JEN RAIMONDI'S MOCK DRAFT
RELATED ITEMS: Kimelman | Roarke | Holland | Morreale | EMAIL: Your thoughts?
| 1 |
 Edmonton Oilers
|
Taylor Hall, LW, Windsor (OHL) |
| SKINNY: He'd make a great tandem with Jordan Eberle; a bonus -- he already has Alberta roots. | ||
| 2 |
 Boston Bruins (from TOR)
|
Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth (OHL) |
| SKINNY: Big-time skills; could replace the depth in scoring that left with Phil Kessel. | ||
| 3 |
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Erik Gudbranson, D, Kingston (OHL) |
| SKINNY: This puck-moving defenseman's potential on and off the ice is just too good to pass up. |
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| 4 |
 Carolina Hurricanes
|
Cam Fowler, D, Windsor (OHL) |
| SKINNY: Great patience and calm under pressure; he could step into the NHL right now. | ||
| 5 |
 Florida Panthers
|
Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton (QMJHL) |
| SKINNY: Smooth-skating defenseman could be the long-term replacement for Jay Bouwmeester. | ||
| 6 |
 Columbus Blue Jackets
|
Brett Connolly, RW, Prince George (WHL) |
| SKINNY: Despite an injury that saw him play only 16 games, he's the real deal. | ||
| 7 |
 Tampa Bay Lightning
|
Alexander Burmistrov, C, Barrie (OHL) |
| SKINNY: An offensive threat, he has adjusted well to the North American game. | ||
| 8 |
 New York Rangers
|
Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Novosibirsk (KHL) |
| SKINNY: Had a good showing at the World Junior Championships; his quick hands have scouts talking. |
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| 9 |
 Atlanta Thrashers
|
Riley Sheahan, C, Notre Dame (CCHA) |
| SKINNY: A playmaker, he held his own against older competition in the NCAA this season. | ||
| 10 |
 Anaheim Ducks
|
Emerson Etem, RW, Medicine Hat (WHL) |
| SKINNY: A California-born prospect drafted by the Ducks? Enough said. |
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| 11 |
 Dallas Stars
|
Derek Forbort, D, U.S. U-18 (NTDP) |
| SKINNY: This mobile blueliner stands almost 6-foot-5, and only looks to get better. | ||
| 12 |
 Minnesota Wild
|
John McFarland, C, Sudbury (OHL) |
| SKINNY: Didn't have the season many expected, but has a lot of potential. | ||
| 13 |
Boston Bruins
|
Mark Pysyk, D, Edmonton (WHL) |
| SKINNY: Logs a lot of minutes in the WHL and has an accurate first pass out of the zone. | ||
| 14 |
 St Louis Blues
|
Mikael Granlund, F, HIFK (Finland) |
| SKINNY: A skilled forward trained by the program that produced Olli Jokinen and Kimmo Timonen. | ||
| 15 |
Anaheim Ducks (from PHI)
|
Nino Niederreiter, RW, Portland (WHL) |
| SKINNY: The last Swiss product they acquired, Jonas Hiller, has been a steal. Why not try for a second? |
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| 16 |
 Montréal Canadiens
|
Nick Bjugstad, C, Blaine (HIGH-MN) |
| SKINNY: Minnesota's Mr. Hockey has skill to match his NHL bloodlines -- Uncle Scott played 9 NHL seasons. | ||
| 17 |
 Phoenix Coyotes (from CGY)
|
Ryan Johansen, C, Portland (WHL) |
| SKINNY: He will fit nicely with the organization's young, talented forwards. | ||
| 18 |
 Ottawa Senators
|
Kirill Kabanov, LW, Moncton (QMJHL) |
| SKINNY: A product of the same junior program that developed Ilya Kovalchuk. | ||
| 19 |
 Detroit Red Wings
|
Calvin Pickard, G, Seattle (WHL) |
| SKINNY: With Jimmy Howard moving into the top spot, they'll need another candidate to challenge him. |
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| 20 |
 Colorado Avalanche
|
Jonathon Merrill, D, U.S. U-18 (NTDP) |
| SKINNY: Having added talent at forward in 2009, a big, solid defenseman is the wise choice here. | ||
| 21 |
 Los Angeles Kings
|
Austin Watson, RW, Peterborough (OHL) |
| SKINNY: The Kings could continue their drafting prowess if this skilled forward slips to them. | ||
| 22 |
 Buffalo Sabres
|
Brock Nelson, C, Warroad (HIGH-MN) |
| SKINNY: Known for his skating ability, he might surprise once he plays against tougher competition. | ||
| 23 |
 Nashville Predators
|
Jeff Skinner, RW, Kitchener (OHL) |
| SKINNY: Good work ethic to go along with a 50-goal season makes him hard to pass up. | ||
| 24 |
 Pittsburgh Penguins
|
Ryan Martindale, C, Ottawa (OHL) |
| SKINNY: His playmaking ability could be a big asset moving forward. | ||
| 25 |
Atlanta Thrashers (from NJD)
|
Quinton Howden, C, Moose Jaw (WHL) |
| SKINNY: Positionally sound, with an accurate shot to compliment his big frame. | ||
| 26 |
 Vancouver Canucks
|
Tyler Toffoli, C, Ottawa (OHL) |
| SKINNY: Added experience will make him and his wrist shot worth the wait. | ||
| 27 |
Phoenix Coyotes
|
Dylan McIlrath, D, Moose Jaw (WHL) |
| SKINNY: He's a tough, physical prairie defenseman who isn't afraid to drop the gloves. | ||
| 28 |
 Chicago Blackhawks
|
Jack Campbell, G, U.S. U-18 (NTDP) |
| SKINNY: Chicago's depth chart begs for only one thing -- an athletic goaltender. | ||
| 29 |
 San Jose Sharks
|
Jaden Schwartz, C, Tri-City (USHL) |
| SKINNY: A rapidly rising forward who only will improve with NHL strength training. | ||
| 30 |
 Washington Capitals
|
Stanislav Galiev, RW, Saint John (QMJHL) |
| SKINNY: A hard worker, he'll have more than one Russian mentor to help fine-tune his play. | ||