Kimelman's Draft

1. Aaron Ekblad, D, Barrie (OHL) Big defenseman has NHL size (6-foot-3, 213 pounds), and game and maturity make him most NHL-ready prospect available.

2. Sam Reinhart, C, Kootenay (WHL) Off-the-charts hockey IQ makes him strong foundation for Sabres to set their rebuilding efforts around.

3. Leon Draisaitl, C, Prince Albert (WHL) Size up the middle is needed desperately, and the 6-1, 208-pound German-born center would be a good fit.

4. Samuel Bennett, C, Kingston (OHL) Feisty two-way center will make a nice complement to 2013 first-round pick Sean Monahan.

5. Michael Dal Colle, LW, Oshawa (OHL) Power forward another strong piece to put around captain John Tavares. Showcased skills with 39 goals and 95 points in 67 games.

6. Jake Virtanen, LW, Calgary (WHL) Power forward with great speed had 45 goals in 71 games. Offseason shoulder surgery shouldn't be something that plagues him long-term.

7. Jared McCann, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) Smart, skilled center would give Hurricanes great depth down the middle.

8. Nicholas Ritchie, LW, Peterborough (OHL) Defense might be area of more immediate need, but passing on this big, talented power forward would be too tough.

9. Kasperi Kapanen, RW, KalPa (FIN) Shoulder issues part of what Kapanen called a season he'd like to forget, but scouts saw enough to know how skilled a power forward he can be.

10. (From OTT) Brendan Perlini, LW, Niagara (OHL) Ducks add another talented power forward to their strong pipeline of front-line talent; had 34 goals and 71 points in 58 games.

11. William Nylander, RW, Sodertalje (SWE-2) Smart, crafty playmaker knows how to put the puck in the net; will need time to get bigger and stronger but likely will be worth the wait.

12. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Halifax (QMJHL) Danish-born forward showcased electric skills in his first season in North America, with 49 goals and 104 points in 63 games.

13. Haydn Fleury, D, Red Deer (WHL) Big, strong defender (6-2, 208) has talented offensive game. Has the look of a cornerstone defenseman.

14. Julius Honka, D, Swift Current (WHL) The Finn made his first season in North America a special one, showcasing his offensive gifts with 16 goals and 56 points in 62 games.

15. Jack Dougherty, D, USA U-18 (USHL) Red Wings have added youth and skill to their forward group the past few years; now is the time to focus on smart, skilled defensemen.

16. Roland McKeown, D, Kingston (OHL) Big and strong (6-foot, 195), with an outstanding shot from the point; he trains with Gary Roberts, so there's no questioning his conditioning.

17. Alex Tuch, C/RW, USA U-18 (USHL) Power forward fits the Flyers' mold: He's big (6-4, 213), skilled (29 goals, 63 points in 61 games) and can play a physical game.

18. Thatcher Demko, G, Boston College (H-EAST) The best goaltender in the draft fills a big organizational need; excelled in freshman college season despite being youngest player in NCAA hockey (turns 19 Dec. 8); likely U.S. starter at 2015 World Juniors.

19. Sonny Milano, LW, USA U-18 (USHL) Talented but feisty forward will take his developing game to Boston College; had 29 goals and 87 points in 58 games.

20. Dylan Larkin, C, USNTDP (USHL) Skilled center more than willing to go into the dirty areas of the ice to battle for pucks; will spend some time at the University of Michigan developing his game.

21. Nikita Scherbak, LW, Saskatoon (WHL) Versatile forward had an outstanding first North American season with 28 goals and 78 points in 65 games.

22. Joshua Ho-Sang, C/RW, Windsor (OHL) Penguins need skilled forwards to play alongside their talented centers, and there are few with better offensive games than this 5-11, 175-pound player.

23. Anthony DeAngelo, D, Sarnia (OHL) At 5-10, 170 pounds he'll never be the biggest player on the ice, but with his high-end offensive game, it won't matter.

24. Ryan MacInnis, C, Kitchener (OHL) After nice first season in OHL, the 6-3, 185-pound forward only needs to continue getting stronger to take his game to the next level.

25. Adrian Kempe, RW, Modo Jr. (SWE-JR) Power forward is a straight-line player who knows how to get to the net. Also knows how to play in the defensive zone and is a useful penalty killer.

26. Nikolay Goldobin, RW, Sarnia (OHL) His size (5-9, 178) certainly wasn't an issue this season while he was piling up 38 goals and 94 points in 67 games.

27. Robert Fabbri, C, Guelph (OHL) Got better as season went on, winning OHL playoff MVP and helping team reach Memorial Cup; scouts certainly liked what they saw.

28. (From NYR) Ivan Barbashev, LW, Moncton (QMJHL) Good playmaker with quick hands allowed him to total 25 goals and 68 points in 48 games; gained experience helping Russia win bronze medal at 2014 World Juniors.

29. Jakub Vrana, C, Linkoping (SWE-2) Creative, skilled, Czech-born center was a point-per-game player in Swedish junior league and looked good in his time at the top level.

30. Brendan Lemieux, LW, Barrie (OHL) He patterns his game after his father, Claude Lemieux, who did pretty well in his time with the Devils.

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