BSH 2020 Community Draft Board, No. 24: Dawson Mercer

After a pair of Western Hockey League defensemen were taken with the last two picks we swing back to the QMJHL for the 24th overall selection in our Community Draft Board, as forward Dawson Mercer of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens is up next. Mercer comes in at 6’0” weighing 179 pounds and split time between a pair of QMJHL clubs last season as he posted 18 goals and 24 helpers for 42 points in 26 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs before he racked up six goals and 12 apples for 18 points in 16 contests with Chicoutimi. Although he will most likely be off the board by the time the Philadelphia Flyers make their first-round pick at 23 in this year’s 2020 NHL Entry Draft, should the Flyers nab him if he’s somehow fallen that far?

BSH 2020 Community Draft Board, No. 24: Dawson Mercer

2019-20 Season

Team: Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) and Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

Statistics: 24 G, 36 A in 42 GP

Pre-draft rankings

No. 10 (North American skaters) by NHL Central Scouting

No. 13 by Future Considerations

No. 12 by ISS Hockey

No. 19 by The Athletic/Wheeler

What’s there to like?
His shot is decent and he does a great job setting up teammates, but Mercer’s most intriguing trait for NHL teams will be his puck control. Mercer is hard to knock off or away from the puck once he gets it and he’s able to maneuver through waves of bodies seamlessly to create space or attack the net in the offensive zone. When he doesn’t have the puck he’s aggressively trying to get it back and does a pretty decent job taking away time and space from opponents. Thanks to his crafty work with the disc on his stick it’s worth noting that his hockey IQ is another strength of Mercer’s, as he’s consistently positioning himself well for passes from teammates and is aware of his teammates’ locations highlighted by the occasional no-look or between-the-leg pass.

Some other positives for Mercer are it’s clear he’s a guy that clubs like having on their team and he has a track record of producing. He was an alternate captain with the Drummondville Voltigeurs last season before being traded to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens back in January, where he has since earned the title of being an alternate for them as well. On top of that Mercer also represented Team Canada in the most recent World Junior Championship. He failed to record a point and was minus-1 in seven tilts, but he was still chosen as one of the better U-20 players to make the cut for one of the best countries in international play. As for his production it’s worth noting Mercer had a 30-goal season in the QMJHL in 2018-19, the year before his first year being draft eligible.

What’s not to like?
The fact Mercer isn’t the fastest skater could scare away teams. He has shown an amazing ability in junior to hang onto the puck in tight areas and will inexplicably come away with the puck at times most other skaters would have lost possession, but it isn’t exactly fundamentally sound. He is able to work around and through QMJHL defenders, but how will that translate to professional hockey? It certainly has a high likelihood of translating, but it would be a lot easier to invest in that decision if he was faster or even stronger since most of his game is based around utilizing both.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
The Flyers could use him. He isn’t the sniper everybody is clamoring for at the moment, but he seems to be the type of player who may fall to Philadelphia at 23rd overall. Some of the biggest concerns around his game seem to be things he can work on and improve as he develops while also possessing some traits that will translate well to the pro game. His shot, vision, puck control, and forechecking capabilities are all pretty desirable skills for any skater a team wants to add to their prospect pool. Again he may not check off the sniper box on Flyers’ fans’ wishlist for this draft, but I think having the trio of Morgan Frost, Bobby Brink, and a third dynamic talent in a player like Mercer to look forward to would be something we can live with.

Could the Flyers actually get him?
There’s a chance. The read on Mercer is he’s a guy who won’t be going in the top 10, but he has a skill set that is worth grabbing. With that in mind most mock drafts have him going in the low teens around the 12th pick as it seems Corey Pronman’s projection back in August of Mercer going 17th overall is the most favorable one for those who would like to see the forward don the Orange and Black one day. However, he is the 24th overall pick in this Community Draft so anything is possible. Mercer will most likely not be there at 23 when general manager Chuck Fletcher makes the organization’s selection on Tuesday, but if he is and ends up becoming part of the franchise Flyers’ fans can look forward to a useful top-six asset in the future.

We’ll make two additions to the poll:

Helge Grans – D, Malmo Redhawks (SHL) and Malmo Redhawks J20 (SuperElit) – 1 G, 2 A in 21 GP and 4 G and 23 A in 27 GP

‘Grans has a great physical package and is also a righty. That is a combination of attributes that NHL GM’s lust after. He skates well, with good power and impressive edge work, and while he is already a big boy he does not look close to being finished filling out. He also possesses nice puck skills, and he uses that ability alongside his skating to regularly skate out of trouble and send play the other way. The Ljungby native has a good, hard wrist-shot that he manages to get space to utilize often, rarely struggling to find a seam to get a shot off. He fits the archetype of a modern-day defenseman, and loves getting involved in the rush. Once on the rush he does not lack creativity, and creates space for team-mates with soft hands and accurate passing.’ — Smaht Scouting

Kasper Simontaival – RW, Tappara (Liiga)/KOOVEE (Mestis)/Tappara U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) – 0 G, 0 A in 4 GP/1 G, 3 A in 6 GP/25 G, 32 A in 48 GP

‘He’s a true dual-threat winger with two-way upside, a sturdy frame, and the type of competitiveness necessary to hang in there as a vertically-challenged forward. The 5-foot-9 winger has a lethal release that can beat goalies from tough angles and long distances. He wields the best shot out of Finland in this year’s draft.’ — Elite Prospects

2020 BSH Community Draft Board

1. Alexis Lafreniere — LW, Rimouski (QMJHL)
2. Quinton Byfield — C, Sudbury (OHL)
3. Marco Rossi — C, Ottawa (OHL)
4. Tim Stützle — LW/C, Manheim (DEL)
5. Cole Perfetti — LW/C, Saginaw (OHL)
6. Lucas Raymond — RW, Frölunda (SHL)
7. Jamie Drysdale — D, Erie (OHL)
8. Alexander Holtz — LW/RW, Djurgardens (SHL)
9. Yaroslav Askarov — G, SKA (KHL)
10. Anton Lundell — C, HIFK (Liiga)
11. Connor Zary — C, Kamloops (WHL)
12. Seth Jarvis — RW/C, Portland (WHL)
13. Jake Sanderson — D, USNTDP (USHL)
14. Noel Gunler — RW/LW, Lulea (SHL)
15. Jan Mysak — C, Hamilton (OHL)
16. Jack Quinn — RW, Ottawa (OHL)
17. Jacob Perreault — RW, Sarnia (OHL)
18. Mavrik Bourque — C, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
19. Dylan Holloway — LW, Univ. of Wisconsin (NCAA)
20. Rodion Amirov — L, Neftekamst (VHL)
21. Hendrix Lapierre — C, Chicoutimi (QJMHL)
22. Kaiden Guhle — D, Prince Albert (WHL)
23. Braden Schneider — D, Brandon (WHL)
24. Dawson Mercer — C/RW, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
25. ???

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Please use your vote below to answer the following question: If all of the players listed were available when the Flyers were on the clock, who would you want them to pick?

Who should be No. 26 on the 2020 BSH Community Draft Board?