Louis Houde
Registered User
Houde's 2007 mock draft
--------------
1. Patrick Kane
Constant offensive menace. Has the soft hands, elusive one-on-one moves.Has an unmatched set of offensive skills with the puck. Is perhaps the premier stickhandler in the draft. Displays mesmerizing moves and a deceptive shot.A mix of Kovalev hands and Gaborik feet.His lack of size will always be a concern.
Upside : Pavel Bure
Downside : Alexei Kovalev
2. Alexei Cherepanov
He owns soft hands that do damage around the net. Can score spectacular goals, but is also adept at playing the set-up role.
When on his game, he can dominate.Incredible anticipation and awesome positioning.Is not great without the puck. Hates the
boards but accept to pay the price in front of the net.Stanley cup desire?
Upside : Miroslav Satan
Downside : Viktor Kozlov
3. Kyle Turris
Has nice gears, soft hands, tremendous hand/eye coordination, intelligence and awareness on the ice.A leader on the
ice.Possesses good two-way instincts and playmaking ability. Does anything asked of him. Future captain.
Upside : Keith Primeau
Downside : Mike Sillinger
4. Karl Alzner
Alzner is a big, mobile defenseman who can move the puck while taking care of his own end first. Mature in his game at this stage in his development, Alzner will probally transition to the NHL faster than his peers.
Upside:Mike Komisarek
Downside:Rhett Warrener
5. Logan Couture
Couture was amazing in last year's Ontario Hockey League playoffs as a 16-year old. He has been just good, not great, early in this season with 5 assists and 0 goals in 5 games. He missed the U-18's with a leg injury, and has been diagnosed with mono. Excellent playmaker.Mental player, plays like Igor Larionov.Not a goal scorer but reliable on defense.
Upside: Igor Larionov
Downside:Jiri Hudler
6. Jakub Voracek
Has a 2-way game similar to a Milan Michalek.
Voracek looks like a clone of Marian Hossa, and has a 2-way game similar to a Milan Michalek. He is the complete offensive package of size, skill, hockey sense, and pure strength. He has been unstoppable in the QMJHL when he drives to the net from the wing. His puck protection is world class.
Upside:Eric Lindros
Downside:Josef Vasicek
7. Sam Gagner
Gagner looks to have that innate sense that all elite offensive threats have. While he lacks a top gear, he possesses an elusive agility and exciting one-on-one moves. A gifted playmaker who is also starting to develop a finishing touch to go
along with a solid two-way game.
Upside:Owen Nolan
Downside: Mike Ribeiro
8. James Van Riemsdyk
Plays the game at a very fast pace and loves the open-ice hit. A great sniper, he has a hard, accurate shot,needs to use it
more. Can often change the course of the game with one shift.
Upside:Jeremy Roenick
Downside:Chad Kilger
9. Nick Petrecki
Not a franchise prospect, but Petrecki is going to be a feared physical presence in the NHL some day. A great skater for a
big man who has a mean streak like no other, but Petrecki will never be an offensive defenseman.Hits like no one else.Good in
his own zone.Works like a horse and never gives up.Blocks shots. A true warrior and a future leader.
Upside:Adam Foote
Downside:Rostislav Klesla
10. Keaton Ellerby
A can't miss mobile d-man.Impressive physical presence, very nasty. He can dish amazing open ice hits.Mishandles the puck at
at times, not very good on power-play. He has to learn how to be effective during penality kill.
Upside:Sheldon Souray
Downside:Kurtis Foster
11.Keven Veilleux
Huge centre.Has progressed way beyond than expected. Quick hands, accuracy and precision of his shots are jaw-dropping.
Understand more and more how to use his huge frame.One of the best eye-hand coordination of the draft.He must improve his
skating and keep using his body.
Upside:Eric Daze
Downside:Martin Podlesak
12.Mark Katic,
This small, elite skating defenseman has shown more of a physical edge this year despite his modest frame.Must overcome his
lack of size and strength in order to make it big in the NHL.Impressive offensive abilities.
Upside
aul Ranger
Downside:Francis Bouillon
13.Brandon Sutter
Interesting two-way centre.Nice anticipation.High defensive awareness.Quick feet,nice gears.Long reach..but poor puck
protection.Plays like a midget along boards, need to add more muscle.
Upside:Jere Lehtinen
Downside:Ville Peltonen
14.Michael Backlund
A leader, never give up.Huge strong legs.Very intelligent on ice.Effective of pp and pk.Cut to the net like N/A players.Knee
injury is the only reason why he's not in the top5.
Upside:Saku Koivu
Downside:Sami Kapanen
15.Billy Sweatt
Very mature for his age,he always give his 100%.Impressive speed,not scared to use his speed to cut to the net.Impressive
hands, perform a two-way style. He leads by example.He got all the tools to be a dominant nhl player.
Upside:Alexander Semin
Downside: Marek Svatos
16. Zach Hamill
Has exceptional vision and creativity on the ice. His offensive instincts are good but not elite,he's improving slowly his
all-around game.His skating is improving but still below juniors standards. A game breaker, nice set up abilities on pp.Need
to had some grit to his play to be an nhl player.
Upside:Rostislav Olesz
Downsideierre Dagenais
17.Angelo Esposito
A bust. Soft,unwilling to pay the price,bad teammate,lazy,over-rated offensive abilities, do not know how to use his
linesmates,selfish on power plays,he relys on his skills only,bring no grit.ECHL superstar at best. Nice speed,impressive
changing gears.. but never uses that in a real game.Scared to be touch.
Upsideatrik Stefan
Downside:Alexandre Daigle
18.Colton Gillies
He posses impressive leadership. A player you notice every game. Pure elite skating abilities for a guy this size. Wonderfull
reach and nice timing to deliver pain along the boards. Somehow unpolished,he displays solid effort and commitment, but must
play a more simple game.A true warrior that every coach want.
Upside:Mike Knuble
Downside:Stephane Yelle
19.Jonathan Blum
Look slow and bored on ice.Can master the game with his offensive abilities. Mental mistakes are too frequent.Can't clean in front of the net. Will not help his team-mates when there's a cheap shot. Make solid first pass. Does not protect the puck enough.
Upsideatrice Brisebois
Downside:Andrei Zyuzin
20.Kevin Shattenkirk
Smart defenceman.Decent mobility, nice vision and great anticipation. Great puckhandling abilities. He sneaks closer to the
opposing goal to add extra firepower deep in the offensive zone. Kinda small, needs to add more muscle to contain nhl players.
Upside:Mark Streit
Downside:Mathieu Dandenault
21.James O'Brien
He protects the puck well with his long reach.Can throw himself to block shots.Not very creative but still able to make decent defensive plays. Agility and skating is somehow a question mark, but he's willing to pay the price to make his team win.Can play thru pain.
Upside
allas Drake
Downside: Steve Begin
22.Oscar Moller
Undersized,two-way centre. Soft hands and jaw-dropping accuracy.Quite courageous,not scared to bleed or loose tooth.Not always motivated to play hard, but he plays a strong-all around game.
Upside:Eric Cole
Downside:Brandon Bochenski
23.Sergei Korostin
Lazy,bad temper,needs to take more time before taking a shot.. but skilled as hell.A very good skater,uses an effortless stride,strong first-step quickness and agility.Uses multiple gears to intimidate the opponent.very well developed physically. He's selfish and tends to care more about his own stats, rather than the team play.Tends to be on poor terms with teammates
Upside:Nikolai Zherdev
Downside:Stanislav Chistov
24.Maxim Mayorov
Skilled player.Nice size. Elite stickhandling, very accurate shot, while not so hard, very good skating ability, sees the ice very well.Never played in elite russia league. Tends to be lazy,when he isn't scoring goals, he is a very replaceable part.
Upside:Nikolai Zherdev
Downside:Stanislav Chistov
25.Brett Maclean
26.Stefen Legein
27.Akim Aliu
28.Olivier Fortier
29.David Perron
30.Jean-Simon Allard
31.Maxime Tanguay
--------------
1. Patrick Kane
Constant offensive menace. Has the soft hands, elusive one-on-one moves.Has an unmatched set of offensive skills with the puck. Is perhaps the premier stickhandler in the draft. Displays mesmerizing moves and a deceptive shot.A mix of Kovalev hands and Gaborik feet.His lack of size will always be a concern.
Upside : Pavel Bure
Downside : Alexei Kovalev
2. Alexei Cherepanov
He owns soft hands that do damage around the net. Can score spectacular goals, but is also adept at playing the set-up role.
When on his game, he can dominate.Incredible anticipation and awesome positioning.Is not great without the puck. Hates the
boards but accept to pay the price in front of the net.Stanley cup desire?
Upside : Miroslav Satan
Downside : Viktor Kozlov
3. Kyle Turris
Has nice gears, soft hands, tremendous hand/eye coordination, intelligence and awareness on the ice.A leader on the
ice.Possesses good two-way instincts and playmaking ability. Does anything asked of him. Future captain.
Upside : Keith Primeau
Downside : Mike Sillinger
4. Karl Alzner
Alzner is a big, mobile defenseman who can move the puck while taking care of his own end first. Mature in his game at this stage in his development, Alzner will probally transition to the NHL faster than his peers.
Upside:Mike Komisarek
Downside:Rhett Warrener
5. Logan Couture
Couture was amazing in last year's Ontario Hockey League playoffs as a 16-year old. He has been just good, not great, early in this season with 5 assists and 0 goals in 5 games. He missed the U-18's with a leg injury, and has been diagnosed with mono. Excellent playmaker.Mental player, plays like Igor Larionov.Not a goal scorer but reliable on defense.
Upside: Igor Larionov
Downside:Jiri Hudler
6. Jakub Voracek
Has a 2-way game similar to a Milan Michalek.
Voracek looks like a clone of Marian Hossa, and has a 2-way game similar to a Milan Michalek. He is the complete offensive package of size, skill, hockey sense, and pure strength. He has been unstoppable in the QMJHL when he drives to the net from the wing. His puck protection is world class.
Upside:Eric Lindros
Downside:Josef Vasicek
7. Sam Gagner
Gagner looks to have that innate sense that all elite offensive threats have. While he lacks a top gear, he possesses an elusive agility and exciting one-on-one moves. A gifted playmaker who is also starting to develop a finishing touch to go
along with a solid two-way game.
Upside:Owen Nolan
Downside: Mike Ribeiro
8. James Van Riemsdyk
Plays the game at a very fast pace and loves the open-ice hit. A great sniper, he has a hard, accurate shot,needs to use it
more. Can often change the course of the game with one shift.
Upside:Jeremy Roenick
Downside:Chad Kilger
9. Nick Petrecki
Not a franchise prospect, but Petrecki is going to be a feared physical presence in the NHL some day. A great skater for a
big man who has a mean streak like no other, but Petrecki will never be an offensive defenseman.Hits like no one else.Good in
his own zone.Works like a horse and never gives up.Blocks shots. A true warrior and a future leader.
Upside:Adam Foote
Downside:Rostislav Klesla
10. Keaton Ellerby
A can't miss mobile d-man.Impressive physical presence, very nasty. He can dish amazing open ice hits.Mishandles the puck at
at times, not very good on power-play. He has to learn how to be effective during penality kill.
Upside:Sheldon Souray
Downside:Kurtis Foster
11.Keven Veilleux
Huge centre.Has progressed way beyond than expected. Quick hands, accuracy and precision of his shots are jaw-dropping.
Understand more and more how to use his huge frame.One of the best eye-hand coordination of the draft.He must improve his
skating and keep using his body.
Upside:Eric Daze
Downside:Martin Podlesak
12.Mark Katic,
This small, elite skating defenseman has shown more of a physical edge this year despite his modest frame.Must overcome his
lack of size and strength in order to make it big in the NHL.Impressive offensive abilities.
Upside
aul RangerDownside:Francis Bouillon
13.Brandon Sutter
Interesting two-way centre.Nice anticipation.High defensive awareness.Quick feet,nice gears.Long reach..but poor puck
protection.Plays like a midget along boards, need to add more muscle.
Upside:Jere Lehtinen
Downside:Ville Peltonen
14.Michael Backlund
A leader, never give up.Huge strong legs.Very intelligent on ice.Effective of pp and pk.Cut to the net like N/A players.Knee
injury is the only reason why he's not in the top5.
Upside:Saku Koivu
Downside:Sami Kapanen
15.Billy Sweatt
Very mature for his age,he always give his 100%.Impressive speed,not scared to use his speed to cut to the net.Impressive
hands, perform a two-way style. He leads by example.He got all the tools to be a dominant nhl player.
Upside:Alexander Semin
Downside: Marek Svatos
16. Zach Hamill
Has exceptional vision and creativity on the ice. His offensive instincts are good but not elite,he's improving slowly his
all-around game.His skating is improving but still below juniors standards. A game breaker, nice set up abilities on pp.Need
to had some grit to his play to be an nhl player.
Upside:Rostislav Olesz
Downside
ierre Dagenais17.Angelo Esposito
A bust. Soft,unwilling to pay the price,bad teammate,lazy,over-rated offensive abilities, do not know how to use his
linesmates,selfish on power plays,he relys on his skills only,bring no grit.ECHL superstar at best. Nice speed,impressive
changing gears.. but never uses that in a real game.Scared to be touch.
Upside
atrik StefanDownside:Alexandre Daigle
18.Colton Gillies
He posses impressive leadership. A player you notice every game. Pure elite skating abilities for a guy this size. Wonderfull
reach and nice timing to deliver pain along the boards. Somehow unpolished,he displays solid effort and commitment, but must
play a more simple game.A true warrior that every coach want.
Upside:Mike Knuble
Downside:Stephane Yelle
19.Jonathan Blum
Look slow and bored on ice.Can master the game with his offensive abilities. Mental mistakes are too frequent.Can't clean in front of the net. Will not help his team-mates when there's a cheap shot. Make solid first pass. Does not protect the puck enough.
Upside
atrice BriseboisDownside:Andrei Zyuzin
20.Kevin Shattenkirk
Smart defenceman.Decent mobility, nice vision and great anticipation. Great puckhandling abilities. He sneaks closer to the
opposing goal to add extra firepower deep in the offensive zone. Kinda small, needs to add more muscle to contain nhl players.
Upside:Mark Streit
Downside:Mathieu Dandenault
21.James O'Brien
He protects the puck well with his long reach.Can throw himself to block shots.Not very creative but still able to make decent defensive plays. Agility and skating is somehow a question mark, but he's willing to pay the price to make his team win.Can play thru pain.
Upside
allas DrakeDownside: Steve Begin
22.Oscar Moller
Undersized,two-way centre. Soft hands and jaw-dropping accuracy.Quite courageous,not scared to bleed or loose tooth.Not always motivated to play hard, but he plays a strong-all around game.
Upside:Eric Cole
Downside:Brandon Bochenski
23.Sergei Korostin
Lazy,bad temper,needs to take more time before taking a shot.. but skilled as hell.A very good skater,uses an effortless stride,strong first-step quickness and agility.Uses multiple gears to intimidate the opponent.very well developed physically. He's selfish and tends to care more about his own stats, rather than the team play.Tends to be on poor terms with teammates
Upside:Nikolai Zherdev
Downside:Stanislav Chistov
24.Maxim Mayorov
Skilled player.Nice size. Elite stickhandling, very accurate shot, while not so hard, very good skating ability, sees the ice very well.Never played in elite russia league. Tends to be lazy,when he isn't scoring goals, he is a very replaceable part.
Upside:Nikolai Zherdev
Downside:Stanislav Chistov
25.Brett Maclean
26.Stefen Legein
27.Akim Aliu
28.Olivier Fortier
29.David Perron
30.Jean-Simon Allard
31.Maxime Tanguay
Kyle Turis is this year's Jonathan Toews !!
