2011 NHL Mock Draft: The 30 Biggest Stars and the NHL Players They Resemble
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft is almost here. There have been many mock drafts and slideshows breaking down who will be drafted and when they will be drafted.
There are many talented players from across the globe who are entering the draft. Not everyone will become an instant success as it is a long and winding road from the minors to the NHL.
In this slideshow we will take a look at the top 30 prospects in this year's draft and the NHL player they resemble most.
* The order of these players does not correlate with where they will be drafted.
1) Ryan Nugent Hopkins
1 of 31
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a center with great burst of speed and excellent playmaking abilities. His spectacular on-ice vision just improves his overall game. He seems to have an easy time finding teammates on the ice and feeding them with clean crisp passes.
Comparable Player: Sidney Crosby
RNH is a speedy playmaker with great on ice vision. Sidney Crosby plays a similar style game, Crosby started out his career with higher assist totals. Crosby was off to a great start this season and was putting the puck in the net at a higher rate.
RNH is a good goal scorer who will also help his teammates with his passing abilities.
2) Jonathan Huberdeau
2 of 31
Jonathan Huberdeau is an explosive scorer. This past year, Huberdeau contributed 105 points. He is a force to be reckoned with on the ice. He is gifted with a great skill set which is complemented by his agile hands and his size.
Comparable Player: Simon Gagne
Simon Gagne is a player who started out his career playing as a center. He would eventually find his niche as a left wing.
Huberdeau also plays both positions well. His playmaking and passing abilities make Huberdeau a great center, and his scoring touch would make him a great winger on any team.
When you take his size,speed, and scoring ability, Huberdeau is comparable to Simon Gagne.
3) Adam Larsson
3 of 31
Comparable Player: Nicklas Lidstrom
This player profile needs no introduction. Adam Larsson has been compared to his fellow countryman Nicklas Lidstrom for eons.
Larsson is a top notch defender who is a great puck handler with a superb on-ice vision.
Larsson is very calm and collected under pressure and never feels rushed or hurried. Lidstrom showed many of these characteristics early on in his career and they only improved as he gained NHL experience.
Larsson is the top defensive prospect in this draft and is NHL-ready.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=256)
4) Gabriel Landeskog.
4 of 31
Gabriel Landeskog is the one of the most NHL-ready players in this year's draft class. He has a lot of skills and an impressive two-way game.
Landeskog is a decent goal scorer who has some grit to his game.
Comparable Player: Jarome Iginla
Like Iginla, Landeskog can play an effective game in both ends. Jarome Iginla is a proven goal scorer that isn't afraid to forecheck or take the body when necessary.
Landeskog has some size to him at 6"1 and 207 lbs. When Landeskog adapts to the NHL workout lifestyle, he will gain some muscle mass and will become a very dominant power forward.
5) Sean Courtier
5 of 31
Sean Couturier is a solid offensive player with good hands and speed. He is a proven performer as he posted back to back 96 point seasons in the QMJHL.
Comparable Player: Jordan Staal
Jordan Staal was thought off as a good lower line player who took the body and would grind it out. When Crosby and Malkin went down for the Penguins, Staal stepped up and emerged as an offensive player.
Couturier is a good two way player and has some size. At 6"4 195 lbs. he can step right into the NHL. Couturier can contribute to the offense, play two way defense, and have an effective game in a similar way that Jordan Staal does.
6) Dougie Hamilton
6 of 31
Dougie Hamilton is a sizable two-way defender who has a booming shot and good hands. He excels in both facets of his game and is NHL-ready.
Comparable Player: Brent Seabrook
Dougie Hamilton's main role is a defender but has the potential to contribute offensively like Brent Seabrook does for the Blackhawks.
Hamilton is a 6'4" almost 200-pound physical defender whose hands make him able enough to run a power play.
7) Ryan Murphy
7 of 31
Ryan Murphy has been scouted as a top five pick because of his abilites. However, his size pushes him back significantly. One scout even said if Ryan Murphy was 6'1", he would be the No. 1 pick overall.
Comparable Player: Dan Boyle
Murphy has a lot of tools that make him a great two-way defenseman. Murphy has the potential to be a sleeper pick in this draft.
Dan Boyle is a great puck moving defenseman who was a big part of the Tampa Bay Lightning and their great powerplay during their 2003-04 Stanley Cup run.
Ryan Murphy has the same potential given his skill set.
His pinpoint-passing accuracy makes him a dual threat on both sides of the ice. Watch out and don't blink because you just might miss Ryan Murphy.
8) Ryan Strome
8 of 31
Ryan Strome is a talented top player in this year's draft. What sets him apart from others in this draft is his work ethic. What Ryan Strome may lack in size and stature, he compensates for with his talent and speed.
Comparable Player: Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Toews is a player with a very strong work ethic and is very talented. He is a great shooter and passer.
Ryan Strome has the potential to develop into a player similar to Toews. Strome finished the 2010-11 OHL season with 33 goals and 73 assists for 106 points overall.
If Strome can average 20-25 goals and 40-45 assists in the NHL, he will be an effective player on whatever team that drafts him.
9) Nathan Beaulieu
9 of 31
Nathan Beaulieu is a natural power-play quarterback who moves the puck with accuracy and ease. His speed helps to complement his great skating abilities.
Beaulieu is a hard worker who shows no hesitation in shooting the puck.
Comparable Player: Mike Green
Nathan Beaulieu is an offensive defensemen who has a solid defense game. He is similar to Green with his powerplay quarterbacking skills and has a solid game overall.
10) Mika Zibanejad
10 of 31
Mika Zibanejad is a great skater with good on-ice vision. Zibanejad isn't afraid to get physical when he deems it necessary. He uses his speed to break out and start the offensive rush.
Comparable Player: Mikko Koivu
Koiviu is one of the better smaller forwards in the league. He has great speed and hands which make him a threat at all times. When he was paired with Marian Gaborik, it was a lethal 1-2 combo.
Zibanejad uses his speed to his advantage and that is what makes him dangerous like Mikko Koivu.
11) Duncan Siemens
11 of 31
Duncan Siemens is a solid defender who will occasionally join the offensive rush.His booming shot makes him a threat when playing the point on the power play.
Comparable Player: Ryan Suter
Siemens isn't afraid to get physical and his 121 penalty minutes are a testament to that fact.
Ryan Suter is apart of the Nashville Predators shutdown duo along with Shea Weber. Suter is a good offensive defensemen that plays the powerplay.
Siemens' forte and speciality is his defensive game, but when he rips it from the point there is a good chance the puck will hit some twine.
12) Joel Armia
12 of 31
Joel Armia is a soft-handed sniper with a big skill set. Armia has great legs and is an impressive skater.
Comparable Player: Jeff Carter
Jeff Carter is a breakout goal scorer with great speed. He is also an excellent playmaker and passer.
Armia is a great two-way player with good vision and a laser-quick wrist shot. He is similar to Jeff Carter in both these categories.
Armia also loves to dig it out below the hash marks in the trenches and shows he can play with skill in both ends.
13) Jamieson Oleksaik
13 of 31
Comparable Player(s): Zdeno Chara, Tyler Myers
This is an obivious one based on size alone.
Jamieson Oleksaik stands at an impressive 6'7" and weighs over 240 lbs without his skates on.
He is a big guy and is being compared to players like Zdeno Chara and Tyler Myers because of his sheer size. He is an intimidating defender who loves throwing body checks left and right.
Oleksaik will need some time to develop and will look to improve his shot. A man his size can put some real velocity on the puck and would be a daunting powerplay point shot for an opposing goaltender.
14) Joseph Morrow
14 of 31
Joseph Morrow is a solid puck-moving defender. He had 49 points last season, 40 of which were assists. He stands 6' and is 197 lbs.
Comparable Player: Duncan Keith
From a numbers perspective, Keith put up a total of 11 goals and 35 assists for 46 points during his season in the WHL. Morrow's numbers are respectable for now.
Morrow's strengths are his passing and skating abilities which make him a dual threat on both sides of the ice. If he can increase his point production like Duncan Keith has, he will be an effective two way defenseman.
15) Mark McNeill
15 of 31
Mark McNeill possesses hockey knowledge and skills that aren't taught. He has a great hockey IQ and is a creative playmaker.
Comparable Player: David Backes
Backes is a talented player but also plays with some grit to his game. A lot of Backes' goals were not pretty. They were rebound stuff in attempts from down deep.
McNeil is at his most dangerous in close quarters inside the slot when he uses his body to his advantage. It is in this regard that he is like David Backes.
When McNeil uses his quick hands and body to fight for a loose puck down deep, he is a threat to the defense.
16) Zack Phillips
16 of 31
Zack Phillips is a solid center who made a big jump in scoring over the past two season. He went from contributing 44 points in 2009-10 to 95 points this past season.
Comparable Player: Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp is a center/winger with a great wrist shot. Patrick Sharp has also made similar point production increases since he left Philadelphia and joined the Blackhawks.
Zack Phillips has a similar shot to Sharp's that can be released from anywhere on the ice.
When you take Phillips' hockey knowledge and talent into consideration, he is a player that will grow with experience.
17) Mark Scheifele
17 of 31
Mark Scheifele is one of the players in this draft that can hit the NHL right after the draft. Scheifele is a playmaker with skilled and agile hands.
Comparable Player: Anze Kopitar
Like Anze Kopitar, Scheifele's speed and legs are essential to his game. Kopitar is an effective playmaker who has proven he can score goals and Scheifele has the potential to do the same.
Scheifele is a smart two-way forward who has the makings of becoming a dominant power forward in the NHL.
18) Nicklas Jensen
18 of 31
This year, Jensen put up 58 points, 29 goals and 29 assists.
Comparable Player: Nikolai Kulemin
Nikolai Kulemin on the NHL level has put up average numbers for the Maple Leafs. Last year he had a career high of 57 points. Jensen could average out as a 60 points per year player.
Jensen is a solid winger who will hopefully make a good adjustment to the NHL.
He has good size, and if he could bulk up a bit, he could become a physical and dominant power forward.
19) Tomas Jurco
19 of 31
Tomas Jurco has some impressive skills. Jurco's balance, hands and puck-handling ability make him a offensive threat. Jurco has impressive speed which gives him the ability to blow by defenders.
Comparable Player: Marian Gaborik
Marian Gaborik is the fastest skater in the NHL. His speed enhances his hands and ability to fool the goalie when he is all alone on a breakaway.
Tomas Jurco is similar to his fellow countryman in this regard because he uses his great puck handling and speed to his advantage.
Jurco has some impressive hands and they have become a Youtube sensation
20) Brandon Saad
20 of 31
Brandon Saad is a big-bodied winger, skating at 6'1", 208-pounds. Saad has been scouted and noted for his ability to play exceptionally well at both ends of the ice.
Saad finished the season with 27 goals and 55 points in 59 games for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.
Comparable Player: Brandon Prust
Saad is known is for his physical player and his speed. These traits describe Brandon Prust as well. Prust has made some real strides in developing his offensive game. Brandon Saad is a better scorer than Prust but has the same grit and physicality to his game.
21) Sven Bartschi
21 of 31
Bartschi contributed 85 points in only 66 games for the Portland Winterhawks this year.
Sven Bartschi has been described as a creator with a knack for scoring goals.
Comparable Player: Nikolai Zherdev
When on his game, this is a good comparison. Zherdev was known to score some big goals for the New York Rangers and loved to create offense. He had a good on ice vision and was great at deflecting pucks.
Bartschi has good hands and on-ice vision and is a speedy winger standing at 5'11" and 185 lbs. Bartschi will flourish in the NHL if he is paired with a good center.
22) Tyler Biggs
22 of 31
Tyler Biggs is a tough and nitty gritty player who uses his body against players, making his prescence known by delivering heavy checks. Biggs has a decent shot but needs some work.
Comparable Player: David Booth
David Booth has been a key player for the Florida Panthers. Like Biggs, he takes the body and plays physical. However Booth has benefited from playing alongside Stephen Weiss.
If Biggs can develop his shot and is paired with a good center, he can be an effective lower line player
23) Matt Puempel
23 of 31
Matt Puempel is a high-octane scorer who recorded 34 goals and 35 assists for 69 points in just 55 games with Peterborough this year.
He has a knack for offense and plays at an elevated level.
Comparable Player: Martin Havlat
Havlat is a strong skater with a great shot who also plays at a high octane level. He has a skill set similar to Puempel.
Matt Puempel has had to bounce back from injuries but if he can fully recover he can be compared to Martin Havlat
24) David Musil
24 of 31
Musil has above-average skating skills and soft agile hands that could allow him to be a solid two-way defender one day.
Comparable Player: Tomas Kaberle
Musil uses his balance and strength to his advantage when attempting to separate other players from the puck. Tomas Kaberle is a player that is also effective at doing this. Musil also has the potential to become an effective powerplay point shot, something Kaberle is already effective at doing.
Musil stands at 6'3" and is just under 200 lbs. He will probably gain some weight in muscle once he adapts to the NHL grind and lifestyle.
If Musil can develop his offensive capabilities, he could become an offensive force and top power-play quarterback.
25) Rocco Grimaldi
25 of 31
Comparable Player: Martin St.Louis
Grimaldi is a very small player. He stands 5'6" and weights in at almost 160lbs.
Though it is early, he shares some traits with Martin St.Louis. He is a tough and fearless player with skilled hands and a great shot.
If you blink, you can miss Grimaldi as he blows by a defender. Martin St.Louis was able to grow into his role and Grimaldi could do the same.
His skill should be enough to make him a mid first-round pick, but his size is a big detractor. The biggest question concerning Grimaldi is, who is going to take a chance on him?
26) Boone Jenner
26 of 31
Boone Jenner is a two-way center man who is defensive-minded. Jenner has decent speed and solid hands. He has the skills to be a solid third-line grinder currently, but if he is given some time, he can turn out to be a solid second liner.
Comparable Player: Brandon Dubinsky
Brandon Dubinsky was a late second round pick who started off as a 4th line grinder. However Dubisnky had a career year with 54 points and fluctuated between the top two lines.
Boone Jenner has a very similar skill set and has a lot of potential.
27)Vladislav Namestnikov
27 of 31
Vladislav Namestnikov had a great rookie season in the OHL. Namestnikov led the Knights with 30 goals, 11 of which came on the power play and averaged a point a game. He finished with 68 points
Comparable Player: Pavel Datsyuk for offensive capabilities
Namestnikov has been touted as a solid two-way player with a great wrist shot. He is similar to Datsyuk in this facet of his game. Namestnikov will need to work on the defensive end of his game but he is on the right track so far.
28) Jonathan Miller
28 of 31
Jonathan Miller played in 48 games for the USA U-18 team in the USHL and tallied 11 goals and 26 assits for 37 points overall. Miller plays with some grit in his game and has a good shot.
Comparable Player: Joe Pavelski
Miller is a decent passer and plays well in his own zone. He is a creative playmaker and plays a solid two-way game. Joe Pavelski plays a similar game as he is a decent playmaker and is a good goal scorer.
Miller needs to spend some more time developing and improving his conditioning before he makes the jump to the high-paced NHL level.
Miller is going to require some work before he makes the jump to the NHL level.
29) Scott Mayfield
29 of 31
Scott Mayfield is a player who is a couple years away from being NHL-ready. He possesses great size and puck skills.
Comparable Player: Brent Burns
Brent Burns put up some decent numbers in the 2010-11 campaign. He had 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points overall.
Mayfield he has shown some accurate passing abilities that will allow him to hit teammates up the ice for an offensive rush. If he can put up good numbers in the assist department he will be in good shape.
Once properly developed, Mayfield will impact the game both offensively and defensively.
30) Daniel Catenacci
30 of 31
Catenacci is a player on the small side but plays with a huge heart.
Comparable Player: Andrew Cogliano
Cogliano put up 103 points in only 49 games back in his junior hockey days and has tailed off since. Catenacci scored 71 points in 67 games this season.
However Catenacci is a strong, hardworking player and a solid skater.
His speed is on par with some of the best in this draft class, and it is complemented with agile and quick hands.
Catenacci is a player who is very determined and will work as hard as it takes to become a top forward in the NHL. He is a few years away, but Catenacci will only continue to improve.
Comments Questions Concerns ?
31 of 31
There are so many different players that these prospects could be compared too. Thanks again to The Hockey News' Draft Guide and Prospects' Edition for research concerning the players.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, leave them in the section below.
Tom Urtz is a New York Rangers Featured Columnist and is a member of the Bleacher Report's Official 2011 NHL Draft Coverage Team.
For More NHL Draft news,updates, and alerts about prospects.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
