The Top Three Picks of 2011

Well, my mock draft was absolutely shredded by the top three picks, but I knew the risk, so I accept my fate. It was an all-offense top three during the first round of the NHL Entry Draft on Friday night and for good reason... there is a lot of talent in these three players.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins went number one to the Edmonton Oilers, a craft centre that has excellent vision and wonderful patience.  The coaching staff will be looking forward to seeing how well he steps up with players like Taylor Hall and/or Jordan Eberle in training camp.  There are questions about his physical readiness for the NHL and the overall result will depend largely on what kind of Summer Nugent-Hopkins has, putting on more muscle and more bulk, just to handle the rough and tumble ways of the Northwest Division.  I think we can all safely assume that he will get a long look in training camp in September.

The Colorado Avalanche didn't disappoint either, taking Gabriel Landeskog from the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL.  Landeskog is thought to be the most NHL-ready forward in the group this year and the Avalanche are in the midst of making some real noise again in the 2012 season, if all of their offensive tools mix together well.  Landeskog will find a spot somewhere in the team's top six and by doing so, he will end up playing with any two of a talented group of forwards, making himself into an immediate hockey pool favourite.

Finally, the kid that shot up through the draft rankings in the season, Jonathan Huberdeau, was taken by the Florida Panthers at number three, giving the Panthers a good-looking offensive prospect.  In my mock draft, I was thinking that the Panthers would have to find themselves a new franchise player at this draft and by most accounts from the pundits, Huberdeau can be that player, but it won't be for another year or two.  The Panthers are putting a lot of pieces in place for some success, but it doesn't look like it'll be an overnight transition, so Huberdeau will have some time to make some adjustments, get bigger and then become the NHL star that many see him to be.

The race will be on at the hockey pool draft in September, thinking that both Nugent-Hopkins and Landeskog will make their respective clubs and I think Landeskog does have the most upside going into the rookie camps this year, but Nugent-Hopkins does have a great artillery to help him rack up points on his side too.  Who would you take first in your hockey pool draft?