More Columbus Blue Jackets’ Mock Drafts, More Ivan Provorov
Apr 8, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nationwide Arena. The Jackets won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
As we’ve been discussing, Mock Drafts continue to pop up and for good reason. The Draft is the most interesting, intriguing journey to the darkness of the unknown. It’s the perfect event to encompass the feelings and emotions of the NHL off-season where potential and excitement overflow from every team until the day of reckoning when things can go south. Right now, the limit of greatness does not exist. The NHL Draft is the Mean Girls of Lindsay Lohan movies. Every player could be the next “so and so” or a better version of “Mike JONES, who? MIKE JONES!” or a poor man’s “…wait, I had something for this.” There’s so much promise before the player decides to do a script about a woman who wakes up and thinks they’re someone else on the way to tieing them-self for a Golden Raspberry for worst actress than deciding to do a bunch of blow and chase down their ex in a car. Yes Lindsay…We Do Know Who Killed You. This week we’ve got mocks from Christopher Ralph of the The Hockey Writers and Gus Katsaros of Yahoo. Much like Lindsay’s turn in Scary Movie 5, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.
Ralph’s mock has the Blue Jackets taking D Ivan Provorov from the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings (I can tell yet if I love or loathe writing Wheat Kings as a team name). He notes, “Highly skilled, versatile defender with laser-like precision passing skills, close to NHL-ready.” We’ve seen this from almost all mock drafts so far. The Blue Jackets big need is on the blueline, they’re ready to take the next step next season and having a defender who could be talented enough for the 8th pick while being close to ready for NHL production all fit perfectly what many want and see as a need going into this draft. Intriguingly enough about this mock draft, Ralph has Noah Hanifin going 7th to the Philadelphia Flyers. Hanifin is widely considered the 3rd best prospect in this draft and head and shoulders above Provorov. If this scenario played out this way here, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Jarmo working his magic on the phones to move up if Hanifin starts to slip. Here’s what Ralph had to say about Hanifin, “Phenomenal skating ability, high hockey IQ, mature game; has the tools and potential to contend for the title of Next Great American Defenseman. Flyers can’t pass on this lad.”
Yahoo’s (I hate writing this one as well because of the severe crave of chocolate beverage I get) Katsaro’s mock has the Jackets once again taking Provorov. He says, “Sky-rocketing to the top of the rankings, the Russian’s ability with the puck from the blueline is tempting for any GM.” He also has Hanifin dropping a little from the secure 3rd pick we saw last week to 5th. “Mixed bag of expectations for the wildly talented blueliner, however beware the underdeveloped offensive skill set as he moves forward is an area of concern.”
More of the same, Provorov to the Blue Jackets. Expect that to continue for all the reasons we’ve said last week and up top but keep an eye on this as things change, including draft and free agency. If Hanifin drops, I expect us to work a way up there. I also wouldn’t rule out the draft getting to the 8th pick and the Jackets going with the best available talent. I’ve always thought the draft is to acquire talent, where as free agency and trades are more to pick up need. The Jackets may also not be in love with either of these prospects and determine to address the need through a trade, opening some roster spaces for a young winger. But at this point, expect this trend to continue. It just makes too much sense.