What the heck, I'll give it a shot. It'll be my first ever, so take it easy with the criticism. It'll be based on needs, best player available and draft tendencies (most likely in that order).
1) Alexander Ovechkin (Left Wing)
Although they think about taking Malkin, they decide to go with Ovechkin. He gives them a young star who's ready for the NHL and is a very complete player.
2) Evgeni Malkin (Center)
This is a no-brainer, really. Malkin could eventually be just as good as Ovechkin - he is a full year younger remember - so as long as the Pens are patient with Malkin, they'll have a great player someday.
3) Rostislav Olesz (Center)
There are about four legitimate candidates to be drafted 3rd overall and I really have no idea what Pulford and Tallon's draft philosophy will be, so I'll just guess that they will nab Olesz, who gives them a good two-way center to flank their many talented wingers.
4) Lauri Tukonen (Right Wing)
They think of taking Barker, but opt instead for Tukonen, who is the complete package. They could use a right winger to complement Nash and Zherdev, as they don't have any exceptional right wing prospects. Some consider Tukonen NHL-ready, and typically Finns make the transition easier to the NHL than other Europeans.
5) Andrew Ladd (Left Wing)
The Coyotes also think of taking Barker, but they decide that they need a scoring winger more and take Ladd with the fifth overall. The Coyotes have had a lot of success drafting out of the WHL, so the drafting of Ladd makes a lot of sense.
6) New York Rangers - Cam Barker (Defense)
The Rangers are happy to have Barker fall into their lap, as he's exactly what they need. They have Tyutin and Pock on their blueline, but little else. Barker gives them another young defenseman, and the Rangers have had some success drafting out of the WHL.
7) Florida Panthers - Drew Stafford (Right Wing)
A bit of a reach at 7th overall, but definitely the type of player Keenan would want. Hard-working guy who'll play any role the coach asks. Won't be that big of a scorer, I've heard some compare him to Rod Brind'Amour. The Panthers have shown some love to the college system of late, so I could see this happening.
8) Carolina Hurricanes - A.J. Thelen (Defense)
The Hurricanes need help everywhere as they have a weak farm system, and they have shown a tendency to draft college players. Thelen has holes in his game, but if he is coached well, I could see him becoming a dominant two-way defenseman.
9) Anaheim Mighty Ducks - Robbie Schremp (Center)
While perhaps not what the Ducks need, Schremp is the best player available and could be a great player. The Ducks have shown a definite leaning towards drafting North Americans since Bryan Murray came onboard, and it's doubtful that they would deviate too much from that pattern this year.
10) Atlanta Thrashers - Andrej Meszaros (Defense)
His stock seems to be on the rise of late. The Thrashers have a good group of forwards up front, now they need to begin shoring up their blueline. With Coburn and now Meszaros, they are off to a good start. A great offensive defenseman who will help the Thrashers down the road.
11) Los Angeles Kings - Marek Schwarz (Goal)
He's been compared to Hasek - need I say more? The Kings have really shored up their farm system over the past couple years, and all they really need is a bona fide netminder. Schwarz will provide them with that. He deserves to be in the top ten, but there aren't really many teams who could use a goalie.
12) Minnesota Wild - Alexandre Picard (Left Wing)
If there's any tendency that the Wild have it's that they have no tendency. Picard is one of the best players available and would fit into Minnesota perfectly with his work ethic and solid speed.
13) Buffalo Sabres - Alexander Radulov (Right Wing)
The Sabres are under a lot of pressure to begin producing more scorers from within their system, and get off to a good start here with Radulov, who some have compared to former Sabre Alexander Mogilny. Radulov reportedly has some attitude problems, but is amazingly skilled and well worth the risk.
14) Edmonton Oilers - Lauri Korpikoski (Left Wing)
Maybe a tad bit of a reach, but his speed and skill fits perfectly in with the Oilers style of play. The Oilers are not afraid to draft Europeans and have drafted a lot of Finns in recent years.
15) Nashville Predators - Wojtech Wolski (Left Wing)
Wolski is a perfect fit in Nashville. He has good speed and an impressive package of skills. He isn't the most physical guy, but that is also an asset.
16) New York Islanders - Ladislav Smid (Defense)
Smid is a good two-way defenseman who moves the puck well. The Isles lack depth in terms of defense prospects, so Smid is a perfect selection.
17) St. Louis Blues - Alvaro Montoya (Goal)
I know, I know, the Blues don't need a goalie, right? They have several good goalie prospects, but Montoya gives them a bona fide one. Besides, their goalie situation always seems a bit muddled and Montoya would give them a stud goaltender who could do the job between the pipes for ten years.
18) Montreal Canadiens - Kyle Chipchura (Center)
The Habs have added a lot of skilled prospects over the past couple years, now it's time to add some grit, which Chipchura provides. A great leader, Chipchura provides a lot of intangibles and is a player that every team needs. He has some offensive skill, too.
19) Calgary Flames - Enver Lisin (Right Wing)
With his speed, Lisin perfectly suits the Flames system. Sutter will have to coax him into playing a better two-way game, but he offers an impressive package of offensive skill to the hard-working Flames.
20) Dallas Stars - Boris Valabik (Defense)
The Stars are aging rather rapidly on defense and Valabik will help them there. The Stars are patient with their prospects, something that whoever drafts Valabik will have to be. They feel that he will eventually replace Hatcher, but he will have a lot of work to do to get there.
21) Colorado Avalanche - Mike Green (Defense)
The Avs have lost a lot of prospect depth with the many trades they made to shore up their team over the past year, and the selection of Green will help them restock their system. Not the biggest guy, Green has a big heart and is a good two-way player.
22) New Jersey Devils - Travis Zajac (Center)
The Devils are unafraid to take gambles, and Zajac is a bit of a gamble that could pay dividends. He is a great young center with loads of scoring potential. He's a darkhorse who could possibly move up in the draft.
23) Ottawa Senators - Dave Bolland (Center)
The Sens have shown a tendency to draft from the OHL, and add a good two-way player in Bolland who has big heart and an impressive package of skills. HF compared him to Peca.
24) New York Rangers - Roman Voloshenko (Left Wing)
The Rangers add a fine scorer here in Voloshenko, who has the potential to be a star. He isn't the prettiest skater however.
25) Edmonton Oilers - Devan Dubnyk (Goal)
The Oilers goalie situation is unclear, and other than Deslauriers, they don't really have any goalie prospects. Dubynk gives them another one, and at the very least could be used as trade bait.
26) Vancouver Canucks - Jakub Sindel (Center)
Exactly what the Canucks need, IMO. He's fast and skilled, but he will have to improve his defensive game and bulk up, but he's a potential sniper, something the Canucks need.
27) Washington (from Boston) - Petteri Nokelainen (Center)
The Capitals add Nokelainen, who THN says has the skills of Tukonen, but doesn't use them as well. He could potentially be a gem if he ever does. Very good all-around player.
28) San Jose Sharks - Bruce Graham (Center)
The Sharks add a teammate of Bernier's who has tremendous size and an impressive package of skills. Graham isn't a thumper, but he still is a good prospect and definitely worth taking at this point.
29) Washington Capitals - Wes O'Neill (Defense)
O'Neill is a project, but if he is allowed to develop slowly and gets good coaching, he could be a good one. He has great size and good offensive skills. Could potentially dominate at both ends.
30) Tampa Bay Lightning - Cory Schneider (Goal)
The Bolts finally add a goalie to their system and with Khabibulin and Grahame in town, Schneider will be allowed to develop slowly in college. A potential gem, he just hasn't played at a high level of competition.
Whatcha think?
1) Alexander Ovechkin (Left Wing)
Although they think about taking Malkin, they decide to go with Ovechkin. He gives them a young star who's ready for the NHL and is a very complete player.
2) Evgeni Malkin (Center)
This is a no-brainer, really. Malkin could eventually be just as good as Ovechkin - he is a full year younger remember - so as long as the Pens are patient with Malkin, they'll have a great player someday.
3) Rostislav Olesz (Center)
There are about four legitimate candidates to be drafted 3rd overall and I really have no idea what Pulford and Tallon's draft philosophy will be, so I'll just guess that they will nab Olesz, who gives them a good two-way center to flank their many talented wingers.
4) Lauri Tukonen (Right Wing)
They think of taking Barker, but opt instead for Tukonen, who is the complete package. They could use a right winger to complement Nash and Zherdev, as they don't have any exceptional right wing prospects. Some consider Tukonen NHL-ready, and typically Finns make the transition easier to the NHL than other Europeans.
5) Andrew Ladd (Left Wing)
The Coyotes also think of taking Barker, but they decide that they need a scoring winger more and take Ladd with the fifth overall. The Coyotes have had a lot of success drafting out of the WHL, so the drafting of Ladd makes a lot of sense.
6) New York Rangers - Cam Barker (Defense)
The Rangers are happy to have Barker fall into their lap, as he's exactly what they need. They have Tyutin and Pock on their blueline, but little else. Barker gives them another young defenseman, and the Rangers have had some success drafting out of the WHL.
7) Florida Panthers - Drew Stafford (Right Wing)
A bit of a reach at 7th overall, but definitely the type of player Keenan would want. Hard-working guy who'll play any role the coach asks. Won't be that big of a scorer, I've heard some compare him to Rod Brind'Amour. The Panthers have shown some love to the college system of late, so I could see this happening.
8) Carolina Hurricanes - A.J. Thelen (Defense)
The Hurricanes need help everywhere as they have a weak farm system, and they have shown a tendency to draft college players. Thelen has holes in his game, but if he is coached well, I could see him becoming a dominant two-way defenseman.
9) Anaheim Mighty Ducks - Robbie Schremp (Center)
While perhaps not what the Ducks need, Schremp is the best player available and could be a great player. The Ducks have shown a definite leaning towards drafting North Americans since Bryan Murray came onboard, and it's doubtful that they would deviate too much from that pattern this year.
10) Atlanta Thrashers - Andrej Meszaros (Defense)
His stock seems to be on the rise of late. The Thrashers have a good group of forwards up front, now they need to begin shoring up their blueline. With Coburn and now Meszaros, they are off to a good start. A great offensive defenseman who will help the Thrashers down the road.
11) Los Angeles Kings - Marek Schwarz (Goal)
He's been compared to Hasek - need I say more? The Kings have really shored up their farm system over the past couple years, and all they really need is a bona fide netminder. Schwarz will provide them with that. He deserves to be in the top ten, but there aren't really many teams who could use a goalie.
12) Minnesota Wild - Alexandre Picard (Left Wing)
If there's any tendency that the Wild have it's that they have no tendency. Picard is one of the best players available and would fit into Minnesota perfectly with his work ethic and solid speed.
13) Buffalo Sabres - Alexander Radulov (Right Wing)
The Sabres are under a lot of pressure to begin producing more scorers from within their system, and get off to a good start here with Radulov, who some have compared to former Sabre Alexander Mogilny. Radulov reportedly has some attitude problems, but is amazingly skilled and well worth the risk.
14) Edmonton Oilers - Lauri Korpikoski (Left Wing)
Maybe a tad bit of a reach, but his speed and skill fits perfectly in with the Oilers style of play. The Oilers are not afraid to draft Europeans and have drafted a lot of Finns in recent years.
15) Nashville Predators - Wojtech Wolski (Left Wing)
Wolski is a perfect fit in Nashville. He has good speed and an impressive package of skills. He isn't the most physical guy, but that is also an asset.
16) New York Islanders - Ladislav Smid (Defense)
Smid is a good two-way defenseman who moves the puck well. The Isles lack depth in terms of defense prospects, so Smid is a perfect selection.
17) St. Louis Blues - Alvaro Montoya (Goal)
I know, I know, the Blues don't need a goalie, right? They have several good goalie prospects, but Montoya gives them a bona fide one. Besides, their goalie situation always seems a bit muddled and Montoya would give them a stud goaltender who could do the job between the pipes for ten years.
18) Montreal Canadiens - Kyle Chipchura (Center)
The Habs have added a lot of skilled prospects over the past couple years, now it's time to add some grit, which Chipchura provides. A great leader, Chipchura provides a lot of intangibles and is a player that every team needs. He has some offensive skill, too.
19) Calgary Flames - Enver Lisin (Right Wing)
With his speed, Lisin perfectly suits the Flames system. Sutter will have to coax him into playing a better two-way game, but he offers an impressive package of offensive skill to the hard-working Flames.
20) Dallas Stars - Boris Valabik (Defense)
The Stars are aging rather rapidly on defense and Valabik will help them there. The Stars are patient with their prospects, something that whoever drafts Valabik will have to be. They feel that he will eventually replace Hatcher, but he will have a lot of work to do to get there.
21) Colorado Avalanche - Mike Green (Defense)
The Avs have lost a lot of prospect depth with the many trades they made to shore up their team over the past year, and the selection of Green will help them restock their system. Not the biggest guy, Green has a big heart and is a good two-way player.
22) New Jersey Devils - Travis Zajac (Center)
The Devils are unafraid to take gambles, and Zajac is a bit of a gamble that could pay dividends. He is a great young center with loads of scoring potential. He's a darkhorse who could possibly move up in the draft.
23) Ottawa Senators - Dave Bolland (Center)
The Sens have shown a tendency to draft from the OHL, and add a good two-way player in Bolland who has big heart and an impressive package of skills. HF compared him to Peca.
24) New York Rangers - Roman Voloshenko (Left Wing)
The Rangers add a fine scorer here in Voloshenko, who has the potential to be a star. He isn't the prettiest skater however.
25) Edmonton Oilers - Devan Dubnyk (Goal)
The Oilers goalie situation is unclear, and other than Deslauriers, they don't really have any goalie prospects. Dubynk gives them another one, and at the very least could be used as trade bait.
26) Vancouver Canucks - Jakub Sindel (Center)
Exactly what the Canucks need, IMO. He's fast and skilled, but he will have to improve his defensive game and bulk up, but he's a potential sniper, something the Canucks need.
27) Washington (from Boston) - Petteri Nokelainen (Center)
The Capitals add Nokelainen, who THN says has the skills of Tukonen, but doesn't use them as well. He could potentially be a gem if he ever does. Very good all-around player.
28) San Jose Sharks - Bruce Graham (Center)
The Sharks add a teammate of Bernier's who has tremendous size and an impressive package of skills. Graham isn't a thumper, but he still is a good prospect and definitely worth taking at this point.
29) Washington Capitals - Wes O'Neill (Defense)
O'Neill is a project, but if he is allowed to develop slowly and gets good coaching, he could be a good one. He has great size and good offensive skills. Could potentially dominate at both ends.
30) Tampa Bay Lightning - Cory Schneider (Goal)
The Bolts finally add a goalie to their system and with Khabibulin and Grahame in town, Schneider will be allowed to develop slowly in college. A potential gem, he just hasn't played at a high level of competition.
Whatcha think?
agree
