NHL Draft: 2018 Draft Preview

In desperate need of a second franchise-altering talent to pair alongside Jack Eichel, the Buffalo Sabres lucked out and will pick first in Dallas in a draft that features a lot of depth, but no high-end goaltending prospects. The New York Rangers own three first-round selections while Philadelphia, Ottawa, Detroit, Chicago and the Islanders each have a pair. Our annual ranking of the top eligible players follows.

Note: This is not a mock draft, nor does it take team needs into account.

1. Rasmus Dahlin (D, Frolunda-SHL): Teams are going to come calling on picks two and three, but Buffalo won't be trading the first overall pick because Dahlin is a stud and a franchise building block. Dahlin is the complete package. He has elite offensive instincts and the smarts and foot speed to excel defensively. Sure, he needs to add a few pounds of muscle like most young defensemen, but his hockey IQ will allow him to play in the league while he bulks up. He cracked the Swedish Olympic team (although he barely played in the tournament) and was productive (seven goals, 20 points in 41 games) playing against men in Sweden's top league all year long despite the fact he skated the entire season as a 17-year-old. I am a huge fan of the players ranked second and third on this list, but there is a substantial gap between Dahlin and everyone else. Senators star Erik Karlsson is on record as saying that Dahlin is better at this age than he was. That's lofty praise and there's been nothing to suggest he isn't worthy of the hype. The last draft-eligible defenseman that even came close to matching Dahlin's all-around skill set was fellow Swede Victor Hedman in 2009 and we all know how he turned out.

2. Andrei Svechnikov (RW, Barrie-OHL): The fact Svechnikov has spent the last two seasons playing in North America is a good sign moving forward. Despite all his natural ability, I doubt he would be in the running for a top-three pick had he stayed in his native Russia. He finished the season with 40 goals for Barrie despite the fact he was limited to just 44 games due to a broken hand and time spent with the Russian World Junior team. Svechnikov's game is built on power and possesses a hard, heavy shot with the ability to dominate opposing defensemen below the goal line. He is also an underrated playmaker and above-average skater while offering terrific size at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. The Hurricanes have all but confirmed they will be selecting Svechnikov with the #2 pick.

3. Filip Zadina (RW, Halifax-QMJHL): The gap between Svechnikov and Zadina is miniscule for me. Everyone knew Zadina was good, but his stellar performance at the World Juniors was his true coming out party. He scored seven goals in seven games for the Czech Republic and looked like the most dangerous player on the ice every night. While Zadina offers plenty of high-end skill, his tenacious work ethic makes him a threat every single shift. His 44 goals and 82 points in 57 games for Halifax this past season were not a fluke. Zadina spent the entire season wreaking havoc on the forecheck and displaying terrific skill and offensive instincts, especially on the power play. Zadina does so many things well and is such a hard worker that I would be shocked if he doesn't develop into a top-six forward at the NHL level.

4. Quinn Hughes (D, University of Michigan-NCAA): Let me begin by saying that I understand why some teams are going to shy away from taking a generously listed 5-foot-10, 170-pound kid with a top-five pick. Hughes has one of the highest ceilings in the entire draft, with an ability to control a game and create offense from the backend while displaying an unparalleled skating ability and creativity compared to others in this year's crop. Hughes played a limited role for Team USA at the World Juniors, but he was Michigan's best defenseman (five goals, 29 points in 36 games) all season long as an 18-year-old freshman. He also had a very strong showing at the World Championship in May. The organization that selects Hughes must be committed to some growing pains along the way. The worst thing that could happen for both the club and the player is to try to mold Hughes to play in some sort of rigid team structure. He possesses the smarts and hockey IQ to develop into a serviceable player in his own zone, but his offensive instincts remain his calling card. Hughes' younger brother Jack has been compared to Connor McDavid and, barring a miracle, will be the top overall pick in the 2019 draft. The elder Hughes has all the traits to eventually develop into a top-flight point producing defenseman at the NHL level.

5. Adam Boqvist (D, Almtuna-Allsvenskan-Sweden): Boqvist has spent a good portion of the season playing in the Swedish second-tier and junior ranks, but there is a more than enough tape on him from international events to get a feel for him as a prospect. He plays a similar, although slightly less dynamic style to Hughes. Boqvist is at his best with the puck on his stick. He is a truly brilliant passer and makes smart reads defensively, rarely putting his team in a disadvantageous position when trying to make a play. Boqvist is still developing physically and his struggles come when he is tasked with defending bigger forwards in his own zone for any length of time. Hughes is a bit more creative in my opinion, but Boqvist has a hard, accurate shot from the point and looks like a top-four NHL defender than can run a top power-play unit. He's darn good.

6. Oliver Wahlstrom (RW, US NTDP-USHL): With his performance this season, Wahlstrom has proven to be the most consistent and dynamic goal scorer in the entire draft. He finished the year with 62 goals in 80 contests when you combine the games he played with the US U18 team and the US NTDP in the USHL. Unlike Owen Tippett, who was considered by many to be the best pure sniper in last year's draft, Wahlstrom has no issues playing within a team concept. His willingness to shoot the puck creates plenty of rebounds and havoc in the offensive zone even if he doesn't score. He's a big body at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds and works hard. Wahlstrom's ability to control the play in the offensive zone is also a huge asset.

7. Brady Tkachuk (LW, Boston University-NCAA): Tkachuk will almost certainly be drafted higher than seventh. Brady is a lot like his older brother Matthew in the sense that he plays a hard, physical game and is at his best when he is making life miserable for opposing defensemen. Tkachuk has above-average puck skills, particularly his vision and finishing touch around the net. He isn't a great skater, but he has the hockey IQ to make up for that and I don't think his lack of foot speed will hold him back. Tkachuk produced well during his freshman season at Boston University (eight goals, 31 points in 40 games) and exceled for Team USA at the World Juniors. His willingness to engage physically gives him a high floor. Even if he doesn't have the skill set to be a top-six forward at the NHL level, Tkachuk should be a productive third-liner that pots 15-plus goals per season and impacts a game in a variety of different ways. In the issue of full disclosure, Matthew has turned out to be a better player than I originally anticipated, and I was a fan of his in his draft year.

8. Evan Bouchard (D, London-OHL): Bouchard had an exceptional season for London and led all OHL defensemen in scoring (25 goals, 87 points in 67 games) – nine more points than runner-up Nic Hauge (VGK) of Mississauga. Bouchard makes the game look easy. He may be a defenseman, but Bouchard is one of the best passers in all of junior hockey. I wish he was a bit more physical given his size at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, but that's really my only complaint regarding his game. Bouchard doesn't possess the dynamic element that Hughes and Boqvist bring to the table, but he is further along defensively than either of them. I think he develops into a solid top-four defenseman at the NHL level.

9. Jesperi Kotkaniemi (C, Assat-Finland): While some have Kotkaniemi ranked as a top-five prospect, others have him more towards the middle of Round 1; I stand somewhere in the middle. He enjoyed a strong year (10 goals, 29 points in 59 games) for Assat while playing against men in Finland's top league as a 17-year-old – and he won't turn 18 until July 6. Kotkaniemi is known as a playmaker but possesses an underrated shot and has shown an ability to play both center and wing. Like most young Finnish players, Kotkaniemi works well within a team system and is solid defensively. For a kid that checks in at 6-foot-2 and roughly 200 pounds, Kotkaniemi isn't overly physical, but is willing to go into the difficult areas of the ice to make plays. His stock has been steadily rising over the past few months and I don't think there's any chance he makes it to the teams picking at the back of the lottery.

10. Rasmus Kupari (C, Karpat-Finland): Of all the players expected to be drafted outside the top ten, Kupari has one of the best chances of developing into a star at the NHL level. His ceiling is high, but Kupari has a lot of work ahead of him to reach it. He's a very good stickhandler that excels at creating offense for himself and his line mates. Kupari's biggest issue now is he doesn't have the upper-body strength to win many physical battles at this stage of his career. It also didn't help matters that he bounced between teams in his home country this season, but I think it's quite clear most of his struggles are simply the result of him being a young kid that lacks physical development. I see no reason this issue won't be straightened out in the coming years, as Kupari doesn't have any glaring weaknesses on the ice.

11. Joel Farabee (LW, US NTDP-USHL): Committed to play at Boston University, Farabee spent the entire season pummeling opposing defensemen and hunting down loose pucks to open lanes for Wahlstrom to score his 62 goals. Playing a game built upon his speed and tenaciousness, Farabee plays every shift like it's his last. He is a coach's dream and the type of player all winning teams need. He also has more than enough skill to get by and he can beat you in a variety of ways offensively. I love him, but at 6-feet, 165 pounds, he's not very big. I have no doubt Farabee will be an effective player for as long as his body holds up, but I could understand why some teams would have some concerns regarding his game moving forward.

12. Noah Dobson (D, Acadie-Bathurst-QMJHL): A tall kid that uses his stick well and plays a quiet, understated game, Dobson is the rare 18-year-old defenseman who is a legitimate asset in all three zones. He averaged more than a point-per-game (17 goals, 69 points in 67 games) this past season for the Titan, but I don't expect him to come close to matching that type of offensive production as a pro. Dobson might not have one single elite skill, but he is at least solid average across the board. And he finished the year with a particularly strong showing in leading the Titan to the Memorial Cup Championship. The most common argument against Dobson being a high pick is that he doesn't have the long-term potential offensive upside of guys like Hughes and Boqvist. That's true, but there is definite value in a player that can help you in a multitude of areas and is seemingly a lock to have a productive NHL career in some capacity.

13. Vitali Kravtsov (RW, Traktor Chelyabinsk-KHL): Despite the fact he scored just four goals in 35 games for Traktor this past season, Kravtsov was named KHL Rookie of the Month in both March and April. He had a monster playoff for his club team and saw his stock soar after a nondescript regular season. At 6'2", 185, he is a big kid who is willing to go to the tough areas of the ice to make plays. I wish he was a bit more physical given his size, but Kravtsov displays a good set of hands and works hard. Klim Kostin fell to the 31st pick last June and he should have gone a good 10-12 picks earlier. I could see the same thing happening with Kravtsov this time around. He has a high floor because you can slot him almost anywhere in a lineup. Young Russians playing in the KHL often don't get a ton of ice time throughout the course of the season and it can make for a difficult evaluation. I think Kravtsov would be a lock for the first round if he had been playing in the CHL this past year.

14. Grigori Denisenko (LW, Yaroslavl-MHL): The fact Denisenko spent the entire year minus four playoff games playing for Yaroslavl's MHL club has made it a bit difficult to get a true read on his long-term potential. He has the look of an offensively gifted, top-six, playmaking winger, but it's all speculation at this point. Denisenko played this season around 170 pounds and he is going to need to add a good 10-15 pounds of muscle to his frame in the coming years. I'm interested to see how the 'Russian factor' impacts Denisenko on draft day. He is the only Russian-based player – as Svechnikov is already playing in North America – who is a lock to be selected in the first round. I like what I've seen in my limited viewings, but the unknown could make Denisenko a late first-rounder when he probably deserves to be drafted closer to the middle of the first frame.

15. Ty Smith (D, Spokane-WHL): It is not a good year for the WHL in terms of high-level prospects and there is an outside chance, albeit a relatively small one, that Smith is the only Western Hockey Leaguer taken in Round 1. In a draft that is seemingly full of them, Smith is another in a long line of undersized, mobile, puck-moving defensemen. He has a boatload of offensive ability and finished a strong year (73 points in 69 games) for Spokane. Smith's defensive play needs refinement, but the team drafting him will be hoping for a decade-plus of NHL duty in addition to being an asset on the power play.

16. Joe Veleno (C, Drummondville-QMJHL): Veleno looked awful – bordering on disinterested – before being shipped from Saint John to Drummondville in December. Since then, he has looked like an entirely different player. Veleno finished with 16 goals and 48 points in 33 games for the Volts after averaging just a point-per-game in 31 contests for the Sea Dogs. For a player that is a brilliant skater and shows strong puck skills, Veleno disappears far too often for my liking. He looks terrific when he is at his best, but he needs to bring that same effort every single night. Granted 'exceptional status' by the CHL so he could play in the QMJHL a year early, Veleno isn't the first 18-year-old to struggle with consistency issues. His ceiling is extremely high, but he's a risk.

17. Barrett Hayton (C, Sault Ste. Marie-OHL): The more and more I watch of Hayton, the more I see a lot of Sean Monahan in him. Hayton, much like Monahan was as a junior player, is underappreciated because he isn't flashy and goes about his business with little fanfare. Hayton's isn't a burner, but that's my only complaint regarding his game. He averaged less than a point-per-game (60 points in 63 games) for the Greyhounds this season, but his team was so deep he wasn't asked to carry the offensive load. It almost certainly will help his development in the long run. He is aware enough in his own zone to be an asset on the penalty kill, and has enough offensive ability to help his club on the power play. There is generally a defined ceiling with players than don't possess that one true elite skill, but Hayton does so many things well that I would roll the dice in the middle of Round 1.

18. Isac Lundestrom (C, Lulea-SHL): You must dig deeper than the stat line to truly appreciate the season Lundestrom had. He took a regular shift in the SHL as an 18-year-old and still managed to be moderately productive (six goals, 15 points in 42 points) along the way. Lundestrom has high-end hockey sense, but I'm not convinced he's a high-end offensive talent. His profile is somewhat like that of Lias Andersson, and Andersson was taken seventh overall by the Rangers last year and spent the final stages of this year playing in the NHL. I would prefer a high ceiling as opposed to a high floor if I was drafting in Round 1, but some club, probably in the top 20, is going to fall in love with the dependability that Lundestrom offers.

19. Bode Wilde (D, US NTDP-USHL): Wilde makes a ton of sense for a team with multiple first-round picks or a team with a deep prospect pool. The upside here is enormous, but so is the risk. Wilde's physical gifts aren't in dispute, with his strong skating, solid 6'2", 195-pound frame and terrific offensive instincts. That's the good news. The bad news is he frequently makes poor decisions with the puck and often gets lost in coverage in his own zone. Many talent evaluators believe that hockey IQ is the most difficult skill to teach. You either have it or you don't. Wilde reminds me of former Rangers 2016 third-round selection Sean Day. A clear first-rounder based upon talent level alone, but nothing more than a high-end lottery ticket until the mental lapses dissipate. Day, who will turn pro this fall, has improved over time, but is still working on cleaning up his issues. Wilde doesn't have the potential commitment concerns that surrounded Day leading up to the draft. And there's no chance Bode will last to Round 3.

20. Dominik Bokk (RW, Vaxjo Jr.-Sweden): A native of Germany, Bokk spent most of this past season playing for Vaxjo's minor league team in Sweden. He was extremely productive (14 goals, 41 points in 35 games) for the junior club, but made a minimal impact (one goal, two points in 15 games) with Vaxjo's top team in the SHL. Bokk promises an extremely high offensive ceiling, but remains a long-term project. His greatest attribute is his ability to make something out of seemingly nothing in the offensive zone. From the blue line in, Bokk is always a threat with the puck on his stick. He owns an elite set of hands and a terrific shot, but is no better than an average skater. He also needs to bulk up and seriously improve his play away from the puck. The latter two deficiencies should improve in the coming years, although I want to see Bokk display a better commitment to defending within a team concept. The club that takes him will have to display an extreme amount of patience, but the reward could be massive.

21. Ryan Merkley (D, Guelph-OHL): This is going to sound crazy, but Merkley might be playing the wrong position. I'm not legitimately suggesting he switch to forward, but his offensive ability is so immense that he is in the first-round conversation despite the fact he is amongst the least responsible defensive prospects I have ever scouted. Merkley has more talent than he knows what to do with. At his best, he appears to be a top-pairing defender, but this is a kid that who racked up a combined minus-70 over the past two seasons and there are legitimate concerns he just won't be able to improve enough defensively to ever take a regular shift at the NHL level. There have also been some rumblings of character concerns surrounding Merkley and the pre-draft interview process will be important for him. At some point, the fact he scored 122 points in 125 games since the start of last year is outweighed by the harm he does in his own zone. The pre-draft grades on Merkley have been all over the board.

22. K'Andre Miller (D, US NTDP-USHL): An extremely gifted athlete with terrific speed, Miller has the size at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds and the ability to eventually develop into a top-four, two-way defenseman as a professional. He hasn't been playing defense for long and he is prone to making poor reads at times. He is slowly beginning to trust his instincts and jump into the play more frequently. Miller is committed to the University of Wisconsin and is one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects in the entire draft. I'm a big believer in betting on athleticism and Miller offers that in spades.

23. Rasmus Sandin (D, Sault Ste. Marie-OHL): Sandin is one of my favorite and more underrated players in the entire draft. He lacks the upside of some of the other players on this list, but he plays a strong all-around game and has a decent amount of offensive ability. Sandin's numbers this season (45 points in 51 games) were slightly inflated because he skated for one of the best teams in the CHL, but he played well all season long in his first North American campaign. I think he gives his new employer 10-to-12 years of solid, if not spectacular, service at the NHL level.

24. Serron Noel (RW, Oshawa-OHL): The team that selects Noel will have to exhibit a ton of patience, for this here is a long-term project. Noel has insane size at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds and a nice touch around the front of the net. He displayed flashes of dominance for Oshawa, but they were few and far between. His skating ranks below average and he disappears for long stretches. Power forwards, in general, tend to take longer to develop and Noel has further to go than most of them. I would be afraid to take him if I were a team with little depth in my prospect pool, but Noel would make a fine selection for a club that owns multiple first-round picks. The fact I have him rated this highly is a testament to his ultimate potential upside.

25. Akil Thomas (C, Niagara-OHL): Thomas had a terrific season (81 points in 69 games) for Niagara and there is room for continued growth. He excels in a multitude of areas and has shown a constant ability to impact a game in a variety of different ways. Thomas skates well, battles hard, and can play either center or the wing. The team that drafts Thomas will almost certainly do so as a center, but I think he's better suited to play the wing. He has enough offensive ability to get by and I think he eventually develops into a useful NHL player in a depth role.

26. Martin Kaut (RW, Pardubice-Czech): Kaut will appear at times to be a potential top-six forward, while he looks more like a depth guy in other instances. He excels in pushing defenders back and creating open space for both himself and his linemates. I like him more as a goal scorer than a playmaker, but there are times when the opposite will appear to be true. Kaut also has ideal size at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds. Catch him on a good day and Kaut looks like an easy top-10 pick. I don't think he is going to be very useful defensively down the road, so I would advocate an NHL club pass on him if they don't think he can produce offensively as a pro. Kaut will have earned points with scouts for his strong season (nine goals, 16 points in 38 games) in the Czech league as a teenager.

27. Ryan McLeod (C, Mississauga-OHL): A draft-eligible kid with elite speed always has a chance to be an effective player in the NHL and McLeod's skating ability remains his calling card. At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, he also has the size that NHL clubs are looking for down the middle. I'm not convinced McLeod possesses the puck skills to be a top-six center as a pro and I'm not spending a mid-first-round pick on a player that projects as a bottom-six guy. McLeod would make a lot of sense to me in the mid-to-late 20's, but not any earlier; I was left wanting more virtually every single time I watched him play. Others think more highly of McLeod than I do, so it's not out of the realm of possibility he is drafted considerably earlier than this ranking would lead you to believe.

28. Ty Dellandrea (C, Flint-OHL): Playing for a terrible Flint team this past season, Dellandrea managed 27 goals and 59 points in 67 games. Yet throughout the course of the year, Dellandrea's effort level never waned despite the fact his team finished with a 20-43-3 record. He looks to be an underrated offensive player and is responsible in his own zone. Dellandrea won't wow audiences with end-to-end rushes or ever lead the NHL in scoring, but he looks like a surefire pro. It will likely be in a bottom-six role, but there are no shortcuts to his game and he is the kind of guy that a coach can call upon in a variety of different situations.

29. Mattias Samuelsson (D, US NTDP-USHL): The son of long time NHL defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, Mattias plays a simple, understated game. He doesn't try to do too much with the puck and he covers a lot of ground in his own zone. Samuelsson has the size at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds that all NHL teams covet in their defenders. He is more than willing to get involved physically and should work well with an offensive-minded partner in the pros. Samuelsson will probably offer next to nothing offensively, but there's real value in a guy that can play a bunch of minutes and be matched up against opposing team's top players. The knock against taking Samuelsson in Round 1 is that he possesses an extremely limited ceiling.

30. Alexander Alexeyev (D, Red Deer-WHL): It's rare that you hear a Russian termed a 'safe' pick, but that's where we are with Alexeyev after posting back-to-back strong seasons for Red Deer. Alexeyev, who checks in at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, rarely gets caught out of position in his own end and he rarely makes poor decisions with the puck. Alexeyev has been banged up the past couple seasons, but he's been terrific when able to suit up. While not a huge offensive asset, Alexeyev has the smarts to jump into the play as needed. Teams hoping to hit a home run late in the first round will look elsewhere, but I really like Alexeyev's chances of developing into a useful second-pairing defender as a pro since his game features no discernible weaknesses.

31. Jared McIsaac (D, Halifax-QMJHL): McIsaac will probably be drafted higher than I have him ranked. He boasts good size at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, he's mobile enough to skate the puck out of his own zone and he just completed a strong year (nine goals, 45 points in 65 games) for Halifax. McIsaac has some NHL-caliber traits, but there are times he can get caught between jumping into the play and staying back to cover his man. And while it's not a regular occurrence, he also occasionally makes questionable decisions with the puck. I don't think McIsaac owns high-level offensive ability and while he's not a sieve in his own zone, he's far from what you would term a 'shutdown defenseman'. Again, he's a perfectly decent prospect, but not one I would consider before the final pick or two of Round 1.

NEXT 30

Jonatan Berggren (C, Skelleftea-Sweden)
Jake Wise (C, US NTDP-USHL)
Jonathan Tychonick (D, Penticton-BCHL)
Nils Lundkvist (D, Lulea-Sweden)
Calen Addison (D, Lethbridge-WHL)
Jesse Ylonen (RW, Espoo-Finland)
Jack Drury (C, Waterloo-USHL)
Jacob Olofsson (C, Timra-Sweden)
Adam Mascherin (LW, Kitchen
Filip Hallander (C, Timra-Sweden)
Jack McBain (C, Toronto-OJHL)
Benoit-Olivier Groulx (LW, Halifax-QMJHL)
Blake McLaughlin (C, Chicago-USHL)
Jay O'Brien (C, Thayer Academy-Mass.)
Allan McShane (C, Oshawa-OHL)
Cam Hillis (C, Guelph-OHL)
Nicolas Beaudin (D, Drummondville-QMJHL)
Filip Johansson (D, Leksand-Sweden)
Jett Woo (D, Moose Jaw-WHL)
Jacob Bernard-Docker (D, Okotoks-AJHL)
Egor Sokolov (RW, Cape Breton-QMJHL)
Slava Demin (D, Wenatchee-BCHL)
Adam Ginning (D, Linkoping-Sweden)
Dmitri Zavgorodny (C, Rimouski-QMJHL)
Scott Perunovich (D, Minnesota-Duluth-NCAA)
Logan Hutsko (RW, Boston College-NCAA)
Martin Fehervary (D, HV71-Sweden)
Milos Roman (C, Vancouver-WHL)
Alexander Khovanov (C, Moncton-QMJHL)
Sean Durzi (D, Owen Sound-OHL)