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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Detroit Red Wings are building a solid core for the future. With Moritz Seider looking like a future number one defenseman and a nice crop of young forward talent, drafting one of the best goalie prospects since Carey Price should be a no-brainer for General Manager Steve Yzerman.

I believe Kent Johnson has the most upside out of all the forwards in this draft. He’s a skilled and entertaining player to watch that will fill in nicely with San Jose’s talented group of young forwards. GM Doug Wilson goes with best available for his pick at seventh overall.

First, I believe there is a strong chance that this pick gets traded. However, GM Rob Blake could find some great talent at 8th overall, with the best goal scorer in the draft falling to him. Guenther is a north-south type of forward. He’s somewhat one-dimensional, but that one dimension is scoring a lot of goals. Adding his finishing capabilities with playmakers like Kopitar and Byfield, the Kings get a great addition to the number one prospect pool.

Vancouver has done pretty well drafting some good playmakers such as Podkolzin and Hoglander in the last couple of drafts. Adding a goal-scoring center like McTavish will help down the middle. Mason has good size at 6’2″ and showed some of that scoring touch during the U-18s in Texas wearing the “C” for Team Canada.

Right behind Los Angeles in the prospect pool rankings are the Ottawa Senators. Tim Stutzle figures to be a superstar in the making, and adding the potential of Lysell, who was ranked as high as number one in some draft rankings earlier in the year, helps grow that outstanding prospect pool even more.