THN mock tabs Eberle, Carlson

With Friday's draft proceedings on the horizon, the Hockey News went ahead and released their 2008 1st round mock.

13. Buffalo selects Jordan Eberle, C (Regina) The Sabres had much of their success using small, skilled players and Eberle is indeed one of those. He’s also courageous and durable enough to make his size a non-issue. 26. Buffalo selects John Carlson, D (Indiana) The recently inked London Knight is already NHL-sized, plus he boasts power play quarterback skills. The Sabres won’t be the only team gunning for him on draft day.

In our draft preview, the two are flip-flopped with Carlson in the first bucket at #13, and Eberle in the second bucket at #26. Eberle's puck carrying ability and overall skill level are considered top-notch, making him worthy of having his name called at #13 or #26. The 5'10 scorer is very confident in his offensive game, with 100 points next season as a Regina Pat certainly within reach. Honing his skills for one more season in the WHL will make for a battle tested pivot. Carlson is an offensive blueliner who controls things in his own end. Covering the ice well, his frame and shot have left some scouts referring to him as a "certain pro". We actually like his decision to enter the OHL to condition himself mentally with a full schedule. If available at #26, he should be considered the best player on the board.

A look at the mocks

This time next week, the Sabres will have some shiny new faces scrambling about, packing their bags for a visit to Western New York for their initial Sabres Prospects Camp. With the annual harvest commencing on Friday, let's comb the web to see who some of the other sites think the Sabres will be selecting with their picks. MyNHLDraft.com 13 - Luca Sbisa 26 - Joe Colborne Hockey.com 13 - Luca Sbisa 26 - Jake Gardiner NHLDraftSite.com 13 - Colten Teubert 26 - Viktor Tikhonov 44- Brett Theberge 74 - Jacob DeSerres 104 - Geordie Wudrick 134 - Philip Riefers 164 - Soren Sturm Future Considerations 13 - Joshua Bailey 26 - Mikhail Stefanovich HFBoards Moderator Two-Round 13 - Luca Sbisa 26 - Aaron Ness 44 - Luke Adam HockeysFuture Radio 13 - Joe Colborne 26 - Jacob Markstrom Going Five Hole 13 - Cody Hodgson 26 - Jacob Markstrom ESPN 13 - Colten Teubert Hockey Trade Rumors 13 - Luke Schenn 26 - A.J. Jenks Draft Nation 13 - Luca Sbisa 26 - Jacob Markstom SabresProspects agrees with Sbisa at #13, but is having a hard time understanding why anyone would have them picking a goaltender at #26. This draft is stacked at the skating positions, and with Enroth in the fold it would be fair to give Eidsness and Eno another season to show their wares before adding another high pick to the stable. See another Mock Draft? Feel free to add it to the comments section.