected to be an impact offensive piece, and instead ended up as a healthy scratch on most night.
Which brings us to this year’s draft. The Wings already took one Swedish defenseman this year. So, why not two?
At 30th overall, the Wings will take a flier on another Sault St. Marie product in defenceman Rasmus Sandin.
Sandin had a very solid season for the Greyhounds this year with 45 points in 51 games. Looking at his totals, it’s clear that he definitely excels more on the offensive side than on the defensive side of the game. If the Wings draft him, he’ll also be playing for a team with the same colour scheme as the Greyhounds.
Which is pretty cool, I guess.
Despite spending this year in the OHL, Sandin will return to his homeland of Sweden for next season and play for Rogle BK of the SHL. Rogle, fun fact, was Liljegren’s team before he made the leap to North America.
In all, Sandin could end up being a very solid offensive defenseman if he pans out the way they want him to.
31st Overall – Washington Capitals: Jett Woo (D, Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL)
The Caps just finished up their most exciting season of their existent. They finally won the Stanley Cup, and fans of every team rejoiced to congratulate Alex Ovechkin on all his hard work and dedication to win the cup.
So, the Washington Capitals will target Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Jett Woo with the first rounds final pick.
Woo put up 25 points in 44 games for the Warriors this year. But, the main reason his draft stock has fallen is that of his injury history. He had an ongoing concussion that aggravated on three separate occasions this year. But, if he can figure that out and avoid injury in the future then the Blues will be getting a very solid player.
Woo is only 17 and doesn’t turn 18 until July 27th which makes his totals even more impressive. He has a comparable playstyle to Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and if the Caps can score a player of that calibre this late in the first round then they will be more than happy with what they landed.
Next: 2018 NHL Mock Draft Part One
If you got through all 31 picks, thanks for reading. Fun times lie ahead.
All statistics and information obtained through eliteprospects.com
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