The 2021 NHL Draft Was Really Weird | A Retrospective

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Ah, yes, the first draft before COVID scouting restrictions. Many leagues, including the OHL, weren't even operating at this time, which meant prospects went as long as a full year without playing any sort of NHL or hell, even junior league play, which is how you get this bumble mess of a draft.

[00:00:17]What was seen as a weaker draft at the time is now looking like scouts fears were proven right on this one. Some highlights include the Kraken's first ever draft pick, like Coyote getting their first round pick taken away because their former GM held illegal draft workouts. No way he gets another draft in the future, right? And the Blackhawks losing their minds and trading the moon for Seth Jones. All caught up? Let's go.

[00:00:40]On behalf of the Buffalo Sabres and all of our great fans, we are proud to select from the University of Michigan, Owen Power.

[00:00:49]>> [screaming] >> Buffalo was in the gutter this year. I have a video on this year among others during the drought. Don't worry, it's coming. It's a doozy. The Sabres won the number one overall pick in a draft that didn't really have a bonafide number one overall player. The best of the best, I guess, was a 6'6 puck moving defenseman, Owen Power. And what to make of him today? It's still kind of early for a D-man, but even though he was selected first overall, was always seen as a bit of a project. But I feel like even early on his career, he was vastly overrated for some reason. The idea of what Owen Power could be often shrouds what he actually was at times. He wasn't great defensively, didn't really use his 6'6 frame to his full potential and got a massive deal from a rookie year that eh.

[00:01:33]I mean, 35 points in a second pairing role as a rookie is not bad at all. But he's kind of regressed offensively, but has taken great strides as a defender, which I guess is what you want on a Sabres team that is really good. He is still questionable for a first overall pick standard, but as you'll soon seen here, it's not like Buffalo passed up on some generational talent. Our fair ranking here would be about six out of 10. Maybe I'm underrating Power, but he's just not Norris caliber, which is what you'd hope for your first overall pick caliber player. Think of the tier of Aaron Ekblad, for example.

[00:02:03]>> Historical first ever amateur draft selection for our team by choosing from the University of Michigan, Matthew Beniers.

[00:02:12]The Kraken were put in a kind of tough spot with or not being a guaranteed headliner player, like in most cases with a pick this high, and someone you'd hope would be the face of a franchise.

[00:02:23]But, they got their guy in Matty Beniers second overall. He had a great rookie year where he showed promise, not only as a potential point game player, but a stud defensively. And as of now, he's kept that offensive reputation being among the players with the highest and hardest matchups in the league and winning those offensive minutes. He is a great defensive player. Don't get me wrong. The only issue is the offensive side of his game hasn't progressed. It has remained at a 45 to 55 point level.

[00:02:50]But, with a second overall pick and a guy who won the Calder, you do expect a little more from someone like him. But, I will say this, he has little to no offensive help in Seattle. The land of middle sixes isn't going to help him become a point game player. Maybe if he plays on a roster with more dynamic offensive pieces, he could farm some more points on a power play or even help play drive on a strong second line. But, Seattle isn't going to do any favors for him. I'll put him at a seven out of 10 as he has developed as a stout defensive player. But, as shown, can't carry a line by himself.

[00:03:22]>> We're proud with the third pick of the 2021 draft, happy and excited to draft in the Peterborough Petes hockey team, Mason McTavish.

[00:03:31]The first reach of the draft at the time, McTavish was seen as a pick six or pick eight range. So, to see him jump to three was shocking. The top nine of this draft was all but solidified, though it's just about what order they really went to. But, McTavish was seen as a gritty power forward with a scoring touch, someone who may not ever be a first line player, but a really good second line player on a club team. Think in the mold of a worse Matthew Tkachuk.

[00:03:56]And an example of the impact COVID had on prospects was Mason McTavish, who played in the Swiss league and only played 13 games his draft year. But then GM Bob Murray loved him so much he made him a top three pick. And like Beniers and Powers, his early numbers in the league were strong. A solid 2024 season made way for a 7-year deal, which has not aged great at all. As you'll see soon today, McTavish is a healthy scratch at some points. He's a player who isn't good defensively or is actually below average significantly defensively, isn't a good skater, and doesn't have the greatest shot. And those traits are a recipe for a career where coaches struggle to find where to work with you. Maybe in the right fit he gets back to his 2024 form, but for now it's a 5 out of 10. The New Jersey Devils are proud to present pick from the USA Development Program, Luke Hughes.

[00:04:52]What was seen as a straight-up nepotism pick at the time, we're royally shut up in his time in in Michigan, and especially his first few years of his career. Even behind all the talent on the fence, he made a name for himself as an elite puck-moving D-man who dominated possession in the O-zone, and in his 6'2" frame was absolutely terrifying, especially compared to his older brother Quinn. The idea of a Hughes brother on the fence with elite skating like Quinn and had the size to not be completely bodied was oddling. Then a holdout for a bigger contract rewarded Hughes with a $9 million deal he did not deserve whatsoever, even at the time. And this season, look, the "Hughes is the next Hughes" comparison has always been hyperbole, but watching him play, there are some critiques to his game to be made. First, whether it be just straight tunnel vision or just a hero puck mentality, there are sometimes where he enters the zone he'll just keep going with it into the zone and lose it.

[00:05:46]Second, he's not good defensively. He doesn't have the illusion and stick ability his brother has, which means he's a 6'2 defenseman relying on his agility to defend passes. And his defensive IQ, don't get me started. That plus the idea that Luke Hughes could be seen as the number one defenseman on this team, and you have some questions.

[00:06:03]He's still an eight out of 10 for now.

[00:06:05]This is probably a down year for him, but this year was an eye-opener for many. So, with the fifth pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets select center Kent Johnson, University >> [screaming] >> Everyone was strung on the fact that they wanted to find the next Trevor Zegras during this time. An uber-skilled player and not much else. Kent showed a lot more promise than most players of his archetype, his rookie year especially. But like so many different players in this draft, like we've talked about so far, he's stagnated a bit.

[00:06:37]Actually having a career year in 2025, but most of it was due to an absolutely unsustainably high, in fact the highest on-ice 5v5 shooting percentage in the league's history. So, a regression was guaranteed. Only 22 points, and seeing himself being passed on the likes of trade acquisitions Mason Marchment and Connor Garland, who they paid assets for, is not a positive sign for Johnson.

[00:07:00]Though he is skilled and young enough where he could end up in a Zegras situation, ironically enough, where he flourishes in different market/team, but for now it's a six out of 10.

[00:07:10]With the sixth pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Detroit Red Wings are proud to select From Frolunda, Sweden, defenseman Simon Edvinsson.

[00:07:22]Finally, we get to someone who didn't peak in the 2023 season. Edvinsson is a massive defenseman who possesses the offensive abilities that make him deadly enough at the height to make him a force. And that isn't even as big as mark on his game. He is a defensive defenseman who is elite at skating and shutting down all the opposition. And so far, it's transitioned exactly like people had hoped for. He's honestly what people thought Power would be with a little less offensive flair. But him and Seider make up probably a top five shutdown pair in the league. Only issue with Detroit other than those two are a hot mess of geriatric old and young dog [ __ ] That's not Edvinsson. This is a 9 out of 10 pick right here. The San Jose Sharks are proud to select from Örebro, Sweden, William Eklund. I feel like Eklund is extremely polarizing among hockey fans. Some think he can be a potential 50 to 60 assist guy at his prime on a line with Michael Misa and Stenberg. What the [ __ ] And some think he's below average shot is the difference between him being a core player and him being a player that in the words of Draymond Green, the dynasty starts after you, not with you. In my opinion, he is such a key piece on the Sharks team. Now, whether he actually fits with his forward core, the Sharks have in contrast to the defensive core where they see Eklund as a missing piece, as a trade chip to get a stud D-man, I don't know. But so far, Eklund has been exactly what the Sharks wanted.

[00:08:47]A flashy winger who can create offense with whoever is on the ice with. An 8 out of 10. The LA Kings are proud to select from the Barrie Colts of the OHL, Brandt Clarke. If the Kings actually prioritize development of their young guys, Clarke would be way better than his stats indicate. And Clarke has been a very capable second pair defenseman, which even with the hindrance is astonishing. An offensive dynamo in junior, a die-hard Sens fan, so he's already a fan favorite of mine, and someone who has some snarl to his game.

[00:09:19]He's a D-man that kind of reminds me of poor man's Rasmus Dahlin. Like I said, the Kings have actively sabotaged their own prospects, so Clarke making it out is a miracle all in its own. The thing though is, can he be a first pair defenseman that the Kings would need after Dowdy? He doesn't play many minutes, so we really haven't seen him much with first pair of time. He's only 23 though, so there's plenty of time left and has improved every year. An eight out of 10. The Arizona Coyotes are proud to select from the Edmonton Oil Kings, Dylan Guenther. Long story short, the Coyotes lost their pick, then called up Jim Benning in Vancouver asking them if they wanted Olli Juolevi and Connor Garland in exchange of the ninth overall pick. Fair enough, right? What makes it even worse for Vancouver, the guy that the Coyotes and now Utah Mammoth selected, Dylan Guenther, is our player already. The best player you've highlighted so far and he's only going to get better. A 40-goal scorer on a playoff-bound Mammoth team possessing an unbelievable wrist turn and is looking like a bang for your buck 40-to-40 guy.

[00:10:17]For the foreseeable future. A little weird how he fell so far in the draft, but I guess the Coyotes are laughing or or crying.

[00:10:25]10 out of 10. So, on se fier de choisir from the USA National Team Development Program, Tyler Boucher. The crack epidemic was a tragic time for marginalized communities that were affected, including the Ottawa Senators scouting department. Look, I still, and yes, I'm huffing an unbelievable amount of copium here, still think he can be a fourth-liner, which is depressing for a tenth overall pick. But Boucher, from the jump, was seen as an astronomical reach as some outlets had him as low as 90th overall. And even seven months later, when he registers three points in 17 games at Boston University and 14 points in 24 games in the OHL with the draft plus one player, this was an awful pick and hasn't gotten even close to being remotely worth it. He hasn't gotten close to making an NHL. A large part of that is abilities, but even bigger part are injuries. He just can't stay healthy. Different ailments have cut his season short for every season he's played in the pros. And for a guy whose supposed best trait for the caladi, a player comp from the draft was Tom Wilson, he hasn't been able to show at all. He is a tank of a player though physically and maybe he could be a fourth liner. But for a 10th overall pick, this is a zero out of 10. The only thing really saving this is because of fact that the NHL's draft prospects at this point were seen as a consensus.

[00:11:47]They kind of fell off after pick nine, so maybe Ottawa just have their own ranking. But still, yeah, rough. Columbus Blue Jackets are proud to select from Sioux Falls Stampede, the USHL, Cole Sillinger. A hot start to his pro career jumping into the league at 18 with 31 points. And since then, uh, he is all right. Sillinger is your regular old third liner. He can pass, shoot, score, play physical, defend, all at a solid level. But he doesn't possess a skill that he's great in. A jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type of guy. And that was what he was drafted to do. He was not a high-ceiling player.

[00:12:27]He was more of a middle-sixer throughout his career, I think. 15-year pro career might be my add. Like his father. And he's been that so far. But you'd like maybe for him to touch 45 points. He's fine. Probably want more from a 12th overall pick. Yes, we went from pick 10 to pick 12 because remember, Cheika. But the draft falls off a cliff here, so the Jackets did fine. Just look at Ottawa.

[00:12:47]The Calgary Flames are proud to select with our first pick in the 2021 [music] NHL Draft from the Clark Cup champion Chicago Steel, Matthew Coronato. I feel like we'd be having a much more different conversation about Coronato if he was on a better Flames team. The last two years the Flames have been far and away the worst 5v5 scoring team in the league. So it is impressive he's gone to nearly 50 points twice so far in that span. He's a second liner on most teams and goddamn Calgary, I'm so sorry you missed out on McKenna because him and Coronato would have been a great duo. Six out of 10.

[00:13:22]The Buffalo Sabres are pleased to select from Leksand in the Swedish Hockey League, Isaac Rosen. Isaac Rosen has been a beast in the AHL. A consistent point-a-game player down there since 2023, who just hasn't been able to translate to the league. The first player on this list to have been traded, and his time with the Jets wasn't great, but the Jets aren't a good team, so he'll get more time next year. But for now, it is a 4/10. He just hasn't been able to put it together so far.

[00:13:51]>> Detroit selects from the Western Hockey League's Edmonton Oil Kings, Sebastian Cossa.

[00:13:56]>> Now with the 2021 draft being 5 years old at this point, all scouts will have had enough time to really gauge on what they'll be in the NHL, but goalies, not yet. Cossa is only 23 and still has 2 to 3 more years of development time before you can idea of what he'll be in the future. Solid stats in the NHL, but hasn't been able to bounce into the NHL just yet, or even be a 1A down there in Grand Rapids. And with Yzerman's obsession with stopgap goalies, will he ever get the chance in Detroit? project, and an enticing one at that. Standing at 6'7, but so far, a little too early. No ranking. The New York Rangers are proud to select from the Flint Firebirds, Brennan Othmann. A couple months prior, Tom Wilson signed his tweet up destroying the Rangers from within.

[00:14:40]First, it was them initiating a line brawl the following game after the incident. Then it was James Dolan blasting the player safety department for their incompetence and catching a big fat fine. Then it was firing Jeff Gorton and John Davidson because they refused to nuke the roster after one cheap shot. Then it was the Buchnevich trade where they prioritized a gritty Sammy Blais over the point-a-game Russian. Then, it was this pick right here. Not the pure reach of Tyler Boucher, but it was clear that Rangers were passing up an obvious skill for their more power forward model, and it hasn't aged well at all. A great draft plus one season that saw him pot 50 goals in 66 games, but since then, hasn't been able to translate that even in the pro leagues with five points in 44 games. He has shown scoring abilities in the AHL. There's a chance he could be an everyday NHLer on a future Flames team. I mean, that's about it. Three out of 10. St. Louis selects from Rimouski, Zachary Bolduc.

[00:15:37]If there was ever an example to show someone on the talent discrepancy issues plaguing the QMJHL, it's Samuel Bolduc.

[00:15:44]He dominated the QMJHL in back-to-back seasons and looked like a bonafide top sixer with first line potential. Then he came to the pro league and the reality that he dominated on a top Q team with like five teams and 15 horrible teams in that league. It's why you should take any player dominating the QMJHL with a grain of salt. But Bolduc is the definition of a streaky player. A red hot start to his Habs career and months on end where after that he would he just disappears. I don't know what to make of him. If he puts it all together, he could be a middle sixer, but he's just too inconsistent to say. He was traded one-for-one for a player later on in this draft. So, the team in St. Louis giving up on him already in his first year isn't a great sign. So far, five out of 10. The Winnipeg Jets are proud to select from USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Chaz Lucius. I won't be discussing much about Lucius because considering his career was cut short due to a tissue disorder at just 21. A sad situation overall, but apparently it is his fault the Jets prospect pool sucks, according to the GM.

[00:16:48]Sure. The Predators are proud to select Egor Afanasyev. Similar to Røs and except a little worse in the AHL and better numbers in NHL, which in theory is better, right? But someone who's put up fourth line numbers while being unable to play like a fourth liner, the worst spot for a player to be in. Also, he was never really impressive in any level, even in Russia, just a tweener. Two out of 10.

[00:17:16]Thanks, Gary. The Boston Bruins are proud to select from Lulea, the Swedish Hockey League, Fabian Lysell. Lysell was seen as a guy with top-10 skill, but his compete level and work ethic was always brought under question. Ben Scrivens had this, but it really is a real thing when it comes to scouting and should be taken serious when drafting. And so far, all the fears have been proven right. Lysell has all the skill as shown by his AHL numbers, being good enough to at least merit an AHL stint, but can't because, well, he's a one-dimensional player who refuses to admit so. For all the faults of the Asmundsons and Baldoos who dominated junior and struggled in the pros, they've been able to at least get an AHL job because they've been able to swallow their tongue and play a bottom-six role. Lysell, though, isn't willing to and we'll soon see what Boston does with him. 2/10.

[00:18:03]>> The Minnesota Wild are proud to select Jesper Wallstedt from Lulea. The Koša pick at the time was seen as a reach, not because of Koša himself, but the goalie they passed on. Wallstedt had been seen as a potential top-10 talent, and him falling all the way the way he did was surprising. I said you need about 17-18 years to fully get a grasp on a goalie, but Wallstedt this year already has been a starter-level caliber player and was one heading into the playoffs until the Avs got to him. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. But Wallstedt being this young, already being this good, is incredible. Now, he is kind of overrated as people think he's a franchise goalie, but so far, he's a starter-level player at 23. And there is so much room for improvement where he could be a high-end starter with even more to go. If you told someone that Wallstedt at 26 would be doing what he'd be doing today, they'd be happy, let alone at 23. This is a slam-dunk pick, no doubt. 10/10. The Edmonton Oilers select from Shawinigan of the Quebec Junior League, Xavier Bourgault. The Oilers had the pick that was used on Wallstedt, then trade from that pick from the potential star level goalie to pick Xavier Bourgault. Look, I like Bourgault. I watched some film on him in the AHL, and he's a skilled player who's defensively responsible and can play a chippy game. But that's from the perspective of the Sens fan. Ottawa didn't pass up on Wallstedt for him and the guy we'll discuss next. The Oilers royally screwed up here and Holland's drafting record is legitimately a sight to behold. Jesus, it's three out 10. The Dallas Stars are proud to select from Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League, Wyatt [music] Johnston. The next guy I was talking about, Wyatt Johnston. He's probably the number one overall pick in a redraft. Already has a 45 goal season, is probably a 50-50 guy in his prime, and oh yeah, is our number one center on a cup contender.

[00:19:59]Or was a cup contender. Miko, you good?

[00:20:01]He's probably the biggest victim of the COVID pauses. He didn't play his whole draft minus one year and was scouted based off his games in 2019 according to Jim Nill. Even though at the draft he was actually seen as a reach, I can't imagine without the factor of the pauses he would go anywhere outside the top 10.

[00:20:18]In his first year after the pauses he put up 124 points in 68 games and 41 points as a 19-year-old. He's a stud.

[00:20:26]Best player in the draft and really is no one going to unseat him until Gunther takes a massive step. A stud, 10 out of 10.

[00:20:35]The Florida Panthers are proud to select from the Chicago Steel of the USHL, Mackie Samoskevich. I feel like Mackie should have taken a bigger step this year on a much bigger role with Florida with all the injuries. Issue here is a problem a lot of younger players have, not skilled enough for the top six but not gritty or physical or defensively responsible enough for the bottom six.

[00:20:55]He's a good offensive player, yes, but I don't know. Was looking for more this year. Though he's going to be a valuable bottom sixer on this Panthers team when they get healthy with his contract and ability to move up the lineup in a pinch. Also, his development isn't a priority of Florida, so that's probably why he cast Dinidis here. Fun fact, this was the Panthers last first round pick.

[00:21:14]Yes, they haven't had one for the past four drafts. Don't see them complaining much though. 6 out of 10. With the 25th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets select defenseman Carson Soulemond from Brook.

[00:21:28]>> He's the next player in this draft to not have played a game in the NHL. He doesn't really have the injury excuse that Boucher and Lucius do. He is a defensive man who hasn't shown much in the NHL to merit a bigger role in the NHL. Plus the end with the Jackets adding more defenseman this year, this was probably a miss on this pick. Though this year was a little bit of a breakout year for Soulemond in the NHL, maybe he puts it together and defenseman do take longer to develop, but for now, but now The 26th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Minnesota Wild are proud to select Carson Lambos from the Winnipeg Ice. Lambos is an example of a D-man who doesn't really know what he should be.

[00:22:07]On offensive defenseman juniors, when you get thrown the pros, either adapt or just plateau. From reports, Lambos has progressed in his defensive game and earned a game stint in the NHL. But for now, unless Lambos becomes a bottom pair guy, it's looking like an AHL lifer for a bit. 2 out of 10.

[00:22:26]From Halifax in the Quebec Major Junior League, the Nashville Predators are proud to select Zachary Lareux. One of the dirtiest players in the league who I'll give him credit has cleaned up a little bit, but man, the [ __ ] he pulled in the NHL his first year was insane.

[00:22:41]Nearly 200 penalty minutes as a rookie is crazy as a non-enforcer, but still putting up 48 points in 66 games, pretty good. There is a lot to like about him as a potential third liner, but this year was a nightmare for him with five points in 25 games after steady progression. But his PIMs were way down for his standards, which is is positive sign for the his hopes of staying in the NHL. I'm not for though cuz I really liked his game in the past. As a past, there's still hope as he's only 22 and they just locked him out for 2 more years. Probably about 10. We'd like to welcome from HV71, Sweden, Oskar Olausson. A guy who's barely half a point a game in the NHL and has four games of NHL experience, yet he gets a bust. 0 10. The New Jersey Devils are proud to select from the Sudbury Wolves, Chase Stillman. If Olausson was a bust, Stillman is a mega bust. A weird pick as even though in the year prior to COVID, he wasn't all that impressive and never reached a point a game in any junior league as a forward even as a draft plus two player. That's a telltale sign he'd never sniff the show and has had three straight years of sub 10 point seasons in the AHL. A physical player though, so good for him.

[00:23:50]0 10. From the Gatineau Olympiques of the Canadian Hockey League, the Vegas Golden Knights are proud to select Zach Dean. Vegas sold high on him to acquire Brossoit for their cup run and Dean, while having solid numbers in the QMJHL, hasn't been able to put together at all largely due to injuries as he had three straight years cut short with some injury. Probably maxes out as a fourth line player. Man, cuz his pre-COVID junior year was really solid as a 16-year-old. Damn you, coronavirus. 2 out 10.

[00:24:23]With our 31st pick overall in the entry draft, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select the Knights de London, defenseman Logan Mailloux. Ah, Logan Mailloux. What a clown show. Takes a picture of a girl while having consensual sex. I felt like people were calling this man a rapist, which he isn't, guys. But spreading a picture of the girl without her consent is, of course, against the law, so he was punished and registered as a sex offender. He tells GMs, "Do not draft me. I'm going to reevaluate my life for a bit." Marc Bergevin says, "Nope. The draft floor is stunned." The goddamn prime minister was talking about for God's sakes. It is not a big of a deal.

[00:25:01]And it wasn't like a Larry Me Tonsils situation where he fell down the giraffe board. And he was a huge talent for the pick. My you was projected to be a second round pick and this pick would have been considered a reach even if My You was goddamn Mother Teresa, let alone a sex offender. He had a solid draft plus two year but struggled in Montreal Laval where he was a player of St. Louis got back in the Bolduc trade. My You played okay on the eye test but he was horrible in analytics. But over the season improved slowly. He's a project, a lanky puck moving defenseman that reminds me of Colton Parayko of sorts.

[00:25:34]But this circus Montreal did select him was hilarious. 4 out of 10. With the 32nd overall pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft, the Chicago Blackhawks are proud to select from the Prince Albert Raider Raiders, Nolan Allan. The last pick in the first round, Nolan Allan, a strictly defensive defenseman had a great draft plus one year where people thought he could be the next Slavin with his combination of shutting down abilities mixed in with his offensive explosion in junior that year. But that year was probably a fluke and hasn't proven otherwise. He had an okay 2024 NHL season but was awful this year and didn't even get a stint in AHL two different squads with future defensive teams.

[00:26:14]3 out of 10. Well, so far you get the idea. Other than Johnson, Gunther, Wallstedt, maybe Edvinsson, there isn't really an All-Star level player in this draft. Part of that was due to this being weaker draft already even before the stoppage. A lot of that is due to this being the first draft fully impacted by COVID. A lot of players who had great draft minus two years plateaued and never recovered. However, what the stoppage did do was create some absolutely amazing draft steals later in the rounds. The second round being a crazy example. Olen Zellweger, Ryker Evans, Josh Doan, Logan Stankoven, Matthew Knies, JJ Moser, Colton Dach, and Oliver Kapanen, all NHLers with Doan, Knies, Moser, and Stankoven all being potential top 10 picks in a redraft, which is crazy to say for a second round. A lot of these guys were under-scouted due to the stoppage, so they fell like a rock. The third round was pretty quiet all things considered, but the fourth gave us the likes of Emil Lilleberg and Jackson Blake. Lilleberg being a physical stay-at-home defenseman and Blake being a top sixer on a cup favorite squad in Carolina. That doesn't include a speedy right off the go who has shown immense promise in the AHL and has 11 points in 19 career games as a defenseman. It does fall later in the draft, of course. Anything past a fifth round is a crapshoot for them, but there is NHLers like Joshua Roy, another example of a QMJHL talent discrepancy.

[00:27:31]Look at his stats. Jesus Christ. And Tyler Kozak, even the Mr. Irrelevant Nico Huuhtanen had a few years after he was drafted that was somewhat promising before plateauing. This draft was a weird one. There really wasn't a superstar player in this draft, and frankly, unless Johnson does become a 100-point player, there may not be one.

[00:27:51]But the depth in the later rounds, especially in the second round, is astonishing. Some teams had great drafts like the Kraken, Coyotes, and definitely the Stars, but some teams like the Oilers and especially the Senators had disaster drafts as they couldn't adapt to a a COVID scouting style. But another thing was how bad most of the late-round first-round picks were. From Wyatt Johnson at pick 23 all the way until pick 34 Zellweger, the best player in that group is probably Mackie Samoskevich. Teams didn't really know what to do after their top consensus kind of went away. Overall, this draft will probably be inconsequential as there wasn't a generational even superstar player, though Johnson is pretty close here. But with this being the first COVID draft, not counting 2020 as pretty much all the junior leagues had been done when COVID hit, it's a fun read to look at.

[00:28:42]But seriously, what was Ottawa smoking during this draft?