With the NHL Entry Draft now just a couple weeks away, final preparations are underway.
All 31 teams had an opportunity to get a better look at the prospects available during last weekend’s combine and this week, teams at the top end of the draft have invited certain players for city tours and one on one meetings.
That process got underway yesterday in Ottawa with both Brady Tkachuk and Filip Zadina meeting with Pierre Dorion and the Coaching Staff. Andrei Svechnikov is expected to be in town later this week.
In a little over two weeks, the Buffalo Sabres will make Rasmus Dahlin the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. What happens after that is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
Over the last few months there seemed to be a consensus that Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina would be the first three names called out. Yet recently, there seems to be an increasing level of doubt in terms of what Carolina will do at 2nd overall and more importantly, what direction the Montreal Canadiens go at 3rd overall.
There doesn’t seem to be much doubt that Andrei Svechnikov is the second best option and his performance at the Combine only strengthened his ranking. But recent mock drafts have presented a scenario where the Hurricanes actually take Zadina at 2nd overall. The thinking there is Zadina has played with Hurricanes prospect Martin Necas in the past and they might have some built in chemistry.
It’s a reach but it could happen.
Third overall is the real guessing game.
While Filip Zadina was previously viewed as a slam dunk to Montreal, recent comments by Zadina suggest that the Canadiens might have a centre or defenceman in mind with that pick. There was also talk that they were pretty high on Brady Tkachuk.
Interesting comment from Filip Zadina pertaining to #Habs in @Michael_Traikos story: “Montreal, I know very well. I’ve been to the city many times and they’re fans are awesome. But I think they’re looking for a centre or a D.”
— Murray Pam (@Pammerhockey) June 5, 2018
This puts a few different scenarios in play.
Either Montreal takes Brady Tkachuk at 3rd overall. Or maybe they trade back and take the top ranked centre in Jesperi Kotkaniemi and someone else moves up to grab one of Tkachuk or Zadina? Or does Marc Bergevin take the top defenceman left on the board- say Quinn Hughes, Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson or even Adam Boqvist?
Initial projections talked about 4th overall as the spot where the draft could go in any number of directions but now it seems like that could happen a pick earlier.
It’s worth noting that Filip Zadina did not visit with the Canadiens this week.
Either way, the sudden uncertainty at 3rd overall and to a lesser extent 2nd overall, seems to be opening up some interesting options for the Ottawa Senators.
For the first time in the weeks leading up to the Draft, it’s now possible to picture a scenario where the Senators have an opportunity to land one of Andrei Svechnikov or Filip Zadina at 4th overall.
Do the “right” thing, Marc Bergevin.
