2024 Seattle Kraken mock draft 

The 2024 NHL Draft is here. The first round begins at 4:00 p.m. PT on Friday. Catch it on ESPN or ESPN+ in the United States. 

With that, we’ve reached the culmination of Draft Week at Sound Of Hockey. Check out all of the draft-related content delivered this week:

In addition, check out these earlier features:

Today is our third annual, seven-round Seattle Kraken mock draft.

Mock draft rules

As I did last year, I will presume that players will come off the board in the order predicted by the Big Board. For example, if a player is slotted at No. 37 on the Big Board, I treat that player as unavailable to the Kraken with their first second-round pick at No. 40. In highlighting potential “alternative” picks, I’ll mention a few players who could be in range if they “fall” to Seattle’s pick. For now, I won’t “predict” any trades, because this is both difficult and unlikely when it comes to a Ron Francis-led operation.

I’d love it if someone wanted to use the Sound Of Hockey Big Board and give me their alternative mock draft using these same rules. Send it in the comments below or on X, formerly known as Twitter, tagging @deepseahockey and @sound_hockey.

Looking back on my mid-season mock draft

I used the Sound Of Hockey Big Board (mid-season edition) to generate one midseason mock draft earlier this year on Feb. 23.

My first two picks for the Kraken in that midseason mock, Zeev Buium and Jett Luchanko, have been two of the biggest risers from the midseason Big Board to the final version I will use today. Buium jumped from No. 11 on the midseason Big Board to No. 5 on the final Big Board; Luchanko rose from No. 44 to No. 22.  I take some pride in correctly identifying two players that I believed the market was undervaluing at the time, but the final Big Board has seemingly pushed both players out of reach for Seattle with its first two picks. I continue to like both players very much if they happen to linger on the board for Seattle. 

OK, without further ado, let’s draft.

The 2024 Seattle Kraken mock draft

Round 1, Pick 8: Zayne Parekh, RD, Saginaw Spirit (OHL) 
Age: 18 | Height: 6-foot-0.25 | Weight: 178 | Shot: Right
Big Board: 8 | Data Score: 3 | Goals: 33 | Assists: 63 | Games Played: 66

Scout’s view: “Parekh was far and away the best offensive defenseman in junior hockey this year, and I think the upside of him being a devastatingly good point producer will allow him to go early.” – Shawn Ellis, Daily Faceoff

One stat to know: Parekh scored the most points by a CHL defenseman in his draft-eligible season since 1989-90.

Notes: My gut tells me Seattle is most likely to end up with left defenseman Sam Dickinson after Zeev Buium (and perhaps Zayne Parekh) come off the board earlier. But the Sound Of Hockey Big Board has both Buium (No. 5) and Dickinson (No. 7) off the board by No. 8. The Big Board could prove precinct; with noted size-ist Bill Armstrong and Utah Hockey Club in need of a blueliner, it’s entirely possible Dickinson goes to Utah at No. 6. 

Buium would be the ideal scenario for the Kraken at the eighth pick should he fall that far. His absolute ceiling may be a just shade below Parekh, but, unlike Parekh, I view his absolute floor as a middle-lineup NHL regular. Compared by analyst Chris Peters to Kris Letang, Buium should go before pick No. 8.

For my money, Parekh (No. 8 on the Big Board) has the highest upside of any defenseman in the draft. Compared to Erik Karlsson, he brings game-breaking offensive instincts and passing skill that rises the tide of offensive production around him. He projects as a power play ace who could almost single-handedly transform a team’s unit. 

Defensively, the reviews are mixed at this point, but there is little doubt about his effort and commitment. With that endorsement, he should get to a competent level eventually. Even if you always have to protect him from the most difficult defensive matchups–as Karlsson’s teams have to do–Parekh will be playable if his offense translates. 

On the other hand, if his offensive skill and instincts continue to develop as some analysts expect, he could be a No. 1 offensive defenseman and complimentary face of the Kraken franchise with Matty Beniers and Shane Wright for the next decade. 

Alternatives: Zeev Buium LD, Sam Dickinson LD 

Round 2, Pick 40: John Mustard, F, Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
Age: 17 | Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 186 pounds | Shot: Left
Big Board: 50 | Data Score: 41 | Goals: 29 | Assists: 27 | Games Played: 60

Scout’s view: “[Mustard is] a tremendous skater who uses his speed to get out in transition, turn defenders with the puck, get on pucks and win races. A Providence commit, he should fit well with the Friars’ staff and identity as a hardworking forward who gets after it…  His athleticism, skating, competitiveness, and well-rounded skill will carry him a long way. If he can continue to develop his feel for the game, he’ll be an NHLer.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

One stat to know: Mustard is one of the youngest top players in the draft, born just 30 days before the cutoff to be draft eligible.

Notes: Ideally, the Kraken catch a player who falls from the borderline first-/second-round tier here like the team did in 2022 when it grabbed Jagger Firkus in this range. Brantford Bulldog winger Marek Vanacker is a player I’d like to see Seattle grab from the bottom of that tier.

For his part, Mustard reminds me a bit of the Carson Rehkopf–a toolsy forward with natural skating and scoring skill who is just starting to put it together and could explode in his draft-plus-one season. Mustard’s calling card is his pace and straight-line speed. Together with an NHL-caliber frame, he’s an easy projection as a scoring middle-six winger if he can continue to meet development milestones.

Worth noting, John Mustard also has an incredible name.

Alternatives: Marek Vanacker F, Matvei Gridin F, Henry Mews RD, Leon Muggli RD

A little more context on Henry Mews, he is a high-upside offensive right-shot defenseman who reminds a bit of Lukas Dragicevic with better skating fundamentals. He’s the best value projected to be on the board at No. 40 based on my “data score” approach.

Round 2, Pick 63: Spencer Gill, RD, Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) 
Age: 17 | Height: 6-foot-3.75 | Weight: 186 pounds | Shot: Right
Big Board: 67 | Data Score: 48 | Goals: 12 | Assists: 34 | Games Played: 65

Scout’s view: “Gill sure is one big boy, and while there are still times where he looks like a baby moose on skates, it has been great to watch him make more and more progress with his footwork as he continues to grow into his body. He likes to regularly join the rush, and when he does, he can really push opposing defenders back because he can cover so much ice in just a few strides. He also keeps progressively adding power to both his upper and lower body, which will continue to help support the good instincts that he already has and utilizes at both ends of the ice.” – McKeen’s

One stat to know: Gill was third in scoring among first-time draft-eligible CHL defensemen at least 6-foot-3, behind only consensus top picks Sam Dickinson and Carter Yakemchuk. 

Notes: In my opinion, Gill has been a perplexing miss by public scouts. Throughout the development of the 2024 Sound Of Hockey Big Board, Gill was hovering in the 70’s. Viewing him higher than that, I had been locked into this slot in my early iterations of this mock draft. Thankfully for Gill it seems like NHL teams haven’t been sleeping on him quite as much as the public analysts. Bob McKenzie’s list for TSN published on Tuesday–which is built on interviews with NHL scouts–had Gill at No. 53. That feels a bit more reasonable for Gill and means we should put this mock pick in pencil, not ink.

Gill is an almost 6-foot-4 right-shot defenseman with offensive instincts and scoring data to support a mid-second-round pick, and he plays for a junior team in Rimouski reputed for developing NHL defensemen. He’s raw in many areas and will have to work hard to clear the developmental hurdles ahead of him, but the upside is a top-of-the-lineup right-shot defenseman. This profile is often talked about in the first round. Indeed, players like EJ Emery, Dominik Badinka, Charlie Elick, and others are commonly referenced as borderline first rounders despite similarly significant flaws and worse scoring production than Gill. I’m betting on Gill.

Alternatives: Luca Marrelli RD, Jacob Battaglia F, Anthony Romani F

Round 3, Pick 73: Anthony Romani, F, North Bay Battalion (OHL) 
Age: 18 (re-draft) | Height: 6-foot-0 | Weight: 179 pounds | Shot: Right
Big Board: 104 | Data Score: 18 | Goals: 58 | Assists: 53 | Games Played: 68

Scout’s view: “The first thing that stands out about Romani’s game is his hockey IQ. Even last year, that was something that popped, and the results followed with a 68-point increase to 111 this year in his third campaign with North Bay… He has a remarkable shot and his skating continues to get better, but he needs to work on his defensive game still.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

One stat to know: Anthony Romani led the OHL in goal-scoring, surpassing Carson Rehkopf despite being six months younger than the Kraken forward.

Notes: The skills aren’t flashy like they are with Rehkopf, but Romani has strong offensive instincts, and you cannot ignore the immense production.  He may not have the athleticism to be a long-term NHL lineup stalwart, but if he is able to maximize his traits and traverse a path similar to Tye Kartye, there is enough goal-scoring talent there to succeed. 

Alternatives: Jacob Battaglia F, Andrei Krutov F, Jakub Fibigr LD, Clarke Caswell F

Round 3, Pick 88: Kim Saarinen G, HPK (U20 SM-sarja)
Age: 17 | Height: 6-foot-4 | 181 pounds
Big Board: 105 | Data Score: N/A | GAA.: 2.41 | Save percentage: .917

Scout’s view: “[Saarinen’s] 6-foot-4 frame does offer some clear advantages, especially covering high when he’s down in the reverse-VH position, but he plays a surprisingly active style for someone of his stature. He keeps excellent access to his edges and remains patient when the puck is passed around the zone, capable of making quick adjustments in either direction. He’s tough to beat because of his edgework, even when the opponent is able to pull off quick-developing passing plays.” – Elite Prospects

Notes: The Kraken have drafted a European goalie in each of their first three drafts. General manager Ron Francis, for his part, has drafted a goalie in each of his previous seven drafts as a GM. I can’t claim to be a goalie expert, but I noted that Saarinen is frequently ranked as the second Finnish goalie in this draft behind Eemil Vinni (No. 78) and was atop the depth chart for Finland at international junior tournaments. His junior production was also mildly better than that posted by Vinni. Elite Prospects, which grades component goalie skills, gave him the fourth-highest composite skill grade in this class.

Alternatives: Pavel Moysevich G, Ilya Nabakov G, Veeti Louhivaara G 

Round 4, Pick 105: Riley Patterson, F, Barrie Colts (OHL)
Age: 18 | Height: 6-foot-0.25 | Weight: 193 | Shot: Right
Big Board: 118 | Data Score: 57 | Goals: 29 | Assists: 33 | Games Played: 68

Scout’s view: “[T]he floodgates opened and the points really started to come [for Patterson] in the second half [of the 2023-24 season], climbing to a point per game as one of the Colts’ top offensive players by season’s end. He had some learning to do defensively to start the year in the OHL in terms of picking up marks and keeping his feet moving, but he adjusted quickly and showed a real commitment to improving his play off of the puck and upping his pace when he doesn’t have it (he has really gotten after it and shown a real desire to get to pucks so that he can make plays as the year has progressed).” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

Notes: Patterson gets above-average grades on his shot and his skating from Elite Prospects. He plays with free-and-easy mobility at a size that looks NHL-projectible. His skating and production are both a tick behind Mustard, but otherwise he brings a similar profile. His production ascended in his draft year similar to David Goyette’s draft-eligible year.

Alternatives: Mac Swanson F, James Reeder F, Ilya Protas F, Jiri Tichacek LD

Round 6, Pick 169: Austin Burnevik, F, Madison Capitols (USHL)
Age: 19 (re-draft) | Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 201 pounds | Shot: Left
Big Board: 170 | Data Score: 59 | Goals: 40 | Assists: 31 | Games Played: 61

Scout’s view: “A St. Cloud State commit, Burnevik is a well-rounded player. He has a clear understanding of the power game he knows he needs to play to be successful. He controls the wall well, but he’s also very focused on getting pucks to the middle of the ice and to the net. He plays physical. He has good hands. He is a committed and effective two-way player. His future success will be completely tied to his ability to continue to improve his skating. It’s already improved from last year, especially his stride length and top speed. However, there’s still work to go. We love Burnevik’s progression and believe that he could end up being a quality bottom-six NHL player in the future.” – McKeen’s

Notes: A re-draft candidate who didn’t break through with the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2022-23, Brunevik found his game in 2023-24 for Madison, potting 40 goals and demonstrating a combination of skill and size that looks projectable to the NHL to me. Scouts are down on his skating, but it doesn’t look disqualifying to me, particularly in a development system run by Jessica Campbell.

Alternatives: Kenta Isogai F, Gavin Hodnett F

Round 7, Pick 201: Kaden Pitre, F, Flint Firebirds (OHL) 
Age: 18 | Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 168 pounds | Shot: Left
Big Board: 231 | Data Score: 91 | Goals: 10 | Assists: 20 | Games Played: 35

Scout’s view: “Right now, Pitre’s impact is most visible along the walls and inside the defensive zone. He’s a proactive, engaged defender who chokes out attacks early through his supporting movement and physicality. He doesn’t just enter battles with speed; he goes out of his way to make early contact and never stops battling. He finishes every check and creates chaos around the net. Pitre also has the beginnings of a dynamic transition game. He beats opponents with weight shifts and fakes, then drives the net or cuts inside if the defense backs off.”  – Elite Prospects

Notes: It’s rare to see a player with center potential and pedigree available this late in the draft, but Pitre was a bit underexposed in his draft season because of an injury. He has breakout potential as a tenacious bottom-six center.

Alternatives: Dylan Hryckowian F, Beau Jelsma F, Dalyn Wakely F

Round 7, Pick 202: Tommaso De Luca, F, HC Ambrì-Piotta (NL) 
Age: 19 (re-draft) | Height: 6-foot-0 | Weight: 187 pounds | Shot: Left
Big Board: 324 | Data Score: 39 | Goals: 11 | Assists: 9 | Games Played: 41

Scout’s view: “In transition, De Luca uses weaving rushes that get defenders moving in the wrong direction, deft passes through defenders, and sudden delays to wait for support. He reads opponents’ momentum, fakes, then cuts inside the space they exited. Constant changes of pace confuse defenders, while shot fakes and look offs in open ice extend passing lanes.” – Elite Prospects

Notes: De Luca was productive with the Spokane Chiefs in 2022-23 but went undrafted. He subsequently returned to Europe and produced in the top Swiss professional league, one of the best leagues in the world. The defense is still a question mark, but he has sufficient athleticism and skating skill, and the scoring production has been there. Plus, he’s Italian, and I did a fair amount of my 2024 NHL Draft preparations from that beautiful country. Will that factor into the Kraken’s decision here? Probably not, but I wanted to brag about my vacation for a moment.

Alternatives: Hugo Fransson LD, Ben Robertson LD, Jere Lassila F

Last draft thoughts

With a few last draft thoughts still rattling around in my head, let’s test the patience of the editor in chief, who surely is ready to smash his computer due to the length of this article, and dive into a six pack of odds and ends.

1. Reviewing the 2023 Seattle Kraken mock draft

While it’s only a one-year sample size, my “rules” yielded a plausible Kraken draft last year. In fact, all but the last two selections I mocked to the Kraken last year were actually available to Seattle at the specified picks, and most went very shortly after:

Round 1. Pick 20: Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

2023 Big Board rank: 21 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 26 (San Jose)

Round 2. Pick 50: Hunter Brzustewicz, RD, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

2023 Big Board rank: 55 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 75 (Vancouver)

Round 2. Pick 52: Lenni Hameenaho, RW, Ässät (Liiga)

2023 Big Board rank: 56 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 58 (New Jersey)

Round 2. Pick 57: Tristan Bertucci, LD, Flint Firebirds (OHL)

2023 Big Board rank: 80 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 61 (Dallas)

Round 3. Pick 84: Gavin McCarthy, RD, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

2023 Big Board rank: 87 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 86 (Buffalo)

Round 4. Pick 116: Juha Jatkola, G, KalPa (Liiga)

2023 Big Board rank: 132 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 121 (Nashville)

Round 5. Pick 148: Ryan Conmy, RW, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)

2023 Big Board rank: 173 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 182 (Los Angeles Kings)

Round 6. Pick 168: Ivan Anoshko, C, Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)

2023 Big Board rank: 180 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: undrafted

Round 6. Pick 180: Justin Kipkie, LD, Victoria Royals (WHL)

2023 Big Board rank: 203 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 160 (Arizona)

Round 7. Pick 212: Bogdan Konyushkov, RD, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

2023 Big Board rank: 246 | Actual 2023 NHL Draft pick: 110 (Montreal)

With another year of data, I’ll readily admit that would not have been a perfect draft. But, one year on, when looking at stats only, it rivals Seattle’s actual draft–headlined by Musty, Brzustewicz, and Hameenaho, all of whom are trending toward NHL futures, with Conmy, Bertucci, and McCarthy close behind.

2. The Russia factor

The Kraken have not drafted a player who resides in Russia or Belarus since the conflict involving those countries commenced more than two years ago. There are a few potential explanations.

First, it is possible this is mere coincidence. The Kraken continue to scout and rank those players on their draft board, but it could be that they’ve happened to see value elsewhere the last two years. 

Second, it is also possible those players are off their board entirely until these external factors are resolved to the team’s satisfaction. 

Third, it may be that Seattle is open to drafting a Russian player, in theory, but the team is downgrading those prospects due to concerns about those players coming to the NHL and because in-person scouting viewings are not as possible as they were three years back. The consequence may be the same as scenario No. 1 above, but the team’s view is different.

The third option strikes me as the most likely, but I don’t have any inside information on it. I admit that I did not view the Russian players as closely as others, given the team’s track record. But I am curious to find out: Will the Seattle Kraken draft a Russian or Belarusian player this year?

3. Beckett Sennecke chatter piques my interest

As I mentioned yesterday, I think there is a top-seven in this class: Celebrini, Buium, Parekh, Dickinson, Levshunov, Demidov, and Lindstrom. And it just so happens the Kraken draft eighth–meaning the team could theoretically miss out on all seven. 

This is why it piqued my interest when Chris Peters, on a recent episode of his excellent Talking Hockey Sense podcast, said there was a “deafening rumor” coming from scouts around the NHL that Beckett Sennecke could be in play to be drafted in the six-to-eight range.  We never hear anything from Seattle, but it’s implied by this rumor that Seattle could have interest in drafting the player.

Maybe this is true and can be taken at face value, but I almost wonder whether Seattle is at least partially supportive of this chatter in order to drive up Sennecke’s stock so that Sennecke ultimately leaps into the top-seven–which would all but guarantee one of the top defensemen falls to Seattle at No. 8.

4. With three defensemen in focus, thoughts on first round alternatives for Seattle

While I don’t believe in drafting for need, I think this happens to be a scenario where opportunity matches need at the top of the draft for Seattle. Assuming one or more is available, I’ll be very surprised if Seattle doesn’t select one of three defensemen at No. 8: Zeev Buium, Zayne Parekh, or Sam Dickinson. As mentioned above, my board is: Buium, Parekh, Dickinson, in that order (though Parekh and Dickinson are fairly close). Buium is the best overall. Parekh is both a right defenseman and the biggest upside swing. Dickinson is perhaps the most likely to be the actual pick at No. 8 and a clean projection to Seattle based on Francis’ historical demonstrated preferences.

But what about a scenario where all three players are off the board because none of Sennecke, Iginla, Silayev, Catton, or Yakemchuk have jumped into the top seven? Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects floated a spicy scenario where Celebrini is immediately followed by a run of five defensemen. What then?

Konsta Helenius (Big Board: No. 11 | Data Score: No. 7) is a Finnish center with the potential to step into an NHL lineup as soon as next season. He may not have much more than middle-six center potential, but he could be a natural successor to Yanni Gourde with the Kraken and a vital complementary roster piece soon. There is a lot of appeal to this pick even if there isn’t flashy offensive upside.

Tij Iginla (Big Board: No. 9 | Data Score: No. 21) is well known in Seattle after playing two years with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. He plays an NHL-ready game on the wing, combining scoring touch with heavy forechecking ability and wall skills. 

Berkly Catton (Big Board: No. 6 | Data Score: No. 10) is a deadly offensive package, combining skill, skating, and offensive instincts. If he stood 6-foot-2 instead of 5-foot-10.25 with the same skill level, he’d be considered as early as the second overall pick.

Finally, Corey Pronman of The Athletic has linked Seattle to Carter Yakemchuk, a 6-foot-3, right-shot defenseman from the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL at No. 8. Yakemchuk is an interesting player with an abundance of tools who scored 30 goals from the blue line in the WHL this season. I’d be happy to have him in the Kraken system, but there are a few too many question marks in his defensive game and how his offensive style will translate for my taste early in Round 1. If the Kraken were drafting at No. 20 again, it would be a different story.

5. Mocking the top seven 2024 picks

We all know that team dynamics affect draft selections, even if there is broad consensus about the quality of various prospects. This is why mock drafts differ from draft rankings. 

I suspect there may be some chaos near the top of the draft this year relative to the Big Board order–and, for his part, Ron Francis seems to agree–so I figured I’d try my hand at a top seven mock draft.

Round 1. Pick 1. San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston Univ. (NCAA) 
(Big Board rank: 1 | Data score rank: 1)

No need to overthink this one. Second straight consensus star forward at No. 1 overall.

Round 1. Pick 2. Chicago Blackhawks: Artyom Levshunov, RD, Michigan State Univ. (NCAA) 
(Big Board rank: 3 | Data score rank: 4)

The top defenseman on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board gives Chicago a projected No. 1 blueliner, filling a role others in the organization, including Kevin Korchinski, don’t project to fill.

Round 1. Pick 3. Anaheim Ducks: Anton Silayev, LD, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
(Big Board rank: 10 | Data score rank: 36)

A little bit off the board, but Anaheim doesn’t bow to convention and Silayev has many advocates, including the scouts at NHL Central Scouting, who ranked him above Ivan Demidov in their final rankings. A defensive defenseman to complement the team’s stable of offensive blue line prospects.

Round 1. Pick 4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
(Big Board rank: 4 | Data score rank: 19)

Lindstrom is a risk given that a back injury knocked him out for most of his draft-eligible season. He seems to have been medically cleared, but it reduced an already small scouting sample size before a team is forced to invest a high draft pick. At his best, he’s a skilled, high-end skating center who happens to be built like a truck at 6-foot-3.

Round 1. Pick 5. Montreal Canadiens: Ivan Demidov, F, SKA St. Petersburg (MHL)
(Big Board rank: 2 | Data score rank: 6)

All of Montreal lets out a sigh of relief when their Canadiens do not pass on an elite Russian talent for the second straight year.

Round 1. Pick 6. Utah Hockey Club: Sam Dickinson, LD, London Knights (OHL) 
(Big Board rank: 7 | Data score rank: 5)

For whatever reason, this is the pick I feel least confident about. It feels like it could be where Beckett Sennecke lands. As mentioned there has been a lot of smoke about Sennecke jumping into the top eight, and Bill Armstrong seems like the type of general manager who would take the shot on this late-rising, power winger. Even so, the team has a short- and long-term need on the blue line. Ignoring Zeev Buium at this point would be malpractice in my opinion. However, history tells us that if all things are equal, Armstrong prefers to draft size at the top of the draft, which could mean Sam Dickinson. I’ll put Dickinson here, even though part of my brain is screaming Buium.

Round 1. Pick 7. Ottawa Senators: Zayne Parekh, RD, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
(Big Board rank: 8 | Data score rank: 3)

Parekh is a native of the Ontario area and a unique offensive talent from the blue line. If Ottawa is comfortable that his floor outcome is still an NHL player, they may not be able to pass on his Erik Karlsson-like upside. If they think Parekh is too big a risk, Sennecke seems like he could be the pick.

***

If Buium is the pick at No. 6, there would be some disappointment at Seattle’s draft table with two dynamic offensive defensemen going off the board at picks six and seven. That said, I don’t think it would take too long for the team to settle on Dickinson in that scenario. If it breaks as I’ve laid it out above, though, I’d wager Seattle sprints to the stage to select left defenseman Zeev Buium.

6. My favorite draft sleepers

I’ve gone an inch deep and a mile wide watching hundreds of draft prospects in preparation for this draft. I’ve also crunched a few numbers and compiled dozens of analyst rankings and scouting reports. Based on all of these factors–which admittedly only take me so far–here are a few potential value choices. These are the prospects I believe have a chance to substantially outperform their Sound Of Hockey Big Board ranking. I added an asterisk to my very favorites.

• *Liam Greentree | F | OHL | Windsor Spitfires | Big Board: 16 | Data Score: 11
• Michael Hage | F | USHL | Chicago Steel | Big Board: 20 | Data Score: 9
• Terik Parascak | F | WHL | Prince George Cougars | Big Board: 32 | Data Score: 14
• *Marek Vanacker | F | OHL | Brantford Bulldogs | Big Board: 35 | Data Score: 22
• Matvei Gridin | F | USHL | Muskegon Lumberjacks | Big Board: 37 | Data Score: 13
• Henry Mews | D | OHL | Ottawa 67’s | Big Board: 42 | Data Score: 15
• *John Mustard | F | USHL | Waterloo Black Hawks | Big Board: 50 | Data Score: 41
• Luke Misa | F | OHL | Mississauga Steelheads | Big Board: 53 | Data Score: 27
• Leon Muggli | D | NL | EV Zug | Big Board: 55 | Data Score: 25
• *Spencer Gill | D | QMJHL | Rimouski Océanic | Big Board: 67 | Data Score: 48
• Luca Marrelli | D | OHL | Oshawa Generals | Big Board: 71 | Data Score: 24
• Jacob Battaglia | F | OHL | Kingston Frontenacs | Big Board: 73 | Data Score: 45
• Jakub Fibigr | D | OHL | Mississauga Steelheads | Big Board: 98 | Data Score: 37
• Timur Kol | D | VHL | Omskie Krylia | Big Board: 102 | Data Score: 40
• Anthony Romani | F | OHL | North Bay Battalion | Big Board: 104 | Data Score: 18
• Mac Swanson | F | USHL | Fargo Force | Big Board: 107 | Data Score: 23
• Ondrej Becher | F | WHL | Prince George Cougars | Big Board: 117 | Data Score: 65
• *Riley Patterson | F | OHL | Barrie Colts | Big Board: 118 | Data Score: 57
• *Ilya Protas | F | USHL | Des Moines Buccaneers | Big Board: 124 | Data Score: 54
• Jiri Tichacek | D | Czechia | Rytíři Kladno | Big Board: 159 | Data Score: 17
• *James Reeder | F | USHL | Dubuque Fighting Saints | Big Board: 165 | Data Score: 47
• *Austin Burnevik | F | USHL | Madison Capitols | Big Board: 170 | Data Score: 59
• *Kenta Isogai | F | WHL | Wenatchee Wild | Big Board: 189 | Data Score: 83
• Kaden Pitre | F | OHL | Flint Firebirds | Big Board: 231 | Data Score: 91
• *Ben Robertson | D | NCAA | Cornell Univ. | Big Board: 239 | Data Score: 76
• Dylan Hryckowian | F | NCAA | Northeastern Univ. | Big Board: 284 | Data Score: 85
• *Tommaso De Luca | F | NL | HC Ambrì-Piotta | Big Board: 324 | Data Score: 39
• *Beau Jelsma | F | OHL | Barrie Colts | Big Board: 452 | Data Score: 122
• *Hugo Fransson | D | SHL | HV71 | Big Board: 474 | Data Score: 77
• *Jere Lassila | F | Liiga | JYP | Big Board: 481 | Data Score: 100