BT and Bass' 2009 Mock NHL Entry Draft: Picks Fifteen Through Twenty-Two

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Flyers were one of the teams that lost out in the first round.

If the Flyers keep their roster intact this offseason, then they're set up front: James Van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux are two youngsters ready to step up, and Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Simon Gagne will be shouldering the offensive load.

Defensively, the Flyers have some good young talent in Ryan Parent, Luca Sbisa,and Braydon Coburn, but adding smooth-skating Stefan Elliot to the mix would be a dynamic addition.

Elliot has proven to be able to put up the points in his career, finishing first in goals and second in points amongst rookie defensemen in his inaugural WHL campaign in 2007/08. This past season, he improved his defensive play and boosted his offense and become a go-to guy for the Blades.

Elliot has the offensive ability to replace the aging Kimmo Timonen and provide the Flyers with a deadly weapon on the power play.

Other Considerations: Landon Ferraro, Nick Leddy. Ferraro would be a great asset, reminding Flyers' fans of the olden days where their favorites got by on their aggressive style of play and their craftiness. Ferraro's speed would also be a great asset to the depth of the team. Leddy would offer them another strong defenseman who's committed to improvement.

22. Calvin de Haan—Vancouver Canucks (Oshawa-OHL)-Bass

After having a good season on a bad team in Oshawa, de Haan still needs to increase his size a bit before making the jump to the NHL. He is an offensive defenseman who can move the puck well and see the ice even better. De Haan had 63 points in 68 games in the Ontario League this season and plays with such great poise and ability that he has caught the eye of many NHL scouts.

Vancouver has struggled in recent years on the blueline. With the Sedin twins possibly leaving via free agency this summer, there is a noticeable gap to replace up front, but the true gap is back in front of Roberto Luongo, who can only be counted on to stop so many shots. At some point, the defense needs to come up and help. That is where Calvin De Haan comes in.

Check back with Alan Bass for the next series of picks in the mock draft.

Alan Bass and Bryan Thiel are both Senior Writers and NHL Community Leaders for Bleacher Report. Either of them can be contacted through their profiles or you can email Alan at aln424@aol.com and Bryan at bryanthiel74@hotmail.com. You can check out Alan's archives here, and Bryan's here.

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