1 - Cls - Matthew Schaefer - I actually don’t think this selection is quite as cut and dry as I initially thought.  When the Isles selection of Schaefer last summer was in doubt, they did the smart thing and took him without overthinking it.  However, this is sim hockey, where it can be tough justifying taking a Dman at 1.  He’ll get all the PPTOI which will limit those stats that help with getting a high DF.  Even an elite, real-life D man might get a second thought from some sim GMs if their DF will never be high end.  Is Jesse one of those GMs, or will he live out the KISS acronym (keep it simple stupid) and take him to kick off the draft.  

2 - Min - Anton Frondell - I actually don’t have any clue what direction Tobes will go here.  I think he’s between Frondell and Martone.  So, we’ll switch it up from the prior mock draft.  Frondell appears to be solid defensively, which sim GMs like, though whether a team’s top players get PK time in the NHL is usually coach-specific, and that’s what matters for BRHL rates.  I think both him and Martone will get lots of ice time and looks (more than Misa), and will both certainly be used in big situations. 

3 - Det - Porter Martone - Like Toby, I’m not 100% sure who I’m taking here.  Given his solid cup of coffee at the NHL level, I do like Martone at this spot.  He hits lots which is a plus.  His DI seems like it could be shaky based on college numbers, but he apparently dropped the gloves there lots, leading me to think his PIMs will be down at the pro level (which they have been).  Being eligible at both wings would be a big plus, but who knows if that’ll be the case.  

4 - Ott - Michael Misa - If he’s available at four, this is definitely who Barrel Brayden will snag here.  I think there’s more risk/reward with Misa than the other top players.  He had gaudy Jr numbers when selected, but he has had 5 chances to impress IMO, and is only 2/5 so far.  Great in his OHL rookie and draft season, but underwhelming in his 2nd yr, NHL rookie season, and World Jrs.  That all could just mean he’s due to impress again and have a monster sophomore season.

5 - Sjs - James Hagens - This is where the draft gets interesting.  Cootes and Jack Nesbitt might be the best defensive / shutdown / PKer / ideal sim players available, and Sumit (who is a Canucks fan) has name dropped Cootes a few times… but I think it’s a tad early to go that direction at 5.  Knowing that Rumpy is much smarter than he is, and recently talked up Hagens in Slack, Sumit defers to Rumpy’s wise advice and goes with the Bruin’s centre here… despite his only point at the world’s so far being an EN assist.  

6 - Veg - Benjamin Kindell - There are so many directions Joe could go at six.  There are a couple of stud D-men kicking around… though no one in Schaefer’s league… 2 franchise tendies available, but a tad early for that.  So he goes forward, and goes with the safest/most proven one on the board.  His numbers were solid, and underlying ones even better.  I think with Sennecke’s big season, Joe is very close to competing, and his selection of Kindel reflects that.  

7 - Mtl - Caleb Desnoyers - I’m not sure if Steve is French, but he’s a Habs fan.  So picking Desnoyers here somehow feels like it makes sense.  I’m a big fan of what they’re doing in Utah, so I’ve toyed with the idea of moving up or down with other picks to target him.   Though I have no clue where he’ll be selected, so I didn’t bother trying.  I don’t think he’s going to be a top line player, but he’s known as a solid 2-way centre, confident, and a great leader, so I don’t see him sliding far. 

8 - Chi - Jackson Smith - It’s probably a tight race who the best D man is in this draft class after Schaefer, but the nod here goes to Smith by a hair over Mrtka.  With Scott Neidermayer-like skating, and Jake Sanderson-like all round play, Dave, who needs a centre, nabs Smith here knowing that there will still be solid centres available 5 picks from now when he selects again.  But no one quite like Smith will be still kicking, so he makes the smart strategic move. 

9 - Ana - Roger McQueen - Dev trades up with his old man to land his guy!  I really have no clue if that’s why the trade occurred, but there’s at least a chance this is why he moved up 2 spots.  I wanted to be cheeky and have McQueen go at 8, but we all like a story with a happy ending.  McQueen is a beast, and a very unique player, whose size and skill should slide nicely onto the Ducks 2nd line.  

10 - Njd - Brady Martin - As I’m slotting Brady Martin in at ten, I didn’t realize that Ken already owned Martin’s NHL comparable in Sam Bennett.  Seems like a match made in heaven then, and the type of player Ken likes.  He can hit, is responsible at both ends, and is a likeable young man and farmer.. although not sure if there’s a sim rating for that.  Either way, he’ll fit in nicely with Dylan Guenther on the BRHL Devils for years to come.  

11 - Car - Jake O’Brien - Given his great junior numbers, I don’t see O’Brien slipping further than this.  The Cordell’s like them OHL prospects and this is a good fit for Rich.  He didn’t make the world jrs, and his Bulldogs flopped in the playoffs, but there’s still lots to like.  When he fills out, he could be a beast.  Scouts aren’t sold on him long term as a centre, and Seattle has a lot of depth down the middle coming up, so don’t be surprised if he gets moved to the wing. 

12 - Nyr - Joshua Ravensbergen - Exactly where he’ll go is a tough one to call.  Ravensberger is turning into an absolute beast of a goalie prospect, and if there’s one difference maker in sim hockey, it’s having a stud tendy.  Being drafted by the Sharks does not hurt either.  With no more elite forwards left, PJ doesn’t mess around and takes the biggest potential difference maker left on the board here.  Ravensberger might not be quite Hasek, but he could be generational. 

13 - Chi - Braeden Cootes - I’m not sure he’ll slide this far down, but if he does, I’m sure Dave will be thrilled to get the top notch centre man of the future he’s been looking for.  Cootes does everything well that you could want a sim player to do.  Along with maybe only Jack Nesbitt, he’s that rare player to check off all the boxes… he hits, skates well, defends well, wins faceoffs, and can still chip in offensively.  

14 - Van - Jack Nesbitt - Nesbitt and Rick Tocchet’s Flyers are an absolute match made in heaven.  With Michkov, Zegras, and heck, maybe even Martone, floating around the wing at the offensive blue line, Nesbitt’s defensive acumen will be the perfect fit in both Philly of the NHL, and Vancouver of the BRHL.  Much like Cootes, he checks off literally every box for the ideal sim player, but is even bigger and stronger. 

15 - Car - Rardim Mrtka - I do see Mrtka going higher than this.  I just couldn’t find the perfect fit with any of the prior few GMs.  You don’t find D men his size very often who can skate, score, and defend the way he does.  I might give Smith the slight edge over him for the top D man not named Matthew Schaefer this draft, but the ceiling for Mrtka might actually be slightly higher. 

16 - Sjs - Carter Bear - Although Sumit is still wallowing in sorrow from missing out on Cootes, he gets a nice consolation prize in another WHL stud in Carter Bear.  Bear brings the kind of on ice intensity that Sumit brings to his management style and free agency bids.  Bear mucks it up, isn’t scared of anyone, and should bring some nice scoring touch to a Red Wings team desperate for a Stanley cup playoff appearance, and a BRHL franchise even more desperate.  

17 - Tby - Victor Eklund - We finally found out where sober Ty’s 1st ended up.  Suspiciously in the hands of Eric Ferraro after apparently many trades. While I’m not a big fan of Eklund’s size, or the fact that he’s a pass-first winger, he plays a mature and pro-style game that should win him both Eric’s heart and lots of fans on Long Island. 

18 - Det - Kashawn Aitcheson - I’ve been on the hunt for a good D man for a while to pair with Sam Dickinson for the future Wings, and Aitcheson would complement him well.  The one drawback of me drafting him is that I always have bad special teams, and he’s going to be in the sin bin a lot.  He’s not elite, but he’s very confident in his abilities at both ends, and is entertaining to watch.  

19 - Min - Bill Zonnon - I don’t know if Kyle Dubas has turned a new leaf or he’s just gotten lucky with his picks the past couple years.  But Zonnon, once healthy this season, was an absolute beast both on the scoresheet and on the forecheck.  He’s got incredible speed and has been fantastic for the Pens AHL affiliate during their current playoff run.  A Toby-esque pick if I’ve ever seen one. 

20 - Phi - Justin Carbonneau - Well if both real and fake hockey are all about scoring, Justin Carbonneau is your man.  He puts up both shots and goals at an elite level.  Think Cole Eiserman last year.  Because he can hit (and yet still skate well), I do think he has more to fall back on than Eiserman does.  

21 - Nyi - Cole Reschny - Another player of whom Rumpy is a member of their fan club, Reschny, despite being on the smaller size, has cemented himself as one of the Flames future middle 6 centre men.  He’s solid on the draws and plays a mature game that coaches love.  A nice add to help the re-stocking of Joe’s farm system.  

22 - Det - Ryker Lee - Lee is apparently nicknamed “The Wizard”.  He is extremely offensively gifted and scored some of the nicest goals of any player in this draft class. He is a line/play driver, which is something you don’t see often towards the end of the round.  I could do worse here especially considering the very high ceiling for Lee. 

23 - Min - Pyotr Andreyanov - Technically sound with incredible reflexes, Andreyanov gave up more than three goals just twice last season… a 6-5 shootout win where he made 52 saves on 57 shots… and a 4-3 playoff loss where he stopped 41 of 45.  Toby is a few seasons away now that he’s been exiled to Minnesota.  So this is the perfect fit for his goalie of the future. 

24 - Van - Logan Hensler - I see Vancouver Tyler going D man here.  Hensler is an excellent skater and puck moving defenceman who is very skilled on both sides of the puck. There are a couple of other stud young defenders in Ottawa, but Hensler should force his way onto the roster and there should still be enough room for him to get top four minutes. 

25 - Nyr - Alexander Zharovsky - I think Zharovsky likely goes higher than this given his big season and the fact that Sim GM‘s like big numbers.  But he is quite one dimensional, still signed in Russia, and did not look as good in the playoffs.  However, he was selected by the Habs, which gives him appeal to the homers. This would be a solid spot for PJ to land him at. 

26 - Ott - Henry Brzustewicz - The skills are all there for Brzustewicz.  He skates well.  He has good size.  And he can make creative plays with the puck in kick-starting the offence, especially inside the opponents end, a trait that makes him a potential PP quarterback.  He has a great point shot. Defensively, he is physically engaged and is fantastic at taking away time and space.  Barrel Brayden needs a couple solid defenders, so this feels like the right spot. 

27 - Clg - Mason West - The Chicago Blackhawks are a team that needs some size, Kevin seems to also like bigger players, and West provides plenty of that.  He is a multi sport athlete which contributes to his raw athleticism.  Scouts see him as a power winger in the future.  He quarterbacked his high school football team to a state title, but has chosen to go to the hockey route. He has committed to Michigan for at least one season.

28 - Nyr - Will Horcoff - Even though there are a number of solid defenceman still available, PJ grabs another forward here.  Horcoff’s skating will probably never impress anybody as it looked lacklustre when he played at higher levels the past couple of seasons.  But he can put the puck in the net and is a hard working forward with a high motor.  

29 - Car - Lynden Lakovic - He is fast, he is big and strong, and plays with some grit. He is a CHLer to boot, so another likely candidate to be taken by a Cordell family member.  It certainly does not hurt that the Washington Capitals have been absolutely owning the draft the past couple of seasons. So targeting their prospects in not a bad game-plan. 

30 - Nyr - Sascha Boumedienne - At pick #30, PJ finally does go with a D man.  Boumedienne was superb at the world juniors and is considered one of the most responsible D man prospects in the world.  He is used regularly on the penalty kill and has excelled offensively at times when thrust into that role, even though that is not his defining skill set. 

31 - Ott - Cullen Potter - Potter is solid defensively, a good skater, and has a high ceiling.  He’s not the biggest bodied player, but at this point of the draft Barrel Brayden is looking for whoever has the highest upside, and Potter is certainly near the top of that list. 

32 - Ott - Milton Gastrin - Another Caps prospect, Gastrin is a fantastic two-way player.  Probably a slightly different mould to Potter in the sense that he might not be as high risk and reward, but he is a Washington Capitals draft pick, and like we mentioned earlier, it’s never a bad idea to target those players.