2018 NHL mock draft: Projecting the top seven picks

A Vancouver Canucks Christmas is just around the corner! Jimmy Claus or Santa Benning is about to leave all Canucks fans with a gift under the prospect’s tree. Here is my mock draft for the first seven selections.

This years draft has up to ten prospects that have piqued hockey fans interest. Here’s how I see the first seven picks shaking out and what I think the Vancouver Canucks will do with the seventh overall pick.

1. Buffalo Sabres

Rasmus Dahlin: Enough said.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Andrei Svechnikov: The guy can flat out play, he’s big Russian winger that will make an immediate impact for the Carolina Hurricanes and is a strong candidate for the Calder trophy next year. Svechnikov will be a top six forward to begin his career and shouldn’t take long to develop into a full time first line winger.

His combination of size, speed and skill doesn’t come around often, if it wasn’t for the wonder child Rasmus Dahlin, Svechnikov would have easily slid into that spot, there is not much of a debate for the second overall pick.

3. Detroit Red Wings: (trade from Montreal Canadians)

Filip Zadina: I think the Red Wings will take this opportunity to move up and add Zadina, his shot is the most accurate in this draft and he dominated at the World Juniors. The Red Wings would get a prototypical scoring winger that will be a beast on the powerplay for his career. My dream would be that the Canucks actually trade up to this spot and snag the sniper, Zadina would be the ying to Brock Boeser‘s yang.

4. Ottawa Senators

Quinn Hughes: Been rising like crazy, he probably won’t stop rising as we get close to the draft. His skating is excellent, probably the best in the draft.

His size scares me a bit but the way the league is moving there will be a place for his skill set. Puck moving guy who will take a couple years to develop but good news is that he was already playing against University aged players so he could be a step closer than we think.

5. Arizona Coyotes

Brady Tkachuk: After moving Max Domi there’s good reason to believe that the Yotes’ will go with Tkachuk, he’s played alongside Clayton Keller for the United States National Team’s development program in the 2015-16 season.

Tkachuk has great hands around the net and will make an immediate impact on the Coyotes next season if he doesn’t return to Boston University.

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Tkachuk could see himself falling a bit if some things shake up around the top of this draft.

Or, if the Coyotes want to draft a defenceman, that could open the door for the Canucks to maybe get their third shot at a Tkachuk. I don’t think they could pass on him at seven, Benning seems to be high on the young power forward. He’s a real meat and potatoes guy, remember that Benning?

6. Montreal Canadians: (trade from Detroit Red Wings)

Jesperi Kotkaniemi: The Canadians will find a trading partner and pick up a piece or two from the Red Wings, who have a few extra pieces after trading Tomas Tatar at the trade deadline. For me, Kotkaniemi is comparable to Anze Kopitar, it seems teams are still worried about drafting a non-North American centre so early in the draft.

Kotkaniemi is the real deal, he has size and has shown that he also has skill when playing in the very respectable Finnish Liiga last season as a 17 year old. The Canadians will finally find their future centre and hopefully for them they can add a pick from trading down in the draft.

7. Vancouver Canucks

Adam Boqvist: The Swedish right shot defenceman has such a high ceiling, his wrist shot from the point may be the best in the draft, he scored 14 goals in 25 games in the Superelit league (Swedish Junior League).

He also played in 15 games at the Swedish Hockey League level, not putting up too many points but the fact he has played against men already is intriguing for Boqvist. His ability to run a power play as the point man is outstanding, and that should be the hope for him at the NHL level.

His best skill when seeing his goals is that he can get the puck on net and in high quality scoring zones, he can pick the corner with ease and if he gets bigger and stronger his shot will only get better.

It’s similar to drafting Elias Pettersson, you’re taking a risk as the player isn’t established as being an all-around defenceman but Boqvist seems to have the highest potential to be a powerplay scorer, possibly higher than Dahlin in that aspect of the game.

Let’s do this thing!

This years draft is wide open, there could be a ton of movement in the first round, probably not as many as the 2008 draft that saw 18 first round picks swap teams but never say never. The Canucks will be getting a very high quality player, I struggled with making a selection, Noah Dobson has been rising in a lot of teams stock and I wonder where the Canucks rank him compared to Boqvist or Evan Bouchard.

Bouchard is probably the defenceman who is most NHL ready aside from Dahlin. Bouchard took his OHL team on his back offensively and could be viable option to win a job at an NHL camp this fall.

Most likely the Canucks will take a defenceman, but if given the option to draft Tkachuk, I don’t think they should pass on him. The idea of trading up to number three is intriguing as well, Zadina and Boeser would be an awesome combo down the wing moving forward as a franchise that needs to score more goals.

Kotkaniemi is a dark horse for me, he could be high on the Canucks draft board and us not even know it. If the Canucks see Pettersson as a winger perhaps they will take a shot on the Finnish centre Kotkaniemi.

Next: Vancouver Canucks sign Reid Boucher to a one-year deal

I’m going to stick with Boqvist though, I think he’s electric in the offensive zone and his shot really hits the back of the twine with authority. I spoke with Jimmy Hamrin, who is head of Swedish scouting for McKeen’s Hockey.

Hamrin said that there’s no way that Adam Boqvist should fall out of the top seven and the Canucks would get another great Swedish prospect in their organization if they drafted him. If the Canucks continue the trend of drafting guys with high ceilings, expect them to be picking Adam Boqvist with their seventh overall pick.

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