The 2020 NHL Draft will be held virtually with the first round 1 taking place on Tuesday, Oct. 6 beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Rounds 2-7 will be held Wednesday, Oct. 7 beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET. As far as we know, we’re the only mom and pop shop, small business website that does a mock draft for all four major U.S. sports, if this such a thing as four major sports anymore.
Here are the links to our latest NBA, MLB and NFL mock drafts. The order for this NHL mock draft is now officially set.
They do really good work over there. Team needs were not taken account into the picks at this time, but that should change as we draw closer to the draft. Also, you can expect to see the player and pick descriptions become further developed after the pick order has finally been set.
Lottery Teams
1. New York Rangers, Alexis Lafreniere, LW, QMJHL
The one almost certainty about this draft, is that just about everyone agrees on who the #1 pick will be. You have a special elite, some could even say transcendent prospect, and he goes to a proud original six franchise. New York, New York big city of dreams; boy did they luck out here.
2. Los Angeles Kings, Tim Stuetzle, C, DEL
An elite, left-handed forward with great speed and vision, who is about to go all Hollywood on you.
3. Ottawa Senators (via San Jose), Quinton Byfield, C, OHL
Powerful skater with exceptional skill set, it would indeed be a capital idea to draft this guy here.
4. Detroit, Cole Perfetti, C, OHL
A great hockey IQ complements his phenomenal shot and high skill set.
5. Ottawa Senators, Lucas Raymond, LW, SWE
Natural scorer who is solid on both the power play and the penalty kill.
6. Anaheim Ducks, Jamie Drysdale, D, OHL
Elite hockey sense makes him perfect for running the power play.
7. New Jersey Devils, Alexander Holtz, RW, SWE
Knack for smart shot selection makes him a perfect natural scorer.
8. Buffalo Sabres, Marco Rossi, C, OHL
Strong on face-offs with a high hockey IQ.
9. Minnesota Wild, Dawson Mercer, C, QMJHL
Smart versatile skater who is well suited for several different situations.
10. Winnipeg Jets, Jack Quinn, RW, OHL
May not last this long, as his versatility makes him a top tier prospect.
11. Nashville Predators, Jake Sanderson, D, NTDP
In the USA Youth system, he’s been known as the next big thing in American hockey.
12. Florida Panthers, Noel Gunler, RW, SWE
Great passer with excellent shot selection who doesn’t mind crashing the net.
13. Carolina Hurricanes (via Toronto), Mavrik Bourque, C, QMJHL
A great passer with a phenomenal shot.
14. Edmonton Oilers, Jan Mysak, C, OHL
Great hands and phenomenal technique too.
15. Toronto (via Pittsburgh), Anton Lundell, C, FIN
Great puck protector and passer.
Non Lottery Teams
The remaining 16 slots (No. 16-31) will be determined by the results of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs with the champion tentatively scheduled to pick 31st.
16. Montreal Canadiens, Connor Zary, C, WHL
Great two way skater with impressive puck patience.
17. Chicago Blackhawks, Yaroslav Askarov, G, MHL
Dale Tallon built up the team that won the first Stanley Cup, and (arguably the second) with his successor Stan Bowman then able to retool, make additions and get a third Cup.
Now it’s full rebuild and is Bowman really the man to get it done? For some bizarre reason, the Hawks organization kept him and fired his boss John McDonough. Well, McDonough is certainly no sympathetic figure, at least he’s good at what he does, unlike Bowman.
This isn’t the biggest team need, but it’s a great value pick, and a long-term successor to Corey Crawford must be found eventually.
18. New Jersey Devils (via Arizona Braden Schneider, D, WHL
Two way player with tremendous skill set.
19. Calgary Flames, Dylan Holloway, C, NCAA
This left handed Wisconsin Badger with a great shot is our first college player off the boards.
20. New Jersey Devils (via Vancouver), Lukas Cormier, D, QMJHL
Speed, skills and a high hockey IQ make him a likely top 20 pick.
21. Columbus Blue Jackets, Jeremie Poirier, D, QMJHL
Great offensive ability for a defenseman who brings game breaking ability to the table.
22. New York Rangers (via Carolina), Kaiden Guhle, D, WHL
Brings a hard shot and imposing size.
23. Philadelphia Flyers, Hendrix Lapierre, C, QMJHL
Some believe he could have the highest ceiling of any prospect in this draft.
24. Washington Capitals, Rodion Amirov, LW, RUS 2
Has the ability to play in all situations.
25. Colorado Avalanche, Justin Barron, D, QMJHL
Tremendous competitor who understands how to conquer adversity.
26. St. Louis Blues, Seth Jarvis, C, WHL
Vision, quickness and play-making ability in spades makes him a prospect that slots in well almost anywhere.
27. Anaheim Ducks (via Boston), Emil Andrae, D, SWE
Great, smart two way player with mobility and effectiveness on the power play; would be a great value if he lasts this long.
Conference Final Losers
28. Ottawa Senators (via New York Islanders), Jacob Perreault, RW, OHL
Son of former NHL forward Yanic Perreault with one of the best shots in this draft class; has been scouted by the pros since a very young age.
29. Vegas Golden Knights, Zion Nybeck, RW, SUPERELIT
Skilled forward with high end skating ability that fits in with various styles of play.
Stanley Cup Final Teams
30. Dallas Stars, Brendan Brisson, C, Chicago, USHL
St. Louis is really boring, but watching this local prospect definitely is not! Brisson has committed to the University of Michigan.
31. San Jose Sharks (from Tampa Bay), Ridly Greig, C, WHL
Great end to end player with breakaway speed, and a nice finishing touch.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.