The Smaht Scouting team did a mock draft for the first four rounds. Bailey Johnson (NCAA and USHS amateur scout), Paul Zuk (USHL and Southern OHL amateur scout), Alexander Appleyard (Sweden and Finland amateur scout), Jordan Malette (Eastern OHL and Western QMJHL amateur scout) and Josh Tessler (Director of Amateur Scouting) drafted for assigned teams. The below screenshot shows the assignments.

#1 – Buffalo Sabres – Matthew Beniers
Selected by Paul Zuk
With the first overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres selected Matthew Beniers (University of Michigan, Center). It’s not the first time that in the last few years that the Sabres took a NCAA centerman in the top five. Back in 2015, the Sabres selected Jack Eichel (Boston University, Center) at second overall. Beniers has proven to be relentless with the puck, possesses strong puck manipulation, is a two-way center and a problem solver in transition.
#2 – Seattle Kraken – Owen Power
Selected by Josh Tessler
With Seattle’s first ever draft selection, they select Owen Power (University of Michigan, LHD). The Kraken are likely to add quite a few solid left handed defensemen in the expansion draft like Devon Toews and Brady Skjei, but they need a top left handed defenseman of the future. Power has proven to be a solid puck distributor at the point, he will pinch and fight in puck battles down low.
#3 – Anaheim Ducks – William Eklund
Selected by Alexander Appleyard
In the last few drafts, the Anaheim Ducks have selected quite a few forwards in the early rounds including Jacob Perreault, Sam Colangelo, Trevor Zegras, Brayden Tracey, Isac Lundestrom and Benoit-Olivier Groulx, but they aren’t done yet. With the third overall pick, they take playmaking forward William Eklund (Djurgården, Left Wing). As Alex notes in his report on Eklund, his vision allows him to be a rather crafty playmaker with excellent vision.
Side note, Mikael Holm of McKeen’s Hockey constantly reminds the folks in Will Scouch’s discord server that Djurgården is the official name of the club and doesn’t require a “s” at the end.
#4 – New Jersey Devils – Luke Hughes
Selected by Jordan Malette
The New Jersey Devils select Jack Hughes’ younger brother, Luke Hughes (USNTDP, LHD) with the fourth overall pick. In the 2020 draft, the Devils went forward heavy in round one with Alexander Holtz and Dawson Mercer, but did add Shakir Mukhamadullin with their third first rounder and Ethan Edwards in the later rounds. Luke Hughes is arguably a much stronger puck moving defenseman than both Mukhamadullin and Edwards. Hughes is the best skater in the 2021 NHL Draft class and possesses soft hands when distributing the puck.
#5 – Columbus Blue Jackets – Simon Edvinsson
Selected by Bailey Johnson
With the fifth overall selection, the Columbus Blue Jackets select Simon Edvinsson (Frölunda, LHD). As Seth Jones is rumored to be leaving the organization when he becomes a UFA in 2022, the organization will need to fill his skates with another highly touted defenseman who can be a consistent threat in the offensive zone. As Alex notes in his report on Edvinsson, the Swede has proven to navigate through “neutral zone traps” and pinch down low into high danger to generate scoring chances.
#6 – Detroit Red Wings – Brandt Clarke
Selected by Paul Zuk
The Detroit Red Wings already had an outstanding farm system before the 2021 NHL Draft with a plethora of prospects including Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Theodor Niederbach, Joe Veleno and William Wallinder, but they add another stud at sixth overall with Brandt Clarke (Barrie, RHD). Clarke was set to play for the Barrie Colts this past season, but due to COVID-19, he took his talents across the pond to Slovakia alongside his brother Graeme Clarke (New Jersey Devils prospect). Clarke has shown that he possesses a strong transitional game and is one of the best puck distributors in this class.
#7 – San Jose Sharks – Jesper Wallstedt
Selected by Josh Tessler
The San Jose Sharks land the prospect with the highest upside in the 2021 NHL Draft class. With the Sharks struggling in net over the last few years, they now have a franchise goaltender in the making. Jesper Wallstedt (Luleå, Goaltender) has dominated the SHL at such a young age. The Sharks are netting a patient goaltender and who doesn’t expose much of the net. His glove work is easily the best in this class and controls rebounds extremely well.
#8 – Los Angeles Kings – Dylan Guenther
Selected by Alexander Appleyard
Like the Detroit Red Wings, Rob Blake, general manager of the Los Angeles Kings has done an excellent job building his system. Their farm system includes Quinton Byfield, Tyler Madden, Helge Grans, Brock Faber, Alex Turcotte, Tobias Bjornfot, Rasmus Kupari, Akil Thomas, Gabriel Vilardi and Jaret Anderson-Dolan. The system has a lot of quality two-way playmakers and defenders, but aside from Kaliyev, there isn’t a ton of raw goal scoring talent. By drafting Dylan Guenther (Edmonton, Left Wing), they are netting an excellent shooter who can drain one-timers with ease. Guenther also possesses a strong transitional game and can find gaps consistently in the offensive zone to exploit with a quick timed pass.
#9 – Vancouver Canucks – Kent Johnson
Selected by Bailey Johnson
The Vancouver Canucks have selected the local kid. Kent Johnson (University of Michigan, Center/Wing) from North Vancouver, British Columbia. While Johnson has lined up at center throughout his youth, he’s shown that he is far stronger on the wing during his freshman year in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Johnson has a tremendous amount of flash to his game and is one of the strongest stick-handlers in the class. As Bailey explained in her report, he’s creative and will produce highlight reel plays. So, Vancouver get ready for plenty of Kent Johnson clips on TSN’s Top 10.
#10 – Ottawa Senators – Fabian Lysell
Selected by Jordan Malette
The Ottawa Senators have built a solid youthful core including Tim Stützle, Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, Shane Pinto, Josh Norris, Erik Brannström, Alex Formenton and Drake Batherson. So, why not add another fun winger to the mix. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion nabs Fabian Lysell (Luleå, Right Winger) with the tenth overall pick. Tony Ferrari of Dobber Prospects yells “Vroom Vroom” when he watches Lysell and Will Scouch of Scouching calls him “The Swedish Roadrunner”. So, obviously skating and speed are a big part of his game. His compete level is exceptional and it shows in his decision making and his defensive play.
#11 – Arizona Coyotes – Forfeit
The Coyotes lost their first rounder for the 2021 NHL Draft.
#12 – Chicago Blackhawks – Chaz Lucius
Selected by Paul Zuk
The Chicago Blackhawks stock up at center and add University of Minnesota commit Chaz Lucius (USNTDP, Center). Fans at the Madhouse on Madison will love Chaz and his goal scoring ability. As Paul notes in his report, Lucius has excellent range on his shot and can be a threat no matter where he is in the offensive zone.
#13 – Calgary Flames – Fyodor Svechkov
Selected by Josh Tessler
The Calgary Flames add Fyodor Svechkov (Togliatti/SKA St. Petersburg, LW/C) at 12th overall. Svechkov is easily the best defensive forward in the 2021 NHL Draft class and has outstanding acceleration, puck manipulation and is rather dangerous down low.
#14 – Philadelphia Flyers – Aatu Räty
Selected by Alexander Appleyard
The Philadelphia Flyers take Finnish forward Aatu Räty (Kärpät, Center) at 13th overall. While Räty is no longer considered the top prospect in the class and has fallen to the teens, he’s shown that he can be a reliable forechecker, possesses a quality defensive game and is strong on the cycle.
#15 – Dallas Stars – Mason McTavish
Selected by Jordan Malette
The Dallas Stars ink Mason McTavish (Peterborough, Center) at 14th overall. Due to COVID, McTavish ended up returning back to Switzerland (where he spent a decent amount of his youth) and played for EHC Olten alongside Brennan Othmann (fellow dual citizen of both Canada and Switzerland). While McTavish was a sniper in the OHL, his shot and offensive production was more well-rounded in Switzerland. He loves drawing the attack to the perimeter and then finding a gap in the slot to exploit. McTavish also possesses a lot of grit in his game.
#16 – New York Rangers – Brennan Othmann
Selected by Bailey Johnson
With Chris Drury’s first selection as general manager of the New York Rangers, they select Brennan Othmann (Flint, Left Winger). Alongside McTavish, Othmann spent the season with EHC Olten in Switzerland. The dual citizen (Canada and Switzerland) consistently finds the right spot in the offensive zone and has one of the best shots in this class. He is an efficient defender and will drop back to regroup when facing tough pressure in the neutral zone.
Rest Of The First Round:
Round | Pick | Team | Traded From | Scout | Prospect | Team |
First Round | 1 | Buffalo | Paul | Matthew Beniers | Michigan | |
First Round | 2 | Seattle | Josh | Owen Power | Michigan | |
First Round | 3 | Anaheim | Alex | William Eklund | Djurgården | |
First Round | 4 | New Jersey | Jordan | Luke Hughes | USNTDP | |
First Round | 5 | Columbus | Bailey | Simon Edvinsson | Frölunda | |
First Round | 6 | Detroit | Paul | Brandt Clarke | Barrie | |
First Round | 7 | San Jose | Josh | Jesper Wallstedt | Luleå | |
First Round | 8 | Los Angeles | Alex | Dylan Guenther | Edmonton | |
First Round | 9 | Vancouver | Bailey | Kent Johnson | Michigan | |
First Round | 10 | Ottawa | Jordan | Fabian Lysell | Luleå | |
First Round | 11 | Arizona | FORFEIT | FORFEIT | FORFEIT | FORFEIT |
First Round | 12 | Chicago | Paul | Chaz Lucius | USNTDP | |
First Round | 13 | Calgary | Josh | Fyodor Svechkov | SKA St-Petersburg | |
First Round | 14 | Philadelphia | Alex | Aatu Räty | Kärpät | |
First Round | 15 | Dallas | Jordan | Mason McTavish | Peterborough | |
First Round | 16 | New York Rangers | Bailey | Brennan Othmann | Flint | |
First Round | 17 | St. Louis | Paul | Cole Sillinger | Medicine Hat | |
First Round | 18 | Winnipeg | Jordan | Simon Robertsson | Skellefteå | |
First Round | 19 | Nashville | Alex | Oskar Olausson | HV71 | |
First Round | 20 | Edmonton | Bailey | Scott Morrow | Fargo | |
First Round | 21 | Boston | Josh | Isak Rosén | Leksands | |
First Round | 22 | Minnesota | Josh | Carson Lambos | Winnipeg | |
First Round | 23 | Detroit | Washington | Paul | Mackie Samoskevich | Chicago |
First Round | 24 | Florida | Alex | Stanislav Svozil | Brno | |
First Round | 25 | Columbus | Toronto | Bailey | Matthew Coronato | Chicago |
First Round | 26 | Minnesota | Pittsburgh | Josh | Francesco Pinelli | Kitchener |
First Round | 27 | Carolina | Paul | Logan Stankoven | Kamloops | |
First Round | 28 | Colorado | Jordan | Ayrton Martino | Omaha | |
First Round | 29 | New Jersey | New York Islanders | Jordan | Xavier Bourgault | Shawinigan |
First Round | 30 | Vegas | Jordan | Ville Koivunen | Kärpät | |
First Round | 31 | Montreal | Alex | Nikita Chibrikov | SKA St-Petersburg | |
First Round | 32 | Columbus | Tampa | Bailey | Sasha Pastujov | USNTDP |
First Round Recap
Pick #17 was a great value selection for the St. Louis Blues. The Blues took former St. Louis Blues forward Mike Sillinger’s son Cole Sillinger. Since 2016, the Blues haven’t taken many WHLers, but the allure of drafting Sillinger this late makes it all worth it. He has strong goal scoring and playmaking ability. Sillinger just doesn’t fire at will from low danger. He does the dirty work and looks for scoring chances down low. Following the Sillinger pick, we saw multiple Swedes come off the board with Simon Robertsson heading to Winnipeg, Oskar Olausson to Nashville and Isak Rosén to Boston. All three are excellent additions. Robertsson does an excellent job at finding open ice in the neutral zone and his shot is easily one of the best in the class. His wrist shot accuracy from the point is mouth watering. Olausson is a solid power forward, who possesses excellent reach and that comes in handy for stick-handling around traffic. Plus, he just loves driving play and moving the puck from zone to zone. For Bruins fans, Rosén would become a fan favorite. He finds open ice with ease and will burn net-minders with his one-timers. Rosén’s foot speed in transition and edges make him a true pest for defenders to contend with. The Minnesota Wild grab two prospects, who were projected to go much higher before the season kicked off. Carson Lambos’ offensive production was not as consistent as last year, but there is still a creative play-making defenseman there. Speaking of creative players, Francesco Pinelli is another. He’s deceptive especially with his skating and is a forechecking pest. Towards the end of the first, Logan Stankoven, Ayrton Martino and Ville Koivunen went off the board. Stankoven’s ceiling is slightly higher than Martino’s and Koivunen’s, but if you are looking for three forwards who can be crafty and well-rounded, you will appreciate these three.
Second Round
Second Round | 33 | Buffalo | Paul | Sebastian Cossa | Edmonton | |
Second Round | 34 | Anaheim | Alex | Olen Zellweger | Everett | |
Second Round | 35 | Seattle | Josh | Samu Tuomaala | Kärpät | |
Second Round | 36 | Vegas | New Jersey | Jordan | Brent Johnson | Sioux Falls |
Second Round | 37 | Arizona | Ottawa (via CBJ) | Bailey | Jack Peart | Grand Rapids |
Second Round | 38 | Detroit | Paul | Dylan Duke | USNTDP | |
Second Round | 39 | Ottawa | San Jose | Jordan | Zachary L’Heureux | Halifax |
Second Round | 40 | Nashville | Los Angeles | Alex | Samu Salminen | Jokerit |
Second Round | 41 | Vancouver | Bailey | Daniil Chayka | Guelph | |
Second Round | 42 | Ottawa | Jordan | Jake Martin | USNTDP | |
Second Round | 43 | Arizona | Bailey | Tristan Broz | Fargo | |
Second Round | 44 | Chicago | Paul | Aleksi Heimosalmi | Ässät | |
Second Round | 45 | Calgary | Josh | William Strömgren | MODO | |
Second Round | 46 | Philadelphia | Alex | Corson Ceulemans | Brooks | |
Second Round | 47 | Dallas | Jordan | Prokhor Poltapov | CSKA Moscow | |
Second Round | 48 | Detroit | New York Rangers | Paul | Sean Behrens | USNTDP |
Second Round | 49 | Los Angeles | Vegas (via BUF and STL) | Alex | Zachary Bolduc | Rimouski |
Second Round | 50 | Winnipeg | Jordan | Sean Tschigerl | Calgary | |
Second Round | 51 | Nashville | Alex | Zach Dean | Gatineau | |
Second Round | 52 | Detroit | Edmonton | Paul | Matthew Knies | Tri-City (USHL) |
Second Round | 53 | Buffalo | Boston | Paul | Cole Jordan | Moose Jaw |
Second Round | 54 | Minnesota | Josh | Benjamin Gaudreau | Sarnia | |
Second Round | 55 | Washington | Alex | Anton Olsson | Malmö | |
Second Round | 56 | Florida | Alex | Ryder Korczak | Moose Jaw | |
Second Round | 57 | Toronto | Josh | Marcus Almquist | HV71 | |
Second Round | 58 | Pittsburgh | Paul | Bryce Montgomery | London | |
Second Round | 59 | Carolina | Paul | Evan Nause | Quebec | |
Second Round | 60 | New York Islanders | Colorado | Bailey | Liam Gilmartin | USNTDP |
Second Round | 61 | New Jersey | New York Islanders | Jordan | Artyom Grushnikov | Hamilton |
Second Round | 62 | Chicago | Vegas | Paul | Colton Dach | Saskatoon |
Second Round | 63 | Montreal | Alex | Liam Dower Nilsson | Frölunda | |
Second Round | 64 | Montreal | Tampa | Alex | Alexander Kisakov | Dynamo Moscow |
Second Round Recap
In the second round, quite a few USHLers went off the board. The excellent puck-carrying defenseman Brent Johnson was taken by Vegas and Detroit grabbed this year’s Bobby Brink in Dylan Duke. If you enjoyed Brink’s play with the USNTDP prior to the 2019 NHL Draft, you will appreciate Duke’s 200 ft game. Ottawa grabbed a potential steal in Zachary L’Heureux. L’Heureux was lower on our board due to four suspensions, but his offensive production makes him worth the selection at #39. If he can be cautious of his on-ice issues and just become an aggressive defender in transition and on the forecheck, he will be very successful with similar minded forwards in Ottawa. Chicago takes Aleksi Heimosalmi, who stick-handles with ease around the forecheck. Quick pivots and he’s off. Winnipeg nets Sean Tschigerl, who possesses strong forechecking especially on the penalty kill, uses his upper body well to separate himself from attackers and has strong defensive awareness. Towards the end of the second round, we saw a few players go off the board like Liam Gilmartin to the Islanders and Liam Dower Nilsson to the Canadiens who both possess excellent compete levels. They give it their all every shift and are puck hungry.
Third Round
Third Round | 65 | New York Rangers | Buffalo | Bailey | Aidan Hreschuk | USNTDP |
Third Round | 66 | Anaheim | Alex | Wyatt Johnston | Windsor | |
Third Round | 67 | Seattle | Josh | Ty Voit | Sarnia | |
Third Round | 68 | New Jersey | Jordan | Dmitri Katelevsky | Kazan | |
Third Round | 69 | Columbus | Bailey | Trevor Wong | Kelowna | |
Third Round | 70 | Detroit | Paul | Tristan Lennox | Saginaw | |
Third Round | 71 | San Jose | Josh | Dmitri Kuzmin | Dinamo-Molodechno | |
Third Round | 72 | Los Angeles | Alex | Victor Stjernborg | Växjö | |
Third Round | 73 | Vancouver | Bailey | Jiri Tichacek | Kladno | |
Third Round | 74 | Ottawa | Jordan | Lorenzo Canonica | Shawinigan | |
Third Round | 75 | Washington | New Jersey (via ARI) | Alex | Kirill Kirsanov | SKA St-Petersburg |
Third Round | 76 | Montreal | Chicago | Alex | Matvei Petrov | Krylya Sovetov Moscow |
Third Round | 77 | Calgary | Josh | Danila Klimovich | Minskie Zubry | |
Third Round | 78 | Philadelphia | Alex | Oliver Kapanen | KalPa | |
Third Round | 79 | Dallas | Jordan | Lukas Gustafsson | Chicago | |
Third Round | 80 | New York Rangers | Bailey | Ryan Ufko | Chicago | |
Third Round | 81 | St. Louis | Paul | Martin Rysavy | HC Prerov | |
Third Round | 82 | Winnipeg | Jordan | Brett Harrison | Oshawa | |
Third Round | 83 | Nashville | Alex | Vladislav Lukashevich | Yaroslavl | |
Third Round | 84 | Calgary | Edmonton | Josh | Samuel Helenius | JYP |
Third Round | 85 | Boston | Josh | Robert Orr | Halifax | |
Third Round | 86 | Minnesota | Josh | Ethan Del Mastro | Mississauga | |
Third Round | 87 | Montreal | San Jose (via WSH) | Alex | Jack Bar | Chicago |
Third Round | 88 | Buffalo | Florida | Paul | Chase Stillman | Sudbury |
Third Round | 89 | Los Angeles | Toronto | Alex | Peter Reynolds | Saint John |
Third Round | 90 | Minnesota | Pittsburgh | Josh | Shai Buium | Sioux City |
Third Round | 91 | Carolina | Paul | Vincent Iorio | Brandon | |
Third Round | 92 | Colorado | Jordan | Redmond Savage | USNTDP | |
Third Round | 93 | New York Islanders | Bailey | Hugo Gabrielsson | Frölunda | |
Third Round | 94 | Detroit | Vegas | Paul | Verner Miettinen | Kiekko-Espoo |
Third Round | 95 | Buffalo | Montreal | Paul | Justin Robidas | Val-d’Or |
Third Round | 96 | Tampa | Paul | Conner Roulette | Seattle |
Fourth Round
Fourth Round | 97 | Buffalo | Paul | James Malatesta | Quebec | |
Fourth Round | 98 | Anaheim | Alex | Jayden Grubbe | Red Deer | |
Fourth Round | 99 | Seattle | Josh | Oscar Plandowski | Charlottetown | |
Fourth Round | 100 | New Jersey | Jordan | Francesco Arcuri | Kingston | |
Fourth Round | 101 | Columbus | Bailey | Topias Vilén | Pelicans | |
Fourth Round | 102 | Detroit | Paul | Elias Stenman | Skellefteå | |
Fourth Round | 103 | San Jose | Josh | Kalle Väisänen | TPS | |
Fourth Round | 104 | New York Rangers | Los Angeles | Bailey | Justin Janicke | USNTDP |
Fourth Round | 105 | Chicago | Vancouver | Paul | Philip Granath | Frölunda |
Fourth Round | 106 | New York Rangers | Ottawa | Bailey | Nolan Allan | Prince Albert |
Fourth Round | 107 | Arizona | Bailey | Kirill Gerasimyuk | SKA St-Petersburg | |
Fourth Round | 108 | Chicago | Paul | Ty Gallagher | USNTDP | |
Fourth Round | 109 | Los Angeles | Calgary | Alex | Theo Jacobsson | MODO |
Fourth Round | 110 | Philadelphia | Alex | Dovar Tinling | Vermont | |
Fourth Round | 111 | Dallas | Jordan | Cameron Whynot | Halifax | |
Fourth Round | 112 | New York Rangers | Bailey | Roman Schmidt | USNTDP | |
Fourth Round | 113 | Montreal | St. Louis | Alex | Olivier Nadeau | Shawinigan |
Fourth Round | 114 | Vegas | Winnipeg | Jordan | Jackson Blake | Chicago |
Fourth Round | 115 | Nashville | Alex | Logan Mailloux* | London | |
Fourth Round | 116 | Edmonton | Bailey | Jimi Suomi | Jokerit | |
Fourth Round | 117 | Boston | Josh | Jack Matier | Ottawa | |
Fourth Round | 118 | Minnesota | Josh | Jeremy Wilmer | USNTDP | |
Fourth Round | 119 | Washington | Alex | Viljami Marjala | Quebec | |
Fourth Round | 120 | Florida | Alex | Cole Huckins | Acadie-Bathurst | |
Fourth Round | 121 | San Jose | Toronto | Josh | Ruben Rafkin | TPS |
Fourth Round | 122 | Arizona | Pittsburgh | Bailey | David Gucciardi | Waterloo |
Fourth Round | 123 | Carolina | Paul | Noah Meier | GCK Zürich | |
Fourth Round | 124 | Nashville | Ottawa (via COL) | Alex | Kyle Masters | Red Deer |
Fourth Round | 125 | New York Islanders | Bailey | Jack O’Brien | Portland | |
Fourth Round | 126 | Montreal | Vegas | Alex | Aleksi Malinen | JYP |
Fourth Round | 127 | Montreal | Alex | Joshua Roy | Sherbrooke | |
Fourth Round | 128 | Detroit | Tampa | Paul | Dario Allenspach | EVZ Zug |
Third and Fourth Round Recap
In rounds three and four, there was a run of prospects who project to be excellent third line grinders with offensive upside. Dmitri Katelevsky was selected by the Devils. Katelevsky has proven to be a forechecking pest in a league that simply doesn’t see a ton of forechecking pressure. Victor Stjernborg to the LA Kings. Stjernborg is a well-rounded forward, who provides the Kings with an excellent defensive forward when covering the point and the half-wall. Aside from the grinders, Jiri Tichacek was selected by the Vancouver Canucks. Don’t let size fool you. There is a solid prospect in Jiri. For a smaller defender, he has excellent gap control and solid physicality. He’ll give you Nick Jensen vibes at times. In round four, there were quite a few defensemen who are true defensive defenseman and can be pests to beat. For instance, Topias Vilén and Jack Matier. The San Jose Sharks drafted two TPS prospects with their fourth round picks. Kalle Väisänen provides the Sharks with a physical power forward who loves finding open ice to key up one-timers. Ruben Rafkin is a Finnish over-ager, who has shown to be excellent in transition and loves to pinch up to run the cycle.
Note on Mailloux: At the time of the mock conducted, Mailloux was eligible to be drafted before withdrawing.