2016 NHL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Top Prospects on the Rise

With the NHL draft just two days away, it's time to take a look at a few of the prospects who have been climbing up the board this past year and may have played themselves into a nice draft slot come Friday.

While the first two picks seem locked in stone, it's wide-open from there. Let's break down three prospects who have improved their draft stock.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Toronto Maple Leafs	Auston Matthews, C, Zurich (SUI)
2	Winnipeg Jets	Patrik Laine, LW/RW, Tappara (FIN)
3	Columbus Blue Jackets	Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, Karpat (FIN)
4	Edmonton Oilers	Matthew Tkachuk, LW, London (OHL)
5	Vancouver Canucks	Pierre-Luc Dubois, C/LW, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
6	Calgary Flames	Logan Brown, C, Windsor (OHL)
7	Arizona Coyotes	Olli Juolevi, D, London (OHL)
8	Buffalo Sabres	Alexander Nylander, LW/RW, Mississauga (OHL)
9	Montreal Canadiens	Mikhail Sergachyov, D, Windsor (OHL)
10	Colorado Avalanche	Mike McLeod, C, Mississauga (OHL)
11	New Jersey Devils	Jakob Chychrun, D, Sarnia (OHL)
12	Ottawa Senators	Jake Bean, D, Calgary (WHL)
13	Carolina Hurricanes	Clayton Keller, C, USA U-18 (USHL)
14	Boston Bruins	Julien Gauthier, RW, Val-d’Or (QMJHL)
15	Minnesota Wild	Tyson Jost, C, Penticton (BCHL)
16	Detroit Red Wings	Kieffer Bellows, C/LW, USA U-18 (USHL)
17	Nashville Predators	Dante Fabbro, D, Penticton (BCHL)
18	Philadelphia Flyers	Riley Tufte, LW, Fargo (USHL)
19	New York Islanders	Max Jones, LW, London (OHL)
20	Arizona Coyotes (from NYR)	German Rubtsov, C, Team Russia U18 (MHL)
21	Carolina Hurricanes (from LA)	Rasmus Asplund, C, Farjestad BK (SHL)
22	Winnipeg Jets (from CHI)	Luke Kunin, C, University of Wisconsin
23	Florida Panthers	Charlie McAvoy, D, Boston University (H-EAST)
24	Anaheim Ducks	Samuel Girard, D, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
25	Dallas Stars	Tage Thompson, C/RW, Univ. of Connecticut (NCAA)
26	Washington Capitals	Nathan Bastian, RW, Mississauga (OHL)
27	Tampa Bay Lightning	Logan Stanley, D, Windsor (OHL)
28	St. Louis Blues	Vitali Abramov, LW, Gatineau (QMJHL)
29	Boston Bruins (from SJ)	Alex DeBrincat, RW, Erie (OHL)
30	Toronto Maple Leafs (from PIT)	Pascal Laberge, C/RW, Victoriaville (QMJHL)

Pierre-Luc Dubois, C/LW, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

Pierre-Luc Dubois has steadily climbed up the rankings this season, eventually winding up as the No. 1 player on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, per Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com.

Dubois jumped from No. 7 on that list in January to No. 1 by April, in the process putting himself in the running to be a top-five pick.

"If you need someone to check the other team's top line and be a shutdown forward, he's a guy who can do that," NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr told Morreale. "If you need someone to generate scoring opportunities, he has the skill, speed and hands to do that too. He's a very all-around player."

Marr added: 

"

[Dubois and fellow top prospect Matthew Tkachuk] are bona-fide future stars for an NHL club. And while they both play a different style, their differences for NHL projection are minuscule. Each of them bring elite skills and attributes and either could be listed in the No. 1 spot. Our projection, which factors in how the player's game will translate at the NHL level, gave the slim nod to Dubois, whom we view as a multi-dimensional player possessing the ability to influence a game in a number a ways.

"

Dubois can certainly score. He notched 42 goals and 57 assists for Cape Breton in 62 games this season. In fact, it's pretty hard to find a major weakness in Dubois' game. That versatility and well-roundedness means he could easily end up being the best player in this draft class if he continues to improve.

Yes, the Auston Matthews and Patrik Laines of the world have more upside. But Dubois is one of the best consolation prizes this draft has to offer.

Logan Brown, C, Windsor (OHL)

Even Logan Brown has admitted that his game has steadily shown improvement.

“My game was taking off at the end of the season and going (to the U.S. team), I had a lot of confidence,” Brown said of playing for the United States at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship, where he scored 12 points and helped Team USA earn bronze, per Jim Parker of the Windsor Star. “I think that was huge for me.”

He added, “A lot of parts to my game I had to round out and grow and mature and [Windsor coach Rocky Thompson] coming in helped me a lot. I can’t thank everyone enough because they helped me so much to grow up and mature.”

So much has Brown's stock risen that he could even find himself as a top-three pick. Like Dubois, it's his well-rounded game that has people excited.

As Eric Engels of Sportsnet wrote, "Speed? He’s got it in spades. Skill? He owns it in every department. Hockey sense? You bet. Wrap it all up with good work habits, and it’s easy to see why Brown has turned heads in his draft year."

Indeed, the 6'6" Brown has immense upside, but finding a prospect with so much playmaking ability at his size is rare. Indeed, his 79 assists over the past two seasons with Windsor indicate that he's certainly a center who makes his teammates better.

As he continues to grow in assertiveness on the ice and grow into his body, he could become an absolute force to be reckoned with in the NHL. His ascent up draft boards is hardly surprising.

Clayton Keller, C, USA U-18 (USHL)

Clayton Keller is all about the offense. 

The small but shifty center—who may be a winger at the NHL level—is an excellent playmaker who has elite vision and a fantastic shot. He's tough to get off of the puck and facilitates for his teammates at every opportunity, making him an absolute assist machine.

At the U-18 Hockey Championship, he scored 14 points, leading the Americans. For the U.S. National Development Team, he notched an impressive 37 goals and 70 assists in 62 games. While his ascent up the board has been a bit more steady than that of Dubois and Brown, who really jumped up the rankings this year, there's no doubt that Keller continues to impress and will certainly be a top-15 selection. 

If he falls beyond that, a team will be getting an absolute steal. Keller isn't as well-rounded a player as Dubois or Brown, but few players in this draft are more dangerous heading toward goal.

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