Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2013 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical draft profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Sports is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! For a Complete Listing of all our 2013 Draft Articles Click here.

Instead of our normal draft profiles today, I continue with the first round of my NHL Mock Draft. Be sure to read Picks 1-15 in Part 1, Picks 16-30 in Part 2, and Picks 31-45 in Part 3. Today we finish the second round.

Some things to keep in mind:

If you click the player’s name, you will get a link to their draft profile.



The rankings are pure “Best Player Available” and are my opinion only. The mock draft takes into account team style of play, the prospects already in the team’s system, and prior draft trends – this is another reason why I haven’t followed the ranks exactly.



I also realize that I have ranked some players far outside of the consensus, and as such those are my ranks, but not necessarily my prediction of where a player will be picked.



I have assumed the New Jersey Devils will not forfeit their first round pick this year as punishment for the Kovalchuk Circumvention ruling, (they must pick one year between 2011-2014 to forfeit a first rounder). I am guessing that with the draft in New Jersey, and after missing the playoffs with a relatively highy pick, this is not the year they will forfeit the pick.



The Stanley Cup final will determine the order of picks 29 and 30. I am going to assume the Hawks at 30th due to regular season points. Of course it could be the Bruins (pick owned by Dallas) and only time will tell.



I am doing a mock draft with no trades (except those that have already been made).

46) Minnesota Wild – Hudson Fasching, RW

The Wild traded their first round pick to the Buffalo Sabres, and so make their first trip to the podium in the second round. The Minnesota based club drafting hometown boy Hudson Fasching would make a great story as it would allow Fasching to continue to spend time with his disabled siblings even when he’s in the pro game. However this is more than just a feel good story, Fasching who will attend the University of Minnesota next year has the talent to back it up, as he is a talented power forward prospect with the University of Minnesota.

47) St. Louis Blues (from Ottawa) – Connor Hurley, LW/C

This pick was acquired in last season’s Ben Bishop trade. It is the Blues first trip to the podium, as their first rounder is owned by the Calgary Flames in the Jay Bouwmeester trade. The Blues have never been afraid to go the college route, and love big body players who can really skate. This makes Connor Hurley who will head to Notre Dame next year a natural fit in St. Louis. His tough physical style will fit right in with the Blues style once he’s ready for the NHL.

48) Detroit Red Wings – Linus Arnesson, D

Previous pick: Curtis Lazar

The Wings prospect pool is filled with tremendous depth. As such they continue their philosophy of taking the best player available and just accumulating more and more young talent. After grabbing Curtis Lazar in the first round, they take Swedish Defender Linus Arnesson, who can develop into an effective defensive defenceman in the Detroit system.

49) San Jose Sharks (from New York Rangers) – Keaton Thompson, D

Previous Pick: Frederik Gauthier

The Sharks get this pick in the Ryan Clowe trade. Unlike the Wings, the Sharks do not have a deep prospect pool. They need to take the best player available and really build the talent level amongst their prospects. As such they do so grabbing Keaton Thompson, a slick skating two way defenceman who will go to the University of North Dakota next year.

50) San Jose Sharks – Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW

Previous Picks: Frederik Gauthier, Keaton Thompson

Its Deja Vu as the Sharks get back to back picks, this one their natural selection. The Sharks continue the Best Player Available philosophy grabbing Oliver Bjorkstrand, the sharp shooting winger who played for the WHL Champion Portland Winterhawks.

51) Toronto Maple Leafs – Jonathan Diaby, D

Previous Pick: Kerby Rychel

The Leafs have a ton of puck moving defencemen amongst their prospects. But they don’t have a player like Diaby. A big, physical presence, who plays a defence first game and can also drop the gloves. The Leafs will give Diaby time to develop and hope he can partner with one of the Puck moving defenceman going forward.

52) Buffalo Sabres (from St. Louis) – Dillon Heatherington, D

Previous Picks – Ryan Pulock, Bo Horvat, Morgan Klimchuk

The Sabres own this pick due to the trade that saw Jordan Leopold end up in St. Louis. In Heatherington they again add to the defensive prospects in the system, grabbing a player who plays an effective two way game, and can bring some physical play as well.

53) Washington Capitals – Anton Slepyshev, LW/RW

Previous Pick: Samuel Morin,

The Capitals have never been afraid of the “Russian Factor”. They hope that with Alex Ovechkin as the centrepiece of their own team, they can convince Slepyshev to come join them. The Caps get a talented winger who can really shoot the puck. This draft re-entry would have been a first rounder last year on talent alone but concerns over his Russian contract kept him from being drafted. This year, those contract concerns have alleviated somewhat.

54) Dallas Stars (from Vancouver) – Emile Poirier, LW

Previous Picks: Valentin Zykov, Rasmus Ristolaine, Jason Dickinson

Another in the bevy of picks owned by the Stars. This one acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the Derek Roy trade. The Stars take Emile Poirier a playmaking left wing from the Gatineau Olympiques who really came on down the stretch for the club.

55) Montreal Canadiens – Jordan Subban, D

Previous Picks: JT Compher, Jacob de la Rose, William Carrier

This is also the Habs 4th pick of the draft, and third of this round. Their previous three picks have been used to add gritty forwards. With this pick they add the brother of their Norris Trophy winning defenceman PK Subban. Trevor Timmins loves bloodlines, and good skating defncemen, so this pick fits that mould in Montreal. PK immediately begins planning the Rookie Prank he will play on his kid brother at training camp.

56) Edmonton Oilers (from Anaheim) – Tristan Jarry, G

Previous Picks: Darnell Nurse, Justin Bailey,

The Oilers acquired this pick from the Ducks in the Andrew Cogliano trade. The Oilers love to draft players off the WHL team they own in the Oil Kings, and make another such pick here taking Goaltender Tristan Jarry. Jarry was a backup for the Oil Kings but put up incredible numbers when he did get to play.

57) Los Angeles Kings – Tommy Vannelli, D

The Kings traded their first round pick to Columbus and thus are making their first trip to the podium at number 57. Dean Lombardi built the Kings by accumulating depth on defence, and he sticks with his philosophy. Vanelli has a good sized frame, and good skating and offensive skills, but really needs to add bulk. The Kings will not rush him, allowing Vanelli plenty of time in the NCAA to develop.

58) San Jose Sharks (From Pittsburgh) – Marko Dano, RW

Previous Picks: Frederik Gauthier, Keaton Thompson, Oliver Bjorkstrand

The Sharks are at the table for their 4th pick in the top 60, this one coming from the Douglas Murray trade. Doug Wilson takes a Slovakian prospect who really tore things up that World Juniors, and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder as he plays an agitator’s game. The Sharks like the mix of offence and agitation that Dano has been known to bring.

59) Winnipeg Jets (compensatory): Zach Nastasiuk, RW/C

Previous Picks: Max Domi, Steven Santini

The Winnipeg Jets were awarded this compensatory pick for not signing 2008 first-round draft pick Daultan Leveille, a pick drafted when they were still the Atlanta Thrashers. The Jets take Nastasiuk, a project forward who they hope to develop into a top 6 power winger.

60) Boston Bruins:Jimmy Lodge, RW/C

The Bruins traded their first round pick to the Dallas Stars in the Jaromir Jagr trade, and so make their first selection here at the end of the second round. They add to their prospect pool, Jimmy Lodge, a player with skills, but who will need to be more consistent with his intensity levels game in and game out.

61) Winnipeg Jets (from Chicago): Spencer Martin, G

Previous Picks: Zach Nastasiuk, Max Domi, Steven Santini

The Jets acquired this pick from Chicago for defenceman Johnny Oduya. They use the pick on Spencer Martin, a goalie with the Mississauga Steelheads. In Martin, the Jets address the need for a goalie prospect in their system as there is not a really surefire goalie prospect in the Jets system right now. Martin is a butterfly goalie with good reflex, quick legs, and very good size.

Check back tomorrow for another NHL Draft feature.

For a listing of NHL Mock drafts around the internet, please check out our friends at the NHL mock database.

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