Re-drafting the NHL class of 2019: Moritz Seider and Trevor Zegras move up

Publish date: 2024-06-05

Today we look at the 2019 NHL Draft and how the ordering of the players has changed in the three years since.

Evaluations are based mostly on prior seasons, so any new information from NHL training camps or the first few weeks of the season in other leagues has not been incorporated unless it was overwhelming.

For players to be eligible for this article, they had to have been drafted, and drafted during the 2019 NHL draft.

Note: This exercise isn’t intended to be a mock draft. Rather, this is my personal take on how the ordering of players from this draft class has shifted.

TIER 1: Projected bubble elite NHL players and NHL All-Stars

1. Jack Hughes, C (No. 1 pick)
2. Moritz Seider, RHD (No. 6 pick)
3. Trevor Zegras, C (No. 9 pick)

I would be surprised if there was much debate in our comments about these three players being the clear cream of the crop from this draft class. Hughes, Seider and Zegras have all emerged as legitimate NHL stars who are foundational parts of their respective clubs’ futures. Although other players may give him a run for his money, Hughes has a very good chance to be the best player from this draft after being the first overall pick in 2019.

TIER 2: Projected bubble NHL All-Stars and top-of-the-lineup players

4. Dylan Cozens, C (No. 7 pick)
5. Bowen Byram, LHD (No. 4 pick)

Byram is a player emerging into a star in the NHL. When he’s been healthy he’s looked very impressive and was a big part of Colorado’s team in their Stanley Cup run. Cozens being this high, I admit, is a lot of projection and not based on what he’s done in the NHL to date. I see so much to his toolkit and such a rich track record of success, most recently being when he was one of the best players at the World Championships. I think he’s going to be a big-time player eventually.

TIER 3: Projected top-of-the-lineup players or top-tier starting goaltender

6. Matt Boldy, LW (No. 12 pick)
7. Cole Caufield, RW (No. 15 pick)
8. Arthur Kaliyev, RW (No. 33 pick)
9. Spencer Knight, G (No. 13 pick)
10. Kirby Dach, C (No. 3 pick)
11. Peyton Krebs, C (No. 17 pick)

Arthur Kaliyev is the biggest mover from his draft slot, after he went early in the second round following concerns over his skating and compete level. He’s been very good as a pro. He hasn’t truly excelled in the NHL yet, but he’s looked like he’s belonged, and given how smart a player he is to go with a high-end shot I think he’ll be a very good player in the league. Matt Boldy and Cole Caufield were also criticized for their skating in their draft years, and Cole for his size, but both have turned into players who help their clubs win games already.

TIER 4: Projected bubble top and middle-of-the-lineup players

12. Kaapo Kakko, RW (No. 2 pick)
13. Vasili Podkolzin, RW (No. 10 pick)
14. Philip Tomasino, RW (No. 24 pick)
15. Thomas Harley, LHD (No. 18 pick)
16. Alex Newhook, C (No. 16 pick)
17. Shane Pinto, C (No. 32 pick)

Shane Pinto is the only non-first-round pick represented in this tier. When healthy, he’s looked like a highly skilled and competitive center who, despite not being overly quick, looks like he should have a long and successful NHL career. Kaapo Kakko, the second overall pick from the draft being represented here will, I’m sure, be a point of contention. Could you reasonably argue him higher? Sure. I see a very skilled winger with size who can play a power or finesse game successfully. With his skating the debate has become about how much offense he can generate. If he had a big season it wouldn’t shock me though.

Tomasino and Harley being listed here is more projection than what they’re doing currently as both got sent to the AHL out of camp. I think both have unique toolkits that with time should lead to them becoming important players for their teams.

TIER 5: Projected middle-of-the-lineup players or starting goaltender

18. Philip Broberg, LHD (No, 8 pick)
19. Elmer Soderblom, LW (No. 159 pick)
20. Cam York, LHD (No. 14 pick)
21. Jakob Pelletier, LW (No. 26 pick)
22. Nolan Foote, LW (No. 27 pick)
23. Nils Hoglander, LW (No. 40 pick)
24. Connor McMichael, C (No. 25 pick)
25. Zac Jones, LHD (No. 68 pick)
26. Dustin Wolf, G (No. 214 pick)
27. Drew Helleson, RHD (No. 47 pick)
28. Ville Heinola, LHD (No. 20 pick)
29. Alex Turcotte, C (No. 5 pick)
30. Dmitri Voronkov, LW (No. 114 pick)
31. Nicholas Robertson, LW (No. 53 pick)
32. Victor Soderstrom, RHD (No. 11 pick)
33. Samuel Fagemo, RW (No. 50 pick)
34. Jordan Spence, RHD (No. 95 pick)
35. Ryan Johnson, LHD (No. 31 pick)

This group sees a lot of shakeup from draft day. There are two late-round picks in Elmer Soderblom, a giant winger, and Dustin Wolf, a smaller goaltender represented after having big 2021-22 seasons versus men. Soderblom will need to prove he can move with NHL players and Wolf that he can stop NHL shooters, but they’re both trending in a very positive direction. Zac Jones and Drew Helleson are two defensemen also who have developed well since their draft day. Jones is a highly mobile and intelligent defenseman who lacks size and who has continued to get better every year. Helleson is a more stereotypical top defense prospect with size, mobility and secondary offense that I think will translate.

Philip Broberg is the player in this tier who I seriously debated elevating into a higher group. He’s such an elite athlete and had a strong season in Bakersfield. If his offensive game is even average in the NHL he could be an excellent defenseman.

TIER 6: Projected to play NHL games

36. Aliaksei Protas, C (No. 91 pick)
37. Ronnie Attard, RHD (No. 72 pick)
38. Juuso Parssinen, C (No. 210 pick)
39. Arseny Gritsyuk, LW (No. 129 pick)
40. Tobias Bjornfot, LHD (No. 22 pick)
41. Mark Kastelic, C (No. 125 pick)
42. John Beecher, C (No. 30 pick)
43. Jackson LaCombe, LHD (No. 39 pick)
44. Kaedan Korczak, RHD (No. 41 pick)
45. Alex Vlasic, LHD (No. 43 pick)
46. Lassi Thomson, RHD (No. 19 pick)
47. Albert Johansson, LHD (No. 60 pick)
48. Matthew Robertson, LHD (No. 49 pick)
49. Brett Leason, RW (N0. 56 pick)
50. Mads Sogaard, G (No. 37 pick)
51. Matias Maccelli, LW (No. 98 pick)
52. Mattias Norlinder, LHD (No. 64 pick)
53. Bobby Brink, RW (No. 34 pick)
54. Samuel Poulin, C (No. 21 pick)
55. Adam Beckman, LW (No. 75 pick)
56. Erik Portillo, G (No. 67 pick)
57. Pavel Dorofeyev, LW (No. 79 pick)
58. Pyotr Kochetkov, G (No. 36 pick)
59. Ryan Suzuki, C (No. 28 pick)
60. Matej Blumel, LW (No. 100 pick)
61. Jamieson Rees, C (No. 44 pick)
62. Artemi Kniazev, LHD (No. 48 pick)
63. Vladislav Kolyachonok, LHD (No. 52 pick)
64. Kim Nousiainen, LHD (No. 119 pick)
65. Graeme Clarke, RW (No. 80 pick)
66. Nick Abruzzese, C (No. 124 pick)
67. John Ludvig, LHD (No. 69 pick)
68. Raphael Lavoie, RW (No. 38 pick)
69. Nikita Alexandrov, C (No. 62 pick)
70. Semyon Chistyakov, LHD (No. 117 pick)

With several years since the 2019 draft, it’s left room for mid- to late-round picks to develop and rise. We see this tier led by a few later picks in Protas, Attard, Parssinen and Gritsyuk who are all guys trending towards making the NHL. Attard is a classic late-bloomer type of player who wasn’t a first-year eligible when he was drafted. Protas and Parssinen have overcome skating issues, especially Protas, to look good as pros.

TIER 7: Has a chance to play NHL games

71. Aidan McDonough, LW (No. 195 pick)
72. Henry Thrun, LHD (No. 101 pick)
73. Simon Holmstrom, LW (No. 23 pick)
74. Michal Teply, RW (No. 105 pick)
75. Tyce Thompson, RW (No. 96 pick)
76. Judd Caulfield, RW (No. 145 pick)
77. Daniil Misyul, LHD (No. 70 pick)
78. Cole Schwindt, RW (No. 81 pick)
79. Viktor Lodin, LW (No. 94 pick)
80. Santeri Hatakka, LHD (No. 184 pick)
81. Marshall Warren, LHD (No, 166 pick)
82. Vadim Zherenko, G (No. 208 pick)
83. Valtteri Puustinen, RW (No. 203 pick)
84. Robert Mastrosimone, LW (No. 54 pick)
85. Alexander Campbell, LW (No. 65 pick)
86. Anttoni Honka, RHD (No. 83 pick)
87. Hunter Skinner, RHD (No. 112 pick)
88. Michael Vukojevic, LHD (No. 82 pick)
89. Matthew Stienburg, RW (No. 63 pick)
90. Jayden Struble, LHD (No. 46 pick)
91. Maxence Guenette, RHD (No. 187 pick)
92. John Farinacci, C (No. 76 pick)
93. Brayden Tracey, LW (No. 29 pick)
94. Nathan Legare, RW (No. 74 pick)
95. Henri Nikkanen, C (No. 113 pick)
96. Alex Beaucage, RW (No. 78 pick)
97. Frederick Dichow, G (No. 138 pick)
98. Domenick Fensore, LHD (No. 90 pick)
99. Aaron Huglen, RW (No. 102 pick)
100. Artus Silovs, G (No. 156 pick)
101. Egor Afanasyev, LW (No. 45 pick)
102. Isaiah Saville, G (No. 135 pick)
103. Patrik Puistola, LW (No. 73 pick)
104. Patrick Moynihan, RW (No. 158 pick)
105. Nikita Okhotiuk, LHD (No. 61 pick)
106. Vladislav Firstov, LW (No. 42 pick)
107. Hugo Alnefelt, G (No. 71 pick)
108. Ethan Haider, G (No. 148 pick)

(Illustration: Samuel Richardson / The Athletic; photos: Getty Images)

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