Mock Draft Time.

I can see them picking him but I don’t think he’s the best fit. I think Larsson would help them the most. Neither Hall or Eberle need help scoring, you can stick anyone that can win faces-offs between them, and they’ll rack up points.

Between the big three, if Larsson isn’t there, I just can’t see us taking a center, especially with our need at wing.

I really don’t think Strome will be available at no.11, but if he is it’s a no-brainer! Anyway Siemens would be a great pick….still got the feeling that Sherman would be stupid enough to trade that pick though….

That seems a little too expensive for me, especially since the goalie market is somewhat saturated. I also think we have some time to look for a goalie because, while I expect we’ll be better next year, I don’t think we’re going to challenge for the cup. So, we have some time to find the right solution that may not cost us any resources or picks.

Landeskog is this draft’s Toews. Sure he might not have the high ceiling of RNH but the only risk is if he is just a top 6 forward instead of a premier first line forward. As for elite skill level, it is like comparing Stewart to Duchene… sure Duchene has the higher skill level but Stewart brings a different element to the game that will allow him to produce in his own way. Landeskog has been a beast for more than just this year and could have been a 45 goal scorer if it wasn’t for his injury. There is no reason to be nervous unless you are worried about missing out on a better prospect but realistically no prospect is a sure thing.

Duncan Siemens, D Saskatoon- Admittedly, we haven’t been as high on Siemens at this blog space as others, but it’s time to face facts, and that is this: with his size, skating ability and pure toughness plus upside, it’s hard to imagine any other player in the WHL being drafted ahead of the Blades d-man once RNH is off the board.He has a powerful stride and good lateral agility. The first-step quickness is still a work in progress, but it isn’t a shortcoming. He’s a tall and lean 6-3, 195-pounds, but when he fills out more, he’ll be even more of a physical beast than he is now. His gap control is very good, and he plays a sound positional game. The points weren’t really there at the beginning, but he came on better in the second half, and he finished with five goals, 38 assists for 43 points and 121 penalty minutes as one hard-nosed, tough mother. Another thing to like about him- he’s a Sep. ‘93 birthdate, making him one of the youngest players in the class, and given his poise and edge, that’s really saying something. The offensive upside is a question that is going to go on in NHL war rooms of teams that have a top-10 selection in this draft, but if Dylan McIlrath can go 10th overall, then Siemens, a very similar kind of player in terms of style and substance, but one who has more skill, could very well do the same or better. B2011DW is late to the party, but based on what we saw in the CHL Top Prospects Game and the fact that all we’ve heard about Siemens all season long speaks to a level of consistency that is laudable, we think he’s a solid No. 2 in the WHL behind RNH. We’re not sure we would take someone like Siemens at 7 or 8, but if he were to go that high, it would not surprise.
Stock watch: Up; playoff hockey is made for a guy like Siemens, so he should elevate his standing even more. Production could be the icing on the cake that pushes him inside the top-10, but even if he doesn’t go that high, we can’t envision a scenario in which he drops past 15. He could end up being a solid,middle-pairing guy in the NHL, but his potential to be more plus toughness quotient means that he’ll go higher than lower in our opinion.

Gabriel Landeskog, RW Kitchener- Some have Ryan Strome ahead of this Swedish power forward and that’s just fine. We are B2011DW are sticking with several scouts, who feel that while Landeskog’s potential offensive ceiling may not be quite as high as Stome’s, he’s more of a complete package and as a power forward, is a safer bet to take first. Would we be surprised at NHL teams having Strome as the top OHL player on their board? Not at all. But Landeskog has a solid two-season track record, while Strome broke out this season, so the first-ever European captain of the Rangers gets the slight edge. Landeskog finished with 36 goals and 66 points in 53 games with 61 penalty minutes, demonstrating that he can finish and plays with an edge, but isn’t an undisciplined player. You have to look long and hard for any flaws in Landeskog’s game, and his character, intelligence and attitude are beyond his years as an 18-year-old who had his birthday in November. Landeskog is not huge- only about 6-0/6-1 but is a very stout 205 pounds and has a lot of upper- and lower-body strength. He’s a good skater who isn’t a blazer, but does have nice jump and can separate. He’s very strong on his skates and uses that lower leg drive to go right to the net, fight off defenders and make things happen in close. He can fire the puck off the rush, but while his drive is heavy, it’s not all that overpowering, so he does his best work between the hashmarks. Landeskog sees the ice well and distributes the puck as his pretty even split of goals and assists attests. Landeskog suffered a high ankle sprain just before the WJC, and then re-aggravated it in Sweden’s first game against Norway, forcing him to miss about 6 weeks of the season. That hurt his production, but even if he had played the whole year, he would not have put up 100+ points. The strength of his game is in his completeness as a player: he can play the finesse game or grind it out, blocks shots, kills penalties, fights and does whatever his team needs him to do. He’s compared a lot to Jarome Iginla, which is apropos, considering Landeskog looks up to the Calgary captain the most as his model player. He not only passed on going the traditional route via Swedish Elite League to come to North America, but plays a decidedly North American-style game. The only real criticism you’ll find with Landeskog is in his ultimate upside, as his overall skill level is not as high as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Strome or even Jonathan Huberdeau. But in the end, because he does so many things well and is a heart-and-soul player, he’s going inside the top-four of the 2011 draft, end of story. He’s also got hockey bloodlines, as his father, Tony was a rugged defenseman in the SEL. Looks like the younger Landeskog inherited some of the best attributes from his dad.

Ryan Strome, C Niagara- No player in the draft did more to come from the middle of the pack to grab elite draft status than Strome did this season. He had a magnificent year, finishing with 33 goals, 73 assists and 106 points, holding the OHL league scoring lead until the last day of the season, when Kings and Flyers prospects Tyler Toffoli (5 points) and Jason Akeson passed him up to both finish with 108. Missed a few games due to a Joey Hishon sucker punch, otherwise he probably would have led the OHL in scoring. Strome came into the season not on many radars in terms of being a first-round pick, but hit the ground running and never looked back. Average size, but grew a bit since last year, which helped him in terms of where he’s regarded amongst scouts. Excellent skater who can beat defenders with his speed or elusiveness. Very soft hands and superb puckhandler who uses his feet and creativity to be a going concern offensively. Just a dynamic scorer who isn’t quite in RNH’s class, but isn’t too far off, either. Will probably break into the top-5 in June because he is such a skilled player who can both score the goals and set them up. He’s a hard worker who doesn’t have any real flaws to his game- just needs to get stronger and continue to be diligent in the defensive aspects. He’s a high character kid who has a good sense of humor and is one of the more adept young players on Twitter these days, which means little in the grand scheme of things, but will be welcome news for the media relations folks with the NHL team who drafts him. We don’t want to say he came out of nowhere, because Strome did show flashes of his potential with Barrie and Niagara last season after coming over in a trade, but you’d have to be related to Nostradamus if you want to say that you saw this kind of a year coming.

Tyler Biggs, RW U.S. NTDP (USHL)- In the minds of several of our panel, Biggs is the best player to come out of the USHL and all of Jr. A/Tier 2 this season. Much of the discussion around the son of former minor league star Don Biggs has centered around the fact that he’s being projected as more of a third-line player in the NHL. At 6-2, 210 the younger Biggs has the size and plays with a real aggressive mean streak and chip on his shoulder. He sleepwalks at times, which has been a drawback, but has pretty quick hands and a powerful shot. When he’s on his game, Biggs is a hitter and throws his body around in intimidating fashion. His skating’s not an issue, but the real concern teams have on him is with his hockey sense; he’s not very creative and pretty much just drives the puck to the net but doesn’t see the ice all that well and isn’t able to get much done on his own.

The questions about his creativity are what lead Biggs to be seen as a 3rd/4th-line kind of checker/banger at the NHL level. But with just 7 goals and 11 points in 20 USHL games this year with the Under-18 team, the Miami University (OH) recruit is a bit of a wildcard- he could be a Milan Lucic kind of guy, or he might end up being Mike Brown. That’s where Biggs will require a leap of faith for an NHL team to take him earlier. You might see a similar effect to Adam Clendening, where a team with several picks in each of the first two rounds gambles on a player like Biggs, whereas a club with just one in the 1st or 2nd shies away from him because they don’t think they can afford to spend the pick on a guy who may just be lower-end grinder. It’s all going to come down to how an NHL team views Biggs- if that staff sees a bigger picture upside with him, he could be a top-15 pick, but it’s going to take a team really believing in him to do that because the conventional wisdom just doesn’t see him achieving true power forward status.

Brandon Saad, LW Saginaw- It was a disappointing season for the power forward who came into the year as the top-ranked OHL player on many lists given his size and skill package. The 6-2, 210-pounder from Pennsylvania can really handle the puck and has a powerful shot that he can really rip- an NHL caliber release on it already. Saad also has a long, fluid stride. He’s a powerful skater who can use his feet to get into scoring position and convert breakaways. He also anticipates well and seems to have a real good feel for the game’s flow with good on-ice vision. After the season he had with the U.S. NTDP last year, big things were expected of him with the Spirit and he got off to a nice start only to tail off production-wise as he battled injuries and consistency woes. In terms of pure potential, there aren’t many players better than Saad in the entire 2011 draft class, and if he falls closer to 10 or even out of the top-10, then the team who lands him could have big steal on their hands. His 27 goals and 55 points in 59 games isn’t great, but is just scratching the surface of the kind of player he has the capability of becoming if he gets his development back on track. He’s a horse along the walls and virtually impossible to slow down when he shields the puck and gets the cycle going. Scouts tell us he needs to play with more of a mean streak and raise the intensity levels, but all the tools are here for an accomplished NHL player in time.

The Avs seem to value high-motor guys (along with high-end skill and character) under Sherman. Sort of an anti-Wolski’ing approach. I’d be surprised if they went for Jensen.

but when you are drafting in the top 3, unless the #1 is a stud… you can’t really go wrong drafting based on need.

THIS!

We seem to have gotten too good at rationalizing because of this past campaign. This is the offseason, where hope should spring eternal, or at least higher than that.

If Koci is anywhere near 7th D next year after this off-season, an investigation is order on our lack of depth-building.

well based on the rumor they were offering up Stastny in a package for Johnson (top pairing D), Bernier (starting goalie), and Stoll (defensive center). The trade they ended up doing brought back EJ (top pairing D), the #11 pick, and McC (defensive center). Instead of say Stastny and TJ, it ended up being Stewart and Shatty. Stastny could be moved still but they would need payroll to do so. I still wouldn’t be against the LA trade even after the EJ trade.

And Couturier’s numbers weren’t even reduced. He played 10 less games and scored the same points (96) on the year. I could def see the Avs taking him for the reasons you mention and the fact that PL was really high on Lecavalier back in the day. Couturier is very similar.

Couturier is big, plays LW and C, skilled…and some question his compete level.