Tkalcevic Official 2020 NHL Mock Draft (Top 15)

The 2020 NHL Draft is set to become one of the best and deepest drafts ever. At the top, there are many stars who can make an impact as soon as next year. The Rangers have the first overall pick and the Senators have the 3rd overall (via SJ) and their own at 5th overall. The Kings have 2nd overall and Detroit has 4th to round out the top 5. Who will you team pick? Keep reading and let’s find out! 

1st Overall: New York Rangers - Alexis Lafreniere (LW, Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL) 

Alexis Lafreniere is the best player from this draft class. Ever since he was drafted 1st overall in the 2017 QMJHL Draft, he has torn up the league and has earned the 1st overall spot on everyone’s list. He’s going to be a franchise player for the New York Rangers and will join a stacked team with guys like Panarin, Zibanejad, Sheshterkin, Fox, DeAngelo, etc. He had 42 goals in his first season with Rimouski, and has won back to back CHL Player Of The Year Awards. Not to mention that at the World Juniors, he helped win Gold for Team Canada where he had 10 points in 5 games. There is no doubt in my mind that Alexis Lafreniere will be an impact player for the Rangers next year and will hopefully help lead them to winning a Stanley Cup. The future is very bright in New York and they will be a very fun team to watch, that’s for sure. 

2nd Overall: Los Angeles Kings - Tim Stutzle (C,LW, Adler Mannheim) 

When you watch Tim Stutzle, your eyes are drawn to his dynamic playing style. His fluid skating, his silky hands, his ability to make plays and be an effective playmaker, his outstanding hockey senses and his ability to run a powerplay and just simply take over a game are all very impressive tools that will help him excel in the NHL. If the Kings take him at 2nd overall, he can step in next year and potentially play with guys like Alex Turcotte. Stutzle will be a high impact player, he’ll learn from the best like Doughty and Kopitar on how to be a pro, and will help lead the next generation of LA Kings. Stutzle’s ceiling is very high and the Kings should be very excited to add him to an impressive forward core. 

3rd Overall: Ottawa Senators (via San Jose) - Quinton Byfield (C, Sudbury Wolves, OHL) 

“The Sharks fleeced the Sens.” “The Sharks are going to win the cup.” “They have the best d-core in the league.” All those terms were described when the Senators traded Captain Erik Karlsson. Welp, that pick has now turned out to be a top 3 pick and the Sharks were a very poor team this year. Now, the Ottawa Senators look like genesis and the Sharks are in cap hell due to poor signings. Anyway, the Senators will most likely select Sudbury Wolves 6’4 214 lb center Quinton Byfield. Byfield possesses many traits in his game that will help him be a franchise centerman in a few years. He’s got size, the hands, the mindset, passing, etc. Imagine how good he could be if he started laying out people! He’d be unstoppable! Anyway, he can step in as soon as next year and be an absolute force. Ottawa needs a true 1C, and that’s what Quinton Byfield is. This will be a perfect fit. For anyone who wants to criticize him for his World Juniors, he was very young and we all criticized Lafreniere and look how he’s turned out. 

4th Overall: Detroit Red Wings - Cole Perfetti (C,W, Saginaw Spirit, OHL) 

Cole Perfetti was one of the main driving forces in his team's success this season. He racked up 111pts in only 61 games, making him the 2nd highest point scorer in the OHL, only behind Marco Rossi. Perfetti has tons of offensive upside. Although people say his skating isn’t the greatest, rumours have been going around that he has been working on his skating. Perfetti does have ties with the Red Wings organization, however. Saginaw isn’t far from Detroit and his family knows Kris Draper (the Red Wings Director of Amateur Scouting) which is a plus. Perfetti displays tremendous hockey sense, vision, playmaking, and the ability to score when your team needs it most. He can either play center or the wing, so having the option for any coach to have is scary for any team that plays against him. 

5th Overall: Ottawa Senators - Lucas Raymond (LW, RW, Frolunda Indians, SHL) 

With Ottawa’s original pick, they have the opportunity to go many different options. They can either choose a top pairing dman like Jamie Drysdale to round out their defence, or they can go for another high end forward. In my mock draft, I have them taking Lucas Raymond. Raymond is my favourite prospect in this draft. He shows a lot of Mitch Marner qualities. He’s a really good 2way forward, has good speed, can dangle people out, and can also score. When Lucas Raymond gets going, it’s pretty hard to top him. Yeah, he didn’t put up the point totals that Rossi or Lafreniere did, but Raymond was playing in a men's league at 17. That alone is very impressive. If he works hard enough in this offseason, he could play a major role for Frolunda next season where he gets an increased role and will hopefully keep on developing and turn into a premier winger in the NHL. Ottawa solves there 2 biggest needs with getting a 1st line center and a 1st line winger. A Tkachuk-Byfield-Raymond line could be one of the best lines in the NHL when these players are in their primes. Ottawa fans should be very excited for the future. 

6th Overall: Anaheim Ducks - Jamie Drysdale (RD, Erie Otters, OHL)

If the picks go according to how my mock draft goes, Anaheim will have the option of either choosing between Jamie Drysdale or Marco Rossi. In this case, I think they’ll go with Jamie Drysdale. Drysdale is an elite defenceman and could play in the NHL full time next year. Drysdale really shines in the offensive zone, in my opinion. His smooth skating, passing ability and ability to carry the puck up are the main traits of his game. He had 47 points in 49 games this season. 

7th Overall: New Jersey Devils - Marco Rossi (C, Ottawa 67’s, OHL)

If the Devils are able to pick Rossi at 7th overall and he works out, that will be a major steal for New Jersey. You might wonder why they should pick Rossi if they already have guys like Hischier and hughes. Well, I think that if you put Hughes as the left winger and Rossi as the center, that would be a good fit. Rossi is a great 2way forward who can win draws, kill penalties, display good playmaking and someone who will learn and grow as best as he can. If it were another year, Rossi would probably be a top 5 pick, but since it's a very deep draft, Rossi could fall. 

8th Overall: Buffalo Sabres - Alexander Holtz (RW, Djurgardens IF, SHL)

The Buffalo Sabres better not trade this pick. They should use it to select Alexander Holtz. Holtz is the best goal scorer in this draft. His release and just flat out ability to put the puck in the net is very impressive. When Holtz is ready to play in the NHL, Buffalo should have a lie of Skinner-Eichel-Holtz. This will give Jack Eichel 2 goal scorers who he can pass to. This could be a match made in heaven if Buffalo chooses Holtz at 8th overall. 

9th Overall: Minnesota Wild - Anton Lundell (C, HIFK, Liiga)

Since Miiko Koivu is getting older as time goes by, they’re going to eventually have to replace him. And why not with Finnish center, Anton Lundell. Lundell is arguably the best 2way forward in this class. He knows how to defend in his own end and he can get the puck up the ice to his wingers with ease. He can also chip in some offense here and there, where he put up 28 points in 44 Liiga games this year. Lundell would join a solid young core with guys like Beckman, Boldy, Kahkonen, Kaprizov, Fiala, Kunin, etc. 

10th Overall: Winnipeg Jets - Jake Sanderson (LD, USNTDP)

The Jets biggest needs are a second line center and defence. Since Lundell is off the board, they’ll settle for Jake Sanderson. Jake is a smooth skating defenceman who just simply can defend very well. He can break up transitions coming his way in the neutral zone, and can cut off plays in his own end. The Jets will add a superior defenceman who may be able to step in and make an impact as soon as 2021-22. Hellebuyck can’t do it all, and having Sanderson will ease the pressure off Hellebuyck. 

11th Overall: Nashville Predators - Jack Quinn (RW, Ottawa 67’s, OHL)

Jack Quinn is the 2nd best goal scorer in this draft class. He can score in many ways. He can dangle you out, pass the puck incredibly well, be an effective powerplay shooter, drive to the net, etc. Nashville adds a player who could maybe hit 30 goals. He could be a nice fit on a line with Duchene and Forsberg in the future. 

12th Overall: Florida Panthers - Noel Gunler (RW, LW, Lulea, SHL)

Noel Gunler is another top goal scorer in this class. He knows when and where to shoot the puck. He’ll get close to the net, maximizing power and accuracy. He can improve on his skating, but a good skating coach can fix that. He also has soft hands and can find players to set them up for chances. A line of Huberdeau-Barkov-Gunler could be very useful for the Panthers in a few seasons. 

13th Overall: Carolina Hurricanes (via Toronto) - Rodion Amirov (LW, Tolpar Ufa, MHL, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL) 

Rodion Amirov has the tools to be a pro in the NHL. He’s a good 2way forward who can play in all 3 zones. He has a good stickhandling ability and can pass the puck to teammates well. He has good agility on his skates which can allow him to move past incoming traffic. Scouts may have concerns with his production in the KHL, but that is a very tough league to produce in at a young age. I expect him to improve on his skills and hopefully produce more. 

14th Overall: Edmonton Oilers - Yaroslav Askarov (G, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL)

Let me just say, if Yaroslav Askarov goes to Edmonton, that would be AWESOME! They finally get an elite goalie. Askarov has everything you want in a franchise goalie. He’s got size, skill, poise, swagger and an ability to come up clutch when you need him the most. He didn’t have the best World Juniors, but to make a Russia u20 team at that young is very very impressive. He was the 2nd youngest Russian goalie to ever appear in an KHL game. The only other goalie was Ilya Sorokin. We all know how good Sorokin is and if Askarov is better, Edmonton could be a SCARY team when Askarov joins. Not to mention, they have a young and upcoming blueline with guys like Bouchard, Broberg, Jones, Bear, etc. Please Edmonton pick Askarov is available. You won’t regret it. 

15th Overall: Pittsburgh Penguins - Hendrix Lapierre (C, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, QMJHL)  

Hendrix Lapierre was probably going to be a high draft pick this year if it weren’t for injuries. He had a very impressive 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was supposed to be counted on for Chicoutimi. If he can sort out his injuries, Lapierre could be a very effective player. If there’s a team that will potentially swing on him, it’ll probably be the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lapierre has really good skating and top end speed. He can set up plays with his playmaking, which allows for teammates to score. Lapierre is a high risk, high reward player who could become a steal for the Pens at 15th overall. 

By: Luka Tkalcevic (Instagram: luka_tkalcevic, futurehockeystars)