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

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.

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+