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We've reached Day 4 of the SBNation 2009 NHL Mock Draft on James Mirtle's From the Rink. The picks are coming hot and heavy now, picks are actually done through 17, they will be publishing over the weekend. I may be making our pick for the Rangers today, depending how fast we go on the clock.
| Team |
Pick |
Blogger's notes |
More analysis: |
| N.Y. Islanders |
John Tavares, London (OHL) |
The sexy pick, the consensus pick, the right pick. He's what this team and franchise needs most. Get ready for "Islanders goal scored by #91..." because they're coming in bunches. |
Lighthouse Hockey |
| Tampa Bay |
Victor Hedman, Modo (Swe) |
A boy playing among men in the Swedish Elite League (and thriving) the past two seasons, Hedman starts immediately on the TB blueline and can contribute at both ends of the ice. |
Raw Charge |
| Colorado |
Matt Duchene, Brampton (OHL) |
No big surprise here; we’ll take whichever of the big 3 is available and immediately offer them a position as GM & coach. |
Mile High Hockey |
| Atlanta |
Evander Kane, Vancouver (WHL) |
Named after Atlanta boxing legend Evander Holyfield, Kane adds some scoring punch to Atlanta's top six — perhaps as early as this fall. |
Bird Watchers Anonymous |
| Los Angeles |
Braydon Schenn, Brandon (WHL) |
Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson is the popular pick here, seeing as how the Kings need a left winger badly, but I'm counting on Dean Lombardi's love of grit and distaste for Swedes to influence his decision here. Plus, I really wanted to upset Toronto fans. |
Battle of California |
| Phoenix |
Jared Cowen, Spokane (WHL) |
The Coyotes are deep on forward prospects and badly need young defensemen. Cowen is a beast who could play in the NHL very soon if his recently repaired knee doesn't hamper him. |
Five For Howling |
| Toronto |
Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson, Timra IK (Swe) |
Most of Canada already hates him, so he'll fit in just fine. Plus he provides the high-end Swedish forward that the Leafs have been missing since last April. |
Pension Plan Puppets |
| Dallas |
Oliver Ekman-Larssen, Leksand IF (Swe-2) |
Dallas is fortunate to not only draft the best player available but also pick a defenseman that fills a glaring need in the Stars' system |
Defending Big D |
| Ottawa |
Nazem Kadri, London (OHL) |
With Ottawa's recent emphasis on drafting skilled defencemen, Kadri gives the Senators a good skilled forward to fill out the team's development systems — maybe even one of those ever-elusive top-six forwards. |
Silver Seven |
| Edmonton |
Ryan Ellis, Windsor (OHL) |
No 17-year old defensemen has ever led the OHL in assists — not even Bobby Orr. That is, no one has done it until Ryan Ellis did this year. The only thing keeping him out of the top three is his height. |
Copper & Blue |
| Nashville |
Jordan Schroeder, University of Minnesota (NCAA) |
He may be short in stature, but he's long on talent and strength. Just as he played alongside Colin Wilson at the World Juniors, he projects to be the next top Predators prospect to come out of collegiate hockey. |
On The Forecheck |
| Minnesota |
Zach Budish, Edina Minnesota (USHS) |
After missing last season for the Hornets with a torn ACL from his football playing days, Budish has added size and strength during his rehab. Now at 6'3" and 229 pounds, Budish is the type of power forward the Wild have always lacked. |
Hockey Wilderness |
| Buffalo |
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| Florida |
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| Anaheim |
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| Columbus |
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| St. Louis |
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| Montreal |
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| N.Y. Rangers |
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| Calgary |
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| Philadelphia |
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| Vancouver |
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| New Jersey |
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| Washington |
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| Boston |
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| N.Y. Islanders |
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| Carolina |
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| Chicago |
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| Detroit |
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| Pittsburgh |
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