The Draft Analyst 2015 Mock Draft: 3rd Round (Picks 62-91)

by Steve Kournianos
steve.kournianos@thedraftanalyst.com

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

OVERALL TEAM TEAM NEEDS PLAYER
62 WASHINGTON via BUFFALO T6C/T6LW/T3RW LW ERIK FOLEY: Unstoppable power forward with a nasty wrist shot who comes out a victor in almost all his puck battles. Headed to Providence College in the Fall.
63 ARIZONA T3C/T4D/G C NICOLAS ROY: He won’t become the dominant top center the Yotes are looking for, but Roy is an intelligent playmaker with size and awareness. His strong U18 may help him sneak into the 2nd round.
64 TAMPA via EDM/ANA T4D/2WC/T6F RHD RASMUS ANDERSSON: Risk-taking puck mover who’s a very good power play option because of his shooting/passing combination. Partner him with somebody reliable to limit adventures.
65 TORONTO T3C/T4D/G LHD CALEB JONES: Very steady for Team USA who did an excellent job limiting the high power forwards he was matched up against at the U18’s. Will play for the Portland Winterhawks next season.
66 CAROLINA T6RW/T6LW/T2D LHD LUCAS CARLSSON: A logjam on the national team and inexperience while playing with adults made it difficult for this reliable Swede to get the opportunity to showcase his skills. Has very good mobility and makes smart plays to avoid trouble.
67 NEW JERSEY T3C/G/T3RW RHD NICOLAS MELOCHE:Deiberate two-way defenseman with size who gives the Devils creativity and poise. A very smart player who would go much higher if his skating wasn’t average. But don’t let that fool you; he’s is an offensive-minded player.
68 COLUMBUS via PHILADELPHIA T3LW/T2D/G G VEINI VEHVILAINEN: Rang bells for his 61-save performance in the OT loss to the U.S. in the U18 title game, but it was no outlier for this Finn. He’s very mature and quick, and has already played vs Liiga competition. Advanced for his age.
69 COLUMBUS T3LW/T2D/G LW AUSTIN WAGNER: He’s big, fast, aggressive and a competitor. Most of his points come from hard work, and he’s got a cannon. You just wish he had a set of hands on him, or he’d have top-line potential.
70 PHILADELPHIA via SAN JOSE T6LW/G/T4D D MATT SPENCER: Swift-skating blueliner who could be much higher if he was just a bit more patient with the puck. Nevertheless, at 6’2 and with speed from the back end, he’s still a solid prospect.
71 COLORADO T6RW/T6 LW/T4D D NICK BOKA: Michigan committ who played for the NTDP can play a very physical game and wins his board battles. Have very good mobility but needs more confidence in using it.
72  ISLANDERS via FLORIDA G/PMD/2WC C GLENN GAWDIN: This guy screams what the Islanders were all about this past season: relentless, gritty and smart in his own end. With Frans Nielsen north of 30, the Brooklynites are going to need a defensive specialist to serve as his understudy.
73 DETROIT via DALLAS T2D/T6C/PMD D GUSTAV BOURAMMAN: What a surprise. The Red Wings take another Swedish defensemen. Bouramman is a very skilled and quick puck handler. The defense is most certainly a work in progress, and he gets pushed off the the puck too easily. But he’s a project, and Detroit always seems to get the most out of the type.
74 LOS ANGELES T4D/T6LW/T6C RW A.J. GREER: Strong and skilled big-bodied winger who didn’t earn the big minutes during most of his freshman season at Boston University. To his credit, he got David Quinn’s message and came back with a vengeance in the postseason. Deceptive speed and can be a playmaker.
75 BOSTON T6LW/T6C/T2D RW ROBIN KOVACS: Super-skilled winger with a mature mindset who can create his own shot. A lack of exposure in international tournaments and average performances in the few he played in keep him from going higher. Keep an eye on him as he could be a steal.
76 CALGARY T4D/T6LW/T6RW D ETHAN BEAR: Sturdy offensive defensemen with a cannon of a shot who is still learning the more important side of his position. At this point he projecting to be a power-play specialist but the Flames can afford to be patient with him.
77 FLORIDA via PITTSBURGH G/T3RW/T3LW G MATEJ TOMEK: Simply too good for the North American Tier II hockey circuit, he’ll be headed to North Dakota to play for the Sioux. Great size and reads plays well.
78 WINNIPEG G/T4D/2WC LW DMYTRO TIMOSHOV: The QMJHL’s top rookie had an impressive freshman campaign considering he didn’t see a lot of top-line/top-PP minutes. Shifty and quick, the undersized Tymoshov is not a speed demon but can show wizardry with the puck.
79 EDMONTON via OTTAWA G/T2D/T6C LHD KYLE CAPOBIANCO: It might be premature to say the Oilers’ Justin Schultz experiment has failed completely, but all those skilled forwards need a more reliable puck distributor. Capobianco can move and dish the puck but play a smart yet opportunistic game at the same time.
80 ANAHEIM via DETROIT/COLUMBUS T4D/G/2WF D GUILLAUME BRISEBOIS: Safe pick for the Ducks, who can use his size and steadiness. He can play in all situations but the only offense he’ll bring you comes from handling the pressure to start breakouts.
81 ARIZONA via MINNESOTA T3C/T4D/G C MITCHELL STEPHENS: Quick pivot who had an up-and-down year like most of his Saginaw teammates but finished strong. He benefitted from Matt Barzal’s razzle dazzle at the U18’s with 10 points in seven games. Can play both center and wing.
82 NEW YORK ISLANDERS G/PMD/2WC C DAVID COTTON: Texas-born center who is headed to Boston College in the Fall. Has size and smarts but needs to fine tune practically every aspect of his game. By the time Jerry York is done with him he’ll be a complete player.
83 CALGARY via WASHINGTON T4D/T6LW/T6RW LHD RYAN PILON: The third round is generally the motor pool for fallers, and Pilon’s gaudy stats (52 points in 60 games) and puck-moving ability aren’t enough to mask his marginal postseason. With the Flames workmanlike and no-nonsense approach to help him with accountability, his skill makes him impossible to overlook.
84 ANAHEIM via VANCOUVER T4D/T6LW/T6RW RW SEBASTIAN AHO: A tireless worker who creates chances off the forecheck and can both take it and dish it out. Very agile and his endurance while playing at high speeds is exceptional.
85 NASHVILLE T3C/T6LW/T6RW RW GABRIEL GAGNE: Eric Daze-like size and reach, Gagne is a goal scorer who looks awkward when he’s in motion, but he gets to where he needs to go and protects the puck in the process. Underrated offensive skills.
86 EDMONTON via ST. LOUIS G/T2D/T6C G ADIN HILL: Hill will be 19 when Draft Day arrives, so good thing he’s a goalie. He stepped in for Portland and played exceptionally well for a team not known for playing defense all too well. At 6’4 and with good mechanics, he’s a perfect chip for the Oilers this late in the round.
87 MONTREAL T3C/T4D/G C JULIUS NATTINEN: He fits the Habs’ model of responsibility and consistency in all areas of the ice, only he provides the size they lack from the pivot. More of a playmaker than a scorer, he’s put up impressive stats for Team Finland.
88 FLORIDA via ANAHEIM G/T3RW/T3LW LW ROOPE HINTZ: The desire, size (6’2) and noggin all translate to the NHL. So why doesn’t he go higher? Because he’ll likely top out as a 3rd liner, which in Florida’s case will be a good thing.
89 NEW YORK RANGERS T4D/T6LW/T6RW RW DANTE SALITURO: He’s only 5’8 but the kid is the Tazmanian Devil.  Elite puck magnet who carried the 67’s whether Travis Konecny was in the lineup or not. The Rangers need low-maintenance scoring-chance creators, and he’s one of the draft’s best.
90 PHILADELPHIA via TAMPA T6LW/G/T4D C DENIS MALGIN: Add Malgin’s name to the list of the three-dozen or so undersized playmakers who can’t get past the knock on their size. Regardless, he’s got a boatload of skill and is dangerous from the perimeter, which works for the Flyers since they have plenty of crease-crashing types to augment him.
91 CHICAGO T6C/T6LW/T6RW LHD VLADISLAV GAVRIKOV: Plays a very simple and steady defensive game but slightly advanced defensively than most available blueliners. Was skipped over last year so being older helps him in that regard. Can play physical too.