The Biggest Surprises from the 75th SMJHL Draft
By Newfoundland Berserks Forward, MattyJ

There were two big fallers in the draft that stood out to me. Two players who should have gone a lot higher than they did. 

First, and perhaps the craziest draft surprise was Nathan Abel, user DeThePyro, going completely undrafted. Perhaps GMs missed him on their board or maybe there was a glitch in the system. Nathan Abel is a well balanced right wing that can do it all. He can shoot, pass, skate, and play defense. Despite his small stature, he should still have been a top 50 pick. Him falling out of the draft completely was shocking to many in the community. He has been active in the discord and done all TPE tasks. I believe he is currently sitting in the free agency pool waiting to be picked up. He will prove to be a great asset for whichever team pulls the trigger. I have heard he will use this as a chip on the shoulder to prove every team that passed on him wrong. Turn your upset into rage Abel, and you will shine my friend. I am excited to see what happens in his future. Going undrafted last night will prove to be a mistake by every SMJHL team. 

The next draft surprise was Brayden Point falling out of the second round. Many people had this center going top 20 and even top 15. Everyone expected this guy to be sought after by many teams. Detroit got themselves a great player in the 29th slot. The reigning champs gave themselves a great chance to keep competing with this steal. A great center that excels at offense and can skate all over the ice. He will quickly prove to be a great scorer in the upcoming preseason. He has been very active in the discord but also dropping long cohesive articles almost every day. This guy is stacking up cash and tpe like it is candy on Halloween. A first generation player with a lot to prove. Just like Nathan Abel, Brayden Point has a big chip on his shoulder. I know he is ready to hit the ice and make 13 GMs regret not take a shot on him. I look forward to catching him on the ice. I have the Detroit game circled on my calendar. Good luck Mr. Point. 

Now, a lot of people would say that James Howlett was a shocker. However, this was not for me as I nailed this in the mock draft. I am sure there are many other fallers and risers that people are surprised by. Let me know who you thought was the biggest shocker in the draft. Lets all work and be the greatest draft class in history. 

Honorable mentions: Will Nuck and Thorn Brown. These are my hall of fame picks and fell farther in the draft more than they should have. I think they will both prove to be huge assets to their organizations. 

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