The Coach’s 2013 Mock Draft

So the NHL draft is this weekend. True story. One benefit of the lockout I suppose is the abbreviated offseason. Usually we have a few weeks of boringness and trade rumors (everyone to Toronto and Philadelphia!), while this year it is limited to just a handful of days. The draft is always one of my favorite events of the hockey season. It’s all upside, excitement, looking forward, and projecting NHL greatness upon future ECHLers. Both CBJProspects and myself are on the record with our first round mock draft, and CBJProspects presented his 2013 mock draft for the Blue Jackets. I’m here today to present my thoughts on who the Jackets should pick with each of their seven selections (barring trades of course). I’ll be taking different players than CBJProspects and giving a little insight on why I think the Jackets should go that direction. First things first, here are the selection the Jackets currently possess (I use currently, as I would expect them to be active traders):

CBJ Picks
1st Round – 14th Overall
1st Round – 19th Overall (From NYR)
1st Round – 27th Overall (From LA)
2nd Round – 44th Overall
4th Round – 105th Overall
6th Round – 165th Overall
7th Round – 195th Overall

As for what I’d be looking for if I were GM Jarmo Kekelainen and President John Davidson, it would come down to a number of factors. First, I’d be looking for potential top six skill early in the draft, but focus on players who play “Blue Jacket hockey”. This means guys who are tough to play against, are good defensively, and are physical. As for defense, I would be looking towards finding at least one top flight offensive talent early, as there just isn’t enough of that in the pipeline. Later in the draft I’d be focusing more on European or NCAA bound talent to give me more time to see how they develop. I’d also throw a 6th or 7th round pick at a goalie with good size and decent athleticism and see how he develops. With that said, some names to look for with the CBJ’s picks:

C/LW Bo Horvat – London Knights (OHL) 6’0 206lb CSS Rank 15 NA Skater

Stats 67GP 33-28-61 +3 29PIM, Playoffs + Memorial Cup 26GP 18-10-28

CBJProspect’s Pick: Anthony Mantha

Bo Horvat is not going to be the best player in this draft, but he is definitely my favorite. He is already an outstanding penalty killer, is fantastic on faceoffs, does every single thing on the ice that any coach would ever want, and he can put the puck in the net. He was a very good scorer in the regular season, but he upped the production big time during the playoffs, including the OHL Championship winning goal as the clock expired in game seven. Even more impressive, is that he was able to put up those numbers while playing against the opponent’s best players. I see him becoming a Patrice Bergeron or Jonathan Toews level two-way player, capable of 60 point seasons while shutting down opponents best players. As for him over Mantha, the one thing that always worries me is picking a super old prospect on the basis of his draft year numbers. Mantha is almost old enough to have been eligible for the 2012 draft, as he missed it by one day. Compare Horvat’s 17 year old season (listed above) to Mantha’s 17 year old season (63gp 22-29-51 -11 39PIM). Considering the QMJHL is a higer scoring league, along with Horvat’s physicality and two-way play and this pick is a no brainer to me. My only worry is Horvat playing his way to a higher pick with the playoffs he had.

ROUND 1 PICK 19

D Josh Morrissey – Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 6’0 187lbs CSS Rank 27 NA Skater

Stats 70gp 15-32-47 +14 91PIM

CBJProspects Pick: Valentin Zykov

As I mentioned above, I would be looking to grab at least one highly skilled defenseman early in the draft. Morrissey is blessed with all the tools to be a future powerplay quarterback and puck moving defenseman, but has the ability to become more well rounded. The worst case scenario for him is something of a better skating David Savard, a third pairing guy who can run the powerplay. Best case scenario is closer to a Kevin Shattenkirk type, who can run the powerplay, start the breakout, but is also very solid defensively. I do like CBJProspects’ pick of Zykov here, as he possesses top line offensive skill, I just see more forwards I like that will be available at 27, while the defensemen available there have much larger holes in their game than Morrissey.

ROUND 1 PICK 27

LW JT Compher USNTDP (USHL) Size 6’0 165lbs CSS Rank NA 34 Skater

Stats 21gp 7-17-21 23 PIM +12, USNTDP U18 52gp 18-32-50 51PIM

CBJProspects Pick: Mirco Mueller

Michigan commit Compher is something of a Bo Horvat-lite. He’s got a lot of weight to put on, and he probably doesn’t have top line skill, but he is another guy who plays the full length of the ice, isn’t afraid to take the body, and can chip in on the top six. Considering his need to add size, the NCAA is the perfect place for him. He can get into a good workout regimen, put on a lot of size over the next two to four years, and emerge ready to join the Jackets lineup when one or more of Letestu, Dubinsky, Anisimov, or Umberger reach unrestricted free agency. As for the pick of Mueller, I’m just not a fan of picking low upside players this high in a draft this deep. I have no doubts Mueller will be a solid NHLer, I just think the Jackets have enough low offense defensemen on the roster or on the way, and they can aim a little higher here.

ROUND 2 PICK 44

C Nic Petan Portland Winterhawks (WHL) 5’9″ 165lbs CSS Rank NA 33 Skater

Stats 71gp 46-74-120 +68 43PIM

CBJProspects Pick: Dillon Heatherington

This is a pick to be used on the best scorer left on the board, irregardless of the holes in his game. Petan is small, but he absolutely tore it up for Portland this year. It will be very interesting to see how he does moving forward without sniper Ty Rattie, but I think he has the offensive skills to play in a top six. If he’s off the board, grab whichever high scoring forward is still available (Morgan Klimchuk, Oliver Bjorkstrand, William Carrier, among others). As for my thoughts on Heatherington, see my above comments on Mueller. Aim high this early.

ROUND 4 PICK 105

Stats 26gp 27-35-62, Sioux City USHL 8gp 1-3-4

CBJProspects Pick: Jake Guentzel

I like the Guenztel pick, but I decided to go in a little different direction. Size is Guentzel’s main drawback, which can be overcome but will always haunt him. The knock on Peterson is physical play and tendency to stick on the perimeter and get too fancy with the puck. Those can be overcome. He has a very large frame, and he’ll be able to put on a lot of weight over the next four to five years. He hasn’t declared where he’s heading for college yet, as he just finished his junior year and won’t be in the NCAA until the 2014-15 season. With the offensive tools he has (check out the numbers he put up in Minnesota high school, which is no joke), if he can round out the rest of his game and bulk up to the 215-220lb range he could be a scoring third liner with a physical presence.

 ROUND 6 PICK 165

LW Joose Antonen Ilves Jr. (Finland-Jr) 6’2 179lbs CSS Rank 51 European Skater

Stats JYP 2 (Finland-2) 30gp 5-6-11 +6 20PIM, JYP U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga) 15gp 6-7-13 -6 31PIM

CBJProspects Pick: Cole Ully

At this point in the draft I can’t even pretend to have a great grasp on the players. Antonen is my guess though, as he has the size and tools to be a high upside guy at this point in the draft. Playing in Europe, he should get a chance to work his way up to playing pro hockey there before coming over. I know choosing a Finn is cliche with Jarmo at the helm, but if there is any front office in tune with the lower levels in Europe, it should be the Jackets and Finland. Also, how can you go wrong with a guy named Joose? Joooooooooooose! He’ll be a fan favorite at his first rookie camp (a la Booooooooone). As for Ully, he’s a smaller player playing in the CHL. I’m not a fan of grabbing a guy like that late in the draft. If he has talent, he’ll probably be picked by this point in the draft, as CHL teams are just so over-scouted.

ROUND 7 PICK 195

G Ville Huss HIFK Jr. (Finland-Jr) 6’1 185lbs CSS Rank 6 European Goalie 

Stats 41gp 2.63GAA .909SV%

CBJProspects Pick: Timotje Sille

As for the Sille pick, I’d be perfectly fine with taking him here, or even with the 6th round pick. I’d go Huss just because I’m a fan of grabbing a college or European goalie late in the draft and letting him develop for awhile. Look down the CSS European goalie list, find a guy with decent measurables, and give him a shot. There usually aren’t too many of them, and you never really know when you’ll have the next Pekka Rinne or Henrik Lunqvist on your hands.

There you have it everyone, my thoughts on who the Jackets should pick this Sunday (or at the very least the approach they should take for their picks). So who’s draft do you like more? Do you prefer the Mantha-Zykov-Mueller-Heatherington-Guentzel-Ully-Sille haul of CBJProspects, or do you prefer my selections of Horvat-Morrissey-Compher-Petan-Peterson-Antonen-Huss? Or are we both idiots, and you have a much, much better plan for the Jackets? In any case, I am very excited for this Sunday and the madness to come. Hopefully the Jackets add a few guys I like (fingers crossed on Horvat), or maybe they make some deals for some honest to goodness NHLers. Go Jarmo. Go JD. Go Jackets.