Draft Lottery Mock Draft

The Oilers have won the draft lottery and will pick 1st overall for the 3rd straight year.  You have to feel for Columbus who desperately needed this pick.  While it might not be the deepest or most talent-laden draft in recent years, there is still some high end skill available and some hidden gems.  Here is a look at how I see the first 14 picks going...right now....

1. Edmonton - Nail Yakupov - The rich get richer.  Oilers have the option to trade this for the stud defender they require (Shea Weber perhaps?) but the likelihood is they hang on and add an equally as talented goal scoring winger as Taylor Hall to the mix.  The Oilers are like the Penguins of wingers.
2. Columbus - Filip Forsberg - Forsberg is the safest pick at this point for the Blue Jackets, along with Ryan Murray.  Either of those two picks makes sense and helps Columbus establish a new identity...again....Intersting though as Grigorenko could be a possibility for them and would be that style of centre they have sought for Rick Nash....if they don't move him.
3. Montreal - Mikhail Grigorenko - An easy transition for the Quebec Remparts star, he has a style similar to Joe Thornton and can amplify the skill sets of those around him.
4. New York Islanders - Ryan Murray - Loaded with good young forwards, Murray would be a steal for the Islanders here, they will be watching the Columbus pick intently and if Murray falls he fits perfectly for the Isles.
5. Toronto - Matt Dumba - The Leafs have the chance to do it right, Dumba has future captain written all over him, he is loved everywhere he plays and his style is the kind of style that fans love.  This would be the start of the that rebuild we've heard of for so long, done the right way.  Galchenyuk is another potential pick at this point, but as talented as he is, would just be more of the same for the Leafs.
6. Anaheim - Morgan Rielly - Smart pick at this point, a year or two away but as intelligent as they come from the backend.
7. Minnesota - Jacob Trouba - High end defender gives them some good stability to compliment one of the best stables of forward prospects in the NHL.
8. Carolina -  Radek Faksa - They have good young D, Faksa is a very good offensive player that could flourish with some of the speed they have in their organization.
9.  Winnipeg - Alex Galchenyuk - This could be a stretch to see him fall to this spot.  Personally, I'm not as high on him as most.  The Leafs could jump on him, so could Carolina, but I'm slotting him in here for now as he definintely won't fall past Winnipeg.  Galchenyuk is a bit polarizing at times and his injury status is something that has hurt his stock a bit, but he is one of only a handful of players who truly have elite offensive pro-potential.  That being said, he's the riskiest of that small group.
10. Tampa Bay - Griffin Reinhart - Tampa's defensive depth is actually quite strong, players like Barberio and Gudas are very promising prospects in the not too distant future, but passing on Reinhart here just isn't something they should do.
11. Washington - Brendan Gaunce - Gaunce is what Washington is missing, he is a very competitive player with excellent two-way potential and good grit.  He has the energy and fire to fuel a change in the US capital.
12. Buffalo - Cody Ceci - They keep finding good value in the mid 1st round, Ceci is just that and one of the most underrated players in the draft.
13. Dallas - Sebastien Collberg - Speedy outside presence that can score a nice fit for Stars.  Teravainen another potential pick at this point as is Peterborough defender Slater Koekoek. 
14. Calgary - Zemgus Girgensons - Has the offensive skill the Flames need and the grit and physicality that fans in souther Alberta have grown to expect from their team.