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Draft Order
2020 NHL Mock Draft: Final Mock 7 Rounds
Round 5
Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Last Updated: October 6, 2020.
Detroit Red Wings: Samuel Hlavaj, G, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL) 
- The 6-4 207 lb Samuel Hlaavaj could be a future starting goalie in the NHL. Samuel Hlavaj played 39 games with a 2.25 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. Hlavaj was the starting goalie for Team White in the 2020 CHL Prospects Game so Detroit gets him to kick off the fifth round to start this draft.
Previous Pick: Drew Commesso, G, USNTDP (USHL)
San Jose Sharks: Matthew Gleason, C, Chicago Steel (USHL) 
- San Jose gets the two-time captain of Cretin-Derham Hall High School. The 5-8 170 lb center had 35 goals, 38 assists, and 73 points in High School in Minnesota. Now he's gonna play on the Chicago Steel full-time in 2020-2021 before enrolling in Colorado College.
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San Jose Sharks: Stephen Halliday, LW, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
- The 6-4 220 lb left winger had 13 goals, 25 assists, and 38 points in 46 games in his first USHL season. Halliday is considered a boom or bust prospect with a deadly shot. The passing, wrist shot power, wrist shot accuracy, slap shot power, and slap shot accuracy are all there when you watch the tape.
- His awareness both on offense and defense needs to improve. The other concern with Halliday is that he's not a great skater. Still, San Jose has nothing to lose by gambling on this boom or bust prospect in the fifth round.
Los Angeles Kings: Ryder Rolston, RW, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL) 
- The 6-1 175 lb Ryder Rolston is the son of former NHL player Brian Rolston. Ryder Rolston is versatile enough to play both left wing or right wing. Rolston is a better fit at right wing though.
- He had a B grade from NHL Central Scouting back in October of 2019 when he had 14 goals, 10 assists, and 24 points with the USNTDP USHL team in 2018-2019. Rolston had 16 goals, 17 assists, and 33 points in 42 games with the Waterloo Blackhawks.
Anaheim Ducks: Wyatt Schingoethe, C, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
- Anaheim selects the 5-11 190 lb Wyatt Schingoethe here. Wyatt Schingoethe did everything well both offensively and defensively in 2019-2020 when he had 17 goals, 21 assists, 38 points, and +17 +/- ratio. I've seen some mocks mock him ahead of Ryder Rolston who was my favorite player on the Waterloo Blackhawks this past season.
New Jersey Devils: Luke Reid, D, Chicago Steel (USHL)
- The 6-0 190 lb Luke Reid had 16 points in 2018-2019 with the Chicago Steel. He matched that point total in 2019-2020 and improved his +/- ratio from +15 to +16. Reid was on the best USHL team this past season so adding him here in the fifth round is great value.
Buffalo Sabres: Brayden Peters, G, Calgary Hitmen (WHL) 
- Brayden Peters could be a good backup goalie to Linus Ullmark, but he's also someone who has the upside to be a future starting goalie in the NHL. This is the deepest goalie class I've ever scouted and I've been covering the NHL Draft since 2011. Brayden Peters played his first full season as a starter in 2019-2020 with a 2.76 goals against average and a .902 save percentage in 35 games.
Previous Pick: Samuel Hlavaj, G, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
Minnesota Wild: David Ma, D, Shattuck St. Mary's HS (MN) 
- The Wild get another future blue liner by drafting a local here. David Ma got accepted into Princeton. He was drafted by the Chicago Steel in the tenth round of the 2018 USHL Draft. He only played one game with the Steel and had 0 points with them. His success mainly came at Shattuck St. Mary's High School. He's a great value pick since some have a third round grade on him, but a part of me wonders if he's going to be an AHL player or an NHL player after Princeton.
Previous Pick: Brayden Peters, G, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Winnipeg Jets: Igor Chibrikov, D, Owen Sound Attack (OHL) 
- The 6-7 190 lb Igor Chibrikov is the tallest defenseman in the 2020 NHL Draft. Chibrikov had a career best 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points, and +7 +/- ratio. I think Chibrikov will only continue to develop and improve his game over these next two years with the Owen Sound Attack.
New York Rangers: Landon Slaggert, LW, USNTDP (USHL) 
- The 5-11 177 lb Landon Slaggert was the line 2 left winger on the USNTDP. He has a fourth round grade so the Rangers go for value rather than need this late in the draft. Landon Slaggert had 13 goals, 11 assists, and 24 points in 47 games with the USNTDP Under-18 Team. He only had 6 goals, 4 assists, and 10 points in the USHL. He's versatile enough to play left wing, center, or right wing and could develop into a top six forward down the road.
Nashville Predators: Connor McClennon, C, Winnipeg Ice (WHL) 
- Nashville gets the best player on the board. The 5-9 157 lb Connor McClennon has a fourth round grade and is a fantastic value pick for Nashville in the fifth round. He's versatile enough to play left wing, center, or right wing. He had 14 goals, 15 assists, and 29 points as a rookie in 2018-2019. He did so well in his rookie season, that he got promoted to alternate captain and had 21 goals, 28 assists, 49 points, and a +9 +/- ratio in 2019-2020.
Montreal Canadiens: Josh Pillar, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL) 
- Montreal selects the 6-0 174 lb Josh Pillar here. Josh Pillar is a natural playmaker who had 14 goals, 30 assists, 44 points, and a +17 +/- ratio. Pillar is known for his passing, offensive awareness, defensive awareness, and high hockey IQ. He needs to develop as a shooter by improving his shooting power and shooting accuracy on both wrist shots and slap shots.
- He was the second line center on the Kamploops Blazers behind Connor Zary. If someone in my fifth round makes a significant jump in my six round NHL mock draft, this is the guy that will make that jump.
- If Pillar manages to accomplish that, you could be getting a top 2 center in due time. Montreal has Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi so they can just focus on letting Pillar develop in Kamloops and maybe try to mold him into a third line center at some point behind Suzuki and Kotkaniemi in 2-5 years from now at some point between 2022-2025.
Florida Panthers: Patrick Guzzo, C, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
- Florida selects the 5-11 190 lb Patrick Guzzo here. Patrick Guzzo played on a line behind Wyatt Schingoethe. If Schingoethe is a second line center in the NHL, then Guzzo has the ceiling of a third line center in the NHL. If Schingoethe is the first line center on Waterloo then Guzzo is a second line center at best. Either way, Florida gets Guzzo here since he's the best player on the board at this spot in the fifth round with some mock drafts having all of Waterloo's forwards being fourth round picks.
Edmonton Oilers: Owen Pederson, LW, Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
- The 6-3 192 lb Owen Pederson had 28 goals, 22 assists, 50 points, and a +8 +/- ratio in 2019-2020. Pederson is a huge steal this late in the fifth round since a lot of people have a fourth round grade on Pederson. He had more points than teammate Connor McClennon who is being mocked higher than Pederson.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Nick Malik, G, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 
- The 6-1 176 lb Nick Malik is the son of former NHL goalie Marek Malik. Nick Malik is my final goalie in this draft with a starting goalie grade. Nick Malik's .886 save percentage may be a cringeworthy statistic. The reason I am looking past that is because Nik Malik went 3/3 on saves in a penalty shootout win where the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds shutout the Oshawa Generals in the penalty shootout thanks to the goaltending of Nick Malik.
Previous Pick: Joseph Tucker Tynan, G, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Carolina Hurricanes: Elliott Desnoyers, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) 
- The 5-11 172 lb Elliott Desnoyers had 11 goals, 24 assists, and 35 points in 2019-2020. The Moncton Wildcats 2018 first round pick got traded to the Halifax Mooseheads for the 2020-2021 QMJHL season due to his strong play when the start of the QMJHL Trade Period opened on June 3, 2020, two days prior to the 2020 QMJHL Draft. The 2020-2021 QMJHL regular season will begin on October 2, 2020, just four days before the 2020 NHL Draft which is why Desnoyers is listed on the Halfiax Mooseheads in this mock despite playing for the Moncton Wildcats a season ago.
- He's got the ceiling to develop into a second line left winger. The question is whether he becomes a line 2 AHL left winger on the Charlotte Checkers or whether he can develop into a line 2 NHL left winger on the Carolina Hurricanes.
Chicago Blackhawks: Ben Zloty, D, Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
- The 6-0 174 lb Ben Zloty had 4 goals, 23 assists, 27 points, and a +4 +/- ratio in 2019-2020. Chicago can draft this two-way defender for depth here since Zloty is the final player with a fourth round grade left in this draft.
Arizona Coyotes: Michal Gut, C, Everett Silvertips (WHL) 
- The Arizona Coyotes got a great value pick in the fifth round. Michal Gut was the Everett Silvertips first round pick in the 2019 CHL Import Draft.
Calgary Flames: Kasper Puutio, D, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
- The Everett Silvertips have good defenders as stated earlier when I broke down Ronan Seeley. Calgary has to get two defenders in this draft, and so far I only mocked one defender to the Flames. Puutio has a fifth round grade.
Vancouver Canucks: Dylan Robinson, D, Windsor Spitfires (OHL) 
- The 6-4 190 lb Dylan Robinson had 2 goals, 16 assists, 18 points, and a +13 +/- ratio in 55 games. He showed growth as a two-way defender and he's a year younger than Vancouver's fourth round prospect who is 19-years-old. That makes the 18-year-old Robinson an intriguing late round pick for the Canucks this late in the draft.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Joel Maata, C, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) 
- The 6-2 192 lb Joel Maata is versatile enough to play left wing, center, and right wing. He was the first line center on the Sioux City Musketeers. He may not have Blake Biondi's upside, but you can argue he has a better floor than Biondi simply due to being a first line player who led centers in points on the Sioux City Musketeers in 2019-2020.
St. Louis Blues: Filip Wiberg, C, Malmo Redhawks (Elitserien) 
- The 6-1 185 lb Filip Wiberg is versatile enough to play left wing, center, or right wing. He's not someone with huge upside like Helge Grans. His plug-in-play ability as a forward makes him a great prospect for a team like the St. Louis Blues to gamble on in the fifth round.
Philadelphia Flyers: Ethan Edwards, D, Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) 
- The 5-10 165 lb Ethan Edwards had 9 goals, 24 assists, and 33 points in 50 AJHL games. He has the offensive awareness, passing, wrist shot power, wrist shot accuracy, slap shot power, and slap shot accuracy, offensive awareness, defensive awareness, and hockey IQ you want.
- He can get his shot up to 95-miles-per-hour even though I pay more attention to how a player shoots compared to how much velocity is on a players shot when scouting prospects. His coaches break down plays and watch film with him every single day.
- He committed to Michigan where previous Wolverines like Zach Werenski and Quinn Hughes dominated on the blue line. Ethan Edwards is complete as far as offensive game goes. If he can add some muscle and play more physical defensively while continuing to skate a high level, I could see Edwards anchoring a top-line in the NHL like Werenski or Hughes. I really loved what I saw with Edwards on tape and like a few players in the fifth round, this is a guy I may move up when I do a six round NHL Mock.
Colorado Avalanche: Kirill Steklov, D, London Knights (OHL) 
- The 6-5 190 lb Kirill Steklov is the top defenseman prospect on the London Knights in this years 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Kirill Steklov had 2 goals, 7 assists, 9 points, and a +10 +/- ratio with the London Knights in 2019-2020. Steklov can develop into a two-way defender, but at this point, he's more of a defensive defender.
Washington Capitals: Cade McNelly, D, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 
- The 6-3 194 lb Cade McNelly is a big body. He can remain with the Seattle Thunderbirds until he's 20-years-old. Worse case scenario he becomes a solid AHL defenseman on the Hershey Bears. Best case scenario, Washington finds an defender for their NHL team that can improve their blue line in the fifth round.
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St. Louis Blues: Zach Uens, D, Merrimack
- The St. Louis Blues get another blue line prospect in the fifth round. Zach Uens played in all 34 games at Merrimack as a true freshman in 2019-2020. He's the third NCAA player to be drafted in this mock so far.
Boston Bruins: Joseph Tucker Tynan, G, Niagara IceDogs (WHL) 
- The 6-0 159 lb Joseph Tucker Tynan had a .910 save percentage and a 3.80 goals against average in 23 games his rookie season with the Niagara IceDogs His save percentage is great, but his goals against average makes me think he's a goalie with the ceiling of an NHL backup. To be fair, Joseph Tucker Tynan only has one year of experience so the upside to develop into a starting goalie may still be there. You can keep him in Niagara for two more years and then put him in the AHL for up to three years until you put him on Boston.
- Worst case scenario, Joseph Tucker Tynan ends up being a very good AHL goalie on the Providence Bruins. Best case scenario, Joseph Tucker Tynan develops quickly and ends up on the Boston Bruins as their starting goalie in the next five years.
Previous Pick: Taylor Gauthier, G, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
New York Islanders: Hayden Fowler, RW, Erie Otters (OHL) 
- New York gets a huge steal with Hayden Fowler here. The 5-10 181 lb Hayden Fowler is versatile enough to play left wing, center, or right wing. Fowler had 20 goals, 22 assists, and 42 points in 2019-2020 with the Erie Otters as one of the teams alternate captains.
- Fowler struggled defensively and struggled with winning face offs which is why I am projecting him as right winger despite him having the playmaker skills that you look for in a center. Fowler is going to play for the Oshawa Generals in 2020-2021 when the OHL resumes in December. Since the 2020 NHL Draft is in October, he goes to the Islanders as an Otter.
- Fowler will likely be a career AHL guy unless he fixes his defense and face off ability in the AHL. Even if he makes the NHL, he's probably a winger in the NHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Taylor Gauthier, G, Prince George Cougars (WHL) 
- The 6-2 190 lb Taylor Gauthier had a career year in 2019-2020 with a 2.93 goals against average and a .917 save percentage in 50 games. The 19-year-old Gauthier has three years of experience with the Prince George Cougars. He's the ideal goalie for Toronto as a replacement to Frederik Andersen.
Previous Pick: Bryan Thomson, G, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
Dallas Stars: Alex Young, C, Canmore Eagles (AJHL) 
- The 5-11 181 lb Alex Young dominated this season with 36 goals, 46 assists, and 82 points. Young also had 13 points in the AJHL playoffs and will enroll at Colgate. Alex Young is versatile enough to play left wing, center, or right wing. Alex Young has the passing, wrist shot power, wrist shot accuracy, slap shot power, slap shot accuracy, offensive awareness, defensive awareness, and hockey IQ to be a future NHL forward. Dallas gets a huge steal here near the end of the fifth round.
Ottawa Senators: Adam Raska, LW, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) 
- Ottawa drafts Adam Raska. The Rimouski Oceanic took Adam Raska with their first round pick in the 2019 CHL Import Draft. Raska played left wing on a separate line behind Alexis Lafreniere so he's gotten the opportunity to learn under a player who will most likely be the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
