DY's 2011 NHL Entry Mock Draft

[tgraveline]

I'm bummed I haven't seen any new picks today. Come on Dean, we need you!

[Dean Youngblood]

I'm bummed I haven't seen any new picks today. Come on Dean, we need you!

Haha Sorry buddy. It was one of the nicest days of the year today so I decided to get out kayak fishing today. I am on my way now and I will try to get one or two picks done once I get cleaned up.

While you wait, want to guess what PHX amd ANA need?

[tgraveline]

Hey, no problem there. Fishing is great and well-deserved, I'm sure. I'll be looking forward to the next one. Catch anything?

[vandalay]

Morrow would be a solid choice for the Oilers. Not sure if they would take him at 19, but they'll definitely consider him if he's on the board. Interestingly the mock in the prospects report has Morrow outside the top 60. Thinking it might be an error.

[Big Ev]

In my mock draft I have Phoenix taking Jensen and Anaheim taken Jenner.

[Dean Youngblood]

PHOENIX COYOTES - 20th Overall

Team Need(s):

- Starting Goaltender
- Centerman

Breaking it Down:

The talks of the potential Coyotes' relocation has been muffled for the time being and now GM Don Maloney and Keith Gretzky will need to focus on making the right pick for the organization in just a few weeks time. The Coyotes appear to be stable on their backend with prospects Olivier Ekman-Larsson, Brandon Gormley, Maxim Goncharov, David Schlemko, Chris Summers, Nick Ross and Michael Stone added through the draft over the past five years. The desert dogs' forward depth has developed nicely with the additons of Kyle Turris, Brett MacLean, Mikkel Boedker, Viktor Tikhonov, and Ethan Werek looking to bring this franchise some success.

If there is a need up front, the Coyotes should look to address their centre position. Turris projects to be one of the team's top pivot but beyond him and Hanzal there isn't much in the system. The Coyotes also need to address their goaltending position with very little in their farm system in terms of potential starting goaltenders. GM Don Maloney has several options with the 20th overall pick but expect him to target the best available position and fill his other needs through trades. He has a history of being very active in trades.


The Decision:

The Phoenix Coyotes exit their final discussions and seem to be pleased with their decision,

"The Phoenix Coyotes are thrilled to be in Minnesota selecting another important piece to out puzzle. With the 20th overall selection the Coyotes select Matt Puempel from the Peterborough Petes of the OHL"


Why Matt Puempel?

Puempel could possibly become the best goal scorer to emerge from this year's draft class after proving that he can score 30+ in back-to-back OHL seasons. Unfortunately, both of Puempel's OHL seasons have been shortened due to injury but it's quite clear that the Essex-native is skilled. Matt notched 33 goals and 64 points in 59 games during his rookie season. To follow that up, Puempel racked up 34 goals and 69 points this past season. Scouts are concerned about his back-to-back injury riddled seasons but there is no denying his talent. One thing that scouts won't have to worry about is his work ethic as Puempel has a very admirable drive. Puempel has great speed, good playmaking skills and an impressive knack for find the mesh.


Matt Puempel, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'1", Weight: 196 lbs
Hometown: Essex, ON
55GP-34G-35A-69P



DY as GM: Matt Puempel is one of the more interesting prospects of this year's draft class. He doesn't address the 'Yotes' need for a cente but he is one of the best forwards available. Ask me in three weeks if I regret making Puempel the 20th overall selection and I will probably answer "yes". The truth is, Puempel could easily be drafted anywhere from 10th to 20th but I would be surprised to see him fall further than 20th because of his injuries. It really is the only knock on him at this point. If Puempel had healthy back-to-back seasons, we could easily be talking about him being a Top 10 pick.

Maloney does have the option of selecting the top ranked goaltender, Chris Gibson, or he could opt for wingers Niklas Jensen, Brandon Saad or Ty Rattie. Namestnikov, Khokhlachev and JT Miller could fill their center needs but I like Puempel the best.

[Dean Youngblood]

Ottawa is on the clock...but I am tuckered out so we'll have to wait until tomorrow.

[Dean Youngblood]

OTTAWA SENATORS - 21st Overall

Team Need(s):

- Top 6 Skilled Forwrads

Breaking it Down:

Ottawa makes it's second selection in the first round at the 21st position after receiving the pick from Nashville for veteran center Mike Fisher. Once again, the Senators have the defensive depth to target skilled forwards to continue with their rebuild. With only four picks in last year's NHL Draft, GM Murray will certainly be looking to stock pile prospects with all different types of potential. Last season, the Ottawa Senators' most skilled player Jason Spezza represented the team's largest forward at 6'3". The Senators are in the position where they can take a big of a gamble with a second first round pick.


The Decision:

GM Bryan Murray and Piere Dorion head to the stage to make the 21st selection,


"The Ottawa Senators are proud to select from the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals winger Nicklas Jensen"

Why Nicklas Jensen?

What team doesn't want a 6-foot-3 winger who has tremendous speed, can make 'thread the needle' passes and score with an impressive pro release? Jensen represents a rare combination of size and skill that teams often spend years trying to find. The skilled Dane didn't post elite numbers (58 points) in his rookie season but he did bank an impressive with 29 goals and showed that he was very reliable defensively as well. Jensen places an importance on becoming a rounded two-way winger but also knows that he possesses a lot of offensive potential. The smooth-skating Jensen was ranked 21st in the Central Scouting Services' final rankings and the Senators should be thrilled to walk away with him at that position.


Nicklas Jensen, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
Position: Left/Right Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'3", Weight: 187 lbs
Hometown: Herning, Denmark
61GP-29G-29A-58P



DY as GM: Oshawa's Jensen has been one of my personal favourites of this draft class and he could develop into a steal. Jensen has the attributes, intangibles and plays a complete game that should make him a good NHLer.

The Senators will surely be considering several other players at twenty-one (Namestnikov, Khokhlachev, Rattie, Saad or Grimaldi) but I think that Jensen presents as the best player here. Plus, Ottawa doesn't select russians too often and the other players come with real concerns (size, consistency, and work ethic).

[Dean Youngblood]

ANAHEIM DUCKS - 22nd Overall

Team Need(s):

- Defencemen
- Skilled Centre

Breaking it Down:

After analyzing Anaheim's current depth chart there are two glaring needs that stick out for the Ducks organization. Anaheim has some fantastic talent upfront on their wings which include Emerson Etem, Devante Smith-Pelly, Kyle Palmieri, Patrick Maroon and Brandon MacMillon. There is a good chance that three of those prospects develop into contributors for the big club. However, Anaheim could use some depth at the center position as the organization's top pivots are represented by Peter Holland and Nick Bonino. Both players are good but teams always like to have depth at a vital position. Secondly, Anaheim could use another defenseman to add to their prospect pool. Sbisa, Fowler and Shultz represent the team's top defensive prospects but adding a reliable stay at home defender to play with the offensive Fowler and Sbisa would be a good approach.


The Decision:

Bettman calls on Anaheim to make their selection and GM Bob Murray eagerly makes his way to the podium,

"The Anaheim Ducks are proud to select from the Swedish Elite League's Farjestad defenseman Jonas Brodin"

Why Jonas Brodin?

As previously stated above, Brodin will bring stability to the Ducks' defence core to allow Fowler and Sbisa to attack offensively. Brodin plays a simple game but he is a tremendous skater and makes the first pass effectively. At 6-foot-1, Brodin isn't large and he will need to bulk up but he is a rock defensively and projects to be a very good second pairing defenseman.

Jonas Brodin, Farjestad (SEL)
Position: Defence
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'1", Weight: 170 lbs
Hometown: Karlstad, Sweden
42GP-0G-4A-4P



DY as GM: You know what you are getting with Brodin. There is no denying that. Brodin is ranked as Europe's 3rd best skater behind only Larsson and Zibanejad but if I were Bob Murray then I would be looking closely at number 6 on that list - Oscar Klefbom. The Klefbom kid is the yang to Brodin's ying. The two defenders were teammates in Farjestad last season and have become good friends. For me, I admire the personality and enthusiam that Klefbom plays with and he has a lot of potential. However, Brodin definitely fits the Ducks' need for a stable reliable defender better.

Anaheim could also become the first team to select a goaltender especially with Hiller's recent vertigo issues. The Ducks have a tendency to lean towards players with size making wingers Saad, Biggs and Ritchie possibilities as well.

[TML]

Smaller picture DY!

[Dean Youngblood]

Smaller picture DY!

No doubt eh haha I couldn't even scroll over to find the edit button to fix it. Should be good now.

[Dean Youngblood]

Deaner, any idea when the Leafs picks will be up? Very anxious to see! thx

Well....lets see....

- No hockey game on tonight to watch
- No wife in the house
- Too hot outside to do anything

There is a good chance I get the Leafs' first pick (25th up tonight). I am hoping to knock a few of them off tonight. No promises though.

Who do you want our Leafs to pick?

[Dean Youngblood]

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS - 23rd Overall

Team Need(s):

- Skilled Wingers
- Defencemen


Breaking it Down:

The Pittsburgh Penguins franchise continues their search for skilled forwards to complement superstar centermen Crosby and Malkin. Sure, Shero did a good job acquiring winger James Neal from the Dallas Stars in exchange for the talented puck moving defenseman Alex Goligoski but that doesn't gaurantee he will be the right 'fit'.

The Penguins are more than stable at the center position with Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Jeffrey and prospect Tom Kuhnhackl. Simon Depres is the most likely candidate to replace the hole left after trading away Alex Goligoski but there's no reason to rush him into the system. Beau Bennett and Eric Tangradi are Pittburgh's top winger prospects and I fully expect the Pens to draft another one come June.

The Decision:

The crowd cheers as the Penguins are called to make their selection. Ray Shero stands up from Pittsburgh's draft table and motions for his draft team to follow,

"The Pittsburgh Penguins organization are proud to select a native of Pittsburgh, PA. The Penguins would like to welcome Brandon Saad as the newest member of the Penguin's organization."

Why Brandon Saad?

Saad is another potential winger who could flank either Crosby, Malkin or even Jordan Staal. A native of Pittsburgh, Saad dominated midget and high school hockey before committing to the US Under-18 team. After one season in the USHL, Saad left the Under-18 USA Team to join the Saginaw Spirit. Entering his first OHL season, people predicted that Saad would dominate the OHL. Unfortunately the power forward didn't meet the unfair expectations initially placed on him resulting in his draft stock falling.

Saad was once touted to be a top-ten selection in the 2011 NHL draft and he certainly has all the tools to become a dominant forward if he can overcome the consistency issues that he struggled with all season long. Brandon Saad owns great speed, soft hands and can physically take over the game along the boards when he is fully engaged - but that doesn't happen often enough. Scouts definitely like Saad's potential and he could just become that perfect fit alongside Crosby in Pittsburgh. Saad could become a player capable of scoring 30+ goals at the next level.


Brandon Saad, Saginaw Spirit(OHL)
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'2", Weight: 197 lbs
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
59GP-27G-28A-55P



DY as GM: It's no secret that teams love drafting big power forwards who project as goal scorers. Saad fits that billing perfectly. As with most power forwards, it's often a long wait for them to achieve consistency in their game. The hometown Saad would be a fantastic pick for the Penguins especially with their need for skilled wingers as he does have the potential to play in the top six.

Pittsburgh could add another defenseman if they feel that there is one available that's better than any potential forwards. Shero should consider the following players for his team - Brandon Saad, Ty Rattie, Tyler Biggs and defenseman Oscar Klefbom or Scott Mayfield. There is one player available with good upside who could absolutely fill their need on the wing. Simply type in "Jurco" on YouTube and you can view a player who could make fans in Pittsbugh go crazy over another star.

[Dean Youngblood]

DETROIT RED WINGS - 24th Overall

Team Need(s):

- Starting Goaltender
- Defencemen
- Scoring Power Forward

Breaking it Down:

The Detroit Red Wing's franchise will be looking to the future (as always) and will look to address what they believe is a "need" in their system. It's almost foolish for me to try and predict what they need because I am sure they will make me look stupid. Oh well.

Taking a look at their extremely deep prospect pool full of players waiting to become the next star produced the Wings I can find a few holes that could easily be improved. With Jimmy Howard representing their future between the pipes there is a real need to address their goaltending situation especially since Niklas Lidstrom wont be around forever to make life easier for Howard. Thomas McCollum hasn't really panned out as expected so the Wings will likely add a goaltender within the first few rounds. Tatar, Mursak, Nyquist, Pulkkinen, Sheahan and Jarnkrok are all forward prospects with Top 6 upside so look for Detroit to address their backend or goaltender needs.

The Decision:

Ah, the Detroit Red Wings' draft team is on the board and you can bet that everyone will stop and listen as Ken Holland and his scouting staff approaches the podium to make their selection (probably another 'steal'),

"Hello. On behalf of the Red Wings' organization we would like to thank the Minnesota Wild and the City of St. Paul for the fantastic week. With the 24th pick of the draft, the Detroit Red Wings are proud to select defenseman Oscar Klefbom from Farjestad of the SEL"

Why Oscar Klefbom?

Klefbom has become my favourite defenseman after Adam Larsson and Nathan Beaulieu. The Red Wings are in need of another offensive defenseman to join prospects Brendan Smith and Jakub Kindl to replace the legendary Niklas Lidstrom and recently retired Brian Rafalski. Klefbom could easily be gone before the Red Wings get to pick as some experts have him going in the top half of the draft. At the NHL Draft Combine last week people were raving about Klefbom's outgoing personality and overall impressive demeanor. The Swede appears to be very likeable and his run and gun style of play will be a fan favourite at the NHL level.

Klefbom's offensive upside is one of the highest in this year's draft class as he likes to rush the puck and laying out big hits will get fans on their feet as well. The team who selects Klefbom will be getting a defender with good size (6'4", 200 lbs) who is capable of offensive and defensive minutes. Klefbom was Team Sweden's captain at the WJC this past year which isn't surprising given his personality.

Oscar Klefbom, Farjestad(SEL)
Position: Defence
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'4", Weight: 200 lbs
Hometown: Karlstad, SWE
23GP-1G-1A-2P



DY as GM: The Swedish connection with european scout Hakan Andersson is well documented and there's a chance that Andersson approves the Klefbom selection. Detroit can address their defensive depth by developing Klefbom into the player that fits their system and that will do wonders for a prospect who at times is caught running around.

Other potential selections include defenseman Jonas Brodin (need a shutdown defenseman), power forward Tyler Biggs (see needs section), centers Khokhlachev or Namestnikov (to eventually replace Datsyuk) and goaltender Chris Gibson (definite possibility).

[dyzfunctioned]

I'd like to see PIT take Jurco and I think Klefbom would definitely be an excellent choice for the Wings.