NHL mock draft: How all-time greats fit 2018 needs

What if the 2018 NHL Draft had legends included among the prospect class? Here’s what a mock draft would look like, using all-time greats to fit current team needs.

The 2018 NHL Draft could wind up being known as one of the best ones in recent memory. With Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, and Filip Zadina as the top three prospects, few drafts can boast three top players of that quality. This makes NHL mock drafts a lot of fun.

But what if teams got to draft any player they wanted? There’s a legend for each team who would help make it much better than it was before. The rules for this are very simple: Any player who is not currently in the NHL is eligible. Until cloning exists, there can’t be two Sidney Crosbys or two Alex Ovechkins.

These picks will be made assuming each player is in his prime. No waiting around for anyone to develop. You get an all-time great right away! Isn’t that wonderful?

These picks will be done to address specific needs using the 2018 NHL Draft order. So let’s get started!

The Buffalo Sabres are pretty set at center. They have Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly and Casey Mittelstadt to build around. Obviously, adding Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky would help immensely.

However, the Sabres desperately need help on defense. They scored the fewest goals in the NHL and allowed the third-most in 2017-18. A huge part of this is due to their stagnant, unimpressive blue line. Adding Bobby Orr would transform the Sabres into a playoff contender.

Yes, he was that great in his prime. Orr won eight consecutive Norris Trophies from 1967 to 1975. He also won three straight Hart Trophies from 1969 to 1972. The lone defenseman with more Hart Trophies is Eddie Shore (four).

Orr is also the only blueliner to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer. And he did it twice.

In his prime, one could argue Orr was the most dominant player of all-time.