Top 10 NHL Mock Draft

Welcome to my mock draft. In the next 10 slides you'll find out who I believe will be the top overall selection, and also who may go where in this 2009 NHL Draft. I'll try and take team needs into consideration, but for the most part, it's more of a ranking of the top 10 prospects. So let's get started...

10th Overall: Edminton Oilers

Here with their first choice, 10th overall, the Edminton Oilers select center Scott Glennie from the Brandon Wheat Kings, of the WHL.

Glennie is the more prolific and faster component to the Glennie-Schenn Combo. Glennie can evolve into a top-line talent for the Oilers.

Also, with his added speed, he'll offer the Oilers another Andrew Cogliano-type player with incredible wheels.

9th Overall: Ottawa Senators

With the ninth overall selection the Ottawa Senators select Ryan Ellis from the Windsor Spitfires, of the OHL.

Ellis, a small, but highly offensive defenseman, offers the Senators a wonderful puck-moving defenseman they have lacked since the days of Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara.

Ellis needs to work on positioning defensively as well as adding more weight to his small frame. With Erik Karlsson already coming, and Ellis soon to follow, the Senators much maligned defense will get quite the short in the arm.

8th Overall: Dallas Stars

With the eighth overall pick, the Dallas Stars select Swedish defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson from Leksand.

Ekman, also a small defenseman, is a heady player with great instincts. The Stars, who really lack defenseman prospects, have added a very good prospect to the fold here.

7th Overall: Toronto Maple Leafs

With the seventh overall selection, the Toronto Maple Leafs select left wing Magnus Paarjarvi-Svensson, from Timra in Sweden.

Magnus, an extremely gifted skater and offensive player, offers the Leafs a dynamic player who has all around great play-making abilities. Drawing comparisons to such Swedish stars like Peter Forsberg and Henrik Zetterberg, the Leafs made the right decision by not taking a hometown kid.

6th Overall: Phoenix Coyotes

With the sixth overall selection, the Phoenix Coyotes select defenseman Jared Cowen.

Cowen, whose stock fell a little bit, is a huge defensive defenceman in the Zdeno Charo mold. Cowen will provide the defenseman-strapped Coyotes a great asset on the back end...

5th Overall: Los Angeles Kings

With the fifth overall selection, the Los Angeles Kings select center Braydon Schenn from the Brandon Wheat Kings, of the WHL.

Schenn, the more offensive brother of Luke Schenn, provides the already strong Kings with another blue chip prospect to add to their list.

Having the likes of Teubert, Schenn, Hickey, Lewis, Bernier and many more prospects in their system, the LA Kings look to be turning the corner under GM Dean Lombardi

4th Overall: Atlanta Thrashers

With the fourth overall selection, the Atlanta Thrashers select center Evander Kane from the Vancouver Giants, of the WHL.

Kane, a great two-way forward, with offensive upside, provides the Thrashers with some much needed talent up front. Last year they had Todd White as their No. 1 center. Now, with Bryan Little and Evander Kane, those days could be over.

3rd Overall: Colorado Avalanche

With the third overall pick, the Avalanche select center Matt Duchene from the Brampton Battalion, of the OHL.

Duchene who has been all over the top three in the rankings, is exactly what the Avalanche are looking for in a forward. It would have been nice if there was a highly ranked goalie, but right now, the Avs select the best player available.

Duchene could prove to be the best player from this draft.

2nd Overall: Tampa Bay Lightning

With the second overall selection, the Lightning select defenseman Victor Hedman from Modo, of the Swedish Elite League.

Hedman, who draws comparisons to Chris Pronger, provides the Lightning with an actual NHL-ready defenseman. They are already limited with talent on the back end, so adding such a talent is absolutely essential to further success.