NHL Mock Draft 2020: 1st-Round Selection Order, Projections for Top Prospects

The coronavirus pandemic has not only affected the NHL regular season but also cast doubt on the 2020 draft.

The league announced March 12 it was suspending the campaign in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Two weeks later, the NHL indefinitely postponed the draft as well. But that's not stopping fans from looking ahead at this year's draft class and projecting their potential landing spots.

The order is in flux with the season paused and the draft lottery consequently on hold. The first 31 picks are based on the current playoff field and the lottery odds for the 15 worst teams, per Tankathon.

2020 NHL Mock Draft

1. Detroit Red Wings: LW Alexis Lafreniere, Rimouski (QMJHL)

2. Ottawa Senators: C Quinton Byfield, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

3. Ottawa Senators (via Sharks): D Jamie Drysdale, Erie (OHL)

4. Los Angeles Kings: C Tim Stutzle, Adler Mannheim (DEL)

5. Anaheim Ducks: C Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's (OHL)

6. New Jersey Devils: RW Alexander Holtz, Djurgardens IF Hockey (SHL)

7. Buffalo Sabres: C Cole Perfetti, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

8. Montreal Canadiens: LW Lucas Raymond, Frolunda HC (SHL)

9. Chicago Blackhawks: G Yaroslav Askarov, SKA Saint Petersburg (KHL)

10. New Jersey Devils (via Coyotes): D Jake Sanderson, USA U18 (NTDP)

11. Minnesota Wild: C Connor Zary, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

12. Winnipeg Jets: F Dylan Holloway, Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA)

13. New York Rangers: RW Noel Gunler, Lulea HF (SHL)

14. Florida Panthers: D Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

15. Columbus Blue Jackets: C Anton Lundell, HIFK (Liiga)

16. Calgary Flames: D Braden Schneider, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

17. New Jersey Devils (via Vancouver Canucks): RW Jack Quinn, Ottawa 67's (OHL)

18. Nashville Predators: RW Dawson Mercer, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)

19. Carolina Hurricanes (via Maple Leafs): D Braden Schneider, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

20. Edmonton Oilers: LW Rodion Amirov, Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)

21. Ottawa Senators (via Islanders): C Jacob Perreault, Sarnia (OHL)

22. Dallas Stars: C Mavrik Bourque, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)

23. New York Rangers (via Hurricanes): RW Seth Jarvis, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

24. Minnesota Wild (via Penguins): D Jeremie Poirier, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

25. Philadelphia Flyers: D Emil Andrae, HV71 J20 (SHL)

26. San Jose Sharks (via Lightning): C Hendrix Lapierre, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

27. Colorado Avalanche: D Justin Barron, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

28. Vegas Golden Knights: C Thomas Bordeleau, C, USA U18 (NTDP)

29. Washington Capitals: C Roni Hirvonen, Assat (SM-Liiga)

30. St. Louis Blues: C Antonio Stranges, London (OHL)

31. Anaheim Ducks (via Bruins): D Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert (WHL)

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the situation Tuesday on Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico (h/t Pro Hockey Talk's Sean Leahy:

"From an NHL standpoint, we're viewing all of our options. We want to be ready to go as soon as we get a green light — and the green light may not be crystal clear because there may still be some places in the [U.S. and Canada] where we can't play and others places where you can. We're looking at all options. Nothing's been ruled in, nothing's been ruled out. And it's largely going to be determined what we do by how much time there is because we have next season to focus on as well."

While it's far from the most pressing concern for the league, the order of the draft is among the many questions that would need to be answered in the event the worst-case scenario came to fruition.

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan had few answers in late March: "There are calls with both the board of governors and the NHL's general managers this week, and one assumes this topic will come up."

Were the NHL to use the current standings for the lottery odds, the Ottawa Senators would be the biggest beneficiary thanks to the San Jose Sharks' unexpectedly dismal campaign.

The 2018 Erik Karlsson trade is still paying massive dividends, with San Jose's first-round pick falling into the Senators' laps. As a result, they have 13.5 percent and 11.5 percent odds of getting the No. 1 overall pick, per Tankathon.

At worst, Ottawa's first pick will be at No. 5, and the team could get two of the top three selections. In the event the Senators didn't win the lottery, they might receive Quinton Byfield as a consolation prize. Byfield has scored 61 goals and assisted on 82 more over the past two years with the OHL's Sudbury Wolves.

Ottawa is relatively assured of its status in the first round. The same can't be said of the Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks.

The Coyotes' first pick is only protected for the top three after they acquired Taylor Hall from the New Jersey Devils in December. Arizona only has an 11.4 chance of getting into the top three, so the Devils will likely be keeping that pick.

Should play resume, the Coyotes may fall further down the standings, thus increasing their odds of keeping the pick.

The Vancouver Canucks, meanwhile, are out of the playoffs but level on points with the Nashville Predators for the second wild-card berth. Should Vancouver qualify for the postseason, its first-rounder heads to the New Jersey Devils via the Tampa Bay Lightning by virtue of the J.T. Miller trade during last year's draft.

Ideally, the NHL will be able to resume this year and bring the season to a satisfactory close. In the event that option comes off the table, wading through the fallout will be an unenviable task.