2010 SB Nation NHL Mock Draft: Defending Big D Selects Derek Forbort

Defending Big D continues our annual series of looking at top draft prospects that could possibly have their name called by the Dallas Stars at the 2010 Entry Draft.  Today we take a look at everyone's favorite heading into next weeks draft: Derek Forbort, who also just happens to be Defending Big D's pick in the SB Nation NHL 2010 Mock Draft.

Derek Forbort

Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Born: 3/4/1992 - Duluth, Minnesota
Height/Weight: 6'5" 198 pounds
2009-10 Team: USA U-18 (USHL)

Visit Defending Big D's Pick on the main SB Nation Mock Draft Stream and see all picks to date...

Why the Stars mock-draft Forbort:

The Stars traded their top defensive prospect, Ivan Vishnevskiy to the Thrashers in the deal for Kari Lehtonen, leaving them with Philip Larsen as the top rated blue liner in their system. He is the only defenseman in the Stars top 20 prospects outside of Hubert Labrie, who I'm guessing most Stars fans haven't heard of. The Stars' defensive cupboard is bare and Derek Forbort is where they need to start the re-stocking.

Forbort, by all accounts, is an impressive combination of size and skill. Projected by many to be a top pairing guy in the NHL, the 6'5", 198 pounder is good on the penalty kill, willing to blocks shots and can hold his own in the offensive end. While not a "pure puck mover", Derek scored 4 goals and 10 assists in 26 appearances with the U.S. National U-17 team in 2009-2010 and is described as an excellent skater for his size. He is committed to the Univeristy of North Dakota in the fall. The Stars are mock-happy to mock-draft the young man from Duluth, Minnesota, and continue a tradition of outstanding American players (Modano, Hatcher, Guerin, etc) in Texas.

Obviously, these are the reasons we hope the Stars draft him for real 6 days from now. More after the jump...

Why the Stars wouldn't take him:

If their board is drastically different from ours, then we assume they'll take the best player available to them as perceived by Nieuwendyk, Les Jackson and company, but it would be hard to imagine passing him up with the organizational depth where it is. It's very likely they won't take him simply because he will not be there at #11. He has seen his stock rise as much or perhaps more than any other potential first rounder this year and I'll be surprised if he's there when the Stars number is up.

What they're saying:

"Derek Forbort has good top-end ability at both ends (of the ice). He's smart and skates so well, he's almost 6-5 and he's got everything there in front of him. It's just a matter of filling out and getting more experience. He's probably a top-two defenseman in the NHL if he reaches his potential."

Jack Barzee, NHL Central Scouting

"In Forbort, you’re talking about a kid who has that ideal size you want at the position, but who’s also a real good skater and has some offensive upside," said an NHL scout from a Western Conference club. "He’s going to be a project, but he’s going to a good program and could be one of the better defenseman to come out of this class when all is said and done."

Hockeyjournal.com

Check out...

This great piece on Forbort by Adam Kimelman:

The 6-foot-5, 198-pound defenseman is No. 9 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

"If we're trying to paint a portrait of Derek to someone who's never seen him play, he's the kind of player that if you're not looking for him he's not going to jump out at you," Kurt Kleinendorst, who coached the USNTDP under-18 team this past season, told NHL.com. "He's not Paul Coffey, swinging around the net … he does all the little things well. He's got good skills, he's very coachable, he makes the right plays. He's in the moment and he's going to make the play that needs to be made. If he's under pressure, he'll deal with the pressure and he'll make the quality play. If he has time, he'll take that time and make the best play. If he has the option to carry the puck, he'll carry the puck. He doesn't do anything with the puck or without the puck that jumps out at you. His game is all-encompassing."

"Derek Forbort has good top-end ability at both ends," Central Scouting's Jack Barzee, who specializes in U.S.-based prospects, told NHL.com. "He's smart and skates so well, he's almost 6-5 and he's got everything there in front of him. It's just a matter of filling out and getting more experience and playing. He's probably a top-two defenseman in the NHL if he reaches his potential."

Much more here at Fox News....

And after you're done with that, explain to me how there's no video on Derek Forbort to found anywhere on the internet...