This guy will be the draft wildcard that could go anywhere in the top 10, or even drop down a few spots.
ISS has him at #2; the best forward in the draft. Any other mock drafts or scouting reports have him in the 5-8 range; all citing the uncertainty over his KHL future as the only reason he's not top 2.
On draft day the Nichushkin Factor is going to determine so many aspects of the draft. It will influence which prospect falls to us, especially if we end up picking in that 5-8 range. If someone takes him early it means a Barkov, Mackinnon or Drouin could fall as low as #5. If he's still on the board some teams with assets to burn might be keen to move up to take him, possibly offering us a good package to move down in the draft. If all the top 7 picks are gone by the time we pick do we take the risk and pick him? If we get a decent player with our earlier pick, but he falls to the St Louis pick does the risk seem less pronounced?
I would pick him in the following scenarios:
->We end up picking #8 & all of Jones, Mackinnon, Drouin, Barkov, Monahan, Lindholm & Nurse are taken. I might be tempted to select him ahead of Nurse as well.
->We get one of the aforementioned big 7 prospects & he drops to the St Louis pick. The risk is nullified by the acquisition of a low-risk player with the earlier pick. Makes the gamble less of a disaster by having one good player already in the bag.
->We can come to some agreement, pre-draft, with his Russian club & him & bring him over right away. Even still I think I would prefer Mackinnon, Barkov & maybe Lindholm.
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