2018 NHL mock draft: Coyotes to snag Rasmus Dahlin?

The NHL season is headed toward the All-Star break. Some teams are getting ready for the playoffs, while others are prepping their draft boards.

The 2017-18 season is more than halfway through, and the draft order is beginning to shake out towards the top. We know that the NHL Draft Lottery can throw things into chaos — see the New Jersey Devils getting the top pick last year — but should the order hold true, here’s what the top 10 selections could look like.

1. Arizona Coyotes – Rasmus Dahlin (D) Frolunda HC

Rasmus Dahlin is the consensus first-overall pick. The young defenseman is gifted with dynamic skating talent and strong instincts. He has earned high praise from scouts across the league, even with some comparisons to Erik Karlsson.

Dahlin was great to watch this year during the World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. where he was named to the tournament’s all-star team. Dahlin will get another chance to impress scouts at the upcoming Olympics in Pyeongchang when he represents Sweden.

Team Fit

There is still a lot of time until Dahlin will hit the ice in his first training camp but he will have a great chance to make the team his first season. Dahlin would allow for the Coyotes to build a strong top four defensive core.

With Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jakob Chychrun and Niklas Hjalmarsson already there Dahlin could be eased into the line up. The Coyotes also need to address their forward needs but Dahlin is too good to pass on.