The Utopia Of Sports
Draft Order
2021 NHL Mock Draft: Final Mock Draft
Round 1 Picks 16-31
Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Last Updated: July 23, 2021.
St. Louis Blues: Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA Saint Petersburg (KHL) 
- SKA Saint Petersburg the KHL team in Russia tweeted that they believe both Nikita Chibrikov and Fydor Svechkov are top 10 picks in this draft. This is the same Russian team that had Yaroslav Askarov the top goalie in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Nikita Chibrikov may be an ideal replacement to Vladimir Tarasenko who requested a trade after finding out team doctors on the Blues didn't fix his injury.
- The 5-10 172 lb Nikita Chibrikov had 1 goal, 1 assist, and 2 points in 16 KHl games with SKA Saint Petersburg. SKA Saint Petersburg had the top Russian prospect a year ago with Yarsolav Askarov at goalie. Once again they have the best prospect with Nikita Chibrikov who is versatile enough to play right wing or left wing with his versatility.
Winnipeg Jets: Carson Lambos, D, Winnipeg Ice (WHL) 
- The 6-1 201 lb Carson Lambos has added 15 lbs of muscle since the Ice took him in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft with the second overall pick one spot behind Dylan Guenther. Also he only played 2 games in Winnipeg where he had 0 points. He also only played 2 games against grown men for JYP in Finland after a dominant rookie season where he showed the leadership and skill set to anchor a first line. He was once a top 10 prospect after a promising rookie year, but he struggled this year. His shooting accuracy needs to improve, but the upside to be a first line defenseman is there.
- The 6-1 185 lb Carson Lambos was the second overall pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft. Carson Lambos had 8 goals, 24 assists, 32 points, and a +20 +/- ratio in 2019-2020. Carson Lambos did well enough to work his way up to the first line. However, he had 0 points in both the CHL and Liiga this past season.
- Carson Lambos has the offensive awareness, defensive awareness, vision, and hockey IQ to be a big success. He got overwhelmed by his competition in Finland and that's probably why most people in the media have him ranked lower after he dominated in the WHL as a rookie. I don't think he'll get past Winnipeg at 17.
Nashville Predators: Fyodor Svechkov, C, Ladya Togliatti (MHL) 
- Nashville goes with the best skater on the board at 18 after taking Yarsloav Askarov in 2020. Some have Fyodor Svechkov graded higher than Nikita Chibrikov. SKA Saint Petersburg believes both Russians are top 10 picks. Nashville drafts a Russian in the first round for the second year in a row.
- The 6-0 179 lb Fydor Svechkov is versatile enough to play left wing, center, or right wing with his versatility. He projects as an NHL center. He had 4 goals, 11 assists, and 15 points in 15 MHL games with Ladya Togliatti.
Edmonton Oilers: Benjamin Gaudreau, G, Sarnia Sting (OHL) 
- The 6-2 174 Benjamin Gaudreau is a third goalie that could creep into the first round. He's a second round prospect on most boards since he didn't play overseas during Covid-19. Gaudreau started 5 games at goalie for Canada during the World Junior Championships. In those games he went 5-0-0 with a 2.20 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. Gaudreau is ranked seventeenth on my big board and the Oilers need a goalie so Gaudreau is the pick for now with the top sixteen players all off the board.
Boston Bruins: Brennan Othmann, LW, Flint Firebirds (OHL) 
- The 5-11 165 lb Brennan Othmann was a 2019 OHL first round pick drafted second overall behind Shane Wright. Brennan Othmann looked fantastic heading into the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. He only had 17 goals, 16 assists, and 33 points in 2019-2020 in the OHL after dominating his midget team with 66 goals, 80 assists, and 146 points on the Don Mills Flyers with Shane Wright, the favorite to be picked first overall in 2022 which is what led to Othmann being the second overall pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection behind Wright. Othmann can be the steal of this draft if he plays with that same passion and intensity that he brought to midget hockey in the NHL.
- The 6-0 174 Brennan Othmann grew and improved his frame since being drafted in the OHL. Brennan Othmann 7 goals, 9 assists, 16 points, and a -2 +/- ratio overseas along with 1 goal, 1 assist, and 2 points in playoff games overseas with EHC Olten on a loan with a Swiss team with Covid-19 cancelling the OHL this season. Othmann complimented Mason McTavish another OHL prospect on EHC Olten overseas. IF Boston drafts Othmann he can learn under Brad Marchand and maybe take overa s the first line left winger when Marchand retires since Othmann is the best player on the board.
Minnesota Wild: Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks Bandits (AJHL) 
- The Minnesota Wild get the best player on the board at 21. Corson Ceulemans and Xavier Bourgault are the only two players I'm considering. There are still three first round centers on the board and you are guaranteed one at 24 with Minnesota's next pick. Also, Ceulemans is the only first line player with a first round grade left on my board. Minnesota is probably going to lose a defenseman to the Expansion draft.
- The 6-2 201 lb Corson Ceulemans only played in eight games for the Brooks Bandits during the 2020-2021 AJHL Season. When he playyed in those games he anchored the blue line as the top defenseman on the Brooks Bandits. Cale Makar put the Brooks Bandits on the map after being picked fourth overall back in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Now four years later Brooks has another Bandit who could be a first round pick on the blue line in Corson Ceulemans.
- Corson Ceulemans had 5 goals, 30 assists, and 35 points in 2019-2020 in his rookie season with the Brooks Bandits before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the AJHL. He's not quite what Cale Makar was posting 55 and 75 points as a defender, but he's the best defender the Bandits have had since Makar. He's also enrolling in Wisconsin for an NCAA scholarship so he can develop there after his AJHL season is over.
Detroit Red Wings: Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) 
- he 6-0 172 Xavier Bourgault had 20 goals, 20 assists, 40 points, and a +7 +/- ratio during the regular season. Bourgault also had 4 assists in the 2021 QMJHL Playoffs. In 2019-2020, Mavrik Bourque and Vasili Ponomaryov rotated minutes in the line 1 center role before Bourque outperformed him to earn team captain. One other center who tied Bourque with 71 points in 2019-2020 was Xavier Bourgault, who posted video game numbers as a rookie before having a second consecutive season with 20 goals and 20 assists.
- Xavier Bourgault posted 40 points on the second line once again in the QMJHL. He could eventually develop into a good second line center in Detroit behind team captain Dylan Larkin. The host of Sportscast is a Wild fan and they mentioned Bourgault when inviting me on to their yearly NHL Draft podcast that I've been on.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) 
- Columbus needs to reload at center now that Pierre-Luc Dubois is gone. Zachary Bolduc became the third member of the Rimouski Oceanic to score 30 goals in his rookie season. The other two players to accomplish this feat were Sidney Crosby and Alexis Lafreniere the two number one picks that Rimouski Oceanic had. Bolduc wowed me on tape heading into this season before a down year in his draft year.
- The 6-1 174 Zachary Bolduc was so dominant as a rookie in 2019-2020 as a second line center that he got promoted to the first line this season. His production declined against stronger opponents with only 10 goals, 19 assists, 29 points, and a -1 +/- ratio in 27 QMJHL on the first line. He played 9 games as a first line left winger, 9 games as a first line center, and 9 games as a first line right winger before a season ending injury cut his season short. I love that Bolduc showed NHL scouts he's versatile to be a center or a winger in the NHL.
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Minnesota Wild: Aatu Raty, C, Oulun Karpat (SM Liiga)
- Minnesota grabs a center for depth here with Pittsburgh's pick. he 6-1 171 lb Aatu Raty prounounced Ratu in Finland was once the favorite to go first overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. That's no longer the case as he's now a consensus top 15 prospect. He finished on a high note after a slow start. Raty had 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points, and a 0 +/- ratio in 2020-2021 for Oulun Karpat in Liiga formerly known as SM Liiga. He's the top prospect from Finland in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He's also the only player from Finland with a first round grade in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft as well as the twenty fourth best player in this years NHL Draft on my big board.
Florida Panthers: Shai Buium, D, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) 
- The Florida Panthers get the best defender on the board. The 6-3 214 Shai Buium had 4 goals, 22 assists, 26 points, and a +16 +/- ratio. Shai Buium got the Sioux City Musketeers to the 2021 Western Conference Finals where the Musketeers lost the Conference Finals to the Fargo Force despite having home ice in the series. He anchored the blue line on the first line of defense in a game I watched where the Sioux Falls Stampede faced the Sioux City Musketeers despite spending most of the season anchoring the second line on the Musketeers. Shai Buium looked fantastic in that game on film which is the biggest reason I moved him up to 25 on my board.
Carolina Hurricanes: Stanislav Svozil, D, HC Kometa Brno (Extraliga) 
- The Carolina Hurricanes get the best defender on the board with Dougie Hamilton set to become an unrestricted Free Agent with the possibility of maybe losing another defenseman to the Expansion Draft. Carolina moved Fleury their 2014 first round pick on defense too. I remember typing a scouting report of Svozil a year ago back when I recoded all of the team pages for every team from the OHL, WHL, QMJHL, USHL, SHL, Liiga, KHL, DEL, Extraliga, and National League A teams last year. Stanislav Svozil's point total decreased this year, but I like his upside since he's the only European skater with a first round grade.
Colorado Avalanche: Oskar Olausson, LW, HV71 (Elitserien) 
- The 6-2 181 lb Oskar Olausson had 3 goals, 1 assist, and 4 points so far with HV71 in 2020-2021. He's versatile enough to play left winger or right winger.
- Oskar Olausson has a huge ceiling. He's someone that could develop into a 30 goal, 30 assist, and 60 point a year player. This makes him the ideal replacement for unrestricted Free Agent Brandon Saad if Saad chooses to leave.
New Jersey Devils: Tristan Broz, LW, Fargo Force (USHL) 
- The 6-0 179 lb Tristan Broz is versatile enough to play left wing, center, or right wing with his versatility. His impressive rookie season led to him being promoted to alternate captain on the Fargo Force this season. Tristan Broz had 19 goals, 32 assists, and 51 points in 54 regular season games. Tristan Broz had 3 goals, 8 assists, and 11 points in 9 USHL Playoff games leading the 4 seed Fargo Force to a Western Conference Title. Tristan Broz played on the first line with the Fargo Force making him an asset for the New Jersey Devils down the road with this pick from the New York Islanders at 28.
Vegas Golden Knights: Daniil Chayka, D, CSKA Moscow (KHL) 
- The Vegas Golden Knights could go one of four routes. The first route is to draft another center and get Francesco Pinelli of the Kitchener Rangers the top center on the board. Danill Chayka was the top defenseman on the board. Alexander Kisakov is a good left wing prospect. Alexei Kolosov has the best athleticism of any goalie in this draft and Joseph Potter the co-host of my podcast suggested the possibility of Vegas taking Kolosov who ranks thirty eighth on my big board at twenty nine which isn't as farfetched as it sounds. I'm going to give Vegas the defenseman.
- The Vegas Golden Knights get another defender here with Alec Martinez set to be an unrestricted Free Agent in 2021. The 6-3 185 lb Daniil Chayka spent this year on CSKA Moscow in Russia after the OHL shutdown due to Covid-19. Daniil Chayka had 1 goal, 1 assist, and 2 points in 11 KHL games with CSKA Moscow. Daniil Chayka is a defensive defenseman and will need another year in the OHL while he continues to develop.
Montreal Canadiens: Francesco Pinelli, C, Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 
- Montreal has Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Phillip Danault, on the first three lines. Montreal could use another center to develop for the future.
- The 6-1 185 Francisco Pinelli had 5 goals, 6 assists, and 11 points overseas. He didn't get to play his second year in Kitchener due to Covid-19. He is someone who could develop into a first or second line center. Montreal just needs a fourth line center who they can groom into a player that fill the role Danault has down the road. Pinelli is the best player on the board at 30.
Chicago Blackhawks: Zach Dean, C, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) 
- The 6-0 176 Zach Dean got promoted to alternate captain after a strong rookie season. He only had 10 goals, 10 assists, and 20 points in the regular season. Zach Dean got first line minutes at right wing facing tough a tough first line defense in the first round of the 2021 QMJHL Playoffs.
