FanPost

NHL MOCK DRAFT: With the 6th overall pick in the draft the Senators select

Ottawa Senators select with the 6th overall pick in this year’s NHL draft:

Jonathan Huberdeau 6’1’’ 170lbs Center(can play wing) from the Saint John Sea Dogs(QMJHL).

Videos(some double stuff, but worth watching):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCN34D02V24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYTELsqbl64

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqjZA5Xudj4

Jonathan is a gritty and flashy creative playmaking center(can play wing) with outstanding vision (and 2-way upside if he continues to work on his defensive game). Some of his skills include very quick puckhandling/passing hands, a quick hard shot, flashy player, a good skater, competes hard, high hockey IQ, battles for goals around the net, protects the puck well, will battle in the dirty areas, a long reach(long arms), and decent/adequate defensively but nothing special(but the tools to be better). Only real knock on him is his size, because of that he isn’t going to be nhl ready for a year to 2. NHL comparison is to gritty/taller/bigger Ales Hemsky. Expect Huberdeau to be hitting nhl highlight reels with his dangling and passing as a top 6 center/forward for the next decade relatively soon.

The Senators offense last year was 29th in the nhl, only ahead of the Devils. Not to mention, that 29th in the league doesn’t fully take into account their unloading of forwards during the season, including Mike Fisher(2-way goalscoring top 6 center), Chris Kelly(3rd line 2-way center), Alex Kovalev(aging goalscorer), and Jarkko Ruutu(agitator). And there d-core doesn’t look that bad for the near future, with Philips and Gonchar as stop gaps + Erik Karlsson(Projected Mobile PP-QB/offensive Top 4 d-man) and David Rundblad(Projected Mobile Top 4 puckmover) and Jared Cowen(Projected Huge, 6’5’’ 225lbs+ likely playing size, + Physical Shutdown Top 4 guy with some o-capabilities) in the system or breaking into the nhl. So they are pretty solid on D for now. So in much needed help offensively, the Senators take a playmaking forward that can help them with that greatly and be a defensively responsible, so he fits the bill really well.

The past few years, the Sens have drafted:

2010-none

2009-Jared Cowen(D)

2008-Erik Karlsson(D)

2007-Jim O’brien(Projected 2-way 3rd line center)

2006-Nick Foligno(Projected 2-way 3rd line winger) in the 1st round.

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