Feeling A Draft? May Mock Draft!

<![CDATA[On June 27th, the NHL entry draft will commence in Philadelphia, and the Edmonton Oilers will select third overall, only behind Florida and Buffalo. This summer will be very important for the Oilers, as they need to move from rebuilding bottom team to young contending team. They'll need to add defensive help and veterans, but we'll talk about that in the coming weeks, trust me, we'll have time.

Today, we touch on the NHL entry draft, and look at the first ten picks. In June, we'll look into the full first round, but for now let's go in-depth with the top ten, starting in Florida.

1st Overall Pick: Florida Panthers: Aaron Ekblad, Defender – The Florida Panthers have a ton of solid, young, NHL forwards on their roster. Last year’s second overall pick, Alex Barkov, leads a list with names like Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad, Jimmy Hayes and Brandon Pirri on it. Ekblad is the best defender in the draft and gives the Panthers exactly what they are missing, a future top-pairing defender that can do it all. They’ve lacked this player since Bouwmeester walked away.

2nd Overall Pick: Buffalo Sabres: Sam Reinhart, Center – The Sabres are the opposite of the Panthers. Buffalo has a ton of tremendous defensive prospects, but nothing really up front. They couldn’t score goals to save their lives this past season, and the team lacks an offensive game changer on the NHL roster and in the system. Reinhart changes that, and gives the team a future number one center, something they badly need.

3rd Overall Pick: Edmonton Oilers: Leon Draisaitl, Center – I’m not a huge Draisaitl fan, but it seems like the Oilers are. The team has been searching for this kind of player since Jason Arnott walked out the door, and Leon might be the answer. Draisaitl brings size, competitiveness and offensive skills to the table. He could be a very good fit behind RNH on the depth-chart moving forward. In my mind, however, there is a lot of risk in taking Leon in the three hole.

4th Overall Pick: Calgary Flames: Sam Bennett, Center – Last year, the Flames went out and got Sean Monahan, who had a great rookie year. This year, the Flames will snag his running mate in Bennett, who solidifies the center position in Calgary for a long time moving forward. Sam isn’t the biggest guy, but he has great skills and plays a big man’s game. To me, this is a steal at four, and the Flames should be running up there to call his name if he is still on the board.

5th Overall Pick: New York Islanders: William Nylander, Center – The Islanders have John Tavares, but don’t have a second line center behind him. Josh Bailey has not lived up to expectations on the Island, and many believe he will be moved this summer. The Islanders have a ton of wingers, and likely will want to shore up the middle behind their franchise face. Nylander has the talent to really help.

6th Overall Pick: Vancouver Canucks: Michael Dal Colle, Winger – Dal Colle seems like a typical power-forward, and could be exactly what the doctor ordered in Vancouver. The Nucks have been searching for a power-forward ever since Boston physically beat them up in the 2011 finals. Dal Colle is big, tough, and brings some offense to the table. He won’t be ready next season, but fits what the Nucks are looking for.

7th Overall Pick: Carolina Hurricanes: Nikolaj Ehlers, Left Winger – Ehlers seems to be all over the board, and no one can really pin-point where he will go. He has tons of talent, and showed really well in juniors this past year. The Hurricanes badly need offensive help, especially on the wings, so this seems like a good fit. It’s a low pressure situation where Ehlers can develop and play with guys like Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner and Alex Semin moving forward.

8th Overall Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs: Jake Virtanen, Center – Something tells me the Leafs will move up, but if they pick eighth, Virtanen is a perfect fit. The Leafs have been searching for a big center for a while now, and even though Virtanen won’t be able to step in next year, he provides a solution moving forward. He’s a big and physical player with good offensive numbers, and could be a great running mate for Nazem Kadri or Tyler Bozak in the near future.

9th Overall Pick: Winnipeg Jets: Kasperi Kapanen, Left Winger – The Jets need more game breakers, and with the uncertainty surrounding Evander Kane’s future with the club, Kapanen could be a great fit in Winnipeg. He’s a smaller forward, but is extremely skilled and promises to be a top-six forward when he makes the transition to the NHL.

10th Overall Pick: Anaheim Ducks (From OTT): Nick Ritchie, Right Winger – In a division where big and skilled wingers are the needed guns, Ritchie fills a need for the Ducks moving forward. The team lacks true depth throughout it’s lineup, and is poised to lose a few veterans in the coming years to retirement and free agency. Ritchie’s combo of size and skill is a perfect fit for the Pacific division’s top team this past regular season