Grand Larsson-y: NHL 2011 Draft Top 30 – Holiday Edition (via THW)

[UpsideHockey]

With the World Junior Championships (U20) looming, here's first and early crack at NHL 2011 Mock Draft.

- in searchable and sortable table format...

I know, I know - slightly premature given the the continuous jockeying for positioning in the NHL standings as the season progresses...

But....is it ever too early to consider Hockey's Version of Christmas?

http://thehockeywriters.com/grandlarssony-nhl-2011-mockdraft-holidayedition/

Round 2 to follow soon...

--
Chris Ralph

*Prospects and draft analyst at The Hockey Writers (THW). My archives at THW: http://thehockeywriters.com/author/cralph/

*The Future Of Puck (from the files of The Hockey Spy) - focusing on the future of hockey - the prospects and the entry draft.
http://hockeyspy.blogspot.com
"The future of hockey revealed...right here, right now."

Click to read more...

 

[Vaclav Varada]

What are your thoughts on Shane Prince? And Travis Graovac?

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Nice list. I'm not entirely sure I agree that NJD see the need for another forward, especially when they lacking a player like Murphy. They have next to no offense from the blue line. But if they are going BPA, yeah, I can see it working taking Couturier. Then they can keep Zajac with Parise and give Kovy a new center to play with.

I agree that its likely that Edmonton will try to move up to the 1st, but they definitely won't give up one of the big three, or Omark, Pitlick, etc. so who would they offer of enough value?

If Calgary can't get one of Couturier, NH or Landeskog, then Strome is indeed the guy I want on the Flames.

 

[Macch]

Nice list. I'm not entirely sure I agree that NJD see the need for another forward, especially when they lacking a player like Murphy. They have next to no offense from the blue line. But if they are going BPA, yeah, I can see it working taking Couturier. Then they can keep Zajac with Parise and give Kovy a new center to play with.

I agree that its likely that Edmonton will try to move up to the 1st, but they definitely won't give up one of the big three, or Omark, Pitlick, etc. so who would they offer of enough value?

If Calgary can't get one of Couturier, NH or Landeskog, then Strome is indeed the guy I want on the Flames.

Cant see the Oilers willing to give up anything that would entice the Isles or Devils to move the pick

 

[Minister of Offence]

I agree that its likely that Edmonton will try to move up to the 1st, but they definitely won't give up one of the big three, or Omark, Pitlick, etc. so who would they offer of enough value?

If they aren't willing to part with anything substantial they aren't getting the #1 overall pick for the 2nd year straight.

 

[S E P H]

Good list.

I definitely could see a few of the 20-30 prospects rise.

 

[R S]

I agree. Nice list. I would love Rattie to the Avs.

 

[Oroku Saki*]

Want Larsson but SC is a lovely consolation prize.

 

[SDig14]

Nice list, appreciate the work.

Not sure what to think about the Oilers pick though...at this rate Siemens isn't the BPA at that spot so we might as well trade down a few spots and add another pick...that or do what's necessary to move up

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

Want Larsson but SC is a lovely consolation prize.

+1

Like I said in a different thread, I think the Islander will take the "sexy" pick and that will probably be Sean Couturier. We have a solid shot at getting one of the two this summer unless we get ****ed at the lottery by dropping down one spot from 2nd to 3rd.

If that's the case, I wouldn't mind trading down to select Ryan Murphy or one of Landeskog/RNH.

 

[Gobo]

5th Overall + Pitlick/Smid

If we take SC, Pitlick probably doesn't get the 2C Role (Gagner does), and if we take Larsson then Smid gets ousted from the top 4 (Whitney, Larsson, Petry, Plante/Gilbert/Peckham).

Would that get it done?

In 3 years we look like:

Hall - Couturier - Eberle
Paajarvi - Gagner - Hemsky/Paajarvi
Hartikannen/Hamilton - Lander - ?
Hartikannen/Hamilton - Horcoff - Abney

OR

Larsson - Whitney
Petry - Peckham
Plante - Gilbert

 

[The Bored Man]

5th Overall + Pitlick/Smid

If we take SC, Pitlick probably doesn't get the 2C Role (Gagner does), and if we take Larsson then Smid gets ousted from the top 4 (Whitney, Larsson, Petry, Plante/Gilbert/Peckham).

Would that get it done?

In 3 years we look like:

Hall - Couturier - Eberle
Paajarvi - Gagner - Hemsky/Paajarvi
Hartikannen/Hamilton - Lander - ?
Hartikannen/Hamilton - Horcoff - Abney

OR

Larsson - Whitney
Petry - Peckham
Plante - Gilbert

That looks fine to me, but I doubt that NJD/NYI would be keen. I mean, the Oilers wouldn't have traded the pick last year for 5th overall and a top four defenceman, right?

 

[Hunter Gathers]

+1

Like I said in a different thread, I think the Islander will take the "sexy" pick and that will probably be Sean Couturier. We have a solid shot at getting one of the two this summer unless we get ****ed at the lottery by dropping down one spot from 2nd to 3rd.

If that's the case, I wouldn't mind trading down to select Ryan Murphy or one of Landeskog/RNH.

I would be shocked if the Devils went offense in this draft.

 

[seadawg]

That looks fine to me, but I doubt that NJD/NYI would be keen. I mean, the Oilers wouldn't have traded the pick last year for 5th overall and a top four defenceman, right?

exactly...I'm sure the Oilers would love to trade Hall for Niederreiter and Wisniewski if they had the chance.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Missing a lot of the U.S. talent that will go first round in this draft.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Missing a lot of the U.S. talent that will go first round in this draft.

Typical, though, from Canadian draft sites. They always undervalue the US talent and overvalue the Canadian talent. Then we hear how some US kid is a "shocker" going in the 1st.

 

[Gobo]

exactly...I'm sure the Oilers would love to trade Hall for Niederreiter and Wisniewski if they had the chance.

Fair enough.

 

[CharlieGirl]

Typical, though, from Canadian draft sites. They always undervalue the US talent and overvalue the Canadian talent. Then we hear how some US kid is a "shocker" going in the 1st.

Perhaps you can share with us which US born players you feel will be drafted in the first round in 2011?

Love the condescending rolleyes thing though. It adds so much to the conversation.

 

[owen1897]

i see murphy dropping like fowler

 

[hubby1746]

As much as I like Murphy I don't think the Bruins would pass over Nugent-Hopkins and Landeskog for him. But who knows what will happen between now and the draft.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Typical, though, from Canadian draft sites. They always undervalue the US talent and overvalue the Canadian talent. Then we hear how some US kid is a "shocker" going in the 1st.

Who would you take have and who would you put in their place?

As for Canadian bias....15 out of 30 are non-Canadian.
But, please carry on!

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

I would be shocked if the Devils went offense in this draft.

Lou will take the BPA with his lottery pick (yes, we are getting a lottery pick... deal with it Devils fans).

If he can't snag one of the two bulls in Larsson or Couturier, I can see Lou trading down to add a couple more picks and still select one of RNH, Landeskog or Murphy.

We lost our 3rd round pick, we traded away our second (Arnott Vs Halischuk + 2nd), we'll be giving away a 1st round within the next 3 years and we didn't have a 1st round pick last year cause of the IK trade.

If Lou can land a top 5 talent while adding another 1st or a early 2nd, he will think long and hard about IMO. He's not scared about moving down if he thinks his player will be on the table when his time will come (Tedenby) and vice-versa, he will move up if his player is still on the board (Parise).

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Typical, though, from Canadian draft sites. They always undervalue the US talent and overvalue the Canadian talent. Then we hear how some US kid is a "shocker" going in the 1st.

I think it's more lack of viewership than deliberate bias. There are always kids in the USNTDP and High School ranks that are first round talents but seem to fly under the radar.

 

[Minister of Offence]

I think it's more lack of viewership than deliberate bias. There are always kids in the USNTDP and High School ranks that are first round talents but seem to fly under the radar.

Kinda like Jaden Schwartz, a Canadian.

The lack of viewership argument is a good one. Every team is hard in the Canadian junior leagues, not every team is hard in the USHL, for example. That affects everything by at least a little.

 

[Brodeur]

Nice list. I'm not entirely sure I agree that NJD see the need for another forward, especially when they lacking a player like Murphy. They have next to no offense from the blue line. But if they are going BPA, yeah, I can see it working taking Couturier. Then they can keep Zajac with Parise and give Kovy a new center to play with.

Unless we get the choice of Couturier/Larsson, I would hope the Devils don't draft for need. The old adage is that you draft for talent and then you can fill needs via trades/signings/perhaps future drafts.

Even though forward isn't necessarily a need for next season, Zajac/Elias/Zubrus/Clarkson are all UFAs after 2012-13 (add in Rolston after next season).

Picking for need reminds me of NBA teams that pigeonhole themselves into selecting an inferior prospect at a certain position.