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.