The 2011 draft is an interesting one filled with uncertainties and mired in debate. The first round appears to be the most open group scouts have ever seen and the consensus is almost zero across the board outside of the top-7. This is the complete wrap up of my round 1 mock draft. I will be continuing my seven round series analysis and predictions all the way up until draft day.

The second round starts tomorrow.

I wrote these down before the combine and the end of the Memorial Cup so the day before the draft I will be making just a redo of the first round.


1. The Edmonton Oilers select Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL. The recent history of the Edmonton Oilers has been to pick highly skilled smaller players, or those who play a skilled game. The major needs in Oiltown are a number 1 center and a franchise two-way dman. Well in the world of hockey it is getting more apparent that a number 1 center is a rare commodity and one that if it does not fall into your lap you will find a hard time acquiring one. With all the talent on the wing in this organization it seems a simple choice to look at the center position. I was tempted to pick Couturier here simply due to his size and two-way game which I believe would be a huge asset for guys like Hall and Eberle, but history is not on his side for getting picked by them. His talent is too good to pass on this draft as he may be the only guy with the talent level to be a “franchise” center. For those on the he is too small bandwagon, he is skinny as all heck but is not a midget, in another year he will have NHL size to go with NHL skill.


2. The Colorado Avalanche select Adam Larsson from Skelleftea of the SEL. A two-way defenseman with a great hockey IQ and what many see as untapped offensive abilities. Larsson looks like he could be a franchise two-way defender. The AVs are set at center with the likes of Duchene and Stastny, and I feel their need lays on the wing and on defense. With Erik Johnson now in the fold and the likely return of forwards Mueller and Fleischman it seems only logical that they would want to bolster an already young d line now that Adam Foote has retired. It can be very hard to gauge a player who plays in a men’s league at such a young age. You see point totals such as 9 points in 37 games (Larsson) and then see 79 points in 63 (Murphy) and you wonder what Larsson’s point totals would be playing at the same level. Larsson has played against men for two straight years and has not looked out of place and has been extremely consistent, this I feel will give him an edge compared to most players. The comparisons to Nicklas Lidstrom may be dubious as all Swedish blueliners seem to hear that at least once (Larsson, Hedman, Rundblad, Ekman-Larsson) but this is a guy that can be a top pairing two-way dman. Johnson-Larsson in a few years…yikes.


3. The Florida Panthers select Sean Couturier from the Drummondville Voltageurs of the QMJHL. What can I say about the seemingly endless disaster that is the Florida Panthers, their drafting has been some of the most questionable of any franchise. With Dale Tallon at the helm it is hard to know who he would pick as he has gone with both grit and pure skill in the first round on different occasions. I am a believer in the idea that GM’s tend to try and build their franchises the way they were successful before. Tallon picked up Erik Gudbranson last season in the 3 spot who in my vision is a Brent Seabrook guy. Well we all know who stirs the drink in Chicago and that is two-way leader and constant threat Jonathan Toews. Sean Couturier is a similar player though he admittedly does not have the same high ceiling. He would fit nicely in Florida as his size is much needed. TSN and other sports media have him free falling. We almost always see this nearing draft day as they need hype and controversy for their 4 hour specials. I made this choice because Florida has few strengths in the organization outside of goaltending depth and they really need an offensive catalyst that can also play well in his own zone, something Horton and Booth could not provide. What it came down to was Couturier and Huberdeau, but I feel Couturier’s size will capture Tallon’s eye. People point to his WJC performance as a detriment to his play, but fact is, he was the only draft eligible forward on a hard to crack Canada squad. He showed his strength and versatility. The guy has first line center potential and a higher ceiling in my opinion than a he has been compared to in Jordan Staal. He once again reached 96 points this time in 10 games fewer.

4. The New Jersey Devils select Dougie Hamilton from the Niagara Icedogs of the OHL. The cap strapped team has quite a few impressive forwards and two franchise one’s already in Parise and Kovalchuck, to go along with a still effective Elias, two-way center Zajac and youngster Tedenby. What New Jersey has needed for the longest time was an anchor on defense. A list led by Volchenkov and Tallinder is a shallow one indeed; both are top-4 guys but not 1st pairing. Hamilton is the fastest rising player in this draft. He has the size (6’4), he has the skill (58 points in 67 games), he has it when it counts (16 points so far in the playoffs playing 30+ minutes a night) and he has good speed for a guy his size. He has the complete package. He has a legitimate chance at being the top-pairing defenseman the Devils have yearned for since Scott Stevens. If he keeps up his performance he could theoretically surpass Larsson as the best defenseman in this draft. Lou is unpredictable in his picks but recently has gone with smaller players. This should be a no brainier if he is available and the fit is to perfect to ignore for the Devils.

5. The New York Islanders select Jonathan Huberdeau from the St. John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. This was a difficult pick, the Islanders have some good young defenders in De Haan, MacDonald and Hamonic but after that their defensive prospect depth melts away. It came down to needs and available talent. Do they take a defenseman like Siemens or Murphy or do they go after a guy that can fill the 2 spot behind Tavares. Well Snow likes to draft forwards and he will be getting a good one in Huberdeau. With Bailey being a disappointment thus far the need for depth at center is imperative. Huberdeau is an offense machine with a good two-way game. He was 3rd in Q scoring behind only two older guys. He might be the second best talent in the draft. With El Nino coming into the fold, a healthy Okposo and the emergence of some solid players at the wing position they really need a 2nd line guy some. Nielson is a great 3rd line center but Bailey is not a 2nd line guy yet. Huberdeau could be the foundation of an insane forward group with a great 1-2 punch up the middle.

6. The Ottawa Senators select Gabriel Landeskog from the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. The Senators have their future captain drop into their lap, if available this is the pick Murray needs to make as he will be the heir to Alfy. He is not the most skilled player in the draft but he is a great mix of grit, speed, strength, leadership and talent that is hard to ignore. The doubt about him is if he has enough to be a 1st line forward, there is little to no doubt that he will be an NHL forward. This pick just seems too appropriate. The Senators are absolutely stacked on the backend with young prospects like Rundblad, Cowen, Karlsson and Wiercioch so they need forwards. He is pretty much NHL ready and learning first hand from Alfy could be a dream come true for the rebuilding Sens.

7. The Winnipeg Second Chances select Ryan Strome from the Niagara Icedogs of the OHL. The second Icedog to be picked and the most talented guy left on the board. Winnipeg have had some pretty dubious selections in the first round especially on the defense, so they go with what has worked best by picking a forward. With Burmistrov being more of a two-way 2nd line style guy for the future, Atlanta picks a guy who oozes skill that can line up with Kane. Strome is one of the youngest guys eligible for the draft and was dynamite in the regular season with 106 points good for 3rd in the league and just 2 points shy of 1st. He has not been as great in the playoffs but not poorly enough to affect his rank. This could be the Jeff Skinner pick of this year (Ironic that it is in the 7 spot again). He will most likely be headed back for junior but you never know as Burmistrov proved last season that a young guy can make the jump to the team with a great camp.

8. The Columbus Blue Jackets select Ryan Murphy from the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. All but one pick in this franchises history has been a top-10 pick, Can you name two outside of Rick Nash? Now that you have named them check their stats, yes it is that bad. The team has an abundance of parts that they are lacking and one that always screams out is an offensive defenseman that can actually put up the points. Anton Stralman and Kris Russell just will not cut it. Their PP was at 14% last season for second worst in the league. Murphy brings to the table the best offensive prowess from the back end in the draft to go with a decent defensive game. He has the potential to be the PP quarter back this franchise has been waiting for since its inception. His mobility and first pass are the best of the draft and his shot is pretty nice too. With 63 points in 79 games it is easy to see his offensive abilities. The knock is that he is small and while that is true Enstrom, Karlsson, Letang and the like beg to differ that it is not a huge problem.

9. The Boston Bruins select Jamieson Oleksiak from Northeastern University. This might turn some heads. Oleksiak is a giant, he is 6’7 and 240 pounds at the tender age of 18….holy @#$%. We have seen in many drafts teams that are searching for the next Chara, some work out like Tyler Myers and others go the way of Boris Valabik. Oleksiak’s knock is the questionable offensive upside, his skating is smooth for a guy his size and he hits like a ton of bricks but he has not shown much offense with 13 points in 38 games A guy this tall and with NHL weight already is something unheard of. When Chara was drafted he was extremely lean at 189 pounds and Myers was 206 pounds. This size and the potential to replace Chara on the backend in the future is too much to pass up. Chiarelli has shown his penchant for picking project players like Colborne and Hamill in the first round, so he is no stranger for making a swing for the fences. This is a guy who can play Bruins hockey and who is almost a guarantee to be an NHL defender, the question is…on what pairing.

10. The Minnesota Wild select Duncan Siemens from the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. The Wild have two pressing needs, a game breaking forward and defensive depth. The choice here was between Siemens and Armia, but as much as the Wild would like to add another talented Fin they need defense more than anything. Siemens is a jack of all trades kind of guy who has good offensive upside but is known for his great defensive play and love of hitting. Siemens while always looking after his own end first put up good numbers with 43 points in 72 games though he was benefiting from a rather stacked Blades squad. The Wild need good young defenseman and he is just what the doctor ordered. With Cuma and Scandella leading a pretty mediocre list of defensive prospects, Siemens as a blue chipper would be a good fit.

11. The Colorado Avalanche select Sven Baertschi from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Colorado added Larsson to bolster their defense and with a top-3 center group of Stastny, Duchene and O'Reilly they choose the best available winger. Baertschi is on the small side at 5’10 but makes up for it with his speed and passing ability. He is an extremely hard worker and a guy that looks built for the new NHL. He had 85 points in his first season in NA being named the Western Conference Rookie of the Year. He has been one of the best Winterhawks in the post season which is saying a lot with guys like Neiderreiter and Johansen. Baertschi would be a good start to strengthening the wing position.

12. The Carolina Hurricanes select Mark McNeil from the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. The Canes draft forwards in the first round, I mean they really only draft forwards. Since 2004 only Jack Johnson was not a forward picked by Rutherford…and we all know how that worked out. McNeil is a big and tough customer drawing with a good two-way game, and gaining a lot of familiar attention to Getzlaf. He is 6’2 and already is NHL weight at 210 pounds, but it is his offense that makes him special. He had 81 points in 70 games showing he is adept at both scoring and playmaking. The Hurricanes are pretty strong at the center position but with Skinner spending time on the wing this season, Sutter looking like more of a great 3rd line center and Boychuck as a guy that could be a great winger getting a bigger guy like McNeil can make for a scary 1-2 with Staal-McNeil.

13. The Calgary Flames select Mika Zibanejad from Djugarden of the SEL. The constant quest for that first line center for Iginla is slowly getting away as the years tick by. Without Sutter at the helm there will be no 3rd line grinder picked so early. Zibanejad is an interesting player that has shown his ability to compete and at times dominate in both the junior level of the SEL and the first tier. He is known in Sweden as a power forward, which essentially means he does hit when he can and is good on the boards (Not the PF mold of say Milan Lucic or Shane Doan). The offensive prowess is there to go along with a great defensive game; he is great on face-offs and at carrying the puck.

14. The Dallas Stars select Joseph Morrow from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. While his actual offensive potential is something to be wary about as he does play on the powerhouse of the Winterhawks, he has shown flashes of having great passing ability and mobility. He had an impressive 49 points (9 goals) this year in 60 games, but what has him climbing the rankings is his play in the playoffs. A lot of offensive defenseman go MIA from the normal play in the playoffs even at the junior level, Morrow has been the second best player for them behind only Neiderreiter, posting 11 points in 13 games and playing close to 28 minutes a game. The team has great offensive tools and guys still coming down the pipeline, they need to improve their defense as Robidas isn’t getting any younger coupled with the fact that Daley and Goligoski are the only real top-4 guys. Morrow does like to throw his body around but he is not going to be a freight train in the NHL.

15. The New York Rangers select Mark Scheifele from the Barrie Colts of the OHL. This was a very hard pick; the Rangers have a lot of prospect depth at many positions but lack a future goalie and 1st line center. Scheifele has a lot of skill and is an amazing playmaker; he recorded 75 points in 66 games with 53 assists. He has good speed and a solid two-way hockey game. Though he probably won’t top out as a number 1 center he could become a good playmaking top-6 player. He is a few years away from the NHL due to his skinny frame at 6’2 and only 173 pounds.

16. The Buffalo Sabres select Boone Jenner from the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. The Sabres have a solid group of young defenseman coming in along with a great goaltending duo in Miller and Enroth. I think it is safe to say they will draft a forward. The Sabres seem to be drafting tougher guys recently perhaps trying to change the attitude of the team that was usually seen as a smallish team. Jenner is a solid guy with power forward potential. He plays a similar but cleaner game to Kassian. He does not have the most offensive potential of some of the guys left but he would give the Sabres a feisty, hard hitting responsible player with some pop.

17. The Montreal Canadiens select Jonathan Miller from the USA U-18 program. Another year and another pick from the USHL, something the Canadiens have been known for since Timmins took over the scouting staff. Miller is a good playmaker with a good mix of skating and vision. He is not small at 6’1 and 193 pounds and still has room to grow. He will almost certainly go the College route for development. He is not considered a big hitter but he does not shy away from contact. He has good 2nd line center potential.

18. The Chicago Blackhawks select Tyler Biggs from the USA U-18 program. Blackhawk fans have much maligned the absence of grit and tenacity from the squad of this season versus that of the previous Cup winner. Andrew Ladd was a key player for them in that 3rd line role of grinder and pest. The need for a cheap replacement in the next couple of years comes in the form of Biggs. He has the size and hardworking nature to be a perfect 3rd line player. He has proven this season to be an excellent penalty killer and a guy that could likely be a 20-20 guy in the NHL. He would go a long way to start rebuilding the Hawks bottom-6 gritty depth.

19. The Edmonton Oilers select Nathan Beaulieu from the St. John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. Beaulieu falls to number 19 where the Oilers will most likely be looking for defensive help. Though they would like a defensive defenseman more Beaulieu is to intriguing a guy to let continue to slide. He is considered an offense first player but has improved his defensive play and should continue to do so. I feel his offensive prowess has been very overrated (Many say he is second only to Murphy) but he is a solid defenseman that could develop into a top-4 two-way defender. His 45 points in 65 games led the Sea Dog’s defensive scoring but many expected more out of him on such a tremendous team. He is a great skater that can join the rush and will help anybodies transition game.

20. The Phoenix Coyotes select Joel Armia from Assat of the FEL. Maloney has shown that he wants to draft players with a great two-way game and players that are willing to sacrifice points and offense for the win. Armia plays an exceptional 3 zone game which is in his coach’s eyes the reason why he was in the first tier of the FEL even at his young age. Armia was electric in his first year wracking up 29 points (18 goals) in 49 games, the second highest points scored in that league for a 17 year old, only behind Olli Jokinen. Armia is an intriguing guy that had a poor WJC which hurt his ranking; he would be the perfect fit for the Coyotes down the road as the budding power forward at 6’3 185 pounds plays a very similar game to Shane Doan.

21. The Ottawa Senators select Zack Phillips from the St. John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. The third Sea Dog to be picked in the first round is center Phillips who had an amazing year notching 38 goals and 95 points in 67 games. The Senators already picked up their new winger in Landeskog and now hope to fill their pressing need of a real second line center to take pressure off Spezza in Phillips. Though he did play at times with Huberdeau on his line to get an offensive spark and on the PP, Phillips was the guy entrusted to take the important face-offs which is a key factor to his game. Many worry that he has leeched like the worry is for many on the Sea Dog’s off a tremendous team. I would say that is not a worry for Phillips who behind Huberdeau is the most important player to their success and has been great in the playoffs.

22. The Anaheim Ducks select Brandon Saad from the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL. The Ducks love to draft big strong North American guys and Saad certainly fits that billing. He was thought of to be a guy that would push the top-5 entering the season but has not lived up to the bill offensively scoring 55 points in 57 games. He still has top-6 potential despite what many would say was a disappointing season and the hard hitting left winger fits the Ducks mold perfectly. With Selanne, Koivu and Blake all getting on in age the Ducks need more winger depth to fill in for their second line, so Saad seems like the right choice for them.

23. The Pittsburgh Penguins select Ty Rattie from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. The search for that magical winger for one of Crosby and Malkin continues with the picking of Rattie. The Pens are loaded on the backend with 4 guys already stalwarts and young Simon Despres coming up. Rattie is a tad undersized at 5’11 but he showed his skill and slipperiness in a big man friendly WHL. He is more of a playmaker than scorer he provides excellent speed and perfect passes, which bodes well since he may have a shot playing with the best scorer and player in the league. His 79 points in 67 games was good for fourth on the Winterhawks where he played exceptionally well and continuing it in the playoffs with 16 points in 16 games.

24. The Detroit Red Wings select Connor Murphy from the USA U-18 program. While I would have wanted to pick the Wings drafting a forward as their stars are aging there really was no precedent to do so. Since 1992 every Red Wings 1st round pick but 1 has been used to take a defenseman…now that is a trend. Murphy was injured for most of the season but for the body of work he managed to produce was very good. He is considered more of a two-way defenseman that can move the puck but is not the most offensively gifted, he is more of a jack of all trades master of none. With his size (6’3) there is room to grow. He needs to work on his slap shot as that is his biggest weakness.

25. The Toronto Maple Leafs select Matt Puempel from the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. The Leafs main needs are a center and top-6 forwards, Grabovski proved last season he can be a great number 2, but Bozak as a number 1 was an utter disaster. Puempel is a winger but he is also the best scorer left in the draft. His injury that forced him to miss a large chunk of the year has pretty much pushed him down the list. His 34 goals in 55 games put him on a pace to be in the top-5 for goal scoring. Though people will point to the Burke-player myth to show that he will not pick him, I think he will pick the guy with a goal scoring knack and top-6 potential. Burke in his time with Toronto has pinched a lot of talent from the OHL and he will look there again with Puempel.

26. The Washington Capitals pick Alexander Khoklachev from the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. Skill glorious skill is the word most would use to describe him. His two-way game is lacking but with such masterful offensive talent many teams would give him a chance. The Capitals many would expect to draft a defenseman as their goaltending is set, but with a young blueline already I feel they will want to look at replacements going forward on forward for guys likely to leave soon in Semin and Laich. The Caps have never had to deal with the “Russian Factor” yet due to most young Russian’s desire to play with Ovechkin, to help this cause Khoklachev played in the OHL this season helping to silence any thoughts of him staying in Russia. He was great in the playoffs for Windsor putting up 20 points in 18 games, a top-6 forward that can play well in the playoffs? Ya the Caps need some more of those.

27. The Tampa Bay Lightning select Jonas Brodin from Farjestad of the SEL. With a powerhouse of forwards in the top-6 that seems very hard to crack along with prospects Ashton and Connolly waiting in the wings it is safe to say the Lightning are set at forward. The Lightning defense is a solid but unspectacular lot that just get the job done, this includes now ultra-slow Ohlund. Well have no fear because Brodin plays the exact same way as Ohlund only without the molasses on his legs. He is not an offensive dman though his skating and puck rushes show he has some capabilities, he was not used at all on the PP in his first full year in the SEL but was the second youngest player in the league. He showed he was a steady capable defender and one that with increased responsibilities will flourish as his best games were when he hit over 20 minutes of ice time. He will need to put on weight to improve as he is very skinny at 165 pounds and 6’1.

28. The San Jose Sharks select David Musil from the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. From one big defenseman to another (also 6’3), Musil is a shutdown defender with some nastiness to his game. The Sharks have a big need of a shutdown defenseman that can actually skate. Musil gives them a player that has a good stride and has been viewed as a less physical Luke Schenn. The Sharks are stacked with forwards but weak on the backend, so they pick a guy who one day could form a nice partnership with Boyle.

29. The Vancouver Canucks select Myles Bell from the Regina Pats of the WHL. With Vancouver being a very good team with its core locked up and intriguing top-6 potential prospects Hodgson and Schroeder under wraps to go along with a fantastic young goalie in waiting in Schneider it would seem to me the Canucks would like to boost their defensive depth. Though Bell was involved in an unfortunate accident involving driving under the influence that led to a death…his on ice talent speaks for itself. He is already NHL size at 6 foot and 214 pounds and has the offensive ability to become a solid contributor. In many ways he reminds one of Christian Erhoff. If he can continue to improve his decision making he could turn into a very serviceable top-4 offensive dman.

30. The Toronto Maple Leafs select Rocco Grimaldi of the USA U-18 program. Very few GM’s follow the US National development program as closely as Brian Burke and I believe he would be the first to take a chance on him. St. Louis? Gionta? He has received all those comparisons due to his midget status of 5’6, his amazing skill set and that killer drive and determination that has allowed them to succeed. You might be saying, “I would pick St. Louis 1st overall,” the problem is despite his impressive talent, becoming a great NHLer as a tiny player is the exception and not the rule. Despite being a center and being good on the draws, I can’t see him breaking into the league as a center and would most likely need to move to the wing. He’s been great internationally and will make the move to the NCAA to North Dakota next year.

Thanks for reading.

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