With the first day of the 2018 NHL Draft in the books, there is still a lot of high-end talent available to teams. After a first round that saw a ton of surprises, there are going to be some teams that are ecstatic to see the names that are left on the board when things get under way Saturday morning.
Here is a look at some of the top players that are still availible to be picked during day two of the draft.
Jonatan Berggren - F - Skelleftea AIK - a late surge during the sprink put Berggren into the conversation for the first round. The talanted forward could end up being a steal in the second round.
Calen Addison - D - Lethbridge, WHL - There are some that beleive Addison isn’t far off from Ty Smith who was drafted 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils. Addison is a great skating puck mover that has had his defensive capabilities underestimated because of his size.
Serron Noel - W - Oshawa, OHL - Noel is a long term project. Most team obviously saw him as too big a risk to take with their first pick. In the early second round, someone will grab him and watch him develop into an impactful power forward.
Jack McBain - C - Toronto Jr Canadiens, OJHL - In a first round that saw centers getting drafted a lot higher than many expected, it’s a little surprising that McBain didn’t hear his name called. McBain is big and skilled, but there is a big question about the strength of his competition.
Bode Wilde - D - USNTDP, U18 - Wilde has top-15 talent, but lacks the on-ice awareness to be a lock for the NHL. He’s definitely worth a risk in the early second round.
Ryan McLeod - C - Mississauga, OHL - This one is really surprising. McLeod is one of the fastest skaters in the draft and while his numbers don’t leap off the page at you, he’s a guy that has the floor of a middle-6 NHLer.
Jonny Tychonick - D - Penticton, BCHL - The left-handed Cale Makar, Tychonick is a guy that played against lesser competition this season, but has the puck skills to be a high-end offensive defenseman prospect.
Jett Woo - D - Moose Jaw, WHL - A first rounder based on his name alone.
Akil Thomas - C - Niagara Ice Dogs - A lot of people are surprised by this - I’m not. Thomas plays a game that is very successful in junior hockey but that won’t necessarily translate to the NHL. That said, he’ll be worth the risk outside of the top-50.
After moving their own second rounder- 47th overall - to acquire Philipp Grubaer, the Avalanche will pick again at number 58 with the pick they acquired from Nashville in the Matt Duchene trade. After that, the team has five more picks as things sit now.
Let’s hope Day 2 is as wild as Friday night was.