[TheScorpion]

OK here's a look at my other guys:

71. LJ Mooney — Logan Cooley's younger, much shorter cousin. Was quite productive with the USNTDP this season but in a normal year would likely go VERY late (as in, Rounds 4-6 late) because he's generously 5'7". Wouldn't normally pick a guy this short but this year's draft is not particularly deep at all and I felt the upside play was worth it here.

78. Drew Schock — Played a bigger role than expected at the USNTDP after Carter Amico suffered an injury and ended up leading the team in points by a defenceman. Not big, but he's going to Michigan next year and could be a solid second-pairing guy there to start. Wouldn't, uh, Schock me to see him take a big step forward next year.

85. Reese Hamilton — Looked like a future first-round pick as a 16-year-old. Very much did not this past year. In most drafts, that'd probably mean he'd be destined for the very latest rounds (like Cam Allen in 2023). This year, well, there aren't enough other guys with the skill to push Hamilton lower than Round 3 or 4 in the NHL, IMO.

98. Cooper Simpson — Had debated between Simpson and Mason Moe here and San Jose made that choice easier with the previous pick. Simpson is a bigger guy who scored an absolute boatload in the MN High School ranks this year before joining USHL Tri-City and scoring a whole bunch there, too.

111. Aidan Lane — Another guy I considered at 98 and was happy to take 13 picks later. Lane is a Harvard commit and a classic St. Andrew's College grad. Played a bit in the OHL this year, too, and did reasonably well there. I suspect he'll be picked higher than where I got him.

Overall pretty satisfied with my crop this year and hoping I got 3-4 first-round NHL prospects and maybe that many second-rounders, too. We'll see.