JM's Mock Draft (Feel free to give feedback!!)

[Isles_Guy*]

As Leafs fan, I don't like this 'Landeskog at 6' nonsense. It sounds plausible... but I don't like it.

there is mo way he goes 6, unless Larsson is still there at 5 Landeskog will go at 5 to the Isles

 

[YoSoyLalo]

I would be overjoyed with Ziba at #15. I would expect the Rangers to try and move up with one of their 2nds if they wanted him badly, realistically.

 

[DaveG]

Carolina's pick was the hardest one for me to choose. At first I had McNeill going there but the Canes would have plenty of center depth if they picked a center also no?

Staal
Boychuk
Sutter
Dalpe

I also remember hearing the Canes don't like to pick defenseman in the first round which is why I didn't have one going there.

The other guy I thought of was Puempel. What are your thoughts on him for Carolina?

Boychuk, despite being listed at C by HF, has been a LW the past 2 seasons or so and typically played the LW position for Canada at the juniors. I'd bank on that being his pro position in the long run even though I think he has a bit of a Derek Roy type game if he were to stay at C. I feel the same about Puempel as I do Saad, decent enough pick but a reach at #12 and not along the lines of what the team needs long term. Puempel probably the one of the two I'd want, but I wouldn't really want either with what all else is still likely to be on the board.

Right now I'd say the Canes look like this positionally. Some will be listed twice if they've played both positions in the NHL or AHL for the Canes for significant lengths of time:
LW: Skinner, Boychuk, Bowman, Tlusty, Terry, Shugg, Osala
C: Staal, Brandon Sutter, Dalpe, Riley Nash, Dodge, Brett Sutter
RW: Ruutu, Dalpe, Bowman, Samson, Osala
D: McBain, Faulk, Joslin, Dumoulin, Sanguinetti, Alt, Levi, Biega

biggest needs are probably at RW and a shutdown dman (Dumoulin is the closest we have in the top 5 at the position long term). But it's pretty easy to see the team moving Dalpe to RW long term if they draft a C. Not to mention it's easier to transition a player from C to wing if a team has too much depth down the middle then it is to transition from wing to C.