2010 NHL Mock Draft - Western Conference | 2010 NHL Draft

All mock drafts are updated between 2am-6am each morning
All mock drafts include all draft selections that every team currently owns


Round 1	10	Jon Merrill	D	6'4	185	USHL
Round 1	17	Mark Pysyk	D	6'1	181	WHL
Round 2	40	Jaden Schwartz	C	5'09	178	USHL
Round 4	100	Max Gardiner	C	6'2	180	HS
Round 5	130	Kent Simpson	G	6'1	183	WHL
Round 6	176	Christopher Giroux	C	5'11	175	QMJHL

Strengths: Although the organization no longer boasts a great stockpile of talented forwards, the Ducks still have solid depth up front in Matt Beleskey and Logan MacMillan. Defensive depth is another strength with Mark Mitera, Brian Salcido, and Brendan Mikkelson all playing in the pro ranks.

Weaknesses: Some of Anaheim's top blueliners are starting to get a little long in the tooth, but some of the replacements may not be ready to step in. Jake Gardiner is the PP quarterback of the future, but his future should be a couple of years from now. Although they have a number of goaltending prospects in the system, quality is lacking.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Luca Sbisa, D, 2. Jake Gardiner, D, 3. Peter Holland, C, 4. Mark Mitera, D, 5. Kyle Palmieri, C. Key losses to graduation: Bobby Ryan, Ryan Carter.


Round 3	65	Nick Bjugstad	C	6'4	185	HS
Round 3	78	Brendan Shinnimin	C	5'10	176	WHL
Round 4	108	Stephen Silas	D	6'0	185	OHL
Round 5	138	Josh Nicholls	C	6'2	170	WHL
Round 6	168	Eamonn McDermott	D	5'10	160	USHL
Round 7	198	Chance Lund	L	6'3	198	WHL

Strengths: The Flames have a great talent in Mikael Backlund, a Swedish pivot who has seamlessly acclimated himself to the North American game this season. While Mitch Wahl and Greg Nemisz could also develop into scorers at the pro level, the real strength of this crop of Flames forwards is grit and toughness. Kris Chucko, David Van der Gulik, and Brett Sutter could all make an impact in the near future. Defenseman Keith Aulie also fits the tough and physical mold. Calgary has two good goaltending prospects in Leland Irving and Matt Keetley.

Weaknesses: The talent level drops off significantly after Backlund. While a glut of gritty forwards is always a plus, this leads to a dearth of scoring threats in the system. Defensive depth is also a concern.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Mikael Backlund, C, 2. Greg Nemisz, RW, 3. Keith Aulie, D, 4. Leland Irving, G, 5. Tim Erixson, D. Key losses to graduation: none


Round 1	28	Ryan Martindale	C	6'3	190	OHL
Round 2	48	Anton Burdasov	R	6'3	202	RUS
Round 2	58	Ryan Johansen	L	6'2	188	WHL
Round 3	88	Rob Flick	C	6'3	196	OHL
Round 4	118	Jason Zucker	C	5'10	170	USHL
Round 6	178	T.J. Foster	C	5'11	158	WHL
Round 7	193	Ludvig Rensfeldt	C	6'3	194	SWE
Round 7	208	Myles Falasca	F	5'09	175	CCHL

Strengths: Even after graduating many of the top prospects in the last two years, the Blackhawks still have a solid group of forward prospects, including Kyle Beach, Billy Sweatt, and Akim Aliu. Other forwards, such as Jack Skille, Evan Brophey, and Igor Makarov, are much closer to cracking the Blackhawks' lineup. The blue line was restocked in the 2008 draft and that depth stands as one of the main strengths of the system, headlined by Niklas Hjalmarsson. In goal, Corey Crawford leads a strong group that includes Joe Fallon and Josh Unice.

Weaknesses: With their surefire prospects graduated, the Blackhawks' prospect pool lacks the top-end talent it once had. Some of the best prospects remaining, like Beach and Aliu, are of the boom-or-bust variety. The depth on wing, particularly left, is also suspect.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Niklas Hjalmarsson, D, 2. Kyle Beach, LW, 3. Akim Aliu, RW, 4. Dylan Olsen, D, 5. Shawn Lalonde, D. Key losses to graduation: Dave Bolland, Troy Brouwer, Colin Fraser, Kris Versteeg.


Round 1	21	Evgeny Kuznetsov	L	5'11	165	RUS
Round 2	51	Andrew Yogan	C	6'3	202	OHL
Round 3	81	Taylor Carnevale	C	6'0	195	OHL
Round 4	111	Ryan O'Connor	D	5'09	176	OHL
Round 5	141	Brendan Ranford	L	5'09	160	WHL
Round 5	144	Taylor Vause	C	5'10	158	WHL
Round 7	201	Daniel Ruzicka	D	5'11	191	CZE

Strengths: Colorado has a strong collection of character forwards with potential top-six forwards Chris Stewart, T.J. Galiardi and Ryan Stoa. The Avalanche's main strength, however, is defensive depth. Led by top-ranked prospect Kevin Shattenkirk, the Avalanche have solid group of defensemen in Colby Cohen, Cameron Gaunce, Nigel Williams and Kyle Cumiskey.

Weaknesses: The Avalanche have lacked a top-end goaltending prospect for several years now. The organization could also use a highly-skilled forward prospect who's ready to play soon.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Matt Duchene, C, 2. Kevin Shattenkirk, D, 3. Chris Stewart, RW, 4. Ryan Stoa, C, 5. Ryan O'Reilly, C. Key losses to graduation: T.J. Hensick, David Jones.


Round 1	5	Kirill Kabanov	L	6'2	177	QMJHL
Round 2	35	Zach Trotman	D	6'4	202	NCAA
Round 2	57	Brandon Hynes	C	5'08	170	QMJHL
Round 4	95	Kevin Gravel	D	6'3	180	USHL
Round 5	125	Aaron Harstad	D	6'2	175	USHL
Round 6	155	Alex Noel	C	5'09	165	QMJHL
Round 7	185	John Persson	F	6'1	179	SWE
Round 7	190	Kevin Hayes	L	6'3	195	HS

Strengths: The Blue Jackets graduated a couple of their top prospects Calder front-runner Steve Mason and winger Jakub Voracek this season on way to earning the franchise's first postseason appearance. The cupboard is still stocked with several talented forwards, headlined by an elite scoring winger in Nikita Filatov. Derick Brassard will also look to fill the net following an injury-shortened rookie season. Beyond the top two forwards, Columbus has some nice depth with players like Maxim Mayorov, Jake Hansen, and Tom Sestito on the wings. The defense also features solid prospects in Cody Goloubef, Teddy Ruth, and Andrei Plekhanov.

Weaknesses: The Jackets are particularly thin down the middle with only three center prospects. Although the system recently graduated Mason, it now lacks a top-flight prospect in goal.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Nikita Filatov, LW, 2. Derick Brassard, C, 3. John Moore, D, 4. Cody Goloubef, D, 5. Maksim Mayorov, LW. Key losses to graduation: Steve Mason, Jakub Voracek.


Round 1	13	Erik Gudbranson	D	6'4	198	OHL
Round 2	43	Fredric Weigel	C	5'10	154	SWE
Round 3	73	Tom Kuhnhackl	L	6'2	168	GER
Round 5	133	Shane Sooth	F	6'0	187	NTDP
Round 6	163	Ricard Blidstrand	D	6'3	196	SWE

Strengths: The prospect pool for Dallas is finally regaining its depth. The Stars' scouting staff has found some excellent late-round gems that rank prominently in the organization's top 20. The Stars possess a lot more scoring forwards in the system than in years past although there are some meat-and-potato types also in the mix. There are only three blueliners in the top 20, but two of them, Ivan Vishnevskiy and Philip Larsen, are highly skilled.

Weaknesses: There's a lack of defensive prospects, with just five rearguard prospects in the organization. Goaltending is again a weakness. Tyler Beskorowany and Richard Bachman have fairly high ceilings, but both are coming off relatively disappointing seasons. Dallas also lacks any elite-level prospects.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Ivan Vishnevskiy, D, 2. Jamie Benn, LW, 3. Scott Glennie, RW, 4. Fabian Brunnstrom, LW, 5. Philip Larsen, D. Key losses to graduation: James Neal, Mark Fistric.


Round 1	16	Stephen Johns	D	6'4	205	NTDP
Round 2	46	Guillaume Asselin	R	5'11	192	QMJHL
Round 3	76	Patrik Nemeth	D	6'3	208	SWE
Round 4	106	Brody Sutter	R	6'4	190	WHL
Round 5	136	Danny Biega	D	5'11	184	HS
Round 6	166	Antonin Honejsek	C	5'11	183	WHL
Round 7	196	Viktor Naslund	D	6'1	185	SWE

Strengths: Detroit has solid depth at forward. Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader are strong heart and soul types that the Wings like in their bottom-six forwards. Dick Axelsson, Ville Leino and the enigmatic Jan Mursak provide Detroit with potential top-six players in the coming years. Detroit also has a strong trio of goaltenders in the system. Daniel Larsson, Thomas McCollum and Jimmy Howard all have the potential to be starting goaltenders in the NHL.

Weaknesses: Though Detroit has a handful of solid defensive prospects in Jakub Kindl, Brendan Smith and Jonathan Ericsson, there is not much depth in this department. Detroit should also look to address their top-six forward depth if at all possible.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Jakub Kindl, D, 2. Ville Leino, C, 3. Brendan Smith, D, 4. Daniel Larsson, G, 5. Thomas McCollum, G. Key losses to graduation: none


Round 1	1	Tyler Seguin	C	6'0	170	OHL
Round 2	31	Tyler Toffoli	R	6'0	185	OHL
Round 2	49	Yasin Cisse	R	6'3	210	USHL
Round 3	61	Jarred Tinordi	D	6'4	182	USHL
Round 4	91	Sam Carrick	C	5'11	174	OHL
Round 5	121	Freddie Hamilton	C	6'1	184	OHL
Round 6	151	Christian Isackson	R	5'10	173	USA
Round 6	160	Michal Cajkovsky	D	6'3	168	SVK
Round 6	170	Stefan Fournier	R	6'2	170	QMJHL
Round 7	181	Philipp Grubauer	G	6'0	165	OHL

Strengths: The Oilers have a wealth of talented defensemen headlined by Jeff Petry and Theo Peckham. The organization is also stocked with talented but occasionally frustrating players like Rob Schremp, Linus Omark, and Jordan Eberle, who all fit the run-and-gun style of play Edmonton is known for.

Weaknesses: Many of the players at the top of the Oilers' prospect list are long on potential but short on production. Even sure-fire players like Peckham offer limited upside. Quality goaltending prospects is a concern with Devan Dubnyk as the organization's top prospect goaltender.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, LW, 2. Jordan Eberle, RW, 3. Riley Nash, C, 4. Linus Omark, LW, 5. Theo Peckham, D. Key losses to graduation: Kyle Brodziak.


Round 1	24	Derek Forbort	D	6'4	190	USHL
Round 2	47	Riley Sheahan	C	6'2	195	USCHO
Round 2	54	Aleksander Gogolev	L	5'09	152	RUS
Round 3	69	Nino Niederreiter	R	6'2	203	WHL
Round 3	84	Kevin Clare	D	6'1	189	NTDP
Round 4	114	Vitaly Zotov	D	6'0	162	RUS
Round 5	149	Mathieu Brisson	D	6'1	186	USHL
Round 6	174	Denis Kindl	C	5'11	178	QMJHL
Round 7	204	Miro Hovinen	D	6'3	190	FIN

Strengths: The Kings' prospect pool remains very deep. The top of the class is diverse in all positions. A group of forwards highlighted by Oscar Moller, Ted Purcell and Brian Boyle not to mention under-the-radar center Andrei Loktionov assure the Kings will be strong up front in the foreseeable future. Despite the loss of Drew Doughty, the Kings group of defensive prospects remains strong with Thomas Hickey, Colten Teubert and Vyacheslav Voinov at the top of the list. The goaltending depth is strong as well thanks to Jonathan Bernier and Jeff Zatkoff.

Weaknesses: A great deal of depth was lost to graduation. Questions remain as to whether Bernier is a legitimate starting goaltender prospect.

Top 5 Prospects: Top 5 prospects: 1. Thomas Hickey, D, 2. Jonathan Bernier, G, 3. Brayden Schenn, C, 4. Oscar Moller, RW, 5. Vyacheslav Voinov, D. Key losses to graduation: Drew Doughty, Peter Harrold, Jonathan Quick, Kyle Quincey, Wayne Simmonds, John Zeiler.


Round 1	11	Stanislav Galiev	L	6'1	177	QMJHL
Round 2	41	Dalton Prout	D	6'2	201	OHL
Round 2	60	Janos Hari	R	5'07	161	SWE
Round 3	71	Alexey Marchenko	D	6'2	180	RUS
Round 4	101	Andrei Kuchin	R	5'10	184	USHL
Round 5	131	Will Yanakeff	G	6'2	191	NTDP
Round 6	161	Caleb Herbert	F	5'10	165	USA
Round 7	191	David Bondra	L	5'11	181	AJHL

Strengths: There is depth in the system's defensive prospects, led by top prospects Tyler Cuma and Marco Scandella. Changes in the organization may mean forwards such as Colton Gillies and Benoit Pouliot would not be pressured to develop as quickly into a defensive system that does not suit their style of play.

Weaknesses: There are no first line, first pairing, nor top netminding prospects in the system. There is also very little depth. Although the Wild selected excellent players in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft when they had top picks, since 2003, none of the team's mid-to-late first-round selections have become impact players in the NHL. With the possible exception of Cal Clutterbuck, Minnesota has also failed to find later-round diamonds in the rough.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Tyler Cuma, D, 2. Colton Gillies, C, 3. Nick Leddy, D, 4. Marco Scandella, D, 5. Benoit Pouliot, LW. Key losses to graduation: Cal Clutterbuck.


Round 1	19	Alexandr Burmistrov	C	5'10	172	OHL
Round 3	79	Nathan Lieuwen	G	6'5	192	WHL
Round 5	127	Sami Aittokallio	G	6'1	173	FIN
Round 6	169	Michal Vachovec	F	6'0	145	CZE
Round 7	192	Lukas Cingel	F	5'08	137	SVK
Round 7	199	Alex Theriau	D	6'1	185	WHL

Strengths: The Predators have good high-end prospects at forward, defense, and in goal with Colin Wilson, Jon Blum, and Chet Pickard respectively. The organization possesses great depth along the wing with forwards such as Ryan Jones and Patric Hornqvist. The Predators are also deep in net with Mark Dekanich and Jeremy Smith beyond Pickard. Nashville drafts high-character prospects, who are self-driven.

Weaknesses: An organization that used to be stocked with defensive prospects, that department looks comparatively bare as of late. While there is great forward depth along the wings, the system is thin at center. Also, Nashville drafts a great deal from Europe, and with that comes no guarantees of signability.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Colin Wilson, C, 2. Chet Pickard, G, 3. Jon Blum, D, 4. Ryan Ellis, D, 5. Cody Franson, D. Key loss to graduation: Kevin Klein.


Round 1	18	Jacob Berglund	L	6'1	200	SWE
Round 1	26	Luke Moffatt	R	5'11	185	USHL
Round 2	56	Alex Petrovic	D	6'4	193	WHL
Round 4	112	Chase Balisy	F	5'10	180	NTDP

Strengths: Despite the fact that skilled forwards like Kyle Turris and Mikkel Boedker have graduated this season, the Coyotes continue to boast a talented group of forwards headlined by Viktor Tikhonov and Brett MacLean. Depth and skill along the blue line is also an asset as defensemen Chris Summers and Jonas Ahnelov are both considered to have top-four potential.

Weaknesses: Although the Coyotes have a great deal of depth in net with Josh Tordjman and Scott Darling, they lack a true elite goaltending prospect. The organization is also very thin on both wings.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Eric Tangradi, LW, 2. Alex Goligoski, D, 3. Simon Despres, D, 4. Brian Strait, D, 5. Luca Caputi, LW. Key losses to graduation: Kyle Turris, Mikkel Boedker.


Round 1	29	Adam Pettersson	C	6'0	185	SWE
Round 2	52	Geoffrey Schemitsch	D	6'1	180	OHL
Round 3	89	Joonas Donskoi	L	5'11	168	FIN
Round 5	124	Justin Faulk	D	5'11	185	USHL
Round 5	140	Max Reinhart	C	6'0	178	WHL

Strengths: Logan Couture is still the Sharks top prospect. Coming off his best season to date in the OHL and will turn pro next year. The Sharks are rich with depth in goal. A quality cast including Thomas Greiss, Tyson Sexsmith, Finn Harri Sateri, and NCAA standout Alex Stalock. Behind Petrecki on defense, Derek Joslin has made marked progress since Ty Wishart's departure. Mike Moore has also quickly risen to a serviceable level.

Weaknesses: There is no immediate, bona fide elite talent in the Sharks system. Beginning with Couture, there is a heavy presence of two-way players up front as well as on the blue line. And in goal, though Sateri may prove to be the most capable of becoming a No. 1 at the NHL level, he is still a big question mark.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Logan Couture, C, 2. Nick Petrecki, D, 3. Tyson Sexsmith, G, 4. Jamie McGinn, LW, 5. Thomas Greiss, G. Key graduates: None.


Round 1	12	Brandon Gormley	D	6'2	184	QMJHL
Round 2	42	Darren Archibald	L	6'3	195	OHL
Round 3	72	Dalton Smith	L	6'1	195	OHL
Round 4	102	Tyler Mort	D	6'1	202	OHL
Round 5	132	Jake Cardwell	D	6'1	194	OHL
Round 6	162	Sergey Ilminskiy	D	5'11	177	RUS

Strengths: Even after the graduation of players like David Perron and Patrik Berglund over the past two seasons, St. Louis still boasts one of the strongest prospect pools in the NHL. The Blues have a pair of top prospects remaining in their system in center T.J. Oshie and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. There is strong depth down the middle with Brett Sonne and Philip McRae along with a couple of nice options on the wings in Lars Eller and Aaron Palushaj. The blue line is set for years with Ian Cole and Cade Fairchild progressing through the system. In net, Jake Allen and Ben Bishop could both potentially see time as the Blues primary backstop in the near future.

Weaknesses: Because of graduations, depth along the wing is not what it once was.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Alex Pietrangelo, D, 2. T.J. Oshie, C, 3. Lars Eller, LW, 4. Ian Cole, D, 5. Aaron Palushaj, RW. Key losses to graduation: Patrik Berglund


Round 1	27	Victor Ohman	R	6'1	190	SWE
Round 4	109	Adam Sedlak	D	6'2	190	OHL
Round 4	117	Daniel Krejci	D	6'2	180	CZE
Round 5	147	Brad Ross	L	6'0	173	WHL
Round 6	177	Brooks Macek	R	5'11	170	WHL
Round 7	207	Petteri Halinen	F	6'3	185	FIN

Strengths: For Vancouver it is all about Cody Hodgson and Cory Schneider. After earning high praises for his accomplishments over the course of the year, Hodgson seems set to make his entrance to the pro ranks. Schneider, a first-round pick from 2004, finally made his NHL debut in 2008-09. Michael Grabner, relatively anonymous by comparison, has top-six upside.

Weaknesses: Beyond the top few, there is a significant drop-off in talent. The system lacks any pedigree along the blue line and scoring depth is also an issue. There is little safety in Yann Sauve, the highest ranking rearguard, and the NHL future of Russian forwards Sergei Shirokov and Ilja Kablukov is difficult to foresee.

Top 5 Prospects: 1. Cody Hodgson, C, 2. Cory Schneider, G, 3. Michael Grabner, RW, 4. Jordan Schroeder, RW, 5. Jannik Hansen, RW. Key losses to graduation: none.