[Cheese]

At 14 Pittsburgh picked one of the best names in the draft, Rutger McGroarty LW. A solid young man with slick hands and a heavy shot. Has good size and competes hard. Potential top-six scorer at the NHL level.

At 15 we were very pleased to get Denton Mateychuk. Mobile two-way defender with good puck moving ability. Not a flashy player but a smart one who could develop into a top-four defenceman at the NHL level.

With our 3rd pick at 20 we picked Jiri Kulich who projects to be Solid two-way center with good size and skating ability. Makes good reads in the offensive zone and had great smarts.

With our 4th pick of the first round at 24 we were really excited to add to our stable of defensemen by selecting 6-5 dman Liam Bichsel.
Massive, smooth-skating blue-liner with polished defensive habits. Offensive tools need some work but could easily become a top-four defensive defenseman.

With our first pick of the second round we finally took the dman that Jiri Hrdina suggested I take at pick 14, Owen Pickering. Another 6-5 dman that I was impressed with at the top prospects game. Mobile defender with great size and good offensive instincts. A bit of a project but has upside as a top-four defenceman at the NHL level.

The guy I really wanted in this draft that was climbing up the rankings was another 6-5 dman, Noah Warren. At 32 I was happy to pick him up. I watched him play 3 times this year and each time he dominated play on the back end. At the top prospects game he took to top pick Shane Wright out of the game with a couple of very solid hits.

At 38 I grabbed another D. Elias Salmonsson, a big 6-1 toolsy defender with a big shot and solid physical game. Needs to refine his play away from the puck and improve his decision making but possesses good potential.

At pick 65 I picked RW Cruz Lucius. He fell down draft boards because of injury, but of healthy he could have easily been a late first or second round pick. Lucius has an impressive offensive skill set. Many label him a playmaker who can create chances and dish the puck. However, his goal-scoring ability cannot be overlooked. He has a good set of hands and a lethal shot.

At 75 I grabbed Matthew Poitras from under Jiri Hrdinas fingertips. Just kidding, he was next on my list, and projects as a hard-working two-way forward with the skill to capitalize on opposing mistakes. Already displays a lot of pro-level habits and projects as a reliable NHL forward with secondary scoring ability.

Overall a solid draft where I looked to work on my defensive prospects and came away pretty successful. Will see how it plays out in the NHL draft.