2026 NHL MOCK DRAFT - TOP 16 LOTTERY PICKS

NHL MOCK DRAFT Round 2! 

In this episode of The Draft Board Hockey Show, Linc with Darren and Rocco from the Puck Bunker, The Prospect Don and Gabe Foley join us to do a March 2026 NHL mock draft. We do a mock of the Top-16 NHL lottery picks and discuss why we think the prospect deserves to go to that specific hockey team. Always a blast with this crew! 

Hosts: Mark (NHL Draft Pros) and Linc (New Wave Hockey)

Guests: Rocco and Darren (Puck Bunker) + Anthony (The Prospect Don) + Gabe Foley (NHLFoley)

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Welcome to the Draftboard Hockey Show. My name is Mark, and today we have a stellar crew joining us to do a mock draft. So next to me, we got Gabe Foley, my boy Link, Rocco, and Darren from the Puck Bunker Boys, and of course the prospect Don Anthony. Gentlemen, welcome.

SPEAKER_05 0:22

Let's go.

SPEAKER_04 0:24

All right, boys. Listen, so yeah, random. Well, not random. I actually chose the first overall because I didn't want anyone deviating from who the first overall prospect should be. So that's why I took the first overall pick. Now we're going to put on right here our uh, as of yesterday, the standings that I got, Vancouver Canucks. And so we're going to fire this off right away. I'm going to go with Gavin McKenna. Like he's been my first overall the whole season long. I didn't deviate. I didn't say Stenberg. I didn't go with that whole spiel. And I listen, the kid has popped off after World Juniors and was third in scoring in the NCAA this year. Actually, second in points per game, 1.50 points per game. And you know what? Listen, when you got that kind of, I guess, offensive pedigree, you just gotta take a kid like that. Like, I don't, you know, I understand that Stenberg is probably the better overall two-way player, but come on, the the magic. And like I said, I've seen Gavin McKenna. I saw him a few weeks ago at UMish. And like the the vision, the vision is something that you can't teach this kind of vision. Like that's elite vision right there. Everything else we can work on. Listen, he's not out there to block shots and to you know rough it up in the corners. He's there to put up points. And that's what Gavin McKenna does. And that's why I got the Vancouver Canucks going with Gavin McKenna, the first overall pick. If it stands like this, this is you know pre-lottery kind of stuff, but uh Gavin McKenna, number one to Vancouver.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Gavin McKenna. Uh, you're getting a guy from day one who's gonna run uh your power play. You're getting a guy from day one who's gonna be in your top six. This is a guy who's gonna be an offensive machine for a team that needs offense right now. I mean, safe to say he's not gonna be the franchise-changing guy that we all said he was going to be coming into the year, but he's the help that Vancouver needs at offense. You are you telling me that you're a team in the NHL and you can't use this? By all means, take Gavin McKenna at this situation. He's improved the Penn State team dramatically, uh, who overperformed, if anything, last year. Uh, he has been the spark plug of all spark plugs. He's been a joy to watch. He's going to be a household name, especially in Vancouver. Uh it's a it's an it's I think it's a mistake not to take him number one. I I really do.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Yeah, and to your point, like Gavin McKenna could actually be the franchise guy that we thought. Look at what he's putting up in the NCAA. Yeah, I had 10 points against OSU, but I I just feel like this is a guy that can change your franchise. He's so skilled. His teammates like Jackson Smith think that he plays like Kucharov. I I just I feel like you are getting a playmaker like that. So you know, being uh the Blackhawks fan, I kind of want Gavin McKenna to fall to the Blackhawks, but you know, it's just Canucks need a guy like this.

SPEAKER_04 3:17

All right. Well, Anthony, you got the second overall pick to the Chicago Blackhawks, and uh who are you taking?

SPEAKER_00 3:24

Well, I think there's clear one and two here, and it's you know, Stenberg. Stenberg is a guy that I think has a higher floor than a Gavin McKenna, but I don't necessarily know if he has a higher upside than Gavin McKenna. It's pretty close, but he's also a playmaker, such a great winger. He what he was doing at the World Juniors was fantastic with a guy like Anton Friendel and Victor Eklund. So that would kind of be a fun line with Anton Friendel and maybe even a Connor Bernard, who Anton is going to be making his debut this week. So I think that's pretty cool. But Stenberg is a guy that I just feel like could be a 90-point player. His player comp for himself was Tim Stutzel. I um I thought that was a really cool comparison because it's not like out of this world or Hall of Famer that we usually get from some of these prospects. He's a very confident kid, but he's also quiet. And I also feel like winning gold for Sweden was such a big deal that uh he could actually be the number one team. I know Cam Robinson actually even said on Twitter and he said on his podcast that the Canucks actually are kind of leaning towards Stenberg. So could they go with the 18-year-old playing in the SHL, kind of like what they did with Daniel Sedin? But what the one thing about Stenberg is he did have a fall off after the like during the second half of the year. So I do feel like the production-wise, it could have been better, but he also played, you know, he's gonna be playing really good hockey in the playoffs. He played really good today, so I feel like there is a chance, but I just feel like McKenna's above him at this point.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Just I would have nightmares if I didn't pick McKenna number one. Uh, I think Stenberg is an awesome consolation prize, if there ever was one. Uh, this is a very good situation when you were where you're picking the same archetype of players, one and two. So just take what you get and uh and take it, just take what you get and use what you get. All right, I wouldn't be complaining if I got Stenberg number two. Um, but that being said, I I I would I would be sleeping very, very well if I was Vancouver Vancouver, and I would be sleeping very, very well if I was Chicago.

SPEAKER_05 5:25

So like I I think there's just a little bit higher upside with McKenna versus Stenberg. I think that's kind of the difference between them. I think you got a hundred-point upside probably with McKenna, where Stenberg might be more 80-85. It's just a little bit of a difference there. You know, there I think there's just a little bit more potential with McKenna than there is with Stenberg. But one thing to note, I do think the forwards are the first two guys off the board simply because there does seem to be a lack of high-end talent up front. And I know that you know, we have have some guys here who aren't don't want to take D high. I would agree here. You do want to take the forwards here. I think that's that's definitely what you should be doing here.

SPEAKER_04 6:05

All right, so we got Ivor Stenberg, number two to the Chicago Blackhawks, number three, Rocco, who those Rangers taking at uh third overall. That's an interesting one, Darren.

SPEAKER_05 6:20

There's no trades in this, all right. Fine. This is fantasy hockey.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

You guys are you guys are ridiculous.

SPEAKER_02 6:28

I know fantasy hockey, but that's okay. I digress now. To me, this is kind of where the draft actually starts. I think the first two picks uh were the right, were the right two, and I think that it's becoming a little bit of a gap between those two and the and the rest, I'd say the next three or four, maybe even five guys here, depending if you guys get it right. But uh for the New York Rangers, look, the New York Rangers love to make a splash, and there's nothing splashier than taking the top centerman available in any given draft. So the New York Rangers are gonna take Caleb Malholtra as and he's gonna learn under the perfect guy in Vinny Trochek, and I think they'll be able to bridge that gap between those two guys really, really effectively. He's gotten better and better as the years gone on. He keeps adding layers and elements to his game. He went from being a really safe looking two-way forward to a borderline dominant at times offensive presence. And I'm really excited to see what he's gonna do in the playoffs here because that could be that could be a big one for them. Obviously, here this is quote unquote a little off the board, and there's a couple defensemen here that are maybe more consensus options, and that's just not the Rangers' way. They like to make a splash, and they're getting the top spendermen available, in my opinion, and and someone who I think who I think is has a little bit uh been underrated in terms of what his ceiling might be, Darren.

SPEAKER_04 8:04

All right, Kalebo Malholcha, Rocco making a splash right off the bat here. I love it. Uh to the Rangers at number three, number four. Gabe, Gabe, did he steal your thunder there, or did he let your boy slide to number four with the Calgary Flames pick?

SPEAKER_03 8:22

Yeah, that's a that's a tough one. I mean, we think about Caleb Malhotra in a Flames jersey. It just seems right. Flames need a center who can keep up with some of the Ryzen high tempo players. Uh, I think a lot of the centers would make sense for them because of that, whether it's Malhotra, Tynan Lawrence, or Vigo Bjork, who's absolutely in my conversation for top five. But really, what Calgary needs is some fortification on that blue line. They sent the farm away, they traded away everyone. Now they need someone who can make a splash. Sure, that could be Keaton Verhoff, but the real star of the defensive group this year is Sue Greyhounds defender Chase Reed. That's the pick to Calgary. This is an explosive defender, a defender who can play 200 feet of offense, do it all on his own, and make something out of it at the end. On top of that, he hits behind the red line. He knows how to defend the slot, keep guys out of the dirty areas of the ice. Maybe he's not fundamental, but he's got major, major upside. Where some of the other defenders in this class just don't. Keen Verhoff, great season, standout season, better than many you're talking about, but he's a solid guy. He's a guy who might dip to that low-end first pair uh uh standing one day. Chase Reed has all the upside in the world. Seems like a guy who has the ability to lead a team from the blue line. That's what uh that's what Calgary needs. And think about Zayn Perek learning from Chase Reed, right? Hey, how do we dial in some of those plays? How do we learn to hit a little bit? You know, I think they got a good style uh there for Chase Reed to work his way into, and he's a college guy, right? College guy going to Calgary. They love that.

SPEAKER_04 10:24

All right, we got Chase Reed, fourth overall to the Calgary Flames. St. Louis is the next pick, and that is Link.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

I am in a pickle right now because you guys took Malhotra a lot earlier than I thought I was gonna go. I thought I was gonna be able to snag him, but I got three defensemen on the board, uh, three of which I like a lot. Um Salbert Smeets, Carson Carls, and Keaton Verhoff. And there is good and bad with all three. Actually, I wouldn't say there's a lot of bad. Uh, there's really good things with with all three. And St. Louis does need some defense. They have three guys on their back end who are over the age of 30. All right. That's not gonna last forever. Colton Pereco was just a Darren Dregger treat away. Uh he was a Darren Dregger tweet away from going to Buffalo. All right, and they've got only Cam Fowler and Justin Hole on that back end to sure up after they're gone. So with a guy, with guys coming up with Theo Lindstein, you've got uh Adam Yurichek, my bad. And there's not much else coming up the farm system, maybe Colin Ralph, if you believe in him from Michigan State. You need some help here. What does every team need at the end of the day? You're going to need a right shot, offensively reliable defenseman. I wanted to take Carson Carls here. I wanted one of you guys to do it. So I like my defensive defenseman. I really do. I like my shutdown guys. I do. But I can't pass up a guy like Keaton Verhoff, who has a great shot. He's a very offensively inclined uh defenseman, very smart uh when transitioning the puck, uh when uh in the offensive zone on the power play. I don't know exactly what he's going to be at the NHL level. All right, it's it's going to be something along the lines of an offensively offensively inclined defenseman. Again, he's six foot four, 200 pounds. He can create offense all he wants. He's got really good edge work. Um I will he be a top power play defenseman? There's a chance he could. He's just got to fix his skating a little bit. Could he be a number one defenseman? I don't really think so. I don't see that from this guy right now. Um I do kind of hesitate because I'm kind of still going back and forth between Verhoff, Smeets, Carls, and who and Reed as well. Like is who I want to be the top defensive in this class. Because it is a tough discussion. But Verhoff, with the season that he's had so far, I keep reassuring myself this. He had 20, he had 20 goals as a 16-year-old in the WHL. He made the world juniors all before his 18th birthday. Right now, he is, I think, 20 points in his first college season as a 17-year-old freshman. How many points did he have, Mark? You're about to correct me.

SPEAKER_04 13:18

20 points, 30 games. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

20. This guy creates offense. And I think that the end of the day, offensively reliable, right-handed shot defensemen are what teams are going to value. All right. So I'm going to stick with Keaton Verhoff. I think the St. Louis Blues, at the end of the day, are getting something that they're really going to enjoy here with Verhoff. So very, very solid. I don't know. I think they might go with a guy like Carson Carls. Maybe if they like his upside a little bit better. Albert Schmeets could be in play here. I can't believe he fell past five with uh with how much the prospect Don likes him. But uh Keaton Verhoff, I think, is a very solid pick here. The five.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

It's interesting to see that despite like we've all put out our own individual rankings, and I think amongst us we all have one of the lefties scattered in our top five, or if not one of the other forwards in some cases, which we actually have a lot of time for. But then we get on a mock draft, and it's the two superstars, then it's center righty righty. And we can all have our rankings however we want, and what we think the guys might pan out to be in a few years. But it's interesting to see as soon as we get into uh an asset management situation, which is what it is at the top of the draft, you're you're picking a huge stock, basically, for your for your franchise, for your business, and you're going with what's historically most valuable right away. All five of us did it. Well, all three of us, I should say.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

It makes it easier that they lost Merka with that trade. I mean, they you know they want a big right-handed defenseman, and also Keaton Verhoff and uh Chase Reed, they should be in this uh area. So it's yeah, like Vigo Bjork's one of the most skilled players, but I think he's like a top five, top six talent, but you can't take him in the top five, top six right now just because of the size profile.

SPEAKER_05 15:15

Like Verhoff fits them what they want, they want bigger defensemen, they obviously want a right-hand defenseman. They just tried to trade for one. It seems like a pretty obvious pick.

SPEAKER_03 15:24

Like and now they have to replace Justin Falk, too. And who should say that can't be where Veraff's head, right? Yeah, but I mean, I I'll jump in or finish up there. My bad.

SPEAKER_05 15:37

I'm just saying, like, I think either of these D, it doesn't really matter what side they pick, kind of fit the model of D that they like. Like they want these bigger guys that have some offense but also have some shutdown ability. Like, that's kind of what they're looking for. So I don't think they can really go wrong with any of these picks the way it's kind of fallen to them here, anyway.

SPEAKER_03 15:58

You've seen blue scouts at NCAA games and at OA OHL games all the time. I mean, they're watching these guys.

SPEAKER_04 16:06

All right, Derek. Toronto's pick, Boston.

SPEAKER_05 16:09

Boston. Who do you got? Oh, sorry, the Leafs aren't running to the table right now.

SPEAKER_04 16:14

No, no, you got the Boston announced.

SPEAKER_05 16:18

Look, I'm gonna go with the top guy on my board. I'm gonna go Albert Smith's here, and I feel really good about the pick because whoever the whoever the Boston takes here, I'm pretty much guaranteed this guy's gonna be a superstar. So like it's the Leafs pick. It's this guy's gonna be a 15-year vet. Link, you were talking about Verhoff and how he made the world junior team at 18. This guy made the Olympics at 18, and he was playing a regular shift, and he looked solid. He was out muscling NHL superstars off the puck in the Olympics. At his own level, this is a very solid player. I think he actually has some offensive ability. I don't think it's gonna be you know 80-point potential. I think there's some Alex Pictureangelo type offense here. Guy can shut it down. World juniors amongst his peers again. He's still underage for that tournament. Thought he was really good in that tournament, shut down some really high quality teams there. I mean, I think this guy can play pretty quickly from what we've seen here. I think he can make the NHL really quickly. He's the Bruins are a team that are fighting for a playoff spot right now. I think the fit is actually here where they could actually get him in the lineup pretty quickly. It's not a you know, a team that's at the bottom of the league here. I think this is a pretty good fit for them. They have some room on their, you know, they have some guys on the left side, but I mean they're older. I think they can, you know, throw a guy in here. Maybe he's you know, they're not gonna give him 25 minutes a night, but I think they can kind of you know roll him in here, maybe, and I think he will be a good fit for them for years. And yes, Link, I know he played for Latvia. Well, he was one of their better defensemen in the Olympics. I I don't know what to tell you. He played the best players in the world, and he was good. So uh it gets really hard to ignore that. And I'm a big fan of him, so the Bruins should run up to the table and get him. And I want to see Leaf fans just you know kind of be upset about this for the next 10-15 years. So that's my pick, Albert Smith.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

We're not gonna see a Dean Laterno Vigo Bjork line. Well, oh my god.

SPEAKER_05 18:32

Look, I I do think a center here is an option for them. I I think it it definitely would be like if Malhocher was here. I'm not sure if they would take Bjork or not.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

Like I when you look into when you look into a top 10 pick, you take the best player available available. And I think if you want to take yeah, if you want to take the most NHL ready defenseman, by all means, I think this is a fantastic pick.

SPEAKER_05 18:55

Yeah, I think for them this pick makes makes sense for them.

SPEAKER_02 18:59

They got Hagan's last year too, right? Which injected a ton of a ton of hopefully. So you're you're not that not that Schmidt lacks it, but he just he's a it's just a bit of a different vibe than than what you picked last year, and it's it's a nice compliment. And like Boy said, he's he could probably play right now and and survive a regular shift.

SPEAKER_05 19:20

The the only thing I want to say with the Bruins here, they do need some dynamic talent still up front. Like, I think that is something they could use. I just don't know if there's forwards here that really fit that that you're taking over these D abilities. Because I mean Carl's even here is would be a fine pick anyway. I'm a big fan of his too, and I think he has you know some untapped offensive ability as well, as Rocco has said numerous times. So I think either of those guys are pretty solid picks.

SPEAKER_04 19:48

Going to Boston, Albert Schmitz. Nice pick right there for sure. All right, so what do we got here? Number seven, the Winnipeg Jets. Well, there's a couple of needs here, maybe a centerman, but how can they pass up a Manitoba native and another defenseman in big bad Carson Carls? And absolute beauty of a defenseman this year. 73 points in 58 games. He went on fire after World Juniors. There was a good span after the World Juniors where I think he had like 15 straight games with a point. So, you know what? And because he's from Manitoba and there is a need for defensemen in Winnipeg, I think this and this kid can skate. Like, come on, he's got the hands, he's got the mojo, he likes to hit, he's got all those intangibles that you want from a defenseman, and he's a young defenseman, right? He's a 2008 born. A lot of the ones that we just talked about were 2007 born, so he's still got that one year uh behind, I guess, in terms of development. So yeah, I like Carson Carl's going to Winnipeg. He's a Manitoba boy. How can they pass this up?

SPEAKER_01 20:57

This is my favorite player in the draft class. I love this guy. Uh you get a guy with this much physicality, this much, I would say, patience on the back end. He is very rough, but he is also very calculated and very deadly on the back end. I don't think I've ever seen a defenseman at the WHL level be as aggressive as he is, but also as conservative as he is. He will challenge every single breakout at the neutral zone and then be back to cover them when they eventually come to the zone entry, should he fail in the neutral zone. This guy is great at supporting. This guy is great at back checking, this guy is great at defending the rush, he's insane in his own zone. And the power he generates from his skates, he sits back into his own stride and he just explodes from there. He's sorry to quote uh terms from other sports, but he is like the explosion of a defensive lineman. So when he hits you, that's that's kind of what I see when he just jumps at at you out of his like squatting motion when he's backwards skating. Uh he's a very strong kid, farm tough. We talk about that a lot with Brady Martin. Last year from Pilot Mound, Manitoba. Uh, the Jets would be more than happy to have this kid on their roster, and he would make that defense better in the like the day he would come back and uh into that uh the day he would come to that locker room.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

So I I would not be surprised if this ends up being the best defenseman from the draft class and a true 24-minute a night, like true all situation player out in the last 90 seconds of any one goal game, regardless of the situation. I think there's there's some very underrated offense, much the same way that Cider's offense was underrated, and Sanderson's and Heiskinens, all these guys had underrated offense because they played such a responsible game as junior players. And I see so much of that because there's not a single play in the offensive zone that this guy can't make. It's like Link said, it's picking his spot so well. So yeah, he may sacrifice a little flash, but you look at his his numbers and you look at the way he plays and you look at the eye test and you look at him in offensive situations, and he's he's as good as any of these guys offensively. So is he gonna be the first defenseman taken? A team would have to have a pretty big pair to do that because of how good the righties are and how scarce those are. So I would say probably not the first defenseman off the board in five years' time. Is everyone gonna say why the bad words did we not take this guy? Would not be surprised at all. Uh he's absolutely nails. This is a guy that you win a lot of playoff games with.

SPEAKER_04 23:40

All right, Carson Carls, number seven to the Winnipeg Jets, number eight. We got Seattle and the prospect Don. What are they gonna do? The Kraken.

SPEAKER_00 23:53

Well, this would be the third year in a row that they would have picked eighth overall, which is kind of interesting. You had uh Jake O'Brien last year, which you know him and Maholtra are fantastic. So if there's any way to get those two together, it would be great. But they also took Berkeley Catton, which are two forwards. I think in their since 2021, their inaugural season, they've only taken forwards first. And I just think that the depth outside of maybe Dax and Rudolph of defense, there's just a huge drop-off. So for me, I don't think that they would take center with the Tynan Lawrence as well as what happened in uh the NCAA. So I think I'm gonna go Ethan Belchez here, 6'5, playing well in the OHL. I do feel like there is some offensive potential there. We a lot of scouts and people that I talked to really wanted to see him have an explosion in production because last year I think he had like 38 points and 50-something games or something of that, and now he has 59 points in 57 games. He did get hurt, but he's a big, he's a big guy, 225 pounds, kind of like the Shane Van Sagi build, but at the same time, you're getting a guy that is a lot more skilled, he has a lot more upside, he has good hands. Liam Greentree, though, is a very smart player, and I will feel I I do think that there is some Liam Greentree point production here, but at the same time, like I really do like this guy's game. I think that he could go anywhere in this range, even in the top five, if the team really falls in love with him. But for me, he just doesn't have the shot that Porter Martone had. But everything else that he does is pretty good. I think that I just don't know if he's elite in a lot of areas where he can reach that superstar potential. I just don't really see that. But he has a lot of good uh traits. So I feel like that would just be something. Maybe if one of the defensemen falls, I do feel like they would take them, but I'm just not as sold on some of these other defensemen like Vilnev, Ryan Lynn, or Daxon Rudolph.

SPEAKER_05 25:48

He's just not, I don't think he's gonna be the offensive play driver himself, right? Like he's gonna be really good complementary piece on a high-end line. So if you have the center play, which you've already discussed, I think you know that's a pretty you know, there's some good options there that they can drive play, and then he can be the secondary piece on a line and it works. So and plus teams are always looking for these big wingers late in playoff series, they're looking for these guys can score greasy roles. He is quite good at that. So uh no, I uh it's more than fine. You just you hate that he got injured, really.

SPEAKER_00 26:22

Yeah, and to your point, him and Jake O'Brien, I think, would have fantastic ability because the play driving and just the high hockey IQ.

SPEAKER_04 26:31

All right, Ethan Belchez to the Seattle Kraken at number eight, number nine, Florida Rocco is in the house. What do we got?

SPEAKER_02 26:43

Florida's in an interesting spot here because they have no business picking in the top ten, but they didn't have Barkov. And you saw how important, obviously, he is to their team and and how he's just as elite as name a player in the league. He's he's as good as them. And to to me, that means they're not really looking for a project, they're looking for a guy that can come into their lineup sooner than later and and kind of help out. And they've had a ton of success with rather large, rather good two-way finish centermen. So let's just continue that trend and take Oliver Suvanto. And he's another guy who I believe has underrated offense, and you see him produce offensively, and again, he just he lacks the flash, so you don't see him all over Twitter or the highlight reels, and he plays against older competition, and he he actually physically dominates him. He's a really, really young player. He's I think August or September birthday, I think August. So he's one of the younger players in the draft class, and he has a lot of runway to go offensively. I see a lot of Joel Erickson Eck. I see a lot of Miko Koivu. That type of mold where maybe they're not they're not painted as the most offensive guy in their draft year, but then lo and behold, they become 60 point two-way star players who can win games and win battles in all three zones and go out and every given night, you know, they're probably gonna win their shifts. So am I passing up some guys with maybe quote unquote more upside? Maybe I would also debate that there's other players with more upside here because I feel like this guy actually has piles of it. So, Oliver Suvanto, he's gonna fit right in with those bunch of pricks they have down in Florida, and uh they'll be back to competitive in no time.

SPEAKER_01 28:39

I I love this pick, Rocco. Um, very very big fan of Oliver Suvanto. I had the privilege of interviewing him, and let me say I was very careful with my words because this guy, he looks like a man already. He could beat the crap out of me. But he's a September uh 08 birthday, so this guy's got a lot of growing left to do. Um I I'm very, very marveled by the resplendent ability to keep the puck on his uh on his person, no matter what pressure has been able to come at him. He's been playing in the men's league all year. He's been playing for the best team in Tapra, and he's still carved out a top like a top nine role for himself on the best team in the Liga right now. Some are saying this is the best Liga team they've seen in a couple years, and he's still doing it. He's not playing in the playoffs so far. He's been playing at the uh the uh the U-20 level for them for the playoffs, but it doesn't matter because he's already shown everything that I've really needed to see for myself. Um his skating's been getting a lot better. I think we're seeing a very twitchy guy. He's gonna go a lot higher than a lot of people think he will. I saw everything I needed to see during the world juniors when everyone was bearing down on him in that Canada-Finland game, and he just would not get knocked off the puck. This is a great player. This is a great guy. He's got Florida written all over him. I would not be surprised if he goes higher than this.

SPEAKER_04 29:57

All right, Oliver Suvanto to Florida at number nine. Number 10, Gabe, you finally get a word in edgewise. Uh, everyone's just talking, talking, talking. San Jose, who do you like at number 10 for San Jose here, Gabe?

SPEAKER_03 30:16

What a what a path the San Jose Sharks would get if this is how the board fell. Because man, does this team not need anything? They don't need forward, they don't need defense, they don't need gold tent. It'd be nice to have, but they got the best prospect pool in the NHL. So whatever they add here, it's gold on top of a pile. And for that reason, you know, when we look at their lineup, I don't think that they need another winger. I think this addition needs to come down the middle. They would be lucky to add Tynan Lawrence, two-way center, reliable, can really drive, but that's not my pick. I'm teasing all once again. Like we're saying in the chat, I'm getting Viggy with it. I'm getting Viggy with it. I'm going Vigo Bjork. What a player this kid has uh been all season long. Don't forget, and a lot of people have forgotten this was supposed to be a U-20 season for him. He was supposed to be down there with Marcus Nordmark, absolutely lighting up the U-20 league. No, no, no. Vigo Bjork, top line center in the SHL. And he's a center through and through. We saw that switch this season. He started in pros on the wing, and he played hard. He played physical, he's getting in the corners, but he wasn't Vigo Bjork. They move him to center. Now he's driving his line, a true number one. He's on the power play, he's on the penalty kill as a 5'10 forward, and he's doing something with it. I think Vigo Bjork has played well above uh where the conversation sits around him. I ranked him as a top five pick in my number one center on the board. And I think adding that kind of true offensive dynamo to the lineup is a blessing when you got Macklin Salabrini locking down that top center role. You don't need Vigo Bjork to be a superstar. You just need him to be himself. And maybe you'd have a braiden point behind your Steven Stamkos for the next 10 years. I think that's what the Sharks would be looking for in Bjork. I think that's why he goes above guys who might challenge this spot. Tynan Lawrence, another defenseman, maybe. But Bjork's upside is way too high, especially with what the Sharks are building right now. Easy pick.

SPEAKER_02 32:45

We're hard on all guys, and we me and Darren both really love this guy. He's the first, he's the first guy under six feet we've ever ranked in our top. Oh no, we had Hag while Hagen's with six feet. But anyways, it's tough. That's praise. So I think this is a great fit for San Jose. You you framed it perfectly. Like with what they have in place, you know this guy's gonna play, and he'll settle into it, he'll settle into a role, whatever it is. Hopefully, you're getting your number two center, like you said. And if you don't, you're probably getting a first or second, and at worst a jack knife type third liner. Do it all. So you're getting a guy that's gonna find a way to contribute night in and night out, and his hockey sense is off the charts. So him and Celebrini on a power play together could be a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03 33:38

It seems like a cheat code.

SPEAKER_04 33:40

Oh, that'd be that's that's a nice combo right there.

SPEAKER_05 33:43

Whoa, just want to say that Bjork looked better than Stenberg did amongst his peers. So, like it is noteworthy, and yeah, the hockey IQ is excellent. You put him with Macklin Celebrini, who I think might be the smartest guy outside of maybe Sidney Crosby. All right, so we got Vigo Bjork to the San Jose Sharks.

SPEAKER_04 34:06

That's a nice, nice pick right there. Wow, that would he would fit in like a glove in San Jose. Phenomenal. All right, we got uh 11. Link LA.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

Yeah. How are we doing? Uh Los Angeles. I I kind of looked at this and I was like, Los Angeles is normally a playoff team, but they for some reason this year they couldn't get it right. It might be the goaltending, might be whatever, it doesn't matter. Um if you're a team that has consistently made the playoffs, you are a team that is going to pick the best player available no matter what. Best guy on my board is going to be the guy that I pick. Uh, quick shout out to Adam Novotny, guy that I want to be around when me and Mark pick for Philadelphia. But um I'm gonna pick a guy who spent too short of a time playing in the NCAA, and that is Oscar Hemming. Oscar Heming is a bull, a moose, even. He is so strong, so tough, so physical, but also an incredibly smart player as well. He'll get to the front of the net, but he can also play alongside on the wing, be a distributor, have a pretty impressive shot. He played only 16 games. He didn't have a lot of time to gel, but he still put up eight points in those 16 games. Imagine what he's going to do next year, alongside of guys like Dean Latorno, Teddy Stega, if he stays. That BC team is getting reloaded. That BC team is going to be very fun next year, even without guys like James Haggins, even without guys like Drew Fortescue, potentially Aaron Menedian also moving on. Oscar Hemming is going to have a much increased offensive role there next year. He may stay another year after that. And then he's going to go to the LA Kings and he's going to literally bulldoze over the Pacific Division. This guy is built for the modern day, but he also could have thrived in the clutch and grab era of hockey as well. He is built tough. He is unbelievably strong, and he is way smarter than people think. I'm a very big fan of Oscar Heming. Uh I I would take him leagues over his older brother. No offense to our boy Emil Heming. We love you too. But uh Heming is a very impressive prospect on the wing, and he would he'll turn a lot of heads in LA with his hitting ability. He's gonna be very uh be a very strong pick, and he's gonna be taken pretty high too.

SPEAKER_03 36:23

So yeah, you know, I I'm gonna step in on Heming because I think he could have a real top 10 bid this year. It's the physicality in front of the net, I think alone will do it. He's shown he can uh battle with college guys and beat them and score because of it. He's the youngest kid in college hockey. Beat out Ilya Morozov for that title when he joined the league. And you know, Link, you're talking about his second year. My big question with Oscar Hemming the more I watch him, does he need it? Does he need that second year for allowing 19-year-olds into the AHL? Maybe there's a path there, or maybe he's strong enough to be in the top league already. It's a question I find myself debating, if if anything.

SPEAKER_04 37:13

All right, we got Oscar Henning, number 11 to the Los Angeles Kings, number 12, the New Jersey Devils, and Darren, you are on the board. Who are they taking at this pick?

SPEAKER_05 37:28

So I'm just kind of looking over what my options were here. They could maybe take more of a depth center here. I you know, I know Gabe's been a real high on Ilya Morozov this year. I do think that might be an option for them here. I'm the this pick though, just seems like a classic New Jersey Devils guy, though. It's Adam Novotny. Like that just seems like the guy they're gonna take. Is he going to be a superstar for them? No, I think this is a pretty good middle six player with some, you know, might have some first line upside with them, can play every every way they kind of want to play. He's not 6'4, but I think he actually is quite physical. He plays like he's a power forward, even though he's a little bit smaller than a guy like Hemming. Very intelligent, great four-checker. He can play in every situation. I um he just seems like a devil's guy. Does he not look like he just fit that lineup perfectly? So I think that's the pick for them here.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

I'm a gigantic Adam Novotny fan. Um, I got to meet him at the World Juniors. I got to see a lot of him, uh, his plays. This guy is incredibly smart. He embodies a two-way forward. He is just super, super reliable in the defensive zone, in the neutral zone, the offensive zone. He's got that offensive touch that we were craving for him to show us in Czechia last year. And he's been showing that physical game, that defensive game, that great skating prowess that he showed us in the Czech League last year. He played 40 games as a 17-year-old last year in Czechia. And now he's putting up really good numbers for, let's be real, not the greatest OHL team in Peterbro. All right, they've really needed his help, and he's been he's been there, he's delivered. So I've been a big fan of Novotny. His offensive ceiling is a bit limited. I don't think this guy ever gets over 75 points in his career. Um, but this is a guy, day in, day out, he's going to put in the work. Uh, I can't I can't say enough good things about this guy.

SPEAKER_02 39:28

I don't know that he has the same high end, but there's a lot of Timo Meyer in there. Looking, as Darren said, he looks just strikes you as a prototypical devils pick, and there's a mold there. Um, I I think and he's gonna he's another guy, he's gonna find a role and be very effective and help you win games.

SPEAKER_04 39:47

Adam Lovotny, number 12 to the New Jersey Devils. All right, so now for the next pick for the Washington Capitals. We've teamed up since uh we got an odd number of individuals here. So the prospect Don and Gabe are gonna work together to pick a player here. Gentlemen, who do you see going number 13 or to Washington at number 13?

SPEAKER_00 40:12

All right, uh, we think that it's Tynan Lawrence. He's been falling like crazy. I feel like this would be a good pick for the Caps who are probably losing Ovechkin to retirement, but you're you're just taking a chance on upside. Obviously, the NCAA transition did not go the way he wanted. If he would have stayed in the USHL, guys like Corey Prahnman actually had him number one on his board. So I want to hear Gabe's opinion on this, but I I just feel like if he would have stayed in the USHL, you could have gotten a top five, top six guy. Obviously, he went to the NCAA and performed worse than a guy like Adam Valentini. And we're not even talking about him in the first 20 picks. So what do you what is your thoughts, Gabe?

SPEAKER_03 40:54

Yeah, you know, all this talk about uh Vigo Bjork slipping, and it's Tynan Lawrence falling outside the top 10, outside the top 12. And Don, like you're saying, I mean, this guy had aspirations of a top three pick, actually started the year at number three on my board. And was he scoring to start his college move? No, not at all. You know, he looked a step behind the play, but by the end of the year, by the time playoffs rolled around, that step was there. He was scoring big goals for BU. He was their best offensive player some nights. Uh and Washington, Don, like you said, they're going through a transition. Ovi's leaving. You got Dubois and Strome there, uh, filling out your center depth. Leonard, uh, Protoss, you know, some of these guys might look like wingers at the end of the day. They need some certainty in that top six center role. They need a guy who can bring it all. That's Tynan Lawrence. You know, Washington has done well and making the most out of the guy, these guys who might not have the skating step of some of the superstars. I think Tynan Lawrence falls into that conversation, but he's got the mind, he's got the hands, he's got the instincts. Playing for a carberry-led team, I think that's enough to turn him into maybe a 65, 70 plus point scorer, maybe a Sebastian Aho type with some padding around him. I think this is a real nice pick for Washington and one that they can lean on in their rebuild moving forward.

SPEAKER_04 42:28

Totally agree. If he slips this much, then hey, Washington, they're scooping him up. Tylen Lawrence, 13 to the Washington Capitals. All right, Lincoln and I have had some long discussions about this. And we're gonna go with Malte Gustison.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

Gustafson. Really, really started to show. He started playing in the SHL and he really started some playing some reliable defensive game, uh, a reliable defensive game that I have been very, very fond of. I love when a player can jump in and play a pro-ready game in the SHL. We've praised uh Evar Stenberg for doing it, we've praised Vigo Bjork for doing it. Um, William Hawkinson, who made the world juniors for Sweden, he did it for a little bit and then he went back to juniors. Gustavson was the other way around. He played well enough where he's been able to stick in that SHL lineup. I I've been such a big fan of him. Um, I know some people, some crazies are gonna have him in the top 10 and think that he's like the guy who's who's up there with the big four defenseman, but this is my number five defenseman on my board. Um, I really like him. I think Philly needs more than anything else uh just uh just a good solid defenseman. They you need guys on the back end who are gonna play some solid defense. Uh they only picked uh they only picked up one defenseman in the first two rounds last year, and that was my boy Carter Amiko. Uh or no, and then they got Luke Vluswick. But uh then they have now they have a chance to get one in the top 12 picks. Um this fits the profile. Danny Briere pick. He's big, he's mobile, and he can move the puck very well. All right. I'm I'm a very I really think that Malte is gonna turn into something really solid.

SPEAKER_05 44:09

Let me chime in after this, too, because I actually I like Gustafson better than Rocco does.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

I don't dislike him, it's just a it's just uh more or less a it lacks upside, it's just a boring pick. It's fine. He's gonna play, he's gonna play a lot, he's gonna be effective, but he's a he's a shutdown D is what he is, and that's fine. But just we're trying to get some views here, Link. You can pick a more exciting guy, you know.

SPEAKER_05 44:33

He does have upside as a really good defender, like he has some high-end skills as a defender that are kind of hard to find. I think he's really physical. I like how he can just kill plays instantly, like it is there. I think he moves the puck fine. I don't see any offense. That's the general issue here. But if you get a player here at this point, then you're happy.

SPEAKER_01 44:56

So the the Flyers have Drysdale, they have Cam York, they have Milandre. Um, I I think they need some more solid uh back end guys who can stop the puck, who can kill those plays. If it's if it takes a six foot five guy who uh can grow into his frame, become a better skater, become a better puck mover, he's already a pretty good puck mover already. He's he's already a really good skater already. I really think this has a lot of upside. So you guys look, you guys, this could be a boring pick to you. I love this pick.

SPEAKER_04 45:25

All right, we got Malte Gustafson at number 14 to the Flyers, number 15. Okay, oh yeah, Rocco.

SPEAKER_05 45:34

I want to hear who your two options are here because I think we're on the same page here.

SPEAKER_02 45:40

Well, I think it's Morozov or Hermanson.

SPEAKER_05 45:42

I was thinking Morozov and Rudolph, actually, because they do need a right shot D. Well, you don't but I if that's the case you don't like. Uh you're right. So I'll let's go Morozov then.

SPEAKER_02 45:53

Oh, I would have said I would have said Rudolph, but I wanted to skip that stupid debate entirely because I know Morozov, then that's the pick. So it's Morozov or Hermanson. So like they like their big they like their big guys. So I think Morozov here is is the pick. And you look at the guys they have success with, they have bro bo Horvat for a long time. It was Brock Nelson, and they like these these big guys that bring two-way ability and and skill. And I think Morozov is is scratching the surface of what his potential is. He's one of the, you know, this was the second youngest player in in college hockey and was the youngest player for the first half of the year. But that said, what do you have 20 points? He did it both ways, and he earned a regular shift, and and he he played important minutes for them. And he he looks like a guy that actually I personally feel like has some untapped and underrated offensive upside.

SPEAKER_05 46:46

There's more upside here than I think some are perceiving. I mean, he's been thrown into a situation where he's playing big minutes on a college team, you know. Again, he's young, but he's really young, he's performed well. Wouldn't Jack Nesbitt go last year, Mark, the Flyers pick? Yeah. I think this guy's a better prospect than him. I I I I I sincerely do. I think this is uh a guy who can definitely play. I think there is some more offensive upside here, and there's good details and good effort here. That's the other thing. It's a big guy with some really strong effort skills here. Um I mean, look, the Islanders they have Horvat, they just traded for Shen. They need some center depth. I think that's pretty clear here. They're happy to take Russians. They took our friend Prokhorov last year, didn't they, Rocco?

SPEAKER_02 47:41

So I was thinking about that for a line combination down the road. You have to get the announcers to rehearse Island because that'd be a mouthful.

SPEAKER_04 47:49

But all right, we got Ilya Morozov at number 15 to the Islanders, and for the last pick, we're all gonna do it together, a little debate, a little throwback. Who's uh who do we like here, gentlemen? Who do we like at number 60? Um so we got Rudolph's in the mix, obviously. We got Hermanson's in the mix. Uh, Gabe, anyone you want to throw into that mix?

SPEAKER_03 48:11

You know, I I really like uh Ford and a defender here. I'll give us two options. The defender you guys are gonna expect, it's uh you har p youho peeperinen.

SPEAKER_04 48:22

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 48:23

Um, probably gonna struggle just as much with this forward name here. Ford's one I want more. I know he's in the top 20 is some NHL boards. It's Sigmas Ignata Vicius. Oh, yes, nailed it, absolutely crush it, crushed it. Winterland hockey right now. I love him. That's my pick, clear in a way.

SPEAKER_05 48:46

Gabe, names are hard, so I really respect the effort there because I fail at all of them.

SPEAKER_03 48:52

I said it confidently. That's what Link taught me how to do.

SPEAKER_01 48:55

Yeah, it's it's it's a let it's a Lithuanian name. That's kind of how you say it. So, guys, it pays to minor in linguistics. So um, I actually want to throw another name into this into this mix, uh, and I'm not kidding, uh, because we're we're we're we're we're going after Link in the chat now. I love uh Rudolph, I think this is a good spot to take Rudolph. I love a guy like uh Elton Herminson. I've loved them all year, but I want to see some love for uh for Wyatt Cullen. Um I'm a huge fan of what he's been doing down the down the road for the NTDP. Um this guy is just so electric. I love watching him play. He will not turn 17 until my little brother, who is uh a senior in high school, is until he's enrolled in college. So he he will be playing his 18-year-old season next year. He's a September 8th birthday. This guy is very, very young. Uh he is fast, he is very elusive, he's got great hands and what and and whatnot. Uh, he's going to do great great stuff for wherever he plays. I think the I think Tri-City has his rights in the WHL, but he could easily make the jump up uh next year to the University of Minnesota. Um, very big fan of Wyatt Cullen. I I really think he deserves a shout in the top 16. I love him.

SPEAKER_02 50:14

Okay. I I I'm gonna put a guy out here. I know I'm gonna be able to convince one vote. I don't know if I'll be able to get three of you to vote for this, but I'm gonna give a little love. And we got to keep in mind this is a mock draft, not our own ranking. And we look at team's history and like look what Nashville has drafted the last three seasons with their first pick. Brady Martin, big physical looney tune. Yeah, Cern, big physical skill, loony tune. Matthew Wood, big physical skill, loony tune. I know where we're going. Let's take a trip over to La Belle Plavains in Quebec and look at Maddox Dagenay, who's a 30 guy for the Quebec ramparts, who can shoot the puck through the glass and hit everything that moves, and is a big skilled Looney Tune on the four check. He would fit right in with what Nashville seems to like in terms of their draft model. And I feel like he gets Quebec guys get deducted draft status. I don't know why. It kind of bothers me, but he deserves some love around here. Him or Hermanson would be my would be my picks.

SPEAKER_05 51:23

I I would agree, I would agree with Hermanson on Dajene here. That's who we have on our board here. By the way, if you haven't been to a Q game, you can really enjoy the in-and-out privileges at the game. It's a really a great experience if you go. Maybe that's part of why we enjoy the Q guys so much. But he is a good player, like he is undervalued a bit, I think, because he's again he's the 6'4 body who can skate, shoot the puck, and he hits guys, and those guys are really, really hard to find. And I know he's in Quebec, but like he is a solid player. There is upside here. I mean, it is the Islanders. I think they would probably go Hermanson here, though. I think that is probably where they would more lean to. But we are fans of Dajanay um here. Uh, but yeah, yeah, I think that that's probably where they go as well. You know, I I do like how Rocco talked about the type of player they're they're picking that does kind of scream Dajanay, to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 52:23

I really wanted uh Malte Gustafson to be here because actually in 2024 they took Vigo Gustavson, his brother, and they're they kind of profile as both kind of similar players, but one's higher end. But the thing is, like they've had their looks on this guy, and they both uh you know, I feel like the predators have selected a lot of big forwards and left-handed defensemen. So I do think uh a guy like uh Daxon Rudolph could definitely be the pick here. I mean, they just need a guy like that. It's not gonna be uh tough for him even to be here. I think Daxon Rudolph will be picked before, but at the same time, uh, you know, six to two hundred pound right-handed defensemen that's playing well in the WHL. Him and Braden Coots do have a lot of good chemistry together, too. So maybe a little bit of the points are Brayden Coots, but at the same time, like Daxon Rudolph has been fantastic. I don't feel like he would be past the 15 uh 15 mark, but I do feel like the Predators probably do look at Gustafson a lot in this draft if he is there, because I do believe he will be.

SPEAKER_05 53:33

You're probably right, Don, that they they probably go for Rudolph here.

SPEAKER_01 53:37

I I think Rudolph is a really good pick here, too. Um, I I passed on him earlier to take Maltha Gustafson, but um Nashville is a program that is a long history of developing defensemen, long, long history of doing that stuff. Um, they're gonna let him grow, they're gonna let him go to the NCAA. Um, they're gonna let this guy really jest state and develop, and I think they'll really make something good out of him. If he's gonna go anywhere and go somewhere where he's going to have the best chance to become the defenseman that we think he can, because he was showing signs that he could become a guy who goes in the top 10, a guy worthy of playing on a top hair. That could be, should he go to the right system.

SPEAKER_04 54:16

I think I think Daxon Rudolph is the uh selection then. Daxon Rudolph, number 16 to the Nashville Preddors. All right, so let's go over this real quick. Uh, number one, Vancouver went with Gavin McKenna, two, the Blackhawks, Ivor Stenberg, or Ivar Stenberg, sorry. Three, New York Rangers, Caleb Malholtra, four, Calgary Flames, Chase Reed, five, St. Louis Blues, Keaton Vierhoff, six, Boston via Toronto, Albert Schmitz, seven, Winnipeg, Carson Carls, eight, Seattle, Ethan Belchez, nine, Florida, Oliver Savanto, 10, San Jose, V. Bjork, 11, Los Angeles, Oscar Heming, 12, New Jersey, Adam Novotny, 13, Washington, Tynan Lawrence, 14, Philadelphia Flyers, Malte Gustafson, 15, New York Islanders, Ilya Morazov, and 16. The National Predators go with Daxton Rudolph. There it is. That is the end of our March mock draft. Uh, gentlemen, we'll reconvene in probably a month or so, right before the draft. Probably May, I think. We'll probably get together. We'll try to get uh we're gonna do the top 32 next time. So it's gonna be a lot. Uh we'll be right in playoff mode and uh yeah, lots of hockey to talk about, boys.

SPEAKER_02 55:42

So uh any anyone want to say anything before we uh if we're doing a top 32, we're putting link on a word count.

SPEAKER_04 55:53

A timer or a word count, which one do you want?

SPEAKER_02 55:55

Well, it depends how quick you can talk, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 55:58

I'll be I'll be quicker next time, Rocco. Oh man, don't worry about me.

SPEAKER_05 56:02

I'll tell you this. I think our board's gonna look a lot different.

SPEAKER_04 56:06

All right, boys. That's it for this episode. Thanks uh for hey guys, go check out uh the puck bunker boys, they're at like 900 subscribers on YouTube, so get them to a thousand, please. The prospect dawns on YouTube too. Gabe Foley, he's all over the Twitter sphere at NHL Foley, and of course, my body link new wave hockey. Go check him out. And uh, gentlemen, thanks for this. We'll be uh well, you know what? We're gonna all get together, you know, individually or um to talk about some prospects. Uh, we'll get uh I think uh we got the prospect Don on. We're gonna talk about Caleb Malholtra because Link and I just saw him and Prospect Don saw him like a couple weeks ago, and then the puckbucker boys. We're getting you guys on in a couple weeks or so to talk some prospects, maybe uh Dajnay. It looks like they really like Dajnay, so I think we're gonna have to talk a little bit of Maddox action. I don't mind that at all, actually. All right, boys. Uh, thanks for coming and uh cheers to everyone.

SPEAKER_03 57:01

Hey, thanks, Mark. Hey, appreciate it, fellas.

SPEAKER_04 57:06

See ya, boys.