March Mock Draft

McDoused

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Feb 5, 2007
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Obviously teams are going to move up and down the rankings as the season and post-season carry on, but I decided to post a mock draft if the season were to end today. This is not my draft rankings but rather who I think teams will be targetting and a very general idea of where I expect players to go. I hope you enjoy this read in lieu of a prospect portfolio.



1. Edmonton Oilers- Adam Larsson
(Edmonton is clearly lacking on the backend and is sitting second worst in the leauge in goals against. Larsson is supposed to be the best defenceman in the past 20 years. They will be tempted to take a center but according to Tambo they will take need into consideration this year much more then years prior.)

2. Ottawa Senators- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
(Ottawa is already deep on defence and has size in Jason Spezza. They may be torn between RNH and Landeskog but IMO Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is much more dynamic and will help solidify their center position for years.)

3. Colorado Avalanche- Gabriel Landeskog
(Already deep at center and with the newly acquired Erik Johnson, Colorado is able to address the hole left by Chris Stewart. Although Landeskog probably wont be as successful in the NHL as Couturier he is a much better fit in Colorado.)

4. New York Islanders- Sean Couturier
(Long Island could use a defenceman or a winger, but can't pass over Couturier. He will being size and create a great 1-2 punch for the Islanders for many years to come. He will be able to concentrade on dominating defensively while Tavares can flourish offensively)

5. Florida Panthers- Ryan Strome
(The Panthers are set on defence for quite a while with Gudbrandon, Kulikov, Ellerby, etc. They jump at the chance to add an offensive weapon in Strome down the middle. Although they will try and target Couturiers size, I see them being able to build something around the dyanmic Strome)

6. New Jersey Devils- Ryan Murphy
(Much like Brian Rafalski, Ryan Murphy will bring some much needed offence to the Devils back end. He can move the puck and add a wow factor that is desperately needed in New Jersey.)

7. Atlanta Thrashers- Jonathan Huberdeau
(Atlanta needs help up front and is already set on the back end with Bogosian, Buff and Enstrom. Huberdeau, Burmistrov and Little up front give the team some variety and socring ability. Best forward available.)

8. Boston Bruins (From Toronto Maple Leafs)- Dougie Hamilton
(Chara isn't going to last forever and Boston could use a stud. Hamilton is a steal here and should be a great fit. He can do it all and has a hidden mean streak the the bruins should be able to bring out of him.)

9. St. Louis Blues- Mika Zibanejad
(St.Louis loves to draft the Swedes and they get a good one in Zibanejad. Obviously looking to bloster their forward lineup, Mika can use a year or two in sweden before coming over and making an impact. He will provide a much needed wow factor to an offensively struggling franchise.)

10. Columbus Blue Jackets- Duncan Siemens
(Columbus misses out on all the possible puck moving defencemen and potential number one centers but is happy for Siemens. He can still move the puck but really stands out as a guy that can help their blueline for years to come.)

11. Carolina Hurricanes- Jamie Oleksiak
(The biggest boom-bust project this far goes to a Carolina team that can afford to take a risk on Oleksiak. With Pitkanen and McBain on the back end he should have some time to develop before they bring this kid in.)

12. Minnesota Wild- Joel Armia
(Finish powerforward joins the likes of Granlund and should have instant chemistry on a team that needs offensive fowards)

13. Anaheim Ducks- Tyler Biggs
(Big hard hitting player is the style of player that Anaheim needs to continue to draft in order to be successful. Surprising that he is still on the board here and not taken by Carolina)

14. Ottawa Senators (From Nashville Predators)- Matt Puempel
(Puempel will look great beside Spezza or RNH at the NHL level. Kid is a goal scorer going to the team with the lowest amount of goals in the NHL.)

15. New York Rangers- Nathan Beaulieu
(Rangers could use a defenceman but already have a tough guy in McIlrath. They grab a guy that can help dictate the pace of the game and allow them to play to their strengths up front.)

16. Buffalo Sabres- Brandon Saad
(Buffalo adds some size that they need up front. Lots of raw potential in Saad that is too good to pass up.)

17. Edmonton Oilers (From Los Angeles Kings)- Mark McNeill
(Hometown boy that fills the size issue down the middle.)

18. Dallas Stars- Scott Mayfield
(Dallas needs help on the blueline IMO and Mayfield can play all situations and be an anchor on the team for many years to come.)

19. Calgary Flames- Ty Rattie
(Flames need a center or some kind of help up front. They always seem to look inside the WHL for scoring and should be able to get it out of the slick Portland wizard.)

20. Phoenix Coyotes- Alexandr Khoklachev
(Phoenix grabs a great goalscorer and isn't affraid to go russian to do so. They are already set on the back end with Yandle and OEL. Phoenix looks like bandits in a year)

21. Montreal Canadiens- Nicklas Jensen
(Montreal could use some size and skill up front. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see them draft a dman with all the UFA's they have on their blueline, Jensen is too good to pass up.)

22. Chicago Blackhawks- Sven Baertschi
(The rich get richer. Great complimentary player for the forwards already up front on the Hawks.)

23. Tampa Bay Lightning- Myles Bell
(Tampa could use another offensive minded dman with a glut of forwards already up front.)

24. Pittsburgh Penguins- Tomas Jurco
(slick dynamic winger that will compliment the Centers in Pittsburgh)

25. San Jose Sharks- David Musil
(Tough defence first kid that should help stabilize the San Jose blueline. They already have a plethora of forwards)

26. Toronto Maple Leafs (From Boston Bruins)- Zack Phillips(Hard working two-way forward that would look playing behind Nazem Kadri)27. Washington Capitals- Vladislav Namestnikov(Washington picks up another fast russian forward to hopefully add some chemistry to their powerplay. Already set with Carlson and Alzner on the back end.)28. Detroit Red Wings- Jonas Brodin(The wings stay Swedish. It paid off in the past and will continue to pay off with the talented rearguard.)29. Toronto Maple Leafs (From Philadelphia Flyers)- Stefan Noesen(Noesen will add some size and goalscoring to a team that will need it.)30. Vancouver Canucks- Dmitri Jaskin(Skilled forward that should have the freedom to develop and hopefully turn out to be a steal.)

Hope You enjoyed! Any input would be appreciated. Sorry about the spelling!

Also you can find the original article at dousedinoil.blogspot.com
 
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OilerOlli*

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Good list.
For my taste Beaulieu, Saad, and mostly Bärtschi should be higher, though.
Don't think Zibanejad will be that high. And doubt Bell will be a 1st round pick.
 

AwesomePanthers

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Aug 20, 2009
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Good list, but I see Jaskin going higher, and I'm hoping if this will be the standings that Florida and NYI will consider swaping picks. I would be happy with Strome, but Couturier will be an elite center.

And by the way Wideman doesn't play for us anymore, but you could add Robak (was one of the best WHL defensemen), Petrovic (is one of the best WHL defensemen) and Comrie ('08 pick in a very strong draft, looked good in Panthers camp).
 

McDoused

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Good list, but I see Jaskin going higher, and I'm hoping if this will be the standings that Florida and NYI will consider swaping picks. I would be happy with Strome, but Couturier will be an elite center.

And by the way Wideman doesn't play for us anymore, but you could add Robak (was one of the best WHL defensemen), Petrovic (is one of the best WHL defensemen) and Comrie ('08 pick in a very strong draft, looked good in Panthers camp).

Thanks for the support and the Wideman comment. I totally forgot he was traded at the deadline. I still think Florida goes for help up front and agree that Couturier would be a great fit. I didn't include any trades though :) Their should be plenty of movement on draft day.

As far as Jaskin goes, he would probably be top 20 if he didn't miss out at the WJC but I think this leauge and small sample size will scare teams with only one first round pick.
 

Duke749

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YES! Someone finally makes a reasonable choice for Atlanta. :handclap: Two other mocks i've seen recently have us taking a D-man. Huberdeau is definitely a possibility for us.
 

AwesomePanthers

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Aug 20, 2009
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Thanks for the support and the Wideman comment. I totally forgot he was traded at the deadline. I still think Florida goes for help up front and agree that Couturier would be a great fit. I didn't include any trades though :) Their should be plenty of movement on draft day.

As far as Jaskin goes, he would probably be top 20 if he didn't miss out at the WJC but I think this leauge and small sample size will scare teams with only one first round pick.

Let's see if he plays the U-18 WC. And he isn't small at all: 6'1, 196.
 

McDoused

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Feb 5, 2007
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Good list.
For my taste Beaulieu, Saad, and mostly Bärtschi should be higher, though.
Don't think Zibanejad will be that high. And doubt Bell will be a 1st round pick.

I think Saad has ridiculous potential and should have been a top 10 pick but as of right now he is playing like a Kitten. I think he could easily be a steal where he is at but I could also see him busting. Right now Puempel is a better scorer, Biggs bring a more physical presence and Armia's stats are skewed by playing on a weak team.

I think Beaulieu could be taken as early as 11 but I doubt Anaheim, Minnesota or Ottawa are looking for a defenceman.

Finally Baertschi could go from 11-20 but his size still concerns me despite his tenacity. He's also on a stacked Portland team and it remains to be seen if he can not just finish a play but do it all. I see him more of an elite complimentary player.

Thanks for the input!
 

Ganz

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Great list. Good to see a list similar to mine.
OhYeah.gif


Where do you see Stefan Noesen going? EDIT: I can't count

#31 (EDM) - ??
 
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McDoused

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Feb 5, 2007
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No, let him drop to 31st

My bad. :laugh:

Haha I almost put Boone Jenner in his spot just so he could drop down to the Oilers at 31. He's a guy I have been pimping out for a while now. I hope he is still their when we pick in the 2nd round.
 

OilerOlli*

Guest
I think Saad has ridiculous potential and should have been a top 10 pick but as of right now he is playing like a Kitten. I think he could easily be a steal where he is at but I could also see him busting. Right now Puempel is a better scorer, Biggs bring a more physical presence and Armia's stats are skewed by playing on a weak team.

I think Beaulieu could be taken as early as 11 but I doubt Anaheim, Minnesota or Ottawa are looking for a defenceman.

Finally Baertschi could go from 11-20 but his size still concerns me despite his tenacity. He's also on a stacked Portland team and it remains to be seen if he can not just finish a play but do it all. I see him more of an elite complimentary player.

Thanks for the input!

I think it is not an easy draft year to predict.
You are right, it is also about what player a team is perhaps searching for. And I have no clue what he most teams are especially searching for with their 1st round pick, to be honest.
 

MPStoEberletoHall*

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This is exactly what I want the Oilers to do! Draft a future star in Larson, I also think Mcneil will end up being a very good 2nd or 3rd line Center
 

Ghost of jas

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Feb 27, 2002
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15. New York Rangers- Nathan Beaulieu
(Rangers could use a defenceman but already have a tough guy in McIlrath. They grab a guy that can help dictate the pace of the game and allow them to play to their strengths up front.)

Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer, Michael Del Zotto, Pavel Valentenko and Tomas Kundratek all disagree with your assessment.
 

Roof Daddy

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Apr 1, 2008
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I will be ecstatic if the Oil land Larsson and McNeil.

McNeil playing on a 3rd line with Hamilton and Pitlick down the road... that's some grit with scoring touch we haven't had in a loooooong time.
 

Homesick

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This is exactly what I want the Oilers to do! Draft a future star in Larson, I also think Mcneil will end up being a very good 2nd or 3rd line Center

I will be ecstatic if the Oil land Larsson and McNeil.

McNeil playing on a 3rd line with Hamilton and Pitlick down the road... that's some grit with scoring touch we haven't had in a loooooong time.
I was a big supporter of picking up Couturier. But I've been gathering up all the info I can on McNeill, and I'm warming up to this idea.
With Gagner(he's only 21), Pitlick, Lander, and Martindale; hopefully one of them can emerge as a #1.
Whitney-Larsson
Gilbert-Smid
Petry-Peckham
isnt too bad for the future....not forgetting Marincin, Tuebert, or Plante either
 

KILLger

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11. Carolina Hurricanes- Jamie Oleksiak
(The biggest boom-bust project this far goes to a Carolina team that can afford to take a risk on Oleksiak. With Pitkanen and McBain on the back end he should have some time to develop before they bring this kid in.)

Pitkanen is an UFA.

There's Dumoulin and Faulk in the wings... but yeah, I'd take a safer player. Biggs, likely.
 
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I like Musil @26. but, the sharks have a solid defencive prospects (Petrecki,Doherty both project as top 4s, with Vlasic, Demers and Braun all very young. Wrenn also is improving leaps and bounds after going to the WHL and it'll be intresting to see him in the AHL next year)

We also have tons of goalies.

Ive gotta think we take a forward with the pick. Other then Coyle we have no forward prospects (and Seto and Couture are the only players now that are young and project as top 6s.) We need forwards for after Heater,Thornton,Marleau all leave.
 

McDoused

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I like Musil @26. but, the sharks have a solid defencive prospects (Petrecki,Doherty both project as top 4s, with Vlasic, Demers and Braun all very young. Wrenn also is improving leaps and bounds after going to the WHL and it'll be intresting to see him in the AHL next year)

We also have tons of goalies.

Ive gotta think we take a forward with the pick. Other then Coyle we have no forward prospects (and Seto and Couture are the only players now that are young and project as top 6s.) We need forwards for after Heater,Thornton,Marleau all leave.

Good to know! I thought San Jose was still looking for someone to help the blueline out with Marleau, Heatley, Thorton, Pavelski, Couture, etc up front.

I'm not 100% on what teams needs are and with Coyle in the mix I thought they would be okay. But I guess San Jose needs to think long term- good to know and will take it into consideration for future mock drafts.

I didn't realize that Vlasic and co were so highly regarded.
 

McDoused

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Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer, Michael Del Zotto, Pavel Valentenko and Tomas Kundratek all disagree with your assessment.

Although the Rangers might need a forward as well, Beaulieu is probably too good to pass up. Not to hate on the rags or anything but really Staal and MDZ are good but after that I don't see it.

I don't see Minnesota, Anaheim, Ottawa, Buffalo or Edmonton drafting this guy and he is too good to be drafted at 18.

Its kinda funny how one poster says Beaulieu is too low but at the same time you imply the rangers should pass on him. IMO that means its pretty bang on.

Pitkanen is an UFA.

There's Dumoulin and Faulk in the wings... but yeah, I'd take a safer player. Biggs, likely.

Yeah he is, but if they let him walk they won't do it without signing another dman. I still think Oleksiak will surprise a few teams and be drafted early.
 

TheRedViper

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Although the Rangers might need a forward as well, Beaulieu is probably too good to pass up. Not to hate on the rags or anything but really Staal and MDZ are good but after that I don't see it.

I don't see Minnesota, Anaheim, Ottawa, Buffalo or Edmonton drafting this guy and he is too good to be drafted at 18.

Its kinda funny how one poster says Beaulieu is too low but at the same time you imply the rangers should pass on him. IMO that means its pretty bang on.



Yeah he is, but if they let him walk they won't do it without signing another dman. I still think Oleksiak will surprise a few teams and be drafted early.
I won't disagree with taking Beaulieu if that's how the draft fell, but to say we need D is incorrect. Staal Girardi Sauer McDonagh have already solidified our top 4, and that's with two of the four being rookies. Like I said though, if that how's the draft plays out I'd be happy with that pick
 

CBA

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5. Florida Panthers- Ryan Strome
(The Panthers are set on defence for quite a while with Gudbrandon, Kulikov, Ellerby, Wideman, etc. They jump at the chance to add an offensive weapon in Strome down the middle. Although they will try and target Couturiers size, I see them being able to build something around the dyanmic Strome)

Got traded to the caps...

Other than that the list seems pretty solid although some disagreements here and there...
 

SuperSaiyanBeastmode

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I kinda wish we pick jonas brodin and mark schiefele, but still overall a good draft... i think i'm gonna make a mock draft after the season's over because they look fun:D
 

Eyelanders

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Jan 9, 2011
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I think that Jaskin and Brodin should be higher. I´ve really liked Brodin in the games that I have seen him playing. He is a defenseman who has a great first pass and moves the puck well. He is also good in his own defensive zone and can skate very well. There are a lot of things to like on Brodin. Jaskin, I believe could be higher if he was at the WJC tournament. He´s strong, plays physically and has good puck skills. Even if Jaskin´s skating isn´t the best, he´s one of my favorite players in the draft.
 

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