Six THN.com staffers assembled a six-round NHL playoff pool mock draft, which featured differing strategies, bold picks and snubbed teams.
Connor McDavid và Nathan MacKinnon
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
With the NHL’s regular season ending on Thursday and the Stanley Cup playoffs beginning on Saturday, now’s the time to start assembling those playoff pool rosters.
Six of us at THN.com got underway with a playoff pool mock draft on Wednesday. Bragging rights are on the line, with different strategies being used and 12 NHL teams being represented.
Here are our rules:
Three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender had to be selected.
Goals and assists are worth one point each.
Goaltender wins are worth two points, and a shutout is worth one extra point.
The draft followed a snake format.
Presenting our brave participants in order of selection, as determined at random:
Jacob Stoller, digital correspondent and co-host of The Hockey News Action Show
Jonathan Tovell, web editor of THN.com
Michael Traikos: managing editor, digital media, and co-host of The Hockey News Pre-Game Show
Ryan Kennedy, editor in chief and co-host of The Hockey News Pre-Game Show
Adam Proteau, senior digital correspondent
Jason Chen, digital correspondent, editor of THN.com/fantasy and co-host of The Hockey News Sleepers and Keepers Podcast
Here’s who we selected, with justifications for each selection. Check out our final rosters and further analysis underneath.
Pick-by-Pick Justifications
1. Connor McDavid, F, Công ty dầu mỏ Edmonton
I’m fairly confident that Edmonton will at least make it to the second round, so for me, it’s a no-brainer to gamble on eight to 14 games of the best player in the world. — Jacob Stoller
2. Nathan MacKinnon, F, Colorado Avalanche
I thrived with MacKinnon all season in fantasy hockey, so I couldn’t pass on him. The top scorer on one of the favorites to win it all (No. 4 in The Hockey News’ Playoff Special Edition) found another level this year. — Jonathan Tovell
3. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
When the Avs won the Cup a couple of years ago, Makar led all defensemen — and finished third in overall scoring — with 29 points in 20 games. As long as Colorado doesn’t go out early to Winnipeg, I expect him to put up big numbers. — Michael Traikos
4. Jake Guentzel, F, Bão Carolina
I went into this pool with a strategy to take Hurricanes forwards, and Guentzel was an obvious first choice since he’s always been a terror in the post-season. In Pittsburgh, he was a point-per-gamer in the playoffs, and I expect him to do more of the same with Carolina. — Ryan Kennedy
5. Artemi Panarin, F, New York Rangers
My overall draft strategy was projecting which teams I think will go furthest, and I like the Rangers to do so, leaving Panarin as the clear first choice for me. — Adam Proteau
6. Jason Robertson, F, Dallas Stars
The player I really wanted was Sebastian Aho, but after supreme overlord Ryan Kennedy took Guentzel, my plan to take Aho and Guentzel with my snake picks were dashed. Instead, I opted for the top scorer on the other team that I felt would make the Cup final. — Jason Chen
7. Roope Hintz, F, Dallas Stars
Go big or go home. In shallow leagues with six teams, spreading out the talent is probably the smarter move. Because I couldn’t get my hands on Aho and Guentzel, I opted for what I felt was the second-best tandem for playoff pools and took two-thirds of the Stars’ top line. — JC
8. Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks
I wanted the top defenseman on the board, and for me, that’s Hughes. If the Canucks go far in the West, Hughes will rack up points. That’s what I’m banking on here. — AP
9. Sebastian Aho, F, Carolina Hurricanes
Continuing my Canes theme, I went with another proven playoff performer in Aho. Clearly I believe Carolina is primed for a long run (I think they’ll be in the final and maybe win it all), and if they’re going to accomplish that, Aho will be big. — RK
10. Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
I’m taking a goalie here because you can’t win a Stanley Cup without great goaltending. The Stars have one of the best in Oettinger, who since Jan. 1 has won more games than anyone else in the NHL. — MT
11. Leon Draisaitl, F, Edmonton Oilers
Only one of Draisaitl or MacKinnon could advance if they both get to the Western Conference final. But when someone records a 100-point season and averages more points per game in the playoffs for two years running, he’s worth a try over Mikko Rantanen. — JT
12. Seth Jarvis, F, Carolina Hurricanes
Jarvis is one of the NHL’s biggest rockstars, combining a fun-loving, confident personality with high-end skill. He’s equipped to seize the moment in what should be a lengthy Carolina Cup run. — JS
13. Matthew Tkachuk, F, Florida Panthers
Matthew Tkachuk is built for the playoffs. While the Cats are struggling lately, it’s hard to bet against him. — JS
14. Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers
Since the all-star break, Shesterkin only trails Oettinger for the most wins, with 17 in 23 starts. He rebounded nicely from a shaky start. If the Hurricanes and Stars make the final, Jason and Ryan will likely have the top groups anyway, so I’m taking my chances on other teams. (What Presidents’ Trophy curse?) — JT
15. Mikko Rantanen, F, Colorado Avalanche
On a team with MacKinnon and Makar, it’s sometimes easy to overlook Rantanen’s impact. But he’s a top-10 scorer who had 41 goals and 103 points in 79 games this year. And because he plays on a line with MacKinnon, he’s sure to get on the scoresheet a lot. — MT
16. Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas Stars
Not gonna lie, I wanted Jake Oettinger on my team, but he was snapped up before I could. I always wanted Heiskanen because Dallas is my other Cup final pick, so I grabbed him here to ensure I got the defenseman I wanted. I know he’ll be an integral part of whatever the Stars achieve in this tournament. — RK
17. Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks
I didn’t want to wait for goalie scraps in this draft, so I used my third pick to go all-in with the Canucks in the West. (I might’ve taken Shesterkin if he were available, but he was taken 14th overall.) — AP
18. Aleksander Barkov, F, Florida Panthers
With Oettinger and Heiskanen off the board, I would’ve been reaching for a few depth Stars players to fill out the rest of my roster when far better players were still available. Barkov was sitting right there, and I had ranked the Panthers in a tier just below the Stars and Canes. — JC
19. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers
Remember what I said about spreading it out with players on different teams? Yeah, I didn’t take my own advice. But Bobrovsky ticks off the boxes in what you’d typically want in a playoff pool for goalies: he’s going to start all the games, and the team in front of him is excellent. — JC
20. Adam Fox, D, New York Rangers
My faith in the Rangers made me take Fox here. Like Hughes, Fox is a great point-getter. If the Blueshirts get to the Eastern final, I should be in good shape to win the pool. — AP
21. Thomas Harley, D, Dallas Stars
Sticking with my team theme, I took another Dallas D-man in Harley, who broke out this season with 47 points on the back end. I’m hoping his partnership with Heiskanen and a long Stars run in the playoffs will pay off. — RK
22. Nikita Kucherov, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
I’m surprised that the NHL’s leading scorer wasn’t taken earlier. It could be that not many believe Tampa Bay will get past Florida. If the Lightning do go deep, you can bet that Kucherov will be a huge factor. After all, he’s scored 162 points in 142 playoff games. — MT
23. Devon Toews, D, Colorado Avalanche
It’s tough to justify picking Toews over Evan Bouchard in hindsight, but Makar’s ‘D’ partner also averages more points in the playoffs. He only has two fewer points than Bouchard in one fewer game in the last two post-seasons, so Colorado making the final could make this gamble look good. — JT
24. Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
When Ryan took Miro Heiskanen, I immediately second-guessed my Tkachuk pick. I tried to make up for it by taking Bouchard, who should get lots of secondary apples. — JS
25. Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets
I just have this feeling that Hellebuyck will steal at least one game for Winnipeg and earn a shutout. He’s already done so once before this season against the Avalanche. — JS
26. David Pastrnak, F, Boston Bruins
The first Bruin off the board, Pastrnak ranks 18th on Jason Chen’s playoff pool rankings. He and MacKinnon were top-two for most shots this season, which is promising for goal-scoring potential, and he can still rack up assists. — JT
27. Charlie McAvoy, D, Boston Bruins
With only 47 points this season, McAvoy had a down year by his standards. But he’s still a fixture on the power play and tends to put up decent playoff numbers, having scored 42 points in 78 career games. — MT
28. Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes
This was a tough one, because I could easily see the Hurricanes going with Pyotr Kochetkov for some or most of the post-season. But I wanted a goalie on a team I saw going far, and Andersen is a veteran, so I’m assuming he gets a good look from Carolina. — RK
29. Chris Kreider, F, New York Rangers
Another great point-producer on a team I expect will go far. There were other options from the Blueshirts, but I like Kreider the most for his experience and pedigree. — AP
30. Brandon Montour, D, Florida Panthers
I had already put all my eggs on the Stars and Panthers, so why not continue? Montour plays a ton of minutes, generates a ton of offense and plays for a team with a ton of potential. My fantasy team is totally boom-or-bust. — JC
31. Shea Theodore, D, Vegas Golden Knights
There wasn’t anyone else on the Stars and Panthers’ blueline that I liked, so I opted to go off the board and went with a player on a team that no one else had. In case the defending champion Knights stage an upset and go on a run – which is totally possible – I’m going to be the only one in this pool who profits. — JC
32. J.T. Miller, F, Vancouver Canucks
There were other options from Vancouver I considered here – Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, most notably – but Miller will get lots of offensive opportunities, making him my final pick to round out my team. — AP
33. Auston Matthews, F, Toronto Maple Leafs
I mean, why not? He led the NHL in goals this season! Even if the Leafs fall in the first round, I could see Matthews putting up 10 points in seven games. And if they win, all the better. This was a risk, but since it was my last selection, I figured I should take it. — RK
34. Zach Hyman, F, Edmonton Oilers
McDavid, who had 100 assists this season, needs someone to pass the puck to. That’s why I’m going with Hyman, who had 54 goals on McDavid’s wing and whose greasy game is perfectly suited for the playoffs. — MT
35. Brent Burns, D, Carolina Hurricanes
Needing a defenseman, I felt Burns could be among the top remaining scorers on teams I think could go at least two rounds. We needed at least one group with more teams represented for comparison purposes, right? — JT
36. Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
I panicked here. Should’ve taken Roman Josi, who I think — like Rielly — will tally up lots of points in the first round. But if the Leafs get by Boston, Rielly’s a good-value choice. — JS
Final Rosters
Jacob Stoller
Jonathan Tovell
Michael Traikos
Ryan Kennedy
Adam Proteau
Jason Chen
Connor McDavid, Edm
Nathan MacKinnon, Col
Cale Makar, Col
Jake Guentzel, Car
Artemi Panarin, NYR
Jason Robertson, Dal
Seth Jarvis, Car
Leon Draisaitl, Edm
Jake Oettinger, Dal
Sebastian Aho, Car
Quinn Hughes, Van
Roope Hintz, Dal
Matthew Tkachuk, Fla
Igor Shesterkin, NYR
Mikko Rantanen, Col
Miro Heiskanen, Dal
Thatcher Demko, Van
Aleksander Barkov, Fla
Evan Bouchard, Edm
Devon Toews, Col
Nikita Kucherov, TB
Thomas Harley, Dal
Adam Fox, NYR
Sergei Bobrovsky, Fla
Connor Hellebuyck, Wpg
David Pastrnak, Bos
Charlie McAvoy, Bos
Freddie Andersen, Car
Chris Kreider, NYR
Brandon Montour, Fla
Morgan Rielly, Tor
Brent Burns, Car
Zach Hyman, Edm
Auston Matthews, Tor
J.T. Miller, Van
Shea Theodore, Veg
Analysis
With the mock draft in the books, here’s the number of players drafted per NHL team:
T-1. Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars – five players
T-3. Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers – four players
7. Vancouver Canucks – three players
T-8. Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs – two players
T-10. Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning – one player
Four teams were left out of the mock draft entirely: the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders and Washington Capitals.
When selecting players for a playoff pool, an important factor is how far a team goes in the playoffs. More playoff series equals more games played, which equals more opportunities for a player to record more points or a goaltender to get more wins.
The Kings, Predators, Islanders and Capitals are all lower seeds in their first-round matchups and are facing teams with more player representation. Our six participants wanted to avoid first-round conflicts as much as possible, so players from those teams were snubbed.
That said, upsets should never be out of the question. A player on a team with less representation could end up being quite valuable if they eliminate a Cup favorite.
Other than that, the two main strategies seen in this mock draft involved how many NHL teams were represented on each squad.
Narrowing in on players from two or three NHL teams took advantage of linemates factoring in on the same goal. That strategy brings high reward if two of those clubs make it to the Stanley Cup final.
The other approach was to select from a handful of NHL teams, with three participants having five teams represented. This strategy gives more chances to have some players end up in the later rounds.
Both strategies have their risks. If you pick fewer teams and they get upset early, you better hope the players put up enough points to hold off the charge from the participants who had more teams represented. If you pick more teams, you’re passing on a chance to have a greater number of players in the Cup final.
For more playoff pool strategies and rankings, visit The Hockey News’ fantasy hockey site at THN.com/fantasy, and let the games begin.
