2021 NHL 1st Round Mock Draft: Who Will the Oilers Pick?
With the 2021 NHL Entry Draft right around the corner (1st round July 23 @ 8pm ET) and the Oilers primed to pick at #19, it only seems appropriate to release a mock draft! In a year with less data on prospects, this draft has even greater potential than usual for prospects to slide, steals to be had, and intrigue in the form of pick trading. While any number of things can happen leading up to the draft, the following is an approximation of how I think the draft will go. Enjoy!
1. Buffalo Sabres – Owen Power, D, Michigan (NCAA) – The consensus #1 pick goes to a team that has wants at pretty much every position.
2. Seattle Kraken – Matthew Beniers, C, Michigan (NCAA) – Given the lack of elite Cs available in the expansion draft, getting a good bet at one with their first pick is a godsend.
3. Anaheim Ducks – Luke Hughes, D, USNTDP (USHL) – The Ducks need to replenish the D cupboards after a run of using their high picks on forwards. Alongside 2020 pick Drysdale, Hughes will go a long way to doing so.
4. New Jersey Devils – William Eklund, LW, Djurgardens (SHL) – A highly skilled and versatile player, Eklund was also a teammate and, at times, linemate of Devils 2020 pick Holtz. Clarke was a consideration here but Eklund was just too good to pass up.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets – Kent Johnson, C, Michigan (NCAA) – The Jackets simply need a high-end C and Johnson is likely the best bet at getting one. Simple.
6. Detroit Red Wings – Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough (OHL) – With the Michigan trio off the board and their D corps coming together, the Wings could use a “power” element among their forward prospects.
7. San Jose Sharks – Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea (SHL) – Maybe it’s a reach to grab a goalie this high but if there’s a draft to do so, it’s this one. Lord knows they need an elite goalie and Wallstedt is the best goalie prospect to come around since Andrei Vasilevskiy.
8. Los Angeles Kings – Brandt Clarke, RHD, Nove Zamky (Slovakia) – Doughty is going to need an heir apparent and I don’t think anyone in the system is equipped to pull that off. Given the depth and quality of their prospect pool overall, there really isn’t a pressing need that I can see, either.
9. Vancouver Canucks – Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL) – Elite skill is elite skill. Guenther has elite skill. If it’s available at this point in the draft, you go for it. Guenther would make for an excellent fit alongside the Canucks’ existing pool of talented forwards… while also not addressing the gaps on their backend!
10. Ottawa Senators – Matthew Coronato, LW, Chicago (USHL) – Having invested heavily in LD over recent drafts, the last of the top-10 prospects in the draft (Edvinsson) doesn’t really fit the organization’s needs. As such, they go a bit off-the-board and grab a high-end goal scorer after seeing what Caufield did for Montreal.
11. Chicago Blackhawks – Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda (SHL) – There’s plenty going on at LD but none with quite the toolkit of Edvinsson. A big-bodied, great skating LD with pro experience who they can let properly develop.
12. Calgary Flames – Chaz Lucius, C, USNTDP (USHL) – The Flames don’t have a whole lot going on in the cupboards but definitely jump at the chance to add some talent to their pool- especially one with a chance of becoming a #1 center. Also his name is Chaz so that makes it easier for Oilers fans to hate him!
13. Philadelphia Flyers – Cole Sillinger, C, Sioux Falls (USHL) – While he’s a bit slower-footed, he’s a C with some real talent and finishing ability. Philly could use that in preparation for a post-Giroux future.
14. Dallas Stars – Fabian Lysell, RW, Lulea (SHL) – Jim Nill and Co. like finding value in Europe and Lysell is a highly skilled playmaking winger that could easily outperform his draft position.
15. New York Rangers – Fyodor Svechkov, C, Ska-1946 (Russia) – They seem to do fine with Russians and have a need for a top-6 C. An adept defensive player with smooth hands might just be perfect for a team crowded on the wings.
16. St. Louis Blues – Carson Lambos, LHD, Winnipeg (WHL) – The Blues’ system is seriously lacking in young defensive talent. Lambos is a safe pick to reach the NHL and that’s something the Blues are likely happy to bank on given the money they’ve invested in their top-3 D.
17. Winnipeg Jets – Aatu Raty, C, Kärpät (Liiga) – The Jets have fared quite well with Finns over time and I can see them going for a safer bet. Raty plays a projectable game that could see him succeed in a number of roles.
18. Nashville Predators – Corson Ceulemans, RD, Brooks (AJHL) – Nashville goes back to picking Dmen high in the draft after trading Ellis. Fabbro and Myers should give Ceulemans sufficient time to properly develop his offensive skills.
19. Edmonton Oilers – Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton (WHL) – As much as I hate to rely on what seems like the obvious, too many things seem to be running in favor of this happening. The teams above either don’t need an elite goalie prospect or have other more glaring holes in their prospect pools and the Oilers could really stand to benefit from a high-end goalie prospect. Cossa is precisely that. I wrote in more detail here.
20. Boston Bruins – Francesco Pinelli, C, Jesenice (AlpsHL) – While the ageless wonder, Patrice Bergeron, continues to be a force in the NHL, Krejci has faded somewhat (though, he and Hall were dynamite together). While Studnicka is trending pretty well as a replacement, it can’t hurt to add another cerebral C to the prospect pool- particularly one with Pinelli’s versatility.
21. Minnesota Wild – Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan (QMJHL) – The Wild aim for a high ceiling player with their first 1st round pick. Bourgault brings the kind of dynamic skillset the Wild are trying to add to their team.
22. Detroit Red Wings (from WAS) – Isak Rosen, LW, Leksands (SHL) – Rosen fell a bit due to the teams above not really needing wingers and, honestly, neither does Detroit really. However, a skilled Swedish winger fits the bill quite well for the Wings.
23. Florida Panthers – Ville Koivunen, RW, Karpat (U-20 Liiga) – A bit of an off-the-board pick but Florida seems to do well with Finns so I can see them reaching a bit for a guy with the broad skillset and difference-making potential. Koivunen engages himself in every facet of the game and uses that energy to try to impact the game in whatever way he can.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets (from TOR) – Nikita Chibrikov, RW, Saint Petersburg (Russia) – They didn’t seem to hesitate to grab a Russian in the 1st round last year and, unlike Chinakhov, Chibrikov isn’t a reach in this spot. He’s a talented playmaker on a team that has a number of shooting threats.
25. Minnesota Wild (from PIT) – Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax (QMJHL) – I can see the Wild wanting a guy like L’Heureux to add a dimension of feistiness to their organization. While he has some hurdles to overcome (not a great skater, undisciplined), he has the skillset of a Brendan Gallagher or Brad Marchand.
26. Carolina Hurricanes – Samu Salminen, C, Jokerit (U20-Liiga) – A bit of a reach pick here but Carolina has fared quite well with Finns and has a LOT of shorter forwards in their prospect pool. Adding Salminen’s 6’3 frame and great hockey IQ to their pool would add a dimension it’s otherwise lacking. I wouldn’t be surprised if he became the steal of the draft.
27. Colorado Avalanche – Brennan Othmann, LW, Flint (OHL) – With Newhook cracking the league and Mackinnon and Jost already established, I think the Avs are quite set at C so adding a goal-scoring winger would give them something they’ll likely need a couple of years from now- cheap scoring talent.
28. New Jersey Devils (from NYI) – Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski (QMJHL) – It can’t hurt to add another young C to the organization and, with no standout RD in the vicinity of this pick, there isn’t really a pressing need that this pick needs to be used for.
29. Vegas Golden Knights – Sasha Pastujov, RW, U.S. NTDP (USHL) – A great shooter who excels in the hard areas of the ice, Pastujov has the tools to excel in the modern NHL. Vegas’ prospect pool is only really lacking in high-end offense and I think Pastujov is the best bet to fulfill that need at this spot.
30. Montreal Canadiens – Samu Tuomaala, RW, Karpat (U20-Liiga) – Another talented goalscorer to add to the mix and the fact that he’s Finnish is a boon for a team that fares well with them (Kotkaniemi, Armia, Lehkonen, etc). He’s widely believed to be the most skilled Finn in the draft.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets (from TBL) – Stanislav Svozil, LD, Brno (Czech) – Columbus seems to enjoy picking lesser-known players with their picks and Svozil is one such player. Can’t say I know much about him, but a number of scouts seem to rate him highly. Projects to be a prototypical, modern defender (great passer, good in transition, positionally sound).
What do you think of this prediction? Are you happy with the Oilers’ pick at 19? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading!