SBN Mock Draft: Senators select C Nazem Kadri ninth overall

Starting on June 16, 2009, 10 days out from the NHL entry draft, the hockey blogs on SBNation have put together a mock draft for the first round of the 2009 NHL draft. Three picks a day, with the master list running through James Mirtle's From the Rink. He'll update the list each day with the next picks and links to each blog's rationale.

The Ottawa Senators would like to thank James Mirtle, From The Rink, and the wonderful fans of SBNation for hosting such a premiere event for the league. We would also like to congratulate Pensburgh for their exciting and compelling Stanley Cup coverage, and Winging It in Motown for their exciting finish.

With the ninth overall selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Ottawa Senators are happy to select, from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Nazem Kadri.

Kadri is a skilled centreman with good moves, even if he is a little undersized at 6'0" and 175 lbs. Still, considering the kid's only 18 and still has time to fill out his frame, Kadri may very well develop into a top-line, or at least a top-six, forward in the NHL. He also injects some much-needed offensive depth into the Senators' development system, which had focussed on defencemen at last year's draft and looks pretty strong on the back-end today.

It seems unlikely that Kadri will jump into the NHL for next season, and almost as unlikely that he'll even play for the Binghamton Senators of the AHL. Still, when he does take the step into the professional ranks, he will offer Bingo another offensive weapon to use, and eventually offer the Senators a second-line scoring centre that the franchise has never really had--assuming Jason Spezza sticks around as the first-line centre.

In the long term, Kadri will be expected to provide a more balanced attack for the Ottawa Senators. He is the Senators' highest-drafted forward since Spezza was selected second overall in the 2001 entry draft, and will be expected to be at least a reliable player in the NHL within the next three to five years.

For those of you who have missed the events so far, here's how the picks preceding the Senators' went down:

1. New York Islanders: John Tavares
2. Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman
3. Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene
4. Atlanta Thrashers: Evander Kane
5. Los Angeles Kings: Brayden Schenn
6. Phoenix Coyotes: Jared Cowen
7. Toronto Maple Leafs: Magnus Svenson-Pajaarvi
8. Dallas Stars: Oliver Ekman-Larsson