Hey everyone! With the SMJHL Draft quickly approaching on Monday and a slow Friday at work, I decided to mock the upcoming draft. I went through and created depth charts for each of the teams, marked inactives and players likely to be called up between now and S49, and drafted players based on experience, familiarity/desire to play with the club, and team need. Due to limitations, I will refer to current roster players by their listed TPE and draft year. Here is how I believe the S48 SMJHL Draft will play out.

Round One: Pick One
Team: Lethbridge
Needs: D, G, LW

Lethbridge has had all offseason to think about the player who will go first overall this year. With a defensive corps of mostly inactive players and one 536 season 46 drafted, Lethbridge must focus on rebuilding the blue line before addressing other needs. As will be explained throughout this mock, this year's class is a bit weak on the defensive end, and many other teams will be prioritizing defense in the early rounds. Lethbridge does not select again until 18, so they need to make this one count. That is why they will select the proven recreate, Prince Devitt, at first overall.

Round One: Pick Two
Team: Colorado
Needs: RW, D, LW

Colorado has a young core of defensemen and two goalie prospects, but their stock of forwards is depleting. A 639 TPE S46 center will get called up any day. That leaves Colorado with only a 450 S47 RW as the lone maxed forward on the squad. However, despite clear needs up front, the squad will select Noah Andros to replace a soon to be called 522 S46 defenseman. Andros has ties to Colorado through his user, and that desire to bring them back into the fold will outweigh other needs up front. Colorado has three picks in the second, and will use those to address needs up front in a draft class stacked with forwards.

Round One: Pick Three
Team: Halifax
Needs: LW, C

Halifax, like Colorado, took a has a strong core of defenseman and can afford to take an elite forward prospect at #3. Two left wing prospects drafted in S48 appear to be duds, leaving a lone 301 tpe S47 draftee as their only left-aligned winger. Although it might surprise some, Halifax will select the first forward off the board, Jagger Fouquette, at the three spot. Jagger has impressed in the showcase and is clearly devoted to his player. Halifax will round our their top six with this pick and have a dangerous group of wingers come S50.

Round One: Pick Four
Team: Detroit
Needs: D, C, RW

Detroits second round pick is goimg to GM Nour, who has created a Center in this draft. I believe Detroit will compensate by selecting a defenseman to complete their top 4 in S48. I also believe we will see the first first-generation player drafted in S48 at #4. That player will be Noah Brusky. Noah has shown dedication since declaring for this draft, and Detroit is a team that knows it can do a lot with such determination.

Round One: Pick Five
Team: Kelowna
Needs: LW, RW, C

I've got to be honest with you as someone who has not followed the Juniors lately. Is Kelowna okay? This team is clearly rebuilding, but their player base is slim to none. They have a good core, but they need to pick up a left wing to replace the inactives currently occupying that position. This might be a good spot for a trade, however, if Kelowna keeps their pick, my bet is that they will draft first-generation winger Anthony Archer. This is based both on Archers activity level and his name, which everyone can agree is the most Kelowna-sounding player in the draft (Next to Sterling Slaughter).

Round One: Pick Six
Team: Anchorage
Needs: G, RW, D

Anchorage is a team that's solid on paper, and in my opinion, a good bet to win the Four Star so long as they can keep the band together. Anchorage has fully developed players across the starting lineup, and can afford to use this pick on a best available type of basis. I think the player they will select at #6 is Raquel Castillo Gutierrez. Anchorage is likely to lose a 623 tpe S46 winger soon, and Gutierrez will slot brilliantly into a team that is run like a well-oiled machine.

Round One: Pick Seven
Team: Vancouver
Needs: LW, C

Like Anchorage, Vancouver is incredibly well built right now. Assuming they keep a 656 tpe S46 right winger, they will have a fully developed top six by the regular season and a young core of defensemen ready to impress this season. They also have their goaltending situation lined up perfectly. As Vancouver has the flexibility to choose the best available, I am confident they will select RW Cody to join the squad, and like Cody up on his off-hand side. This is a perfect match for the club, and will continue their dominance beyond S50.

Round One: Pick Eight
Team: St. Louis
Needs: D, G, RW

Where Vancouver excels at developing their talent, St Louis puts on a clinic about how to draft. St Louis draft picks bust very rarely. This allows St Louis, like the past few picks, the ability to draft for their future. Although St. Louis could easily use this pick on a fifth defenseman or to begin replacing their deep group of right wingers, I think St Louis will shock the league when they draft Nolan McMahon as their goalie of tomorrow. This is St. Louis' only pick in the first two rounds, and their current goalie, at 410 tpe, has roughly two seasons left the club. This will be a move for the future, and looks even better considering St. Louis could easily find a great wing in the later rounds.

Round One: Pick Nine
Team: Montreal
Needs: C, G, LW

Montreal is sitting on a s44 406 TPE center. That's it. The list of players taking draws ends right there. This is an important pick for the future of the franchise, and it's made too sweet by the availability of Conor Tanner. Another recreate with ties to a Junior club, this is my guaranteed lock in this mock draft. Tanner will be the first center off the board in S48.

Round One: Pick Ten
Team: Anaheim
Needs: RW, D

Did this team win the Four Star last year? If so, good for them, because they are about a season away from losing their three top defensemen. Anaheim selects only once in the first two rounds, but with the strongest defensemen off the board, I believe they will address another need and select Hugh Jazz to round out the first. The team is lacking on the right side, and Hugh is a guaranteed elite player for the Outlaws. I think the likelihood of keeping their top defensemen in Anaheim for a season will push the team to focus on their need at RW.

Round Two: Picks One and Two
Team: Colorado
Needs: RW, D, LW

Colorado has the first two picks in the second, and I'm not going to split hairs between who they'll announce first. So, we're doing them together. Deal with it.

Whether or not Colorado took a defenseman at #2 OA, they will realize that it's time to focus on the deep pool of wingers available to them. Although a center would be nice, a center is a luxury considering their lack of depth at the wings. This is why I believe Colorado will double dip on these two picks, selecting recreate Elijah Jones and first generation Sterling Slaughter with picks 11 and 12. Jones serves as a hedge against Slaughter; if Slaughter goes inactive, they have a winger to replace the S47 450 tpe player who will leave in the coming seasons. If both players turn out, then they have a clear path forward until at least S52.

Round Two: Pick Three
Team: Detroit
Needs: C, RW

Spoiler Alert, Nour gets picked here. Your welcome for the half TPE.

Round Two: Pick Four
Team: Anchorage
Needs: G, D

Solving their problem at wing in round 1, Anchorage goes off the board to select the player with the highest ceiling in this draft, Gritty Saosin. This move positions Gritty to take the reigns in his second or third season, and will be considered the smartest move in the first two rounds.

Round Two: Pick Five
Team: Montreal
Needs: G, LW

After two goalies go off the board Montreal will abandon whoever they sought to pick and instead take a goalie. The goalie their going to see is Knox Booth, who will fit nicely with the duo of S48 defensemen.

Round Two: Pick Six
Team: Halifax
Needs: LW

After the chaos of two goalies jumping off the boards, Halifax will calm things down and pick who they believe to have the highest potential. They will select first generation player Brendan Griggs to serve as a 4/5 defenseman in season 48.

Round Two: Pick Seven
Team: Lethbridge
Needs: D, G, LW

Lethbridge finally makes it back to the podium after what seems like forever since the first pick. Due to the surplus of left wings who will be available in the late rounds, Lethbridge selects first gen Heat Siecker as Prince Devitt's longterm blue line partner.

Round Two: Pick Eight
Team: Halifax
Needs: LW

Halifax has the opportunity to insure against risk with the eighth pick in the second round. Halifax could go a number of directions, but I, in the most unbiased way possible, believe that they will take LW Ricky Spanish. Ricky has some ties to the Raiders in the past, and could provide them depth at the LW position for the future.

Round Two: Pick Nine
Team: Montreal
Needs: LW

After taking a chance on a first generation goalie, Montreal will seek to select a player that will provide certainty in the lineup. Looking on the board, the Impact will find the steal of the draft, an absolute gem as Jan Zacha falls into their lap. Tanner/Zacha will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

Round Two: Pick Ten
Team: Colorado
Needs: N/A

Colorado has already had a strong draft, and has the opportunity to transform it from great to legendary with the final pick in round 2. Colorado has addressed most needs already, and will look to take the best available player. The player who will complete the second round is Bo Kane.

CONCLUSION

The S48 draft has gone from a weak to strong class in a very short time. Recreates abound and, due to quantity, will provide teams an opportunity to snag a recreate well into the second and perhaps the early third round. There is a growing contingent of very active first generation players, and I believe those who have demonstrated activity as early declarees will be rewarded for their efforts. There were a number of players I didn't have room to fit into this mock, and I think that the first half of the third round will also include very strong first generation prospects that will contribute for seasons to come. More importantly, we have had a lot of players declare in the past couple of days, and I believe the potential for diamonds in the rough are strong simply because there isn't enough time to demonstrate that activity between now and Monday. Either way, while the league ramps up to next season's SHL S50 anniversary draft class, one would be mistaken to assume that the S49 class won't make an impact on the SMJHL as a whole.

Who did I miss? What players do you think deserve more visibility? Let me know below.

[2114 Words
2x Pay - SMJHL S48 Draft]

I'm not feeling the love here, jk , thanks for the mention!

Hell yeah! Drafted by Montreal, beautiful choice and fantastic article! Thank you for the mention