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Matt’s Mock Draft 2009

June 26th, 2009 Posted in NHL Entry Draft, Uncategorized

The time for talk is over. For the last four years, the focus and the spotlight of the 2009 draft class was wunderkind John Tavares, and now his time has finally arrived. Today, the man who has been labeled as the next “big thing” for the NHL will be selected by an NHL franchise. And amidst the rumours of the New York Islanders selecting him or passing on him, everything is up in the air as to where he and the rest of his fellow class will go.

1. New York Islanders - John Tavares - C - Tavares is sorely needed on Long Island where fans are threatening to cancel their season tickets if the Isles don’t take the highly-touted superstar.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning - Victor Hedman - D - Talented and big Swedish blueliner adds punch to a club that has a green defense corps. Tampa Bay can build a strong defense corps around this franchise player.

3. Colorado Avalanche - Matt Duchene - C - With Joe Sakic contemplating retirement, Duchene complements Stastny down the middle to form an impressive 1-2 punch down the middle.

4. Atlanta Thrashers - Jared Cowen - D - Preventing goals has been an ailment plaguing the Thrashers since the franchise arrived. Cowen helps stop the bleeding and adds some size on the blueline.

5. LA Kings - Evander Kane - C - Kane is the best pick available at this point, but don’t be surprised if LA deals this pick for immediate help. There aren’t a handful of blue-chip centres in the Kings system.

6. Phoenix Coyotes - Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson - LW - Fledgling ‘Yotes need some talent on the wings and MPS is the perfect candidate. He has outside speed and decent size and can truly finish.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs - Brayden Schenn - C - Rest assured, when Brian Burke fails to trade up for Tavares, the younger Schenn will join brother Luke, adding both grit and scoring touch to the weak Leafs.

8. Dallas Stars - Dmitry Kulikov - D - Sergei Zubov’s injury exposed the Stars’ need to have another puck-moving blueliner; Kulikov has the perfect role model for the NHL in the fellow Russian.

9. Ottawa Senators - Nazem Kadri - C - Kadri can play all 3 forward positions and the Senators need talent up front with Heatley on the way out. He’s compared to a smaller Matt Duchene and has some grit.

10. Edmonton Oilers - Zack Kassian - RW - The Oilers have no player who can crash, bang and score. Kassian can do it all and he adds some much-needed size to the lineup.

11. Nashville Predators - Oliver Ekman-Larsson - D - Even though Nashville is stacked on defense with Weber, Suter and Hamhuis, OEK provides another puck-moving option.

12. Minnesota Wild - Jordan Schroeder - C - The Wild took blueliner Tyler Cuma last year and need a blue-chip centre. The Minnesota native will add to the impotent offense which will widen with Gaborik’s departure.

13. Buffalo Sabres - Scott Glennie - C - Glennie is an above average skater with above average talent, which seems to be Buffalo’s calling card these days.

14. Florida Panthers - Ryan Ellis - D - The future looks bleak for defensemen with Bouwmeester leaving town; Ellis adds to a solid defense prospect core with Ellerby and Robak in the system.

15. Anaheim Ducks - Peter Holland - C - Holland isn’t just talented, he’s smart, too. The Ducks will most certainly look to take a centre with defenders Jake Gardiner and Mark Mitera.

16. Columbus Blue Jackets - John Moore - D - It’s the first time the Jackets will be drafting this low, but Moore is a steal at 18th overall, offering high speed and puck-moving qualities.

17. St. Louis Blues - David Rundblad - D - The Blues’ prospect pool is quite deep so at this point they’ll take the best player available. Rundblad is a smooth defender who can generate offense on his own.

18. Montreal Canadiens - Jacob Josefson - C - Montreal needs a centre who is good at both ends of the ice and Josefson provides that in spades. He’s not flashy, but he’s a capable player who ca get the job done.

19. New York Rangers - Jeremy Morin - LW - The Rangers have a wealth of centres and defensemen so it would be wise to take the best winger availabe. Morin is a NY native with goal-scoring qualities.

20. Calgary Flames - Carter Ashton - RW - The cupboard is also pretty bare when it comes to scoring wingers, so the Flames will take the most talented forward available and will take the Lethbridge power forward.

21. Philadelphia Flyers - Kyle Palmieri - C - Palmieri invokes the qualities the Flyers love: Strong, good work ethic, and loyal: He was kicked off the U.S. U18 team for not ratting out his teammates.

22. Vancouver Canucks - Calvin de Haan - D - The Canucks need help in a lot of places, but especially on the blueline. De Haan is a mobile defenceman who can run a powerplay and make good passes.

23. NJ Devils - Nick Leddy - D - The “Mr. Hockey” from Minnesota would be a welcomed addition on a Devils team which could use an extra defenceman in its ranks.

24. Washington Capitals - Louis Leblanc - C - Washington has traditionally taken the best player available and at this point Leblanc is the best. He’s also a dependable two-way centre that the Caps need.

25. Boston Bruins - Landon Ferraro - RW - The B’s need another top-six winger in the system and Ferraro can do that. He can score goals and is a very cerebral player, much like his father was.

26. NY Islanders (from SJ/OTT) - Tim Erixon - D - After striking gold with Tavares, the Islanders will most certainly take the best defenseman possible in Erixon, a two-way defenseman who has solid skills.

27. Carolina Hurricanes - Simon Despres - D - The future is bright for the ‘Canes with Zach Boychuk and Drayson Bowman down the middle, so the team would be best served to take a budding defenseman.

28. Chicago Blackhawks - Stefan Elliot - D - Likewise for Carolina, Chicago has a ton of forward prospects and need to re-stock their defense. Elliot has a good offensive game which is what the Hawks need.

29. Detroit Red Wings - Drew Shore - C - The Wings may pick off the board, but Shore is a solid and safe pick with good two-way ability and a goal-scoring touch; he’ll also need a couple years of development.

30. Pittsburgh Penguins - Chris Kreider - LW - Pittsburgh is chock full of centres but could use an offensive threat on the wings. Kreider has big goal capabilities and may be a top six winger in the future.