2013 NHL Mock Draft: Early Look at Ideal 1st-Round Picks for Every Team

It is certainly never too early to speculate on the NHL draft, and with the 2012 edition of the event in the books, this is about as early as it gets. The 2012 draft was considered to be fairly light on elite talent by most, but that isn't the case for 2013. Next year's draft looks to have several top-end players and plenty of depth throughout.

A ton of things are going to happen this year that will reshape the landscape of the 2013 draft, but looking ahead is always quite interesting. New stars will emerge over the course of the year and some players that were considered sure things will falter, so any 2013 mock that is done presently is sure to look a lot different 10 months from now.

Along with a full, first-round mock draft, here is some further analysis of the best possible fits for every team in next season's draft.

*Draft order based on 2012 NHL draft

1. Edmonton Oilers - Nathan MacKinnon, F, Halifax

He is considered by many to be the best forward prospect since Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby, so there is little doubt that Halifax center Nathan MacKinnon will be the first pick next year provided he continues to progress. MacKinnon had 31 goals and 78 points for the Mooseheads in his rookie season in the QMJHL, and all signs point to him being even better next season.

MacKinnon has been dominant at every level and NHL teams are probably already salivating at the prospect of drafting him. He is an excellent playmaker first and foremost, but he also has a devastating shot and great skating ability. On top of that, he should be able to grow into a 6'0", 200-pound player over the next year if everything goes well.

The Edmonton Oilers may not get the No. 1 pick for a fourth year in a row, but this mock is based on this past draft's order. Edmonton has taken forwards three consecutive seasons in Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov, but MacKinnon is so talented that the Oilers wouldn't be able to pass him up. He would give Edmonton one of the most impressive young groups of forwards the game has ever seen.

2. Columbus Blue Jackets - Hunter Shinkaruk, F, Medicine Hat

Having just taken defenseman Ryan Murray this year, the Blue Jackets will look to a winger with 40-goal potential in Shinkaruk, especially if they decide to trade Rick Nash.

3. Montreal Canadiens - Seth Jones, D, USNTDP

As the consensus top defenseman in the 2013 class, American Seth Jones is already receiving a ton of attention. He has been extremely impressive thus far with the USA developmental team and will move on to the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks next season. Jones is already a solid, all-around defenseman, as he excels both defensively and offensively.

Jones had eight points in six games as USA's captain in the U18 World Junior Championships and played incredibly well in his own end, too. One of the biggest positives for Jones is the fact that he already has an NHL body at 6'3" and 200 pounds. He is still very young and figures to get even bigger, which will bode well for his draft status.

The Montreal Canadiens took a bit of a chance by taking forward Alex Galchenyuk third overall this year as he is battling back from a torn ACL. With a new, top-level forward prospect in tow, the Habs will spring for a defenseman in Jones if they end up with the No. 3 selection once again.

4. New York Islanders - Sean Monahan, F, Ottawa

The Islanders named big defender Griffin Reinhart to solidify their blueline this year and will grab John Tavares some offensive support in Monahan next year.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs - Aleksander Barkov, F, Tappara

Toronto surprised a lot of people by taking a defenseman in Morgan Rielly at No. 5 on Friday, but offense needs to be addressed in 2013 and it will if the Leafs select Barkov.

6. Anaheim Ducks - Ryan Pulock, D, Brandon

The Ducks clearly have plenty of offensive firepower, so it would behoove them to continue beefing up the defense with Pulock after taking rearguard Hampus Lindholm this year.

7. Minnesota Wild - Anthony Duclair, F, Quebec

Minnesota is finally starting to build up a promising group of prospects, but it could use a little more offensive skill, so a guy like Duclair would make sense.

8. Carolina Hurricanes - Curtis Lazar, F, Edmonton

The Hurricanes made a big splash by trading for Jordan Staal, but Carolina is still pretty light at forward, so it ought to take another skilled center in Lazar.

9. Winnipeg Jets - Kerby Rychel, F, Windsor

Winnipeg is one of those teams that is right on the brink of making the playoffs, and while Rychel won't put the Jets over the top right away, he could be a big part of the team's success down the line.

10. Tampa Bay Lightning - Rasmus Ristolainen, D, TPS

The Lightning made a concerted effort to improve their defense at the trade deadline and in the draft, and they must continue to do so next season by taking Ristolainen.

11. Colorado Avalanche - Valeri Nichushkin, F, Belie Medvedi Chelyabinsk

Colorado was without a first-round pick this year, so it will need to make next year's pick count by taking Nichushkin to team with future stars Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog.

12. Buffalo Sabres - Robert Hagg, D, MODO

It is always particularly difficult to evaluate international prospects this far ahead of time since they don't play junior in the traditional sense like many Canadian and American players do. Even so, scouts know talent when they see it. One international prospect that has been receiving a lot of praise already is Swedish defenseman Robert Hagg.

Hagg impressed for MODO's under-20 team this season as he had 17 points in 44 games and was a plus-nine on the season. Hagg's production hasn't quite met his talent yet, but it is clear that he is going to be a good one. Hagg is already 6'2" and 200 pounds, and has drawn comparisons to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

Hedman hasn't exactly developed as hoped so far, but his ability is undeniable. The Buffalo Sabres addressed a major problem of theirs in the 2012 draft by taking two big centers in Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons, so they could afford to go back to defense next year. Hagg would be a really nice choice for them, particularly with another solid defensive prospect in Mark Pysyk ready to progress through their system.

13. Dallas Stars - Jordan Subban, D, Belleville

The younger brother of Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban, Jordan is also a dynamic offensive defenseman who the Stars won't think twice about taking.

14. Calgary Flames - Adam Erne, F, Quebec

Calgary's prospect pool is in a sorry state of affairs, but Erne is a big winger with plenty of offensive upside, so perhaps he can become the Flames' crown jewel.

15. Ottawa Senators - Hudson Fasching, F, USNTDP

The Senators have taken defensemen quite often in the first round over the past few years, so they will look for some offensive punch this time around in Fasching.

16. Washington Capitals - Joshua Morrissey, D, Prince Albert

Washington continued to get bigger and tougher up front by taking Filip Forsberg and Tom Wilson this year, so a defenseman like Morrissey would be a good fit in 2013.

17. San Jose Sharks - Elias Lindholm, F, Brynas

The Sharks' key forwards are aging, so they need to bring in as much young blood as they can, and Lindholm is a promising youngster who is already quite polished.

18. Chicago Blackhawks - Madison Bowey, D, Kelowna

Chicago had one of the steals of the draft this year in forward Teuvo Teravainen and it may get another in 2013 if a skilled defenseman like Bowey lasts this long.

19. Detroit Red Wings - Andre Burakovsky, F, Malmo

There is no question that the Red Wings love to take international prospects, particularly Swedish ones, so Burakovsky would certainly be right up their alley.

20. Philadelphia Flyers - Eric Roy, D, Brandon

The Flyers are stocked with young forward talent, especially after drafting Scott Laughton this year, so they need to address the defense with a high-upside guy like Roy next season.

21. Nashville Predators - Connor Rankin, F, Tri-City

Nashville is a lunch-pail team that employs a lot of big, hard-working players, so Rankin would fit right in as he would integrate well into the Predators' team culture.

22. Pittsburgh Penguins - J.T. Compher, F, USNTDP

Pittsburgh certainly bolstered its defense this year by taking Derrick Pouliot and Olli Maatta, so 2013 would be a good time to get Sidney Crosby some future support in Compher.

23. Florida Panthers - Max Domi, F, London

The Panthers made big strides in the 2011-12 season and have several promising prospects waiting in the wings, so they might as well take Domi and throw one more into the mix.

24. Boston Bruins - William Carrier, F, Cape Breton

The Bruins' minor-league system has gotten a bit stagnant, and while Carrier may not be a factor for a couple years, he has the potential to be a second-line scorer.

25. St. Louis Blues - Nikita Zadorov, D, CSKA-Krasnaja Armija Moskva

The Russian factor may scare a lot of teams away from taking Zadorov, but he would be a big-time value pick at this point in the round, so the Blues would likely pounce.

26. Vancouver Canucks - Jonathan Drouin, F, Halifax

Vancouver went with a big, physical forward in Brendan Gaunce this year, so they ought to take a more offensively-gifted forward like Drouin in 2013.

27. Phoenix Coyotes - Jacob de la Rose, F, Leksand

The Coyotes certainly aren't the most offensively-gifted team in the league, and while de la Rose won't have an immediate impact, he could add some scoring punch for them in the future.

28. New York Rangers - Zach Fucale, G, Halifax

It takes until No. 28 for the first goalie to go off the board, but it makes sense for the Rangers since they can't expect Henrik Lundqvist to play forever, and Fucale could be just the guy to take his place.

29. New Jersey Devils - Ville Husso, G, HIFK

The Devils have been very lucky that Martin Brodeur has been able to play as long as he has at such a high level, but it's time to get his eventual replacement in the form of Husso.

30. Los Angeles Kings - Sergei Tolchinsky, F, CSKA-Krasnaja Armija Moskva

The No. 30 slot is a good place to take a risk, so the Kings would be wise to go with a smallish, but explosive Russian winger in Tolchinsky.

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