2021 NHL Entry Draft First Round Mock Draft 2.0
It is time for our final 2021 NHL Entry Draft Mock Draft.
We published our first Mock Draft earlier ahead of the First Round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft taking place tonight (8:00 P.M. ET), but after a big trade went down earlier, we wanted to squeeze in an updated version.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
The Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers for a bounty of assets, with the centrepiece being the No. 14 overall pick in this year’s Draft, giving the Sabres two high First Round picks.
That does change things considerably, and there could well be further trades both before and during the Draft that could impact and alter the look of the First Round and who picks where.
Before we delve into our final Mock Draft, we will point out that certain picks may be different compared to our first edition due to more research and / or activity around the league, but a lot will obviously remain the same.
We will also point out that this edition is just meant to be a last-minute update, so for more detail on the prospects, make sure you check out our Mock Draft 1.0 here.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s delve right in…
Puck Prose’s 2021 NHL Entry Draft Mock Draft 2.0
D. Buffalo Sabres. Owen Power. 1. player. 12.
We aren’t going to change our minds about this one, despite the Buffalo Sabres maintaining that they would consider every avenue heading into the First Round.
Owen Power is still considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and the big-bodied defenseman ticks a hell of lot of boxes for the Sabres and could morph into a premier No. 1 blueliner in the NHL who can do everything.
Matthew Beniers . 2. player. 2255. . C. Seattle Kraken
Our top two remains exactly the same. The Seattle Kraken are in a sweet spot here and they can add a real foundational piece in Matthew Beniers, who is the best two-way forward in this year’s Draft.
You have success in the NHL by building down the middle and Seattle General Manager Ron Francis can really build his team around Beniers, who can be dominant in all three zones.
. LW . Anaheim Ducks. William Eklund . 3. player. 105
I am still convinced the Anaheim Ducks will take a high-end forward with the No. 3 overall pick given their significant offensive struggles in 2020-21, but I’ve changed my mind about what player they will take.
I had the Ducks selecting right wing Dylan Guenther in our first Mock Draft, but William Eklund is attracting a lot of buzz and the Swedish forward boasts huge upside, while he could be NHL ready straightaway.
D. New Jersey Devils. Luke Hughes . 4. player. 85.
The New Jersey Devils have spent recent high Draft capital on forwards, so using the No. 4 overall pick to take an elite defenseman would be the wise move this year, and it seems written in the stars that Luke Hughes will be reunited with his brother Jack in the Garden State.
Columbus Blue Jackets. Simon Edvinsson . 5. player. 113. . D
We had Simon Edvinsson going to the LA Kings at No. 8 in our first Mock Draft, but you should really take the best player available and that’s why we have the Columbus Blue Jackets taking the defenseman with the No. 5 pick in this edition.
The Blue Jackets have two other First Round picks so they can take a center later on, while if they do trade Seth Jones they will need a replacement in the wings and Edvinsson has a lot of upside.