An underrated yet enticing blueliner goes to the St. Louis Blues in this Team-by-Team NHL Mock Draft
The St. Louis Blues need to roll with either a blueliner or the best available, and in this NHL Mock Draft, they added an enticing prospect.
Wow, frequently, these NHL mock draft simulations from FC Hockey can be full of surprises, and don’t get me wrong, this team-by-team one featuring picks No. 1 through No. 16 had its fair share of astonishing decisions. That said, if something didn’t surprise me, it was the number of blueliners going in the top 15, making me think a little when I stopped the sim and picked for the St. Louis Blues.
Still, even with six defensemen off the board, I managed to play the part of general manager Doug Armstrong well. While my latest seven-round mock draft simulation may have concocted the ideal scenario, I also wouldn’t be opposed if the top 16 picks occurred in the same way they did in this mock.
1st Overall: San Jose Sharks - Macklin Celebrini, C/Boston University
The San Jose Sharks don’t need to consider anyone other than Macklin Celebrini, as he’s the one player in this draft a franchise can confidently build around for a generation. This simulation will have some eye-popping decisions, but San Jose passing on Celebrini, even in a simulation, just isn’t necessary.
2nd Overall: Chicago Blackhawks - Anton Silayev, D/Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Okay, so if not Artyom Levshunov, Arton Silayev is most likely the pick here if it’s going to be a blueliner. Some may not like this one much, but there is no denying the Blackhawks defensive rotation will get a whole lot better if they roll with Silayev, and he eventually lands with the big club.
3rd Overall: Anaheim Ducks - Zayne Parekh, D/Saginaw Spirit
After the Blackhawks rolled with Anton Silayev, I thought for sure Artyom Levshunov would be the next defenseman taken, but instead, another surprise awaited. Zayne Parekh knows how to put up points, and if his play translates well to the NHL, expect him to be a dynamic quarterback on the power play.
4th Overall: Columbus Blue Jackets - Berkly Catton, C/Spokane Chiefs
This one will come down to three players if the situation this simulation created calls for it: Cayden Lindstrom, Ivan Demidov, or Berkly Catton. Lindstrom and Demidov could be the two more logical picks here, but Berkly Catton is one of those ultra-high-potential prospects who could easily turn out better than the other two.
5th Overall: Montreal Canadiens - Cayden Lindstrom, C/Medicine Hat Tigers
Cayden Lindstrom, in many ways, can be like former first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, so could you imagine these two playing together on the same top-six one of these days? While I’m unsure Lindstrom makes it past the Blue Jackets in real life, the Canadiens will have picked up yet another big-time player if they have a chance to get Lindstrom.
6th Overall: Utah Hockey Club - Zeev Buium, D/Denver
This is an important draft for the Utah Hockey Club as it gives their front office a chance to make a first impression on their new fan base. And by drafting a dynamic player who is somewhat local, Zeev Buium may be the best bet here, even if players like Ivan Demidov and Artyom Levshunov are still on the board.
7th Overall: Ottawa Senators - Konsta Helenius, C/Jukurit
Yes, Ivan Demidov is still on the board, but the simulation rolled with Konsta Helenius, which would be a stretch in real life. That said, I also wouldn’t see it as a massive reach, considering the way Helenius played last year in Liiga.
8th Overall: Seattle Kraken - Ivan Demidov, RW/SKA St. Petersburg
Could you see a player like Ivan Demidov falling to the Seattle Kraken? I honestly can’t, but I could see a brewing dynamic duo between him and Shane Wright if he did, and they would be a pair of fun young talents to watch a year or two from today if Demidov landed in the Kraken’s system.
9th Overall: Calgary Flames - Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW/Mora
The Calgary Flames have a few young players to rebuild their team around, like Connor Zary, so drafting a player with a simpler, hardworking approach like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard would be a good choice. Not that he wouldn’t elevate his game later, as I can see Brandsegg-Nygard doing so, but it’s a logical move on a few fronts.
10th Overall: New Jersey Devils - Artyom Levshunov, D/Michigan State
Yeah, if you could name the most ideal scenario for the New Jersey Devils, this one might be it. It’s clear that they haven’t solved their woes at the blue line just yet, but drafting a dynamic player like Artyom Levshunov, if he somehow makes it down this far, puts them one step closer to solving those problems.
11th Overall: Buffalo Sabres - Cole Eiserman, LW/USNTDP
I’ve seen a few simulations already with Cole Eiserman falling to the Sabres, but I’m not ready to believe it just yet. That said, if it happens, then he’s a steal, and could you name a better eventual successor to Jeff Skinner? I doubt he’ll fall to No. 11, but if he’s there, I also doubt he falls past No. 11.
12th Overall: Philadelphia Flyers - Tij Iginla, C/Kelowna Rockets
Even if the Philadelphia Flyers had their pick between Cole Eiserman and Tij Iginla, I’m still going with the latter, but in this simulation, only Iginla was available. Philadelphia already has a great prospects pool despite losing Cutter Gauthier, but Tij Iginla is a more than worthy replacement in the system.
13th Overall: Minnesota Wild - Sam Dickinson, D/London Knights
It’s almost like the Minnesota Wild is the unluckiest team in this simulation, with Cole Eiserman and Tij Iginla falling onto their radar only to be scooped up. That would be disappointing to the fans, but Sam Dickinson falling this far should raise their spirits if that’s the case next week.
14th Overall: San Jose Sharks - Nikia Artamov, LW/Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
I’ve conducted a few of these team-by-team mock drafts and have gotten varying results with the 14th pick. A defenseman is still the most logical route for me here, thanks to the Celebrini pick, but finding a potential tag-team partner at No. 14 - not counting players like Will Smith - also wouldn’t be a bad move.
15th Overall: Detroit Red Wings - Carter Yakemchuk, D/Calgary Hitmen
Carter Yakemchuk would have been my pick if he fell just one more slot, but that’s what often happens in these NHL draft simulations, right? Either way, I couldn’t blame the simulation for this one, especially with so much talent already off the board.
16th Overall: St. Louis Blues - Stian Solberg, D/Färjestad BK
I went into this simulation looking to take whomever the best remaining defenseman was, and while I was disappointed that my top blueliners didn’t fall, Stian Solberg was nonetheless an excellent consolation prize. He may not be the two-way blueliner some fans might want to see here, but an old-school, big-hitting player will be needed once the Blues current wave of defensemen starts going elsewhere.
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