2020 NHL Mock Draft

It's like Christmas in October for us avid prospect followers.

The (virtual edition) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft begins Tuesday, October 6. With both the NHL Scouting Combine and in-person prospect visits cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this promises to be unlike any draft we have ever seen before. 

My overall prospect rankings for the draft can be found here -- RotoWire's Top NHL Prospects

In this piece, I'll let loose with what I think each club will do in what should be a wild affair.

1- New York Rangers: Alexis Lafreniere (LW, Rimouski-QMJHL): A rebuild takes a lot of patience and some good luck along the way. The Rangers were swept in three games by Carolina in the play-in round but will get rewarded with an elite prospect in Lafreniere. This is the only pick on this list I am extremely confident will be correct.

2- Los Angeles Kings: Quinton Byfield (C, Sudbury-OHL): People smarter than myself think the Kings will go with the player listed next, but I'll believe it when I see it. Byfield has more risk to his game than your typical top-three pick but his ceiling is that of one of the very best players in the league. Los Angeles has the prospect pool to shoot for the moon.

3- Ottawa Senators (from San Jose): Tim Stutzle (LW, Adler Manheim-DEL): This is the easiest pick in the draft other than Lafreniere. Ottawa (with the pick acquired in the Erik Karlsson deal) will just sit back and takes whichever of Byfield and Stutzle is available.

4- Detroit Red Wings: Cole Perfetti (LW, Saginaw-OHL): This is where things really open up. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman shocked many by popping defenseman Moritz Seider at No. 6 overall last year. I think he takes a forward here, but it could be any one of a handful of guys.

5- Ottawa Senators: Jake Sanderson (D, US NTDP-USHL): Ottawa will come away with either Byfield or Stutzle at No. 2. I would double down and take another forward because I think there will still be impact players available here, but they could look to spread the wealth with a defenseman. Sanderson's stock has risen to the point there's a halfway decent chance he's the first rearguard off the board.

6- Anaheim Ducks: Jamie Drysdale (D, Erie-OHL): Drysdale was viewed as the top defenseman throughout the majority of the draft process. Anaheim needs help everywhere and they have spent plenty of high picks on forwards lately. 

7- New Jersey Devils: Lucas Raymond (RW, Frolunda-SHL): This would be a best-case scenario for the Devils. Raymond is an easy top-five talent in this draft and his ceiling is also among the highest of all the available players. 

8- Buffalo Sabres: Marco Rossi (C, Ottawa-OHL): The Sabres still have Jack Eichel (for now) but Casey Mittelstadt hasn't develop as expected and the team could use some more offensive firepower. Rossi certainly fits the bill.

9- Minnesota Wild: Yaroslav Askarov (G, SKA-KHL): Askarov's destination is one of the draft's greatest mysteries. I'm very confident he will be gone in the top 15 picks, with Minnesota, Edmonton, and Carolina all being possibilities. You can toss the Devils in there too to a lesser extent, but I don't think they would take the plunge at No. 7. The Wild recently got Kirill Kaprizov signed and have very little goaltending depth in their system. Spending a high pick on a goaltender is always a risk and it's even more risky when he plays for a powerhouse KHL club, but Askarov is worth the roll of the dice. The big concern is when he's planning on coming over to North America.

10- Winnipeg Jets: Alexander Holtz (RW, Djurgardens-SHL): This is a luxury pick for Winnipeg, with Holtz being by far the most talented player on the board at this point. The Jets can take him with the expectation they won't be picking this high in 2021.

11- Nashville Predators: Jack Quinn (C, Ottawa-OHL): Nashville knocked it out of the park with their selection of Philip Tomasino at No. 24 in 2019 and Quinn fits a similar mold. I wish he had a bit more straight-line speed but his offensive awareness is exceptional.

12- Florida Panthers: Seth Jarvis (C, Portland-WHL): Mike Hoffman and Evgeni Dadonov are free agents and Aleksander Barkov will need a new contract sooner rather than later. Jarvis provides excellent offensive depth until they get all that sorted out.

13- Carolina Hurricanes (from Toronto): Anton Lundell (C, HIFK-Liiga): Carolina has a boatload of talented offensive players but Lundell provides them with a legitimate two-way center who can play heavy minutes. 

14- Edmonton Oilers: Dawson Mercer (RW, Drummondville-QMJHL): Edmonton might be Askarov's most likely destination. In the event they go in a different direction, Mercer seems like a distinct possibility. He's not the fastest player but possesses the smarts to keep up with guys like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

15- Toronto Maple Leafs (from Pittsburgh): Braden Schneider (D, Brandon-WHL): Despite a barren prospect pool, Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford doubled down and dealt this pick to Toronto in the deal for Kasperi Kapanen. The Leafs -- with more forwards than they know what to do with -- add a guy who projects as a long-time NHL regular. I'd look elsewhere because I don't love Schneider's perceived upside but his floor is high.

16- Montreal Canadiens: Kaiden Guhle (D, Prince Albert-WHL): Guhle is apparently getting more love from NHL clubs than the Twitter scouting community. He can really move and plays physically but his offensive upside is limited.

17- Chicago Blackhawks: Dylan Holloway (C, University of Wisconsin-NCAA): Holloway took a regular shift for Wisconsin as a true freshman and played pretty well. His calling card is his speed.

18- New Jersey Devils (from Arizona): Hendrix Lapierre (C, Chicoutimi-QMJHL): Lapierre is the ultimate medical risk. He would probably be a top-ten pick if not for a scary history of concussions. The Devils -- who own three first-rounders, including this one from the Taylor Hall trade -- are in position to swing for the fences.

19- Calgary Flames: Connor Zary (C, Kamloops, WHL): It seems likely the Flames would have gotten plenty of looks at a WHL kid in Zary. I appreciate his skill level and think he's been a tad underrated throughout the draft process.

20- New Jersey Devils (from Vancouver): William Wallinder (D, MODO-Allsvenskan): In this scenario, the Devils add a defender after picking up Raymond and Lapierre. Wallinder is a young kid who is still filling out and maturing but his ceiling is high.

21- Columbus Blue Jackets: Noel Gunler (RW, Lulea-SHL): Gunler will probably go later than this but I'd start considering him a few picks early. He has one of the highest offensive ceilings in the class and a team like the Jackets could really use that in their lineup.

22- New York Rangers (from Carolina): Rodion Amirov (LW, UFA-KHL): I think there's a better than a 50/50 chance the Rangers deal this pick for a young roster player. If they keep it, Amirov would be the perfect fit if he's still on the board. The Rangers can be patient with him and the club has never been afraid of taking Russians.

23- Philadelphia Flyers: Ridly Greig (C, Brandon-WHL): There seems to be a pretty clear gap developing in regards to Greig. Some evaluators think he's better suited for a depth role, while others think his offensive skill set is being severely underrated. I tend to fall in the former camp but plenty of people think Greig will go higher than anticipated.

24- Washington Capitals: Emil Andrae (D, HV71-SHL): Washington's prospect pool is among the very worst in the league, if not the worst. They just need talent, no matter what the position. They'll have to wait on Andrae, but he could be a good one.

25- Colorado Avalanche: John-Jason Peterka (RW, Munich-DEL): Colorado has plenty of talented offensive forwards, a guy like Peterka can complement them while handling some of the dirty work in the corners and along the boards.

26- St. Louis Blues: Justin Barron (D, Halifax-QMJHL): As of this writing, it appears as if Alex Pietrangelo will be leaving the Blues as a UFA. Barron isn't Petro, but he's a big, right-handed shooting defenseman who can really skate. He would have been a lock for the first round had he not missed much of this past season due to a blood clot issue. He also recently underwent a minor shoulder procedure to ensure the clotting issue doesn't reoccur. 

27- Anaheim Ducks (from Boston): Lukas Reichel (RW, Berlin-DEL): In this scenario, Reichel becomes the third German selected in Round 1. He makes for a nice complementary and follow-up piece after the Ducks take Jamie Drysdale, a defenseman, at No. 6. 

28- Ottawa Senators (from NY Islanders): Jacob Perreault (RW, Sarnia-OHL): Perreault is a top-ten talent whose effort level has been questioned. He's had too many off nights for a player with his abilities. Ottawa can swing for the fences with their third first-rounder. 

29- Las Vegas Golden Knights: Mavrik Bourque (C, Shawinigan-QMJHL): I wanted to slot Bourque a good half dozen spots higher but couldn't find a spot I thought fit as well as this one. If I'm Vegas and Bourque is available, I'd consider moving up a couple slots.

30- Dallas Stars: Jan Mysak (LW, Hamilton-OHL): Add Mysak to the list of players several people have strong opinions about. Some think he's in line to develop into a legitimate top-six offensive producer, others think his hockey sense is overrated. 

31- San Jose Sharks (from Tampa Bay): Brendan Brisson (C, Chicago-USHL): The son of NHL super agent Pat Brisson, Brendan seems likely to be gone by this point. If he isn't, San Jose should sprint to the podium (or, you know, the phone, since there is no podium this year). The Sharks have a barren farm system and a below-average NHL roster. They should be considering a total rebuild, but I doubt they go that route.