4. New Jersey Devils— LUKE HUGHES, USA U-18, USHL
Pick By N. Villano of pucksandpitchforks.com
The Devils use the fourth pick to keep it in the family with offensive defensemen Luke Hughes. Hughes is the younger brother of Quinn (Vancouver) and Jack Hughes. Jack plays for the Devils. Luke has the bloodlines and the high-end skills that both of his brothers possess.
Like his brothers, the scouts agree Luke really sticks out in the offensive zone when the puck is on his stick. He has plus vision and passing, allowing him to spot team mates and complete challenging passes. He is able to open space on the ice for others by drawing defenders and manipulating the defensive zone coverage to his advantage. His shot from the point is not elite, but effective, and would not be out of place on a first unit powerplay .
There is also scouting consensus that Hughes will need to do some work on his defensive game. Opinions vary wildly on the degree of his defensive flaws, ranging from a few tweaks to issues that will haunt him through his career. The Devils are betting on Hughes being a boom rather than a bust.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets –SIMON EDVINSSON, Frolunda J20, SuperElit
Pick By C. Coyne of broadstreetbuzz.com
Simon Edvinsson maybe the most divisive prospect in the draft. While not a boom or bust player, as it is universally accepted he projects to the NHL, the range of how successful he will become is vast. Is he Victor Hedman or Robert Hagg?
Edvinsson is an excellent skater, especially for his six-foot four-inch size. He is able to generate great speed and excellent change of direction which makes it hard for even the fastest offensive players to beat him. He has a long reach and uses his stick effectively to close down opponents and passing lanes.
With excellent physical tools Edvinnson would seem to be a lock as a shutdown defender, except for an under developed hockey sense. While an evaluation on “hockey sense” is often too broad to be useful, Edvinsson’s detractors were quite specific. He does not read the game well in his own end. He often will fixate and not be able to identify threats as players move through out the zone. This limits the impact of his tools defensively.
Hockey sense is Edvinsson’s issue on offense as well. While his puckhandling is good, he can needlessly skate himself in to danger. He also will attempt risky or complex passes that would be better left unexplored. Edvinsson’s ceiling will be determined by the amount of his improvement in the game’s mental aspects.
6. Detroit Red Wings –MASON McTAVISH, Peterborough, OHL
Pick by B. Heyrman of Detroitjockcity.com
The Redwings have been in a funk for year, grabbing a favorable draft position to hasten rebuilding the franchise. Unfortunately, that has not translated into the robust prospect stable one would expect, but a rather pedestrian group that seems to ask more questions than provide answers. Mason McTavish is a player that will provide answers. The center may not have as high an upside as some of his other draftmates, but he may have the highest floor in the draft as a virtual lock for a 2c.