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2013 NHL Mock Draft, No. 3: Huw's Full First Round Mock

Huw's first attempt to predict the full first round of the 2013 NHL Draft.

By Huw Wales
Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

Its that time again when I attempt to try and predict the results of the 2013 NHL Draft. While the bottom two spots are still to be decided I've made the assumption that the Boston Bruins would beat the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final.

The scenario I've listed below is one based on the proposition that some teams will always make a reach or pick a player higher than others might have them at. The draft tends to be an unpredictable event and therefore I have made this mock draft potentially more unorthodox than what people might envision.

As a side note, I cannot predict or take into account any potential moving up or down of picks and this mock simply reflects the situation as it stands currently. Its quite possible that in the lead up to the draft there will be some trades that change the order and how the draft develops.

Draft Position Team Player League Explanation
1 Colorado Avalanche Seth Jones (D) WHL Best player in the draft and the Avalanche need defensemen.
2 Florida Panthers Nathan MacKinnon (C) QMJHL Panthers take the second best player in the draft helping bolster an already formidable forward core.
3 Tampa Bay Lightning Aleksander Barkov (C) FIN Tampa takes the big Finn who could step up to the NHL next season if they needed him to.
4 Nashville Predators Jonathan Drouin (LW) QMJHL Drouin has some of the best skills and hands in the draft and Nashville can't pass that up.
5 Carolina Hurricanes Valeri Nichushkin (LW) MHL Nichushkin is simply too good for the Hurricanes to pass on.
6 Calgary Flames Bo Horvat (C) OHL Calgary see Horvat as their future captain and his all round game appeals to them.
7 Edmonton Oilers Nikita Zadorov (D) OHL The Oilers take the big mean defender from the London Knights. The Oilers need to make sure they have that meanness on the backend in the future and he does that.
8 Buffalo Sabres Darnell Nurse (D) OHL Buffalo goes for the smooth skating blueliner to add to their already impressive pool of defensive prospects. There is no such thing as too many good defensemen.
9 New Jersey Devils Sean Monahan (C) OHL The Devils need some elite level forwards and they are overjoyed that Monahan fell this far.
10 Dallas Stars Elias Lindholm (C) SWE The Stars need elite forwards and Lindholm fits that need. They've seen a lot of him as he played on the same team as Molin. Lindholm is a steal at 10.
11 Philadelphia Flyers Rasmus Ristolainen (D) FIN The Flyers are bleeding for defenseman and its a no brainer to go after this nasty Finn.
12 Phoenix Coyotes Curtis Lazar (C) WHL The Coyotes need those big talented forwards and Lazar is a perfect fit with the grit and offensive skills to fill a multitude of roles.
13 Winnipeg Jets Hunter Shinkaruk (LW) WHL The Jets need some elite wingers and Shinkaruk is definitely that. He might be slightly small but he provides something the Jets don't have.
14 Columbus Blue Jackets Max Domi (C) OHL The Jackets use their first pick to go after uber talented centreman Max Domi.
15 New York Islanders Ryan Pulock (D) WHL After using all their 2012 picks on defensemen its obvious the Islanders are looking for elite blueline talent. Pulock provides this as well as being a potential QB on the powerplay.
16 Buffalo Sabres (From Minnesota Wild) Alexander Wennberg (C/LW) SWE The Sabres use their second first round pick to select an intriguing and talented forward out of Sweden Alexander Wennberg. It helps provide some depth to a depleted winger pool.
17 Ottawa Senators Zach Facale (G) QMJHL The Senators pull the biggest shock of the first round picking the very talented Zach Facale. They want to make sure that at least one of their goaltender prospects works out.
18 Detroit Red Wings Valentin Zykov (RW) QMJHL Valentin Zykov provides some size to a Detroit organisation which has put more emphasis on size recently. He is a versatile forward and can develop into a multifaceted player with the Redwings
19 Columbus Blue Jackets (From New York Rangers) Frederik Gauthier (C) QMJHL The Blue Jackets with their second pick take the giant centreman Gauthier. He's got some interesting upside and he could also become a looming presence in the bottom six if he doesn't have top six talent.
20 San Jose Sharks Anthony Mantha (LW) QMJHL The Sharks need some wingers in the prospect pool and Mantha is a very talented player though he has some inconsistency issues.
21 Toronto Maple Leafs Andre Burakowsky (LW) SWE The Leafs take this talented Swede who has performed pretty well in the Allsvenska in Sweden. The Leafs need top forward talent coming up and Burakowsky provides that.
22 Calgary Flames (From St Louis Blues) Shea Theodore (D) WHL With their second pick the Flames take offensively talented defenseman Shea Theodore. They need offensive defensemen and Theodore has the potential to become a top four defenseman.
23 Washington Capitals Josh Morrissey (D) WHL The Caps take this speedy blueliner who has some offensive talent and could develop into a top four defenseman. They have enough depth in the NHL to let him develop to his top potential.
24 Vancouver Canucks Kerby Rychel (LW) OHL The Canucks take this talented sniper and potential power forward in the hopes he can become a top six forward.
25 Montreal Canadiens Ryan Hartman (RW) USNTDP The Habs want some grit in the system and Hartman certainly provides that.
26 Anaheim Ducks Robert Hagg (D) SWE The Ducks can't have too many talented Swedish defensemen and they add another with Robert Hagg. Hagg has some good offensive upside but is generally a well rounded player. Too good to pass up at this point.
27 Calgary Flames (From Pittsburgh Penguins) Adam Erne (RW) QMJHL The Flames with their final pick take another talented forward who needs more work, especially on his playmaking, but could provide a big two way reward for the rebuilding Flames.
28 Columbus Blue Jackets (From LA Kings) Chris Bigras (D) OHL The Blue Jackets use their last pick to pick up a talented blueliner from the OHL. The Jackets have blueline depth but there is no such thing as too many defenders especially when they make valuable trade commodities.
29 Chicago Blackhawks J.T Compher (C) USNTDP Though the Blackhawks have plenty of top centre prospects J.T. Compher help compliment that and ensure the Blackhawks have some wriggle room if development doesn't go right.
30 Dallas Stars (From Boston Bruins) Nic Petan (C) WHL The Stars use their final pick to draft the small but offensively talented forward from the WHL. He is incredibly talented and with the size in the system already they can afford to pick someone who is on the smaller side.