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.