2019 NHL Draft: Grading each team’s draft class
Now that the 2019 NHL Draft is over, let’s take a look at how each team. Here’s a grade for each team’s draft class.
The 2019 NHL Draft is over. General Managers have put their pencils down and now it’s time to grade their work. It’s tough, and perhaps unfair, to judge prospects less than three years after they are drafted, but life isn’t fair.
Some teams did exceptionally well during the draft. Others didn’t. Some teams helped to build a promising future and gave their prospect pipeline a talent injection. Others reached for players and drafted players who likely won’t contribute.
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Before we begin, let’s take a look at how we’re going to judge each team’s draft class. Grading won’t be done on a curve. In other words, I don’t particularly care where a team drafted in each round, nor do I care how many picks they had. Secondly, I’ll take a look at my favorite and least favorite picks for each team.
Without further ado, here’s how each team did.
Central Division
Colorado Avalanche
Favorite prospects: Bowen Byram and Alex Newhook is a heck of a haul. Love them adding Alex Beaucage too.
Least favorite prospects: The Avalanche reached a bit for Matthew Stienburg in the second round.
Grade: A+. Byram and Newhook alone gets them an A. Adding Alex Beaucage in the third round and some other intriguing prospects pushes them to an A+.
Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite prospects: The merits of drafting Kirby Dach with the third overall pick are up for debate. But what’s not is his talent. Dach is a heck of a player and should be a strong piece for them for years to come. Antti Saarela has the skating tools to be an NHLer. Dominic Basse is one of my favorite 2019 draft goalie prospects.
Least favorite prospects: Cole Moberg is a lottery ticket. But then again, that’s what seventh-round picks are for. They also reached a bit too much for Alex Vlasic for my liking.
Grade: B+. Dach and Vlasic should be NHL players. Michal Teply could be a diamond in the rough, as he had a rough draft year, but was highly thought of before it.
Dallas Stars
Favorite prospects: First-round pick Thomas Harley has a terrific skill set. He should be a difference maker on the Dallas Stars blueline. People are wary of his defensive issues, but I think they’re blown out of proportion. Harley might emerge as the second-best offensive defenseman in the 2019 draft.
Least favorite prospects: Samuel Sjolund doesn’t have a good skill set. I’d be surprised if he’s a contributor on the Stars blueline. I didn’t like anything they did on the second day.
Grade: C-. Harley is likely going to be the only contributor the Stars get from this draft. But to be fair, they only had four picks. A 25% success rate isn’t too shabby.
Minnesota Wild
Favorite prospects: The Minnesota Wild drafted Matthew Boldy in the first round. This is probably a hot take, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Boldy winds up having a better NHL career than Cole Caufield. His two-way game and scoring prowess should give the Wild a guy they can rebuild around.
Least favorite prospects: I didn’t like them drafting two goaltenders. In a vacuum, Hunter Jones was fine in the second round and Filip Lindberg probably should have been drafted before the seventh round. But together, I don’t like it.
Grade: B+. The Wild quietly had a pretty darn good draft. Fifth-round pick Marshall Warren is a guy to keep an eye on – he should have been picked in the third round.
Nashville Predators
Favorite prospects: Philip Tomasino was one of my favorite 2019 draft prospects. The Predators got him in the first round. Tomasino could be a very good goal scorer and shows hints of driving play at an impressive level.
Least favorite prospects: Alexander Campbell would have been a perfect late-round draft pick because he’s a huge project, but he’s got a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the Predators drafted him in the third round.
Grade: C+. Tomasino’s going to be a stud and Egor Afanasyev could be a big contributor for them. But I wasn’t a fan of anyone else they picked.
St. Louis Blues
Favorite prospects: Nikita Alexandrov is someone who I had as a fringe first-round pick. The St. Louis Blues got him late in the second round. He’s got a sky-high hockey IQ and I think he has enough skill to be a consistent contributor in the NHL.
Least favorite prospects: The Vadim Zherenko pick confused me. Yes, the Blues have an annual tradition of drafting goalies, but they already got Colton Ellis (who I like) in the third round. There were guys there worth taking a flyer on, but Zherenko wasn’t one of them, in my opinion.
Grade: C. Blues fans, just remember – if you win the Stanley Cup, you shouldn’t whine for five years. Maybe even 10.
Winnipeg Jets
Favorite prospects: I loved the Ville Heinola pick. He’s a great Finnish defenseman who should help them as they rebuild. Heinola excels in transition, which is something the Jets need from their defensemen.
Least favorite prospects: Simon Lundmark doesn’t have a strong skill set. His lack of offense is going to make it very hard for him to be an NHL guy.
Grade: C-. To be fair, the Jets only had four draft picks. But still, other than Heinola, the Jets draft was underwhelming at best.
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
Favorite prospects: John Beecher deserved more playing time than he got in his draft season. It’s hard to get playing time when the options over you include Jack Hughes and Alex Turcotte. Beecher has a nice skill set, he’s fast, and he’s big. In short, he’s a perfect Boston Bruins forward. I think he’ll be a top-nine forward.
Least favorite prospects: Just about everyone else they picked.
Grade: D+. There were better players to be had at the end of the first round than Beecher. The Bruins only had two picks in the top 100, so this was always going to be a rough draft from them.
Buffalo Sabres
Favorite prospects: The Buffalo Sabres practically sprinted to the podium after the Detroit Red Wings reached off the board with Moritz Seider. They got Dylan Cozens, who should an impact forward for them.
Least favorite prospects: Lukas Rousek isn’t the kind of player you should draft in the seventh round. There were more interesting prospects with higher upsides than Rousek, who is a double overager who didn’t even put up good numbers.
Grade: C. Cozens will define this draft for the Sabres.
Detroit Red Wings
Favorite prospects: Robert Mastrosimone probably should have been a first-round pick. Instead, the Detroit Red Wings got him in the second round. Mastrosimone’s goal scoring is something their system really needs.
Least favorite prospects: Moritz Seider was drafted way too high with the sixth pick. Dach was at least projected as a top-five pick – I understand why the Blackhawks picked him. But the Red Wings wasted a top-six pick on someone they could have easily gotten later. They really could have used an impact forward and there were several on the board.
Grade: B-. I think they got at least three NHL guys from this draft, which is pretty darn good.
Florida Panthers
Favorite prospects: Spencer Knight’s a terrific goaltender. They probably reached for him a bit at 13, though. I don’t agree with the Panthers drafting Knight that early, but I can see why they did it. Defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok has a very high hockey IQ and does a lot of good things with and without the puck.
Least favorite prospects: John Ludvig probably isn’t going to be an NHLer. I don’t like his skill set, nor do I like his lack of offense. Ludvig isn’t a good enough defender to get by on just that, either.
Grade: C-.
Montreal Canadiens
Favorite prospects: You’ve probably heard enough about Cole Caufield, so let me tell you about Rhett Pitlick, their fifth-round pick. He’s undersized like Caufield. And just like him, the sky is the limit with his offensive upside. Every time I watched Pitlick (which admittedly didn’t happen as often as I wanted), he left a good impression.
Least favorite prospects: They reached a bit on defenseman Jayden Struble in the second round. Though he’s a decent guy to bet on with his physical tools, I wonder if his hockey IQ is good enough to make it in the NHL.
Grade: A-. The Canadiens got this grade because of sheer quantity, though drafting Caufield and Pitlick certainly helped. They added some really fascinating guys to their system and might have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL.
Ottawa Senators
Favorite prospects: Mats Sogaard is what Gumby would look like in real life. He’ll be the tallest goalie in NHL history at 6’8″ when he makes his NHL debut. I had him as the fourth-best goaltender prospect in the draft, but I know people who had him as high as right behind Spencer Knight. First-round pick Lassi Thomson was a second-round talent in my book, but he has some nice tools.
Least favorite prospects: Shane Pinto is a fine player, but how did the Senators not go with Bobby Brink or Arthur Kaliyev with the first pick in the second round?
Grade: C-.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Favorite prospects: I had their third-round pick Maxim Cajkovic graded as a first rounder. As I anticipated, he fell because his stats didn’t look good since he was on a terrible QMJHL team. Cajkovic has a ton of skill and he should be one of the best values in the draft.
Least favorite prospects: Hugo Alnefelt doesn’t do it for me.
Grade: C. Nolan Foote wasn’t a good first-round pick, but I love Cajkovic and I think Mikhail Shalagin, their seventh-round pick, is a terrific player to bet on because of his ability to score goals.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Favorite prospects: Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been pumping Nicolas Robertson’s tires for a while now. He’s such a fun player. Not only is Robertson extremely skilled, but he also plays with so much emotion. I’d probably have him as the Leafs best forward prospect right now. Mikko Kokkonen is a terrific pick as well.
Least favorite prospects: I’m not a huge fan of Nicholas Abruzzese’s game. That said, drafting him in the fourth round is fine.
Grade: A-. If I was grading on a curve, they’d get an A+ because they didn’t even draft until the 52nd pick, yet they still added a ton of talent to their pipeline.
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Favorite prospects: Patrik Puistola has a ton of skill. The Carolina Hurricanes said they were going to draft skill and they kept their word. I love Ryan Suzuki as well. His hockey IQ is off the charts. Anttoni Honka has a ton of upside as well. I had Pyotr Kochetkov as my third-best goalie in the draft.
Least favorite prospects: I think the Hurricanes reached a bit for Domenick Fensore, especially given their surplus of right-handed defensemen, but if that’s the worst draft decision you make in a draft, you’re doing pretty darn well.
Grade: A. Though I love the guys the Hurricanes added, they didn’t get the necessary game changer to get this grade to an A+.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Favorite prospects: Eric Hjorth has health concerns, but I really like his game.
Least favorite prospects: Tyler Angle is a small player who has very little skill. That’s not a good combination. Dmitri Voronkov had a decent season on paper, but he was an overager playing in a second-tier league.
Grade: D-. The only reason they didn’t get an F is that I don’t give out Fs.
New Jersey Devils
Favorite prospects: In case you haven’t heard, Jack Hughes is really freaking good at hockey. Nikola Pasic was a great choice in the seventh round because he’s so skilled.
Least favorite prospects: There were better players available with the 61st pick than defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk.
Grade: A+. There’s a decent chance the Devils will get one player from this draft. That’s usually bad, but this time, that one player is a franchise center.
New York Islanders
Favorite prospects: Simon Holmstrom has the tools to be a top-nine forward in today’s NHL. He has soft hands and I like the pace of his game. Holmstrom has injury concerns, though.
Least favorite prospects: I didn’t like any of the second-day guys for the Islanders other than Samuel Bolduc, who the Islanders drafted in the second round. For me, he was a third-round talent.
Grade: C-. Last year’s draft was terrific for the Islanders. This year’s draft was not nearly as good.
New York Rangers
Favorite prospects: You don’t need me to tell you how awesome Kaapo Kakko is. In case you do need me to do that, read this. So let me tell you about Matthew Robertson. He’s got the hockey IQ and skating to be a complementary top-four defenseman in the NHL. I really like Zach Jones too. Karl Henriksson has a fascinating skill set that I think could get him to the NHL.
Least favorite prospects: Hunter Skinner is a below-average skater, which isn’t good in today’s NHL. He doesn’t have the skill to justify ignoring his skating, either.
Grade: A+. The Rangers did terrific in the draft. Not only did they get a franchise talent in Kakko, they added some really nice pieces. Their blueline could be a bit crowded in a few years, but that would be a fantastic problem to have.
Philadelphia Flyers
Favorite prospects: Bobby Brink should have gone in the first round. The Flyers got him in the second round. Brink is a uniquely gifted player who has an incredibly high hockey IQ and can be lethal with the puck. Cam York was a terrific pick as well, even though Flyers fans are probably upset they didn’t get Caufield.
Least favorite prospects: I watched a fair bit of Mason Millman this season and was rarely impressed with him.
Grade: A-. York’s going to be a stud and I’m thinking they have at least one more NHL player in this draft. They could have as many as three or four more.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Favorite prospects: Nathan Legare has a ton of skill and probably has enough to stick in the NHL. Unfortunately, he’s not a good skater, but his shot is outrageously good. Legare could be another Jake Guentzel. I like Judd Caulfield as well.
Least favorite prospects: Samuel Poulin is a project, so I think drafting him with the 21st pick is a bit of a stretch.
Grade: C+. Pittsburgh really needed to add some talent to their system and I think they did that.
Washington Capitals
Favorite prospects: Connor McMichael could emerge from this draft as one of its best goal scorers. Brett Leason was a terrific value pick in the second round. As an added bonus, he gets to go right to the AHL (or maybe even NHL).
I really like them gambling on Martin Hugo Has in the fourth round. He’s a big defenseman who stood out to me quite a bit, even if his draft year couldn’t have gone worse.
Least favorite prospects: Alexei Protas is big, a solid skater, and a nice playmaker, but that’s about it. His terrific postseason makes him interesting, though. Maybe Protas is someone whose developmental curve hit a little late (albeit not as late as his teammate Leason)?
Grade: B-. They had four picks and will probably have at least two NHL players from this draft. I didn’t like Protas at first, but he grew on me, so I think he could be one too.
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks
Favorite prospects: The Anaheim Ducks nailed the first round of the draft. Other than the Colorado Avalanche, no one did better in the first round than them. They got Trevor Zegras, who’s a borderline elite playmaker, and Brayden Tracey, who I like a lot as a wing.
Least favorite prospects: Trevor Janicke is going to have to improve his skating quite a bit to be an NHLer.
Grade: B. They had a great first round, but I was underwhelmed by their second day. Still, Zegras and Tracey is a nice haul.
Arizona Coyotes
Favorite prospects: I’m not grading the trade up to get him, but there’s a lot to like about Victor Soderstrom. He’s close to being NHL ready and I think he has the potential to be a top-four defenseman. The Coyotes system needs scorers and I think Alexander Daryin could be one.
Least favorite prospects: Daniil Savunov has some attractive tools, but I don’t know if the collective sum of them will be an NHL player.
Grade: B-. The Coyotes added some extremely talented players to their pipeline. Had they added any of the top forwards available in the first round instead of Soderstrom, this grade would probably be a B+.
Calgary Flames
Favorite prospects: I loved the Jakob Pelletier pick. He’s small, but his skill is off the charts. Pelletier won’t ever be Johnny Gaudreau, but I think he could stick in the NHL in a top-six role. Dustin Wolf was a great seventh-round pick, especially after the Flames lost out on Ilya Konovalov.
Least favorite prospects: Lucas Feuk has a few interesting tools, but his skating significantly limits his upside.
Grade: C+
Edmonton Oilers
Favorite prospects: Raphael Lavoie was nearly an overager – he missed the 2018 draft cutoff by a few days. He has consistency issues, but when he’s on his game, he can be a difference maker. His QMJHL postseason is proof of that.
Ilya Konovalov turns 21 in July and, though I didn’t count him in my rankings because of his age, if I did, he would have been my best goaltender. Sorry, Spencer Knight, I’ll take a guy who flat out dominated the KHL over you.
Least favorite prospects: Matej Blumel is a decent prospect, but the Oilers reached on him a bit. He’s an overager who didn’t impress me too much, which isn’t a good sign. I didn’t notice any intriguing elements in his game either.
Grade: B. The Philip Broberg selection was baffling, but the Oilers redeemed themselves with a strong second day.
Los Angeles Kings
Favorite prospects: The Los Angeles Kings got Alex Turcotte in the first round. He has the potential to be the next Ryan O’Reilly. Turcotte’s pace is impressive and, though he’s not big, his hockey IQ and skating are both outstanding. Arthur Kaliyev was a steal in the second round – I had him as a fringe top-10 talent. Samuel Fagemo and Jordan Spence were great value picks as well.
Least favorite prospects: Andre Lee is big and has some skill, but his skating could keep him out of the NHL.
Grade: A+. No team had a better draft than the Kings. They got both quantity and quality, which is rare.
San Jose Sharks
Favorite prospects: Yegor Spiridonov could be a diamond in the rough and one of the biggest steals of the draft. He put up nearly a point per game in the MHL and was one of Russia’s best players at the under-18 tournament. Artemi Kniazev could be a beast in the Sharks system.
Least favorite prospects: I have time for Dillon Hamaliuk because his skill set is an attractive one. But he’s coming off a major injury and I have concerns about his skating. That said, Hamaliuk is a big guy with enough skill to be interesting, so he’s got that going for him.
Grade: C+. The Sharks quietly had a good draft. Not sure if they’ll get any NHLers out of it, but if nothing else, general manager Doug Wilson got himself some nice new poker chips for his next blockbuster move.
Vancouver Canucks
Favorite prospects: Nils Hoglander was someone I had in the late first round, so the Vancouver Canucks were smart to get him in the second round. His stats don’t jump out at you, but he’s a very effective player who has shown hints of high-end skill. Also, Hoglander has had success against adults, so that’s promising. Ethan Keppen has the potential to be a guy, even if it’s just in a fourth-line role.
Least favorite prospects: Aidan McDonough is big, but that’s about it with him. Also, I wasn’t a fan of the Canucks drafting Vasily Podkolzin. Would have been fine with him five picks later, but not in the top 10 with Boldy and Caufield still on the board. Both have a similar, if not higher, ceiling to Podkolzin and a much higher floor.
Grade: B. Mostly got here due to sheer volume, but Hoglander, Keppen, and Podkolzin have the potential to be NHL players.
Biggest Winners And Losers From The 2019 NHL Draft. dark. Next
Vegas Golden Knights
Favorite prospects: The Golden Knights must have used my draft board. They got my favorite non-elite prospect in Peyton Krebs, who fell because of an Achilles injury. Trust me, he’s going to be great.
Pavel Dorofeyev is a polarizing player, but in the third round, he was a terrific value pick. I know people who had him as a top 30 talent and I don’t disagree. Marcus Kalionkielli’s poor skating is the main reason I didn’t have him as a first-round talent, but his skill and hi shot are both great. If he improves his skating to merely average, he’s got a solid chance of being an NHLer.
Least favorite prospects: I didn’t get to see Layton Ahac play as much as I wanted to, so this could just be a small sample size problem, but I wasn’t that impressed with him.
Grade: A. They drafted three of my favorite players and even added a pretty interesting goalie in Isaiah Saville. That’s a good way to get me to give you a high grade. Though could you please at least ask before using my draft board?