Sports Blog Nation’s mock NHL Entry Draft has reached Day 8, with Vancouver Canucks, New Joisy Devils and Washington Capitals coming to the podium. There are still a handful of quality first rounders available, among them, a couple of solid defensive prospects.
Up first are Nucks’ Misconduct, who snap up U.S. High School defenseman John Moore of the Chicago Steel. The USHL Defenseman of the Year is precisely what the Canucks do not have: a blindingly fast offensive-minded defenseman with a potent shot and leadership skills to boot. Central Scouting’s Jack Barzee sizes Moore up:
“I watched John Moore as an underage player and I knew he was a must see player for this year; he hasn’t disappointed me one bit. His first two strides are like Paul Coffey and he has been labeled as a world-class skater. He is poised with the puck, he gets his shots through to the net and he has gotten a lot stronger this season. He resembles (Calgary Flames) defenseman Jordan Leopold and similar to Leopold at the same age he needs to get a little bit better at playing more aggressive and more physical, but John is going to be a one-two defenseman in the NHL.”
It’s hardly a surprise that the Jersey recognize a sound defensive prospect when they smell one, and John Fischer of In Lou We Trust has elected to go with Calvin de Haan, who he describes as “a slick skating, offensive-defenseman who thrived all season in Oshawa – with and without John Tavares. His best assets include his intelligence, his ability to move the puck up ice, and his calm approach to the game, even in pressure situations.”
Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards makes him sounds like a natural born Devil:
“Calvin shows a lot of patience and poise for a young defenseman. He has high-end puck skill and passing ability. He has a very good shot, hard and accurate, and a very good ability to get the puck through traffic to the net. He sees the ice very well and moves the puck through traffic. His skating is excellent, mobility, agility and speed. His biggest asset is his hockey sense. He makes very few mistakes.”
Japers’ Rink, looking at the Capitals needs, has gone BPA with their choice, and for the third time in four years, calls the Caps to take a Swedish born center with their first pick. Jacob Josefson is a defensively sound playmaker both fits an organizational need and is simply the best player available at this point.
Director of European Scouting, Goran Stubb says of Josefson:
“He is a very good two-way player. He has a very good responsibility for his defensive duties. He’s more a playmaker, a guy who sees the ice really well, creates a lot of scoring chances with his passing skills. He’s very good with the stick and very good in traffic because he is an excellent stickhandler. He’s a smooth passer with very soft hands.”
| Picks 19-21 | Picks 22-24 | Picks 25-27 |
