With the NHL Entry Draft now less than a month away and the NHL draft combine kicking off today, I figured this was as good a time as any to take a crack at a SensChirp mock draft. I am by no means an expert on the subject so this is far more guess work than expert prognostication but it should be good for some discussion.
Here’s how I see the Top 10 picks going a month from now in Minnesota (assuming there are no trades and I think there almost certainly will be)
Edmonton- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Colorado- Adam Larsson
Florida- Jonathan Huberdeau
New Jersey- Sean Couturier
NY Islanders- Ryan Murphy
Ottawa- Gabriel Landeskog
Atlanta- Ryan Strome
Columbus- Dougie Hamilton
Boston- Mika Zibanejad
Minnesota- Oscar Klefbom
Again, this is the prediction if the teams were to stay in the predetermined order and I really don’t think they will. It’s difficult for me to gauge exactly what other teams might do on draft day.
On the Sens front I can base it a little more on some of the speculation around the club the last little while.
Based on some of the buzz I’ve been hearing, I could see the Sens trying to move up to the #3 spot in an attempt to grab Sea Dogs star Jonathan Huberdeau. If they can’t get there and the Devils do grab Couturier or a defenceman at #4, then I think there’s a chance Landeskog falls to Ottawa.
Isles would grab defenceman Ryan Murphy with the 5th, Sens grab Gabriel Landeskog at #6. If the Senators can’t move from the #6 spot and Landeskog is off the board, then I think they will be more than willing to grab Ryan Strome, a player they were quite high on earlier this season.
If the Sens do end up hanging on to that second first round pick, then I think I’d like to see them go with Sea Dogs Centre Zack Phillips. He looked quite good in last night’s Memorial Cup final, played well at both ends of the ice and would be a good player to take a chance on. Obviously the club has a number of options with that pick though.
Of course it could all play out completely different than what I have presented above. That will be the fun of Draft Day.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have signed forward Louie Caporusso to a two-year entry level deal and forward Jakob Silfverberg to a three year deal.
- Steve Lloyd has listed some of the prospects that will be in Ottawa next week. On Monday Couturier, Strome and Zibanejad will be in town. Tuesday will be Hamilton, Huberdeau and Landeskog. Nugent-Hopkins, Murphy and Larsson will not come in.
- Good news for people that have been following the Binghamton Senators and their run to the Calder Cup. Rogers Sportsnet will be carrying the remainder of the series between the BSens and the Houston Aeros.
- Mentioned this on Twitter not long ago but the word is that in total, the Sens will speak to 6-7 candidates about the head coach position. MacTavish has already been interviewed and they still plan to speak to a few more guys this week.
