Follow the entire 2019 NHL draft, pick-by-pick. Chris Peters, Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan provide detailed breakdowns of each first-rounder’s skill set, as well as how he will fit with his new NHL team. And be sure to check out all of our draft-prep content to learn more about this talented draft class.
Winners and losers of Round 1
Top 100 | Goalies
| Late-rounders
Best by skill | Scouting report responses
Hughes vs. Kakko | Draft order
Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Ranking: 1 | Nationality: USA
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 170 | Shot: L
Stats: 50 GP, 34 G, 78 A
Scouting report: Hughes has such great burst and an effortless glide in his skating, and he uses his edges to create separation. He sees the ice and processes play development at an elite level. Hughes is an expert at making plays in small areas, which is why his size is less of a bother. Although he definitely needs to continue adding muscle, Hughes is unafraid to go to the hard areas of the ice and protects himself well, thanks to his skating and anticipation skills. He takes care of his own end and uses those anticipation skills to cut down passing lanes, but his defense needs improvement. I have yet to watch a game in which he didn’t drive play, shift in and shift out. — Peters
Team fit: Hughes gives the Devils two young centers around whom to build. He joins 20-year-old Nico Hischier, taken first overall in 2017, to form a formidable one-two punch. His arrival gives the franchise some clear direction, which will be vital if the Devils are to re-sign 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall before next summer’s unrestricted free agency. — Wyshynski
Where Hughes is most likely to play in 2019-20: NHL (Devils)
Team: TPS (Finland)
Ranking: 2 | Nationality: FIN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 194 | Shot: L
Stats: 45 GP, 22 G, 16 A
Scouting report: Kakko has a great frame and uses it well, as he’s hard to take off the puck and uses that ability to create extra time for himself. He has the vision to spot plays and make them quickly, and I think his hand skills have gotten to a fringe elite level. His shot is high-end and heavy; he can beat goalies from distance, but then he also has the skill to make plays in tight at the net front. Although not Hughes-like in his skating, he is powerful and has enough speed to break away from the opposition. His edgework is strong, and his balance makes him so difficult to play against. Kakko battles as well as any player, both in puck pursuit and with it on his stick. There’s a definite fire in him to compete, and he will be a cornerstone NHL winger. — Peters
Team fit: After his performances in Liiga, the pro league in Finland, and the IIHF world championships, anticipation is high that Kakko will make an immediate impact for the Rangers as a goal-scoring winger. The Rangers are in a multiyear rebuild and have amassed a good number of young offensive players. With prospects like Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil at center, Kakko should fit in nicely. — Wyshynski
Where Kakko is most likely to play in 2019-20: NHL (Rangers)
Team: Saskatoon (WHL)
Ranking: 4 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 198 | Shot: R
Stats: 62 GP, 25 G, 48 A
Scouting report: Dach has size, smarts and skill. It’s not often that you get a play-driving center at 6-foot-4 who makes the game look as easy as Dach does. Although he lacks explosiveness, he skates smoothly and has a great sense of how to get to where he needs to be efficiently. When he does have the puck, Dach is a shot-pass threat who can score goals in a variety of ways. He’s especially successful at driving the net. He can also pick teams apart from the outside, thanks to high-end vision and elite distribution skills. He has dealt with bouts of inconsistency, but when he is on, he is unstoppable. — Peters
Team fit: The Blackhawks have a surplus of top defensive prospects (not a bad problem to have), so it wasn’t necessarily a surprise they bypassed Bowen Byram. They get a center in Dach, which is a huge area of organizational need. Chicago needed any forward, really. Out of the non-Jack Hughes centers in this draft, Dach is the most likely to crack an NHL roster next season, though it would be a surprise to see him in Chicago in 2019-20. — Kaplan
Where Dach is most likely to play in 2019-20: WHL
Team: Vancouver (WHL)
Ranking: 7 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 195 | Shot: L
Stats: 67 GP, 26 G, 45 A
Scouting report: There is no denying that he has some incredible offensive skill, but I would like to see Byram become a bit more consistent as a defender. I think the skating is excellent, and he has a good sense of how to play efficiently in a boatload of minutes. One scout I spoke to expressed concern that the way Byram scored goals — popping deep into zones and aggressively jumping plays — won’t translate to the NHL. I think elements of it can, but he will have to become a bit more selective. He’s the best defenseman in this draft by a fairly large margin. But the threshold of a future No. 1 defenseman is pretty high, and I’m not sure Byram is there yet for me. — Peters
Team fit: There was a time, not too long ago, that the Avalanche’s defense corps was one of the NHL’s most underwhelming groups. That’s going to feel like ancient history over the next several years. Byram joins potential 2019 Rookie of the Year Cale Makar, 20, smooth-skating Samuel Girard, 21, and Connor Timmins, 20, to form the backbone of that blue line for years to come. — Wyshynski
Where Byram is most likely to play in 2019-20: WHL
Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Ranking: 3 | Nationality: USA
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 186 | Shot: L
Stats: 37 GP, 27 G, 35 A
Scouting report: He is a smart, two-way forward with an unrelenting motor and an ability to make plays in the offensive end of the ice. Turcotte is dogged in puck pursuit and remarkably strong, despite being average-sized. He is a fierce competitor but does not step over the line very often. He is not always flashy and doesn’t always make the eye-popping play, but he makes the right plays. Turcotte goes hard to the net and into the corners, and he has the touch and plus-level vision to make plays under duress and find better options in tougher situations with the puck on his stick. He has deceptive feet, showcasing a good second gear that allows him to beat defenders wide or challenge them inside. — Peters
Team fit: Turcotte follows the speed-based model the Kings have been going with lately. On top of being a skilled player with excellent vision and superior hockey sense, he’s a competitive two-way guy. The Kings have been building a stable of fast centers with Rasmus Kupari and Akil Thomas, both selected last year. This prospect pool gets a nice boost with a player with a ton of versatility. — Peters
Where Turcotte is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Wisconsin)
Team: Mannheim (Germany)
Ranking: 15 | Nationality: GER
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 208 | Shot: R
Stats: 29 GP, 2 G, 4 A
Scouting report: One of the most intriguing players in this entire draft, Seider is a strong skater for such a big guy and sees the ice particularly well. He can make plays at the offensive blue line and does a good job of absorbing and evading pressure in his own zone. There’s some risk because Seider didn’t have a ton of reps on special teams and in key situations this season, but he should be able to get those next season. — Peters
Team fit: The Red Wings do not have a ton of depth among defensemen in their system, but this was a shocker of a pick in Steve Yzerman’s first draft. The value among the forwards still on the board is significant. You’d have to think the Red Wings bring him to North America immediately and allow him to develop in their own system in the AHL. — Peters
Where Seider is most likely to play in 2019-20: AHL
Team: Lethbridge (WHL)
Ranking: 10 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 183 | Shot: R
Stats: 68 GP, 34 G, 50 A
Scouting report: A strong skater who has an explosive burst in space, Cozens has that combination of size and speed that tantalizes scouts. There have been some questions about his overall hockey sense and skill level, but it’s hard to argue with how his physical tools translate. The lack of high-end puck skills suggests that he might not be a No. 1 pivot down the road. That said, he has some two-way capabilities, with the balance tilting more offensively. — Peters
Team fit: Cozens brings a lot of speed, and he believes he can play in the NHL next season. I’m not sure I’m there yet for him, though. That said, I’ve liked his game from start to finish. He gives the Sabres a pretty versatile guy who could be a nice No. 2 center behind Jack Eichel in the long term. — Peters
Where Cozens is most likely to play in 2019-20: WHL
Team: AIK (Sweden 2)
Ranking: 14 | Nationality: SWE
Age: 17 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 200 | Shot: L
Stats: 41 GP, 2 G, 7 A
Scouting report: One of the best pure skaters in this draft, Broberg has all of the tools to eventually become a top-four defenseman in the NHL. There have been some moderate concerns about his hockey sense and playmaking abilities, but I think those will catch up to his feet eventually. He makes pretty good reads in the offensive zone, distributes well from the defensive zone and can use his feet in transition as well as, or better than, any defenseman in this draft. Broberg has a very good, quick and accurate shot from the point, looking for open lanes and possessing the mobility to find the best option. — Peters
Team fit: Broberg is an exceptional skater, and that had to be part of Edmonton’s reasoning for grabbing him in the top 10. He can play the game at the Oilers’ pace. I think he’s going to need a little extra time before he’s ready to jump into their lineup, but he has remarkable upside. Patience and good coaching will help him unlock it. — Peters
Where Broberg is most likely to play in 2019-20: SHL
Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Ranking: 5 | Nationality: USA
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 173 | Shot: L
Stats: 60 GP, 26 G, 61 A
Scouting report: With elite vision and passing skills, Zegras is excellent in dictating play from the half wall or making plays on the rush. He can play at any speed and can back defenders down coming through the neutral zone. His ability to gain the zone is rivaled only by Hughes’ in the draft class, as Zegras has creativity and a good sense of how to find the soft areas to give him the best chance to make plays. He has a quick release and can score goals but is viewed more as a pass-first player. The biggest area of improvement for Zegras is his physical strength. He also seems to force plays sometimes, but I think that became less of a problem as this past season progressed. — Peters
Team fit: Zegras dropped further than I thought he would or should. He’s an exceptional playmaker and will fit right into a prospect pool that already includes Isac Lundestrom, Max Comtois, Troy Terry, Sam Steel and Max Jones. For a rebuilding team, the Ducks have some nice building blocks up front. — Peters
Where Zegras is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Boston University)
Team: Neva St. Petersburg (Russia 2)
Ranking: 9 | Nationality: RUS
Age: 17 | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 196 | Shot: L
Stats: 14 GP, 2 G, 3 A
Scouting report: He remains under KHL contract for the next two years, but Podkolzin is an exceptional talent, with high-end skill and power in his game. He has a mean streak, gets on pucks quickly and can finish. Podkolzin wasn’t dominating in the same way at the end of the season, and his club play was underwhelming, but I’ve maintained all year that he was never put in a great position to succeed this season because he played at three different levels in Russia. When Podkolzin is at his best, few in this class are better. He does a little bit of everything and does almost all of it very well. — Peters
Team fit: Podkolzin is a bit of risk because of that KHL contract, but I’ve heard from teams that those worries were largely quieted at the combine. Podkolzin won’t be around for a couple of years, but he needed a few years to get his pro legs anyway. The Canucks have another high-end forward in their growing crop of young players with boatloads of skill. — Peters
Where Podkolzin is most likely to play in 2019-20: KHL
Team: Brynas (Sweden)
Ranking: 17 | Nationality: SWE
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 182 | Shot: R
Stats: 44 GP, 4 G, 3 A
Scouting report: A remarkably poised and mature defenseman, Soderstrom showcased his puck-moving talent and high-end hockey sense this season. However, I don’t know that there’s anything in particular that stands out about Soderstrom aside from the way he thinks the game. The skill is fine, the passing is good-to-great, his shot is OK and he gets pucks out of the zone well. He might be a jack of all trades but a master of none. — Peters
Team fit: The Coyotes needed more defensemen in their system, and Soderstrom has got a lot of upside. Having already played a year of pro hockey may adjust his timeline. I was surprised to see Arizona trade up, but the unexpected run on defensemen early in this draft really changed things and forced the Coyotes’ hand to make sure they got their guy. — Peters
Where Soderstrom is most likely to play in 2019-20: SHL
Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Ranking: 8 | Nationality: USA
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 196 | Shot: L
Stats: 64 GP, 33 G, 48 A
Scouting report: Boldy is a wing who plays more like a center, a true 200-foot player who is as valuable defensively as he is offensively. He could afford to improve his skating some — he does not have breakaway speed — but he still gets around the sheet effectively. In the offensive end, Boldy has higher-end puck skills and creativity. He can make the plays in small areas and has an excellent, heavy, accurate shot. Boldy also possesses excellent vision and an ability to make accurate passes off the backhand and forehand. — Peters
Team fit: Boldy probably needs a few years in college, but he would have been so hard to pass on here. He brings size and versatility to the table and instantly becomes a top prospect in a shallow system. If the Wild ever convince Kirill Kaprizov to leave the KHL, they’d have some excellent pieces to keep building on. — Peters
Where Boldy is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Boston College)
Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Ranking: 31 | Nationality: USA
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 193 | Catch: L
Stats: 33 GP, 0.913 Sv%, 2.36 GAA
Scouting report: The things that makes Knight exceptional among his goaltending peers is elite hockey sense, tremendous athleticism balanced with controlled play, great footwork and size and elite puck-moving abilities. I don’t put huge value on a goalie’s puckhandling skills, but Knight’s are so good it’s hard not to mention. Knight has really grown a lot in his confidence and poise in the net. There’s such little flash in Knight’s game, and that’s a good thing. He’s just always in the right spot because he tracks and anticipates as well as any goalie prospect I’ve seen in the past few years. — Peters
Team fit: Knight is the top-ranked goalie in the draft, and now the future of the Panthers’ net. And he would have some time to develop if the Panthers end up landing Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency to man their crease for the next several seasons. Per ESPN Stats & Information, Knight is the highest draft pick at the goalie position since Jack Campbell in 2010, who was drafted 11th by the Stars. — Wyshynski
Where Knight is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Boston College)
Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Ranking: 13 | Nationality: USA
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 172 | Shot: L
Stats: 63 GP, 14 G, 51 A
Scouting report: York is often described as the modern-day defenseman. He jumps into plays with relative ease and has good instincts for when he has to get back. I thought his defensive game improved greatly over the past two seasons without sacrificing offense. His puck retrievals and sense for getting out of his own zone are among the best in this draft because he follows that first touch with decisive play. He still has to round out his game more and continue to build strength as an average-sized defenseman, but there’s a lot to like in what he’s done and how he progressed this season. — Peters
Team fit: The Flyers did extremely well in trading down to get an extra asset (No. 45 overall) while still getting a defenseman who plays the game the way the NHL is going. The Flyers have been loading up on prospects in recent years and have some really good forwards, so why not nab a high-end offensive defensman to get the puck to them? — Peters
Where York is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Michigan)
Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Ranking: 6 | Nationality: USA
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-7 | Wt: 163 | Shot: R
Stats: 64 GP, 72 G, 28 A
Scouting report: It isn’t just that Caufield scored 72 goals this season, the most by any draft-eligible player in junior hockey by 21 goals. It’s also how he scores them. Yes, Caufield is slight, but he has elite offensive sense. I haven’t seen a prospect who has as keen a sense of time and space, and opponents have a hard time tracking Caufield on the ice. He’s always moving, finding openings before anyone knows they’re there. Combine that skill with an elite shot that isn’t as heavy as it is ridiculously quick and accurate. — Peters
Team fit: Caufield’s draft slide ends here, and the Canadiens get the best pure goal scorer in the draft. Other teams were clearly deterred by Caufield’s size, but he’ll spend his career trying to prove them wrong. It will take some seasoning for Caufield to make Montreal’s roster, though. — Kaplan
Where Caufield is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Wisconsin)
Team: Victoria (BCHL)
Ranking: 12 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 192 | Shot: L
Stats: 53 GP, 38 G, 64 A
Scouting report: Newhook has high-end skills with skating that is probably just shy of elite. He can dance on the ice at times, using quick hand skills to beat defenders one-on-one while always knowing his next play. He gets shots off quickly and finds teammates well under pressure. Newhook requires patience because he needs to get stronger and needs to be harder to play against in more physical, tightly checked games, but that skill is tantalizing. — Peters
Team fit: After snagging the draft’s best defenseman with the No. 4 pick, Colorado gets a highly skilled center in Newhook. He will be an especially good fit with the team’s speed. The Avs may have wanted to go with a goalie in Knight here, but he wasn’t available. — Kaplan
Where Newhook is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Boston College)
Team: Kootenay (WHL)
Ranking: 11 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 183 | Shot: L
Stats: 64 GP, 19 G, 49 A
Scouting report: Krebs played on a bad Kootenay team this season but still managed to produce. A play-driving center, Krebs does a lot of little detail things well and can adequately take care of his own zone. Krebs can really survey the ice with excellent vision and above-average distribution skills in finding his teammates. The hockey sense is a separating skill. Krebs unfortunately did just sustain a serious Achilles injury during training this summer, but he is expected to be available for the beginning of the season. — Peters
Team fit: Another center for the Golden Knights to let percolate in their system. Vegas has Cody Glass and Jake Leschyshyn, both 20, down in the AHL. In theory, they’ll have some time to develop, with Paul Stastny signed through 2021 and William Karlsson expected to sign an extension as a restricted free agent — provided neither of them is moved this offseason. — Wyshynski
Where Krebs is most likely to play in 2019-20: WHL
Team: Mississauga (OHL)
Ranking: 22 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 17 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 193 | Shot: L
Stats: 68 GP, 11 G, 47 A
Scouting report: A higher-end offensive defenseman with size and mobility, Harley has plenty of upside in his game. He uses his skating to let things open up offensively and has the poise to be patient enough to find the right play. Sometimes he can get caught a little deep, but usually picks his spots pretty well. He comes with just average defensive-zone play, but he has a decent stick and can close on forwards decently well. Some scouts have wondered about his defensive sense. I think he has the know-how, but just hasn’t figured out the balance between offense and defense yet. — Peters
Team fit: The Stars have only four picks in the draft (including none in the second or third round), so they can’t really afford a miss here — especially considering it’s a system with a lot of needs. The Stars went heavy on forwards last year, so Harley’s selection was no shock. He has good size and is exceptional offensively. — Kaplan
Where Harley is most likely to play in 2019-20: OHL
Team: Kelowna (WHL)
Ranking: 38 | Nationality: FIN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 186 | Shot: R
Stats: 63 GP, 17 G, 24 A
Scouting report: Thomson is a good two-way defenseman who uses smarts over skill. His skating is good enough to get him up the ice and he’s sturdy in his own zone, but there’s not a lot in terms of overall puck skills or dynamicism. He is very decisive, making confident plays with the puck and allowing himself to get into space. There’s not a lot of forcing it with him, and his offensive reads are pretty strong. — Peters
Team fit: Thomson was a bit of a reach here, but just because I’m not sold on his offensive game yet. The Senators have just about the deepest prospect pool in the league right now. I’d put Thomson behind Erik Brannstrom and Jacob Bernard-Docker on the D prospect depth chart. — Peters
Where Thomson is most likely to play in 2019-20: Liiga or WHL
Team: Lukko (Finland)
Ranking: 30 | Nationality: FIN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 178 | Shot: L
Stats: 34 GP, 2 G, 12 A
Scouting report: Having spent the entire season playing quality minutes in Finland’s top pro league, Heinola is especially intriguing. I think his skating is only average for a player his size, which keeps him from ranking a bit higher. There are more sub-6-foot defensemen in the NHL, but you still need to be able to skate at a high level. However, he makes up for it in his hockey sense. Coaches won’t have to worry about him too much because he’s so poised and moves the puck with incredible efficiency, even though his offensive skills are not necessarily dynamic. He defends decently well, closing on opposing forwards quickly. — Peters
Team fit: For the third time in the last four drafts, the Jets selected a Finnish player in the first round. Another Finn, Sami Niku, is a defenseman who has been shuttling back and forth from the main roster. The Jets don’t have a lot of blue-chippers on the blue line in their system. Heinola is a smart defenseman who can develop. — Wyshynski
Where Heinola is most likely to play in 2019-20: Liiga
Team: Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
Ranking: 40 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 212 | Shot: L
Stats: 67 GP, 29 G, 47 A
Scouting report: There are times when you see a player showing what he can do with his size and skill. There are other times when he disappears. The effort needs to be better. Aside from that, the skill he has in that sturdy frame of his is tantalizing. — Peters
Team fit: I listed Poulin as my player most likely to be overdrafted. The Penguins have a fairly shallow pool and don’t get to pick in the first round very often. I view this as a high-risk, high-reward pick in this range just because I question Poulin’s overall hockey sense and consistency of effort. An intriguing prospect nonetheless. — Peters
Where Poulin is most likely to play in 2019-20: QMJHL
Team: Djurgarden Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
Ranking: 29 | Nationality: SWE
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 193 | Shot: L
Stats: 39 GP, 11 G, 11 A
Scouting report: Bjornfot is one of the smarter players in this draft. His ability to read plays in all zones is exceptional, and he always puts himself in a good spot. Despite a relative lack of high-end skill, he’s a good passer and has shown flashes of more offensive capabilities. Bjornfot keeps it simple when he has to, allowing his vision and mobility to do the work for him. With elite defensive sense, he is so hard to play against in his own zone and limits mistakes when he has the puck. He can get it up ice quickly, too. — Peters
Team fit: This was the pick Los Angeles acquired in the Jake Muzzin trade, so one defenseman in, one defenseman out I guess. The Swede is the first defenseman they’ve drafted in their past 10 picks, and the first defenseman the Kings have taken in the first round since Derek Forbort at No. 15 in 2010. Side note: The arena is playing “regionally appropriate” music when each pick walks to the stage, including Abba for Bjornfot. Hopefully the Kings don’t look back and exclaim “Mamma Mia” at this pick in the next few years. — Wyshynski
Where Bjornfot is most likely to play in 2019-20: SHL
Team: HV71 Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
Ranking: 37 | Nationality: SWE
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 193 | Shot: L
Stats: 21 GP, 7 G, 13 A
Scouting report: Good size and hockey sense have helped Holmstrom lift his draft stock throughout the season. He has a very good shot that he can get off from anywhere. The puck really zips off his stick. His puck skills are OK, and pretty average in terms of one-on-one stick skills, but he gets himself into good positions and helps create space for his linemates. Holmstrom has good physical strength which helps him protect the puck well, and he has a little power element to his game. But does he have enough skill to create on his own? — Peters
Team fit: Holmstrom has been projected all over the place during the draft process. The Isles have really bolstered their defensive pipeline, so Lou Lamoriello & Co. taking a forward here was not much of a surprise. Holmstrom has been a hard guy on whom to get a read, but he finished the season strong and the Isles won’t need him for a few more years anyway. — Peters
Where Holmstrom is most likely to play in 2019-20: SHL
Team: Niagara (OHL)
Ranking: 21 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 17 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 183 | Shot: R
Stats: 67 GP, 34 G, 38 A
Scouting report: Tomasino is an exciting player because of his elite-level skating ability. He looks like a gazelle on ice with his fluidity and quickness. With a quick release and solid vision, he’s a true shot-pass threat in the offensive zone, too. Tomasino can play in a variety of situations and handles the flow of games very well. The important element, however, is the speed at which he plays the game. He’s fast both up and down the ice, and quick in small areas. He has a good work ethic, a willingness to go to the hard areas of the ice and a competitiveness on the puck when he gets there. — Peters
Team fit: I think this is one of the more perfect player-to-team fits. Tomasino plays the game at a high pace and is one of the better skaters in the draft. The Preds want to push the pace and that’s exactly what he does as a pass-shot threat down the middle or on the wing. — Peters
Where Tomasino is most likely to play in 2019-20: OHL
Team: London (OHL)
Ranking: 26 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 182 | Shot: L
Stats: 67 GP, 36 G, 36 A
Scouting report: McMichael is one of the fastest players in the draft. His shot really improved this season with a good, quick release. He competes, too, playing with tenacity, and his ability to create on the rush is among his more important attributes. As he gets stronger, he’s going to be difficult to handle down low. — Peters
Team fit: The good news for McMichael is that the past six forwards the Capitals have selected in the first round all made a considerable impact in the NHL: Jakub Vrana, Andre Burakovsky, Tom Wilson, Filip Forsberg, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. The good news for the Capitals is that they got a center from the London Knights who made a huge leap forward in production this season. — Wyshynski
Where McMichael is most likely to play in 2019-20: OHL
Team: Moncton (QMJHL)
Ranking: 36 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 165 | Shot: L
Stats: 65 GP, 39 G, 50 A
Scouting report: Pelletier has quick, shifty skills that have served him well in one-on-one situations and getting pucks into the zone. His skating is fine, but perhaps not overly dynamic for a player of his size. But he makes up for that with his energetic, fearless style of play. His game needs work away from the puck, as there are some concerns he’s a tad too one-dimensional. — Peters
Team fit: It was a bit of a surprise the Flames didn’t take one of the two big defensemen available, considering that they used all five of their picks in last year’s draft on forwards. However, the productive winger adds much-needed skill into Calgary’s prospect pool. — Kaplan
Where Pelletier is most likely to play in 2019-20: QMJHL
Team: Kelowna (WHL)
Ranking: 34 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 195 | Shot: L
Stats: 66 GP, 36 G, 27 A
Scouting report: Foote had a pretty strong season, scoring 36 goals, even though he played much of it with a fractured wrist. He is a good, not great, skater who uses his body well and can win along the boards. His puck skills are average, but he has exceptional hockey sense and can make good passes in all zones, and whether or not there’s pressure. Foote also has enough edge in his game to win a lot of battles down low. — Peters
Team fit: The Lightning put their second Foote forward in the NHL draft. They selected Cal Foote, a defenseman from the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) in 2017 at No. 14 overall. Now they have his younger brother Nolan Foote, a wing, at No. 27 this season. A bit of a reach? Very much, as he was projected by most as a second-round pick. But what were they going to do with just one Foote? Hop around? — Wyshynski
Where Foote is most likely to play in 2019-20: WHL
Team: Barrie (OHL)
Ranking: 20 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 180 | Shot: L
Stats: 65 GP, 25 G, 50 A
Scouting report: Suzuki is one of the better playmakers in the draft. He has elite vision and anticipates exceptionally well. One of the primary complaints among scouts is a relative lack of intensity and compete level, and there are some issues with consistency that arose when he wasn’t getting to the middle of the ice enough. He’s a cerebral player who could afford to make quicker decisions, but there’s very little questioning his puck skills and his ability to find teammates. — Peters
Team fit: The Hurricanes picked center Ryan Suzuki, the brother of Nick Suzuki, a Montreal Canadiens prospect (and first-round pick of Vegas in 2017). The knock on Ryan is that he’s too much of a perimeter player, which clashes a bit with what we’ve seen from the Hurricanes lately, as they try to become a heavier team. — Kaplan
Where Suzuki is most likely to play in 2019-20: OHL
Team: Moose Jaw (WHL)
Ranking: 44 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 170 | Shot: L
Stats: 66 GP, 36 G, 45 A
Scouting report: The WHL’s Rookie of the Year and one of the fastest risers in this draft class, Tracey has really good puck skills and vision, with an ability to make plays under pressure. His skating is probably closer to average, but I don’t view it as a hindrance. He gets to the hard areas well enough and can make some decent plays on the rush. — Peters
Team fit: Tracey has been one of the real rising prospects in this draft class. I came around late on him and still couldn’t put him over some of the other guys I had on my board. I also thought the Ducks might focus on defense, but clearly they didn’t like what was left enough to pass on a guy who had 81 points in the WHL this season. More depth for their forward group. — Peters
Where Tracey is most likely to play in 2019-20: WHL
Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Ranking: 41 | Nationality: USA
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 212 | Shot: L
Stats: 63 GP, 15 G, 28 A
Scouting report: An exceptional athlete, Beecher has high-end speed. He’s one of the best-graded skaters in this draft, even at his size. He could use a little bit more in the puck-skills department, and his offensive sense is average at best. He gets behind, around and through defenses very well with his wheels. — Peters
Team fit: The Bruins didn’t have a first-round pick last year, and they’ve had mixed results drafting in the first round over the past few years. Boston went with a bit of a surprise in Beecher, a big forward with incredible speed but average skill. — Kaplan
Where Beecher is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Michigan)
Team: Sioux Falls (USHL)
Ranking: 42 | Nationality: USA
Age: 17 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 170 | Shot: L
Stats: 54 GP, 6 G, 19 A
Scouting report: Johnson is one of the best skating defensemen in this entire class. He’s an exceptional defender who performed at his best in big games this season. But he is a pretty raw talent when it comes to ability to make plays in the offensive zone. In faster-paced games, he focuses a lot more on defending, and I don’t know that he has the offensive sense to make effective plays up ice. — Peters
Team fit: Johnson is an elite skating defenseman who defends at an especially high level. He’s also a winner, having won titles at the World Junior A Challenge and the Clark Cup with Sioux Falls. That’s got to speak to an organization that’s trying to turn the tide. The offensive upside is limited, but I think there could be a bit more to give there. After all, this was only his first season in junior hockey after playing Triple-A youth hockey in California. He’s just scratching the surface. — Peters
Where Johnson is most likely to play in 2019-20: NCAA (Minnesota)
Source:ESPN
