2020 NHL Draft: Grading each and every team’s draft class
Now that the 2020 NHL Draft is over, let’s take a look at how every team did.
The weirdest draft in NHL history is over. General managers have handed in their exams for the 2020 NHL Draft and it’s time to hand out their grades. This year, it’s especially tough to grade teams based on how they drafted because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
I was tempted to give every team an “F” for how long the final six rounds took on Wednesday. It usually goes by quickly because general managers have planes to catch, but with no planes to catch, it took all day for the final six rounds to end. But giving everyone an “F”, even if it’s fully deserved, is the easy way out. And I never take the easy way out.
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. What I care about is how well they drafted. Secondly, I’ll take a look at my favorite and least favorite picks for each team.
I don’t want to be here all day unlike some people (glares at the general managers), so let’s get these grades started!
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
Favorite pick: I wouldn’t have drafted Trevor Kuntar in the second round, but I think he could be an effective bottom-six forward in the NHL.
Least favorite pick: While I could have gone with any of the rest of the picks, Mason Langenbrunner jumps out at me. He might be a fine prospect, but come on, drafting the son of one of your colleagues in the fifth round?
Grade: F. The Bruins reached on all of their picks. That’s not a good sign. There’s a non-zero chance the Bruins will get zero NHL games from this group.
Buffalo Sabres
Favorite pick: John-Jason Peterka was a great pick in the second round. Love his name as well! JJP has a good chance of being a productive top-nine forward and could be a huge pain in the butt to play against (in a good way).
Least favorite pick: Jack Quinn is going to be a good player, but the Sabres passed over much better prospects, including Marco Rossi, Cole Perfetti, and Anton Lundell, to draft him.
Grade: C+. Their second day saved their draft.
Detroit Red Wings
Favorite pick: I liked several of their picks a lot. William Wallinder was a great pick at the top of the second round. But Lucas Raymond is the obvious choice here. He’s one of the smartest and most gifted players in the draft. Red Wings fans are going to love him.
Least favorite pick: Cross Hanas is a fine prospect, but I think drafting him in the second round was a bit of a reach. He has the upside to prove me wrong, though, and I’d love for him to do that.
Grade: A-. Great draft for the Red Wings.
Florida Panthers
Favorite pick: Anyone who knows me knows who I’m going to say – Anton Lundell. Getting him with the 12th pick is a bargain. Lundell’s basically Aleksander Barkov. Really great defensively, has the potential to be great on offense. Nothing flashy about his game, he’s just brutally effective and efficient.
Least favorite pick: I like Ty Smilanic, but with his injury history, he has bust potential. That’s fine for a third-round pick, though.
Grade: B+. Great first draft for Bill Zito.
Montreal Canadiens
Favorite pick: Jan Mysak was one of my favorite prospects heading into the draft. He has first-round talent. I have no clue why he was still around with the 48th overall pick, but kudos to the Canadiens for picking him. Mysak’s game-changing offensive skills are what the Canadiens are lacking.
Least favorite pick: Kaiden Guhle wasn’t worth a first round pick, in my opinion. He’s gifted, but there are several defensemen I would have gone with over him.
Grade: B-. A strong second day highlights this draft for Montreal.
Ottawa Senators
Favorite pick: Tim Stutzle was a great pick in the first round. Also, I love that Alex Trebek announced the pick. Egor Sokolov is a very interesting prospect who could turn out to be a steal if he improves his skating. Jake Sanderson was drafted a bit too early for my liking, but he’s got the goods to be at least a second-pairing defenseman.
Least favorite pick: The Senators traded up to draft Tyler Kleven, a defenseman from North Dakota. I wasn’t a fan of him when I watched him. It’s clear the Senators trust the University of North Dakota a lot.
Grade: C-. The Senators had a lot of picks, but they were very poor after their second first-round pick. Stutzle and Sanderson alone are a pretty good draft class. But they could have done so much better after them.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Favorite pick: Jack Thompson is a very skilled defenseman. He needs to learn how to utilize his unique skill set and improve his skating a little bit, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Thompson winds up being a steal in this draft.
Least favorite pick: Not a fan of Amir Miftakhov. Think he’s too small and not athletic enough to stick in the NHL as a goalie.
Grade: C. Considering they didn’t pick until the 57th overall pick, they did a fairly good job.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Favorite pick: Roni Hirvonen was a terrific pick. He’s a smart and skilled player who can skate very well. In other words, he’s the perfect Leafs draft pick. William Villeneuve could be someone teams regret passing on. He’s a bit undersized, but he uses his lack of size to his advantage and he’s a very good skater, especially for a defenseman.
Least favorite pick: Ryan Tverberg didn’t impress me at all when I watched him.
Grade: A. Easily one of the best drafts by any team.
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite prospect: Drew Commesso lacks size in net, but he has the tools to be an NHL goaltender if he develops properly. He’s going to Boston University, where he has a good chance to start as a freshman. Lukas Reichel was a tad bit of a reach in the first round, but he’s definitely talented. Had him as a bottom of the first round talent.
Least favorite prospect: Michael Krutil is a below-average skater and he doesn’t have much skill either. That significantly limits his upside as a defenseman.
Grade: B-.
Colorado Avalanche
Favorite pick: Jean-Luc Foudy is the fastest skater in this draft. He can make plays at his top speed, which means he should be a great fit for the Avalanche. Colby Ambrosio is a fun prospect to bet on. His dynamic skill set alone should get him some chances in the NHL.
Least favorite pick: Really didn’t like them drafting Justin Barron. The Avalanche tend to avoid players like him, so I was surprised they drafted him. He’s got health concerns and his defense took a sizable step backwards in 2019-20.
Grade: B-. Bad first day, but the Avalanche got some very nice prospects in day two.
Dallas Stars
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Favorite pick: My favorite prospect in the 2020 draft is Mavrik Bourque. The Stars must be after my heart because they drafted him in the first round. Bourque plays at a fast pace and has the scoring ability to be a legitimate top-six forward in the NHL. Hear me out – Dallas Mavriks. Antonio Stranges was a great prospect to target in the fourth round. Always bet on skill.
Least favorite pick: I’ll be honest. I didn’t get to see much of Remi Poirier in goal, so he’s the pick by default because I liked their other four picks.
Grade: B. Considering they only had five picks, the Stars did pretty darn well. Took some interesting bets in the later rounds that could pay off.
Minnesota Wild
Favorite pick: Marco Rossi was a grand slam pick in the first round. He’s so skilled and he’s also very good defensively. Rossi’s a tad bit on the older side, but he’s been dominant everywhere he’s played. Could be NHL ready as soon as the 2021-22 season.
Marat Khusnutdinov was a first round prospect for me, so getting him in the second round was a great move. Ryan O’Rourke hasn’t put up strong numbers, but I think he’ll have a breakout year next season and he’ll make teams look silly for passing on him.
Least favorite pick: I like Daemon Hunt, but with his injury history, I don’t think he was worth drafting early in the third round. Hunt could prove me wrong, though.
Grade: A-. They only had five picks, but they made five really good picks and they took some of my favorite prospects. Great way to get a good grade from me!
Nashville Predators
Favorite pick: Yaroslav Askarov is one heck of a goaltender. He has the potential to be one of the best goalies in the NHL. Askarov is calm and poised in the net, but still has the athleticism and pure strength to make all the difficult saves. They took chances on some interesting prospects, including a bunch of people named Luke.
Least favorite pick: Gunnarwolfe Fontaine has such an awesome name, but he was an over-ager in the USHL who didn’t produce as much as he should have. Not a good combination.
Grade: B.
St. Louis Blues
Favorite pick: Dylan Peterson has the tools to be a pretty good top-nine forward in the NHL. However, his production has yet to match those tools, so he’s got to learn how to use them more efficiently.
Least favorite pick: Take your pick. I didn’t have any of their other prospects they took ranked. And neither did a lot of people I respect.
Grade: F
Winnipeg Jets
Favorite pick: Easy choice – Cole Perfetti. You couldn’t create a better Jets forward in a lab. He’s dynamic, he’s fast, and he can create plays for himself and his teammates at his top speed. Perfetti is someone Jets fans are going to love.
Least favorite pick: Tyrel Bauer didn’t really impress me much in the WHL.
Grade: B+
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Favorite pick: Seth Jarvis is a perfect Carolina Hurricanes forward. So is Noel Gunler, who could wind up being the best non-first-round prospect from the 2020 draft. Alexander Pashin has third-round talent and they got him in the seventh round. Zion Nybeck was a great pick at 115 too.
Least favorite pick: I’m not as big on Vasili Ponomaryov as others. Wouldn’t have drafted him in the second round (had him as a third round target), but at this point, I’m going to shut up and defer to the Canes who have killed it the past two drafts.
Grade: A+. Geez, what a draft. Easily the best one of any team. Stop drafting my favorite prospects, you bunch of jerks.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Favorite pick: Samuel Knazko is someone I had graded as a second-round pick, so getting him in the third round is a good move. He’s got some stuff to work on, but it wouldn’t totally surprise me if he becomes a regular NHL defenseman.
Least favorite pick: Yegor Chinakhov is having a nice start to the KHL season, but that’s one heck of a small sample size to gamble on. I had him as a sixth round pick and I had to make sure they actually picked him in the first round.
Grade: F. Wouldn’t shock me if they got zero NHL games from this draft class.
New Jersey Devils
Favorite pick: Dawson Mercer was a great pick in the first round. Though they passed on Marco Rossi and Cole Perfetti, I get why they picked Alexander Holtz, who has all the tools you love to see in a top-notch goal scorer. Nico Daws is a great goaltending prospect, even if he’s an over-ager.
Least favorite pick: Shakir Mukhamdullin was a bit of a reach in the first round. The Devils fell into a trap once Brayden Schneider was picked just before them. Mukhamdullin has impressed me so far this KHL season, but that’s a mighty small sample size to draft someone in the first round. I still think he could be an NHL defenseman, but ideally, you want to draft more of a sure thing in the first round.
Grade: B+. I like a lot of the players they added. The Devils honestly didn’t “wow” me with any pick other than Daws, though.
New York Islanders
Favorite pick: William Dufour is an intriguing prospect. He’s the kind of player teams should be picking in the later rounds. As I always say, when in doubt, gamble on skill.
Least favorite pick: Didn’t even have a grade on Alex Ljungkratz, who they drafted in the third round.
Grade: D-. Very underwhelming draft class.
New York Rangers
Favorite pick: Alexis Lafreniere was obviously a terrific pick, but I’m not lazy, so let me find another prospect I like. Evan Vierling is a fascinating prospect who has enough skill to stick in the NHL, maybe even as a top-six forward. He’s got a lot of things to work on, but he’s already overcome so much. I sure as heck wouldn’t bet against the kid.
Least favorite pick: William Cuylle has a lot of work to do if he wants to be an NHL player. That’s not the kind of player you want to draft in the second round.
Grade: A. In terms of pure talent, the Rangers easily had a top 5 draft class. Yes, it was boosted by Lafreniere, but they made some other very good selections too.
Philadelphia Flyers
Favorite pick: Emil Andrae was a steal in the second round. I had a bottom of the first round grade for him. Andrae is a very effective defenseman. He’s 5’9″, but he’s a very strong 5’9″. Andrae has to improve his skating, but I love his instincts and his confidence in all three zones.
Zayde Wisdom was a heck of a pick as well. I’m definitely rooting for him. He’s a great, skilled kid who has overcome so much in his life. Wisdom’s the kind of player who Flyers fans rally behind. He plays hard on every shift and can be lethal with the puck.
Least favorite pick: I had a second round grade on Tyson Foerster, who they drafted in the first round. Certainly skilled, but his skating needs to be overhauled if he wants to stick in the NHL. Then again, people said the same thing about Brayden Point and looked what happened to him.
Grade: A-. Flyers drafted some very skilled guys and had a terrific second day of the draft.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Favorite pick: Joel Blomqvist doesn’t wow you in net, but he’s very technically sound and plays with a ton of confidence. I like how he challenges shooters, even if he tends to get a bit too aggressive there from time to time. Definitely has a shot at being an NHL goalie.
Least favorite pick: Calle Clang. Two goalies in one draft? Come on. Two goalies with your first two draft picks? That’s…. certainly a choice.
Grade: D+
Washington Capitals
Favorite pick: Hendrix Lapierre was a terrific first round pick for the Washington Capitals. He’s got some injury issues, but when he’s healthy, he might be one of the top 10 most talented players in this draft. Small sample size, but Lapierre has been outstanding thus far this season. The Capitals needed someone like Lapierre.
I’m a big fan of Oskar Magnusson, who is an undersized forward with a ton of skill. Hasn’t stood out in the SHL yet, but I’ve liked his game there. Just hasn’t showed up on the stat sheet yet. Had a third round grade on him and the Capitals got him in the seventh round.
Least favorite pick: Bear Hughes is a great story, but I don’t like his chances of being an NHL player. Didn’t even dominate as an over-ager.
Grade: B-. Lapierre raises that grade a bit.
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks
Favorite pick: Jamie Drysdale was a home run pick at number six for the Anaheim Ducks. They needed someone like him in their prospect pool. Drysdale has a very special upside thanks to his offense and remarkable skating. Jacob Perreault was one of my favorite prospects. Needs to mature a little bit, but he’s quite gifted with the puck.
Least favorite pick: Albin Sundsvik is a very smart player, but I question if he has the skill or speed necessary to stick in the NHL.
Grade: A-. Strong draft for the Ducks.
Arizona Coyotes
Favorite pick: Carson Bantle is very raw, but he’s very impressive with the puck. He has to improve away from the puck and has to improve his skating, but I like taking a chance on a big kid with skill.
Least favorite pick: Mitchell Miller. His off the ice history is alarming and made me immediately drop him from my board as a prospect.
Grade: D-
Calgary Flames
Favorite pick: Not only did they get Connor Zary in the first round, they got multiple picks to trade back and still got him. Defenseman Jeremie Poirier has jaw-dropping skill when he has the puck. Blew me away every time I watched him. That said, his defense is a work in progress, but that’s a pretty good gamble to take.
Least favorite pick: Yan Kuznetsov never did it for me. He’s a fine prospect, I just didn’t see second-round talent from him whenever I watched him.
Grade: B
Edmonton Oilers
Favorite pick: The Edmonton Oilers need skilled wings, so I love that they took a chance on Carter Savoie. If you’re talking pure shooting ability, he might be the second-best in this class, trailing only Holtz. Savoie has to improve in all three zones and needs to be more consistent, but he’s a potential game changer. Well worth the risk for a team like the Oilers.
Ty Tullio was a great late-round pick too. Has skill and I love his confidence. Might wind up being a top-nine forward in the NHL, though he’s a bit undersized for a conventional bottom-six role.
Least favorite pick: Maybe I just saw him on bad days, but Jeremias Lindewall never struck me as someone worth drafting.
Grade: B. Holloway, Savoie, and Tullio are three good forwards. That’s what the Oilers came here for.
Los Angeles Kings
Favorite pick: Wow, where do I begin? Quinton Byfield was a great pick with the second overall pick. He’s a dynamic talent down the middle who might wind up being the best player from the 2020 draft. Byfield’s a terrific kid as well with a great head on his shoulders. He’ll be a star.
Helge Grans might sound like a stereotypical James Bond villain, but he’s a big, right-handed defenseman with skill oozing in his game. Grans has to make better decisions with the puck, but the Kings can work with him on that. He’s also a stealthily good skater.
Kasper Simontaival had a second-round grade from me and I was honestly tempted to give him a first-round grade. I found him accidentally while watching another prospect (I actually forget who) and quickly noticed his instincts and skating. Simontaival can drive play and, despite being a bit small, is surprisingly effective in traffic. Great player to take a chance on in the third round.
Least favorite pick: Juho Markannen wasn’t even ranked as one of my goalies. He’s chaotic in net.
Grade: A+. Loved most of their picks.
San Jose Sharks
Favorite pick: Tristen Robins could be a legitimate top-nine wing. He has to be more aggressive with the puck in terms of shooting it, but he does so many other things well with it. Robins has a great hockey IQ and he baits defenders like he’s toying with them. I don’t see enough skill for him to be a top-six forward, but he’s got a really useful skillset.
Likewise, Thomas Bordeleau is the kind of forward I love taking in the second round. He has top-six forward talent and he’s proven he can drive play. Bordeleau stood out on an otherwise unimpressive USNTDP team.
They also drafted Danuil Gushchin, who I discovered while watching Bordeleau. I honestly think he has discovered an unlimited energy cheat code because he’s always active on the ice. It’s almost hard to keep track of him at times just because he’s all over the ice. He has skill and needs to harness it, but I like gambling on him in the third round.
Least favorite pick: I’m rooting for Alex Young, but I don’t see him being an NHL player.
Grade: B+
Vancouver Canucks
Favorite pick: Joni Jurmo was one of my favorite defensemen in this draft. He’s mobile enough to stick and at 6’4″, he’s a big boy. Jurmo isn’t a very physical defenseman, which is surprising given his size. He’s a different type of defenseman and if the Canucks are willing to create an octagon hole for his octagon piece rather than try to bash him into a square hole, they could have someone special.
Least favorite pick: Viktor Persson never did it for me as a defenseman.
Grade: D. A lot of this had to do with their lack of picks. However, Jurmo was their only prospect they drafted that I really liked.
Next. Seattle Kraken Mock Expansion Draft. dark
Vegas Golden Knights
Favorite pick: Lukas Cormier is an undersized defenseman who is still pretty freaking good defensively. I’m very impressed with his positioning and his skating is very nice too. Not very physical, so I’m curious to see how that plays out. Brendan Brisson has the potential to be a difference maker.
Least favorite pick: I watched a lot of Jesper Vikman, and I was never impressed with him. Makes too many risky decisions in net and doesn’t have the athleticism necessary to overcome it.
Grade: C+