Fan In Van

Who To Pick at #10

It seems apparent that after the Tampa Bay Lightning select Sarnia Sting centre Steven Stamkos with the first overall pick at the NHL Entry Draft on June 20th, the drafting situation for the teams that follow gets a little murky. And it’s not because teams don’t have a good grasp on which player to draft next, it’s the fact that this year is loaded with the deepest amount of talent since the 2003 draft.

The Los Angeles Kings, for instance, really want to select a defenceman with the second overall pick. The problem is, they don’t know whether to select Drew Doughty, perceived as the most NHL-ready defenceman, or Zach Bogosian, who has been compared to the ilk of Chris Pronger.

For the Vancouver Canucks, who select this year at the #10 position, they have a strong opportunity to address their problems up front. With Luc Bourdon, Alex Edler and Taylor Ellington in the fold, the Canucks should be looking at selecting a forward, perhaps with an emphasis on the centre position.

Personally, I’m hoping Mike Gillis and the Canuck brass take the best player available when their time comes. Coming out of the blue to take Patrick White with the 25th overall pick when players such as David Perron, Stefan Legein and Brett MacLean were still available. At the time, White was projected to be a second-round selection but then-GM Dave Nonis and chief scout Ron Delorme believed White was the best player for the organization.

I’m breaking down six prospects you may (hopefully) see putting on the white, green and blue on Draft Day:

PLAYER - CSB RANKING - ISS RANKING - POSITION - CURRENT TEAM

Mikkel Boedker - #11 - #7: LW - Kitchener Rangers (OHL): If you didn’t watch Sunday’s Memorial Cup final than you probably don’t know how good Boedker really is. Boedker is a smooth-skating, puck-moving Danish forward who can also fill the net with goals. The knock on Boedker is that he’s a little one-dimensional and doesn’t really have any defensive instincts. From a Canuck fan perspective, imagine pairing this Dane with Jannik Hansen. Compared To: Marian Gaborik

Colin Wilson - #10 - #8: C - Boston University (NCAA): In this list, Wilson is the lone player not in the CHL. Wilson’s father, Carey, played over 500 NHL games so as a second-generation player may be an attractive option. Wilson can play in all types of situations, has a big frame and has captain material written all over him. However his skating ability over the past year has been on and off. Compared To: Chris Drury

Cody Hodgson - #9 - #9: C - Brampton Battalion (OHL): Hodgson is probably the best all-around forward in this list. Unlike his draft counterparts he is not overly fast or overly skilled but plays a great two-way game and is probably one of the smartest players in the draft. Hodgson is also known to have scored some timely goals for the Brampton Battalion. Compared To: Daymond Langkow

Kyle Beach - #7 - #13: C - Everett Silvertips (WHL): A lot of NHL scouts claim that Beach is the second-most talented forward in the draft after Stamkos. That’s a bold claim. And you’d think he’d be higher, but the critics are saying Beach has serious attitude problems. Beach has an NHL body — 6′3 and 203 pounds puts him with NHL-calibre players. Aside from being a power forward, Beach can also drop the gloves. Has concussion problems. Compared To: A lesser Joe Thornton

Zach Boychuk - #8 - #12: C - Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL): Picture Gilbert Brule and Martin Gelinas put together with Boychuk. He’s fast and hard working and can get it done in international competition. The unfair knock on Boychuk is that he’s not even 5′9 and thus he would struggle in the professional game. And considering the fact Brule has struggled mightily to crack the NHL, a lot of scouts want to pass on Boychuk. However, he works for every patch of ice and that may be what separates him from other small forwards. Compared To: Martin St. Louis

Joshua Bailey - #14 - #11: C - Windsor Spitfires (OHL): Bailey had to overcome the loss of captain Mickey Renaud so it’s tough to gauge him based on his stats alone. However, with that being said he’s another smart, creative two-way forward who has the ability to get the job done. Size is not a factor for Bailey as he is already a decent 6′0. Compared to: Brian Gionta

I’d love to see the Canucks manage to steal Mikkel Boedker but the problem is I don’t see him lasting past the seventh pick; Toronto has their eyes on a dynamic forward such as Boedker and Wilson, both of whom I would love to see on the Canucks. If that’s the case, either of Hodgson or Boychuk would be great pickups, perhaps even Bailey.

The one player from the list I’d like to steer away from is Kyle Beach. There’s no doubting his talent, size and skill, but the fact is he has some lingering concussion problems and he’s got some attitude problems to boot. Had the Canucks been drafting in the 15-20 range I wouldn’t be upset about drafting him but with a Top 10 pick you have to pick the best player available.

Stay tuned…