Another unusual QMJHL Draft ahead

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft is just over two months away.

The league announced Thursday the 2021 draft will be held virtually June 25-26. Like last year's event, which was also held virtually for the first time, the first-round will be held on Friday night and rounds 2-14 along with the American Draft will take place the following day.

This is sure to be an interesting and challenging draft given how limited player viewings have been this year due to the pandemic - especially for Quebec-born players.

"I don't think we're ever stressed," said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie about preparing for this year's draft. "I think we're always excited about what's coming up. The draft is a nice window into the future."

According to the French message board, here is where Saint John is currently picking:

1-1CHA-2BAT-4CHI-5VDO-6RIM-6QUE-7CHA-9-11-13-14

Saint John's first pick is expected to be eighth overall and its second, which was originally Charlottetown's, will be 19th (still technically in the first-round due to compensation picks).

"Those are good picks," Georgie said about his two first-round selections. "We'll be ready whether we select or whether we trade or a variety of things. We'll be ready to make the right moves."

Four players from last year's draft have played for the Sea Dogs this season: Leighton Carruthers (round 1, No. 3 overall), Nathan Drapeau (1, 15), Simon Hughes (2, 38) and Hunter Gartley (6, 103).

The CHL Import Draft will also take place at some point this summer. The Sea Dogs are still weighing their options on what moves to make with their import situation.

Vladislav Kotkov, an overager, obviously won't return next season. Saint John picked two players in last year's Import Draft: highly touted Russian forward Fyodor Svechkov (1, 23) and defensive defenseman Jan Hampl (2, 83) from the Czech Republic.

"It's clear that we could have used a 6'4", left shot shutdown defenseman," Georgie said of Hampl. "This is a piece that would have been significant for our penalty kill and in the defensive zone.

"We haven't closed that door. We'll be chatting with Jan's agent in the coming weeks to see what the best path forward is. We certainly don't want to leave a player like him in limbo."

The chances of Svechkov, who many have projected as a first-round pick in this year's NHL Draft, reporting to Saint John have seemed slim since draft day last year. Thanks to the pandemic, it doesn't seem as though those odds have improved.

"I anticipate that with everything going on in the world he'll want to stay close to home and play professionally in his home country in the men's league," said Georgie. 

"I wouldn't rule it out but I would anticipate that would be him and his family's preference - to stay close to home given all of the challenges and given the opportunity to play in a men's league."