5:03 pm | June 21, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
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.
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
Where Broberg is most likely to play in 2019-20: SHL
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