2020 NHL Mock Draft: New York Rangers add Alexis Lafreniere
Columbus Blue Jackets. Kaiden Guhle. 21. player. 113. . Defenseman
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been using quite a few first round picks on forwards in recent years. Zach Werenski (2015) was the last defenseman they drafted in the first round. Their blueline is going to need some help and their prospect pool lacks potential impact defensemen. Kaiden Guhle has the potential to be one. He has a nice combination of size, skill, speed, and quickness.
95. . Forward. New York Rangers. Noel Gunler. 22. player
Noel Gunler’s one of my favorite prospects in the 2020 NHL Draft. I don’t get why his stock has been falling as of late, but the New York Rangers would sprint to the podium to draft him if these were normal times. Instead, they’ll have to settle for muting themselves on the Zoom call to celebrate. Gunler has immense upside and I could see him being a top-six scoring wing.
68. . Forward. Philadelphia Flyers. Rodion Amirov. 23. player
The Philadelphia Flyers can afford to be very bold in the 2020 NHL Draft. They have an impressive prospect pool even with guys like Joel Farabee graduating in recent years. Rodion Amirov is a bit of a project, but I’m a huge fan of his skill and speed. His hockey IQ is pretty good too. It’ll probably take him a while to get over to North America, but the Flyers can afford to wait him out.
. Forward. Colorado Avalanche. Jan Mysak. 24. player. 103
Much like the Flyers, the Colorado Avalanche can afford to swing for the fences in the first round. Jan Mysak is a polarizing player, but his upside is sky-high. Mysak already has a year of professional experience under his belt and he was impressive in a short stint with the Hamilton Bulldogs.
19. . Forward. Washington Capitals. Jacob Perreault. 25. player
The Washington Capitals prospect pool desperately needs a talent infusion. How about one of the most skilled forwards in the 2020 NHL Draft? Jacob Perreault has some skating issues, but he has shown an ability to learn, so I think he could quickly improve there. He was simply outstanding in the OHL in his draft year, picking up 70 points in 59 games. If they want a more NHL-ready prospect (not saying Perreault is a project), Tyson Foerster would make sense.