2010 NHL Mock Draft, Picks 1-5
With Patrick Kane's sharp-angled overtime goal in game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals still fresh in the minds of hockey fans, the future images of hockey glory are just around the corner, as the NHL Entry Draft kicks off on June 25th at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. After witnessing an extraordinary 2010 NHL postseason, hockey enthusiasts can get excited about the new crop of talent that is about to enter the league, and those fans of the basement dwelling teams (including yours truly) will get their first taste of what could be the acquisiton of a new franchise player. For others, the draft enables good teams to get better by finding late round steals that can add the missing link to a Cup contending team, or provide the ability to add proven talent by trading away draft prospects to rebuilding teams for role players and proven players. Either way, the NHL Draft is one of the most exciting times of the year for hockey fans, and this year's edition surely won't disappoint.
The 2010 Entry Draft has been focused around two players since the beginning of the season as Windsor Spitfires right winger Taylor Hall, and Plymouth Whalers centreman Tyler Seguin have battled each other all season long with the title of top prospect on the line. With the success of the draft being reflected by Cup titles by the Pittsburgh Penguins who successfully drafted Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and the Chicago Blackhawks who successfully drafted Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, it is tough to argue the significance the NHL draft has as both of those franchises were league doormats until these players were added. Once the cornerstones were in place, management on both teams were able to construct a Cup winning combination around them, which in turn led to their place in NHL history. Hall and Seguin are undoubtedly franchise players, and the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins will most defintiely capitalize on the rare talent possessed by these two gifted athletes.
Aside from the Big 2 there are a number of great prospects in this draft, who will surely represent their countries at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo, while others will be NHL ready next season and will be competing for the Calder Trophy. Without further adieu, here are my projections for the top 5 picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft based on team need and overall talent:
1. Edmonton Oilers: Taylor Hall - Right Wing - Windsor Spitfires
The debate over which player is better and who is a smarter choice to build a franchise around comes to an end as the Oilers select the two-time winner of the Memorial Cup MVP as Junior Hockey's best player in its championship tournament. It is argued that Hall is a pure goal scorer whereas Seguin is a better overall player, however Hall's play at this season's World Junior Hockey Championships and the ridiculous numbers he has put up over the past two season in Windsor that were culminated by back-to-back Memorial Cup trophies can not and will not be ignored. The Oilers have had great difficulty in luring big name free agents to play in the City of Champions and thus the Oilers are forced to rebuild through the draft. By adding a franchise player like Taylor Hall, Edmonton has the potential to build from the ground up and combine incoming and pre-existing talent with the right combination of free agents that formulates a recipe for a deep run into the playoffs and perhaps mirror the success the Blackhawks and Penguins have had through the draft. The Oilers make a smart pick here and go with the more NHL-ready player in Hall and set up what could be a spectacular roster in a few year's time. The thought of having Hall playing with Swedish prospects Magnus Paajarvi-Svennson, and Linus Omark, Canadian Junior hero and Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year Jordan Eberle, plus the likes of Andrew Cogliano, Ales Hemsky, Sam Gagner, and Robert Nilsson is just scary. If the Oilers can sign stable goaltender (perhaps in a trade with the Canadiens for Halak or Price) that can replace the ailing Nikolai Khabibulin and the inconsistent Jeff Deslauriers the Oilers could be back in the playoffs as early as next season. I can only hope. Glad to have you, Taylor.
2. Boston Bruins (From Toronto): Tyler Seguin - Centre - Plymouth Whalers
The highest ranked prospect on the midseason report card as reported by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau is an extraordinary talent that could very easily go number one overall in this draft, and surely in a draft without Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin falls into the lap of the Boston Bruins. The Bruins acquired this pick in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Phil Kessel, and because of Toronto's 29th place finish this season, the Bruins receive the 2nd overall pick. Seguin is a dynamic player with a lot of different dimensions to his game that creates the label of him being a better overall player than Hall. However, Seguin still has a bit of maturing to do at the junior level, and has at least another season in Plymouth and his first experience at the World Junior level before entering the NHL. He is however a franchise player that the Bruins are lucky to have, and with the depth the Bruins have on their roster at the moment they can afford to let Seguin polish his game for another season in junior. The debate over who won the Phil Kessel trade will only become exacerbated by the selection of Seguin and Maple Leaf enthusiasts will argue that they would rather have a proven goalscorer like Kessel playing on their roster right now and making immediate differences than an unproven, undersized prospect who has the potential to be talented somewhere down the road. I agree with Leafs fans for the moment and if they can get some supporting talent for Kessel this argument could be over before Seguin even enters the league. However, Seguin is a great talent and any team would welcome him with open arms.
3. Florida Panthers: Erik Gudbranson - Defenseman - Kingston Frontenacs
Beyond the top 2 in this draft there is a little bit of uncertainty and debate over which players are better suited for which team but there are a plethora of defenseman on the board that can step in to any franchise and make an immediate difference. The first of which is Kingston Frontenacs defenseman Erik Gudbranson. The 6'4-195 pound blueliner has NHL ready size and presence on the back end and could very well crack a Panthers roster that is very thin on the blue line. The Panthers were never able to fill the void left by the departure of Jay Bouwmeester, and although Windsor Spitfires defenseman Cam Fowler is a better puck handler and powerplay option than Gudbranson I feel like the physicality brought by Gudbranson will be a welcome change for the Panthers who were never able to succeed with the style of play brought on by Bouwmeester. This pick could go either way but I feel like the Panthers need to re-establish a physical brand of play and adding Erik Gudbranson and bringing in a free agent defender are the first two steps to doing so in the Sunshine State.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Cam Fowler - Defenseman - Windsor Spitfires
As mentioned, Fowler is an excellent talent who is arguably the best defenseman in this draft class and some prognosticators even have Fowler ranked higher than Tyler Seguin and see Fowler as an excellent complement to Zdeno Chara in Boston. Although I agree with that logic I don't see the Bruins passing on Seguin and thus I see Fowler dropping to the 4 spot in Columbus. The Blue Jackets are in a world of hurt in a number of places on their roster as they have major voids in every aspect of their game. Beyond superstar forward Rick Nash the Blue Jackets are weak up front and have a collection of aging players that aren't getting any better. However, the Jackets defense is a bigger issue and the problems up front can be solved via free agency. The addition of Fowler on the blueline will be an immediate upgrade for Columbus as their top 4 at the moment include Mike Commodore, Rostisav Klesla, Jan Hejda, and Fedor Tyutin. Not exactly the subject of concern for opponents, especially in the offensive oriented Central Division that includes the like of the Red Wings and Blackhawks. Fowler has great hockey sense and should be ready to go for the Jackets next season pending he doesn't go earlier than number 4.
5. New York Islanders: Nino Niederreiter - Left Wing - Portland Winterhawks
This is an interesting pick for the Islanders as they can go in a number of different directions. The Isles have used a number of their top draft picks in recent memory on highly touted forwards including last season's 1st overall selection of John Tavares. Tavares' abilities were a no brainer, and youngsters Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson have lived up to their potential, however there is always uncertainty in the NHL draft. Prince George Cougars forward Brett Connolly would be a good fit here as he adds some more finesse to an already impressive Islanders crop of young forwards, however an injury this past season limited Connolly's production and could damage his draft stock. The Isles could upgrade defensively as well by selecting Moncton Wildcats defenseman Brandon Gormley who is definitely a top-10 talent but doesn't seem like the right fit in New York. Portland Winterhawks left winger Nino Niederreiter is a perfect fit in Long Island as he could be a top line talent along side Tavares and Okposo pending he outplays Matt Moulson who has the potential for a flop after his impressive season in 2009-2010. Niederreiter is also a proven talent on the world stage as he played for the Swiss World Junior Team where he was a tournament all star. More impressively however, Neiderreiter was a valued member of the Swiss Olympic team in Vancouver, and helped establish Swiss hockey as an up and coming hockey power. Niederreiter has experience playing against the top Junior players in the world as well as the top NHL players in the world, and if not for defensive needs of the Panthers and Jackets he could have gone in the top 3. Plenty of options here for the Isles, but I feel the Swiss prospect is the best way to go.
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