2009 TPS Mock Draft

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The 2009 NHL Entry Draft is just over a month away and that means it's time to start revealing our picks in this year's mock draft.

Unless you're new to our radio program or to this blog, you know that the NHL Entry Draft is THE biggest event on The Pipeline Show calendar. We like to say that, like the PGA, we also have 4 Majors: The World Junior Championship, The Frozen Four, The Memorial Cup and of course the crown jewel... the NHL Entry Draft.

All year long we have been speaking with 2009 eligible prospects on the show; pretty much each week aside from those occasions where we have a special show. We've talked to almost everyone in North America who is ranked in the 1st round as well as a bunch of guys we consider to be solid mid-rounders or sleeper picks.

Over the course of the season we've been picking the brains of scouts and team insiders as well as a few GMs or other NHL executives, all in order to get some insight into which teams like which players and which players might not be liked as much as the public thinks.

Now it comes down to this: Starting this Sunday, Dean Millard and I will start revealing our mock draft - one day at a time, one team at a time. We already have our complete list of picks set as of today and we'll give you our team-by-team preview over the next 30 days. Once all 30 teams are done we will announce our last minute, final mock... that will be on Tuesday June 23rd in conjunction with our last show before the Draft itself.

Why a last minute one?

Because we've still got 5 episodes of The Pipeline Show before the event including the 2-hour ISS Draft Countdown which, according to the traffic to our archives each year, is ridiculously popular. Plus we'll still be speaking with several key prospects on the show as well as a truckload of sources off the air between now and then so... we reserve the right to make changes on June 23rd!

As NHL 2009 cover models... Dean and I will alternate writing the team previews starting with my look at the New York Islanders who are slotted to make the 1st selection on June 26th in Montreal. We'll proceed in the same order that the draft will unfold so with a little math you'll be able to figure out when the preview for your favorite team is going to be revealed.

We already know that the two of us differ on a number of our selections and yet oddly enough, sometimes it will look like we actually share one brain.

We also know that our choices won't be universally loved and so we are expecting to read your comments telling us where you think we went wrong. So please, feel free to agree or disagree, applaud or throw cyber-tomatoes... but let's all have some class and have some fun.

See you on Sunday!