2009 SBN NHL Mock Draft: Day 3: Maple Leafs select Pääjärvi-Svensson

by James Mirtle on Jun 18, 2009 5:00 AM CDT Comment 42 comments

Msp_medium

Welcome to Day 3 of SB Nation's mock draft, where three more teams have taken the floor as we head into the end of the first round's top 10. The Maple Leafs and fearless leader PPP have the high pick of the hour and go with a super Swede in Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson at seventh overall:

#	Team	Pick	Blogger's notes	More analysis:
1	N.Y. Islanders	John Tavares, London (OHL)	The sexy pick, the consensus pick, the right pick. He's what this team and franchise needs most. Get ready for "Islanders goal scored by #91..." because they're coming in bunches.	Lighthouse Hockey
2	Tampa Bay	Victor Hedman, Modo (Swe)	A boy playing among men in the Swedish Elite League (and thriving) the past two seasons, Hedman starts immediately on the TB blueline and can contribute at both ends of the ice.	Raw Charge
3	Colorado	Matt Duchene, Brampton (OHL)	No big surprise here; we’ll take whichever of the big 3 is available and immediately offer them a position as GM & coach.	Mile High Hockey
4	Atlanta	Evander Kane, Vancouver (WHL)	Named after Atlanta boxing legend Evander Holyfield, Kane adds some scoring punch to Atlanta's top six — perhaps as early as this fall.	Bird Watchers Anonymous
5	Los Angeles	Braydon Schenn, Brandon (WHL)	Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson is the popular pick here, seeing as how the Kings need a left winger badly, but I'm counting on Dean Lombardi's love of grit and distaste for Swedes to influence his decision here. Plus, I really wanted to upset Toronto fans.	Battle of California
6	Phoenix	Jared Cowen, Spokane (WHL)	The Coyotes are deep on forward prospects and badly need young defensemen. Cowen is a beast who could play in the NHL very soon if his recently repaired knee doesn't hamper him.	Five For Howling
7	Toronto	Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson, Timra IK (Swe)	Most of Canada already hates him, so he'll fit in just fine. Plus he provides the high-end Swedish forward that the Leafs have been missing since last April.	Pension Plan Puppets
8	Dallas	Oliver Ekman-Larssen, Leksand IF (Swe-2)	Dallas is fortunate to not only draft the best player available but also pick a defenseman that fills a glaring need in the Stars' system.	Defending Big D
9	Ottawa	Nazem Kadri, London (OHL)	With Ottawa's recent emphasis on drafting skilled defencemen, Kadri gives the Senators a good skilled forward to fill out the team's development systems — maybe even one of those ever-elusive top-six forwards.	Silver Seven
10	Edmonton
11	Nashville
12	Minnesota
13	Buffalo
14	Florida
15	Anaheim
16	Columbus
17	St. Louis
18	Montreal
19	N.Y. Rangers
20	Calgary
21	Philadelphia
22	Vancouver
23	New Jersey
24	Washington
25	Boston
26	N.Y. Islanders
27	Carolina
28	Chicago
29	Detroit
30	Pittsburgh

Head on over to Copper & Blue (Oilers), On The Forecheck (Predators) and Hockey Wilderness (Wild) to join the discussion on who will be picked 10th through 12th tomorrow.

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MPS - Not a Burke type of guy.

There is no way on God’s green earth the Leafs will draft this guy. If the Leafs don’t trade up to get either Schenn or Tavares they’ll draft a North American. MPS is too high anyway. He’s going to go between 10 and 12 after a sub-par year.

by leafscribe on Jun 18, 2009 6:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

MPS

I got a bit carried away. I think MPS will go between 8-10.

by leafscribe on Jun 18, 2009 7:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Every Burke team has one high-end Swedish forward.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Jun 18, 2009 8:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You’re right, he doesn’t like hitting people in the head with elbows. Can’t be a Burke guy.

(I kid, I kid)

"Hey! Farmboy! Maybe you can't count, but there are four of us and one of you."

"So get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight."

by Afino on Jun 18, 2009 7:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Burke wants a top six that has skill and can score and a bottom six that carry the water and bang and crash. MPS definitely falls in the former category and he gives the Leafs the top end offensive talent that they are lacking.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 18, 2009 8:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Burke

I’ll bet you my house, Burked doens’t grab MPS.

by leafscribe on Jun 18, 2009 10:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Couple of things:
This is a mock draft so there was no trading up which is what Burke wants to do. If he can’t move and the draft plays out the same way it does here then who do you think he’ll take at 7? How about offering an alternative?

As for you bet, do you still win if he isn’t even available at 7?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 19, 2009 8:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kreider

Watch for Kreider to go in the top 12.

by leafscribe on Jun 18, 2009 6:57 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I for one...

…welcome our new Swedish overlord.

jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior", who blogs at heroesinrehab.ca/blog

"But if someone so eager to engage into fist talk, we can always meet after season end in Minsk." (Mikhail Grabovski and a well-meaning but not particularly skillful translator)

by jrwendelman on Jun 18, 2009 7:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

to the swedish class!

Как же так может быть?

by sleza on Jun 18, 2009 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Out of curiousity

If not MPS then who do people think the Leafs will select if they stay at 7 and the draft plays out as it as already?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 18, 2009 8:28 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Frankly, for the mock drafts that I’ve done, Brayden Schenn dropped to the Leafs every time. I personally think that Lombardi will be forced to take MPS for his finishing skills but you never know.

From the Penalty Box to the Blog Box! Check it out at Isles Official's Outlook!

by IslesOfficial on Jun 18, 2009 8:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hockey’s Future has a video one and they take MPS at 5th and Schenn at 7th which would probably suit Leaf fans more than alright but the way things played out in the first six would you have picked someone else?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 18, 2009 8:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think you really had a choice, unless you had your heart set on a d-man. MPS is top-end talent and a possible sleeper even in the 7 spot.

Scott Glennie or Zach Kassian might have been possibilities but stretches.

Kulikov, Moore or Ekman-Larsson would have been my choices for D at 7 with Cowen going at 6.

From the Penalty Box to the Blog Box! Check it out at Isles Official's Outlook!

by IslesOfficial on Jun 18, 2009 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We thought about Ekman-Larsson but we had decided to do the pick democratically, ran some profiles, got some votes, and MPS was the choice at 7.

But OEL is definitely an intriguing player.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 18, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Especially since Schenn would be his most likely D partner…ahh, the intrigue.

From the Penalty Box to the Blog Box! Check it out at Isles Official's Outlook!

by IslesOfficial on Jun 18, 2009 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You should always take the best player available

Burke wasn’t hired because he’s an idiot who would overlook European talent with his first round pick. If the draft shakes out like this, he’ll take MPS and be happy.

I've been looking at the sky

by Back In Black on Jun 18, 2009 9:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Would the Leafs even look at Kassian at 7?

I’m praying he falls to the Sabres at 13.

"Hey! Farmboy! Maybe you can't count, but there are four of us and one of you."

"So get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight."

by Afino on Jun 18, 2009 9:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kassian for sure should be available at #13, barring someone shockingly taking him early a la Wheeler or Setoguchi.

I actually think the Sabres will take Leblanc, which will send the Bell Centre into a full scale riot.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jun 18, 2009 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I actually think the Sabres will take Leblanc, which will send the Bell Centre into a full scale riot.

I heartily endorse this.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 18, 2009 10:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So this mock draft is just going to turn into a massive troll of various fan bases? I guess that was the only way it could go.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Jun 18, 2009 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That was a massive troll?

Internet: Serious Business.

"Hey! Farmboy! Maybe you can't count, but there are four of us and one of you."

"So get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight."

by Afino on Jun 18, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Said the guy with a Star Trek quote.

by Nut on Jun 18, 2009 7:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who’s worse?

That I have it or that you recognized it as such?

"Hey! Farmboy! Maybe you can't count, but there are four of us and one of you."

"So get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight."

by Afino on Jun 19, 2009 7:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

we are equally guilty

by Nut on Jun 19, 2009 9:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, I think everyone is trying to make the pick that they think that their team will make instead of trying to pick someone that they know another team wants. Except for Dominik. He knew we wanted Tavares and still took him.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 18, 2009 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Damn skippy. I think the Isles need him more at this point than the Leafs. After all the punishment, it’s only fair.

From the Penalty Box to the Blog Box! Check it out at Isles Official's Outlook!

by IslesOfficial on Jun 18, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I heartily endorse this.

Seconded on the condition that the Habs take another Yankee defenseman in the first round.

by Hooks Orpik on Jun 18, 2009 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Yankees play terrible defense, unless Gardner is in center.

by J. Michael Neal on Jun 18, 2009 2:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t know about that. I think the Sabres may look to fill the vacuum left by Brian Campbell and take Ryan Ellis. Only my opinion though.

From the Penalty Box to the Blog Box! Check it out at Isles Official's Outlook!

by IslesOfficial on Jun 18, 2009 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well that’s what I’m afraid of – someone in the 7-10 range falling in love with his Lucic-like skill set.

"Hey! Farmboy! Maybe you can't count, but there are four of us and one of you."

"So get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight."

by Afino on Jun 18, 2009 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or Chad Kilger like skill set.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jun 18, 2009 10:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’s a thin line!

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 18, 2009 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mark Bell-like skill set?

I've been looking at the sky

by Back In Black on Jun 18, 2009 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hugh Jessiman like skill set? Brad Isbisiter like skill set?

Point is, every year there’s a guy sort of like Kassian in the draft, and very rarely do they fulfill their Todd Bertuzzi/Milan Lucic potential… and even more rare do they fulfill their potential as quickly as Lucic appears to be doing. At #13, people may start to think it’s worth the gamble. But rarely do these guys go top 10 because they’re always incredibly raw. Andrew Ladd went 4th, but only because Ryan Getzlaf made him look so good in junior. I always thought that pick was terrible.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jun 18, 2009 11:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Leafs pick

From what I’ve heard Burke wants Schenn or Tavares and will move to get one or the other. I sincerely believe the Leafs will trade their pick up to get those two or down to get Kreider.

by leafscribe on Jun 18, 2009 10:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, in the real draft that’s likely what Burke is trying to do. This isn’t the real draft.

And you think that the Leafs will trade down?!?! Who’s on crack now. What kind of deal could they possibly get that would justify trading down from seventh overall?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 19, 2009 8:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Compeltely sort of off-topic

Does anyone have a good (free) link for second round prospects, or a breakdown of prospects by position.

I’d like to take a look at some goalies and some of the guys up for draft in the second round, but I haven’t been able to find anything other than in a paid scouting services website.

The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jun 18, 2009 10:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs