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NHL Draft: 10 Potential 1st Round Steals

By Ryan Ritchie |
LONDON, ON - MAY 7: Olli Juolevi #4 of the London Knights skates with the puck against the Niagara IceDogs during Game Two of OHL Championship Final for the J.Ross Robertson Cup on May 7, 2016 at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, Canada. The Knights defeated the IceDogs 6-1 to take a 2-0 series lead. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
LONDON, ON - MAY 7: Olli Juolevi #4 of the London Knights skates with the puck against the Niagara IceDogs during Game Two of OHL Championship Final for the J.Ross Robertson Cup on May 7, 2016 at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, Canada. The Knights defeated the IceDogs 6-1 to take a 2-0 series lead. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

NHL Draft: 10 Potential 1st Round Steals in the 2016 Class

This year’s NHL Draft will be held in Buffalo, New York at the First Niagara Center and will take place between June 24-25th.

On April 30th, the draft lottery took place featuring a new format in which the top three selections would be determined opposed to the old style of solely determining the top pick.

The Toronto Maple Leafs snagged the top selection after walking in with a 20 percent chance of winning (the most among all 14 teams). Winnipeg Jets were the surprise team that jumped up to claim the second pick, while Columbus Blue Jackets moved up to third.

2016 NHL Draft: 1st Round Order

*teams in italics are unconfirmed picks until we have a Stanley Cup Winner (winner slides to 30th)

1. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Winnipeg Jets
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. Edmonton Oilers
5. Vancouver Canucks
6. Calgary Flames
7. Arizona Coyotes
8. Buffalo Sabres
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. Colorado Avalanche
11. New Jersey Devils
12. Ottawa Senators
13. Carolina Hurricanes
14. Boston Bruins
15. Minnesota Wild
16. Detroit Red Wings
17. Nashville Predators
18. Philadelphia Flyers
19. Tampa Bay Lightning
20. Boston Bruins (via San Jose)
21. New York Islanders
22. Arizona Coyotes (via NY Rangers)
23. Carolina Hurricanes (via Los Angeles)
24. Winnipeg Jets (via Chicago)
25. Toronto Maple Leafs (via Pittsburgh)
26. St.Louis Blues
27. Florida Panthers
28. Anaheim Ducks
29. Dallas Stars (conditional to CGY – if DAL defeats STL)
30. Washington Capitals

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This year’s draft class is deeper than usual with a strong ’98 group mixed with some late ’97 birthdays.

We also need to take into account that 2015 was also an abnormally strong class which left some talented prospects undrafted. Some of those undrafted players (now 19-years-old) had big years in the CHL/Europe.

If teams can find a mid-to-late round gem in any draft, this might be the year. It will also be a good opportunity for some teams to replenish a depleted prospect pool.

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NHL Draft: 10 Potential 1st Round Steals

10. Tage Thompson, UConn (NCAA)

Tage is the son of former NHLer (now coach of AHL Bridgeport) Brent Thompson. He began his college career in 2015-16 with the University of Connecticut, and posted 32 points in 36 games as a rookie.

At 6’5 185lbs, Tage still needs time to bulk up, but scouts are saying he’s finding ways to adapt and play a bigger game. He’s already got a NHL shot, just needs to work on his skating a bit.

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9. Riley Tufte, Fargo (USHL)

This 6’5 power forward is commonly compared to Florida Panthers F Nick Bjugstad. Many experts are also predicting there’s no way he falls out of the top 15.

Tufte posted 47 goals, 31 assists (78 points) in 25 games for Blaine High (USHS), and added 10 more goals in 27 games for USHL Fargo.

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8. Kale Clague, Brandon (WHL)

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Clague had a strong finish to the regular season scoring at a near point-per-game pace. The production continued into the postseason, now with 14 points in 18 games.

Brandon Wheat Kings currently lead Seattle 2-0 in the WHL Finals and look destined to head to the Memorial Cup.

Kale Clague is an excellent skater who makes good decisions with the puck. A smart player, he makes a good first pass, and knows when to join the rush or make a good pinch. A prototypical offensive d-man, Clague’s biggest criticism from scouts is consistency.

There’s no guarantees he’s a first round pick, but if someone recognizes the value, he could make for a good late-round steal.

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7. Alex DeBrincat, Erie (OHL)

After back-to-back 50-goal seasons in Erie, there’s no denying his offensive talent. Unfortunately, DeBrincat continues to slide down most draft boards due to concern over his size.

The difference with DeBrincat from other smaller players is his slippery elusiveness coupled with his soft hands and creative stick-handling – Alex is an offensive zone threat.

If he can continue to find a way to use his small stature to his advantage at the next level the way players like Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, and Johnny Gaudreau have, there’s a chance for him to be an impact top-six forward.

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6. Clayton Keller, USNTDP

Keller was the USNTDP’s most dominant player in 2015-16. He’s also slipped under the radar of many fans due to limited exposure – a late cut from Team USA at the World Juniors didn’t help matters.

He’s committed to join Boston University in the Fall, but his junior rights are owned by OHL’s Windsor Spitfires – perhaps the recent news of hosting next year’s Memorial Cup might sway his decision to pursue college hockey.

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5. Logan Brown, Windsor (OHL)

Scouts continue to rave about Logan Brown who just continues to grow (now 6’7). Some have gone as far as suggesting he could be picked 4th overall, but it’s more likely he’s taken in the 10 range.

He’s a good two-way center that plays a complete 200-foot game. Logan isn’t as physical as you’d expect him to be but plays an overall strong game and is hard to knock off the puck.

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4. Logan Stanley, Windsor (OHL)

At 6’7 220lbs, Stanley is a physically intimidating defender. He’s known for playing with a nasty edge and plays with consistency. Logan is a quality two-way defenseman with strength on both sides of the puck.

There’s always a chance he slips into the second round, but it may be difficult for teams to pass up on this blend of skill/size.

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3. Vitali Abramov, Gatineau (QMJHL)

Like Alex DeBrincat, Abramov receives criticism from scouts concerning his size. This undersized Russian forward posted 93 points in 63 games with QMJHL Gatineau in his first year in North America. He also scored seven goals (13 points) in 10 postseason games.

Vitali Abramov draws comparisons to fellow countrymen Nikita Kucherov. This kid has the potential to be the biggest steal of late 1st rounders.

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2. Tyson Jost, Penticton (BCHL)

Scouts tend to get nervous with these BCHL picks destined for NCAA hockey – but no need for concern this year.

Tyson Jost broke Connor McDavid‘s record at the U18 World Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He was able to dominate games much like Jesse Puljujarvi did for Finland as the pair looked like men among boys.

He is a few years away from having an NHL impact, but we may look back on this draft class ranking Jost as one of the top talents.

Next: CHL Finals Set: Road to Memorial Cup

1. Olli Juolevi, London (OHL)

Debate remains among scouts over who should be regarded as the top defenseman in the 2016 draft class. Generally, it’s between Olli Juolevi, Jakob Chychrun, and Mikhail Sergachev. While each have an opportunity to be solid blueliners in the NHL, the safe money should be put on Juolevi.

Projected to be a number one (at worst a number two), Juolevi is the complete package. If you need a guy who can play at an elite level in all three zones, Olli Juolevi is exactly that.

If Peter Chiarelli is unable to move the 4th overall pick, don’t be surprised if Edmonton selects Olli Juolevi. Should that occur, Juolevi could challenge for a roster spot as an 18-year-old.

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