Yup, Jovo Fan from Vancouver will be putting the following Mock Draft in the spotlight.
1. St Louis - D Erik Johnson - With the loss of Chris Pronger, the Blues lost a lot of their identity after having a dominating #1 Defenceman for years. Selecting Erik Johnson will help them to take a step towards re-establishing themselves along the blueline with arguably the best prospect in the 2006 Draft Class.
2. Pittsburgh - C Phil Kessel - The Pens would love to land Johnson themselves but are just as happy selecting the ultra-talented, and oft criticized Kessel. With gifted centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin already in the system, Kessel could easilly switch to the wing to play with either one and give Pittsburgh a real weapon that could pot 40 goals for them with the linemates he'd be blessed with.
3. Chicago - C Jonathan Toews - The blue-collar Blackhawks take the blue-collar Toews, a match-made in heaven. Toews is a good all around player with good offensive instincts and does all the little things that endear him to his coaches. A safe pick for the Hawks who isn't far away from making the jump to the NHL.
4. Washington - C Nicklas Backstrom - A perfect fit for the Caps and a selection that should make Alexander Ovechkin jump for joy. Backstrom is an extremely talented player who will instantly boost the Capitals woeful offence outside of AO. Will anchor the top line in Washington for years and rack up plenty of points feeding the puck to his talented Russian winger.
5. Boston - C Jordan Staal - After the Bruins traded away Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks, the need for a future #1 Center with size and strength is glaring. Jordan Staal would help to fill that void and while he isn't as far along as brother Eric was at the time he was drafted, Jordan still has enough skill and upside to warrant a top 5 selection.
6. Columbus - C Peter Mueller - One year after taking Gilbert Brule at the same draft position, the Blue Jackets once again look for a Center from the Dub. With Brule and Mueller, the Jackets will have a potent one-two punch down the middle. Mueller is more of a play-maker than a goal scorer but is still able to put the puck in the net as well. Has excellent vision and good size, the only knock on Mueller at this point is that he needs to use his size better, but the skills he currently has can't be taught and he'll be a good fit in an improving Columbus lineup.
7. NY Islanders - C Derrick Brassard - Scouts seem to love this guy and he has been near the top of every rankings list that there is out there. A gifted offensive player and fast skater. A favorite among most draft fans and seems like he is on every fan's wishlist for who they want to see their teams select. The Islanders are desperately in need of some more skill up-front, Brassard should help to address that.
8. Phoenix - LW Jiri Tlusty - The Coyotes are in need of some offence and Tlusty should help to inject some into their lineup. A dynamic player who has been moving up draft boards quickly since his impressive performance in the U18s. Described by those who have watched him as a player who has tons of offensive upside thanks to his great speed, hands and shot. Might be a couple of years away from making the jump though but the wait will be worth it.
9. Minnesota - RW Kyle Okposo - Wild fans will go wild with this selection. Not only is Okposo a perfect fit for Minnesota's style of play but he is also kid from Minnesota which is a plus. However, just because he is local does not mean he isn't worthy of a top ten selection outright. Okposo is a talented power-forward with good size and a nose for the net. Will be a favorite of Coach Jacques Lemaire in no time.
10. Florida - LW James Sheppard - There seems to be a growing number of Panther fans who would very much like to add a talented LW to their current stable of good young prospects. I would have to agree with them. Sheppard has an NHL ready body being listed at 6-foot-2 and 201 lbs. from ISS. Plays a physical game and is also responsible in his own end of the rink and can kill penalties. Described as a very good skater who displays good hockey sense. Should be a top six forward once he makes the NHL.
11. Los Angeles - RW Michael Frolik - How the mighty have fallen. Once considered a top-tier prospect, Frolik has slipped in many people's eyes. The Kings still like enough of him to take him at 11 and hope that this slide is just a blip on the radar and he resumes his previous impressive play. They could consider taking a defenceman here but it's tough to pass up Frolik's potential upside if you're Dean Lombardi.
12. Atlanta - D Bobby Sanguinetti - I don't think it's any secret that Atlanta needs D. A very good offensive defenceman who will help to address the lack of depth at the position in the organization.
13. Toronto - C Bryan Little - Lit up the OHL this year and the Leafs hope he does the same in T.O. Is able to put the puck in the net as made evidence by his 42 goals in 64 games including 23 on the PP for the Barrie Colts. Can also distribute the puck as he collected 67 assists in one of the most impressive performances points-wise of any prospect available this summer.
14. Vancouver - RW Chris Stewart - Todd Bertuzzi may soon have a first-class ticket out of town and the team doesn't have a player that can replace him yet. Stewart is an up-and-coming power forward who possess skill and very good strength. The Canucks need to add some skill to their rather stale group of forward prospects. Solid along the blueline and in goal, they now need to look up front and add goal-scoring and Stewart is a step in the right direction.
15. Tampa Bay - G Riku Helenius - A pick that fills both short-term and long-term needs for the Bolts, and while the talented Finn won't be making the opening night roster for the Bolts next season, it's still a position that needs to be addressed regardless. Neither John Grahame and Sean Burke were able to get the job done in the playoffs and there appears to be nobody on the horizon that can help out between the pipes. Will undoubtedly become the #1 in T-Bay in a few year's time and hopefully add some stability that was lost after the departure of Khabibulin.
16. Montreal - D Ty Wishart - Had a disappointing U18 Tourny but a lot of people still like him and his potential. D is a need for the Canadiens and none of the forwards left at this point are worth taking this high. The Habs are a potential candidate to trade down.
17. Minnesota - D Nigel Williams - After landing a forward at 9, the Wild look to add some talent along the blueline. There appears to be no real consensus on Williams and is all over the place from one ranking list to the next as a result, but appears to be the BPA still on the board at this point.
18. Colorado - D David Fischer - By far the most pressing need for the Avs is on the backend. As usual they will opt for the BPA, but in a draft where there's no clear-cut tiers of players after the top 12 or so, the Avs look for need in this case and still land a nice prospect.
19. Anaheim - C Patrick Berglund - Few teams are blessed with the kind of youth that the Ducks have so they can look to add pretty much anything here, no real immediate needs but a top-two line C could be looked at and they go for a sleeper who some may call a bit of a reach but could pan out to be a great pick down the road. Plus, Burke loves his Swedes.
20. San Jose - LW Mike Forney - Who knows what the Sharks do on draft day, they always seem to surprise. They could go a number of different ways with this pick depending on who falls but Forney is probably the BPA left on the board and could also potentially fill a future need on the left side.
21. NY Rangers - RW Michael Grabner - Seems like the type of player the Rangers would like to get their hands on. Speed to burn and a nice touch around the net. The Rags would love a #1 C but there doesn't appear to be one on the board at this point. Could move up.
22. Philadelphia - D Joe Ryan - Seems to be popping up in a lot of Flyer mocks lately. I don't know a lot about him but there's quite a few people who seem to really like him and think he'd be a good fit in Philly that also fills a need as well.
23. New Jersey - D Chris Summers - The Devils have lacked that dominating presence on the blueline since Stevens retired and Summers may help to fill that void. A good skater that isn't afraid to get his nose dirty. Should help to round out the NJ blueline nicely in a few years time.
24. Buffalo - D Ivan Vishnevsky - Has good offensive instincts and should be a very good PP QB for the Sabres. Buffalo has a good young team that is improving before our eyes and this will just be one more piece of the puzzle that should keep the Sabres near the top of the Eastern Conference standings for a long time.
25. Washington - D Brian Strait - After adding some offensive punch earlier in the round the Capitals now look to add some talent to the backend with a reliable player who likes to throw the body.
26. Calgary - RW Cal Clutterbuck - A no-nonsense player that has grit, character and a decent skill set. Looks like he was cut from the ideal mold of player that Darryl Sutter loves.
27. St. Louis - RW Claude Giroux - BPA here for the Blues. An offensive force this year for Gatineau notching 103 points in 69 games.
28. Dallas - G Jonathan Bernier - The Stars' system right now lacks a goaltender who can assume the #1 job once fully developed and Marty Turco is clearly not the long term answer in Big D, so the Stars are more than happy to select one of the top ranked goaltenders available in this year's draft.
29. Ottawa - LW Cory Emmerton - Probably falls a bit more than some people expect so the Sens jump at the chance to snag a falling player who could help add some offence to their lineup once he makes the team.
30. Detroit - C Codey Burki - Brings the size that the Red Wings system currently lacks and also a lot of skill to boot. Was named the player of the game at the CHL Top Prospects Game and had a good year for the Wheat Kings with 61 points in 70 games and is still improving.
