Toronto is first up and there appears to be little suspense as the Maple Leafs are expected to take American youngster Auston Matthews. In fact, experts say the first three picks seem locked in.
Rumors and speculation have things getting interesting when Edmonton takes the clock with the fourth overall selection. The Oilers are looking for some defensive help and social media sites are buzzing with potential moves the front office could make this summer, including trading away this pick for a veteran or moving down in the first round to acquire another pick or two in this years draft.
Damien Cox has released his latest mock and believes Vancouver, who owns the fifth pick in the first round, has their eyes on Pierre-Luc Dubois, a versatile player that can play any position on the forward line and has added the muscle needed to make a run at playing for the Canucks at the start of the 2016-17 season.
The latest player rankings have changed dramatically when it comes to the experts opinions on the top defenders. Mikhail Sergachev has moved to the top of the list as the young Russian has played some terrific hockey over the last 12 months and at 6’3″ and nearly 200 pounds, plays a physical style that many teams are looking for on the back line.
Depending on what Edmonton decides with their selection, Buffalo appears the first franchise that will look for help defensively and the Sabres can’t go wrong with a youngster with so much talent and the mentality to handle the long grind of 80+ games each year.
Filip Gustavsson has emerged as the top goalie in this years draft class, but it doesn’t appear that the Swedish youngster will get the call until late in the first round or early in round two. Tampa Bay and Toronto are the two teams linked to the youngster, but with trades and surprise picks, his stock could rise in the coming days.
