The EURO League’s Season 3 draft could be a week away, which means players like Braden Holtby, Brendan Gallagher and Nathan MacKinnon will know which languages they will have to start learning.
The season is supposed to start Wednesday, but the draft will not be held until a day or two after all teams have general managers who have had time to assess their teams and decide whether they want to make trades for the top picks. At the moment, three teams are vacant and one has an outstanding entry fee bill to pay.
Here is the current draft order, before the draft lottery is used to pick which team selects first. Stockholm has the most picks in the first round with 3 in the first 14 picks. Belfast has two in the top 10 picks.
- Stockholm
- London
- Prague
- Frankfurt
- Belfast
- Minsk
- Berlin
- Stockholm (from Madrid)
- St. Petersburg (from Milan)
- Belfast (from Gothenburg)
- Helsinki
- Oslo
- Edinburgh
- Stockholm (from Bern)
- Bratislava (from Geneva)
- Zurich
- Milan (from Athens)
- Moscow (from Dublin)
- Moscow
- Bratislava
- Munich
- St. Petersburg
- Dublin (from Copenhagen)
- Milan (from Paris)
As with all Websim drafts, GMs have a key question to ask: Do I go for someone on the draft list whose attributes are known or gamble on a prospect who NHL teams have already taken but whose attributes in the world of Websim Hockey are yet unknown?
Here is a little information about players who are candidates to be selected in the top 10:
Braden Holtby, G, who is the top goalie on the NHL Washington Capitals, is projected to be the draftee with the most WSH potential. At 23, he is capable of stepping right into a starting position on many teams. In Washington this season, he has a .925 save percentage through 13 games.
Brendan Gallagher, RW, an Alberta-born 20-year-old, isn’t very big (5-9, 178 pounds) but he is a skilled, hard worker with upside. He is also considered the best goal scorer among all forwards in the draft. With the Montreal Canadiens, Gallagher is seeing nearly 16 minutes per game this year and has 7 goals and 10 points in 17 games.
Nathan MacKinnon, C, a teenager selected first by Colorado in the June NHL draft, MacKinnon is a plus 5 with 9 points in 14 games as a rookie Avalanche. Scouts love his overall game, saying he is an excellent skater with good hands, a goal-scoring touch and defensive ability.
Seth Jones, D, was an early favorite to be the first player selected in the June NHL draft, but fell to fourth. The American has fit in immediately on the Nashville blueline, logging more than 25 minutes per game. He is considered a polished all-around defenseman and has 2 goals and 5 assists in his first 15 NHL games.
Aleksander Barkov, C, went second overall behind MacKinnon in the June NHL draft. The Finn would no doubt love to fall just out of the top 10 – to 11 where Helsinki picks. But his size and puck skills might land him somewhere else before Jokerit GM Trevor Grimm makes his way to the podium. With the Florida Panthers, who fired their coaching staff earlier today, Barkov has 3 goals and 7 points in 16 games.
Sean Monahan, C, has been a pleasant surprise in the NHL for the Flames, racking up 7 goals and 11 points in 16 games. He went sixth in the NHL draft. The Canadian is on pace for 36 goals and 57 points.
Jonathan Drouin, LW, is the biggest question mark in the draft. He was selected third overall in the June NHL draft but was ordered to stay in Juniors and hone his game. Eventually, the Quebec native will join the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning and feed pucks to Steven Stamkos. Drouin is skilled, quick and has tremendous upside. But in the WSH, that upside would be tempered by a poor start in the NHL. Drouin is a gamble, to be sure, but he is the draft’s best option at left wing.
Justin Schultz, D, a 22-year-old Canadian, does not have good defensive instincts, but he is the future quarterback of some EURO team’s powerplay. He can pass and shoot. With the Edmonton Oilers this year, he is on pace for 6 goals and 34 assists, but is currently a minus 10.
Cody Eakin, C, is a balanced, two-way forward who plays with intensity. With the NHL Dallas Stars this season, the Manitoba native is averaging a point every other game. His future doesn’t include a scoring title, but he has no glaring weaknesses.
Tyson Barrie, D, has seen his ice time reduced this season with the Colorado Avalanche, but he has the potential to be a top four, offensive fixture on a EURO team’s blueline. He has blazing speed and is similar to Schultz, albeit a little less skilled and a little more defensive-minded.
J.T. Miller, C, at 19 is the youngest player in the draft, meaning he has the most time to develop. He projects to be pretty well-rounded with a good work rate and very good faceoff skills. With the NHL New York Rangers, he might have been rushed. In 37 NHL games, he has 2 goals and 3 assists, fewer than 2 shots per game and is a minus 10. However, scouts call him versatile and talented with a good upside.
Cam Atkinson, RW, is a defensive specialist currently playing with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. At 23, the undersized American has shown some scoring ability but he is probably not going to end up on a top line. The fact he is a natural RW will make him an attractive option in the draft to teams needing to shore up that flank.
