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2009 NHL Draft

SBNation 2009 NHL Mock Draft: Day 5, Blueshirt Banter on the clock

We have reached Day 5 of the SBNation 2009 NHL Mock Draft on James Mirtle's From the Rink, and Robert at Habs Eyes on the Prize has made his pick in between welcoming the new/old owners in the door and showing them their new/old offices.This means that Blueshirt Banter is on the clock! I have made our selection, it will be published tomorrow morning.

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The list is getting pretty long now, so you'll have to go after the jump to see the new picks.

1 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
2 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
3 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
4 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
5 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
6 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
7 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
8 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
9 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
10 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
11 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
12 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
13 Buffalo Zack Kassian, Peterborough (OHL) At 6'3" and 215 pounds, Kassian is the most NHL-ready prospect in the draft. His offensive upside may not be as great as some of the other prospects but he makes up for that with size, speed and strength. He is everything the Sabres are not. Big, strong and tough. Die By The Blade
14 Florida Louis Leblanc, Omaha (USHL) It's no secret Florida is in dire need of offensive-minded centers, and LeBlanc - the USHL Rookie of the Year - has impressed by leading his club in scoring and having a way-cool hockey name. The Litter Box
15 Anaheim Dmitri Kulikov, Drum'ville (QMJHL) I haven't seen a draft projection that has him picked later than 16th, and I'll have to assume he has some value. The Ducks don't have a great history of picking Russian defensemen with their top picks so I may be off-base. Battle of California
16 Columbus David Rundblad, Skelleftea (Swe) The Blue Jackets look to add some serious skill on the back-end. Rundblad will quickly become a vital piece to the young core in Columbus The Cannon
17 St. Louis Chris Kreider, Philips-Andover Academy (USHS) A center with exceptional size and skating ability, Kreider is also blessed with a goal-scorer's touch. A character guy on and off the ice, Kreider is everything the Blues' scouts typically look for in a player. St. Louis Game Time
18 Montreal Scott Glennie, Brandon (WHL) Glennie is the closest thing to a sure bet the Habs could get at the 18th slot. A competitive, responsible, focused player who displays good maturity and poise, Glennie is a projected top six forward, who should make his place on the Habs within three seasons. Eyes On The Prize

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