2012 Mock NHL Draft: Picks 1-27

Allow me to start by saying that I likely have no business doing a mock draft. With that said, I thought it would be interesting (read: I am bored while trying to find a job) to make some wild guesses about where I think the 2012 eligibles will go in the first round of the entry draft. For today I will only do picks 1-27, as those are the ones that are set; I would rather not add more speculation to my speculation. In other words, I would rather not guess who is going to win the Eastern Conference Final and who will ultimately win the Stanley Cup (Go Kings!). I mostly used some of the mock drafts on the web to get a feel for where players were going, so there is a fair amount of guesswork outside of the #1 pick (obviously Nail Yakupov). I did, however, put a little more effort into the Sabres’ picks (12th and 21st). Assuming, of course, that they do not play around with those picks to try and move up in the draft.

Diving into the Depth Chart Pt. 1: Right Wing is Revealing

There’s no denying the monstrous success of the Los Angeles Kings this pos-season. They are on an absolute tear and have only lost two games in the entire playoffs. Their torrid pace coupled with the fact that they play an exciting brand of hockey has made them a breakout team that seems unstoppable.

Think back to the start of this playoffs, however, and one will remember that this King’s team squeaked into the playoffs as the eighth seed, the very same seed the Sabres were gunning for in the East. The Kings put together a disappointing regular season and seemed to have a lack of production as their Achilles heel. Hit the jump to see a comparison of the Kings and Sabres from one point of view.