Mock draft Central

[Goldendelicious]

I think Columbus has the easiest pick in the draft. Just selecting whoever doesn't go #2. Winnipeg is going to have a lot of sleepless nights trying to pick between Laine and Pul.

[Sherpa]

Any guesses as to what shape that blockbuster will come in?

OEL/DStrome/7th overall/1st 2017 for 1st overall?

Does TOR accept that?

Does ARI?

[Goldendelicious]

Any guesses as to what shape that blockbuster will come in?

OEL/DStrome/7th overall/1st 2017 for 1st overall?

Does TOR accept that?

Does ARI?

I think that's way too much for Arizona to be giving up. OEL was drafted 6th overall is a top 10 defenseman in the NHL. Strome was just taken 3rd overall last year and is a future top C in the NHL. Add in two more 1st round picks....Toronto would be crazy not to take that. But essentially 5 1st round picks (all top 10) for Matthews is just insanity.

[Pengwin7]

Any guesses as to what shape that blockbuster will come in?

Not yet.
Stamkos' is the first domino that needs to fall...
If Stammer signs with Toronto (as many of us speculate), it increases the odds that TOR/ARI blockbuster could happen.

In other words... I don't think the TOR #1 pick is traded before the draft.
I think we WILL see Matthews on stage with a Leafs sweater... and he'll stay a Leaf at least into July.

If Stamkos signs with TOR (60% odds, IMO)... I think the trade could very likely happen* (50/50, IMO). OEL is definitely going to need to be involved. ARI doesn't have the pieces without him in there.
If Stamkos doesn't sign with TOR (40% odds, IMO)... I think Toronto will simply hold Matthews (95%, IMO).

[*Because Stamkos-C1, Kadri-C2, Matthews-C3 is too much. Oilers-esque. Toronto could jump to a top six in the East if they had Stamkos/OEL added to their current line-up w/Babcock at coach.]'

***APOLOGIES - thread should be kept more to just MOCK LISTS. Matthews/ARI speculation won't effect any mock, IMO. SORRY***

[forsbergfan]

1. TOR - Matthews
2. WIN - Laine
3. CLB - Puljujarvi

4. I can't imagine the Oilers are gonna make this pick. They'll probably trade down with Arizona.
ARI - Matt Tkachuk
it has already been reported that they're after him. his dad played in Winnipeg, so this is a perfect fit.

5. VAN - Pierre-Luc Dubois
the canucks are hoping that he falls to them and not tkachuk. dubois can play center and wing, which appeals to the canucks much more than tkachuk, who is just a winger.

6. CAL - Alex Nylander
another really good fit. they could use an elite scoring winger to go along with their dynamic 1-2 center duo.

7. EDM - Jakub Chychrun
hard to project which teams will take each of the big 3 dmen, but my guess is that the oilers go with chychrun, who of all the dmen in this year's draft has the best shot of being a legitimate franchise dman. if Arizona stays at number 7, I wouldn't be surprised if they go with juolevi, and chuchryn goes later.

8. BUF - Olli Juolevi
looking at their depth chart and comparing it with the available players, they could use a PP specialist. they've already got their franchise dman in ristolainen, so juolevi makes the most sense here.

9. MON - Logan Brown
you probably won't see this prediction in too many mock drafts, but this one makes loads of sense. the habs could use a future number 2 center, and they need size. brown is 6'6, and might get to 6'7. he also could score. the comparisons are to nick bjugstad, due to their size and position, but I think brown has more scoring potential. the habs are thrilled to add a huge scoring center at number 9. they could also go with Michael McLeod, but I think brown winds up as the big draft riser, not McLeod. more scoring potential, and much bigger.

10. COL - Mikhail Sergachev
they're definitely taking a dman, and sergachev is the best of the ones remaining. he's this year's provorov. anything is possible with the dmen at the top this year, as reports are that every team has different dmen they like, so it's possible guys like dante fabbro, jake bean or Charlie mcavoy get taken before some of the big 3. in that case, i'd expect chychryn to be the big faller of the draft.

11. NJ - Jake Bean
the previous mocks in this thread have had NJ going with a forward. I think they're going D. they're trying to transition their team from the lamoriello era to a more high tempo offense, and that can't be done without a puck moving, offensive dman. bean is a great fit for them.

12. OTT - Tyson Jost
I think jost and McLeod are going to Ottawa and Carolina. the question is who goes where. I think the sens go with the offensive upside. they drafted the Bergeron-type center last year in colin white, this year they'll go with the offensive-minded jost.

13. CAR - Michael McLeod
canes get their future captain in McLeod. he might not have the offensive potential of others in the draft, but he's the guy you need on your team to win. they've already got their number 1 center for the future in elias lindholm, now they get their number 2. they've got a stacked farm system on D, so they're definitely taking a forward here.

14. BOS - Charlie McAvoy
They've got so many good forward in their system, I can't see them passing up one of mcavoy or fabbro. mcavoy has loads of potential as a top pairing dman.

15. MIN - Clayton Keller
minny drafts a Zach parise clone around the same pick that they took parise over a decade ago. and just like with parise, keller could wind up as one of the top players from his draft year. his size causes him to fall just a little bit here.

16. DET - Dante Fabbro
Detroit's got lots of good dmen in their system, but none of them project as a ryan mcdonagh-type, minute eating dman.


NOTES:
top 3 are set in stone. dubois/tkachuk are gonna go 4-5, and nylander is more or less a lock for 6.
there are 6 potential top pairing dmen in this year's draft. I find it hard to believe they won't add go within the first 16 picks. top pairing dmen are very hard to come by, so I think teams will value them more than the forwards that will go afterwards (bellows, kunin, rubstov, tufte, Gauthier).
just a few weeks ago, I thought that german rubstov would be the big draft riser and push to go top 10. after the Russian team drug bust, he'll probably drop considerably, but if teams don't view that as an issue, he could go very high - either in the brown, jost or McLeod spots. he'd probably go before keller in that case.

[Sherpa]

I think that's way too much for Arizona to be giving up. OEL was drafted 6th overall is a top 10 defenseman in the NHL. Strome was just taken 3rd overall last year and is a future top C in the NHL. Add in two more 1st round picks....Toronto would be crazy not to take that. But essentially 5 1st round picks (all top 10) for Matthews is just insanity.

If you're trading away a franchise guy, wouldn't you need a return like that?
If you're trading for a franchise guy who has oodles of intangibles that pertain just to your franchise and your owners fired your predecessor due to a refusal to do this, wouldn't you be required to pony up?

Is it a fair deal on paper? Hell no. TOR rapes ARI five ways from Sunday.
Is it a fair deal that satisfies a bunch of organizational objectives for both sides? I think it just might.

Acquiring Matthews makes Strome organizationally obsolete. OEL will be demanded as a positional need by TOR. The picks part can be debated/negotiated. But fundamentally, I think Pengwin's onto something here when he uses the phrase "in pen".

[forsbergfan]

Any guesses as to what shape that blockbuster will come in?

OEL/DStrome/7th overall/1st 2017 for 1st overall?

Does TOR accept that?

Does ARI?

Arizona's not gonna trade OEL. that kind of stuff only happens in fantasy hockey. OEL is way too valuable to them. and to trade strome on top of that would be nuts.
if they do make the offer, it would be strome, their 2 2016 first rounder and their 2017 first rounder. and I don't think the leafs would accept that. I don't see them trading that pick for any logical offer. Matthews is exactly what they need.

[Pengwin7]

To keep this thread clean towards MOCK lists, I started a new ARI/TOR trade speculation thread.
Discuss there for anybody interested:
http://forums.dobbersports.com/showt...ARI-OEL-to-TOR

[Bazz]

I'm with the guys as far as Edmonton goes, said on these boards in other posts. They have 3 senarios ...

1) Keep the pick take Olli
2) Trade to 7 or 8 and still get Olli or one of the other two
3) Trade RNH for a top 4 pairing guy and take Tkachuk

If I'm Chirali or however you spell I try for scenario #3. Your top 6 goes Hall/Tkachuk/Leon/Connor/Eberle and ... Yak? Roll Leon/Hall and Roll Connor/Ebs/Tkachuk. Then you have Sekera/Klefbom/Nurse and whoever you trade RNH for.

[CascadeFilly]

I'm with the guys as far as Edmonton goes, said on these boards in other posts. They have 3 senarios ...

1) Keep the pick take Olli
2) Trade to 7 or 8 and still get Olli or one of the other two
3) Trade RNH for a top 4 pairing guy and take Tkachuk

If I'm Chirali or however you spell I try for scenario #3. Your top 6 goes Hall/Tkachuk/Leon/Connor/Eberle and ... Yak? Roll Leon/Hall and Roll Connor/Ebs/Tkachuk. Then you have Sekera/Klefbom/Nurse and whoever you trade RNH for.

Why not scenario #3 AND draft Olli (trading down, if they can)?

[LeTrefle]

...9. MON - Logan Brown
you probably won't see this prediction in too many mock drafts, but this one makes loads of sense. the habs could use a future number 2 center, and they need size. brown is 6'6, and might get to 6'7. he also could score. the comparisons are to nick bjugstad, due to their size and position, but I think brown has more scoring potential. the habs are thrilled to add a huge scoring center at number 9. they could also go with Michael McLeod, but I think brown winds up as the big draft riser, not McLeod. more scoring potential, and much bigger.
...

I too feel MTL will draft Brown (if they can't trade up to draft Dubois...)

[Goldendelicious]

I too feel MTL will draft Brown (if they can't trade up to draft Dubois...)

As long as they go with a forward not named Julien Gauthier (who at 9 is way too high to take) I'll be happy.

[franklin]

As long as they go with a forward not named Julien Gauthier (who at 9 is way too high to take) I'll be happy.

I agree, Gauthier at 9 would be catastrophic.

[Bazz]

Why not scenario #3 AND draft Olli (trading down, if they can)?

If I was able to land a top four to go with Sekera/Klefbom/Nurse then I want to draft tkachuk who can bring that physical element to the game and hopefully drive possession for Connor or Leon.

[Dape02]

Leafs need help on D, although signing of Ziatsav helps. Even if it was an absolute wild trade like OEL + not sure Leafs can afford to pass up on Mathews. Now maybe they know something we don't like Stamkos has already told them he would sign there, then maybe you make a splash with ARZ for a kings ransom. but reality I don't think they can pass on him.