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BiLLY_ShOE1721's 2009 Mock Draft
I did one last year that got a decent response, so I might as well do a preliminary and then another one at the end of the year.
1. New York Islanders-C John Tavares. I think John's abilities speak for themselves. He had a phenomenal WJC, and has the dynamic offensive skills to be a real game-breaker and improve the game of those around him. Consensus BPA.
2. Atlanta Thrashers-D Victor Hedman. Another BPA pick, the #2 team will get which ever one the other team doesn't select. Bogosian and Hedman will be a top pairing to be reckoned with, and add in Enstrom and Valabik Atlanta has a good future on defense after this pick.
3. Ottawa Senators-C Matt Duchene. The Senators lack top end scoring talent in their prospect pool as well as in their NHL lineup behind the Big 3. Duchene has a great scoring touch and great offensive instincts.
4. St. Louis Blues-LW Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi. The Blues prospect pool has no distinct weakness, except maybe goaltending but no goaltender is worth taking at this point. After that I would say LW is their next biggest weakness, and MSP is a dynamic offensive player who playing with Berglund would be a scary duo to have to defend.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning-D Jared Cowen. It's no secret that Tampa's defense is not great. This is an obvious area of need for them, and Cowen is a big defenseman who can play.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs-C Evander Kane. He is very good with the puck, a slick stick handler who has great skills. 5th in the WHL in scoring and had he played the whole season he would be first. The Leafs have no great offensive prospects in the system, and Evander would be one.
7. Nashville Predators-C Brayden Schenn. The kid is a great all-around player, which is what the Predators like. He fits into Barry Trotz's system, and gives them a future #1 center, and Schenn-Wilson down the middle has some good promise.
8. Los Angeles Kings-RW Jordan Schroeder. The Kings don't have any great organizational weaknesses, so I think they go BPA as long as he's not a defenseman. Schroeder is a speedy little player with great playmaking abilities, kind of like Pat Kane.
9. Colorado Avalanche-C Jacob Josefson. Colorado could really draft any position here as their prospect pool is pretty weak, but I think they take a center to play behind Stastny when Sakic is gone. Josefson is solid in both ends and an all-around good player.
10. Vancouver Canucks-C Nazem Kadri. Behind Hodgson there isn't much at center and with the questions surrounding Henrik Sedin, C is a position Vancouver could use some skill at, and Kadri is a fast forward with good stickhandling and puck skills.
11. Dallas Stars-D Ryan Ellis. Ellis is an absolutely dynamic offensive defenseman, which Dallas sorely lacks as Zubov is getting old and may never play again. He's a prototypical PPQB, and Dallas has no great offensive defensemen.
12. Minnesota Wild-D Simon Despres. I don't see Minnesota having any great needs, being above average at most positions. I think Despres is the BPA, so that's what I went with. Not sure about Minnesota.
13. Anaheim Ducks-LW Carter Ashton. Maybe a bit of a stretch pick here, but I think Ashton is just going to continue to rise in the draft. He has power forward written all over him, and the Ducks LW depth is flat out horrible both in the NHL and among prospects.
14. Phoenix Coyotes-D Dmitry Kulikov. BPA pick at this point, I see no great weaknesses in the Phoenix system, Kulikov is a solid defenseman.
15. Pittsburgh Penguins-RW Zach Kassian. As a Flyers fan I would hate this pick. Kassian is Malone 2.0 for Crosby, and is a prototypical power forward. He's hard-hitting, and physical down low.
16. Carolina Hurricanes-C Jeremy Morin. At this point he is the BPA, and Carolina basically needs everything.
17. Edmonton Oilers-RW Scott Glennie. Part of one of the best lines in juniors, Glennie has great offensive instincts and gives them two very good RW prospects in Eberle and Glennie.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets-C Drew Shore. The Jackets have little in terms of center behind Brassard, and Shore falls at this point. So it's a BPA pick that's actually filling a weakness for them.
19. Florida Panthers-D David Runblad. I really like Runblad, I saw a lot of good things from him at the WJC. Florida doesn't have many good defensive prospects and they are doing pretty good at D right now so Runblad won't be rushed.
20. Buffalo Sabres-RW Richard Panik. Buffalo goes for the home run prospect in Panik. He has his questions around him, but there is no denying his offensive abilities.
21. Chicago Blackhawks-C Peter Holland. Holland basically falls to them and with Chicago's youth movement Holland is another solid two-way player.
22. Montreal Canadiens-RW Landon Ferraro. The Canadiens don't have great depth at wing in terms of prospects, and Ferraro has put up decent points in the WHL this season. A BPA pick that fits in with their needs.
23. Philadelphia Flyers-G Olivier Roy. Pick doesn't need much explanation, the Flyers lack a goalie prospect with potential to be a good NHL starter, and Roy fills that hole.
24. New York Rangers-C Louis Leblanc. The Rags are thin up front and could use a center, Leblanc is a guy who can play behind Dubinsky and be a solid #2.
I'll finish the rest of it later after I do some more research.
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