2021 NHL Entry Draft First Round Mock Draft 1.0

Other than being awarded the No. 1 overall pick, this couldn’t have worked out any better for the Seattle Kraken who will get the opportunity to add a foundational piece in Michigan forward Matthew Beniers.

It is no secret that in order to be successful in the NHL you build down the middle, and having elite centers is nearly as important as having a superstar goaltender between the pipes.

Well, widely considered the best two-way pivot in this year’s Draft, Beniers could be the franchise center that every team craves, and Kraken General Manager Ron Francis, who was a former center himself, will jump at the chance to build around an elite forward.

Seattle is building an identity based on playing a hard-nosed, gritty brand of hockey and Beniers will fit in perfectly given how he plays the game, with the 6-foot-1 and 175 pound center an outstanding skater who is formidable both on the forecheck and on the backcheck.

He’s incredibly reliable and effective in his own zone, he could grow into a good faceoff guy, he’s a tremendous skater, he plays a physical game and he can also produce offensively at a high level having recorded 24 points (10 G, 14 A) in 24 games for Michigan in his first college season, while he was exceptional for Team USA on the second-line at the 2021 WJC despite being the youngest player on the team.

I love Beniers as a player and I absolutely love everything about his game, and there is no doubt that he will be an excellent building block for the Seattle Kraken as they continue to prepare for their inaugural season in the NHL.

This is where the Draft gets interesting given that there are a number of high-end prospects that could go anywhere in the 3-15 range, but the Anaheim Ducks need offense badly and Dylan Guenther projects to be the most dynamic forward available in this year’s Draft.

The right wing averaged 2.00 points per game in the Western Hockey League in 2020-21, finishing the season with 24 points (12 G, 12 A) in 12 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings, while he also recorded four goals and three assists for seven points in seven games for Canada at the U18 World Junior Championships.

Guenther is an elite goalscorer who boasts a hard, accurate shot from all over the ice, but he also plays a hard-nosed, physical game and can be used on the power play as well as on the penalty kill, making him an elite weapon in all situations.

For the Ducks, who ranked last in scoring in the NHL in 2020-21 (2.21 goals per game) and also finished last on the power play (8.9 percent), a potent offensive threat like Guenther, who is also well-rounded, could be too hard to pass on with the No. 3 overall pick.

While there are some excellent forwards that will still be on the board at this point, the New Jersey Devils already boast the likes of Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, so they would be wise to use the No. 4 overall pick on an elite defenseman.

And, given that the Anaheim Ducks are likely to go with a forward at No. 3, Luke Hughes should be available to fall right in the laps of the Devils, who could finish the First Round with a potential top-pairing blueliner at their disposal.

Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Jack and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn, is one of the best blueliners available in this year’s Draft and there is a hell of a lot to like about his game.

Like Quinn, Luke is an exceptional skater, he carries the puck very well, is calm in possession, he has a high hockey IQ and he also showed considerable improvement in his offensive game with 34 points (6 G, 28 A) in 2020-21 for the U.S National U18 Team.

More importantly, however, he boasts size at 6-foot-2 and 184 pounds and, with room to grow still, Hughes could give the Devils a real two-way defenseman who can offer a boatload of skill as well as being effective from a physical standpoint in his own zone.

He could very easily go to the Anaheim Ducks at No. 3 but, should they take Dylan Guenther, then the Columbus Blue Jackets should be more than happy to take forward William Eklund with the Fifth overall pick.

Able to play down or the middle or on the wing, Eklund boasts perhaps the best upside of any forward in the Draft, and he also has already played men’s hockey having been crowned Rookie of the Year in the SHL after recording 23 points (11 G, 12 A) in 40 games for Djurgardens IF in Sweden’s top league in 2020-21.

Eklund is a creative playmaker and would be ready to play in the NHL from the first drop of the puck in October, which would be a huge boost to a Columbus team that is lacking star power, especially in the forward department.

The 5-foot-10, 176 pounds playmaker boasts elite speed, puck skills and vision and he can also battle hard along the boards, protect the puck and play the kind of physical game that the Blue Jackets front office seems to crave.

Given where they are in their rebuild, the Detroit Red Wings should be picking the best player available at No. 6 and General Manager Steve Yzerman could do worse than to take defenseman Brandt Clarke, who absolutely lit it up in the OHL.

Boasting size at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Clarke is an outstanding two-way defenseman who boasts elite hockey smarts, great offensive instincts, superb athleticism and the ability to either skate out of the zone with the puck or start a breakout with his sublime array of passing.

Clarke has also shown significant improvement in his own zone, and his size will ensure that he’s dominant at both ends of the ice, which is a quality Yzerman generally looks for in his players and prospects.

The 18-year-old also stood out for HC Nove Zamky in Slovakia’s top league, putting up five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 26 games, while he recorded seven points (2 G, 5 A) for Canada at the U18 World Junior Championship.

Able to make something happen every time he has the puck on his stick, Clarke is one of the best defensemen in this year’s Draft and he could well morph into the next great blueliner to make their mark in the Motor City.

There seems to be an unwritten rule about taking goalies too high in the NHL Entry Draft, but this one seems a no-brainer given the San Jose Shark’s considerable and consistent struggles between the pipes.

With Martin Jones likely on his way out of San Jose, General Manager Doug Wilson needs a long-term successor between the pipes and he could find just that and potentially a whole lot more in Swedish netminder Jesper Wallstedt.

Ranked as the best goalie prospect in this year’s Draft, Wallstedt is also one of the most polished and impressive netminders we have seen come out of the Draft in recent years, and he could be a home run of a pick for the Sharks.

Also ranked by some as the best goalie to come out of Sweden in years, Wallstedt offers good size at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, he has a calm style to his play, he tracks the puck incredibly well, he’s fluid in the crease, he’s aggressive when he needs to be and he had a 2.23 Goals Against Average and a .908 Save Percentage with two shutouts in 22 games for Lulea HF in the SHL last season.

San Jose needs an elite goaltender more than anything and we’ve seen in recent years that teams who need goaltending aren’t afraid to take prospects high – as the Florida Panthers did with Spencer Knight (No. 13) in 2019 – and the Sharks should have no fears about taking Wallstedt at No. 7.

Given that they have taken a lot of forwards in the last two Drafts, including center Quinton Byfield with the No. 2 overall pick in 2020, the LA Kings could probably benefit from taking a defenseman this year and Simon Edvinsson should still be there at No. 8.

Seen by many as the third best blueliner in this year’s Draft, Edvinsson is a really intriguing prospect with a lot of upside and he could develop into a key piece for the Kings, who already boast a lot of high-end talent and are building something special.

The 18-year-old blends size (6-foot-5, 207 pounds), speed, skill, and hockey smarts to perfection, and he looks elegant out on the ice when he’s skating out of the zone with the puck.

Able to play a physical brand of hockey too and with his mechanicals making him an elite puck-carrier, Edvinsson is everything you would want in a high-end defenseman and he has the potential and the intangibles to become a top-pairing defenseman in the National Hockey League.

If the Kings want to add a stud blueliner to their already loaded pool of prospects, then they would be incredibly smart to use the No. 8 overall pick on Edvinsson.

He goes a lot higher in most other Mock Drafts, but I have forward Mason McTavish falling to the Vancouver Canucks at No. 9, and it would represent great value for General Manager Jim Benning if that ended up being the case.

Benning has already made it clear that he would prefer to either take a center or a defenseman with the Ninth overall pick, and McTavish is arguably the second best pivot in this Draft behind Michigan’s Matthew Beniers.

Having drawn some comparisons to Anaheim Ducks Captain Ryan Getzlaf due to his size (6-foot-1, 207 pounds), McTavish could be a future No. 1 center for the Canucks and would be a perfect fit alongside phenom forward Elias Pettersson.

He’s NHL-ready, he boasts a lethal shot and he recorded 11 points (9 G, 2 A) in 13 games for EHC Olten in Switzerland in 2020-21, which is another big sign of encouragement for Vancouver if they decide to go in that direction.

Also a very good skater who is able to protect the puck, McTavish would be a smart pick for the Canucks given their salary cap problems, and he’s a player who could start out on the third-line before working his way up the lineup.

There are a number of high-end forwards available in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and the Ottawa Senators could see one of them fall to the No. 10 pick in Fabian Lysell.

The right wing is considered by many experts to be one of the best wings available in this year’s Draft, and the Sens could probably do with a stud player in that position given that they already have the likes of Josh Norris down the middle.

Lysell boasts near-perfect skating abilities, he has explosive speed and he can make something happen out of nothing, and those qualities alone should appeal to the Senators who could do with a dynamic forward to add to their core of young players.

He also has an amazing release which should translate to a lot of goals at the NHL level, but Lysell is also an elite playmaker and he has all the skills needed to be a deadly top-six forward, if not a top-line threat.

While there will be other high-end forwards available at No. 10, Lysell just has breakneck speed and that is a weapon that could be hard to pass on for Ottawa.

Before we proceed, no we haven’t missed out pick No. 11, but rather the Arizona Coyotes forfeited their pick due to violating the NHL Combine Testing Policy in 2019-20. Anyway, let’s proceed…

I have Kent Johnson falling as far as the No. 12 pick, which would be perfect for the Chicago Blackhawks who still need a long-term heir to the throne for Captain Jonathan Toews.

Yes, they have Kirby Dach but Johnson has superb upside and he could be a perfect fit for the Hawks.

He’s an elite sniper who also has a lot of speed, skills and creativity, recording 27 points (9 G, 18 A) for Michigan in 2020-21, and he led all first-time NHL Draft-eligible NCAA players in assists, points and points per game (1.04).

You could flip flop Kent Johnson or Chaz Lucius, but the Calgary Flames need young talent to replenish their farm system and they could get a real foundational piece in Lucius at No. 13.

Potentially heading towards a rebuild, or at least a retooling of this current roster, the Flames haven’t really got any standout centers but Lucius could be just that.

His shot is NHL ready and helped him to score 13 goals in 13 games for U.S. National U18 Team in 2020-21, and he is also an effective net front presence who is an exceptional skater to boot.

The Philadelphia Flyers have an aging forward core, so the opportunity to take a real high-end prospect in Cole Sillinger is one they shouldn’t pass on.

The USHL Rookie of the Year, Sillinger scored 24 goals and tallied 22 assists for 46 points in 31 games for Sioux Falls, leading his team in points per game (1.48) and also scoring five power play goals, while his bomb of a shot, high hockey IQ and elite vision and playmaking abilities should all translate well to the NHL level.

We’re on a run of forwards here but given that the Dallas Stars have Miro Heiskanen, John Klingberg and Esa Lindell on their roster, they should be taking the best player available to them at No. 15 and Fyodor Svechkov is that man.

Regarded as one of the best defensive forwards in this year’s Draft, Svechkov could be a very, very good third-line center in the future and one that can be relied upon in all situations, including in crunch time and on the penalty kill.

Plus, you shouldn’t overlook Svechkov’s offensive potential given that he recorded 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in seven games while anchoring Russia’s top-line at the U18 World Junior Championships. He could be a real intriguing pick for the Stars.

New York Rangers President & General Manager Chris Drury has made it clear that he is willing to trade the No. 15 pick but, if Matthew Coronato somehow falls to them, then he should rethink that decision and stand pat.

To be honest, I probably should have Coronato going a little bit higher given his upside and there is no doubt that he will be an absolute steal if he falls anywhere below the 10th or 11th pick.

Crowned the USHL Forward of the Year after recording 85 points (48 G, 37 A) in 51 games for the Chicago Steel – yes you read that stat line correct – Coronato is a dominant offensive force who boasts speed, elite instincts, strong skating and a physical game, while he should be a potent goalscorer in the NHL.

This is where the Draft starts to become a bit of a crapshoot, especially this year because of the limited scouting due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but the St. Louis Blues are expected to take a defenseman and Carson Lambos should still be on the board at No. 17.

Lambos is a well-rounded prospect who does everything well and he could be a real value pick for the Blues, who haven’t taken a defenseman in the First Round since they selected Jordan Schmaltz with the No. 25 overall pick in 2012.

Lambos has decent size at 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, he plays the transition game very well and he projects to be a very good stay-at-home defenseman in the NHL.

The Winnipeg Jets are in desperate need of elite defensemen, and they could do worse than taking Corson Ceulemans with the No. 18 overall pick.

Ceulemans is big at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, he’s an outstanding skater, his speed will be a dangerous weapon when leading the rush and in the transition game, and his long reach will make him a dominant force in the defensive zone.  The right-shot is a projected top-four defenseman and he can log big minutes while playing in all situations.

Nashville Predators General Manager David Poile is known for taking risks and swinging for the fences, and he could do so again by selecting forward Aatu Raty at No. 20 overall.

It was only a year or so again that Raty was ranked as the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, but his stock plummeted dramatically following a car crash of a 2020-21 season in which he recorded just six points (3 G, 3 A) in 35 games for Kapat in Liiga.

However, Raty is still a talented prospect with high upside who boasts excellent speed, superb puck control and a lot of skill, and the Predators could be tempted to take the forward knowing that it will be low risk but high reward.

As was the case with the San Jose Sharks and their choice at No. 7, this is an absolute no-brainer for the Edmonton Oilers who are in dire need of a franchise goaltender.

They have recently signed veteran Mike Smith to a two-year contract extension, and that could be enough time to allow Sebastian Cossa to develop should the Oilers opt to take the Canadian at No. 20.

Cossa is 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds so he has great size for the NHL level, while he has the elite athleticism needed to morph into an elite starting goaltender in the majors. He has calm and controlled movements, he can read plays easily and he is simply too good a prospect for the Oilers to pass on if he falls that far.

With both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci near the end of their careers – and the latter is a pending Free Agent – and no obvious replacements in the farm system, the Boston Bruins would be wise to take a center at No. 21.

After not having a pick in the First Round last year, the Bruins are in an ideal position this year and they would be getting a player in Xavier Bourgault who has a high ceiling, while his skating and speed could make him a dominant pivot at both ends of the ice.

The general consensus is that the Minnesota Wild will look to pick a center with the No. 22 overall pick, and Zachary Bolduc could be the perfect prospect for them.

He’s already been linked with the Wild and he would be a good fit due to his elite playmaking ability, his goalscoring and his size and strength which should ensure that he thrives as a top-six pivot in the NHL.

Bolduc was awarded the Mike Bossy Trophy for being the top prospect in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after scoring 29 points (10 G, 19 A) in 27 games, and he’s a perfect fit for the Wild.

(Pick from the Washington Capitals)

After taking one of the top defensemen available with their first pick of the First Round, the Detroit Red Wings could take a power forward in Zachary L’Heureux, who should offer great value with the No. 23 selection.

L’Heureux scored 39 points (19 G, 20 A) in 33 games for Halifax in the QMJHL, and he could combine his ability to produce offensively with an impressive physical game. The only concern with the forward is his lack of maturity given that he has been suspended a few times, but that can be taken care of in the pros.

The Florida Panthers are in a good position heading into the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and they will be able to pick the best player available to them at No. 24.

Therefore, we have them taking right wing Isak Rosen, who led Sweden with seven goals and tied for the lead with nine points in seven games at the U18 World Junior Championships, and his speed will make him a dangerous weapon in the NHL.

(Pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs)

The Columbus Blue Jackets have a total of three picks in the First Round, so they have a rare opportunity to address different needs while also adding three high-end prospects to their farm system.

They need defensemen, especially if they end up trading Seth Jones, and Daniil Chayka has a chance to be a sneaky good value pick in this year’s Draft.

With good size at 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, Chayka is mobile and his long reach could be his best weapon at the NHL level.

(Pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins)

After already taking a forward earlier in the First Round, the Minnesota Wild would be wise to take a defenseman with the No. 26 overall pick, and Sean Behrens would be a great choice.

Although his ceiling isn’t as high as NTDP teammate Luke Hughes, Behrens is still projected to be a very good offensive blueliner in the NHL, one who could quarterback the power play and jump in on the rush.

He put up seven goals and 28 assists for 35 points in 46 games in 2020-21, and his speed and skating ability would fit in well with the Wild who are trying to get younger and more skilled.

The Carolina Hurricanes love speed and skill but they should look to add a physical goalscorer to their farm system with the No. 27 overall pick, and left wing Brennan Othmann would fit that bill.

He is a really effective two-way forward who excels at both ends of the ice, and his elite puck skills means that he can get into good scoring positions and create a net front presence. He recorded six points (3 G, 3 A) in seven games for Canada at the U-18 World Championships, but he’s also got a lot of substance as well as skill and that’s still important in the NHL.

Nikita Chibrikov should still be available in this range and he’s the kind of prospect that should thrive in the Avs’ system.

Despite being just 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, Chibrikov plays a highly-competitive and real energetic type of game, while he exploded at the U-18 World Junior Championships with 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in seven games for Russia. He could be a great value pick for Colorado.

(Pick from the New York Islanders)

With foundational pieces in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes down the middle, the New Jersey Devils need to surround those two with potent offensive weapons, and Samu Tuomaala would be an interesting pick at No. 29.

Although 5-foot-10 and 174 pounds, Tuomaala plays with a hell of a lot of energy and his speed and puck control would fit in nicely alongside a player like Hughes, and that could be a deadly combo for New Jersey in a couple of years.

The 18-year-old led Finland with 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in seven games at the U-18 WJC, and he would provide the offensive punch this Devils team needs.

After trading Cody Glass to the Nashville Predators, the Vegas Golden Knights need to develop a center of their own after also dealing away Nick Suzuki and, while Francesco Pinelli doesn’t have as high a ceiling as those two, he could be a good value pick.

He has skill but he’s also a physical player who likes to get to the dirty areas and isn’t afraid to fight it out in front of the net, while his relentless style should be a crowd pleaser in Sin City.

Seen by some as likely to fall to the Second Round due to his 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds size, there is no doubt that Logan Stankoven has First Round potential and his unrelenting north-south style of play would be a perfect fit for the Canadiens.

His shot could be a lethal weapon in the NHL, he plays with so much heart and his puck-carrying skills are very underrated. This could be a hell of a good value pick by the Canadiens.

(Pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning)

There are million different directions the Columbus Blue Jackets could go in with their third and final pick of the First Round, but you can never have enough centers in the National Hockey League and Zach Dean is an intriguing prospect.

Despite breaking his wrist prior to the 2020-21 season, Dean recovered nicely to finish with 20 points (10 G, 10 A) in 23 games in the QMJHL, and his speed, puck handling and playmaking abilities should all appeal to the Blue Jackets.