The first round of the NHL Entry Draft is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6th at 7 p.m. ET. The 2020 NHL Entry Draft is unique for a couple of reasons. Obviously, given the nature of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing is really quite normal.
This draft is being hosted at a time of year when NHL teams are usually playing their home-opening games. So instead of having a summer of reprieve to collect thoughts and notes for the following season, scouting staff will be jumping right into the next year of planning. Junior seasons are already getting underway, and a new NHL season is looming on the horizon, there is little time for rest.
For me, there are three particularly interesting things I will be looking for heading into Tuesday night’s draft. Franchises show their hands a bit when they select prospects for their organization. A team that drafts a goalie, for instance, might be anticipating a longer rebuild considering the lengthy time it usually takes for netminders to develop. And if that organization needs goaltending now, it might be a signal that either that team will look for a goaltender in free agency, or will hope to get by with average goaltending for a couple of seasons until the organization feels it will truly be a Stanley Cup contender.
A team that selects a forward, particularly one that is closer to being fully developed than some of his constituents, might be looking to slot that player into its lineup sooner rather than later, and might be an indication that that team is trying to be competitive in the near future.
No. 1 – Yaroslav Askarov
Much fuss is being made of this young Russian goaltender who is currently a member of SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). At least some of the hype surrounding Askarov is that he is already playing with men as only an 18-year-old.
The KHL is widely considered the next-best professional hockey league after the NHL and SKA Saint Petersburg has been home to more than a few players known to audiences in North America. Think Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, Artemi Panarin… you get the idea. The league even has connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The point is, Askarov wouldn’t be in the position he is if he wasn’t worth talking about. And that talk has him projected anywhere between No.4 and No.15 overall in this year’s draft. There are as many as six teams that have picks in the top ten that would potentially be interested in drafting Askarov.
Gone are the days when you could regularly expect to see a goaltender selected in the top five picks of the NHL Entry Draft. However, the Detroit Red Wings might be interested in taking Askarov with the No. 4 pick to begin their rebuild in net, particularly after GM Steve Yzerman announced that the team would be moving on from long-time goaltender Jimmy Howard.
Even if Detroit isn’t willing to make that leap, Ottawa (No. 5), Buffalo (No. 8), and Minnesota (No. 9) have no clear future in net, and New Jersey (No. 7) and Nashville (No. 11) might be interested in upgrading between the pipes, particularly with a goaltender that might be farther along in his development than most 2020 draftees.
No 2. – Byfield or Stutzle?
Quinton Byfield (CAN) and Tim Stutzle (GER) are the consensuses second and third overall picks. The question remains as to which player will go to either the LA Kings (No. 2) or the Ottawa Senators (No. 3).
The Athletic’s Corey Pronman has Stutzle going second to the Kings, citing rumors around the league that LA is more interested in the German winger. ESPN’s Chris Peters has Byfield going to the Kings, noting that while there appears to be interest in Stutzle from the LA camp, he finds it hard to believe the Kings would pass up on the opportunity to draft a potential superstar center.
Stutzle spent the 2019-20 season playing in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Germany’s top-tier pro league, where he scored 34 points in 41 games. Byfield has played the last two seasons for the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Byfield was nearly a two-point per game player for Sudbury during the 2019-20 season.
It comes down to what is more important to the Kings, Stutzle has experience playing against much older players, while Byfield has produced massive numbers playing against players his own age. Byfield’s 6’4″ 215 lb frame is worth taking into consideration as well. Take that for what it is worth but I am sure it will factor into LA’s important decision Tuesday night.
No. 3 – Jake Sanderson
So far we have covered the top available goaltender and forwards in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. As far as defense goes, Jake Sanderson appears to be the best defenseman in this draft.
Born in Whitefish Montana, Sanderson is a member of the US National Team Development Program’s (USNTDP) Under 18 team. Sanderson produced 7 goals and 22 assists in 47 games during the 2018-19 season and is committed to the University of North Dakota.
Both Pronman and Peters have Sanderson going before Jamie Drysdale, the next-highest defenseman in the draft. Pronman says Sanderson will be selected at No. 5 overall with the Ottawa Senators’ second pick, and Peters has him being taken by Anaheim at No. 6.
The only noteworthy ranking I have seen that puts Drysdale ahead of Sanderson is from TSN‘s Craig Button. Button’s mock draft has Detroit selecting Drysdale at No. 4 and Anaheim selecting Sanderson at No. 6, similar to Peters.
While it isn’t necessarily clear where Jake Sanderson and Jamie Drysdale will land, it appears that at least one of them will go to Anaheim. According to Peters, the noise out of SoCal is that the Ducks are looking to improve their blue line with a highly-touted prospect from this year’s draft.
Where to watch the 2020 NHL Entry Draft
The 2020 NHL Entry Draft will be on October 6th at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN (United States) and Sportsnet & TVAS (Canada).
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