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2021 NHL Mock Draft: Second Round Picks 33-48

2021 NHL Draft; 2021 NHL Mock Draft

Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2021 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “2021 NHL Draft”! We have a complete listing of our draft articles here. Today we bring you part three of our 2021 NHL Mock Draft. 

We are just days away from the NHL Draft, and with that in mind, we are ready to release the second round of the LWOS 2021 NHL Mock Draft. We will go through the first two rounds of the draft, in four parts, breaking up the non-playoff teams and playoff teams.

For those who haven’t read the LWOS NHL Mock Draft before here are the rules.

1) No trades except for those that have already been made by NHL teams.
2) A two-round 2021 NHL Mock Draft will be done in four parts.  The first part comes out today. More parts will be added in time.
3) Clicking the Player’s name will bring you to a full scouting report.

So with that out of the way, I present the LWOS 2021 NHL Mock Draft.

Click here for Picks 1-16 of our 2021 NHL Mock Draft.
Click here for Picks 17-32 of our 2021 NHL Mock Draft.

2021 NHL Mock Draft – Picks 33-48

33.) Buffalo Sabres – Mackie Samoskevich, Centre/Right Wing, Chicago Steel, USHL

Previous pick: Owen Power

The Sabres enter this off-season needing help at nearly every position. However, with the uncertainty surrounding both Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, centre might be a bit of a bigger need. In Samoskevich, they get a versatile forward capable of playing both centre and on the wing. Samoskevich marries his skating ability with excellent stickhandling. He carries the puck through the neutral zone and generates effective zone entries. He also has very good vision and passing skills. This helps Samoskevich to be a playmaker. He anticipates where his teammates will be and set up scoring chances. Samoskevich can slow down the play and control the puck along the boards. This gives his teammates time to get open and he can find them with a creative pass through a tight passing lane. Samoskevich also does a good job of using his lateral mobility and quick hands to open those passing lanes.

34.) Anaheim DucksSimon Robertsson, Left Wing/Right Wing, Skelleftea HC, SHL

Previous Pick: Brandt Clarke,

The Ducks go with the best player on their board here. Robertsson is a pure goal scorer. His wrist shot is excellent. It is very powerful and extremely accurate. Robertsson also has a very good release. He gets his shot off quickly. He also uses his quick hands to change the angle on his shot and fool goaltenders. Robertsson also has a good slap shot and one-timer. He is a smart player who understands how to find open space and get himself ready to let that shot go. Robertsson also has the hands to score in tight to the net, though he could drive the net more often.

Robertsson is also good as a playmaker. He is a good stickhandler and uses his body to protect the puck in the cycle game. He has good vision and can make accurate passes through tight passing lanes when his linemates get open. Robertsson does a good job of controlling the play from the half-boards on the power play.

35.) Seattle KrakenBrennan Othmann, Left Wing, Flint Firebirds (OHL) and Olten (SL)

Previous Pick: Matthew Beniers

After going for a centre with their first pick, the Kraken continue to look for offensive talent in the second round. Othmann has an outstanding arsenal of shots. It is amongst the best in this draft class. His wrist shot and snapshot are both powerful and accurate. He can also get them off very quickly with an excellent release. His quick hands help him to change angles on the release and fools goaltenders. Othmann also has an excellent slap shot and one-timer. He has a real knack for getting open without the puck, leaving himself able to take a pass and fire it on the net. He also does a good job of driving the net both with and without the net. Othmann is dangerous in tight, with his quick hands and good hand-eye coordination. He can pounce on rebounds, one-time short passes, and get deflections.

36.) Vegas Golden Knights (from New Jersey) – Zach Dean, Centre, Gatineau Olympiques, QMJHL

Previous Pick: Anton Olsson

After taking a defenceman in the first round, the Golden Knights look to find a developmental centre with this pick. Dean is an excellent skater. He has a very good first step as well as an excellent stride. This gives him very good acceleration. His ability to change speeds allows him to fool defenders with and without the puck. He also has very good top-end speed. If Dean gets a step on a defender, he is gone. He can also go wide on the defence and cut to the net. Dean’s agility and edgework are elite. He can cut on a dime, quickly changing directions to beat a defender. This makes him very hard to contain on the rush as well as in the offensive zone. Dean also has good balance. He is strong on the puck and wins battles along the boards and in front of the net.

37.) Arizona Coyotes (from Columbus via Ottawa) – Oskar Olausson, Left Wing/Right Wing, HV71, SHL

After forfeiting their first-round pick, the Coyotes finally get to make a selection in round two. Olausson has an excellent array of shots. He can score with his wrist shot, snap shot, slap shot, one-timer, and backhand. His hands are quick and his shots feature a quick and deceptive release. Olausson loves to shoot and will shoot from anywhere on the ice. He is a good stickhandler who creates his own shot off the rush and can quickly make a move on a defender to open up a shooting lane. That stickhandling also helps Olausson in the neutral zone. He pairs it with his excellent skating to beat defenders and generate effective zone entries.

38.) Detroit Red Wings – Aidan Hreschuk, Left Defence, US National Team Development Program, USHL

Previous Pick: Jesper Wallstedt, Fyodor Svechkov

After addressing the goaltending and centre spots with his first two picks, Steve Yzerman gets a left-handed defender with his first pick in the second round. Hreschuk’s strong two-way game is defined by his skating ability. He has a smooth stride. His acceleration is very good in both directions, as is his speed. Hreschuk has good stickhandling ability. He can avoid forecheckers in the defensive end and generates speed through the neutral zone to generate strong zone entries. He also makes a good first pass and can start the rush that way. Hreschuk is not afraid to join as a trailer either. Hreschuk has some defensive skills but his all-around game is a bit of a work in progress.

39.) Ottawa Senators (from San Jose) – Samu Tuomaala, Right Wing, Karpat, SM Liiga

Previous Pick: Kent Johnson

With two picks early in the second round and a strong prospect system, the Senators can afford to take the best player available here. Tuomaala has an outstanding array of shots. His wrist shot has a lightning-quick release. He can quickly move his hands to change the angle, fooling goaltenders. He is very accurate as well as generating a ton of power. Tuomaala also has a good slap shot and one-timer. Again he generates a lot of power and gets the puck on the net. Tumomaala finds open space without the puck, getting himself in position to take a pass and fire it on the net. He is a high-volume shooter, taking any opportunity to fire the puck on net. However, he does seem to play a bit too much on the perimeter. Tuomaala could be more effective if he gets himself into the dirty areas of the ice.

40.) Nashville Predators (from Los Angeles) – Ryder Korczak, Centre, Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL

Previous Pick: Corson Ceulemans

The Predators rebuild has begun and having an extra second-round pick will help. Korczak marries his skating ability with excellent stickhandling. He can make plays while moving at top speed. This helps him to create offence on the rush. He generates effective zone entries and sets up in the zone, especially on the power play. Korczak is a very good playmaker. He reads the play extremely well, anticipating where teammates and opponents are going. His ability to protect the puck as well as to speed the play up or slow it down helps give his teammates time to get open. When they do, he can make quick lateral moves and change the angle on his stick to create a passing lane and get a teammate the puck. He does a really good job of running the power play from the half boards.

41.) Vancouver Canucks – Jack Bar, Right Defence, Chicago Steel, USHL

Previous Pick: Fabian Lysell

After adding a forward in the first round, the Canucks go defence with their second pick. Bar is very good at starting the transition game. He has decent stickhandling ability and combines this with his skating to move the puck out of his end as well as to effectively skate the puck through the neutral zone and gain the offensive end with possession. He also makes a strong first pass, helping his team to start the rush. Bar can make a long breakaway pass if one of his teammates can get behind the opposition’s defence. However, this does not always translate in the offensive zone. Bar could stand to be more patient with the puck at the blue line in order to quarterback the play.

42.) Ottawa Senators – Scott Morrow, Right Defence, Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres, USHS Prep

Previous Picks: Kent Johnson, Samu Tuomaala

The Senators, with all their picks and prospects can afford to gamble on high-end upside. Morrow might be the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in this year’s draft. His skating and offensive tools jump off the screen when one watches him play. However, the fact that he didn’t dominate the US High School scene this year is cause for concern. In fact, his numbers were worse than they were in 2019-20.

Lack of competition at a high level is also a big cause for concern. Morrow’s defensive weaknesses have really been exposed when he played at the USHL level, although that is a small sample size. With the level of hockey he has played, Morrow almost always has the puck on his stick. He has not really been challenged defensively. When he faced better opponents in the USHL, this really showed. This will be an area he really needs to work on going forward.

Playing in the NCAA, he will face that higher level of competition as well as get plenty of time to work on his deficiencies in practice. If he improves, he could be a real steal, with his upside as a top-four defenceman and power-play quarterback. However, there is quite a bit of improvement needed. Morrow’s game is reminiscent of John Carlson. This is a stylistic comparison only though and not one based on skill and ability.

43.) Arizona Coyotes – Brett Harrison, Centre, Oshawa Generals (OHL) and KooVee Tampere (Mestis)

Previous Pick: Oskar Olausson

Harrison is a pure sniper who can score in a variety of ways. He has an outstanding wrist shot, with good accuracy as well as excellent power. He also has a very good one-timer. Harrison can also score with his snapshot and backhand. He can finish plays in tight to the net as well. His quick hands allow Harrison to pounce on rebounds and pick up deflections in close. Harrison has a real knack for finding open spaces in the offensive zone and setting himself up to take a pass from a teammate. Harrison is also a good playmaker. He has excellent vision and the hockey IQ to anticipate the movements of his teammates and opponents. Harrison can pass pucks through tight lanes.

44.) Chicago BlackhawksAyrton Martino, Left Wing, Omaha Lancers USHL

Previous Pick: Mason McTavish

Martino is an outstanding skater. His stride is nearly textbook perfect and this leads to great speed as well as outstanding acceleration. His ability to change speeds also helps him to avoid defenders and create space. Once he gets a step on a defender, Martino can quickly pull away. This creates a ton of breakaways and odd-man rushes. His agility and edgework are also very good. Martino gains speed out of his turns and his quick changes of direction can leave an opponent flat-footed. They also help to create passing and shooting lanes in the offensive zone. He can also avoid defenders both with and without the puck.

45.) Calgary FlamesEvan Nause, Left Defence, Quebec Remparts, QMJHL

Previous Pick: Chaz Lucius

Nause has strong playmaking ability. He makes an excellent first pass to start the transition game. Nause finds the open man and usually hits him in stride, allowing his team to attack the neutral zone with speed. He is also good at making a long breakaway pass if his teammate is able to get behind the defence. Nause is not the type to carry the puck through the neutral zone but he can make a move to avoid a forechecker and get the puck out of the defensive zone. He also shows good passing skills and vision in the offensive zone. However, he could stand to hold the puck longer sometimes and make a play. He seems a bit uncomfortable holding onto the puck too long and could stand to have a bit more patience if he really wants to be a power-play quarterback going forward.

46.) Philadelphia Flyers – Dylan Duke, Centre/Left Wing, US National Team Development Program, USHL

Previous Pick: Matthew Coronato

After adding a sniper in the first round, the Flyers look for more forward talent in round two. Duke is a pure goal scorer who scores the majority of his goals at the front of the net. He gets to the net both with and without the puck. There are times he will find a quiet area near the side of the net, just waiting to bang in a pass from a teammate or to pounce on a rebound. There are other times when he will create chaos in front of the net. Duke will screen the goalie as well as get deflections and rebounds. He also has a very good wrist shot with a quick release. He can score from further out with his accurate shot and good release. His shot also the power to beat goaltenders.

Duke is effective on the forecheck. He does not back down from battles along the boards and is willing to punish opposing defenders when he gets the chance. His relentless pressure creates turnovers and this leads to scoring chances for his team. Duke is also strong in the cycle game. He uses his balance and strength on the puck to protect the puck down low. He can also make short quick passes to teammates and keep the puck moving. Duke loves to work the give and go, keeping his feet moving and getting to the net.

47.) Dallas Stars – William Stromgren, Left Wing, Modo Hockey, Swedish Allsvenskan

Previous Pick: Carson Lambos

The Stars go for the best player available in Stromgren. Stromgren is a pure goal scorer. He loves to take the puck to the front of the net, working to get there with power. In tight he can score goals with his quick hands. He can elevate the puck over the goaltender from in tight to the net. Stromgren can finish on both his forehand and his backhand. His quick hands can also deflect pucks and bang in rebounds. Stromgren has a powerful and accurate wrist shot. His release is good, but can still be even quicker. However, with his quick hands, he is able to change the angle of his release, fooling goaltenders. Stromgren has a knack for getting open without the puck, finding the soft spots in the defence and setting himself in good position for a pass.

While mainly a scorer, Stromgren shows some playmaking ability. He can make a pass through a tight passing lane to set up a teammate. He could be even more effective if he passed the puck more, but can often get tunnel vision and focus on scoring goals himself. Stromgren is also good on the cycle game. He uses his size as well as his stickhandling ability to protect the puck down low. His hands and skating ability help him to gain the zone quickly and efficiently. He is also quick to get in on the forecheck and pressure defenders into mistakes.

48.) Detroit Red Wings (from New York Rangers) – Jack Peart, Left Defence, Fargo Force, USHL

Previous Pick: Jesper Wallstedt, Fyodor Svechkov, Aidan Hreschuk

Peart has a strong two-way game and this is based on his skating ability. He is a very good skater with an excellent stride that gives him very good top-end speed as well as strong acceleration. This allows Peart to join the rush or pinch in at the blue line and still get back defensively. He also skates well when moving backwards. This allows him to defend well against the rush. Peart has good stick-handling ability. He can skate the puck out of his own end as well as carry it through the neutral zone. Peart is not afraid to lead the rush. His skating, combined with his hands, help him to generate effective zone entries. It also helps him to create offence in odd-man rush situations. Peart is a good playmaker as well. He has good vision and passing skill.

Peart is also a good defensive player. He uses his strong skating to maintain good gap control against the rush. Peart forces attackers to the outside and into poor shooting areas. He is also willing to play a physical game. Peart is not afraid to throw a check or to battle for the puck on the boards as well as in front of the net. However, his lack of size can be an issue here and he will need to bulk up to continue playing this style against men.

 

2021 NHL Mock Draft Main Photo:

SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 06: 2020 NHL Draft board is seen prior to the start of the first round of the 2020 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft at the NHL Network Studio on October 06, 2020 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

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