LA Kings: Three-round mock draft with emphasis on scoring
By Ryan Sikes
Dylan Duke, LW
If anything, Dylan Duke might have the coolest name in the draft. He’s a player that developed under Reign head coach John Wroblewski at the USNDTP, so there is already some level of familiarity with Duke here.
Diving into the numbers, the Strongsville, Ohio native is a talented winger who can score in bunches.
This past season, Duke put up 10 goals and seven assists in USHL play and added 29 goals and 49 points in 50 games for the US National U18 Team, second-most points among U18 skaters. If there’s one thing to know about Duke, it’s that he loves to shoot the puck. He recorded an absurd 18.6% shot rate, aiding him to collect nine goals on the powerplay.
He’s committed to the University of Michigan next season, a program that will likely see three players taken within the top ten of the 2021 NHL Draft. Duke also wrapped up play in the U18s, scoring three goals and four points for Team USA, and was named a top-three player of the tournament by his peers.
"Duke has a knack for finding soft areas around the net and making himself an option for the easy goal – EPRinkside"
Jack Peart, D
You didn’t expect us to completely ignore the defense, did you? Especially when a player like Jack Peart is available in the second round, he’ll be tough to pass up. No relation to the late Rush drummer Neil, Jack Peart is committed to Frozen Four runner-up St. Cloud State next year.
He split this past season between Grand Rapids High School of the USHS, where he collected 11 goals and 24 assists in just 18 games. Peart’s time in the USHS was sandwiched with the Fargo Force of the USHL, tallying a goal and 14 assists in 24 games while helping the team reach the Clark Cup Finals against the Chicago Steel.
Which, by the way, Peart shined, scoring two goals and seven points in nine games.
His impact on Fargo was noticeable. So much that the Force were a .500 team without him (16-14). Once he returned, Fargo went 11-5 to close out the year.
For his efforts, Peart was named the USHL’s Rookie of the Year and the USHS Minnesota Mr. Hockey (Best Minnesota High School Player).