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Penguins’ #1 pick is a crapshoot, a glance at Mock Draft’s #1 Pens Picks
by Tony on 06/25/09 at 09:31 AM ET
Comments (9)
Picking last in the first round, obviously, isn’t as bad as it may seem. After all, it does mean that your team won the Cup (unless it’s a traded pick, naturally).
But that also means that your #1 pick is really anyone’s guess, including the teams themselves. They might have a handful of players they have their eye on, but they could very well be gone by the time it’s your turn to pick.
So with the Penguins at #30 this year, the wild guesses that you see on all of these Mock Drafts are just all over the place. Some of the Penguins’ picks I see on one person’s mock draft at #30 are on another’s at #7. Again, just all over the place.
So, for your entertaiment pleasure, I’ve compiled a small list of websites’ 1st round Mock Drafts, along with their respective Central Scouting Rankings.
Faceoff Factor - LW Carl Klingberg. C Ethan Werek
Pensburgh (SBN) - D Stefan Elliott
James Mirtle (SBN) - Elliott
Pierre McGuire (TSN) - LW Jeremy Morin
Craig Button (TSN) - D Simon Despres
MyNHLDraft.com - D Tim Erixon
NHLDraftSite.com - C/RW Louis Leblanc
USA Today - D Eric Gelinas
The Program - Elliott
NHL.com’s Brad Holland - RW Zach Budish
NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman - Klingberg
NHL.com’s Shawn P. Roarke - RW Jordan Caron
TotalProSports.com - Erixon
Nowpublic.com - Elliott
Newsday’s Steve Zipay - Werek
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Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Comments
Tony,
Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and guess who the Pens take? I agree with the point you made that it’s not who they’d like, but more who’s left to pick…
Stephen
Posted by stephen on 06/25/09 at 09:02 AM ET
LOL, you know Stephen, specifically I don’t have a clue who would be the best pick for the Pens, I just don’t follow the kids as closely as others do…
Speaking for a position itself, I think the Pens are light in terms of scoring wingers, so I guess I’d like to see them draft a winger, rather than a defenseman....
Posted by Tony F from Virginia Beach, VA on 06/25/09 at 09:14 AM ET
Gotta just take whoever the scouts are the best player, Tony.....Scoring wingers may seem not big now, but who knows what trades, free agency might do in a couple years. And with guys like Luca Caputi, Eric Tangradi and CPZ the Pens might have a young player or two blossom that could fill big time roles.
Whoever’s deemed the best, take him. Then in a couple years if you have to trade a defensemen for a scoring winger you can. But if you draft what’s projected to be a scoring winger but he’s not the best prospect and he fails, you can’t do anything.
That said, who knows who the best player/position will be.
Posted by Hooks Orpik on 06/25/09 at 09:18 AM ET
From my very limited knowledge, I hope Kreider falls to 30. If not him, then Klingberg. But I have a feeling Detroit will get him, since they love Swedes so much.
Posted by cs6687 on 06/25/09 at 09:41 AM ET
If not him, then Klingberg. But I have a feeling Detroit will get him, since they love Swedes so much.
Posted by cs6687 on 06/25/09 at 10:41 AM ET
Who wouldn’t?
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 06/25/09 at 09:49 AM ET
If I’m not mistaken, Pierre McGuire has Simon Despres to the Penguins while Craig Button takes Jeremy Morin.
As a Dane I’m naturally biased against the Swedes, but Klingenberg wouldn’t be a bad pick. Personally, I believe in picking a goalscorer/sniper type and Morin could be that guy. The organisation probably knows a great deal about Werek given Nathan Moon, which could be of importance.
Posted by Moq from Denmark on 06/25/09 at 01:20 PM ET
Maybe the Finns?
Posted by DigitalGypsy66 on 06/25/09 at 10:50 AM ET
Or the French...they hate everybody, until the Germans come knocking, that is…
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 06/25/09 at 01:34 PM ET
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It’s also better than having your first pick in the third round, like last year.
Thanks for draft summary, Tony.
Posted by DigitalGypsy66 on 06/25/09 at 08:50 AM ET