2021 NHL Entry Draft: Predicting all first-round picks
The 2021 NHL Entry Draft is just over a month away. With most draft positions locked in, we predict the entire first-round selections.
The 2021 NHL Entry Draft figures to be one of the more interesting drafts in quite some time. Draft rankings around the scouting world have been more interchangeable than a mid-game Darryl Sutter line mixer.
Most of the time, the first few picks of the selection process are easily identifiable. But this year, the first pick seems to be the only real confident prediction mocks have, and even that is being generous.
Owen Power. 12. Scouting Report. D. NCAA - Univ. of Michigan. 1. player. Pick Analysis
With all the uncertainty heading into the 2021 draft, the number one overall selection should be an easy decision for the Buffalo Sabres. Owen Power has all the makings to be an anchor on the left side of the Sabres blueline for years to come.
C. NCAA - Univ. of Michigan. 2. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Matthew Beniers. 2255
The center position is considered to be one of the most important positions on the ice. What better way to start a franchise than to nab the best centerman in the draft. Matty Beniers is fun to watch, and he will quickly become a player that fans in Seattle will come to love.
William Eklund. 3. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. LW. SHL - Djurgårdens IF. 105
The Ducks are in the middle of a rebuild, and the pieces are starting to come together. They have their superstar playmaker in Trevor Zegras ready to make his name known in Anaheim. Pairing Zegras with another creative forward and finisher like Eklund, the rebuild could be at its end soon.
Pick Analysis. D. SVK - HC Nove Zamky. player. Scouting Report. Brandt Clarke. 4. 85
Owen Power is the best all-around defenseman in the draft, but Brandt Clarke is not far behind. The Devils got some great returns from Ty Smith’s rookie season this past year on the left side, and with Clarke’s brother Graeme already in the fold, solidifying the right side of the defense should be the move.
D. 5. player. 113. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. U.S. National U18 Team. Luke Hughes
Luke Hughes continues the Hughes bloodline and has some real potential to be better than Jack or Quinn. Columbus has a lot of questions to answer on defense. With the potential departure of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski in need of a new contract, bringing Hughes in will help to alleviate any big loss on the blueline.