Mound's 2015 NHL Draft Rankings

[mounD]

I thought I would share some thoughts on my rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft eligibles, for fantasy purposes. I've seen a lot of discussion, and I felt another thread couldn't hurt matters. Rankings will be followed by short blurbs on players, I'll try to be brief as there has been plenty of ink spilled on most of these guys leading up to the draft -- and there will be plenty more, too.

1) McDavid - I mean, c'mon ...

2) Eichel - another slam dunk. After McDavid, probably the best prospect to enter the NHL since Stamkos and John Tavares.

3) Strome - close call between he and Marner; however, his two-way skillset, projectable NHL-frame, and his natural C position give him the slight edge over Marner for me.

4) Marner - like I said, very close between he and Strome. If he hadn't weighed in at 159 lbs at the combine, perhaps this rank would be a bit different. Probable winger.

5) Barzal - After the top-2 in this draft, Barzal might have the highest skillset in the draft, in terms of a combination of speed + puck skills + vision + creativity. Stud.

6) Zacha - In terms of the overall package of size, skill, nastiness, passion for the game, Zacha possesses the whole package. If he puts it all together, watch out. Future multi-cat STAR.

7) Crouse - Future multi-cat star, and in the right situation could be one of the top fantasy players within a few years time. Was stuck on an offensively depleted Kingston team in 14-15, but not many more polished hockey players than Crouse in this draft. If any.

8) Rantanen - I am not as high on Rantanen as many others around these parts, but he's got the size and skill to be another multi-cat stud in the NHL. Would like to see more physicality, given his massive frame. But just a minor criticism.

9) Provorov - I know Hanifin gets a lot of love, but he's just a safe selection. I don't think he's going to excel in any particular category, and he's not a big Hitter or PIM contributor. Meanwhile, Provorov has shown offensive brilliance, two way prowess, and a penchant for the nasty stuff at times. He has the tools to QB an NHL PP, and can contribute across the board for multi-cat leagues.

10) Konecny - undersized, speedy Center who plays the game with a great motor. High-end skill, and is unafraid to go to the dirty areas to score. Has been compared to Bryan Little.

11) Meier - Playing in the shadow of Nikolaj Ehlers, Meier has emerged as a very reliable complementary scoring winger who possessed good size. Should be a top-15 pick later this month.

12) Bracco - I am sure many would consider this a reach, but the 5'9" Bracco boasts elite puck skills, vision, and overall playmaking ability. He's undersized to be sure, but after breaking Patty Kane's USNTDP record for Assists in a season, he's made the scouting world turn their heads and take notice. Will probably be a top-25 selection in the NHL draft.

13) Connor - the best player in the USHL won't last much longer than 10-12 picks in the NHL draft, and for good reason. The crafty Centerman paced the league in scoring, and made a living on the PP. High-end skills, and quality two-way player.

14) Hanifin - I couldn't justify letting what many believe is an obvious top-3 pick slip any further than this, just for sheer name value alone. While I think we're looking at another Bouwmeester right here, he's definitely going to be an impact NHLer sooner rather than later. Plus to high-end skills across the board, highlighted by elite skating and vision.

15) Svechnikov - While the KHL flight risk may scare some away, his dedication to North American hockey at a young age completely dispels this concern for me. High-end skill, and a very projectable NHL frame. Another skilled power forward prospect who should probably be taken inside the top-15 of your fantasy draft.

16) Merkley - Similar to Konecny, Merkley is a skilled Centerman who plays at a breakneck pace. A highly skilled playmaker, Merkley will probably end up hearing his name called in the latter half of the 1st round.

17) White - Colin White is a highly skilled two-way pivot who scored at a point-per-game clip for the USNTDP this year, finishing also with 9 points in 7 games at the U18 WJC. White's future may not be graced with scoring titles or 30+ goal seasons, but he will have high NHL utility at both sides of the rink as a quality 2C or elite 3C who can contribute offensively.

18) Sprong - This year's Joshua Ho-Sang, except without the perceived character issues. Highly skilled, undersized boom / bust winger.

19) Kylington - His ranking has really fallen over the past year, but he's still a highly skilled, potential future PP QB in the NHL. A bit undersized at only 6'0" 180+ but he makes up for it with high-end puck skills, skating, and vision. He will most likely be selected in the 15-30 range in the NHL draft.

...

(may decide to add / change it up later)

[Atomic Wedgy]

I'm hoping that either Crouse or Provorov get drafted by Philly. I'm guessing these rankings are from a fantasy perspective.

[mounD]

Yeah, if the Yotes take Hanifin the top10 in the NHL draft will probably look something like:

McDavid, Eichel, Hanifin, Strome, Provorov, Marner, Zacha, Rantanen, Crouse, Werenski ... (Barzal / Konecny / Meier / Connor are all borderline top10, but I think Barzal and Konecny should go a lot higher. Just don't think they will)

If the Yotes take Strome (which is likely in my opinion):

McDavid, Eichel, Strome, Marner, Hanifin, Zacha, Crouse, Provorov, Rantanen, Werenski

[MarmotKing]

Interesting list mounD.

[YzermansLegacy]

Really interesting list and blurbs mounD - thanks for posting!

Respectfully disagree on the ranking of Hanifin - I think he'll be a better fantasy asset than J-Bo. Agree he's a pretty "safe" guy, but so is Duncan Keith, and he's found a way to have fantasy relevance.

Love the push on Bracco - think he's absolutely dynamic. Still boom/bust with his size (and I'd prefer Guryanov as a home run swing to him at that point), but always appreciate someone sticking their neck out on a guy they like.

Little surprised Werenski hasn't gotten any love in the top 20? You not a fan of his game or just don't feel he'll be fantasy relevant? I've personally got him right there with Noah and Ivan.

[Pengwin7]

The modern NHL definitely has a spot for the smaller players these days.
As a 5'-9" guy myself... I'm happy to see it!

[glorybe23]

Great stuff,

gonna bookmark this for my draft!

[Big Ev]

what do you think about Joel Eriksson Ek (if you know him)? I really like him and think the's gonna end up being a Top 15 pick or so but I can't rank him myself as I don't know much about the other guys except Konecny and the Swedes. He's been shooting up the charts and plays a pro game. This is my big time draft sleeper for sure this year.

[Zorro]

Great mock draft, love the effort!!

[mounD]

Really interesting list and blurbs mounD - thanks for posting!

Respectfully disagree on the ranking of Hanifin - I think he'll be a better fantasy asset than J-Bo. Agree he's a pretty "safe" guy, but so is Duncan Keith, and he's found a way to have fantasy relevance.

Love the push on Bracco - think he's absolutely dynamic. Still boom/bust with his size (and I'd prefer Guryanov as a home run swing to him at that point), but always appreciate someone sticking their neck out on a guy they like.

Little surprised Werenski hasn't gotten any love in the top 20? You not a fan of his game or just don't feel he'll be fantasy relevant? I've personally got him right there with Noah and Ivan.

Werenski was a total oversight. Insert him at #15 for fantasy purposes, just behind Hanifin. His game is pretty dynamic, and not many freshman can say they've QB'd a PP in the NCAA against men. Impressive stuff, and I always pull for U of Michigan guys, great developmental school and it's a family tradition to root Wolverines in my family. I frankly can't believe I left him off, I must have dozed off or something lol.

- - - Updated - - -

The modern NHL definitely has a spot for the smaller players these days.
As a 5'-9" guy myself... I'm happy to see it!

The really interesting thing about Bracco is that he's not really that small. He's listed at 5'9" 175 lbs approximately, whereas Mitch Marner is 5'11" 159. Considering thickness, and core strength as opposed to just height, Bracco should be totally fine if he can add about 15-25 lbs to his frame over the next few years. Not worried in the slightest.

[mounD]

what do you think about Joel Eriksson Ek (if you know him)? I really like him and think the's gonna end up being a Top 15 pick or so but I can't rank him myself as I don't know much about the other guys except Konecny and the Swedes. He's been shooting up the charts and plays a pro game. This is my big time draft sleeper for sure this year.

I would probably rank him somewhere in the early-to-mid 20s; I think he's a really quality Center with offensive skills and two-way acumen. Plus, those Swedes just have a knack for succeeding in the professional ranks. He's a gifted goal-scorer in terms of his offensive abilities, and he's also a pretty tall individual who plays a competitive style of hockey (hard-nosed and fast). He could stand to fill out his 6"2" frame a bit, but that's really just nitpicking as he weighs in at approx. 185 lbs right now. Very high quality player, and someone who just missed my list. Perhaps I should add an honorable mentions, section.

As I said, there will perhaps be edits coming over the next couple weeks.