2011 NHL Mock Draft: The Sporting News Predicts Avalanche Will Select Adam Larsson

With just one day left until the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, many publications are putting out their final mock drafts. The Sporting News sees the Colorado Avalanche taking Swedish defenseman Adam Larsson with the second overall selection.

Scout’s take: "He’s a smart, creative puck mover who also has excellent defensive positioning."

Read more about Larsson here.

An unusual mock draft, as defenseman Doug Hamilton goes fourth overall and universal top five picks Gabriel Landeskog and Sean Couturier fall to sixth and seventh, respectively. Swedish forward Mika Zibanejad slips all the way to 13th in this mock, even though he is viewed as one of the top players in the second tier of talent and a likely selection between the sixth and ninth selection in this year's draft.

Colorado selects top goalie prospect John Gibson in this mock.

Scout’s take: "I like how he presents himself. He’s in control, he’s big (6-3, 205), there’s not much room for players to shoot (around him), and he’s been very consistent over the course of the year."

Gibson is a likely first rounder, though his name will probably be called towards the end of that round. You can never have enough goalie prospects (the Avalanche have notoriously struggled to develop their own star goaltender), but with 2010 second round selection Calvin Pickard enjoying an excellent season -- and already signing an entry level offer from Colorado, a sign of their faith in him -- the Gibson selection at #11 doesn't really compute. If a player such as Couturier or Landeskog falls out of the top six, the Avalanche may trade up for his rights. At the very least, they would select a skilled forward such as Zibanejad if he falls out of the top ten.

A first round of Larsson and Zibanejad looks great in the future. Reaching for Gibson? Seems unlikely.

2011 NHL Mock Draft: USA Today Mock Projects Gabriel Landeskog To Avalanche

If the Mock Drafts have proven anything, it's that there is no consensus amongst scouts. Adam Larsson, Jonathan Huberdeau, and even Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have all be linked to the Colorado Avalanche in recent mocks.

Add another name to the fire, as the USA Today predicts Colorado will select winger Gabriel Landeskog with the second overall selection.

Like Edmonton, they have another first-rounder they can use to address the blue line later on, so they opt for the forward who is most ready to come in and contribute right away.

Landeskog does fill a need as a strong, physical winger that the Avalanche are certainly missing on their current roster. He is a powerful winger with strong defensive skills who is likely to start in the NHL next season. He is a physical specimen and many see him as a future NHL captain. Landeskog projects as a 20-25 goal scorer in the league, with a limited ceiling and below average stick skills. He should be a valuable player next season, but is already at or near the peak of his physical growth.

Should a team like Colorado draft for need at #2 overall, instead of taking a player with more upside? That draft strategy certainly has its doubters -- specifically surrounding Landeskog.

If Colorado was to select Landeskog this high, it would be the safe pick. That may not be the best move for a team that needs an influx of talent.

With the 11th overall selection, USA Today sees Colorado selecting defenseman Oscar Klefbom. Klefbom is a work in progress, but shows above average skating ability. He'll likely need several years of seasoning in the minors to develop his below-average hockey sense, but has the potential to be a mid-pairing defenseman in several years.

Klefbom wouldn't be a bad project pick, but the Avalanche are more likely to select one of the more refined defensemen ranked higher, such as Duncan Siemens or Dougie Hamilton (if the New York Islanders decide to pass on him). Even Jamie Oleksiak -- a similarly raw defensive project -- would be a more logical choice for a team desperate for size on the blue line.

2011 NHL Mock Draft: Avalanche Select Jonathan Huberdeau, Duncan Siemens

The Colorado Avalanche will have plenty of options in the upcoming 2011 NHL Entry Draft, as the latest My NHL Draft mock projects the selection of forward Jonathan Huberdeau with the second overall pick.

Huberdeau quickly ascended the draft rankings with his play this past season, scoring 43 goals and 62 assists during just 67 regular season games this year with Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL). Huberdeau raised his level of play during the postseason, with 16 goals and 14 assists in 19 playoff games en route to the playoff MVP award.

Huberdeau still has some growing left at 6'1" and only 170 pounds, and will likely need at least another season at Juniors to fill out his frame. Once he's developed, Huberdeau projects as a top six forward and plus scorer. He's been praised for his accurate shot, excellent passing and good vision, and is versatile enough to play at either center or wing effectively. 

The mock projects an equally intriguing selection at #11, as the Avalanche take D Duncan Siemens. Siemens has good size, listed at 6'3" and has the potential to become the top two-way defensemen available in this draft. He is a very physical player who is not afraid to join in offensively, but still shows good defensive instincts and can become a true lockdown blue liner. Siemens is likely to need another year in the WHL to refine his play, but he would be a potential steal at #11.

With very few NHL-ready players in this year's draft, both Huberdeau and Siemens are high-upside players that fill holes on the Avalanche's current roster, and could join the team sometime during the 2012-2013 season. Huberdeau is a potential star forward and Siemens projects as a top pairing defenseman. They would both be excellent long-term selections for Colorado.

For full coverage of the 2011 NHL Draft, stick with SB Nation's network of 34 hockey blogs, covering the draft from every angle. Also, stick with SB Nation's NHL Draft hub, where you can find all the latest player profiles and news surrounding the event, which takes place in St. Paul, Minn. on June 24-25. For more on the Avalanche, visit  Mile High Hockey.

2011 NHL Draft: Avalanche Don't Expect To Trade No. 2 Overall Pick

While the Colorado Avalanche hold the No. 2 overall selection in the 2011 NHL Draft, don't believe that the Avalanche will actively look to move the draft choice. Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman has said as much:

"It would have to be something paramount. But I'm not looking to move the pick," Sherman said after the NHL's most recent general managers' meetings in Boston. "There has been interest in the pick. Given the plan that we're on right now, it's not something we're looking to (trade)."

The last time a draft-day trade for the No. 2 overall pick occurred came in 2001 when the New York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators swapped players. The Islanders received Alexei Yashin from the Senators for Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt and the No. 2 overall pick. The Senators then drafted Jason Spezza.

Yashin went on to play 2001-07 for the Islanders, though for two seasons he played in about half of each season. He signed a 10-year, $87.5 million deal that the team bought out in 2007. He scored just 119 goals for the Islanders in five seasons and after the end of the 06-07 season he has played in Russia.

While Bill Muckalt never turned into much, both Chara and Spezza have gone on to success in the league. Chara spent a few seasons with the Senators before joining the Boston Bruins, for whom he is playing in the Stanley Cup Finals this season. Spezza has spent his entire career in Ottawa so far and has tallied 192 goals (532 points) in 526 games.

Do the Avalanche really want to trade the No. 2 pick and see someone like Adam Larsson run a defense for a decade or see Ryan Nugent-Hopkins pile on the goals elsewhere? Clearly not.

You can find every pick from SB Nation's 2011 NHL Mock Draft in this StoryStream. For full coverage of the 2011 NHL Draft, stick with SB Nation's network of 34 hockey blogs, covering the draft from every angle. Also, stick with SB Nation's NHL Draft hub, where you can find all the latest player profiles and news surrounding the event, which takes place in St. Paul, Minn. on June 24-25. For more on the Avalanche, visit  Mile High Hockey.

2011 NHL Mock Draft: Colorado Avalanche Select Jamie Oleksiak 11th Overall In SB Nation Mock

The Colorado Avalanche have two selections in the upcoming 2011 NHL Entry Draft. In SB Nation's NHL Mock Draft, the Edmonton Oilers unexpectedly took top defenseman Adam Larsson -- leaving the Avalanche with the second overall pick and top forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the board.

With the 11th overall selection (originally belonging to the St. Louis Blues, but sent over midseason along with Erik Johnson and Jay McClement), the staff at Mile High Hockey selected Jamie Oleksiak from Northeastern University.

Oleksiak is a enormous, though unpolished, defenseman that currently measures at 6'7" and 240 pounds -- but with room to grow. He's a long-term project with still-developing hockey skills, but has the potential to be a top pairing defenseman in the mold of Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara or the Buffalo Sabres' Tyler Myers.

In selecting Oleksiak, the Avalanche passed up more refined prospects such as forward Ryan Strome. With the top forward Nugent-Hopkins already in tow, the staff at Mile High Hockey looked for a high upside defensive prospect. Oleksiak may be less polished than other defensive talents, like Duncan Siemens, but his ceiling is much higher.

Then again, it is a mock draft. Next week's event is very unlikely to carry the same result.

You can find every pick from SB Nation's 2011 NHL Mock Draft in this StoryStream. For full coverage of the 2011 NHL Draft, stick with SB Nation's network of 34 hockey blogs, covering the draft from every angle. Also, stick with SB Nation's NHL Draft hub, where you can find all the latest player profiles and news surrounding the event, which takes place in St. Paul, Minn. on June 24-25. For more on the Avalanche, visit  Mile High Hockey.

2011 NHL Mock Draft: Colorado Avalanche Select Ryan Nugent-Hopkins In SB Nation Mock

The end of June is always filled with exciting draft events as the NBA and the NHL conduct their proceedings. Thanks to such a poor season, the Colorado Avalanche picked up the No. 2 overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery as well as the No. 11 pick from the St. Louis Blues in the trade that netted defenseman Erik Johnson.

SB Nation has its hockey bloggers conducting a mock draft, which they began last week. In a mildly surprising selection, the Edmonton Oilers bloggers selected defenseman Adam Larsson because they want a defender who can play at an elite level for the next decade.

That threw a curveball to Mile High Hockey, which then selected center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the No. 2 overall pick.  Mile High Hockey noted that center is a position the team needs least, but Nugent-Hopkins may be the top talent in the draft and because he is from Burnaby (like Joe Sakic).

You can find every pick from SB Nation's 2011 NHL Mock Draft in this StoryStream. For full coverage of the 2011 NHL Draft, stick with SB Nation's network of 34 hockey blogs, covering the draft from every angle. Also, stick with SB Nation's NHL Draft hub, where you can find all the latest player profiles and news surrounding the event, which takes place in St. Paul, Minn. on June 24-25. For more on the Avalanche, visit  Mile High Hockey.