7th Annual NHL Mock Draft: 2018, Round 2

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With a ton of talent still left on the board following the first round, there will be several second-round steals again in 2018. Onward we go . . .

Second Round

32) Buffalo Sabres — Jacob Olofsson (C, Sweden, Timra)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2.5, 189 pounds (Combine Official)

Playoff Stats: 10 GP-3 G-1 A-4 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 43 GP-10 G-11 A-21 PTS

Central Scouting: 9 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 34

THW Brett Slawson: 29

THW Ryan Pike: 28

ANALYSIS: Sweden has been a hockey superpower in recent years — now the two-time defending champion at the men’s world championship and always a medal contender at the World Juniors — and Buffalo has really tapped into that pipeline by drafting the likes of Alex Nylander (first round, eighth overall in 2016), Rasmus Asplund (second round, 33rd in 2016) and Marcus Davidsson (second round, 37th in 2017), not to mention the assumption of Dahlin at No. 1 this year. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Sabres add Olofsson to that growing list if he slips out of the first round. A case could be made for Olofsson as the best player available in this spot, so it seems like another good fit for Buffalo.

33) Detroit Red Wings (from Ottawa via N.Y. Rangers) — Filip Johansson (RHD, Sweden, Leksands J20)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0.75, 176 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 11 GP-2 G-3 A-5 PTS in Allsvenskan

Regular Season Stats: 29 GP-4 G-5 A-9 PTS in SuperElit; 23 GP-1 G-0 A-1 PT in Allsvenskan

Central Scouting: 10 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 54

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 91

ANALYSIS: Again, this pick could belong to Montreal if the Red Wings trade up to take Andrei Svechnikov at third overall as per my prediction, but if Detroit is selecting in this spot, would anybody be surprised to see the Red Wings reach for another Swedish puck-moving defenceman like Filip Johansson? Granted, I already have the Red Wings taking Nils Lundkvist at the end of the first round and Detroit also took Gustav Lindstrom in last year’s second round (38th overall), but Ken Holland could stockpile these high-upside right-handers and deal from a position of strength down the road. Not a bad strategy and Johansson strikes me as a prospect that Detroit could target with one of its three picks in the 30s, counting that late first-rounder.

34) Florida Panthers (from Arizona) — Alexander Alexeyev (LHD, Russia, Red Deer WHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3.75, 196 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 3 GP-2 G-3 A-5 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 45 GP-7 G-30 A-37 PTS

Central Scouting: 22 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 33

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 22

ANALYSIS: A big workhorse defenceman from Red Deer, by way of Russia, the Panthers have went there before in plucking Alex Petrovic from the WHL’s Rebels with the 36th overall pick back in 2010. That has worked out reasonably well for Florida and this could be déjà vu for Dale Tallon, with Alexeyev a somewhat similar player to Petrovic and perhaps his successor in the Sunshine State.

35) Montreal Canadiens — Nicolas Beaudin (LHD, Canada, Drummondville QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10.75, 192 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 10 GP-3 G-8 A-11 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 68 GP-12 G-57 A-69 PTS

Central Scouting: 31 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 43

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 50

ANALYSIS: Even if Montreal pulls off that deal with Detroit and moves up a handful of picks to secure a second first-rounder, Beaudin could be the Canadiens’ prospect of choice. This will be a popular pick for Montreal at this spot in other mocks since the Canadiens recently hired Beaudin’s junior coach Dominique Ducharme to serve as an assistant under Claude Julien. That connection and the fact Beaudin hails from Quebec has the stars aligning here.

36) Detroit Red Wings — Mattias Samuelsson (LHD, USA/Sweden, NTDP U18)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 218 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 58 GP-11 G-20 A-31 PTS; 23 GP-4 G-10 A-14 PTS in USHL

Central Scouting: 21 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 32

THW Brett Slawson: 26

THW Ryan Pike: 21

ANALYSIS: Samuelsson would make a lot of sense here since he’d be the perfect partner for any and all of Lundkvist, Johansson and Lindstrom. Samuelsson is left-handed and a bigger shutdown type, while the other three are right-handed and more offensive-minded — thus the makings of an ideal pairing for the Red Wings’ future. Perhaps the order of selection would be different, but Detroit could come away with Lundkvist, Johansson and Samuelsson from its three picks in the 30s. What a haul that would be, but Svechnikov would be pretty sweet too. I’m still trying to figure out what that Detroit-Montreal deal could look like — my fictitious trade that has the Red Wings moving up from sixth to third overall in the first round — but I could see Detroit parting with at least two, if not all three of its picks in the 30s, while recouping one or maybe both of Montreal’s late second-rounders. I’ve convinced myself that is a realistic possibility. If the Red Wings keep those picks, another possibility could be a run of Swedish forwards, with David Gustafsson and Filip Hallander of potential interest — as well as Isac Lundestrom and Olofsson if they were still available.

37) Vancouver Canucks — Jonny Tychonick (LHD, Canada, Penticton BCHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11.5, 177 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 11 GP-3 G-14 A-17 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 48 GP-9 G-38 A-47 PTS

Central Scouting: 36 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 27

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 39

ANALYSIS: Jim Benning couldn’t believe Kole Lind was still available into the second round (at No. 33) last year, and he’d be even more stunned to see Tychonick here at No. 37. I would be pretty surprised too because I honestly see Tychonick as a first-round talent and strongly considered him at several spots in the top 31, but stranger things have happened and this is how my mock shook down. I swear I’m not a Canucks’ fan, but they can consider themselves lucky in getting Noah Dobson at No. 7 and now Tychonick at No. 37. A righty and a lefty, it couldn’t get much more perfect than that as a potential top pairing for Vancouver, though Olli Juolevi (fifth overall in 2016) would likely still have dibs on the left side next to Dobson. The easy comparison for Tychonick is a better version of Troy Stecher since they are taking the same path through Penticton and the University of North Dakota.

38) Montreal Canadiens (from Chicago) — Serron Noel (RW, Canada, Oshawa OHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 204 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 5 GP-0 G-1 A-1 PT

Regular Season Stats: 62 GP-28 G-25 A-53 PTS

Central Scouting: 10 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 35

THW Brett Slawson: 28

THW Ryan Pike: 29

ANALYSIS: A standout for Canada at the under-18 tournament, tying for the team lead in scoring with six points (two goals, four assists) in five games, Noel could be long gone by here. As mentioned, it’s a guessing game from approximately No. 15 to No. 45 in this year’s draft and some teams may have Noel in their top 20 or certainly in their top 31 as a first-round pick. I’m not as high on Noel — even though he grew on me at the U18s, I don’t think he’s comparable to Anthony Mantha, maybe more so Julien Gauthier — so I feel this would be fair spot for his skill-set. Montreal would love to add Noel as a long-term replacement for Max Pacioretty.

39) New York Rangers — Kirill Marchenko (F, Russia, Mamonty MHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 168 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 8 GP-4 G-3 A-7 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 31 GP-8 G-8 A-16 PTS

Central Scouting: 17 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 52

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: NR

ANALYSIS: I should probably have the Rangers taking a defenceman with at least one of their first four picks, but I really like the idea of a Russian forward in this spot. Marchenko is a budding sniper and sort of reminds me of current Ranger Pavel Buchnevich, but he’s just one of 10 possibilities here, along with Ivan Morozov, Dmitry Zavgorodniy, Alexander Khovanov, Nikolai Kovalenko, Pavel Gogolev, Bulat Shafigullin, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Egor Sokolov and Ruslan Iskhakov. All Russians, all projected to go in my top 93 — somewhere in the second or third rounds. I do like Marchenko from that group.

40) Edmonton Oilers — Calen Addison (RHD, Canada, Lethbridge WHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 178 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 16 GP-7 G-12 A-19 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 68 GP-11 G-54 A-65 PTS

Central Scouting: 30 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 44

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 26

ANALYSIS: The Oilers did well in taking two straight undersized defencemen from the Dub during the 2015 draft — Caleb Jones (117th) and Ethan Bear (124th) — and Edmonton could repeat that feat with its first two picks of 2018. I have the Oilers taking Spokane’s Ty Smith at 10th overall in the first round and Addison could be a nice complement here at No. 40 in the second round. Smith is left-handed and Addison right-handed, so that could balance out as they develop together in the years to come. The righty is more of a need in the present, but who knows what the future will hold.

41) New York Islanders — Ryan McLeod (C/LW, Canada, Mississauga OHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2.25, 206 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 6 GP-2 G-3 A-5 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 68 GP-26 G-44 A-70 PTS

Central Scouting: 16 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 37

THW Brett Slawson: 23

THW Ryan Pike: 13

ANALYSIS: Lou Lamoriello continues to go with a best-player-available approach and keeps killing it. Entirely unintentional, but the Islanders emerged with one of my favourite mocks to this point after picking Evan Bouchard and Joe Veleno in the first round, followed by McLeod here. The younger brother of New Jersey first-rounder Michael McLeod (12th in 2016), Ryan is similar in a lot of ways and some believe he could have the higher upside between the two. I’m not convinced and still prefer Michael — remember, Alex was supposed to be better than William Nylander too — but it speaks to the depth of the 2018 draft class that Ryan McLeod could be available into the 40s. However, he could just as easily go in the 20s given the parity between prospects in that 25-55 range. Rest assured, the Islanders would be thrilled to get McLeod at this spot.

42) Carolina Hurricanes — Niklas Nordgren (RW, Finland, HIFK Liiga)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 170 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 10 GP-6 G-4 A-10 PTS in U20; 5 GP-6 G-7 A-13 PTS in U18

Regular Season Stats: 28 GP-13 G-29 A-42 PTS in U20; 15 GP-0 G-3 A-3 PTS in Liiga

Central Scouting: 21 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 39

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 49

ANALYSIS: The Hurricanes love their Finns — at least they did during Ron Francis’ tenure as GM — and Nordgren is looking like another good one, having netted the golden goal for Finland at the U18 tournament this spring. He’s not the biggest guy and some question his skating, but Nordgren’s doggedness and finishing ability is reminiscent of Nashville’s Viktor Arvidsson. Nordgren would be a fitting pick for Carolina here, but he’s another prospect who could easily go 10-15 spots higher.

43) New York Islanders (from Calgary) — Jett Woo (RHD, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 200 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 14 GP-2 G-1 A-3 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 44 GP-9 G-16 A-25 PTS

Central Scouting: 28 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 45

THW Brett Slawson: 24

THW Ryan Pike: 31

ANALYSIS: Another really solid BPA-type pick for the Islanders. Woo is more of a rugged defender who won’t necessarily ‘wow’ you but will impress with his all-around effectiveness. That sounds like Travis Hamonic, who ironically was traded by the Islanders to Calgary for a package of picks, including this one. Had Woo not lost a good chunk of his draft year to injury, he probably would have been a first-round pick in my mock and he still might be in reality.

44) Dallas Stars — David Gustafsson (C, Sweden, HV71 J20)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 194 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 2 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS in SHL; 5 GP-2 G-3 A-5 PTS in SuperElit

Regular Season Stats: 45 GP-6 G-6 A-12 PTS in SHL; 4 GP-1 G-4 A-5 PTS in SuperElit

Central Scouting: 24 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 38

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 47

ANALYSIS: Jim Nill and his scouting staff in Detroit hit a lot of homers with Swedish forwards over the years, and Dallas is gradually trending that way as well — taking Fredrik Karlstrom (third round, 90th overall) in 2016 and Jacob Peterson (fifth round, 132nd) in 2017. Gustafsson is on another level and well worth a top-50 pick. Some teams might even have him in their top 31 and I wouldn’t be surprised if Dallas was one of those teams. He would be too much of a reach at 13th overall, but if the Stars traded down — into the mid-to-late 20s — Gustafsson could be their guy. Nill would be thrilled to get him here.

45) St. Louis Blues — Liam Foudy (C, Canada, London OHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 174 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 4 GP-1 G-1 A-2 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 65 GP-24 G-16 A-40 PTS

Central Scouting: 19 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 36

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 65

ANALYSIS: Doug Armstrong and the Blues have been reeling in more talent from the OHL than anybody else lately — Steve Yzerman in Tampa Bay seems to be a close second — so St. Louis may as well stay in its wheelhouse with this pick. I had the Blues taking Ty Dellandrea in the first round (29th overall) and mentioned Foudy as a potential option there. If he’s still available here, look for Foudy to land in St. Louis. Either him or Aidan Dudas, another OHLer.

46) Washington Capitals (from Florida via New Jersey) — Jakub Lauko (C, Czech Republic, Chomutov)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 179 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 6 GP-1 G-2 A-3 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 42 GP-3 G-6 A-9 PTS

Central Scouting: 20 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 40

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 43

ANALYSIS: Lauko was a player that I strongly considered with Washington’s late first-rounder, so the Capitals would be equally happy to see him still available here. If not Lauko, it could be any of those remaining Russian forwards, with Morozov, Zavgorodniy, Khovanov, Kovalenko, Gogolev, Shafigullin,Der-Arguchintsev, Sokolov and Iskhakov yet to go in my mock and all of potential interest to Washington — especially after waching Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov elevate their games throughout this year’s playoffs. I like Lauko just a little bit more than that group.

47) Colorado Avalanche — Jacob Bernard-Docker (RHD, Canada, Okotoks AJHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0.25, 187 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 15 GP-7 G-7 A-14 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 49 GP-20 G-21 A-41 PTS

Central Scouting: 33 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 46

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 40

ANALYSIS: The Avs took Cale Makar out of the Alberta junior league in the first round of last year’s draft, at fourth overall, and Bernard-Docker could be considered a poor man’s Makar as the top prospect coming out of that league this year. His skill-set isn’t as elite as Makar’s, but Bernard-Docker definitely plays a similar style as the kind of defenceman excelling in today’s NHL. Both are right-handed and Colorado already has Samuel Girard, a lefty, but you can never have too much of a good thing. The laughing stock not so long ago, Colorado’s blue line could be the envy of the league in a few years.

48) New York Rangers (from New Jersey) — Jack Drury (C, USA, Waterloo USHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 174 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 8 GP-3 G-2 A-5 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 56 GP-24 G-41 A-65 PTS

Central Scouting: 27 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 48

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 53

ANALYSIS: I had the Rangers reaching for Matej Pekar at the end of the first round, but I honestly contemplated Drury at No. 28 and then again at No. 39 where I went with Marchenko. I don’t know if Drury’s upside is as high as those two, particularly Pekar, but Drury had a record-setting season in the USHL and was a consistent force for Waterloo. I think he’ll be a productive pro too, even if he’s not the prettiest player to watch. This is also something of a sentimental pick since Drury is the nephew of Rangers assistant GM and former NHLer Chris Drury. If not Drury, Morozov makes a lot of sense here for the Rangers if they previously picked Marchenko — keeping that dynamic duo together, with Morozov the set-up man and Marchenko the triggerman. Either way, that would be five forwards in a row for the Rangers to start their draft haul — controversial, I know — and there’s more to come.

49) Columbus Blue Jackets — Jesse Ylonen (RW, Finland/USA, Espoo United)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 168 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 4 GP-3 G-0 A-3 PTS in U20

Regular Season Stats: 48 GP-14 G-13 A-27 PTS in Mestis

Central Scouting: 28 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 42

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 37

ANALYSIS: This is another prospect who was difficult to slot, with some liking Ylonen in their top 40 and others leaving him out of their top 60, but I could see a good fit for Columbus in this spot. Jarmo Kekalainen hasn’t played favourites with his Finns, but I have a feeling he may pick a couple in 2018 and Ylonen is a real possibility to the Blue Jackets here. Reminds me a bit of Columbus’ second-rounder from last year, Alexandre Texier, who hails from France but is developing in Finland.

50) Philadelphia Flyers — Cole Fonstad (RW, Canada, Prince Albert WHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 159 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP-4 G-1 A-5 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 72 GP-21 G-52 A-73 PTS

Central Scouting: 65 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 63

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 45

ANALYSIS: The Flyers seem to draft out of the WHL more often than most, and Ron Hextall will almost surely go back to that well this year. Fonstad would be a nice contrast to left-winger Joel Farabee from the first round, with Fonstad somewhat similar to Travis Konecny or a guy like Jordan Eberle. A good amount of flash and the ability to finish.

51) Los Angeles Kings — Jakub Skarek (G, Czech Republic, Dukla Jihlava)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 192 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 2 GP-3.60 GAA-.857 SaveP in Czech; 3 GP-2.59 GAA-.894 SaveP in CzechQ

Regular Season Stats: 21 GP-2.41 GAA-.913 SaveP in Czech; 10 GP-1.90 GAA-.942 SaveP in Czech2

Central Scouting: 2 European Goaltenders

THW Larry Fisher: 71

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 81

ANALYSIS: Finally, a goalie! Skarek was thought to be a first-round candidate from the outset of his draft year, but a shaky showing at the World Juniors ended any hope of that. Goaltenders just aren’t going as high anymore in general, and although Skarek could still crack the top 50, he could also fall further than this and is no longer a lock to be the first netminder taken in 2018. That said, the Kings could use another goalie or two in their organization and Skarek has starter potential as a possible successor for Jonathan Quick.

52) Toronto Maple Leafs (from San Jose) — Aidan Dudas (C, Canada, Owen Sound OHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-7.25, 164 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 11 GP-3 G-4 A-7 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 68 GP-31 G-34 A-65 PTS

Central Scouting: 68 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 51

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 89

ANALYSIS: Kyle Dubas has expertise on the OHL and his connections across that league should point to Dudas in this range. Dubas drafting Dudas has a neat ring to it, but the underlying numbers and analytics should also paint Dudas in a positive light. He was a standout at the CHL Top Prospects Game where Dudas was dangling like a young Mitch Marner. The latter’s skill-set has translated well to the NHL, with Marner leading the Leafs in scoring this past season, so there’s hope for Dudas at the next level.

53) Pittsburgh Penguins — Jay O’Brien (C, USA, Thayer High School)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10.75, 176 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 30 GP-43 G-37 A-80 PTS; 7 GP-1 G-1 A-2 PTS with NTDP

Central Scouting: 32 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 50

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 51

ANALYSIS: Another long wait for Jim Rutherford and the Penguins to make their first pick, but this could prove to be a steal with O’Brien a raw package with big upside and supposedly one of the best shots in this year’s draft class. I’ve had limited viewings and even his highlight-reels are difficult to find, but those who have seen O’Brien claim he could be the real deal. O’Brien won’t be NHL-ready any time soon, but Pittsburgh is well stocked on the wings and can afford to wait a few years for him to round out his game. Perhaps the next Jake Guentzel?

54) Anaheim Ducks — Bo Groulx (C, Canada, Halifax QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 193 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 9 GP-2 G-6 A-8 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 68 GP-28 G-27 A-55 PTS

Central Scouting: 20 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 64

THW Brett Slawson: 27

THW Ryan Pike: 25

ANALYSIS: The son of Tampa Bay’s farm team coach, Benoit Groulx, could go much higher and may even be in some teams’ top 31, but the same could be said for Anaheim’s top pick from last year, Max Comtois, who fell to 50th overall. There are similarities between the two and Comtois took a significant step during his draft-plus-one season in getting signed by the Ducks, so Anaheim may hope for a repeat with Groulx if he’s available here. The Ducks also took another QMJHL forward in last year’s second round in Antoine Morand at 60th overall and he’s trending well too — as a member of Memorial Cup-winning Acadie-Bathurst — so Bob Murray’s scouts could very well be high on Groulx this year.

55) Arizona Coyotes (from Minnesota) — Blake McLaughlin (C, USA, Chicago USHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 157 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP-3 G-4 A-7 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 54 GP-23 G-29 A-52 PTS

Central Scouting: 24 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 47

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 54

ANALYSIS: I think there is a lot of upside to McLaughlin, even if he’s a bit further away from making an NHL impact. I do think he could develop into a top-six contributor for a contending team, which the Coyotes might be by the time McLaughlin is ready. That’s not a bad thing, McLaughlin is the type of prospect that is worth the wait, and John Chayka could look like a genius for getting him this late. But McLaughlin could also be long gone by here. I could see a team reaching for McLaughlin’s potential — perhaps even in the latter part of the first round (yes, that high). At this spot, at No. 55, McLaughlin stands a good chance of becoming a steal for the Coyotes.

56) Montreal Canadiens (from Toronto) — Filip Hallander (C/W, Sweden, Timra)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1.75, 188 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 9 GP-1 G-1 A-2 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 40 GP-9 G-11 A-20 PTS

Central Scouting: 13 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 41

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 33

ANALYSIS: Marc Bergevin goes with his best available player here, opting for a skilled Swede with strong character who is coming off a championship-winning season. Some like Hallander right up there with fellow Swedish forwards Isac Lundestrom, his Timra teammate Olofsson and Gustafsson, but I have Hallander a cut below as more of a winger in comparison to that trio of centres. Still a quality prospect who could easily crack the top 50, Hallander would be a good get for the Habs at this spot.

57) Boston Bruins — Adam Ginning (LHD, Sweden, Linkoping J20)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 206 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP-0 G-1 A-1 PT in SHL

Regular Season Stats: 28 GP-1 G-1 A-2 PTS in SHL; 17 GP-1 G-5 A-6 PTS in SuperElit

Central Scouting: 5 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 55

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 38

ANALYSIS: Ginning is considered a safer Swede, more of a sure thing as a steady stay-at-home defender with middle-pairing upside. Ginning’s ceiling isn’t very high, but he managed to make a good impression at the U18s by playing within his means and some teams may have him ranked a lot higher than this spot as a result. Personally, I don’t think Ginning is going to get to that top-pairing level — like an Adam Larsson or Niklas Hjalmarsson — and I compare him more to Philadelphia’s Robert Hagg (second round, 41st overall in 2013). Boston has selected similar shutdown types in recent years such as Brandon Carlo (second round, 37th overall in 2015), Ryan Lindgren (second round, 49th in 2016) and last year’s first-rounder Urho Vaakanainen (18th). With Lindgren traded to the Rangers as part of the package for Rick Nash at this year’s deadline, Don Sweeney might see Ginning as a suitable replacement for the Bruins’ prospect pool.

58) Colorado Avalanche (from Nashville) — Ivan Morozov (C, Russia, Mamonty Yugry, MHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 179 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP-2 G-3 A-5 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 30 GP-11 G-12 A-23 PTS

Central Scouting: 19 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 53

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: NR

ANALYSIS: Morozov didn’t get as much international exposure as some of his Russian peers during their draft year, but he opened a lot of eyes at the U18 tournament after putting up pretty good numbers in the MHL and also getting to make his KHL debut. Colorado recently signed a Russian draft pick in forward Igor Shvyrev, so Joe Sakic could go exploring those waters again and might end up reeling in Morozov. As mentioned, there are multiple Russian forwards in this range, with Zavgorodniy, Khovanov, Kovalenko, Gogolev, Shafigullin,Der-Arguchintsev, Sokolov and Iskhakov as other options for the Avs.

59) Tampa Bay Lightning — Dmitry Zavgorodniy (RW, Russia, Rimouski QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 161 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP-1 G-2 A-3 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 62 GP-26 G-21 A-47 PTS

Central Scouting: 69 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 58

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 78

ANALYSIS: I would bet a fair bit of Monopoly money on Tampa Bay taking one of those Russians here, with its top pick in 2018. I’ll up the ante and suggest the Lightning will select one of the Russian forwards playing in the CHL, which narrows that long list down to Zavgorodniy,Khovanov, Gogolev, Der-Arguchintsev and Sokolov. I pulled Zavgorodniy’s name from the hat of potential suitors for Tampa Bay.

60) Winnipeg Jets — Curtis Hall (C, USA, Youngstown USHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2.5, 200 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 11 GP-3 G-3 A-6 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 54 GP-13 G-18 A-31 PTS

Central Scouting: 60 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 74

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 84

ANALYSIS: Hall is coming out of the same Youngstown program that produced Kyle Connor, and Winnipeg has done well drafting out of the USHL, with Mason Appleton looking like another good one as a rookie pro for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. There are a handful of USHL forwards who could be on the Jets’ radar for their first pick of 2018, including Sampo Ranta, the Finn playing for Sioux City, Alex Steeves from Dubuque, Ryan O’Reilly from Madison and Tyler Madden from Tri-City, not to mention a few U.S. Development Program players like Johnny Gruden, Tyler Weiss and Jake Pivonka. But I feel Hall has the most upside of that group and Kevin Cheveldayoff has that familiarity with Youngstown, so Hall made the most sense for Winnipeg.

61) Vegas Golden Knights — Kevin Bahl (LHD, Canada, Ottawa OHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6.25, 216 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 5 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 58 GP-1 G-17 A-18 PTS

Central Scouting: 29 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 56

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 59

ANALYSIS: Another best-player-available pick, I’m shocked at my own mock to see Bahl still on the board this late. I quite like his game, simple but highly effective as more of a stay-at-home type with a physical element. Bahl can play in all situations and handle a heavy workload, he doesn’t lack mobility and his first passes are almost always on the mark, so Vegas could be getting a subtle steal at this spot. I doubt Bahl will break out offensively the way Nic Hague did in winning OHL and CHL defenceman-of-the-year honours this season as the Golden Knights’ second-round pick from 2017 (34th overall). Despite both being lefties, they could become twin towers on the Vegas Strip, both standing 6-foot-6 and weighing well over 200 pounds. With Bahl, he could eventually play the role that Deryk Engelland is now, and that somewhat limited upside would be the only thing keeping Bahl out of the top 50. He’s a safe pick, but a solid one.

62) Montreal Canadiens (from Washington) — Philip Kurashev (C, Switzerland, Quebec QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11.75, 190 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 6 GP-1 G-4 A-5 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 59 GP-19 G-41 A-60 PTS

Central Scouting: 61 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 60

THW Brett Slawson: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 46

ANALYSIS: Kurashev sounds Russian, but he’s Swiss and has been developing in Montreal’s backyard with the QMJHL’s Remparts for the past two seasons. Kurashev had a fair bit of hype coming into his draft year, labelled a likely first-round pick from the outset, and although his stock dropped to some degree — slightly or significantly, depending on who you ask — he still possesses an ample amount of first-round skill and would be tough for the Canadiens to pass up at the end of the second round.

Recapping Second Round

32) Buffalo Sabres — Jacob Olofsson (C, Sweden, Timra)

33) Detroit Red Wings (from Ottawa via N.Y. Rangers) — Filip Johansson (RHD, Sweden, Leksands J20)

34) Florida Panthers (from Arizona) — Alexander Alexeyev (LHD, Russia, Red Deer WHL)

35) Montreal Canadiens — Nicolas Beaudin (LHD, Canada, Drummondville QMJHL)

36) Detroit Red Wings — Mattias Samuelsson (LHD, USA/Sweden, NTDP U18)

37) Vancouver Canucks — Jonny Tychonick (LHD, Canada, Penticton BCHL)

38) Montreal Canadiens (from Chicago) — Serron Noel (RW, Canada, Oshawa OHL)

39) New York Rangers — Kirill Marchenko (F, Russia, Mamonty MHL)

40) Edmonton Oilers — Calen Addison (RHD, Canada, Lethbridge WHL)

41) New York Islanders — Ryan McLeod (C/LW, Canada, Mississauga OHL)

42) Carolina Hurricanes — Niklas Nordgren (RW, Finland, HIFK Liiga)

43) New York Islanders (from Calgary) — Jett Woo (RHD, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL)

44) Dallas Stars — David Gustafsson (C, Sweden, HV71 J20)

45) St. Louis Blues — Liam Foudy (C, Canada, London OHL)

46) Washington Capitals (from Florida via New Jersey) — Jakub Lauko (C, Czech Republic, Chomutov)

47) Colorado Avalanche — Jacob Bernard-Docker (RHD, Canada, Okotoks AJHL)

48) New York Rangers (from New Jersey) — Jack Drury (C, USA, Waterloo USHL)

49) Columbus Blue Jackets — Jesse Ylonen (RW, Finland/USA, Espoo United)

50) Philadelphia Flyers — Cole Fonstad (RW, Canada, Prince Albert WHL)

51) Los Angeles Kings — Jakub Skarek (G, Czech Republic, Dukla Jihlava)

52) Toronto Maple Leafs (from San Jose) — Aidan Dudas (C, Canada, Owen Sound OHL)

53) Pittsburgh Penguins — Jay O’Brien (C, USA, Thayer High School)

54) Anaheim Ducks — Bo Groulx (C, Canada, Halifax QMJHL)

55) Arizona Coyotes (from Minnesota) — Blake McLaughlin (C, USA, Chicago USHL)

56) Montreal Canadiens (from Toronto) — Filip Hallander (C/W, Sweden, Timra)

57) Boston Bruins — Adam Ginning (LHD, Sweden, Linkoping J20)

58) Colorado Avalanche (from Nashville) — Ivan Morozov (C, Russia, Mamonty Yugry, MHL)

59) Tampa Bay Lightning — Dmitry Zavgorodniy (RW, Russia, Rimouski QMJHL)

60) Winnipeg Jets — Curtis Hall (C, USA, Youngstown USHL)

61) Vegas Golden Knights — Kevin Bahl (LHD, Canada, Ottawa OHL)

62) Montreal Canadiens (from Washington) — Philip Kurashev (C, Switzerland, Quebec QMJHL)