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Craig Button's S30 SHL Mock Draft
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The Official S30 Mock Draft

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"Hi everybody and welcome to this Mock Draft special, I'm Darren Dutchshyn, along with our director of scouting Craig Button, who for twelve years in one capacity or another was either the director of scouting or a general manager at the NHL level. You've seen a lot of draft classes and this is an exciting one, I'm looking forward to it. You've got a diverse group of kids and at the top you've got some real high end players Craig."

Yeah and at the top I think there's no question who's going to go 1 and 2, in what order there may be some debate but it will be Jean-Luc Refleiux of the Halifax Raiders and Ty Justice of the Kelowna Knights who will without a doubt be the first two prospects to hear their names called on the night. But then after that, the intrigue begins and talking to a number of people around the league, there is not a lot of consensus among scouts beyond that, so you know what, I think we're going to see not only a little bit of mystery but a lot of depth. There are 30+ players here who all have a very probably chance of playing at the SHL level, which means those GMs who decided to load up on picks for this draft will not be regretting it.

Panthers 1. Los Angeles Panthers - Jean Luc Reflieux

"Well you know what, let's get to it Craig. The Los Angeles Panthers lost the draft lottery to the Buffalo Stampede but earlier this week they traded with Buffalo into the first overall spot, so Craig, what do they do here?

Well the way I see it Darren they moved into that place to draft young center Jean-Luc Reflieux of the Halifax Raiders. For a while this class has had a very clear top two picks in Reflieux and Ty Justice of the Kelowna Knights, the big two way defenseman. LA are a rebuilding team and the key to any rebuild is getting strength up the middle of the ice, and yes, LA are shallow on the back end too but from my perspective there's no way they pass on the elite playmaking ability of Jean-Luc Reflieux.

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An example of the incredible hands Jean-Luc Reflieux possesses.

This young man is just an exceptional talent in every way, elite skating, exceptional playmaking, great hands and a high end hockey IQ. While he might not be able to step into the big leagues immediately, Reflieux gives off every indication that he will be one of the top 5 centers in the league very shortly, and a player that LA can build a new look team around.

Stampede 2. Buffalo Stampede - Ty Justice

"Well the Buffalo Stampede had the first overall pick as a result of the draft lottery Craig, but felt comfortable enough with what they could get at 2nd overall to make that trade and move down a spot. What do you think made them feel happy enough to drop down a spot and still come away winners?"

We've talked at length on the apparent "talent tiers" in this class and I think the first and second overall picks are two clear cut franchise players. Buffalo is a very bare bones team at the moment, they haven't got any depth in any particular position and only have their generational talent prospect in Nicolas Winter to build around, though I'll admit, that's a very nice first building block. However the Stampede will use this pick to draft Ty Justice from the Kelowna Knights, and as I see it that's a decision that instantly changes the look of this franchise into a very credible one going forward.

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Ty Justice of the Kelowna Knights, a future franchise defenseman.

Justice is going to be that superstar defenseman at the SHL level, the number 1 guy you can build your blueline around. Like Reflieux he's an incredibly rounded player, he's big, he's strong, he's gifted offensively, he's amazing in his own zone, he has great vision and hockey sense and really possesses all the raw elemnts for him to be a great player. But you know what the Stampede fans will really love about this kid? He's very much SHL ready right now in my opinion. He could step into the lineup on opening night and instantly make the team better, which for a franchise that wants to show growth is going to be a huge step forward.

Platoon 3. West Kendall Platoon - Kelly Rivet

"The West Kendall Platoon are a team that made the playoffs this season yet still finds themselves picking in the top 3 thanks to a trade with the Manhattan Rage, does this to you Craig indicate that they'll be looking to move this pick at all?"

Well Dutchie I can't start predicting deals here, but for me, keeping the pick leads to the West Kendall Platoon selecting Kelly Rivet of the St. Louis Scarecrows. West Kendall are in the position of wanting to win now, they've got a very balanced roster without any holes. Adding a blue chip blueline prospect like Rivet gives them the opportunity to continue to be competitive several years down the line. While he probably isn't on the same level as Justice in terms of raw two way ability, there's no doubt that Rivet is going to be an incredible player at the SHL level.

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Craig believes Kelly Rivet to be a "blue chip blueline prospect".

He's a great skater, really mobile, like Justice he has good size but more than that he always knows where he needs to be and is incredibly strong in his own zone. He's going to be a top 2 defenseman for the Platoon in the future, but they're spoiled having the luxury of being able to keep a player this good in junior hockey for a couple of seasons."

Wolfpack 4. New England Wolfpack - Jon Ross

"So the New England Wolfpack just missed the playoffs again this season and find themselves in the mix here with the fourth overall pick, Craig, they're a young team with new management, what do they do here to ensure that they keep trending upwards?"

I see them taking Jon Ross of the Vancouver Whalers. We've already said when talking about Reflieux, you cannot win in this league without strength down the middle of the ice. They have some great young wingers coming through the system, but adding Ross makes their future that much brighter.

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Jon Ross: "A future number 1 center".

Like Reflieux, he's an incredible playmaker, he's good in his own zone, he's got great wheels and again, that crucial hockey IQ that makes a good player into a great one. New England need that future number 1 center to have in their system to start developing now, and as I see it that guy is Jon Ross.

Jets 5. Winnipeg Jets - Blake Battle

"Winnipeg are another team who just missed out on the playoffs, seperated only by a single point. While they'll be disappointed, they're another team that's competitive now and has the ability to grow themselves for the future picking here, they've got some options Craig, do you see them going forward or D-man?"

I have them going D-man and I have them taking Blake Battle of the Halifax Raiders. I view Battle as a player who isn't the best in his class right now, but he maybe has the highest ceiling out of any player in this entire draft class. He has that potential to be one of the SHL's very best defensemen, and Winnipeg having that luxury of enabling him to develop in the juniors until he really is ready means this is just a great fit.

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The "dynamic" Blake Battle will be a huge character for his future SHL team.

He's an incredibly dynamic offensive defender, he has that dynamic first pass, great skills with the puck on his stick and I can see him being a huge part of the Jets future as they look to go on to acheive more success.

Stampede 6. Buffalo Stampede - Nolan Angello

"So Buffalo are back on the clock with the sixth overall pick, obviously for a team that's in need of as much help they are Craig, this is a huge positive for them. What do they do here?"

Well I think they definitely have some options here, but you need to look at this with the move they made with the 2nd overall pick. They've added their franchise defenseman, and I see them going back to a forward and selecting Nolan Angello of the Montreal Militia with the 6th pick. They have their franchise center in Nicolas Winter, now you need a some top tier winger to play alongside him and that's how I see Nolan Angello. An unbelievably creative player, elusive, I've never left a game thinking "Gee I wonder about his size?", because he's just so dynamic and strong at what he does.

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The "elusive" and "unbelievably creative" Nolan Angello.

He set the SMJHL on fire and led the Militia in scoring as a rookie, he's been very public in declaring how much he'd like to be a part of the Stampede organisation and I see this as a great pick for them at 6th overall.

:admirals: 7. Portland Admirals - Conklin Owen

"The Portland Admirals find themselves in a similar position to their fellow expansion team in Buffalo Craig, in that they really lack any kind of depth. This pick will obviously be really important to them in terms of addressing that, what do you see them doing here?"

This is a tough one to predict because as you say, they need help at every position, but I think with this pick they go with Conklin Owen of the Vancouver Whalers. Owen is a incredibly talented youngster, he struggled slightly in Vancouver this season but I see him as having the raw ability needed to be a effective top line winger in the SHL.

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Conklin Owen would be a "huge part of Portland's future."

He's got an amazing shot, he's a hard worker, he'll bleed for his team and I think he'd be a huge part of Portland's future.

Riot 8. Seattle Riot - Viatcheslav Orlov

"We stay in the West for the 8th overall pick Craig, Seattle made the playoffs this season and again have some very good positional depth, if they hold onto this pick where do they go with it?"

Like you said Dutchie, Seattle are in the position where they can comfortably take the best player available without worries about position, and for that player is Viatcheslav Orlov of the Montreal Militia. Orlov's a big body presence on the blueline, and while he hasn't got the offensive upside of the other top defenders in this class, he is so exceptionally good in his own zone that it makes up for it.

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Viatcheslav Orlov: "deceptively mobile".

For such a big body he's deceptively mobile also, he wins battles, he gets in the gritty areas and I can see him being an incredibly effective shutdown defenseman in the not too distant future at the SHL level.

Panthers 9. Los Angeles Panthers - Colin Banning

"So the Panthers will pick again with the 9th selection in this draft Craig, you have them taking Jean-Luc Reflieux with that 1st choice, what do they do with their second pick?"

Well the Panthers desperately need defense, and for that reason alone they can't pass on Colin Banning of the Halifax Raiders. Another gifted two way defenseman, he skates well, has good abilities with the puck and has good strength and size. I think his shot needs some development but that'll get there. He definitely has that quality about him that suggests top 2 defenseman in the SHL, and you know what is really exciting for Halifax in the SMJHL?

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Craig Button believes Colin Banning possesses the quality to be a top 2 SHL defenseman.

Next season they'll have Blake Battle, Colin Banning, Victor Lindstrom and Matthew Shea who are all good prospects in this draft playing down, that's going to be a really strong blueline for the Raiders going forward.

Stars 10. Toronto North Stars - Steven Stamkos Jr.

"The Toronto North Stars, they've just come off a tough seven game series against Hamilton which they were unfortunate to lose, they've got some guys who are leaving through free agency so a team in transition here?"

Definitely, and I think they need to draft a player here who can be a big piece of their future, especially to make up for their losses. So that's why I have them taking Steven Stamkos Jr. of the Colorado Mammoths.

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Steven Stamkos Jr will "make everyone on the ice around him better."

Another strong center, he's the kind of player who makes everyone on the ice around him better. He has some very raw abilities on the ice that he's demonstrated so far, and I can really see these translating well to the SHL game down the line.

Rage 11. Manhattan Rage - Nucky Toohoots

"So that's how Craig sees the top 10 of this draft playing out. We still have 20 more picks to make, so there's no time to be wasting, at 11 we have the Manhattan Rage."

With the 11th pick I have the Manhattan Rage taking Nucky Toohoots of the Detroit Falcons. A team that's been through some incredible organisational changes this offseason, they're going to need to add a prospect who can provide them with stability and I think a big, strong two way center like Toohoots does exactly that.

Steelhawks 12. Hamilton Steelhawks - Maverick O'Dooley

"Now we're not quite sure who this pick is going to belong to due to the cup finals not actually concluding yet, but for the sake of this draft we're going to have it down as belonging to Hamilton. Craig, your thoughts?"

Well Hamilton needs help on the blueline desperately, which is why I see them taking Maverick O'Dooley of the Colorado Mammoths with this pick. Another good defenseman through all three zones, he's good with and without the puck, can make plays happen and has a fantastic hockey IQ. I think he needs to learn to use his size a bit more in order to be a good physical presence for the Mammoths, but make no mistake, he's got all the makings of a great SHL d-man.

Dragons 13. Calgary Dragons - Ben Dover

"Over to Calgary for pick number 13 and the last pick of the first round, Craig?"

I see them going with Ben Dover, another defenseman of the Colorado Mammoths here. He's got incredible size and strength, and actually skates well for a big guy. Calgary are a contender now so he'll see a lot of time in juniors before he makes the jump, but I think he'd be a stud addition to their prospect pool.

Riot 14. Seattle Riot - Karl Hertzberg

"Into the second round here and the Riot are back on the clock, what do they do here Craig?"

After going with a D-man earlier, Seattle select Karl Hertzberg with the 14th overall pick. An extremely dynamic presence who's solid in all areas of offense, he can make plays, score goals and make everyone on the ice around him better. His play in his own zone is lacking at the moment, and with a small frame guy that's a concern, but I think he has the potential to be effective in the SHL at some point in the future.

Renegades 15. Texas Renegades - Danny Foster

"Over to Texas for the 15th overall pick."

I see the Renegades going with Danny Foster of the St. Louis Scarecrows. A bruising, physically tough defenseman who isn't afraid to drop the gloves, but make no mistake he's no goon. He was a big part of St. Louis playoff success this year, and I can just really see him being a great fit down in Texas.

Stampede 16. Buffalo Stampede - Frans Erichsen

"Buffalo's third pick of the draft at 16, Craig?"

Here I have Buffalo taking Frans Erichsen of the St. Louis Scarecrows. An incredible scorer, he led the entire SMJHL in points and goals as a rookie, he's going to be an offensive dynamo for Buffalo going forward.

:admirals: 17. Portland Admirals - Theodore Graham

"Portland are on the clock again with the 17th pick"

I think they go D here and take Theodore Graham of the Vancouver Whalers. Another guy who can add to their player core, he's shown some good development and could turn into a huge part of a successful defense in Portland going forward.

Wolfpack 18. New England Wolfpack - Jason Forbrook

I see New England going with Jason Forbrook of the Montreal Militia with this pick, a big, strong, powerful winger who may not score as much, but he's going to create a lot of opportunities for his linemates.

Rage 19. Manhattan Rage - William Goddard

"Manhattan back on the clock here at 19 Craig, what are they thinking?"

Well I absolutely love William Goddard of the Colorado Mammoths, and he'd be a great selection for Manhattan Rage. A undersized offensive defenseman, he makes up for it by being a fantastic skater, a great puck mover and being a real visionary on the powerplay. He'd be an absolutely fantastic pick up for the Rage at this point in the draft."

Renegades 20. Texas Renegades - Frontdoor McGraw

You look at Frontdoor McGraw from Colorado and it just makes sense for Texas, he's another big, strong winger with great size and an unbelievable work ethic, he'll be a fantastic choice for Texas.

:admirals: 21. Portland Admirals - Victor Lindstrom

Well Portland would love to be able to add another body to their budding D, and I think they'll go D again here and add Victor Lindstrom of the Halifax Raiders. The third defenseman from Halifax to go but I think he could be just as good as the others, he's big, he's powerful and he takes up a lot of space.

Dragons 22. Calgary Dragons - Justs Sirmais

Calgary goes forward here and selects Justs Sirmais of the Kelowna Knights, a shoot first center who may be a bit of a project pick here, but he has great smarts and could really develop into something great in Calgary if all goes to plan.

Renegades 23. Texas Renegades - Kimmo Lokinen

Back to Texas, and they take Finnish goalie Kimmo Lokinen. Lokinen's actually one of the most developed propsects in the draft, but I think due to team needs with goalies he falls this far. However, he could be an incredible value pick up for the Renegades, he really projects to be a top starting goalie at the SHL level.

Riot 24. Seattle Riot - Cara Hohenberg

Seattle go again with the best player available, and at this point that's D Cara Hohenberg. She's been a little slow to develop through her rookie season, but she's got very good skating ability and some raw physical strength that could be good assets moving forward.

Blizzard 25. Edmonton Blizzard - Matthew Shea

Edmonton have a set forward core so I think they go D here and take Matthew Shea of the Halifax Raiders. A D man with good size and strength, he's another player who's been slow to develop but I have every confidence he'll go on to be a productive SHL player in the future.

Stampede 26. Buffalo Stampede - Evgeny Yakikov

Buffalo here take another skill forward, this time Evgeny Yakikov. He's another guy who's undersized but if he can develop the rest of his game to move past this, he's going to be incredible value for this pick, and boy would Buffalo be an exciting team to watch in three seasons time with the picks they've made here.

Dragons 27. Calgary Dragons - Filip Granlund

Back to Calgary again, and this time they take forward Filip Granlund. A mobile, skilled center, he needs to work on his fundamentals but he has some exceptional raw offensive attributes that suggest he could go on to be a great player.

Platoon 28. West Kendall Platoon - Anatoly Yanovich

West Kendall got a top defensive prosect in Kelly Rivet, so here they go with a more raw forward in Anatoly Yanovich. He's a goalscoring Russian who could go on to be a very effective piece to have in the cupboard for the Platoon if he can develop well.

Panthers 29. Los Angeles Panthers - Oskar Molmstein Jr.

Back to LA for the 29th pick and I see them added a goalie here in Oskar Molmstein Jr. A guy who has starter potential, we'll really see what he can do as the number 1 guy for the Militia next season. He's got great size, very mobile in net and has a real instinct for tracking pucks. Someone who could eventually be an SHL starter going at this point is amazing value.

Rage 30. Manhattan Rage - Joe Kerr

"So with the final pick of our mock draft Craig, we're back over to Manhattan. What are they going to do with this pick?"

Well at this point in the draft, you've really got to go with the player you see as having the best chance to be an SHL player regardless of position, and I think that's Joe Kerr of the St. Louis Scarecrows. A mobile D-man, his game needs a lot of work, but like we've said, he's got a good chance of going on to be a successful player at the SHL level.


"So there we have it, Craig's top 30 prospects in the S30 draft. The first thing that strikes me about this is just how deep this class is, what are your thoughts on what we'll see from this class going forward?"

Well I absolutely love this draft class. Like you mentioned Dutchie, incredible depth, a huge variety of player styles and some truly elite talent at the top end. I don't think any team with picks is going to come away disappointed as there's simply so many options available. It's going to be a great night and I can't wait to see the way the teams look coming out of it.

"Well Craig, it's been a real treat. They say nothing is finite except we expect you to be when it comes to the draft, thank you as always Craig, and thank you everyone at home for tuning in tonight. We'll see you very soon for the big day itself!"

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Total word count, 3959 words.

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KEEGAN ANGELLO - CENTER - #91
Raptors Renegades
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#2

Hey I made a mock draft at 30th overall well at least someone thinks I won't go undrafted
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#3

Nice article man!

Cheers

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#4

VERY nice. Like the details for each player, you definitely worked hard on this. Probably the most accurate mock yet by my count! Cheers

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#5

Thanks for scouting for me Wink

Great work!
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#6

Daamn dude. Good work on this!
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#7

Thanks for the mention, that's a hell of a mock you've got there.

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#8

Quote:Originally posted by GCool@Jul 5 2016, 01:18 PM
VERY nice. Like the details for each player, you definitely worked hard on this. Probably the most accurate mock yet by my count! Cheers
Thanks dude! I wanted to try and do something that actually reflected the players people were building while still keeping some accuracy, glad you noticed haha

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KEEGAN ANGELLO - CENTER - #91
Raptors Renegades
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#9

Awesome work man!

Definitely the best mock draft I've seen.

Cheers

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#10

Probably the most accurate one so far nice work man Cheers

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#11

I like to see those work! but what Allen wrote destroys my heart! other GMs work very hard to have the best scouting program and with those articles also ....



WE KICK THEM IN THE FACE AND ELSEWHERE

so plus for you work
and minus because now the lazy GMs are so happy about that

:unsure:

Chris McZehrl III - Anchorage Armada
[Image: McZehrlIII.jpg?ex=667c5d3b&is=667b0bbb&h...3f94d487d&]

Challenge Cup Wins:
S18 - Riot Seattle Riot (with Chris McZehrl)*
S23 - Wolfpack New England Wolfpack (with Chris McZehrl)*
S27 - Dragons Calgary Dragons (with VLAD McZehrl)**
S34 - Rage Manhattan Rage (with VLAD McZehrl)
S37 - Jets Winnipeg Jets (with VLAD McZehrl)
S46 - Stampede Buffalo Stampede (with GOD McZehrl)*

*first ever Challenge Cup of Franchise History
**first ever Challenge Cup win after 0-3 in Finals Series

Four Star Cup Wins:
S24 - Whalers Vancouver Whalers (with VLAD McZehrl)
S39 - Scarecrows St. Louis Scarecrows (with GOD McZehrl)

SHL Hall of Fame Members:
S24 - Chris McZehrl Platoon Panthers Dragons Riot Wolfpack *
(GP: 764 | G: 322 | A: 461 | P: 783 | +/-: +109)
S40 - VLAD McZehrl Dragons Riot Rage Stampede Jets Wolfpack *
(GP: 653 | G: 333 | A: 361 | P: 694 | +/-: +141)

*1st Ballot Hall of Famer

small note: GOD McZehrl played at first as Defender and later as Forward!
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#12

It's just a list of names. They don't got that in-depth scouting like I do right now. B)

Awesome article! Tough choice at number 3.

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#13

thanks for the mention! You did a great job on this!

artermis,Feb 2 2017, 04:11 PM Wrote:9gag pretty lit tho
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#14

I think I'll go a little bit higher up than 17th tbh but who knows.

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- Profile Page - Update Page -
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#15

Gracias for the mention, brother! I enjoyed your mock!

Superbly written and it really felt like I was watching an actual draft.

Platoon Rob Wright Battleborn
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