Vegas Golden Knights 2019 NHL Draft: First Round Mock Draft

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last year or so it is pretty clear that Jack Hughes will be taken with the No.1 overall pick by the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Hughes is a generational talent and he possesses all of the tools in his armoury that will enable him to become a franchise center for the Devils.

You take the best talent available in any given draft and the Devils find themselves in the envious position of being able to select an absolute stud that they can build their roster around for years to come.

Although Kaapo Kakko has emerged as a potential superstar in the making in his own right in recent months, this is still Hughes’ draft and he’s a cornerstone piece for any franchise.

You construct your roster around centers and the thought of Hughes and Nico Hischier as a one-two punch down the middle for New Jersey is scary.

Hughes boasts electric speed, a dazzling array of skill, he can make out of this world plays and, although there are concerns over his play in the defensive zone, he will have Hischier behind him as the more responsible center.

Make no bones about it, Jack Hughes deserves to be the consensus No.1 pick and he has what it takes to become the new face of the franchise for the New Jersey Devils.

The hockey gods have been smiling down on the New York Rangers throughout this whole process and, whatever happens on Friday, the Blueshirts will leave Vancouver with a franchise game-changer.

With the New Jersey Devils still expected to select Jack Hughes with the first overall pick, the Rangers will have an absolute stud fall into their laps.

Kakko burst onto the big stage at the IIFH World Championships and demanded the hockey world’s attention with a host of jaw-dropping, masterful displays.

Built for the modern-day NHL and ready to make an immediate impact in the majors, there will be no bedding in period for the 6’2″ 190 lb right-wing and Kakko will no doubt be on the Rangers’ opening night roster.

He’s ready to succeed from the very get-go and he ticks a hell of a lot of boxes for the Blueshirts, including offensive production which is something the franchise has been lacking in of late.

They will be gaining a bona fide sniper in Kakko who can also create chances for his team-mates and, as an added bonus, he’s proven that he can handle the rigors of playing against fully grown men having posted 38 points (22 goals, 16 assists) in Finland’s Liiga.

Everything is trending in the right direction for the New York Rangers presently, and their rebuild will be accelerated further with a player of Kaapo Kakko’s calibre in the lineup.

I’ve been flip-flopping on this one with many experts stating that the 2019 NHL Entry Draft really starts with the No.3 pick.

The Chicago Blackhawks will set the tone for the rest of the first round by who they decide to select, and it won’t be an easy decision.

I’ve been tempted all day to say that the Hawks will take Bowen Byram with the No.3 pick, with the 18-year-old without doubt the best defenseman available in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

However, Chicago spent the last three drafts beefing up their blueline and, although they do need a long-term replacement for Duncan Keith, they also need a heir to the throne for Jonathan Toews who is now 31.

Alex Turcotte ticks all of the boxes for the Blackhawks and he’s got everything in his locker to suggest that he can eventually take the baton from Toews and become Chicago’s franchise center.

Turcotte is committed to Wisconsin for 2019-20 and that extra year in collegiate hockey will do wonders for his long-term development.

Known for his compete level and admirable work ethic, the ceiling appears to be sky high for Turcotte and you really can’t understate the value of an elite center to a franchise.

Plus, as an added bonus Turcotte is a local kid who hails from Illinois which would make for quite a draft story. He’s worth the hype and the No.3 pick.

I have been wrestling all day whether or not to have Bowen Byram going as the third overall pick in the first round.

After finally deciding that the Chicago Blackhawks would go for need and take Alex Turcotte, I really can’t see Byram slip any further than fourth.

Yes, there are a slew of high-end offensive talents available in the first round and centers are a valuable commodity to all franchises, with scoring wings not far behind.

However, Byram is the highest-rated blueliner in this draft and when you have a chance to select a defensive lynchpin who can patrol your blueline for 10-15 years, you have to take it.

The 18-year-old is known for his hockey smarts and ability to help with a smooth transition out of the zone.

He can break up plays but he also has huge offensive upside having tallied 26 goals and 45 assists for 71 points in 67 games for the Vancouver Giants in 2018-19, in addition to posting 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in the postseason.

Studying Colorado’s roster, they need some high-end talent on that blueline especially if they end up trading Tyson Barrie, and Byram would fit the bill perfectly for the Avalanche.

This really is a guessing game now with the vast amount of offensive talent available making it a near-impossible task to predict who will go where.

As mentioned countless times already, high-end centers are like gold to NHL franchises and there are a plethora of those players floating about in the first round.

However, Cole Caufield is the best pure sniper available in this year’s draft and he equaled Alex Ovechkin’s tournament record of 14 goals at the 2019 U18 World Championships, being crowned MVP as a result.

The Kings are heading towards a vast rebuild and they need an influx of fresh young talent on their roster.

Caufield would add an almighty offensive punch to the Kings roster having potted 72 goals for the U.S. National U18 Team in 2018-19, which is just ridiculous.

He lacks size at 5’7″ but that hardly matters in the modern-day NHL when you look at what the likes of Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat are able to achieve.

The Detroit Red Wings are in full rebuild now as they look to restore the glory days under new General Manager and franchise legend, Steve Yzerman.

They already have some talented studs on the roster in the ilk of Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, and they could significantly add to that by selecting Kirby Dach with the No.6 pick.

Dach brings size to the table and has been compared to Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf because of his playmaking ability.

Detroit need cornerstone pieces on which to build this franchise around and Dach would tick a lot of boxes for the Red Wings.

He can also play on the wing and has been credited for being able to boast one of the biggest hockey IQ’s in this year’s draft.

Yes, the Buffalo Sabres are already loaded down the middle with Jack Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt, but you simply don’t pass up a chance to take a player of Trevor Zegras’ playmaking ability.

He has all the tools to be able to jump above Mittelstadt in the depth chart and form a deadly one-two punch behind Eichel, which would give the Sabres the offensive spark they so desperately need.

Zegras, who is committed to Boston University for 2018-19, can man the power play and his vision and elite passing would make him a perfect fit for this Buffalo team that is now looking to take that next step.

The Sabres need as much star power as they can get and if they can add Zegras to a roster that already has Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin, then who knows what that franchise will be able to achieve.

The Edmonton Oilers are in dire need of secondary scoring and someone to help carry this franchise back to the glory days alongside Connor McDavid.

Could Dylan Cozens be that guy? At 6’3″ he would add size down the middle and he boasts raw speed and plenty of skill, which are areas the Oilers lack in.

Cozens had 34 goals and 50 assists for 84 points in 68 regular season games for Lethbridge this year, and he’s also able to play on the right wing which could make him a shiny new toy for McDavid in the future.

There have been some question marks over Peyton Krebs heading into this draft after the 18-year-old tore his Achilles, which is nowhere as serious a injury for hockey players as it is for Basketball players.

Krebs had 68 points (19 goals, 49 assists) for Kootenay Ice this year and he would solve the lack of talent the Ducks have down the middle.

Anaheim are trying to rebuild on the fly after buying out Corey Perry’s contract and with Ryan Getzlaf slowing down and Ryan Kesler ravaged by injury, they need a young stud to step up and become the face of this franchise.

With so much talent in the offensive end, the Vancouver Canucks should be focussing on adding some elite talent to their blueline in this year’s draft.

And, with the No.10 pick, they have the chance to select a big defenseman who finished second in scoring at the Under-18 World Championships with six points in seven games to help Sweden win the Gold Medal.

Philip Broberg skates extremely well for a player of his size (6’3″, 203 lb) and he’s a gifted two-way blueliner who could easily play on the top line for the Canucks.

The Flyers already have a glut of talented blueliners on their roster so the wise choice here could be spending their No.11 pick on a highly-talented scoring wing.

Matthew Boldy fits that bill with 81 points (33 goals, 48 assists) in 64 games for the U.S. National U18 Team this year, while he would also suit Philadelphia’s hustle and bustle style of play due to his 6’2″ frame.

Boldy is a big forward that can bring plenty of skill and offensive production to the table, which will make him a valuable commodity for any team lucky enough to take him.

The Minnesota Wild need a sprinkling of star power and could they get that from Vasili Podkolzin?

There are no blemishes on Podkolzin’s copybook aside from the fact that he’s tied to the KHL for two more years, and Minnesota fans have already had their fair share of troubles waiting for a Russian prospect to arrive. Yes, step forward Kirill Kaprizov.

However, Podkolzin would be worth the gamble given that’s a complete winger with the perfect blend of brute force and dazzling skill.

The highest rated goaltender in the draft and arguably the most exciting American born goalie since Jonathan Quick, Spencer Knight has all the attributes required to be able to morph into a franchise netminder.

Goalies are hardly ever taken in the first round, especially this high, but the Panthers need elite goaltending if they are to take the next step and become a Stanley Cup contender.

Many experts believe that Florida will spend big to sign Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency, and if they can draft Knight and let him develop behind Bobrovsky then their Stanley Cup window will all of a sudden swing wide open.