NHL Entry Draft 2013: Complete Mock Draft

By Rob Kirk on Saturday, June 29th 2013
NHL Entry Draft 2013: Complete Mock Draft

After the NBA held their draft Thursday night, many heads were being scratched at the top overall pick. Apparently the kid selected, Anthony Bennett out of UNLV was a bit of a surprise. According to all of the limited NBA research I’ve done, the entire draft class is full of prospects and possibilities.

There is no LeBron James or Chris Paul. With the watered down nature of college basketball and 18-year old kids, yes, kids entering the “Association”, the NBA draft is starting to look more like the NHL draft. Talented but raw prospects selected for their potential and the possibility of becoming a game changer.

Tomorrow afternoon in Newark, New Jersey the NHL takes it’s turn, spinning the wheel of hope, looking to catch a star in a field full of promise. This is my final mock draft, based as much on what each team needs among the first 30 draft picks.

Sometimes it is best to take the most talented player on the board, but honestly, I like my chances on Saturday night’s Powerball numbers as much as I believe that this will be the actual draft order. There will be trades, positions will shift, and needs could literally change on the fly.

So without further ado, let me introduce Commissioner Gary Bettman as your master of ceremonies. Booooooooooooo……..

1. Colorado Avalanche-Nathan MacKinnon, C, Halifax (QMJHL)
Top overall pick. Total package. No brainer for the Avs.

2. Florida Panthers-Jonathan Drouin, LW, Halifax (QMJHL)
Curveball here from Florida as they go for offense instead of defense.

3.Tampa Bay Lightning-Seth Jones, D, Portland (WHL)
In a shocker, Jones falls into Tampa’s lap. GM Yzerman gladly snaps him up.

4. Nashville Predators-Aleksander Barkov, C, Tappara (FIN)
Top European center in the draft will fit in well with Predators.

5. Carolina Hurricanes-Darnell Nurse, D, Sault St. Marie (OHL)
Donovan McNabb’s nephew goes to the Hurricanes as they strengthen the blue line.

6. Calgary Flames-Valeri Nichushkin, LW/RW, Chelyabinsk (RUS)
Possibly the most gifted player, Flames swipe Russian sniper at six.

7. Edmonton Oilers-Rasmus Ristolainen, D, TPS (FIN)
Oilers look to fortify defense to compliment young explosive offense.

8. Buffalo Sabres-Sean Monahan, C, Ottawa (OHL)
Projected as a top five pick by many, Monahan falls to eight with Sabres.

9. New Jersey Devils-Nikita Zadorov, D, London (OHL)
Huge Russian with great wheels could be a steal for Devils at nine.

10. Dallas Stars-Max Domi, C, London (OHL)
Not your father’s Domi. Max has a ton of talent and heart. Ton of upside.

11. Philadelphia Flyers-Samuel Morin, D, Rimouski (QMJHL)
Flyers add another huge defenseman to the fold. Hope he can stay healthy.

12. Phoenix Coyotes-Elias Lindholm, C/RW, Byrnas (SWE)
Silky Swedish forward heads to the desert. Great value for Coyotes at 12

13. Winnipeg Jets-Bo Horvat, C, London (OHL)
Rising prospect Horvat joins Jets at eight. Could go earlier.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets-Anthony Mantha, LW, Val D’Or
Big winger should fit in nicely with the team being built in Columbus.

15. New York Islanders-Alexander Wennberg, C, Djugardens IF (SWE)
Solid two-way center could contribute early for Isles.

16. Buffalo Sabres-Hunter Shinkaruk, C, Medicine Hat (QMJHL)
Slightly undersized, but has a great motor and hockey sense.

17. Ottawa Senators-Mirco Mueller, D, Everett (WHL)
Big defenseman can help give Senators depth on the blueline.

18. Detroit Red Wings-Curtis Lazar, C, Edmonton (WHL)
Exciting two-way center looks like Red Wings prototype prospect.

19. Columbus Blue Jackets-Josh Morrissey, D, Prince Albert (WHL)
Smaller defenseman with great wheels and stick can help Jackets immediately.

20. San Jose Sharks-Adam Erne, LW, Quebec (QMJHL)
Grinding forward, with a mean streak. Will remind Sharks faithful of Ryane Clowe.

21. Toronto Maple Leafs-Ryan Pulock, D, Brandon (WHL)
Coach Randy Carlisle loves some puck moving defensemen and Pulock fits the bill,

22. Calgary Flames-Andre Burakowsky, LW, Malmo (SWE)
Could develop well into Flames rebuilding program

23. Washington Capitals-Valentin Zykov, LW, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
Russian power forward that could go much earlier. Had breakout season in juniors.

24. Vancouver Canucks-Frederik Gauthier, C, Rimouski (QMJHL)
Big center will fir nicely into new coach Tortorella’s style.

25. Montreal Canadiens-Morgan Klimchuk, C/LW, Regina (WHL)
High-energy player who overcomes size with energy.

26. Anaheim Ducks-Kerby Rychel, LW, Windsor (OHL)
Has NHL body already with a nose for the net. NHL bloodlines with father Warren.

27. Columbus Blue Jackets-Nicolas Petan, C, Portland (WHL)
WHL scoring leader but small in stature. Feisty and creative, could play at next level.

28. Calgary Flames-Zachary Fucale, G, Halifax (QMJHL)
Won’t immediately fill skates of Miikka Kiprusoff, but can develop into top tier goalie.

29. Dallas Stars-Madison Bowey, D, Kelowna (WHL)
Elite offensive talent. Needs to improve defensive game to play in NHL

30. Chicago Blackhawks-Ryan Hartman, RW, Plymouth (OHL)
Gritty winger in the mold of Andrew Shaw. Huge heart and fearless.

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Scores

10:30 PM ET
Kings
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Golden Knights
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Final
Jets
2
Sharks
1