With the draft hours away, it will be exciting for many players completing their journey to the SHL. Today we wanted to focus on some of the needs for various teams.

The Toronto North Stars are a top 3 team as of S58, posting a 46-14-6 record. Normally, a team like this would be drafting at the end of the round. This year, however, they have 3 of the top 6 picks, including back to back picks at the top. That's right, they have the first AND second overall picks!

This, my friends, is how a dynasty is formed. A top tier team with 3 top picks gives a dominant franchise to become something truly special. But what are their needs?

With Harry Carpet in net, goaltending isn't an issue. Only 4 teams allowed fewer goals scored, with one team allowing one fewer. So for all intents and purposes this is a top 3 defensive team. Among goalies with at least 35 games, he had the fifth best save % at 918. Still, getting a young goaltender to back him up is an intriguing option.

Toronto had the fifth best offence with 240 goals scored, so this could be a nice boost to the team. Adding a strong center and a winger could make them devastating to play against. Bobby Lane was their top forward with 78 points, ranking 7th in the league. Ruslan Zaporozhets was the only other scorer who surpassed 30 goals, with most of the other forwards at 21 or below. So adding some scoring punch could be one way to improve the team long-term. 

Defence looks like a strength, with Barron scoring 60 points and Mexaros a team high 55 +/-. Still, with 3 picks, having the possibility of adding a potential #1 defenceman has to be a high priority for the Stars. With 3 picks they are the envy of every franchise, and being able to pick multiple potential superstars can turn them into a dynasty.

The Monarchs own the third pick, and their focus should be on the best player Toronto doesn't draft. They struggle to score and keep the puck out of the net, meaning they need either a forward or a defenceman. Ideally a center or a two way defenceman would be available, but they can't afford to be choosy. They need to pick BPA.

The Edmonton Blizzard own 3 picks in this draft - 4th overall, 13th and 16th. At 42-21-3, they're in an interesting position. In terms of goal differential they're right there with the North Stars. Their offence looks more dangerous at the high end, with 4 scorers in the top 16. Right now their weakness is their goalie, however given his youth there isn't a need to pick here, and Peter Ramsay will improve as he gets more experience. 

The Blizzard could pair up the two picks to get a higher upside player should one fall, or use the picks to add to their depth. Adding some depth scoring could make them even more dangerous going forward.

Picking 5th is Tampa, and they need help from any skater. They've got a solid goalie, as Phillip Weaver posted a 914 sv % on the season. Tom Fiddler scored 69 points,and Topalo managed 53, but nobody else was above 50. Worse, their centers beyond Fiddler aren't that strong yet, as the bulk of their scoring comes from their wingers. So a center could be a big impact here. Defensively they have some shutdown pieces, but could use a bit more offence here.

Like with many teams, best player available has to be the way to go, but I'd be tempted to grab a center here if there's one available. 

The San Francisco Pride are one of the weaker teams in the league, so picking 7th hurts a lot as they could use a top 3 player. They need to grab the best player available, plain and simple. Their top scorer is a Center with 66 points, and after him nobody else got 50 points. Goalie Nicolae Antonescu bailed out the team many times, posting a 920 save %. He's a clear strength for this team. And while there are some pieces on defence, there simply isn't enough. They need to grab the best player who falls, whether it's a forward or defenceman. 

The Winnipeg Aurora own back to back picks at 8 and 9. At 26-37-3 they have some strengths, but some clear needs as well. Nick Brain was the top scorer with 57 points, and that simply isn't going to cut it. They need offence, and lots of it. Spend more time in the O-Zone, less in the D-zone, and everybody wins. This team desperately needs some forwards, because you can't expect to win with nobody getting even 60 points. They're in the rebuild cycle and have some young players, so this isn't a criticism, but rather a reflection of the future needs and goals.

A defenceman couldn't hurt, but I think a forward is the way to go here. Possibly even going with forwards for both picks.

Buffalo Stampede have the 10th overall pick. At 42-18-6, they're still a top team in the league. By goal differential at 119, you could argue they were the top team in the league. So they're due for some luck this season and possibly rebounding to the #1 team.

They have an elite goalie who just posted a 924 sv%, two of the top scorers in the league with Sharp at 86 points and Luffy at 80. While they could draft someone for the future, they might want to trade for another winger with this pick. Their RW depth is quite strong, but the LW only posted 53 points. So this could be a team looking to trade the pick for a veteran to help win the cup.

The New England Wolfpack own the 11th pick. They own one of the worst records in the East at 25-37-4. They have great goaltending, but could use some scoring. Slap McShotty has 65 points, but no other forward is above 45. On the other hand, they could use another defenceman, so there's no wrong choice here. They simply need to accumulate more young picks as they go through the rebuild.

At 12th are the Manhattan Rage. At 34-26-6 the Rage are a 500ish team that can go in many different directions. They can trade the pick to help them now, They've got some good scoring, but it's never a good sign when your top scoring center has a negative +/-. So they could use a more defensive presence, someone who can help drive play from the D to O zone, whether that's a defender or a forward.

New Orleans drafts 14th overall, and they were lowest in the league with 26 points. Clearly rebuilding, this is going to be a pick of someone dropping unexpectedly or going BPA. No point in getting bogged down with a need, as they have the worst offence and defence in the league.

At 15th overall is the Los Angeles Panthers. The Panthers are 29-31-6, so they're stuck in the middle of the standings, not a good place to be. They have a clear need at defence, so hopefully one is available at this spot. They could grab a forward, as Center looks like another need for them. I don't recommend trading this pick for a veteran, as they need to focus on their future core.

The Atlanta Inferno draft 17th overall, are very close to 500 right now at 30-34-2. The focus here should likely go to a forward. They have some pretty promising defenders, and while the offence is solid, they look like they'd benefit from some wingers. At this pick, there might be a few, especially with C and D heavily favoured in a draft over a winger.

Chicago Syndicate draft last in the first round, and as the top teams in the league by goal differential, there's plenty of optimism here. They boast one of the best defences in the league, so a forward of some kind makes sense.

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