NHL Mock Draft 2018: No.4 — Brady Tkachuk
The Ottawa Senators finished the 2017-18 season with the second worst record in hockey and were the biggest loser in the NHL Draft Lottery.
Despite having a 38.8 percent chance at drafting in the top-3, the Senators dropped to No.4 and will likely miss out on three game-breakers in Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina—but there is still a ton of talent available to the Sens.
After a dream season in 2016-17, the Senators stumbled immediately and dropped below .500 in late-November and never made it back. Now they enter a crucial season, the last year of Erik Karlsson’s seven-year contract with a massive pay raise around the corner. Will they try to draft one of the many top defensemen to help replace the likely loss of Karlsson? Or will they try to help improve one of the weaker forward groups in the NHL?
With the No.4 Overall Pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators select…
Brady Tkachuk — LW — United States ????????
Brady is the son of former NHLer Keith Tkachuk and the brother of Calgary Flames’ winger Matthew Tkachuk. In his freshman year at Boston University, Tkachuk collected eight goals and 23 assists (31 points)—ranking him fourth on the team. Tkachuk also thrived while representing the United States at the World Juniors—the 18-year-old forward had nine points (3G / 6A) in seven games.
Like his brother and dad, Tkauchuk is a big-body forward that has great offensive skills. The Tkachuk’s all have an impressive size, speed and skill combo that they use to get to the dirty areas to score goals while also engaging physically—Brady had 61 PIMS in 40 games at BU.
Brady has the chance to become the highest drafted of the three if the Senators select him at No.4. Matthew was picked No.6 overall in 2016 and Keith was picked No.19 by the Winnipeg Jets in 1990.
Tkachuk is built in a similar mould to current Senators’ winger Mark Stone. Tkachuk might not have the same pickpocket abilities as Stone, but is reliable in his own zone and capable of playing in all situations, just like Stone.
Scouting Report
“He’s a complete package who can be impactful in every situation, with and without the puck. If you need a goal, he’ll go get a scoring chance. If you’re protecting a lead, he’ll be responsible defensively. If you need someone to go in there and throw their weight around a little bit, he’s a guy who steps up. He seems to rise to those occasions.” — Dan Marr (NHL Central Scouting)
“Tkachuk can dictate and control the play with his speed and physical attributes. He has the size, hands and ability down low to create matchup problems, and revels in high-pressure moments.” — Mike Morreale (NHL.com)
Rankings
- #5 — HockeyProspect.com
- #4 — FutureConsiderations.ca
- #4 — ISSHockey.com