46. Montreal Canadians – Mikko Kokkonen | D, Jukurit (Liiga) – After a fantastic start to the season, Kokkonen cooled down quite a bit. Regardless, Kokonen is a well-balanced defenseman with some offensive upside that has a full year of pro hockey with Liiga under his belt. He’d be a very good gamble to take in the mid-2nd round for any team. – Drew

47. Colorado Avalanche – Ryan Johnson | D, Sioux City (USHL) – Johnson is a strong skater that is strong in both ends of the ice. Due to his strong skating ability and footwork, he is able to escape from forecheckers in his own end. Going to the University of Minnesota this fall, he will need 2 to 3 years to develop and could end up being a strong 2nd pairing guy for Colorado. – George

48. Vegas Golden Knights – Vladislav Kolyachonok | D, Flint (OHL) – The first Belarusian off the board, Kolyachonok is a young and raw defenseman with fantastic skating ability and a skillset that can translate to him being a two-way defender at the pro level. If he puts it all together, he could be looked at as a steal here for the Golden Knights – Drew

49. New York Rangers – Simon Holmström | RW, HV71 J20 (SuperElit) – A prospect with 1st round talent but due to an injury filled season, he didn’t play much this season. Holmstrom is an excellent playmaker and also has a strong shot from the wing. He has top 6 potential and at 49th overall, he could be a steal. – George

I will be over-the-moon happy if the Rangers land Simon Holmström at 49, a player I personally have ranked on my 5th tier and 30th overall. He’s a highly talented Swedish winger who this time last year was widely considered a no-brainer first round talent, but three injuries—hip surgery, torn thumb ligament and concussion—have caused his stock to drop a lot. He’s talented enough where I won’t be upset if the Rangers swing for the fences and take him at 20, but at 49 his talent is too great to pass up, despite the injury risk. He is a smooth skater and strong playmaker who can also put the puck in the net himself, possessing a quick release and accurate shot. He has a good motor and is a capable defender, and I believe he will translate into a strong two-way player at the NHL level. – Drew

I love the pick George made for the Rangers at 49, Simon Holmstrom. He was garnering first round consideration earlier this season but dealt with some injuries this season which caused him to slip. He’s a good skater with creative playmaking ability and has clear top-6 upside if he can remain healthy. However, a hip injury at such a young age might scare the Rangers and other teams off. I’d probably make the same pick. – Rich

50. Montreal Canadians – Domenick Fensore | D, U.S. National U18 Team (USDP) – Domenick Fensore is perhaps the most underrated defenseman on the NTDP. He’s a diminutive (5’7) offensive defenseman — I have even seen some call him Quinn Hughes life. He needs to bulk up and work on some of his defensive deficiencies, but there is some great upside with Fensore. If I was Bergervin and Montreal came away with this haul of Dorofeyev and Fensore, there would be some euphoric feelings flowing through me. – Rich

51. Winnipeg Jets – John Beecher | C, U.S. National U18 Team (USDP) – Beecher is a guy that admittedly I originally thought was all size and grit and not enough talent. However, the more I watched him and dug into some of his transition and shot generation data, the more I realized his relative lack of standard production had more to do with his role than ability, and that there is ample ability there to supplement his size and physicality. – Drew

52. Florida Panthers – Daniil Misyul | D, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) – Daniil Misyul isn’t talked about as much as other defenseman in the draft due to being an October 2000 birthday, but he’s fits the prototypical mold that teams look for in defenseman. He’s a mobile defenseman with size but needs to improve in most of the other aspects of his game. Florida gets him as the best player available on my board and he immediately becomes the top defensive prospect in their system. – Rich

53. Toronto Maple Leafs – Matvei Guskov | C, London (OHL) – Plays a hard-nose game with a strong forecheck and strong in the defensive zone. Guskov will need a few years in London to improve his game and get stronger but he could end up being the 3C for Toronto behind the Matthews and Tavares. – George

54. Detroit Red Wings – Albert Johansson | D, Färjestad (SHL) – Johansson has been among the larger risers on my rankings, and the more I see of him the more I love him. At 54 the Red Wings would be getting a high-upside, athletic and aggressive defenseman who is a very strong skater and possesses great hands. Drew

55. New Jersey Devils – Alex Beaucage | RW, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) – In my opinion, the Devils grabbing Alex Beaucage at 55 could be a steal if he can improve his skating. He’s a high IQ player with a good shot and has playmaking ability, but his skating holds him back from being a player in consideration any higher than this. If he can improve his speed, agility, and edgework, the Devils could be looking like geniuses with this pick. – Rich

56. Washington Capitals – Ilya Nikolayev | Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) – Well-rounded center that plays a solid 2-way game. A big riser in this year’s rankings (had him in the 90’s mid-season), consistency is the only issue with him and once he figures that out, he could be a solid player for the Capitals. – George

57. New York Islanders – Marshall Warren | D, U.S. National U18 Team (USDP) – Despite me having the Isles take Cam York at 23, I have them going with another USNTDP defenseman at 57 because I believe the value is too good to pass up. Warren is a gifted skater and puck mover who routinely drives possession for his team. – Drew

58. New York Rangers – Shane Pinto | LW/RW, Tri-City (USHL) – Shane Pinto is admittedly one of “my guys” in this draft, which means he’s almost surely going to get taken by the Devils or Islanders, but I have him going to the Rangers. The Nassau County native is a consistent scorer who has a relatively high skill level and can score in more ways than one — either scoring the goals or setting them up. He’s pretty raw and will need time to develop in the NCAA, but I think he will become an effective middle-6 scoring forward. – Rich

Pinto would be a fine pick here for the Rangers at 58, and I agree with Rich’s assessment of him. While Pinto didn’t make it into my top-62, I have him on my 7th tier, which extends from 51 all the way through 80. The highest guy I had left on my board here was Jordan Spence, so he would’ve been my selection for the Rangers, especially after going with two wingers at 2 (Kakko) and 49 (Holmström). Spence made an appearance in one of the Rangers’ draft videos, so we know he’s on their radar—and for good reason. He possesses a great combination of vision and puck skills that allowed him to effectively QB the powerplay for Moncton, which helped him comfortably lead all QMJHL first-year draft-eligible defensemen in primary points by a comfortable margin, with 32 in 68 games. He also is good in transition and smart and responsible in his own zone, and I believe he can develop into a reliable two-way player at the NHL level. – Drew

59. Carolina Hurricanes – Nolan Foote | LW, Kelowna (WHL) – Had the potential to be a 1st round pick earlier this season but his stock continued to fall after a 19 goal season as a 16 year old. There’s questions about his struggle this year with a late birthday and being a bit older than the competition as well as his skating. Still has the talent but consistency is an issue. – George

60. Detroit Red Wings – Jordan Spence | D, Moncton (QMJHL) – As I just stated when giving my two cents on the Rangers pick of Pinto at 58, I think Jordan Spence is a gifted defenseman with the skills to play and two-way game and QB a powerplay at the NHL level if he develops properly. – Drew

61. New Jersey Devils – Lucas Feuk | C/W, Södertälje SK J20 (SuperElit) – The Devils use the third of their three second round picks on Lucas Feuk, a Swedish playmaking center who isn’t afraid to play physical. He posted great numbers in the SuperElit and even got some time in Allsvenskan this season. Needs to fill out the rest of his game (like almost every prospect drafted past the top-10) but there is some solid upside with Feuk. One of my favorite sleepers in the draft. – Rich

62. St. Louis Blues – Alex Vlasic | D, U.S. National U18 Team (USDP) – Isn’t a “flashy” defenseman but he gets the job done. Will be a solid add to the Blues prospect pool on the back end. Will need a few years to develop and will do so at Boston University. Plays a lot like his cousin, Marc-Edouard Vlasic in that he’s stronger in the defensive end. – George