Hockey Stop: The Ins and Outs of the 2018 draft and more! (Picks 11-20)

Three years ago, it was the Connor McDavid sweepstakes. 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.

11th Overall- Islanders select Jesperi Kotkaniemi, RW, Assat-Pori (SM-Liiga)

Kotkaniemi isn't the fastest skater, but he can keep up with plays well. He has the ability to fight off checks because of his good balance. He's great in the cycle, and can be dangerous coming off of it. Because of his big frame, he frustrates defenders in front of the net, and he's hard to battle along the boards. He has a great forecheck, and can force turnovers in bundles, and turn those into lethal chances. He has a very good wrist shot, with a quick release. He's good at handling the puck, and opening up passing lanes. He has good vision and great passing abilities, making him a dangerous playmaking winger. He's also good on the back check and defensively responsible. He wins the board battles, and is quick on the transition. He can block passes, and he isn't afraid to block shots. Kotkaniemi is my favorite prospect, and he has a high ceiling, making him a potential steal in this draft.

12th Overall- Detroit* selects Ty Smith, D, Spokane (WHL)

Smith has an excellent skating ability, and his acceleration is top-notch. He uses his speed to create offensive opportunities. Smith reads the offensive plays extremely well. He's smart with the puck, and if necessary, he can use his good stick handling ability to extend the play. He is very good at making the right passes, setting his teammates up very well. This ability allows him to quarterback the power play at the junior levels, and gives him the potential to lead the power play at the NHL level. His wrist shots are great, and he has improved well on his slap shot, but the most important thing is that his shots are always on net, and allow for tip-ins and/or rebounds. His positioning is good in the defensive end, and he has a good stick to block passes and poke check. His skating allows him to angle forwards away from danger areas, and keeping a good gap. However, he is undersized, and loses a lot of battles along the boards, and especially in front of the net.

13th Overall- Dallas selects Jett Woo, D, Moose Jaw (WHL)

Jett Woo has above average speed and acceleration, however his edge work is fantastic. His pivots allow him to transition and change direction on a dime, and allows him to play a great two-way game. In the offensive end, he is conservative, not wanting to get caught out of position. But he does have a good hard pass and patience with the puck, which gives him the potential to quarterback the powerplay. In the defensive end, he's one of the best players in this draft. Because of his great balance, he's able to win battles in front of the net, along with board battles. His edge work and speed allow him to angle forwards to the outside. His positioning is fantastic, and he reads plays very well. He has a great first pass out of the zone, which allows for a quick transition to offense. He could be another steal in the draft, and could be apart of a dynamic duo with Klingberg in the future. He is a couple years out from NHL action.

14th Overall- Philadelphia selects Joel Farabee, LW, USNTDP (USHL)

Joel Farabee has fantastic acceleration, and only needs two strides or so to hit top speeds. His speed is also great, and his skating alone allows him to beat defenders wide in one on one situations. He has good puck control, and can deke while moving at top speed. His balance allows him to fight off checks and protect the puck as well. Because of his speed, defenders back up further, creating space for his teammates. Because of his nifty vision, he's able to exploit those open passing lanes, and he displays his passing skills. He excels as a playmaking winger, and will continue that into his future. However, like most prospects, he must bulk up to be a better forechecker. However, this kid is a workhorse. He never gives up, and it shows in his defensive game. He's great at blocking passing lanes and sacrifices his body to block shots. He was a successful penalty killer last season with the USNTDP. Due to his work ethic, he is a very coachable player, and this could be huge for his development. If Philadelphia does decide to go Farabee here, they could get someone very special.

15th Overall- Florida selects Bode Wilde, D, US-Under-18 (USAH-NTDP)

Wilde has good speed to go with great edge work and pivots, allowing him to play a solid two-way game. Wilde has a fantastic shot, comparable to Evan Bouchard who was picked top ten, with good accuracy to allow for tip-ins and/or rebounds. He's also an outstanding passer, threading the needle to open teammates, leading to fantastic scoring opportunities. However, he tends to force plays and can cause horrendous turnovers. He is also extremely inconsistent in the defensive zone, where he can physically dominate at times, but other times he can be awful. He has the potential to be a big time NHLer, but his inconsistent play in the defensive end makes him a boom-or-bust selection. And keep in mind, he played against his own age group last season. Pay attention to him when he joins Michigan next season, as he will be tested against higher quality, and older, opponents.

16th Overall- Colorado selects Serron Noel, RW, Oshawa (OHL)

Although skating is a problem, it is clear how quickly he has improved from last season to this season, and that could instill hope in GMs across the league, as he has the potential to become even better. Noel is a big man, as he is 6'5", 209 pounds, so it's understandable how he is very difficult to knock off the puck. He has great balance and easily fights through checks. He has great hands, and he's able to make great moves in tight to beat goalies. He is a sniper, as he brings one of the best wrist shots in the draft, and a very quick release, making him more deadly. The only problem is that he needs to shoot more often. His forechecking is good, as he uses his big frame often. He is smart in the defensive end, as he reads plays well, and with his longer than average stick, can block passes. He's a great penalty killer. Despite his size, he isn't one to hit often. He is good in the transition from defense to offense.

17th Overall- New Jersey selects Calen Addison, D, Lethbridge (WHL)

Addison is an outstanding skater, both forwards and backwards. His pivots and edges are better than most players in this draft. However, his balance isn't great, and can easily be knocked off the puck. Addison is also a great passer, with above average vision, which allows him to control play at the point. Addison has a quick and effective wrist shot, but his slap shot needs work. His skating ability allows him to create more shooting and passing lanes. Addison has good gap control and throws plenty of hits, but because of his small stature, he can get caught in his own end for a little while. Addison also causes some bad turnovers trying to do too much on a play. If he could gain more core muscle and simplify his game, he could be huge.

18th Overall- Columbus selects Vitali Kravtsov, RW, Belye Medvedi Polar Bears (MHL)

Kravtsov is extremely good at one on one scenarios. He has very good skating, but the deadliest thing about his skating is his ability to change speeds. He can slow down quick and open up passing lanes, or speed up and beat the defensemen wide, with the edge work to cut to the net hard. Kravtsov also is one of the best stickhandlers in the draft, and when he pairs that with his excellent skating, it's even more impressive. Because he is able to stickhandle while moving at top speed, defenders back off a bit, and this allows him to display his wide variety of shots. He has a deadly accurate wrist shot, that he pairs with a quick release. His snap shot also features a quick release. He is a sniper, that fits perfectly in today's game. Unfortunately, he tries to do too much by himself, and this causes turnovers. Defensively he backchecks hard and covers his point man well. He must work on passing to his teammates a bit more and simplifying his game. If he does those things, he might just be something special.

19th Overall- Philadelphia selects Barrett Hayton, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Hayton is a powerful skater, with good speed and acceleration. He is tough to knock off the puck, and he is slippery, cutting through traffic with and without the puck. Hayton has improved in his shooting. He continues to get more accurate with his wrist and snap shots. His slap shots need work, but based on how he's improved recently, it shouldn't be a problem for too long. He is good at getting net front presence offensively and scores on a lot of tip-in's and rebounds. He plays a simple game, moving pucks deep and getting to the front of the net. His forecheck is good, as he forces a lot of turnovers. He plays extremely well defensively. He contains his man down low, and cuts down passes. He gets in shooting lanes, blocking a lot of shots, and plays a smart defensive game. If he continues to improve offensively, and continues to perfect his defensive game, Hayton could be an effective middle to top six two-way forward on the penalty kill.

20th Overall- Los Angeles selects Ryan McLeod, C, Mississauga (OHL)

McLeod has remarkable skating ability. His speed, acceleration, edges and pivots are insanely good. His ability to make quick cuts and sharp turns frustrate and throw defensemen off. He even has a strong stride, to go with great balance, allowing him to fight off checks. He has the vision and passing ability to be a good playmaker, although his skating ability helps his two-way game big time. He is a pass-first guy, and his shooting isn't special. He back checks effectively, and his skating ability helps him diffuse a breakout. He is great at anticipating plays defensively and blocks passes. He isn't afraid to get in shooting lanes either. He creates plenty of turnovers and can transition quickly. Pay attention to him as he could be a huge steal late in the first round.

*Detroit traded their 7th to the Islanders, and got the Isles 12th in return along with other pieces (check part 1: www.sportsblog.com/hockey-stop_14-09__/ )