Nearly eight years have passed since the 2019 NHL Draft, held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Some players have blossomed into stars, while others have struggled to meet expectations.
Jack Hughes, to this point, is the only player from this class to establish himself early as an elite talent in the NHL. Others, like Dylan Cozens and Moritz Seider, have solidified themselves as strong contributors and talented players, but the top-end talent outside of Hughes is somewhat lacking in this class.
With the benefit of hindsight, we’re redrafting this class to see where some of the players might have ended up if the scouts had done their jobs. This edition covers picks 6-10. You can check out picks 1-5 here
6. Detroit Red Wings
Original Pick: Moritz Seider
Redraft: Thomas Harley
Harley took some time to establish himself on a deep Dallas roster after being selected 18th overall, but he has since proven to be an extremely reliable defenseman with surprising offensive ability. Originally drafted as more of a stay-at-home player, he has blossomed into a proficient scorer, recording 76 points over his last 132 games- a strong clip for a second-pairing defenseman.
7. Buffalo Sabres
Original Pick: Dylan Cozens
Redraft: Dylan Cozens
Cozens remains with the Sabres, as no better top-end players are available. With 193 points in 334 games, he’s not the flashiest scorer but provides reliable two-way play- something every team needs for a deep playoff run, though the Sabres haven’t actually been a relevant playoff team.
8. Edmonton Oilers
Original Pick: Philip Broberg
Redraft: Matias Maccelli
Originally snagged by the Coyotes- now the Utah Hockey Club- with the 98th overall pick, Maccelli moves up to be taken by the Oilers. I’d like to think he’d be on a line with McJesus because why the hell not. With 130 points in 221 games on a struggling Utah team, he’d probably be over 200 points by now if he played alongside McDavid and Draisaitl.
Honorable Mention – Dustin Wolf:
I’m not sure Wolf gets taken inside the top 10 simply because of how goalies are valued and the fact that he’s only now playing his first full season (Calder front-runner, perhaps?). However, based on talent alone, Wolf could easily make this list. I’d place him with the Oilers, considering their goaltending situation is dire with Jeff Skinner.
9. Anaheim Ducks
Original Pick: Trevor Zegras
Redraft: Trevor Zegras
Zegras is an exciting but polarizing player. He burst onto the scene with a 61-point rookie campaign, followed by a 65-point season. Since then, injuries have become an issue, and while he doesn’t do a lot of things exceptionally well beyond scoring, his production has dipped in recent seasons. There’s still plenty of story left to be written for Zegras, but it’s now on him to break out of his senior-year slump and help get Anaheim back on track.
10. Vancouver Canucks
Original Pick: Vasili Podkolzin
Redraft: Kaapo Kakko
Kakko has been labeled a bust by many after being taken second overall by the Rangers. While he’s certainly not a world-class player, “bust” isn’t quite the right term. I’m not sure he’ll ever be more than a very solid bottom-six center, but that’s still a respectable career in today’s NHL- just not what you’d expect from a second overall pick. He could be a valuable piece for a team looking to win now, providing stability down the middle- something Vancouver could use.