By: Adamo Marinelli
June 5th, 2021
With the NHL playoffs well underway, most teams have their eyes on one thing: the Stanley Cup. However, for the teams that did not make the playoffs, or have already been eliminated in round one of the playoffs, they have their sights set on the draft.
The draft lottery happened on June 2 and there was not a lot of movement. Only the Anaheim Ducks who were projected to draft second overall and the Seattle Kraken, who were projected to draft third switched. The other teams stayed put. Here is the order of the draft lottery for the top-10 teams.
Buffalo Sabres
Seattle Kraken
Anaheim Ducks
New Jersey Devils
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Redwings
San Jose Sharks
Los Angeles Kings
Vancouver Canucks
Ottawa Senators
These top 10 teams all have a chance to select one of the 10 best players in the 2021 draft.
Owen Power, D, Michigan (NCAA)
Matthiew Beniers, C, Michigan (NCAA)
Luke Hughes, D, USNTDP (USHL)
Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda (SHL)
Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL)
Brandt Clarke, D, Barrie Colts (OHL)
William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden (SHL)
Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough (OHL)
Kent Johnson, LW, Michigan (NCAA)
Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
The next five best players in this draft are:
Cole Sillinger, C, Sioux Falls (USHL)
Fabian Lysell, LW, Lulea (SHL)
Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea (SHL)
Chaz Lucius, C, USNTDP (USHL)
Simon Robertsson, RW, Skelleftea
So now the question becomes where do each of these top prospects land? Let’s take a look and try to draft for these lottery teams based on need and best player available.
With the first overall pick, the Buffalo Sabres will select Owen Powers, D, Michigan. Despite the large number of number one high first-round picks the Sabres have had in recent history (Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, among others), the Sabres still find themselves in the league’s cellar. Luckily for them, Powers is arguably not only the best defenseman in his draft class but is also arguably the best and most complete player in his draft class. He is a speedy and talented two-way defenseman and plays a physical brand of hockey with his large 6’5” frame. He skates well in both directions, is agile and his quick pivots help him get back on defense or lead an offensive rush the other way. Offensively, Powers has a high hockey IQ, a great vision, and is an excellent playmaker, and can find his open teammates anywhere. His breakout passes are smooth and accurate and start offensive attacks effectively. Powers has an excellent and accurate wrist shot with a quick release and a decent slapshot, but he can continue to work on his power and accuracy for the slap shot. He is effective not only at even strength but can log big minutes and produce in large quantities on the penalty kill and power play. He is a great fit for Buffalo, he will provide a spark on both sides of the puck and you can never have too many defensemen.
With the second overall pick, the Seattle Kraken will select Matthew Beniers, C, Michigan. The Kraken will have already completed their expansion draft, selecting one player from each team except Vegas for a total of 30 players (14 forwards, 9 defensemen, 3 goalies, and 4 extras). However, you can never have too much offensive talent. Beniers will provide a spark not only on offense but also on defense with his physicality. Beniers is an electric centerman who’s had an amazing season with the University of Michigan. In 24 games, he scored 10 goals and added 14 assists for 24 points: averaging a point per game, which is extremely productive. He has a very powerful and accurate slapshot and a strong, accurate wrist shot with a quick release that can fool goalies. He has great hands and stick handling, which allow him to control the puck in the offensive zone until help arrives so he can pass to his teammate for a scoring chance and which allow him to change the angle of his shot right before he shoots to alter the release to fool goalies. He is speedy, agile, has good hands, and can always make crisp and accurate passes, whether he is passing close range, across the ice, or into a tight lane filled with traffic. He can enter the zone effectively with his excellent skating, his incredible agility, and his explosiveness which starts scoring chances and allows play to develop. He is also a threat on the power play, with his vision, playmaking, and one-timer. However, he is not just a threat in the offensive zone, he is very good on defense too. He is physical, can win puck battles, and closes off passing lanes with his stick checking. He forechecks and backchecks constantly, is very creative in all three zones, and has great vision to set up his teammates and a high hockey IQ. He would be a great fit and provide a lot of offensive talent to Seattle.
With the third overall pick, the Anaheim Ducks will select William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden. The Ducks need a left-winger who is speedy, who can create plays with his passing, and who can play on special teams. Eklund is the best left winger in the draft. This season, he’s recorded 11 goals, 12 assists for 23 points in 40 games, and has shown that he can play against much older competition. He is a very good skater. His agility, balance, and edgework are spectacular. He has impressive acceleration, has a quick first step, and can change directions quickly, fooling defenders. He has a strong lower body and is tough to knock off the puck but there is potential for his lower body to develop even more to win more puck battles in front of the net. Eklund is a smart player that likes to slow the pace down to find openings in the defense and open teammates. He has good balance, puck control, and stickhandling which allows him to hold the puck until he finds a teammate to pass it to. He is a crisp and accurate passer both in close range and long-range and is not afraid to play in the dirty areas of the ice, getting into battles for the puck. He has a great shot and should not be afraid to shoot more. Both his wrist shot and snapshot are powerful and accurate. His release is smooth and fast, which fools goalies. His slapshot needs to get more powerful though. On defense, Eklund is not afraid to throw the body around, he backchecks well and cuts off passing lanes with his stick. He’s a real two-way threat.
With the fourth overall pick, the New Jersey Devils will select Luke Hughes, D, USNTDP. The Devils could use another two-way defenseman to help improve their bottom 5 defense in the NHL. Luke Hughes is the youngest brother of Jack and Quinn Hughes and has incredible playmaking skills, he is a great skater, and his back-checking and decision-making skills are only improving by the day. He is one of the best defensemen in this year’s draft allowing only 0.38 even strength primary points per game. Hughes’ strength lies in his skating, speed, mobility, offensive awareness, and hockey IQ. He has a very smooth stride with great speed, as he’s always a threat when rushing the play. With the puck on his stick, he has great control and his big frame allows him to protect the puck from opponents’ well. He has great stickhandling abilities which allow him to dangle through opponents in high traffic areas. He is a crisp passer and can find his teammates anywhere on the ice. His stretch passes are one of his many strengths and his shot is a threat, especially from close to the net. On defense, he is physical, can block shots with his big frame, can use his stick to limit passing and shooting lanes. His decision-making is improving, but he can sometimes jump on a play too early and get caught out of position. He will be a great addition to the Devils' defensive core.
With the fifth overall pick, the Columbus Blue Jackets will select Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL). The Columbus Blue Jackets have 3 first-round picks in 2021 and so with their first pick they can select the best player available, then they can focus on their biggest needs. Their defense is in the bottom 10 in the league so they will have to address that later in the draft, however, they have the 3rd worst offense in the league. They traded their superstar, Pierre Luc Dubois who was underperforming for Patrick Laine who has failed to develop chemistry with any of his teammates, Seth Jones has underperformed and their superstar Zach Werenski was injured for most of the year. Also, head coach John Tortorella is losing the locker room a bit more each day. They need to completely start from scratch. Luckily for the Blue Jackets, Guenther is a lethal scorer. He has a powerful slap shot and an accurate wrist shot with a quick release to stun goalies. His speed, agility, puck handling skills, hockey IQ, and vision are stellar. With the puck on his stick, he is deadly. His ability to find open teammates in the slot is impressive. He also excels at getting behind the defense and finding open space on the ice, especially in the slot, to present himself as an option for a shot on goal, a scoring chance, or to screen the goalie to allow his teammates to shoot. He has an excellent breakout pass to find his open teammates in transition, has amazing acceleration to start a break himself, and is great on defense, playing physical hockey, causing turnovers, and not being afraid to get puck battles. He is great at getting into a position to receive a breakout pass from his teammates without going offside. Really the complete package.
With the sixth overall pick, the Detroit Redwings will select Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda. The strength of the Redwings’ defense is on the right side with guys like Filip Hronek, Troy Stecher, and Moritz Seider who will form the core of the right side of their defense for years to come. Outside of Marc Staal, the left side of their defense is underwhelming. Edvinsson is one of the best left-handed defensemen in his draft class and has a lot of intangibles that will improve the Redwings’ defensive core. Edvinsson is physical and for his size, is an incredible skater. His acceleration is elite and he has long, smooth strides that allow him to cover a lot of ground very quickly and chase down opposing forwards. His ability to skate well backward allows him to get involved offensively and get back on defense. He is physical, wins puck battles, and is good with the puck on his stick. On offense, his hands are very good which allows him to maneuver through defenders and his breakout passes are accurate and powerful which helps his team in transition. His big frame helps him protect the puck and his lateral movement allows him to move around the offensive zone to create passing lanes and scoring chances. He has a good vision, a high hockey IQ, and can always get the puck to his teammates for scoring chances. He’s a great two-way defender and will be a good addition.
With the seventh overall pick, the San Jose Sharks will select Kent Johnson, LW, Michigan. The Sharks can use an influx of speed, skill, and playmaking ability to add to their top-6 consisting of Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, Kurtis Gabriel, Evander Kane, Marcus Sorenson, and Timo Meier. Johnson is one of many talented prospects from the University of Michigan. Johnson scored nine goals and added 18 assists for 27 points in 27 games this season and is extremely productive with the puck on his stick. Johnson is not only an elite playmaker but is a pure scorer. In 2019-20, he was the CJHL’s top forward and the BCHL MVP after registering 41 goals, 60 assists, and 101 points. He led the league in all three categories. He is so good offensively not just because of his hands, shot, and hockey IQ but also because of his skating. His top-end speed is very good and he reaches it with only a few strides. He has excellent acceleration and a great first step. If he beats a defender, he has the speed to go straight to the net. He wins races to get to loose pucks, is not afraid to battle for pucks anywhere on the ice. He wins quite a few of them, but if he adds a little more muscle, he will be able to win even more puck battles along the boards. His agility and stick handling allow him to carry the puck effectively through the neutral zone, avoid defenders, generate clean zone entries, and good scoring chances for himself and his teammates. He is very creative offensively, with his passes, his dekes and he is not afraid to try lacrosse-style wrap-around goals. Johnson’s vision allows him to see the entire ice and he is able to pass it accurately to teammates even in the tightest of passing lanes. His wrist and snapshot are powerful and accurate and he has a quick release. His ability to change the angle of his stick before hitting the puck fools a lot of goalies. He is also a threat on the powerplay and can log big penalty kill minutes. His slapshot and one-timer accuracy need to improve a bit and he needs to add a bit more muscle to improve his balance to avoid getting knocked off the puck. He understands his role defensively and is able to block shots and passing lanes with his stick. He is efficient at poke-checking his opponents without drawing penalties. He will make a great addition to the Sharks’ offensive core.
With the eighth overall pick, the Los Angeles Kings will select Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough. The Los Angeles Kings need scoring and to add more speedy youth to their roster. McTavish was phenomenal for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, flashing his brilliance shooting and passing the puck, recording 29 goals and 13 assists for 42 points in 57 games. McTavish has a good first step and accelerates quickly. This helps him to get to loose pucks as well as quickly change speeds to elude a defender. If he beats a defender, he will shoot or find an open teammate for a scoring chance. However, his skating stride is still a little short and this limits his top-end speed. He is not the fastest but with a little bit of work on his technique, his speed can improve. He does have a strong lower body which helps improve his balance, protect the puck from defenders, and win puck battles in tight spaces. He can fight through checks and get in front of the net for a scoring chance. McTavish is a pure goal scorer. He plays a gritty game and gets in front of the net for deflections, to screen the goalie, or for a scoring chance. He has a powerful and accurate wrist shot and a quick release that fools goalies. His snapshot is very dangerous and his one-timer is very powerful, especially on the powerplay where he is able to find open ice and fire a shot on the net, like Alex Ovechkin. He can also score goals in tight, with his backhand that can elevate pucks over the goaltender. He is lethal with the puck with his shot but is good without the puck, always getting open for a shot. He is known for his shot but is also a great playmaker. He has great vision, makes smart decisions, does not turn the puck over, and is always able to get it to his teammates through tight spaces or over the defenders’ stick. His ability to juke defenders with his stickhandling and protect the puck with his body allows him to hold the puck until his teammates get open too. He is a great addition offensively and is very smart.
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With the ninth overall pick, the Vancouver Canucks will select Brandt Clarke, D, Barrie Colts. Clarke is not the best defenseman in the draft this year but has a lot of skills that will make him an elite top-6 defenseman in the NHL one day. The Canucks should be extremely happy that a player of his caliber fell to number nine overall. The Canucks can use help on both the offensive and defensive side of the puck, but Clarke is the best player available up to this point with good vision, a high hockey IQ, great playmaking skills, and physicality so it’s a no brainer for Canucks’ management. Clarke’s game is made from his outstanding skating ability. He has an outstanding first step and acceleration which allows him to join the rush and blow by opponents. It also helps him win puck battles in open ice or in contested areas like the boards or behind the net. His excellent backward skating allows him to get back on defense and limit passing lanes and shot attempts. On defense, he is physical and is not afraid to throw his body around or battle for the puck. His speed helps him win races for loose pucks and allows him to maintain good gap control. He is hard to beat in one-on-one situations because of his speed and good positioning. His creativity, agility, and athleticism help him cause turnovers, which he then turns into offense with his elite breakout pass. His big frame and strong lower body help improve his balance which gives him good puck control and makes it hard to knock him off the puck. However, his defensive instincts including patience and discipline need some improvement because he tends to be over-aggressive which leads to penalties and getting caught out of position, which leads to opposing scoring chances. Offensively, his speed, elusiveness, and stick handling help him control the puck in the defensive end and bring the puck across the neutral zone to start an attack. Whether he brings the puck into the offensive zone or passes it to his teammates, he creates a lot of odd-man rushes. Clarke can move the puck well with a strong first pass and is effective at gaining the zone, especially on the powerplay. Once in the zone he will use his accurate wrist shot and his great release or control the puck with his size until help arrives and then he will make a crisp pass to his teammate anywhere on the ice. His elite passing skills both in tight lanes or stretch passes and his great vision help set up scoring chances. He will for sure compete for Norris trophies and is a good addition to the Canucks.
With the 10th overall pick, the Ottawa Senators will select Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks Bandits. The Senators have a plethora of young talent at every position on their roster and thus have no major positional needs. However, you can never have enough two-way, physical defenseman. Ceulemans has the potential to become a top-four NHL defenseman able to play big minutes in all situations, both on special teams and at even strength. He is a leader on the ice and plays well in both the defensive, neutral and offensive zones. He asserts himself physically in the defensive zone blocking shots, causing turnovers, winning puck battles, and limiting passing lanes with his length and his stickwork. Ceulemans has elite speed and agility and so he is not afraid to join offensive rushes and he is not afraid of initiating the rush himself with his tremendous playmaking and passing abilities or his excellent puck handling and speed. He is an effective shooter and does not just settle for point shots but gets a lot of quality scoring chances down low thanks to his ability to avoid defenders with his puck handling and his ability to find the open spot on the ice to receive a pass from his teammates for a scoring chance. He is a powerful skater with good size and plays an aggressive offensive game, constantly pushing the pace for his team. Sometimes, his aggressiveness leads to poor decisions, mistakes, and turnovers in the offensive zone which he cannot recover from despite his excellent backward skating, forecheck and backcheck. He plays a physical game and has all the fundamentals and the raw talent and athleticism to be a great defender, but his decision-making both in the offensive and defensive zone, his over-aggressiveness, and his defensive consistency need to be developed. He has all the elements to be a well-rounded defender, he just cannot put them together to play consistent defensive hockey for a large streak of games. This can be addressed by spending a few years in the minors to improve his game and hockey IQ. He has a lot of potential and is a top 10 pick in this draft, however.
There are a lot of talented players in the 2021 NHL draft, but this is how I see the top 10 picks playing out based on team need and best player available. However, there are many talented players outside the top-10 who could end up being just as good, if not better than the top 10 players one day. Also, if one of these teams trades out of the top 10 and the new team selecting has a different need, a new player that is outside the top 10 could be drafted if that team has him high on their draft board. Either way, this will be an interesting draft and I’m excited to see where each player lands.
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