2013 NHL DRAFT: WHO WILL THE HAWKS TAKE?

Rockford, Ill.- The 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft begins on Sunday in New Jersey and the Chicago Blackhawks will look to add more depth to the organization’s deep prospect base.

Today, on IceHogs.com’s continuing draft coverage of this weekend’s NHL Entry Draft, we look at some of the mock drafts published and who the Blackhawks could take with their first round selection.

According to the majority of mock drafts, defenseman Seth Jones from the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks will be the first overall pick chosen by the Colorado Avalanche. Basketball fans might remember Jones’ father, Popeye Jones, from his NBA playing days.

The only other player listed in the top spot on mock drafts is center Nathan MacKinnon from the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads. MacKinnon has long been projected a top tier pick, but his stock rose even further this spring with his team’s Memorial Cup championship run.

As for the Blackhawks, who are picking at the end of round one, it’s hard to project who the club will take. The Chicago brass will be doing a lot of sitting and waiting on Friday, watching which players come off the board and which ones fall as the first round progresses.

IceHogs.com looked at eight different mock drafts and all eight had the Blackhawks taking a different player. Even the positions were spread out as the mock drafts have four forwards, three defensemen and a goalie listed as potential first round selections.

Here are some of the intriguing players named as potential picks:

Shea Theodore (D) Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL): At 6-2, 154 lbs, Theodore has some filling out to do, but he is regarded as an offensive defenseman. The d-man is listed as a potential quarterback on the power play but a work in progress in the defensive zone. At the age of 17, Theodore racked up 19g-31a-50pts in 71 games from the blueline for Seattle and an additional five assists in seven games for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships.

Samuel Morin (D) Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL): A towering presence at 6-6, Morin weighs in at just 203lbs. A player like Morin might be a good player to take a risk on because of his size. The biggest issue will be seeing if his mobility translates to the pro game, but scouting reports have a solid shot and good decision making in the defensive zone listed as strengths. He’ll be 18 in July and last season with Rimouski had 4g-12a-16pts with a team-high 117 PIMs in 46 games.

J.T. Compher (C) US-NTDP: A fairly local product hailing from Northbrook, Ill., Compher could be a great pick if he’s still on the board when the Blackhawks turn rolls around. Scouting reports describe Compher’s skill set and style similar to that of Andrew Shaw as he is an agitator with a solid work ethic and some offensive ability. Committed to play his college hockey at the University of Michigan, Compher had 15g-27a-42pts in 49 games last season.

The following is a list from eight mock drafts with the players that they have the Blackhawks choosing.

Check out IceHogs.com all week as we preview the 2013 NHL Entry Draft
Monday, June 24th: Draft Breakdown at Blackhawks pick
Tuesday, June 25th: Mock Drafts
Wednesday, June 26th: Breakdown of the Blackhawks first overall picks over the past 10 years
Thursday, June 27th: Draft Impact on the IceHogs
Friday, June 28th: An update on the progress of all of Chicago’s draft picks from the 2011 and 2012 drafts

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