7th Annual NHL Mock Draft: 2018, Round 3

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The depth of the 2018 draft class grew on me over the course of the season and there’s still all kinds of quality available as we keep it rolling into the third round, where we’ll also start to see some over-agers getting picked.

Third Round

63) Minnesota Wild (from Buffalo) — Scott Perunovich (LHD, USA, Minnesota-Duluth NCAA, over-ager)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 165 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 42 GP-11 G-25 A-36 PTS

Central Scouting: 102 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 80

THW Ryan Pike: 118

ANALYSIS: How’s that for foreshadowing? Starting off the third round with an over-ager, Perunovich will likely be the first to go after starring for the United States at this year’s World Juniors. He even saw some power-play time ahead of projected top-10 pick Quinn Hughes — who I have going fifth overall to Arizona — so Perunovich is now a known commodity thanks to that coming-out party. He also happens to hail from Minnesota, making Perunovich a perfect fit for the Wild here. He plays the game a bit like Jared Spurgeon and is about the same size too.

64) Pittsburgh Penguins (from Ottawa) — Alexander Khovanov (C, Russia, Moncton QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10.5, 198 pounds (Combine Official)

Playoff Stats: 12 GP-3 G-4 A-7 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 29 GP-9 G-19 A-28 PTS

Central Scouting: 43 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 59

THW Ryan Pike: 42

ANALYSIS: Khovanov is another real polarizing prospect who is now ranked all over the map despite starting his draft year in most people’s top 31. Like Jake Wise, who managed to stay in my top 31 thanks to a late surge, Khovanov had his season derailed by injuries and never got fully uncorked during his first campaign in North America. There were also inconsistencies with Khovanov, but you could see glimpses of his immense potential at the CHL Top Prospects Game. For some reason, Khovanov reminds me of Mikhail Grigorenko and that isn’t a ringing endorsement. Other scouts may see shades of Evgeni Malkin and reach for Khovanov in the top 50, hoping he rebounds in his draft-plus-one campaign. That’s entirely possible, and one of those teams with several picks in the top 60 — the Rangers, Montreal, Detroit — could take a high-risk, high-reward flyer, but of those Russian forwards projected for the 30-90 range, I feel Khovanov is the most likely to fall. Pittsburgh could also take Khovanov with its first pick — at No. 53 in the second round — instead of high-schooler Jay O’Brien. When the Penguins don’t have a first-round pick, they do tend to target a faller — such as Daniel Sprong in 2015 (46th overall) — so Khovanov would fit that bill. With that in mind, I considered flip-flopping those selections, but I still felt Khovanov had a better chance of falling into the third round than O’Brien. However, there is little doubt that Khovanov would be the top name left on Pittsburgh’s list at this spot — potentially a huge steal at No. 64.

65) Arizona Coyotes —Ty Emberson (RHD, USA, NTDP U18)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0.5, 200 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 61 GP-4 G-23 A-27 PTS; 25 GP-4 G-11 A-15 PTS in USHL

Central Scouting: 42 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 57

THW Ryan Pike: 90

ANALYSIS: Emberson was a pleasant surprise at the under-18 tournament, impressive and effective in boosting his draft stock by showing up on the scoresheet a fair bit. John Chayka may like him as a potential future partner for Quinn Hughes, my first-round selection for the Coyotes.

66) Montreal Canadiens — Ryan O’Reilly (C, USA, Madison USHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 201 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 45 GP-21 G-13 A-34 PTS

Central Scouting: 58 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 83

THW Ryan Pike: 101

ANALYSIS: Imagine if Montreal traded for Ryan O’Reilly from Buffalo while also drafting the second-coming of that name? That would be wild and a broadcaster’s worst nightmare, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. The O’Reilly rumours are certainly out there — the Canadiens need a legit centre as badly as anybody — but this would be Montreal’s chance to ensure at least one Ryan O’Reilly joins their organization. In all seriousness, this O’Reilly is a nice player too, but I’d rather not compare him to the proven O’Reilly — even though there are some similarities in terms of playing style. It’s confusing enough already, but remember the bearded O’Reilly is Canadian and the baby-faced O’Reilly is American — from Dallas, meaning he will be getting drafted in his hometown.

67) Detroit Red Wings —Jack McBain (C, Canada, Toronto OJHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3.25, 201 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 4 GP-6 G-3 A-9 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 48 GP-21 G-37 A-58 PTS

Central Scouting: 35 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 61

THW Ryan Pike: 34

ANALYSIS: In a draft that is lacking quality centres, it wouldn’t be shocking to see some team reach for McBain in the second round, but he’s a third-rounder for me and a good fit for Detroit in my opinion. McBain is a good-sized centre with seemingly good skills, though he played tier-II junior in his draft year while committing to Boston College for next season. To that end, McBain reminds me a bit of Boston Bruins third-line pivot and pending free-agent Riley Nash, who also took the college route yet still went in the first round (21st overall) back in 2007. I could see McBain becoming that type of utility player, but I do question whether McBain has top-six upside in terms of his offensive tools, which is why I allowed him to slide this far in my mock.

68) Vancouver Canucks — Milos Roman (C, Slovakia, Vancouver WHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11.75, 196 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP-3 G-3 A-6 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 39 GP-10 G-22 A-32 PTS

Central Scouting: 41 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 66

THW Ryan Pike: 58

ANALYSIS: The Canucks don’t have to look far to find this budding pivot, playing in their backyard with the Langley-based Giants. Roman was hampered by injuries in his draft year, which added complications to adjusting to the North American game, but he fared relatively well and had his share of shining moments. Roman also looked good to me at the World Juniors and he could be another one of those kids who blows up to post gaudy numbers in his draft-plus-one campaign now that he knows what to expect in the WHL. Keep Roman in mind as a sleeper if he slides out of the second round.

69) Chicago Blackhawks —Nikolai Kovalenko (RW, Russia/USA, Loko Yaroslavl MHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 174 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 13 GP-1 G-11 A-12 PTS in MHL; 4 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS in KHL

Regular Season Stats: 33 GP-10 G-21 A-31 PTS; 2 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS in KHL

Central Scouting: 33 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 76

THW Ryan Pike: Not Ranked (NR)

ANALYSIS: Of that big group of 10 Russian forwards I keep referencing — with five more still to come — Kovalenko may be the biggest riser over the final quarter of their draft year, making one last push up the rankings as a standout at the Black Sea Cup. That mini tournament, which took place at the end of May in Sochi and featured two host teams from Russia against mostly inferior competition from Switzerland and Denmark, isn’t a popular stop among scouts, but those in attendance or following from afar would have witnessed a dominant Kovalenko. They also may have seen shades of his dad, Andrei — known as the Russian tank during his NHL playing days — as young Nikolai is extremely strong on the puck for his size, especially down low in the offensive zone, which should translate well to the smaller ice and more physical North American game. Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks’ scouts are tapped into Russia, so they will be well aware of Kovalenko’s rising stock and may target him here. I could see Chicago debating internally between three Russians playing domestically in Kovalenko, Bulat Shafigullinand Ruslan Iskhakov.

70) New York Rangers —Tyler Weiss (C/LW, USA, NTDP U18)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10.5, 151 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 58 GP-12 G-19 A-31 PTS; 22 GP-3 G-8 A-11 PTS in USHL

Central Scouting: 90 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 75

THW Ryan Pike: Honourable Mention (HM)

ANALYSIS: Make it six and counting for consecutive forwards selected by the Rangers in this year’s mock draft, with Weiss their best player available at this spot — perhaps by a fair margin. In reality, the Rangers will probably mix in a defenceman or maybe even a goaltender by this point, but I’ve preferred the forward options at every spot, including here with Weiss, who strikes me as a kid with untapped offensive upside playing in the shadows of first-round prospects Oliver Wahlstrom and Joel Farabee as well as 2019 first-overall candidate Jack Hughes. Generally speaking, it’s a great opportunity to be on that NTDP team and it provides plenty of exposure every year, but sometimes kids like Weiss get lost in the shuffle and go on to break out at the next level. For Weiss, that will be at Boston University in the fall, where he would have been recruited by David Quinn — the Rangers’ new head coach and former BU bench boss.

71) Edmonton Oilers — Pavel Gogolev (RW, Russia, Peterborough OHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 165 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 66 GP-30 G-17 A-47 PTS

Central Scouting: 79 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 96

THW Ryan Pike: 107

ANALYSIS: The Oilers have really ramped up their OHL scouting — headed up by Peter Chiarelli’s brother, Mike — and the early returns have been promising. That includes another Russian import forward in Kirill Maksimov — Edmonton’s fifth-rounder from last year (146th overall) — who took a massive leap in his draft-plus-one season. Gogolev did the same during his draft year, increasing his goal total from five to 30 and his point total from 11 to 47 as a sophomore for Peterborough. Gogolev isn’t as much of a foreigner, having been developing his skill-set in Canada for at least the last five years (according to EliteProspects.com), but you can bet he really caught Edmonton’s eye this season. Another name that could be of interest here is Adam Mascherin, a 20-year-old left-winger from the OHL with a wicked shot who is re-entering the draft after Florida failed to sign him as a 2016 second-round pick (38th overall). I fully expect Mascherin to be selected again, somewhere between No. 70 and No. 120, but you won’t see his name in my mock draft since I had been anticipating a trade by the Panthers ahead of the June 1 deadline. By that point, I was too far along in my mocking process, so Mascherin and the other re-entries — there are 13 of them in total — were left out but will be mentioned along the way.

72) New York Islanders — Allan McShane (C, Canada, Oshawa OHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10.75, 185 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 5 GP-1 G-2 A-3 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 67 GP-20 G-45 A-65 PTS

Central Scouting: 50 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 65

THW Ryan Pike: 62

ANALYSIS: The Islanders often stray from the consensus rankings, but taking more of a best-player-available approach seems to be working out well for them in this year’s mock. McShane could go higher than this — some like him in the second round, coming off a strong showing at the U18s, tying for Canada’s team lead in scoring with six points (one goal, five assists) in five games — but he fits the bill as a BPA here.

73) Arizona Coyotes (from Carolina) — Cam Hillis (C, Canada, Guelph OHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-9.75, 168 pounds (CO)

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

Regular Season Stats: 60 GP-20 G-39 A-59 PTS

Central Scouting: 67 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 62

THW Ryan Pike: 52

ANALYSIS: Ditto for Hillis, who wasn’t as noticeable at the U18s — at least not on the scoresheet, limited to two assists over five games — but is still worthy of second-round consideration. Some think he could take off next season and be among the OHL’s leading point-getters, that Hillis has elite-level skill, but his body of work to date probably lands him in the third round. I could see the Coyotes taking a liking to Hillis if he gets past Edmonton and the Islanders in this little run of OHL forwards.

74) Arizona Coyotes (from Calgary) — Riley Sutter (C/RW, Canada, Everett WHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 203 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 21 GP-9 G-10 A-19 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 68 GP-25 G-28 A-53 PTS

Central Scouting: 80 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 86

THW Ryan Pike: 77

ANALYSIS: A Sutter in Calgary, that sounds fitting. The son of Ron, a longtime Flames scout and their director of player development since 2011-12, if Riley Sutter is still available for Calgary’s long-awaited first pick of 2018, this seems like a logical landing spot. Riley was really impressive in the WHL playoffs, centering Everett’s most productive line during the Silvertips’ run to the league final, so it’s entirely possible another team could take him somewhere in the 60s. Riley has the bloodlines and the size to become a serviceable pro, but his offensive upside still seems rather limited. I could be wrong on that front, he could be able to chip in similar to his cousin Brandon Sutter, now in Vancouver, but Calgary makes too much sense for Riley.

NOTE: Ryan Pike has informed me that this pick belongs to Arizona, not Calgary, as a condition of the Mike Smith trade. Sutter won’t last until Calgary’s next pick, at No. 105, so let’s just assume the Coyotes would also take Sutter, which is entirely possible and perhaps a bit harsh — taking the player that the Flames obviously would have wanted here.

75) Dallas Stars — Simon Johansson (RHD, Sweden, Djurgardens J20, over-ager)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 170 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 3 GP-1 G-1 A-2 PTS in SuperElit

Regular Season Stats: 43 GP-16 G-20 A-36 PTS in SuperElit; 8 GP-1 G-0 A-1 PT in SHL

Central Scouting: 88 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 81

THW Ryan Pike: NR

ANALYSIS: Another over-ager that you should make a mental note of, this Johansson exploded offensively in his draft-plus-one season and had NHL scouts scrambling to see him live again. By the sounds of it, they came away impressed by more than just his stat-line. Like Detroit, Dallas likes to draft Swedish defencemen and has a knack for getting the good ones, so I have a feeling the Stars will go that route here. I debated between this Johansson and Axel Andersson, who is also right-handed and first-time eligible. Both would be considered reaches here, but that wouldn’t be out of the norm for Dallas. Jim Nill and the Stars’ scouting staff tend to target offensive-minded puck-movers, so they could take their pick between those two. And for those wondering, Simon Johansson is no known relation to first-time eligible Filip Johansson — a second-rounder to Detroit in my mock — but Simon is apparently the cousin of Columbus centre Alexander Wennberg. You learn something new every day!

76) St. Louis Blues — Martin Fehervary (LHD, Slovakia, Oskarshamn Sweden)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1.75, 194 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 8 GP-1 G-2 A-3 PTS in Allsvenskan

Regular Season Stats: 42 GP-1 G-6 A-7 PTS in Allsvenskan; 1 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS in SHL

Central Scouting: 15 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 67

THW Ryan Pike: 67

ANALYSIS: The Blues have become another of the better-drafting teams and have stolen their share of defencemen outside the top two rounds. Fehervary could join that list as a kid who looked relatively good in representing his country at the men’s world championship this spring. There weren’t too many draft-eligibles playing in that tournament, so the fact Fehervary held his own likely boosted his draft stock and some teams could now have him in their top 60 or maybe even their top 50. St. Louis might be one of those teams and would certainly be stoked to snag Fehervary here at No. 76.

77) Boston Bruins (from Florida) — Spencer Stastney (LHD, USA, NTDP U18)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 179 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 57 GP-2 G-26 A-28 PTS; 23 GP-1 G-14 A-15 PTS in USHL

Central Scouting: 93 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 68

THW Ryan Pike: HM

ANALYSIS: Stastney soared up my rankings following the under-18 tournament, much the same way as Perunovich rose to prominence after the World Juniors. Stastney looked like a young Torey Krug at times there, but it’s never a great idea to judge a player based on a single showcase — otherwise Stastney would be mocked in my top 60. That said, Stastney definitely helped his stock on that stage despite being overshadowed by his more-hyped teammates in Bode Wilde, K’Andre Miller and Mattias Samuelsson — all first-round candidates. Stastney and Emberson, who I also have slotted in this round at No. 65, were revelations for me. Prior to their performances at the U18s, I admittedly had them projected for the fourth or even fifth round. They stepped up and I do think the Bruins will see Stastney as a poor man’s Krug.

78) Colorado Avalanche — Olivier Rodrigue (G, Canada, Drummondville QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 156 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 10 GP-2.50 GAA-.891 SaveP

Regular Season Stats: 53 GP-2.54 GAA-.903 SaveP

Central Scouting: 1 North American Goaltenders

THW Larry Fisher: 100

THW Ryan Pike: 61

ANALYSIS: Finally, another goalie — just the second of this year’s mock draft, following Jakub Skarek to Los Angeles at No. 51 in the second round. Joe Sakic has fond Cup-winning memories of playing on an Avs’ team backstopped by a French Canadian goaltender — some guy named Patrick Roy, the first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. No pressure, Rodrigue! But temper those expectations, best-case scenario Rodrigue will probably develop into a similar netminder to Jonathan Bernier, who had a decent stint with Colorado this season and could be re-signed as a pending unrestricted free agent. Rodrigue played well for Canada at the U18s, arriving late and taking over the crease, so he might challenge Skarek to be the first goalie taken in 2018.

79) Anaheim Ducks (from New Jersey) — Slava Demin (LHD, USA, Wenatchee BCHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1.5, 190 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 20 GP-2 G-5 A-7 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 57 GP-9 G-36 A-45 PTS

Central Scouting: 40 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 69

THW Ryan Pike: 92

ANALYSIS: Bob Murray and the Ducks’ scouts are good at identifying under-the-radar defencemen — see Brandon Montour (second round, 55th overall in 2014) and Josh Mahura (third round, 85th in 2016) as two examples — and Demin could be their latest discovery. He was playing tier-II junior for the only American-based team in the BCHL, which would have made Demin a diamond in the rough had Wenatchee not won the league title and then advanced to the RBC Cup. That resulted in more exposure for Demin, with most NHL teams sending scouts to that national championship tournament, but I still think Anaheim will be targeting him above others in the draft. Could the Ducks reach for Demin at No. 54 in the second round? I wouldn’t rule it out.

80) Columbus Blue Jackets — Toni Utunen (LHD, Finland, Tappara Liiga)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 172 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 5 GP-0 G-1 A-1 PT in Mestis; 6 GP-0 G-2 A-2 PTS in U20

Regular Season Stats: 28 GP-2 G-10 A-12 PTS in Mestis; 11 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS in Liiga

Central Scouting: 64 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 79

THW Ryan Pike: 82

ANALYSIS: Another Finn for Jarmo Kekalainen, Utunen captained their homeland of Finland to gold at the under-18 tournament. Utunen logged big minutes in all situations at that showcase, producing three points (one goal, two assists) and posting a team-high plus-12 rating over seven games while looking like a hybrid between Sami Vatanen and Toby Enstrom. Probably more so the latter since I don’t think Utunen has the offensive upside of Vatanen, but time will tell. Nevertheless, a nice pick for Columbus at No. 80.

81) Detroit Red Wings (from Philadelphia) — Lukas Dostal (G, Czech Republic, Kometa Brno U20)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1.25, 166 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP-1.40 GAA-.959 SaveP in U20

Regular Season Stats: 20 GP-2.43 GAA-.921 SaveP in Czech2; 14 GP-3.00 GAA-.919 SaveP in U20

Central Scouting: 1 EUG

THW Larry Fisher: 99

THW Ryan Pike: 102

ANALYSIS: Goalie No. 3 goes to Detroit, an athletic and at times acrobatic Czech who seems to have gone to the Dominik Hasek school of goaltending. Dostal no doubt grew up admiring Hasek, a Czech hero who finished his Hall-of-Fame career in Detroit. As was the case with Rodrigue following Roy’s footsteps into Colorado’s organization, this pick isn’t intended to put any extra pressure on Dostal, but Ken Holland and the Red Wings would surely like to turn back time between the pipes with this teenage throwback.

82) Los Angeles Kings — Blade Jenkins (C, Canada, Saginaw OHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1.25, 201 pounds (CO)

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

Regular Season Stats: 68 GP-20 G-24 A-44 PTS

Central Scouting: 26 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 84

THW Ryan Pike: 57

ANALYSIS: Simply put, best player available here — and one of the best names in this year’s draft class. Blade is a sweet hockey name, and Jenkins has a fair bit of upside to boot. The Kings have drafted quite heavily out of the OHL in recent years, so Los Angeles could definitely be looking there again for this pick and Jenkins jumped out at me.

83) Toronto Maple Leafs (from San Jose) — Jacob Tortora (LW, USA, Boston College NCAA, over-ager)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-8, 161 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 34 GP-6 G-7 A-13 PTS

Central Scouting: NR

THW Larry Fisher: 94

THW Ryan Pike: NR

ANALYSIS: I’ve had this pick earmarked for Tortora since last summer when he stole the show as an undrafted invite at Toronto’s development camp. Tortora outshone most, if not all of the Leafs’ selections from 2017 and new general manager Kyle Dubas was overseeing that camp. Tortora didn’t exactly light up the NCAA ranks as a freshman and he’s still undersized — which is probably why he was passed over in last year’s draft — so other teams might not be as high on Tortora as Toronto. Call it a hunch, but I feel the stars have aligned for Tortora to become a Leaf here at No. 83.

84) Detroit Red Wings (from Pittsburgh) — Oskar Back (C/W, Sweden, Farjestad J20)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 204 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 3 GP-1 G-1 A-2 PTS in SuperElit

Regular Season Stats: 38 GP-10 G-22 A-32 PTS in SuperElit; 14 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS in SHL

Central Scouting: 18 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 82

THW Ryan Pike: 121

ANALYSIS: A third Swede within seven picks wouldn’t be uncharacteristic for Detroit, which has mined a ton of talent from that Scandinavian nation over the years. Back would be the first Swedish forward for the Red Wings in 2018, following two defencemen in Nils Lundkvist at the end of the first round and Filip Johansson at the start of the second round. Back strikes me as a classic Detroit pick in this range.

85) Anaheim Ducks — Alec Regula (RHD, USA, London OHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3.5, 203 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 4 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 67 GP-7 G-18 A-25 PTS

Central Scouting: 72 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 70

THW Ryan Pike: 79

ANALYSIS: Here’s another one of those high-upside defenders that Anaheim tends to target, with Regula’s ceiling perhaps even higher than Demin’s. They could go in either order, but I could totally see the Ducks drafting both. London is going to be a lot better next season, so look for Regula to break out the way the aforementioned Mahura did in his draft-plus-one campaign. That is no secret, that the OHL’s Knights will be a contender again in 2018-19 and potentially an offensive juggernaut, so another NHL team could also reach for Regula well ahead of here — possibly in the top 60 — in anticipation of that resurgence.

86) Minnesota Wild — Xavier Bernard (LHD, Canada, Drummondville QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2.5, 202 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 10 GP-1 G-2 A-3 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 66 GP-11 G-24 A-35 PTS

Central Scouting: 76 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 70

ANALYSIS: I’ve received some mixed reviews from those who watch Bernard much closer than myself, with one scout suggesting he could be a second-rounder (top 60), while another was adamant that Bernard didn’t belong in the top 100. I decided to split the difference and he landed here with Minnesota. I do like what little I’ve seen of Bernard and I could see Paul Fenton becoming a fan of him too. Fenton will be a quality evaluator of defencemen for the Wild from his time in Nashville, and getting both Perunovich and Bernard out of this year’s third round would get him off to a good start with Minnesota.

87) Chicago Blackhawks (from Toronto via Washington) — Bulat Shafigullin (F, Russia, Nizhnekamsk MHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 165 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 9 GP-4 G-11 A-15 PTS in MHL; 1 GP-0 G-0 A-0 PTS in KHL

Regular Season Stats: 22 GP-20 G-16 A-36 PTS in MHL; 17 GP-0 G-2 A-2 PTS in KHL

Central Scouting: NR

THW Larry Fisher: 77

THW Ryan Pike: NR

ANALYSIS: Another Russian forward for Chicago, which had been debating — at least in my mind — between Kovalenko and Shafigullin, as well as Iskhakov, at No. 69. The Blackhawks would presumably be elated to land two out of the three with both of their third-round picks. Shafigullin hasn’t got as much hype as some of his compatriots despite producing similar stats throughout his draft year. Obviously there is a reason beyond the numbers, but I don’t think Chicago will be scared off.

88) New York Rangers (from Boston) — Jan Jenik (LW, Czech Republic, Liberec U20)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1.25, 171 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: 3 GP-2 G-3 A-5 PTS in U20

Regular Season Stats: 30 GP-4 G-7 A-11 PTS in Czech2; 7 GP-3 G-4 A-7 PTS in U20

Central Scouting: 16 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 72

THW Ryan Pike: 83

ANALYSIS: Oh no, not another forward — that’s seven in a row for the Rangers and, no, this wasn’t an accident. I mean, sure the Rangers could have reached for a guy like Regula at No. 70, but Weiss still seems like the better pick for that spot in hindsight and I really like Jenik at this spot too. Reminiscent of Filip Chytil, the Rangers’ second of two first-rounders from last year, Jenik is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class — a deadline baby, born on the Sept. 15 cutoff. Chytil, by comparison, has a Sept. 5 birthday. Jenik put up nice numbers domestically and internationally considering how young he is, and the upside could be huge if he continues to develop at that rate.

89) Nashville Predators — Sampo Ranta (RW, Finland, Sioux City USHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1.5, 199 pounds (CO)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 53 GP-23 G-14 A-37 PTS

Central Scouting: 18 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 73

THW Ryan Pike: 71

ANALYSIS: The last of the 31 teams to make their first pick in 2018, David Poile and the Predators would be stunned to see Ranta land in their lap. It would feel like déjà vu from last year’s first round when Eeli Tolvanen fell to Nashville at No. 30 — especially since Tolvanen was drafted from the same USHL team and is a fellow Finnish winger. Tolvanen is looking like a total steal a year later after returning home to Jokerit and tearing up the KHL. If this seems too good to be true for Nashville, it might be since some teams will probably have Ranta in their top 60 — based, at least partly, on Tolvanen’s success in his draft-plus-one campaign. For comparison sake, Tolvanen outscored Ranta by seven goals (30 to 23) during his draft year with Sioux City, finishing with 17 more points (54 to 37) in one less game (52 to 53) for the Musketeers. As you can tell from this placement, I’m not nearly as high on Ranta this year.

90) Tampa Bay Lightning — Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (C/RW, Russia, Peterborough OHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 159 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: NA

Regular Season Stats: 68 GP-12 G-39 A-51 PTS

Central Scouting: 82 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 95

THW Ryan Pike: 96

ANALYSIS: Yet another intriguing Russian forward, Der-Arguchintsev shares the same Sept. 15 birthday with Jenik — tying him for the youngest player available in 2018. Der-Arguchintsev should be a riser based on that alone, but his stat-line as a sophomore for Peterborough jumps off the page just as much — topping teammate Gogolev by four points (51 to 47), albeit in two more games (68 to 66) and with 18 less goals (12 to 30). Der-Arguchintsev is evidently more of a playmaker than a scorer at this stage in his development, but one thing is for certain — he’s fun to watch, both slick and shifty. My spidey senses are telling me Tampa Bay will covet Der-Arguchintsev, so much so that the Lightning could potentially reach for him at No. 59 in the second round — over Dmitry Zavgorodniy at that spot— rather than waiting in hopes that Der-Arguchintsev will drop to here at No. 90.

91) Winnipeg Jets — Alex Steeves (F, USA, Dubuque USHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 165 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 5 GP-2 G-4 A-6 PTS

Regular Season Stats: 55 GP-20 G-37 A-57 PTS

Central Scouting: 86 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: 91

THW Ryan Pike: 117

ANALYSIS: In a similar sense, I could see the Jets being super high on Steeves — maybe more so than Curtis Hall, who I had Winnipeg taking late in the second round at No. 60. They are quite different players in size and style, with Steeves more closely resembling Kyle Connor’s skill-set and being the better comparable despite Hall hailing from the same USHL program as the Jets’ rookie scoring sensation. So I wouldn’t be shocked if Winnipeg reached for Steeves at No. 60 in thinking he won’t last until No. 91. If Steeves is still available here, consider it a slam dunk for Kevin Cheveldayoff.

92) Minnesota Wild (from Vegas) — Egor Sokolov (LW, Russia, Cape Breton QMJHL)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 223 pounds (not measured at combine)

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

Regular Season Stats: 64 GP-21 G-21 A-42 PTS

Central Scouting: 107 NAS

THW Larry Fisher: NR

THW Ryan Pike: 88

ANALYSIS: The Wild, under former GM Chuck Fletcher, took a chance on Dmitry Sokolov in the seventh round in 2016 and that’s looking like another steal now that he’s signed after scoring 50 goals in the OHL this season. There is no documented relation between Dmitry and Egor, with this year’s Sokolov more of a power forward than a pure sniper. Egor still netted an impressive 21 goals during his first season in North America. It’ll be interesting to see whether Minnesota selects as many Russians going forward under Fenton, but Egor Sokolov could also be considered the best player available for the Wild in this spot.

93) Washington Capitals — Ruslan Iskhakov (C/W, Russia, Krasnaya Armiya MHL)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-7, 152 pounds (not measured at combine)

Playoff Stats: 4 GP-1 G-0 A-1 PT

Regular Season Stats: 33 GP-6 G-24 A-30 PTS

Central Scouting: 31 EUS

THW Larry Fisher: 97

THW Ryan Pike: NR

ANALYSIS: The Capitals have now proven they can win with Russians leading the charge — Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov were all studs in this year’s playoffs — so expect that drafting trend to continue for Washington. Iskhakov is tiny, but he’s put up some massive numbers, including an eye-popping 104 points (with 42 goals) in just 44 games last season while terrorizing the Slovakian under-18 league. He wasn’t as dominant in Russia’s junior league, the MHL, but Iskhakov nearly produced at a point-per-game pace (30 in 33) and was also electrifying in spurts at the under-18 tournament. Washington could do a lot worse here and if Iskhakov can grow even a little more, the Capitals could have a steal in a couple years time.

Recapping Third Round

63) Minnesota Wild (from Buffalo) — Scott Perunovich (LHD, USA, Minnesota-Duluth NCAA, over-ager)

64) Pittsburgh Penguins (from Ottawa) — Alexander Khovanov (C, Russia, Moncton QMJHL)

65) Arizona Coyotes —Ty Emberson (RHD, USA, NTDP U18)

66) Montreal Canadiens — Ryan O’Reilly (C, USA, Madison USHL)

67) Detroit Red Wings —Jack McBain (C, Canada, Toronto OJHL)

68) Vancouver Canucks — Milos Roman (C, Slovakia, Vancouver WHL)

69) Chicago Blackhawks —Nikolai Kovalenko (RW, Russia/USA, Loko Yaroslavl MHL)

70) New York Rangers —Tyler Weiss (C/LW, USA, NTDP U18)

71) Edmonton Oilers — Pavel Gogolev (RW, Russia, Peterborough OHL)

72) New York Islanders — Allan McShane (C, Canada, Oshawa OHL)

73) Arizona Coyotes (from Carolina) — Cam Hillis (C, Canada, Guelph OHL)

74) Arizona Coyotes (from Calgary) — Riley Sutter (C/RW, Canada, Everett WHL)

75) Dallas Stars — Simon Johansson (RHD, Sweden, Djurgardens J20, over-ager)

76) St. Louis Blues — Martin Fehervary (LHD, Slovakia, Oskarshamn Sweden)

77) Boston Bruins (from Florida) — Spencer Stastney (LHD, USA, NTDP U18)

78) Colorado Avalanche — Olivier Rodrigue (G, Canada, Drummondville QMJHL)

79) Anaheim Ducks (from New Jersey) — Slava Demin (LHD, USA, Wenatchee BCHL)

80) Columbus Blue Jackets — Toni Utunen (LHD, Finland, Tappara Liiga)

81) Detroit Red Wings (from Philadelphia) — Lukas Dostal (G, Czech Republic, Kometa Brno U20)

82) Los Angeles Kings — Blade Jenkins (C, Canada, Saginaw OHL)

83) Toronto Maple Leafs (from San Jose) — Jacob Tortora (LW, USA, Boston College NCAA, over-ager)

84) Detroit Red Wings (from Pittsburgh) — Oskar Back (C/W, Sweden, Farjestad J20)

85) Anaheim Ducks — Alec Regula (RHD, USA, London OHL)

86) Minnesota Wild — Xavier Bernard (LHD, Canada, Drummondville QMJHL)

87) Chicago Blackhawks (from Toronto via Washington) — Bulat Shafigullin (F, Russia, Nizhnekamsk MHL)

88) New York Rangers (from Boston) — Jan Jenik (LW, Czech Republic, Liberec U20)

89) Nashville Predators — Sampo Ranta (RW, Finland, Sioux City USHL)

90) Tampa Bay Lightning — Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (C/RW, Russia, Peterborough OHL)

91) Winnipeg Jets — Alex Steeves (F, USA, Dubuque USHL)

92) Minnesota Wild (from Vegas) — Egor Sokolov (LW, Russia, Cape Breton QMJHL)

93) Washington Capitals — Ruslan Iskhakov (C/W, Russia, Krasnaya Armiya MHL)