The 2019 Stanley Cup Finals ends this June, but there are a ton of hockey topics to be discussed. That includes the upcoming 2019 NHL Entry Draft from June 21-22, where the league will get a tremendous boost in talents and youth. You know the top names such as the likes of Jack Hughes (-500 to get drafted first overall) and Kaapo Kakko (+350). But how about the other guys with lesser sparkle on their names? Let’s talk about some of the sleepers below.
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Sleeper Picks and Predictions for the NHL Draft Running from June 21-22 2019
Where: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
When: June 21–22, 2019
Lines: View 2019 NHL Draft betting props
TV Broadcast: NBCSN, NHL Network, Sportsnet
SKATERS
Mikhail Abramov (Center/Left Wing)
Abramov is someone that barely is registering on most fans and even some experts’ radars. In fact, on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s rankings, Abramov is only the 63rd ranked skater in North America. But that’s why he’s also considered a sleeper. During the 2018-19 season of the QMJHL, Abramov scored 16 goals to go with 38 assists in 62 games played for the Victoriaville Tigers. There’s plenty to be desired of his defense, as he only had a plus-minus of -3 during his aforementioned stint with Victoriaville, though, that’s something that can be ironed out in the pros. Abramov is just 5-10, but having played center for most of the season with the Tigers, has taught the 18-year-old Russian the value of being patient on offense while finding open teammates for excellent scoring opportunities.
Lassi Thomson (Defenseman)
Thomson was a scoring machine during his rookie season in the WHL. He generated 41 points on the back of 17 goals and 24 assists in 63 games for the Kelonwa Rockets. Thompson relied on his speed and excellent skating skills, which is perhaps his strongest asset. His footwork and ability go from 0-100 in terms of acceleration are qualities which always catch the attention of scouts, but he still needs a few other areas to improve on if he wants to climb the draft boards. That’s unlikely to happen right away, but the ingredients are there for the Finnish defenseman, who was also named Western Conference Rookie of the Year in the WHL.
Tuukka Tieksola (Right Wing)
Tieksola is only 5-10 but plays so much bigger than his size. It’s probably because he feels he always needs to prove himself more valuable than what his frame suggests, but in any case, it’s hard not to take notice of Tieksola when he’s on the ice. Tieksola plays in Karpat, which makes him a long shot to get noticed come draft time, but any team who would take a chance on him would get a player with plenty of time to work on the deep potential of the 17-year old. He had 60 points in 51 games in under-18 scoring.
GOALIE
Taylor Gauthier
Gauthier is ranked seventh among all goalie prospects on the NGL Central Scouting list. He’s shown some promise during his play at the World U-18 Championship for Canada, making three appearances and going 3-0 with a 3.02 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Gauthier has good mobility at 6-1, and is pretty dependable when stopping shots on goal off rebounds.
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