Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Best of rest of the 2020 NHL Draft: Potential gems for Day 2

TOlW1Xq5FUl8
The Rangers make Alexis Lafreniere the first overall selection in the draft and he is expected to have an immediate impact in New York.

Even if prospects didn’t get to meet and greet with the teams that picked them, we still got plenty of hugs, some confetti, and plenty of confused looks during the 2020 NHL Draft. So what do we have to look forward to as the best of the rest of the 2020 NHL Draft?

(Absolutely thinking of the Blue Jackets going way off the board selecting Yegor Chinakhov at 21st overall for that “confused looks” part.)

With 31 picks down, are there other gems waiting to be nabbed? Well, judging by how often NHL teams unearth talent later in the draft, or even outside of it, the answer is a combined “almost certainly” and “there’s a good chance we don’t know who the best player still available actually is.”

(Really, Jarmo Kekalainen could get the last laugh on us if Chinakhov ends up being his next Pierre-Luc Dubois-type steal.)

The best we can do is to make educated guesses, though. Let’s consider “the best of the rest” of the 2020 NHL Draft, available from rounds 2-7.

Best of the rest of the 2020 NHL Draft: Possible gems on Day 2

Habs Eyes on the Prize put together “consensus” rankings for the top picks of the 2020 NHL Draft. While other sites have done this too, their list is also the friendliest on the eyes, which seems fitting considering the blog title.

Anyway, Habs Eyes on the Prize compiled 12 lists, from The Athletic’s Corey Pronman to TSN’s Bob McKenzie to Chris Peters of ESPN. Here are some players who maybe hoped they could have been selected in the first round, and others who could provide great value in the early second (and possibly beyond).

In case you’re wondering, Chinakov ranked 164th. To add some variety and context, their rankings according to NHL Central Scouting will also be included on this list.

Noel Gunler, RW, ranked 23rd on EOTP’s consensus list. Sixth-ranked European player via NHL Central Scouting.
Jan Mysak, C, 25th on EOTP; (28th North American skater, via NHL CS.)
John-Jason Peterka, RW, 26th on EOTP. (7th European, via NHL CS.)
William Wallinder, D, 29th on EOTP. (14th European, via NHL CS.)
Thomas Bordeleau, C, 30th on EOTP. (29th NA, via NHL CS.)
Helge Grans, D, 31st on EOTP (6th Euro.)
Jeremie Poirier, D, 32nd on EOTP (16th NA.)
Ryan O’Rourke, D, 33rd on EOTP (27th NA).
Marat Khusnutdinov, C, 35th on EOTP (12th Euro.)
Topi Niemela, D, 37th on EOTP (8th Euro).
Roni Hirvonen, C, 38th on EOTP (10th Euro).
Emil Andrae, D, 39th on EOTP (15th Euro).

Teams may also search for beef, and find it. One name that sticks out in that regard is Jack Finley, a 6-foot-6 center (83rd on EOTP; 38th NA). But there are other options for bigger players as the 2020 NHL Draft goes on.

2020 NHL Draft Order, rounds 2-7

Round 2

32. Detroit Red Wings
33. Ottawa Senators
34. San Jose Sharks
35. Los Angeles Kings
36. Anaheim Ducks
37. Nashville Predators (from NJ)
38. Buffalo Sabres
39. Minnesota Wild
40. Winnipeg Jets
41. Carolina Hurricanes (from NYR)
42. Nashville Predators
43. Florida Panthers
44. Toronto Maple Leafs
45. Detroit Red Wings (from EDM)
46. Chicago Blackhawks (from PIT via VGK)
47. Montreal Canadiens
48. Montreal Canadiens (from CHI)
49. No selection (Originally Arizona Coyotes*)
50. Calgary Flames
51. Los Angeles Kings (from VAN)
52. Ottawa Senators (from CBJ)
53. Carolina Hurricanes
54. Philadelphia Flyers
55. Detroit Red Wings (from WSH)
56. San Jose Sharks (from COL via WSH)
57. Montreal Canadiens (from STL)
58. Boston Bruins
59. Ottawa Senators (from NYI)
60. Los Angeles Kings (from VGK)
61. Ottawa Senators (from DAL via VGK)
62. Tampa Bay Lightning

*Coyotes forfeit pick No. 49 due to punishment for violating NHL pre-combine testing rules.

Round 3

63. Detroit Red Wings
64. Ottawa Senators
65. Detroit Red Wings (from SJ)
66. Los Angeles Kings
67. Anaheim Ducks
68. Vegas Golden Knights (from NJ)
69. Carolina Hurricanes (from BUF)
70. Nashville Predators (from MIN)
71. Ottawa Senators (from WPG)
72. Calgary Flames (from NYR)
73. Nashville Predators
74. Florida Panthers
75. Colorado Avalanche (from TOR)
76. Edmonton Oilers++
77. Pittsburgh Penguins
78. Columbus Blue Jackets (from MTL)
79. Chicago Blackhawks
80. Calgary Flames (from WSH via ARI via COL)
81. Calgary Flames+++
82. Vancouver Canucks
83. Los Angeles Kings (from CBJ via OTT via TOR)
84. New Jersey Devils (from CAR)
85. Tampa Bay Lightning (from PHI via SJ)
86. St. Louis Blues (from WSH via MTL)
87. Florida Panthers (from COL)
88. St. Louis Blues
89. Boston Bruins
90. New York Islanders
91. Vegas Golden Knights
92. New York Rangers (from DAL)
93. Tampa Bay Lightning

++ Oilers have yet to announce whether they will give their 2020 or 2021 third-round pick to the Flames as part of the James Neal trade. If they give up the 2020 choice, the Blackhawks will get No. 76 as part of the Erik Gustafsson trades. If they give up their 2021 pick, the Blackhawks will get the No. 81 pick from the Flames.

+++ If Calgary does not receive Edmonton’s 2020 third-round pick, they will send their own 2020 third-round pick to the Blackhawks.

Round 4

94. Tampa Bay Lightning (from DET)
95. Florida Panthers *(from OTT)
96. Calgary Flames (from SJ vis MTL via BUF)
97. Los Angeles Kings
98. Montreal Canadiens (from ANA)
99. New Jersey Devils
100. Buffalo Sabres
101. Minnesota Wild
102. Montreal Canadiens (from WPG)
103. New York Rangers
104. Anaheim Ducks (from NSH via PHI)
105. Florida Panthers
106. Toronto Maple Leafs
107. Detroit Red Wings (from EDM)
108. Pittsburgh Penguins
109. Montreal Canadiens
110. Chicago Blackhawks
111. Arizona Coyotes
112. Los Angeles Kings (from CGY)
113. Vancouver Canucks
114. Columbus Blue Jackets
115. Carolina Hurricanes
116. Philadelphia Flyers
117. Washington Capitals
118. Colorado Avalanche
119. St. Louis Blues
120. New Jersey Devils (from BOS)
121. New York Islanders
122. Toronto Maple Leafs (from VGK)
123. Dallas Stars
124. Tampa Bay Lightning

Round 5

125. Detroit Red Wings
126. San Jose Sharks (from OTT)
127. San Jose Sharks
128. Los Angeles Kings
129. Anaheim Ducks
130. New Jersey Devils
131. Buffalo Sabres
132. Minnesota Wild
133. Winnipeg Jets
134. New York Rangers
135. Nashville Predators
136. Montreal Canadiens (from FLA)
137. Florida Panthers (from TOR)
138. Edmonton Oilers
139. Pittsburgh Penguins
140. Carolina Hurricanes (from MTL)
141. Chicago Blackhawks
142. Arizona Coyotes
143. Calgary Flames
144. Vancouver Canucks
145. Columbus Blue Jackets
146. St. Louis Blues (from CAR)
147. Philadelphia Flyers
148. Washington Capitals
149. Colorado Avalanche
150. St. Louis Blues
151. Boston Bruins
152. New York Islanders
153. Toronto Maple Leafs (from VGK)
154. Dallas Stars
155. Ottawa Senators (from TB)

Round 6

156. Detroit Red Wings
157. Tampa Bay Lightning (from OTT)
158. Ottawa Senators (from SJ)
159. Los Angeles Kings
160. Anaheim Ducks
161. New Jersey Devils
162. Dallas Stars (from BUF via CAR via FLA)
163. Minnesota Wild
164. Winnipeg Jets
165. New York Rangers
166. Nashville Predators
167. Colorado Avalanche (from FLA)
168. Toronto Maple Leafs
169. Edmonton Oilers
170. Pittsburgh Penguins
171. Montreal Canadiens
172. Chicago Blackhawks
173. Arizona Coyotes
174. Calgary Flames
175. Vancouver Canucks
176. Columbus Blue Jackets
177. Toronto Maple Leafs (from CAR)
178. Philadelphia Flyers
179. Washington Capitals
180. Toronto Maple Leafs (from COL)
181. Ottawa Senators (from STL via EDM)
182. Boston Bruins
183. New York Islanders
184. Vegas Golden Knights
185. Dallas Stars
186. Tampa Bay Lightning

Round 7

187. Detroit Red Wings
188. Montreal Canadiens (from OTT)
189. Toronto Maple Leafs (from SJ)
190. Los Angeles Kings
191. Vancouver Canucks (from ANA)
192. New Jersey Devils
193. Buffalo Sabres
194. Minnesota Wild
195. Toronto Maple Leafs (from WPG via MIN)
196. New York Rangers
197. New York Rangers (from NSH)
198. Florida Panthers
199. Carolina Hurricanes (from TOR)
200. Edmonton Oilers
201. San Jose Sharks (from PIT)
202. Philadelphia Flyers (from MTL)
203. St. Louis Blues (from CHI via MTL)
204. Arizona Coyotes
205. Calgary Flames
206. New York Rangers (from VAN)
207. Columbus Blue Jackets
208. Carolina Hurricanes
209. Philadelphia Flyers
210. San Jose Sharks (from WSH)
211. Colorado Avalanche
212. Toronto Maple Leafs (from STL)
213. Boston Bruins
214. New York Islanders
215. Vegas Golden Knights
216. Buffalo Sabres (from DAL)
217. Tampa Bay Lightning