Montreal Canadiens: 2021 NHL Mock Draft
With the Seattle Expansion Draft firmly in the rearview mirror and the news that Carey Price will remain with the Canadiens, let us shift our focus to the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Six of us A Winning Habit writers came together to make our yearly mock draft, last year our mock draft got just 5 out of 31 picks spot on and in 2019 that tally was 6, all of those correct guesses came within the top 18 picks as well.
Hopefully this year’s mock will yield more accurate results, though its main purpose is not to predict but to demonstrate which prospects we writers like the most. Without further ado, let us begin with the first overall selection belonging to Ken MacMillan and the Buffalo Sabres!
1. Buffalo Sabres (Ken MacMillan) – Owen Power, 6’5″, 214 lbs, LD.
The Sabres select the consensus top prospect in the NHL Draft. Power is a towering two-way presence on the blue line and though it is rumoured he will return to Michigan for one more season, he will form a formidable tandem on the Sabres blue line with Rasmus Dahlin for many years to come.
2. Seattle Kraken (Scott Cowan) – Matthew Beniers, 6’1″, 174 lbs, C.
If the Seattle Kraken’s initial Expansion Draft roster is anything to go by, it wouldn’t hurt to have some additional scoring, and thankfully for them, Matthew Beniers provides just that. While Owen Power is the consensus No. 1 pick leading up to the 2021 draft, Beniers brings a lot of offensive upside, to go along with solid playmaking abilities and defensive awareness, with a quick call-up from the USNTDP’s U-17 to U-18 team serving as an early example of Benier’s potential.
Beniers produced solid 10-14-24 totals to go along with a +21 rating over 24 games at the University of Michigan this past season. He benefited from a highly talented cast around him, including top prospects Thomas Bordeleau, Cam York, Kent Johnson and Owen Power on a talented Michigan team. While it could be a year or two before he truly comes into his own, Beniers brings a lot to the table for the youngest NHL franchise and a long-term top-6 asset is a valuable asset that a certain recent expansion team couldn’t hold on to.
3. Anaheim Ducks (Maria Bouabdo) – Simon Edvinsson, 6’5″, 207 lbs, LD.
The Ducks have built a solid group of young players, headlined by future top centre Trevor Zegras and potential future top-right-defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Here, the Ducks swing on upside to find their top pick from last season a long-term partner. Edvinsson is huge but is a graceful skater and played very well defensively against very good pro competition in the SHL.
While there are some concerns about his consistency when carrying the puck, there are true flashes of brilliance from this player and he just may be the best defenseman to come from this class. Considering that the Ducks are rebuilding, this type of homerun swing early in the draft is worth the risk.
4. New Jersey Devils (Patrick Lortie) – Dylan Guenther, 6’1″, 181 lbs, LW/RW.
Guenther is a pure goal scorer with an explosive shot, a similar mould of player to Alexander Holtz, who the Devils drafted last year. He’s great at positioning himself in the right areas and plays even harder on the bigger stage. While his otherworldly statistics in the WHL this season were inflated by playing a dominant Oil Kings team, Guenther would be yet another addition to the young and dynamic forward corps the Devils are building and would play with either Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets (Joshua Rosa) – Mason McTavish, 6’2″, 207 lbs, C.
The Blue Jackets are at a very weird stage as a team and will add a reliable future top-6 centreman to the fold in McTavish. He plays with physicality and grit and is adored by his coaches. He has a very good shot and his playmaking is also a real asset in the offensive zone, but it is his constant bulldog-like effort that makes him invaluable to his team. McTavish is a true 200-foot centreman and a relatively safe pick. The Blue Jackets need some certainty from this pick as they are in desperate need of good, reliable players.
6. Detroit Red Wings (Sebastian High) – William Eklund, 5’10”, 172 lbs, C/LW.
The interesting thing about this year’s draft class is how even the top 10 or 12 prospects are, almost any order of that top tier would be unsurprising on draft day with the exceptions of Beniers and Power. Eklund would be a great addition to Steve Yzerman’s rebuilding Red Wings, his pure offensive skill can only be rivalled by Fabian Lysell in this year’s class, but his consistent SHL production and lack of off-ice issues make him the better pick, he produced 11 goals and 23 points in 40 games in arguably the third-best hockey league in the world, outperforming Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond this season.
Eklund is a high-end playmaker with a good shot and great hands, a combination that makes him lethally unpredictable in the offensive zone. While Eklund’s floor is lower than Beniers’, his ceiling as an All-Star top-line winger is higher. A line consisting of Eklund, Larkin and Zadin surely would be fun to watch a few years down the road.
7. San Jose Sharks (Ken MacMillan) – Kent Johnson, 6’1″, 165 lbs, LW/RW.
While Eklund’s offensive package may be more refined than Kent Johnson’s, the Canadian has an ability to make the ice his canvas and create magic that few could replicate. Johnson was part of a terrific freshman class at Michigan, scoring over a point per game with nine goals and 27 points in 26 contests. Johnson’s puckhandling, skill and creativity make him truly stand out as a prospect. He will surely return to school next year but it won’t be long before he’s playing top-six minutes for the Sharks.
8. Los Angeles Kings (Scott Cowan) – Jesper Wallstedt, 6’3″, 214 lbs, G.
With the increasing regression of Jonathan Quick and the shaky status of Cal Petersen as a true starting option, Jesper Wallstedt could be the Kings’ next franchise goalie. Having the opportunity to play behind a number of former NHLers like Erik Gustafsson (not the Habs one), as well as current Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Filip Hallander with Lulea HF of the SHL, Wallstedt plays with a tremendous amount of poise and calmness for his age.
Having played his first season as a starter in 2020-21 with a 12-10-0 record, 2.23 GAA and 2 SO, Wallstedt could turn into a solid No. 1 option and even split minutes with Petersen early on as the Kings look to build around top prospects like Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte. What makes Wallstedt truly special is that he played a lot of games as a goalie in the SHL as a 17/18-year-old, something no other goalie has ever done, and he fared very well.
9. Vancouver Canucks (Maria Bouabdou) – Luke Hughes, 6’2″, 176 lbs, LD/RD.
While the Hughes brothers weren’t reunited in New Jersey in our mock draft, they are reunited in Vancouver! Luke Hughes may be a left-shot but he does play on the right side, so a Quinn/Luke top defensive pairing would be in the cards. They are two different players though, with Luke offering a physicality and defensive potential Quinn does not while lacking some of the offensive flair.
That being said, Luke is a tremendous skater with great playmaking instincts and can play on both special teams. While his defensive awareness is a work in progress, he is one of the youngest players in the draft and has time to work on his weaknesses. The Canucks draft not only for the wholesome storyline here but on upside as well.
10. Ottawa Senators (Patrick Lortie) – Brandt Clarke, 6’2″, 190 lbs, RD.
Brandt Clarke is a true offensive defenceman with high potential at racking up points in the NHL. His passing ability is as effective in the offensive zone as it is on the rush, his intelligence will carry him a long way in professional hockey if his feet can catch up a bit. Skating concerns have been voiced for a long time now, but Clarke should be able to work around them and become a force to be reckoned with. He is also an effective rush defender, so don’t write him off as one-dimensional, he does need to add some strength though.
11. Arizona Coyotes – Forfeited
12. Chicago Blackhawks (Joshua Rosa) – Fabian Lysell, 5’10”, 172 lbs, RW.
When a player with the skill of Fabian Lysell slips out of the top-10, especially in a weaker draft, you take him and don’t look back. Chicago is entering a new era that will be headlined by offensive pieces like Kirby Dach, Alex DeBrincat and, in our mock draft, Fabian Lysell. He has a great motor and works hard all over the ice, even putting in the effort defensively. His speed, skill and playmaking make him a constant threat, his ceiling is among the highest in the class.
13. Calgary Flames (Sebastian High) – Fyodor Svechkov, 6’0″, 179 lbs, C.
While I really wanted Lysell in this slot, Svechkov is more than a consolation prize. The Russian centreman brings phenomenal defensive value, a high level of intelligence, consistent effort and untapped offensive skills. He played on a poor Lada Togliatti team this season and his teammates couldn’t keep up with his brain offensively. Calgary snaps up their future shutdown top-6 centreman here and hopes he adds offensive production to his already strong profile.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (Ken MacMillan) – Cole Sillinger, 6’0″, 201 lbs, C.
Cole Sillinger dominated the USHL with nearly 1.5 points per game for Sioux Falls. In 2019-20 he scored 53 points in 48 WHL games for the Medicine Hat Tigers and he was just 16 years old. While he was a great playmaker in the WHL, this aspect of his game took a nosedive in the USHL, likely a result of the poor team he played on; his scoring, however, skyrocketed. Sillinger has a great shot and a high offensive ceiling. The centre is everything Nolan Patrick was supposed to be for the Flyers.
15. Dallas Stars (Scott Cowan) – Matthew Coronato, 5’10”, 183 lbs, LW.
Matthew Coronato is a Brendan Gallagher-esque player in many ways. He played alongside current Habs prospect, Sean Farrell, for the USHL’s Chicago Steel this season. While the argument could be made that Farrell’s 29-72-101 totals over 53 games helped contribute to Coronato’s ranking and subsequent selection, the Huntington native still brings a lot of intriguing qualities to the Stars. He plays bigger than his 5’10” frame, Coronato is willing to (like Gallagher) battle in front of the net and fight for rebounds and some of the less-fancy goals. Look out for Coronato to explode onto the NCAA scene next season with Harvard, where he will continue to play alongside Farrell.
16. New York Rangers (Maria Bouabdo) – Zachary L’Heureux, 5’11”, 196 lbs, C/LW.
L’Heureux doesn’t play like his name may indicate, he plays with a huge mean streak, routinely crossing the line (eg. spitting on an opponent during COVID season). This can likely be reeled in and channelled toward hyper-competitive and tenacious play, something he already brings to the table. L’Heureux is a playmaking power-forward who notched 19 goals and 39 points in 33 QMJHL games. His skill could catapult him to a top-6 role if he gains control of his temper. The Rangers would truly add to their embarrassment of riches in terms of prospects with this pick.
17. St. Louis Blues (Patrick Lortie) – Chaz Lucius, 6’0″, 172 lbs, C.
While the Blues may lose their skilled goalscorer this offseason in Vladimir Tarasenko, they add a new one to the mix by selecting Chaz Lucius. He has a deceptive yet devastating wrist shot paired with excellent vision, making him an unpredictable offensive threat, especially on the power play. He can pull off passes from all angles directly on the tape. While the skill is there, Lucius lacked pace and energy this season, something that may or may not be a result of the injuries he fought through all season. He’s a raw but high-level talent and will likely go higher than 17 on draft day.
18. Winnipeg Jets (Joshua Rosa) – Carson Lambos, 6’1″, 201 lbs, LD.
The Jets would draft a true hometown boy in this slot. Lambos is born in the ‘Peg and plays his junior hockey with the Winnipeg Ice as well. There were some health concerns this season, which brings an air of uncertainty, but Lambos has all the tools to be a solid two-way defenceman who shuts plays down on defence with his physicality and intelligence and has the ability to score with a canon of a shot, fun upside for this stage of the draft.
19. Nashville Predators (Sebastian High) – Logan Stankoven, 5’8″, 170 lbs, C/RW.
While Scott likened Coronato to Gallagher, I think Stankoven is the aptest Gallagher comparison in recent draft classes. He has the similar size, skating deficiencies, scoring ability, defensive work rate and play driving capabilities. Stankoven also has a wicked shot, something Gallagher has lost with the multitude of wrist injuries. He’s among the draft’s most enjoyable players to watch as he creates offence and doesn’t take a shift off and he would be the perfect replacement for Viktor Arvidsson in Nashville.
20. Edmonton Oilers (Ken MacMillan) – Corson Ceulemans, 6’2″, 204 lbs, RD.
Ceulemans racked up 46 points in 52 games at the AJHL level over the past two seasons with the Brooks Bandits. He’s a real project and shouldn’t make the NHL for a while but his shot is a legitimate weapon and the offensive potential is high. He projects as a solid two-way defender and will fine-tune his game under Tony Granato at Wisconsin next season.
21. Boston Bruins (Scott Cowan) – Nikita Chibrikov, 5’10”, 172 lbs, LW/RW.
Like Wallstedt, Nikita Chibrikov had the benefit of playing with a number of experienced players for KHL club SKA St. Petersburg, something that always contextualizes a prospect’s NHL potential (take Tim Stuztle for example). While his 1-1-2 totals over 16 games don’t exactly leap off the page, the winger performed well in international tournaments and has shown promise in the KHL’s development leagues in the VHL and MHL.
With solid hands, awareness, and playmaking abilities, he’s cut from a similar cloth as recent KHL imports like Kirill Kaprizov and Nikita Gusev. With some proper development, he could be an intriguing depth offensive option for a Bruins team looking to make some slight advancements towards youth as their seemingly ageless cores, begins to wind down slowly.
22. Minnesota Wild (Maria Bouabdo) – Aatu Raty, 6’1″, 181 lbs, C.
Raty was the consensus top prospect of the draft class just over a year ago, but a lack of production has seen him take a nosedive in most rankings. That lack of scoring could, however, just be a mental block he works around next season as he has some great scoring tools. Even if that doesn’t happen, the Wild would get a player who plays well on defence and dominates in transition, he should be a safe bet to become a third-line centre with upside for more, a nice profile in the twenties of the draft.
23. Detroit Red Wings (Patrick Lortie) – Brennan Othmann, 6’0″, 174 lbs, LW.
Very hard-nosed and powerful forechecker with skill to boot. Will play the unconventional lane to fool the opposing defencemen and create highlight-reel plays to go along with a “never quit” mentality. While his ceiling may be limited, he is an absolute pain to play against and is a surefire NHLer, the Wings will need those role players to complement stars like Zadina and Eklund in a few years’ time.
24. Florida Panthers (Joshua Rosa) – Isak Rosen, 5’11”, 161 lbs, LW/RW.
The Panthers have built a really solid team in recent years and especially under Bill Zito, they add to the mix a skilled scoring winger in Isak Rosen. He scores a lot from the dirty areas and shone on the forecheck against men in the SHL, though his sole assist in 22 games fails to reflect his potential. Rosen drives offensive play and is an impact player in transition. He is an effective and selfless playmaker and puts in the effort defensively, all in all, a great package this late in the first round.
25. Columbus Blue Jackets (Sebastian High) – William Stromgren, 6’3″, 176 lbs, LW.
After making a great but safe pick at #5, the Blue Jackets go for a real homerun swing with the pick they got from the Leafs for Nick Foligno. Stromgren has a huge amount of skill, some of the things he pulled off were the most highlight-reel-worthy plays from any player eligible for the draft. It’s just that those flashes lacked consistency. He’s a great puck handler, a good skater and extremely manipulative. Stromgren could become a top-line winger, but he could also never reach the NHL due to his low pace of execution and inconsistency, but Columbus gambles on skill and size here.
26. Minnesota Wild (Ken MacMillan) – Francesco Pinelli, 6’1″, 185 lbs, C.
Pinelli scored 41 points in 59 games for the Kitchener Rangers as a 16-year-old. When the OHL season was cancelled this year, he moved to Slovenia to play pro and had 11 points in 13 games. He is among the smartest players in the draft, with a great sense of timing, which is how he scores his goals. His deceptive playmaking will likely be his most dangerous offensive tool at the next level. While his skating isn’t the strongest and he isn’t the most skilled player available he’s a two-way centre, which is something Minnesota covets.
27. Carolina Hurricanes (Scott Cowan) – Sasha Pastujov, 6’0″, 183 lbs, LW.
Pastujov was ranked outside the top 30 by most analysts, but regardless, I feel as though he’s an intriguing offensive option for the Hurricanes as more of a long-term project. History has shown there’s been no shortage of late first-round risks over the years, and, in my opinion, Pastujov projects to be one who’s worth the gamble.
With great offensive awareness and a penchant for more flashy plays, the winger was the subject of a few pieces discussing his potential for teams like the Minnesota Wild, but I think Carolina’s already potent offence could benefit from the skills Pastujov brings to the table. While his slow and static play as well as his inactivity defensively is the reason for his drop, he managed to score 10 goals and 28 points in 18 USHL games for a reason: he has great offensive skill. It might take a few years for him to turn pro, but Pastujov is a smart gamble late in the first round.
28. Colorado Avalanche (Maria Bouabdo) – Tyler Boucher, 6’1″, 201 lbs, F.
Tyler Boucher is likely the most physical draft-eligible forward this season, he’s a power forward in the truest sense of the word. His physicality isn’t blind though, he uses it with purpose and has the skill to make the most of the plays his strength and battle create. While his ceiling may be somewhat limited to a third-line role, Boucher would be one of those valuable and coveted energy wingers and he has a pretty good shot of meeting that potential. Colorado already has the high-skill players in MacKinnon, Rantanen and Newhook up front, they’re missing some grit, which Boucher has a surplus of.
29. New Jersey Devils (Patrick Lortie) – Sebastian Cossa, 6’6″, 212 lbs, G.
The Devils draft their long-term starting goaltender in Cossa, who slipped quite a bit in our mock draft. While Blackwood has shown flashes of brilliance, it’s impossible to resist the package of size and athleticism that Cossa brings. His angle coverage and the aforementioned athleticism have only improved year after year and he is poised to adapt to whatever play develops in front of him. If confidence doesn’t mix with ego, Cossa can become an elite goaltender.
30. Vegas Golden Knights (Joshua Rosa) – Xavier Bourgault, 6’0″, 172 lbs, C.
Bourgault put up ridiculous numbers playing alongside Mavrik Bourque this season (20-20-40 in 29 games) and is a true goalscorer. He finds space very well in the offensive zone and has the shot to exploit it. While he’s a good puck handler and playmaker, he can be tunnel-visioned and his defensive impact is negligible. Nevertheless, there is high offensive potential here and the Golden Knights need centres with offensive potential.
31. Montreal Canadiens (Sebastian High) – Mackie Samoskevich, 5’11”, 190 lbs, C/RW.
At this stage of the draft, the Habs could either go all out and draft a highly skilled player or they could get a surefire NHLer with a limited ceiling such as Zachary Bolduc or Daniil Chayka, I prefer the former option. Samoskevich may not have had the production of a Coronato or a Sean Farrell with the Chicago Steel this season (13-24-37 in 36 games) but he demonstrated that his skill level exceeded those of his teammates.
Samoskevich is arguably the best puck handler in the draft and is utterly dominant in transition (he could finally get the puck into the offensive zone with control on the Habs’ power play). His playmaking is how he gets his points and a future line of him with, say, Suzuki and Caufield would be tremendously fun to watch. The Habs lacked high-end offence in the finals this year and the same can be said of the prospect pool (not counting Caufield/Suzuki/Kotkaniemi), so going all-in on the Michigan commit who will develop alongside Power, Beniers and Johnson next season is a worthy gamble.
32. Columbus Blue Jackets (Ken MacMillan) – Samu Tuomaala, 5’10”, 176 lbs, RW.
Tuomaala had 31 points in 30 games playing in Finland’s top junior league. He was excellent at the World Under-18 Tournament scoring five goals and 11 points in seven contests. Tuomaala has tremendous speed that he leverages to make use of his dangerous shot. He has the tools to be a solid second-liner, but a lot of refinement away from the puck and in terms of awareness of when to pass the puck will be needed. This is another decent swing for Columbus, following up the Stromgren pick.