LHH Mock Draft: Anaheim faces a tough one at #22
by Dominik on Jun 14, 2011 2:48 AM EDT
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PrintNote: We zipped through three more picks in the Lighthouse Hockey Mock Draft last night. Here is Phoenix's pick at 20, followed by Ottawa's second pick at 21. The list of all 22 picks thus far has now been updated.
If it hasn't come already, Teemu Selanne's last NHL game will come any day now, and so will Saku Koivu's. The Anaheim Ducks have some smart skilled forwards getting up there in years, so one is inclined to look that way for eventual replacements in the 2011 NHL Draft.
That said, the Ducks do have some nice forwards coming up in their system -- they just signed Emerson Etem to his ELC. What they lack is the type of bruising, angry defenseman who helps make a Randy Carlyle team. Alas, Duncan Siemens and his Anaheim-style "make it look mean" approach came off the board several picks ago.
It may be a crime to pass on Oscar Klefbom here, but defensemen to complement Cam Fowler and Luca Sbisa can be had later in the draft. For now it's time for Anaheim to add another skilled forward with potential two-way ability, and thankfully one is still available in our LHH Mock Draft in the form of Dane Nicklas Jensen.
Ranking
ISS: 11
CSS: 21
THN: 19
TSR: 21
Rationale
Anaheim's "big three" of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan will one day need secondary help that doesn't go by the name of Teemu or Saku. With Finland's heroes fading away, it's no small consolation to turn to Denmark, the new home of some Frans-like skilled players with a defensive conscience.
Jensen may be a long-term project to reach his full potential -- but the Ducks went that route with Ryan and that seemed to work out just fine.
At 6'3" and around 200 lbs., Jensen already passes the Anaheim size test. Making the jump to North America and playing against quality players as a 17-year-old is another sign he shouldn't scare Anaheim off.
And thus shall Anaheim join the Islanders, Senators and Canucks in realizing: If going Dane is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
Housekeeping: The list of prior picks is in this post. kfallon2 is now on the clock, selecting for Pittsburgh at #23.
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I had to stick with my character
I actually had a write-up set to go on why Anaheim is the type who would salivate over Siemens — and then I realized he was picked in the top 10!
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
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