Top 10 NHL Mock Draft

Brad LeClair by Contributor Written on June 13, 2009

Slide 0 of 12

OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 21: The seventh round draft picks include David Carle who was drafted number 203 by the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2008 NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place on June 21, 2008 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Im
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

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

OSHAWA, ON -   Scott Glennie #15 of Team Orr poses for a head shot prior to the 2009 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on wednesday January 14, 2009 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario. Glennie plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL). (

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

OSHAWA, ON -   Ryan Ellis #6 of Team Orr poses for a head shot prior to the 2009 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on wednesday January 14, 2009 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario. Ellis plays for the Windsor Spitfires (OHL). (Photo by

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

Display_image

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

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 3:  Magnus Svensson Paajarvi #21 of Team Sweden skates during the game against Team Slovakia at the semifinals at the IIHF World Junior Championships at Scotiabank Place on January 03, 2009 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Team Sweden def

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

OSHAWA, ON -   Jared Cowen #2 of Team Orr poses for a head shot prior to the 2009 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on wednesday January 14, 2009 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario. Cowen plays for the Spokane Chiefs (WHL). (Photo by C

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

OSHAWA, ON -   Brayden Schenn #10 of Team Orr poses for a head shot prior to the 2009 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on wednesday January 14, 2009 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario. Schenn plays for Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) (Photo

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

OSHAWA, ON -   Evander Kane #19 of Team Cherry poses for a head shot prior to the 2009 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on wednesday January 14, 2009 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario. Kane plays for the Vancouver Giants (WHL). (Phot

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

OSHAWA, ON -   Matt Duchene #9 of Team Cherry poses for a head shot prior to the 2009 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on wednesday January 14, 2009 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario. Duchene plays for the Brampton Battalion (OHL). (

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

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 3:  Victor Hedman #4 of Team Sweden skates during the game against Team Slovakia at the semifinals at the IIHF World Junior Championships at Scotiabank Place on January 03, 2009 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Team Sweden defeated Team S

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.

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 5:  John Tavares #19 of Team Canada skates with a Canadian flag wrapped around him during post game ceremonies after defeating Team Sweden at the Gold Medal Game of the IIHF World Junior Championships at Scotiabank Place on January 05

(0)
...
Share This  
Crop_45x45
or to post this comment

12 Comments

There are no comments yet. Get the conversation started by leaving the first comment

Loading more comments...
posted just now
  • Loading...
  • Nobody has liked this comment yet
Cancel

This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete

967
reads

12
comments

written on June 13, 2009 Rankings/List

Top Stories from NHL.com

NHL on B/R | Official Partners

The best newsletter on the web

Subscribe Now

We will never share your email address


CBS Sports Official Partner
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Getty Images.
Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited.