Canes Country Mock Draft, Version Two - The New Guy's Picks

As we all saw, Bob made his picks for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft yesterday. Today is my day to look like a genius (or a fool) as I attempt to predict how the draft will shake out.

There are definitely some picks of Bob's that I agree with, but maybe he was a little too concerned about his upcoming visits to Las Vegas and Minnesota to worry about our mock draft (hopefully trash talking is allowed here).

So without further ado, I will present you all with the Canes Country Mock Draft , Version Two:

1. Edmonton: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins   I think it will be too tough for the Oilers to pass up a RNH, Taylor Hall combination in the years to come.

2. Colorado: Gabriel Landeskog   This kid has some size (6' 0", 207 lbs.) and skill (36 goals in 53 games) and will compliment some of the Avs youth nicely.

3. Florida: Jonathan Huberdeau   The Panthers need to start developing some consistant offense, help fans cope with the loss of Nathan Horton, Jay Bouweester, Olli Jokinen, etc.

4. New Jersey: Adam Larsson   This is as far as the big defenseman falls and the Devils are loving it. 

5. NY Islanders: Douglas Hamilton   The Isles have some promising young offensive in Matt Moulson, John Tavares and Nino Niederreiter; Time for the focus to shift to defense.

6. Ottawa: Sean Couturier   Possesses size and talent. Good in all aspects of the game and can help put some punch back in the once-feared Senators attack.

7. Winnipeg: Mika Zibanejab   Intense and physical player who drives the net will help put fans in the seats (if there are any left over) in Winnipeg.

8. Columbus: Ryan Murphy   With some talented forwards in the system already, the Blue Jackets take the puck-moving defensive Ryan.

9. Boston: Ryan Strome    Scoring goals helped the B's when the Cup last year and that is something Strome certainly brings to the table.

10. Minnesota: Sven Bartschi   Not the biggest or strongest player in the draft, but has the technical skills to boost his game. Has great instincts on the ice and is a gifted puck handler.

11. Colorado: Oscar Klefbom   This kid is a beast. A puck moving defenseman who can quarterback the powerplay or crunch people into the glass.

12. Carolina: Joel Armia   Excellent two-way player who possesses a great shot and has a good presence in the slot. He's a bigger player (listed as 6' 3", 191 lbs.) who can bring a physical edge to his game. Great addition to a rollar coaster powerplay as well.

13. Calgary: Jamie Oleksiak   This year's version of Tyler Myers. The Flames will love his size (6' 7", 244 lbs.) and his passing ability.

14. Dallas: Rocco Grimaldi   On the other hand, Grimaldi is listed as 5' 6", 163 lbs. but has drawn favorable comparisons to Martin St. Louis due to his stick handling and spunkiness.

15. NY Rangers: Mark Schiefete   A very good player in all aspects of the game. John Tortorella will love his disciple and his offensive upside.

16. Buffalo: Nathan Beaulieu   The Sabres have depth at nearly every position except for on defense. Beaulieu needs a little physical development, but beyond that he is a gifted prospect.

17. Montreal: Mark McNeill   A strong, hard-nosed player who can also kill penalties.

18. Chicago: Duncan Siemens   The Hawks have never gone wrong with a defenseman named Duncan before have they?

19. Edmonton: Joseph Morrow   The Oilers second pick of the first round will be defensive. Morrow has a heavy shot and a powerful stride - he's been climbing up the rankings and could turn out to be a gem.

20. Phoenix: J.T. Miller   Miller can get under the skin of his opponents and throw other teams off their games. Reminds some of Sean Avery - just without the sharp tongue.

21. Ottawa: Nicklas Jensen   Big, versatile forward will help create some room for Spezza and Co.

22. Anaheim: Jonas Brodin   Great skater, stay-at-home defenseman. Could pair well with Fowler someday.

23. Pittsburgh: Brandon Saad   A prototypical Penguins player; Has speed, size and killer hands - plus he was grew up just down the road in Gibsonia, PA.

24. Detroit: Victor Rask   The Red Wings get their guy. With Nick Lidstrom staying another year, the focus in Detroit once again comes down to offense (I've heard they're interested in some older Czech guy as well).

25. Toronto: Alexander Khokhlachev   Smaller Russian sniper has good hands and quick feet. Needs to develop his all-around game better though.

26. Washington: Tomas Jurco   Deciding on draft picks for the Capitals is like picking out a birthday gift for Mark Cuban. What do you get a team that already has everything? In short, you take the best player left on the board and that would be Jurco.

27. Tampa Bay: Connor Murphy   A good showing at the Under 18 World Championships helped boost Murphy's stock after an injury-filled season.

28. San Jose: Matthew Puempel   Has a great goal-scoring ability and is one of the top skaters in the draft, takes a lot of chances though.  

29. Vancouver: David Musil   As the Canucks found out the hard way, you can never have enough depth on the blueline. Musil needs to work on honing his physicality, but has the potential to be a regular defenseman at the next level.

30. Toronto: Scott Mayfield   Had trouble with this pick, going back and forth between Mayfield and players like Ty Rattie and Zach Phillips. Ultimately, i went Mayfield because he is a big, mobile defenseman who really only lacks a standout offensive game (something that comes with time, effort and good coaching)