NHL Mock Draft 2013: New York Islanders select Alexander Wennberg with No. 15 pick

The hockey sites of SB Nation coordinated for our annual NHL mock draft, which means Lighthouse Hockey is due up to pick for the New York Islanders today.

If you've followed along, you know that most of the names you'd expect to be off the board by the 15th pick...are indeed off the board in our mock draft.

With a nod to our resident Swedophile David Hanssen, we looked at what was left and declared Alexander Wennberg of Djurgarden our selection on behalf of the Islanders at 15th overall. (Hey, if Kevin Connolly can select for the Isles, we can too, right?)

Below you can find various profiles and snippets about Wennberg, who we think is a decent bet to be on the board and, from the sounds of it, an interesting enough prospect. At the bottom, you'll also find the full list of players taken 1-14 in the SB Nation mock draft, so you can tell us who we should have picked.

Rankings

Snippets

From Trent Klatt of the Islanders:

Wennberg is a very smooth skating, efficient Swede. He plays the game well at both ends of the ice and has a great deal of hockey sense. He is more prone to setting up goals, yet one should not underestimate his ability to score.

Dobber Hockey:

Molded in a similar style to many Swedish hockey players, Wennberg is a player with a well-rounded two-way game that stems from an intelligent hockey mind. The asset that stands out the most is Wennberg’s playmaking abilities as he executes accurate and creative passes using impressive on-ice vision. Wennberg is also extremely versatile as he lines up on the wing and centre equally well.

-Brendan Ross

Red Line Report:

Plays a very complete brand of hockey – skating, hitting, crashing net and creating. Good thought process at both ends. Speedy with soft shooter’s hands and can go upstairs even under pressure or from bad angles. Stickhandles well enough to beat defenders off the rush and create lanes for teammates. Plays with intensity and determination, and we like his effort and attitude. Anticipates well, making surprising passes that result in scoring chances. Goes to traffic areas looking for tips and rebounds. Versatile and can handle a variety of roles well. Continues to compete hard even late in lost cause games. Diligent defensively, backed by sound instincts and positioning.

McKeen's Draft Guide:

...powered by a tremendous compete level ... tenacity is a prime attribute ... attains good top speed and is also deceptively agile ... not a fancy stickhandler yet an effective one ... a more talented puckhandler than he appears due to a stiff style ... effective in tight quarters and in traffic ... pivots and turns on a dime while retaining solid puck control ... hard to defend against as opponents must respect his ability to alter direction at top speed – which creates space that he knows how to exploit ... equally adept as passer or shooter...

And here he is at the WJC, victimizing some Czechs among others:

SB Nation Mock Draft so far:

1. Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon
2. Florida: Jonathan Drouin
3. Tampa Bay: Seth Jones
4. Nashville: Aleksander Barkov
5. Carolina: Valeri Nichushkin
6. Calgary: Sean Monahan
7. Edmonton: Elias Lindholm
8. Buffalo: Darnell Nurse
9. New Jersey: Hunter Shinkaruk
10. Dallas: Rasmus Ristolainen
11. Philadelphia: Mirco Mueller
12. Phoenix: Bo Horvat
13. Winnipeg: Kerby Rychel
14. Columbus: Max Domi

Well, given those names weren't available to us, whom should we have selected if not Wennberg?