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The (Consensus) Best Players Left After the First Round
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Jonathan Willis
Jun 25, 2016, 00:46 EDTUpdated:
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The Edmonton Oilers own the No. 32 pick in this year’s NHL
Entry Draft, and there are a number of quality prospects left over after the
end of the first round. Who will they pick with their first selection on
Saturday?
A good place to start is Bob
McKenzie’s draft ranking. Year after year, McKenzie’s list is a reliable
indicator of the NHL consensus viewpoint of the draft, so we’ll look at some of
the top names on his list. Each of the players below includes McKenzie’s final
ranking.  
Sprinkled in for good measure are Alex DeBrincat and Taylor
Raddysh, who is the highest-rated remaining player on both the THN and ISS
draft lists, as well as Tyler Benson and Markus Niemelainen, who were suggested
by veteran beat reporter Jim Matheson.
  • Libor Hajek (No. 26).
    Hajek is a big, mobile left-shot defenceman who played n the WHL last year.
    THN projects him as a No. 4/5 defensive rearguard at the NHL level, while ISS
    has serious concerns about his decision-making.  
  • Boris Katchouk (No.
    29).     Katchouk gets universally good reviews for his work ethic and
    competitiveness, and one scout told THN that he’s the kind of guy who can play
    a complementary role on a top line or be a fourth-line pest. He has NHL size (6’1”,
    190 pounds) and recorded 24 goals and 51 points in 63 OHL games last year.  
  • Kale Clague (No. 30).
    Clague is a very good skater who thinks the game well and generates offence
    from the back end, scoring 43 points in 71 WHL games a year ago. He’s
    undersized (6’, 180 pounds) and had injury problems in 2014-15, and every
    scouting report I’ve read flags strength as an issue.
  • Rasmus Asplund (No.
    31).     Asplund is an undersized centre (5’10”, 175 pounds) who played in
    Sweden’s top league a year ago. He earns strong marks for his intelligence and
    competitive spirit; he also plays a strong defensive game.
  • Pascal Laberge (No.
    32)     Laberge is a right-shooting right wing who posted 68 points in 56 QMJHL
    games this past season and impressed at this year’s CHL top prospects game. He’s
    6’1” but only 175 pounds, and there are mixed reviews on his physical play. ISS
    claims he has “limited to no physical or defensive presence” while one scout
    told THN he’s “chippy” and has “a little ‘Eff you’ in him.” Strenght,
    unsurprisingly, is an issue.
  • Alex DeBrincat (No.
    33).     He’s only 5’7”, but he’s a right-shooting right-wing with back-to-back
    50-goal/50-assist seasons in the OHL. Add in that he played on Connor McDavid’s
    right wing in 2014-15 and he’s an interesting player.
  • Markus Niemelainen
    (No. 38).     A 6’5” left-shot defenceman with a history of playing on the
    right side, Niemelainen gets good marks as a skater. He’s also described as a
    two-way defender, capable of both handling the puck and defending. He’s not
    overly physical and there are questions about his offensive upside.
  • Tyler Benson (No. 39).
    Benson’s stock fell this year as injuries limited him to just 30 games; he
    was a top prospect entering the season but now is projected as a late second-round
    selection in most publications. He did put up 28 points in those 30 games and
    gets good reviews for intelligence and work ethic. THN questions his skating;
    ISS wonders if he has the scoring touch to play in the top-six.
As always, at this point in the draft the talent pool tends
to flatten out; there are probably at least two-dozen players who are plausible
targets for Edmonton with the No. 32 pick. The eight above are simply some of
the most probable. 

RECENTLY BY JONATHAN WILLIS

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