2020 NHL Draft: Grading each and every team’s draft class

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Cole Perfetti (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

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

More from Puck Prose

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+

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