DY's 2011 NHL Entry Mock Draft

[Dean Youngblood]

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS - 25th Overall

Team Need(s):

- Top Line Centerman
- Puck-moving Defenceman
- Goaltender


Breaking it Down:

Here we are sitting waiting to make the Maple Leafs' first round selection. How many of you were waiting for this pick? To be honest, I am extremely interested in seeing how the Maple Leafs' 2011 draft pans out as it's a crucial moment in their rebuild. I am being cautiously optimistic but with their history of drafting I am preparing myself to violently criticize their selections.

Brian Burke has been straight forward with the media stating that he will attempt to package his two late first round picks in order to move up in the draft but he won't sacrifice the future to do so (ahem, ala Kessel). The Toronto Maple Leafs have several needs to fulfill but their priority remains a top line center. It has been no secret that Burke prefers his draft picks to have size and play the game with 'truculence' (for normal people we use the term 'aggressive'). The importance of having a "plan" when rebuilding a franchise cannot be emphasized enough but I believe Burke has followed the plan almost to a fault. The 2011 draft class is deep with talented centers but Burke might need to deviate from his plan of selecting big truculent players in order to select the best available centerman.

The Decision:

Leaf fans across the world collectively hold their breath as the grumpy wavy-white-haired Brian Burke stomps up the stairs en route to the draft podium,

"We, the Toronto Maple Leafs, would like to (insert big complicated word here) thank Minnesota for their first-class hospitality. Without further ado, the Toronto Maple Leafs are pleased to select from from the US Under-18 Team of the United States Hockey League Jonathon "JT" Miller"

Why JT Miller?

Surprise! Burke picks a pivot who owns good size (6'1", 190 lbs), plays aggressive and just happens to be an American. Miller is ranked 23rd by NHL's Central Scouting and 17th by the International Scouting Service so based on this mock Miller falls slightly in the rankings. The Ohio resident does not project to fill Toronto's need for a top line centerman but he is one of the most complete players in the draft. The power forward is committed to the University of North Dakota for the fall of 2011 where he will display his speed and willingness to get dirty. Miller has been described as "Kesler-lite" and his compete level will be enough to frustrate the opposition on a nightly basis. There are a lot of things to like about JT Miller as he will certainly work his a** off to make sure he becomes an NHLer. It's expected that Miller will honour his full four years of college so don't expect him to contribute for a few years.

Jonathon 'JT' Miller, US Under-18(USHL)
Position: Center/Right Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'1", Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: East Palestine, OH
21GP-3G-12A-15P



DY as GM: Miller is not my first choice but he's a solid pick who has all of the intangibles that increase his chances of becoming a full-time NHLer. Best case scenario Miller will become the second line center. In the worst case scenario, Miller contributes on special teams and skates in the third line center spot. Ideally, I would love Burke to package the picks to move up to select Mark McNeil or Mark Scheifele (there is a chance he falls to the 25th spot) but a trade might be a long shot.

As mentioned in the "Breaking it Down" section, I would like Burke to deviate from his "plan" and select a more unconventional centerman in one of Namestnikov, Khokhlachev or Grimaldi. Namestnikov is a Russian who plays the game hard and he would complement Kessel perfectly as his set-up man. Grimaldi would be my first choice and is the best player available (in my opinion). I wouldn't mind the Leafs using one of their late round picks on Grimaldi if they cannot move up in the draft. In saying that, I don't expect Burke to draft a member of this trio and see Miller as the "Burke-type" of centerman. The Toronto Maple Leafs will seriously consider selecting winger Tyler Biggs as well (big, nasty and American).

[Dean Youngblood]

Four picks were submitted today including Brodin (ANA), Saad (PIT), Klefbom (DET) and Miller (TOR).

All of this writing has tuckered me out and it's time to relax now so that will be it for tonight folks.

Remaining Picks in the 1st Round include:
26. Washington
27. San Jose
28. Tampa Bay
29. Toronto/Vancouver
30. Vancouver/Toronto

The remaining team's picks have been decided on and there is one player who is a bit of a reach (but I absolutely love)

[Big Ev]

Can't see the Ducks taking Brodin, they never pick Swedes or have any Swedes on their roster (maybe 1 or so).

The Ducks usually stick in the CHL.

[Big Ev]

I have Khoklachev going to Pittsburgh to end up as Malkin's winger down the road, but they also like drafting Americans so Saad is a good choice.

[Dean Youngblood]

I have Khoklachev going to Pittsburgh to end up as Malkin's winger down the road, but they also like drafting Americans so Saad is a good choice.

Khokhlachev is a definite possibility but I feel like Saad is a good fit and the fact that he's a hometown kid won't hurt.

I am a fan of Khokhlachev but I am not certain that teams will feel the same way. The talent is definitely there but there appear to be safer options with similar upside.

Can't see the Ducks taking Brodin, they never pick Swedes or have any Swedes on their roster (maybe 1 or so).

The Ducks usually stick in the CHL.

Brodin could easily fall out of the 1st round and I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen but at the same time he definitely fits a need for the Ducks. Anaheim has lots of options.

[Carcillo]

The Penguins are more than stable at the center position with Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Jeffrey and prospect Tom Kuhnhackl.

Nice pick for the Pens. Saad is definately someone I could see Pens going after.

But I wanted to point out that Kühnhackl is a winger, not a center.

[Dean Youngblood]

Nice pick for the Pens. Saad is definately someone I could see Pens going after.

But I wanted to point out that K�hnhackl is a winger, not a center.

Thanks Carcillo. I should have been more diligent and did deeper research but I took Hockey's Future position designation of center for him

Thanks. Definitely a LW on the OHL website

[Dean Youngblood]

WASHINGTON CAPITALS - 26th Overall

Team Need(s):

- Depth Defencemen
- Scoring Power Forward


Breaking it Down:

The Washington Capitals are in an enviable position as their organization has good depth at every position. With Neuvirth, Varlamov and Holtby all in their twenties there is no need for a goaltender. The Capitals' prospects Eakin, Kuznetsov, Galiev, and Perreault all have good upside and will make an impact in the not-so-distant future. On the backend, rookie Carlson and Alzner are coming off a solid season where they earned important minutes. Orlov is another defensive gem waiting in the wings for his debut with the caps too. GM George McPhee will likely take the "draft-the-best-player-available-regardless-of-their-position approach" I wouldn't blame him. The Capitals could use a big strong power forward type of player as they are most likely to lose Brooks Laich to free agency this summer.

The Decision:

The cameras zoom in closely to George McPhee as he leans forward into the microphone to make his selection,

"The Washington Capitals are extremely thrilled to select with the 26th pick from the London Knight of the Ontario Hockey League, Vladislav Namestnikov "

Why Vladislav Namestnikov?

The Capitals have been making a habit of selecting skilled forwards with their first round picks and it's well known that they aren't afraid to select Russian players either. Fortunately, Namestnikov doesn't come with the "risk factor" associated with most other Russian players as he has absolutely no contractual ties to the KHL and has made it quite clear from a young age that the NHL is his dream. Like Landeskog, when the composed Vladislav Namestnikov speaks it is quite clear that his ability to speak the English language is astonishing. Namestnikov could easily teach Ovechkin a few things about the english language. The speedy and elusive Namestnikov plays a strong two-way game and prides himself on being responsible at both ends of the rink. In his first OHL season, Vladislav was quite impressive notching 30 goals and 68 points and played in all 68 games. Those numbers are extremely good considering the relatively weak team he played on. Scouts project Namestnikov as a playmaker but he does have a knack for scoring goals as well. Washington has lots of time to develop whomever they select this year and that would give Namestnikov a few years to develop his game and bulk up a bit.


Vladislav Namestnikov, London Knights(OHL)
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'0", Weight: 170 lbs
Hometown: Voskresensk, RUS
68GP-30G-38A-68P



DY as GM: To be honest, I had an extremely difficult time deciding on the Capitals' pick considering that they could actually select about 30+ different players in their position. To help with my decision I looked at the Capitals' draft history and tendencies and settled on a speedy, hard-working, skilled Russian center.

I wouldn't be surprised if McPhee changed it up a bit and selected a different type of player (big and nasty like Biggs) but at this point Namestnikov is one of the best players available. In the end, my decision came down to five players who could fit nicely in Washington - Namestnikov, Khokhlachev, Grimaldi, Rattie or Biggs. For me, Namestnikov offers a lot of skill with little risk and his work ethic is admirable. The Capitals definitely have the forward depth to justify rolling the dice on Rocco Grimaldi or Tomas Jurco and it wouldn't surprise me if they did just that.

[Dean Youngblood]

SAN JOSE SHARKS - 27th Overall

Team Need(s):

- Defencemen (puck moving and big minute munchers)
- Skilled Forwards (specifically wingers)


Breaking it Down:

Historically, the Sharks have been extremely successful at drafting and developing forwards and their NHL arrival time always seems to be sooner than other teams. In more recent, years the Sharks organizational depth at forward has started to become depleted due McGinn and Couture graduating to the big club. Prospect right winger Charlie Coyle is the only notable forward in the system with 'promise' so that is a concern for Sharks' management.

Last season, Dan Boyle logged a ton of minutes as the Sharks were forced to go with a young and inexperienced defence core. The Sharks do have some promising defensive prospects in their system with Taylor Doherty, Nick Petricki and Justin Braun highlighting the group but adding depth at the backend would be a good proactive approach.

The Decision:

The Sharks' scouting staff ceases their quick discussion and appear to agree on their selection,


"With the 27th pick of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the San Jose Sharks select from the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks winger Ty Rattie"


Why Ty Rattie?

The undersized smooth skating winger with tremendous creativity has the potential to be one of the better playmaking forwards from this draft class. Rattie offers an arsenal of offensive skills that feature effortless puckhandling, elusive skating and elite playmaking abilities. Ty has been criticized, especially during his rookie season, for being too much of a 'showboat' at times. However, Rattie impressed scouts last season as he altered his game to complement his teammates better and his 79 points reflect the success he had. Rattie would be a fantastic prospect for the Sharks to add to their system especially since he can benefit from spending a few more seasons developing his game. The main roster isn't in need of any immediate help from offensive forwards with Top 6 potential making Rattie a smart long-term plan.

Ty Rattie, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 5'11", Weight: 163 lbs
Hometown: Airdrie, AB
67GP-21G-58A-79P



DY as GM: Theres a strong possibility that a team selects Ty Rattie much earlier than 27th (as he is ranked 17th among North American skaters) but I am a little skeptical of his numbers leaving me to wonder how much his talented teammates (Niederreiter, Johansen and Bartschi) influenced his stats. Rattie definitely has very good offensive skills and his edgy style of play provides another whole dimension to his game.

GM Wilson isn't likely to draft another centerman (unless he falls head over heels for one) so I expect him to look closely at Rattie, Biggs, Khokhlachev (plays C and W), and Jurco. Rattie makes the most sense to me but the nasty Biggs is also a good fit with his ability to play different roles.

[Dean Youngblood]

There are three picks remaining in the Mock Draft (1st Round) and I plan on finishing it tomorrow as Tampa Bay, Toronto and Vancouver make their selections.

Lots of great players still on the board and I am excited to make my next pick for the Maple Leafs (tomorrow).


Once the first round is complete, I think I am going to keep going with the Mock Draft into the 2nd round. I won't include the whole breakdown and player analysis but I will make my quick picks for each team selecting in the 2nd round

[tgraveline]

Great stuff, this has truly been a great thread and very enlightening. I'm very glad to have someone who can teach me about the upcoming class.

[Hollywood]

Great news! Keep on the good work! I'll follow your 2nd round!!!

[Dean Youngblood]

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING - 28th Overall

Team Need(s):

- Puck Moving Defenseman
- Skilled Centers

Breaking it Down:

Steve Yzerman joined the Tampa Bay Organization just prior to last year's Entry Draft and as a result he put a lot of the trust into the scouting staff already in place. With a successful year under his belt, Steve Yzerman will be more eager to make his thoughts more prevalent during the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul Minnesota.

The Lightning have decent talent in their pipelines with forwards Brett Connolly, Carter Ashton, Dana Tyrell, James Wright, Richard Panik, and Johan Harju. Between the pipes Tampa is looking good with young talented goalies Dustin Tokarski, Cedrick Desjardins and Jaroslav Janus all within the system. There is a definite need for the Lightning to address their backend as they are in need of another puck moving defenseman who can play alongside Victor Hedman in the future.

GM Steve Yzerman will definitely add some defencemen to the organization's depth charts but I have a gut feeling he won't make it a pressing need with his first selection at 28th.

The Decision:

Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher are both tremendous hockey minds and I am certain that both of them will interact closely with the Lightning scouting team to ensure that they get the best player available,

"The Tampa Bay Lightning are proud to select from the US Under-18 team, of the United States Hockey League, center Rocco Grimaldi Come on up Rocco"

Why Rocco Grimaldi?

Reason one, Grimaldi would be considered a top 5 pick in this year's draft class if it weren't for his small 5-foot 6-inch frame. Reason two, The Lightning showed last year with their Brett Connolly selection that they are willing to take the most talented player available regardless of any 'red flags' associated with them. Reason three, Rocco shouldn't fall this low and if he's available at 28th Yzerman surely won't pass up the chance to select him even if his team needs defencemen. Projecting where Rocco Grimaldi lands in the draft is extremely tough and I wasn't going to let him fall out of the first round - NO WAY!

The International Scouting Services have the speedy center ranked as the 15th best skater. On the other hand, NHL Central Scouting has Grimaldi ranked 32nd among North American skaters. As you can see, there's a huge range of where people ranked the small dynamic US NTDP star. For me, Grimaldi is the most interesting player of this year's draft class and I will be watching closely. Scouts definitely agree that the kid has elite skill so that will bode well for Grimaldi but will teams be brave enough to use a high draft pick on him?

Grimaldi might be extremely undersized but he plays with a lot of energy, owns a deceptively quick shot and is very difficult to knock off the puck with his low center of gravity. I watched Grimaldi during the recent Under-18 Championships and he was by far the best player on Team USA and absolutely loves to shoot the puck projecting to be a goal scorer.

Rocco Grimaldi, US NTDP(USHL)
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
Height: 5'6", Weight: 163 lbs
Hometown: Anaheim, CA, USA
50GP-34G-28A-62P



DY as GM: Sure, Tampa needs that puck moving defenseman but Yzerman will take the BPA and address that need later or through free agency. Grimaldi is, by far, the best player available. The Lightning have already went on record stating that they will not put too much emphasis on player size and will draft a player based on their skill.

If I were to send my recommendations to 'Stevie Y' on who they should consider, my list would consist of centers Grimaldi or Catenacci, wingers Jurco, Biggs or Danault and defenders Mayfield, Sproul or Musil. Rocco would be a 'rock-solid' pick for me

[dyzfunctioned]

Grimaldi would be a steal at this point.

Really do think he should have taken Fowler last year though...

[Dean Youngblood]

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS - 29th/30th Overall

Note: If Boston wins the Stanley Cup Toronto will pick 30th

Team Need(s):

- Top Line Centerman
- Puck-moving Defenceman
- Goaltending Depth

Breaking it Down:

Brian Burke is an unpredictable man and he will surely surprise us with one of his picks in the first round (assuming he doesn't trade them). He is a man set in his ways and if he has a guy who he likes then it will be extremely difficult to persuade him otherwise. The Maple Leafs need to continue to add to the prospect depth that currently includes Nazem Kadri, Joe Colborne, Jake Gardiner, Keith Aulie, Luca Caputi, Jesse Blacker, Greg McKegg, Brad Ross, Jerry D'Amigo and whichever player Toronto selects at 25th (I took JT Miller). Toronto can either opt for another forward or choose add another defensive prospect.

The Decision:

Brian Burke ends his phone call with an anonymous NHL GM hoping to complete a trade and decides to continue forward with their selection after not getting what he wanted via trade,

"The Toronto Maple Leafs are thrilled to select from the Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting forward Brett Ritchie"

Why Brett Ritchie?

Did you really think we were going to get through the first round without me selecting a player from the Sarnia Sting? Truth be told, despite his current ranking of 36th by NHL Central Scouting, Ritchie is the type of player who has the potential to go much higher than 29th/30th. The big skilled winger was projected as a Top 20 pick entering the 2010-11 season but battled with mononucleosis during his sophmore season.

Despite missing almost a month of action, Ritchie potted 41 points in 49 games and was the best player on the Sting team on most nights. Ritchie has represented Team Ontario and Team Canada several times internationally and has become one of their most valuable players. Brian Burke was on hand to witness Ritchie during the World Under 18 Championships this past April when he notched two goals to help Canada come from behind to force overtime. Canada lost in overtime to Russia.

Ritchie has great puck protection skills and thrives in the cycle game down low. He drives to the net and owns a good quick shot making him dangerous when in tight. Eight years ago Brian Burke was the GM of the Vancouver Canucks and he missed out on selecting Ryan Getzlaf when he went 19th overall. Vancouver eventually grabbed Kesler at 23rd but Burke has the chance to draft Brett Ritchie would would be a poor man's version of Ryan Getzlaf. Ritchie can pass, score, hit and drops the mitts with no questions asked. There is a chance Ritchie becomes their target with their second round pick but I doubt if he's around when the 39th pick comes due.

Brett Ritchie, Sarnia Sting(OHL)
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height: 6'3", Weight: 210 lbs
Hometown: Orangeville, ON, CAN
49GP-21G-20A-41P



DY as GM: Brett Ritchie comes into the 2011 Entry Draft underrated and underappreciated after injuries/illnesses held him back but teams are surely interested in this skilled power forward as he was one of only four players who had interviews scheduled with 29 of 30 NHL teams at the Combine. The fact that there's that much interest in talking to him makes the chances of him being a first round selection much greater.

With Tyler Biggs still available, Toronto will surely debate whether he's the right kid and since he's big, nasty and American there's a good chance that Burke decides on Biggs instead. I like Ritchie better and his upside is higher tool. Other notable players the Maple Leafs will look closely at include defensemen Connor Murphy, Scott Mayfield, Ryan Sproul and Adam Clendening. Toronto should take the best available forward in their eyes, whoever that may be.