Connor McDavid leads the draft as the safe cornerstone for 10-team rosters, with Nathan MacKinnon a close second thanks to elite volume and a high ceiling. Leon Draisaitl and Calgary’s Connor Zary surface as high-upside early picks, while McKenzie Weegar and Dustin Wolf anchor Calgary’s back end with strong peripheral upside. The show emphasizes balancing wings, blue-line anchors like Sanderson, and the value of dual-eligibility forwards like Boldy and Keller, plus a keeper eye on standout goalies.

Beyond the top tier, Reinhardt, Keller, Point, Robertson and Crosby appear as key secondary targets, with Kadri and Couture offering mid-round floor in central roles. The mock underscores that in a 10-team format, early wing depth, defenseman reach and goalie insurance shape rosters. Expect lots of camp chatter and ADP shifts as drafts heat up.

Two hosts run a mock draft focused on best-available value, weighing a bold early goalie pick against a stacked forward core. Matthews appears as a late-first-round value, Hellebuyck anchors a zero-G strategy, and the duo pairs Eichel, Nylander, and Robertson with high-upside wingers. They highlight dual-eligibility plays, Montreal’s young back-end, and Philly/Carolina pivot points, while outlining signup details for listener leagues and the September windows to enter.