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TSN Director of Scouting

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Intrigue was the operative word heading into the 2015 NHL Draft and that's exactly what is unfolding in Florida on Friday. While there is no doubt about the first and second picks in the draft, the third pick is in play, with the Arizona Coyotes fielding numerous offers for from teams looking to move up. Signs point to the Coyotes taking some team up on their offer.

Noah Hanifin, the consensus third selection in this draft for quite some time, appears to be the focus of teams' affection. With the Buffalo Sabres trading their 21st selection to the Ottawa Senators for goaltender Robin Lehner and veteran centre David Legwand Friday morning, more change is inevitable.

It is a very hot day in Fort Lauderdale and the trade talk is heating up. All indications are players and picks will continue to move heading into the draft, and certainly once the selections begin.

So as teams jockey around trying to make moves to better their rosters, I present my High Noon Mock Draft. Every move has a domino effect, so the next transaction will change things again, but this is a glimpse of how things can change with a move here and there.
 

Craig Button's 2015 NHL Mock Draft (2.0)

 
NO. TEAM SELECTION POS G A PTS
1 EDM Connor McDavid, Erie C 44 76 120
2 BUF Jack Eichel, Boston U  C 26 45 71
3 ARI Noah Hanifin, Boston C D 5 18 23
4 TOR Dylan Strome, Erie C 45 84 129
5 CAR Mitch Marner, London RW 44 82 126
6 NJ Pavel Zacha, Sarnia  C 16 18 34
7 PHI Ivan Provorov, Brandon D 15 46 61
8 CBJ Zach Werenski, Michigan D 9 16 25
9 SJ Lawson Crouse, Kingston LW 29 22 51
10 COL Mikko Rantanen, Turku TPS RW 9 19 28
11 FLA Kyle Connor, Youngstown LW 34 46 80
12 DAL Timo Meier. Halifax RW 44 46 90
13 LA Matt Barzal, Seattle C 12 45 57
14 BOS Jakub Zboril, Saint John D 13 20 33
15 CGY Joel Eriksson Ek, Farjestad C 4 2 6
16 EDM E. Svechnikov, Cape Breton RW 32 46 78
17 WPG Travis Konecny, Ottawa RW 29 39 68
18 OTT Nick Merkley, Kelowna C/RW 20 70 90
19 DET Colin White, USA U-18 C 16 26 42
20 MIN Brock Boeser, Waterloo RW 35 33 68
21 OTT Thomas Chabot, Saint John D 12 29 41
22 WAS Denis Gurianov, Togliatti RW 15 10 25
23 VAN Brandon Carlo, Tri-City D 4 21 25
24 TOR Gabriel Carlsson, Linkoping D 0 7 7
25 WPG Paul Bittner, Portland LW 34 37 71
26 MTL Jansen Harkins, Prince George C 20 59 79
27 ANA Oliver Kylington, Farjestad D 2 3 5
28 TB Jacob Larsson, Frolunda D 8 11 19
29 PHI Ilya Samsonov, Magnitogorsk G 2.66 0.918 2
30 ARI Jake DeBrusk, Swift Current LW 42 39 81