Hockey Stop: The Ins and Outs of the 2018 draft and more! (Picks 21-31)

Three years ago, it was the Connor McDavid . Two years ago, Auston Matthews. Last year it was the...It was up for grabs? Last seasons draft featured plenty of guys who can be studs in the future, but only Nico Hischier (1st pick; New Jersey) and Nolan Patrick (2nd pick; Philadelphia Flyers) who made the leap to the NHL. But this year, we're back where we left off in 2016. It's the Rasmus Dahlin , and the Buffalo Sabres won it. But, just like in all the other drafts listed above, there's much more to it than the top guy. We have guys like Charlie McAvoy, taken in the mid-first, that turned out to be a star. It's my job to bring you my predictions and how I believe some of the later picks could be great.

21st Overall- San Jose selects Rasmus Kupari, C, Karpat-Oulu (SM-Liiga)

Kupari is an excellent skater, and another guy who utilizes his ability to change speeds to fool defenders. He has the ability to make quick, strong cuts to open up passing and shooting lanes. He has superb stickhandling, which he pairs with his skating, to become lethal in one on one scenarios. Not only is he a good skater who handles the puck extremely well, he has fantastic vision and great passing abilities. He has a high offensive hockey IQ and is a special offensive player. His shooting isn't great, but he does have a quick release. He has trouble getting pushed off the puck because of his smaller stature, but most prospects deal with that. He is good at getting net front presence and scoring off rebounds. Defensively, Kupari does generate good pressure on the back check, and for the most part, has good positioning. However, he isn't perfect. He is quick to the transition from defense to offense. He projects as a solid middle six center, who could be a good<a href="https://www.sportsblog.com/hockey-stop_14-09/posts/795fc60f-cc93-4f54-8bb1-589f35a4e2f5/edit/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> man.

22nd Overall- Ottawa selects Mattias Samuelsson, D, US-Under-18 (USAH_NTDP)

Samuelsson is a big man, standing at 6'4", 217 pounds, and has great balance, which makes him hard to<a href="https://www.sportsblog.com/hockey-stop_14-09/posts/795fc60f-cc93-4f54-8bb1-589f35a4e2f5/edit/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> off the puck. Despite his size, he is a pretty good skater, and has the ability to change<a href="https://www.sportsblog.com/hockey-stop_14-09/posts/795fc60f-cc93-4f54-8bb1-589f35a4e2f5/edit/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> well enough to change from defense to offense and vice versa. He has an accurate slap shot from the point, but it isn't very powerful. He tends to sneak in offensively and get off his deadly wrist shots, which are very accurate, and features a quick release. He also has high hockey IQ, which helps him make the smart passes in the offensive zone, however he isn't one to control offense. He is very good in the defensive end, taking full advantage of his big frame. He loves to step up and deliver big hits if a forward is coming in on his side. However, he does take a lot of penalties. Other than that, he is very good at blocking passes and makes for a very good penalty killer at the next level. If he fixes his penalty troubles, works on his skating, and continues to grow offensively, he has the potential to become a top 4 defenseman, with penalty killing time.

23rd Overall- Anaheim selects Ryan Merkley, D, Guelph (OHL)

Merkley is a fantastic skater, with near perfect pivots, and top-end speed. He is very confident in his skating abilities, as he should be. But sometimes he does a little too much, and it winds up costing him in the end. Merkley has fantastic passing abilities, and it goes hand in hand with his remarkable vision. He's able to make passes through covered areas on the ice and set up teammates with fantastic opportunities. His shooting all around is great, as they're very powerful and accurate, which leads for deflections and rebounds. However, defensively he just isn't explosive. When you see him play offensively, he shows this hunger and this energy that you just love to<a href="https://www.sportsblog.com/hockey-stop_14-09/posts/795fc60f-cc93-4f54-8bb1-589f35a4e2f5/edit/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">, but defensively it just isn't there. He watches the play instead of trying to stop it. He also likes to cheat up the ice, and this leads him out of position, and allows the offense to get a quality scoring chance at times. If coaches can get his head in the game when in his own end, and he continues to perfect and simplify his game offensively, he has a real shot at being something special. However, right now he is a very risky boom or bust pick.

24th Overall- Minnesota selects K'Andre Miller, D, USNTDP (USHL)

Miller is a fast and effective skater, who's pivots and edges are top notch, his balance and lower body strength is also fantastic. He pairs his skating with his ability to handle the puck well. He tends to wait for plays to unfold, and plays too conservatively, and he needs to open up a bit more. Due to the lack of power in his shot, he isn't much of a scorer from the point, but his skating opens passing lanes, and he can really thread the needle. He has great vision, and superb passing ability. Miller is aggressive, and plays physical in the defensive end. His size, strength and balance allow for him to win net front battles and let his goalie see. However, as he only started playing defense recently, he still lacks positioning and instincts. If he is able to open up his offensive game and get better positionally in the defensive end, he will be a real threat.

25th Overall- Toronto selects Ty Dellandrea, C, Flint (OHL)

Although he doesn't have great balance, and tends to get knocked off the puck too much, Dellandrea's speed and ability to make quick cuts makes him a very good skater. He has a quick and accurate wrist shot, which he pairs with high offensive awareness, to find high percentage scoring areas. He also has a very good shot on the backhand. He isn't afraid to get to the front of the net and with his great hand-eye coordination, he's able to get deflections and does a nice job getting to rebounds. However, because of his poor balance and smaller than average frame, defensemen are able to knock him out from in front of the net. He is also smart with his passes, making them quick and accurately. He is very straight-forward and just keeps plays alive. Defensively, he puts in a lot of hard work. His high hockey awareness allows him to cut down passes and play a pivotal role on the penalty kill. He back checks hard, and pressures forwards from behind well. However, his lack of strength allows him to get overpowered often. If he adds more muscle, better balance and perfects his offensive game, he could be a great middle-six forward, with top power play and penalty kill minutes.

26th Overall- Rangers select Rasmus Sandin, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Rasmus Sandin is an average skater, with good crossovers, but he is much better skating backwards. He is quick skating backwards, keeping the play in front of him. He also has a strong lower-body, making him difficult to knock off the puck. Sandin has elite level hockey IQ, always making the right plays. He pairs that IQ with his fantastic passing abilities, creating good scoring chances for his team. He is good at the long stretch passes to create breakaways as well. He doesn't use his slap shots often, but his wrist shots and snap shots are very good, and have a tendency for hitting the net. His IQ doesn't falter in the defensive end either. He is a physical minded player, throwing hits and stepping up on players, however, he is smart about it, and picks his spots well. He is good at forcing players wide with good gap control. He is very good at breaking up passes and blocking shots as well. He's going to end up being a top 4 defenseman, with special team minutes, but it will take time.

27th Overall- Chicago selects Grigori Denisenko, LW, Yaroslavl (KHL)

Denisenko is a smooth skater, which allows him to reach high speeds quickly. Because of his great edges, he is able to beat defenders wide and cut hard to the front of the net. He needs to get stronger on his skates, so he isn't as easy to get knocked off the puck. He is able to dangle while moving at top speeds, making him lethal one on one. If given space by defenders, he takes full advantage. He is a fantastic passer, and he can make defenders regret backing off. And if defenders step, he beats them wide with his skating, which makes him so dangerous entering the zone. He has great patience, waiting for plays to unfold and can make perfect tape to tape passes when it opens up. His wrist and snap shots are accurate, but he must add more muscle to improve on his power behind his shots. He does not get in front of the net, and generally stays outside, which many teams don't necessarily like, as net front presence is fairly important. One big problem for Denisenko is the fact that he doesn't back check hard. He is also not very physical. When he does decide to get back and play defense, he doesn't move his feet, and watches the play happen. That allows for his man to get open for a great opportunity. He needs to either immensely improve his offense further, or get his act together defensively for him to fulfill a solid top 6 position. Overall, I believe he will be nothing more than a middle-six guy on the power play.

28th Overall- Rangers select Jacob Olofsson, C, Timra IK (Allsvenskan)

Olofsson has above average speed, but he has elite acceleration. He has good edges as well, allowing him to change directions quickly. He has good strength on his skates, giving him good balance and the ability to battle along the boards. He handles the puck very well, and with his decent skating he can be hard to beat one on one. He can make fancy dekes on a defenseman, and then take that open space he generates. He is a smart player on offense, where he can either set up teammates well or let off a hard wrist shot. He gets in front of the net, and is good at deflecting the puck and getting rebounds. He plays smart, not stepping outside his comfort zone, when on offense. Defensively, he back checks hard and effectively. He is positionally sound in the defensive zone, and is good at breaking up passes. Because of his ability to win board battles, he's able to contain his opponents down low and shut down a play. Although his offensive potential is still a question mark, he is good against his age group, and his defensive prowess brings up his stock. He could be another middle-six forward, also on a top penalty killing unit.

29th Overall- St Louis selects Isac Lundestrom, C, Lulea HF (SHL)

Lundestrom is a strong skater, with average speed and acceleration. He can fight through checks and gain net front presence. He is extremely tough to knock off the puck. He is difficult to defend against on the rush as he can cut through traffic, and has the ability to skillfully work through defense. He rarely makes mistakes with the puck as well. He doesn't stand out in his shooting, passing or skating, but he puts all those skills together to make things work brilliantly. He likes playing an in-your-face hockey style, battling hard along the boards and forcing turnovers. The turnovers he creates, he utilizes well to create high end scoring chances. His shots are hard and accurate, with a quick release that's hard to read. However, he is a pass first player, and needs to shoot more often. He's a good back checker, and he also supports his defensemen down low. His positioning and anticipation is very good, and his IQ is very high. He forces turnovers, and is quick to the transition. He could be a late first round steal, and can be a high end top 6 forward, with penalty killing time, and maybe a little power play time, if he improves in that area.

30th Overall- Detroit selects Jared McIsaac, D, Halifax (QMJHL)

McIsaac is outstanding on his skates, with fantastic speed and acceleration going both forwards and backwards. He has great edges, allowing him to make quick cuts. He is good at transitioning from defense to offense and vice versa. He has powerful strides and great balance, making him very tough to beat in board battles and to knock off the puck. He isn't afraid to lead the rush. He has good puck handling, which allows him to carry the puck from one end to the other. He has great patience, waiting for the right opportunities, which he pairs with his superb passing, giving teammates great chances. His skating helps in creating space from the point as well. His slap shot is above average, but seems to always get on net. His wrist shots feature a very quick release, making them lethal. The offensive skill is there, but he isn't consistent. Some games he can be a real threat in the offensive zone, and others he doesn't have that explosiveness and creativeness. Defensively, he is very difficult to beat one on one. His skating allows him to open up and get back if necessary, and it also allows him to have a great gap. He plays physical in the corners and along the boards, however he isn't a very physical minded player. He has good positioning and anticipates the play well. He's good at breaking passes up, and transitioning quickly. He has the potential to be an elite defenseman, but his inconsistent play makes him a big question mark. He has the skill to make the NHL, but he could be either a depth piece, or a stud.

31st Overall- Washington selects Martin Kaut, RW, Pardubice (Czech)

Kaut has good speed, but his acceleration isn't great, as he takes a few extra strides to reach his full speed. He gets beaten in short space plays, where the puck comes loose and its a short race to get there. He has the ability to fight through checks, and to give players a hard time in taking the puck away from him. He has good edge work, fooling defenders with quick direction changes and sharp cuts. Kaut is a sniper, as he has a nose for the back of the net. His powerful strides allow him to get to the front of the net, where he has quick hands to fool a goalie in tight. He's also good at deflecting pucks and finishing rebounds. His wrist shots are powerful and very accurate. Goalies have trouble with his wrist shots not just because of his accuracy and power, but also because of the quick release that's difficult to read. His one timer does need a bit of work, but for now, his shooting is great. He is a smart player as well finding the open areas and finishing. He not only excels at being a sniper, but he is also very good playmaker. He's very good in the cycle, and can set up teammates coming out of it. He's very good at controlling the play during a power play. Kaut's defensive positioning is strong, and he back checks well. However, he struggles in the physical aspects of the game. He isn't afraid to get hit, but he doesn't step often into is opponents. He is good at breaking up passes, and isn't afraid to block shots at all.