2013 NHL Entry Draft Open Thread

T-minus three hours until the 2013 NHL Entry Draft kicks off in Newark and it promises to be an intriguing one for the Sharks in particular as the team currently holds four selections in the top 60, slated to pick at 20th, 49th, 50th and 58th. I say currently because, as it always seems to at this time of year, the buzzing of trade rumors has ascended to a fever pitch with the likes of Tyler Seguin, Thomas Vanek and Dion Phaneuf all reportedly on the block in addition to the usual murmurs of teams picking at the top of the order open to moving their selections. It all starts at 12PM on NBC Sports Network and here’s a rundown of what you need to know before then:

• Kevin Kurz breaks down what could be in store for the Sharks on the draft floor, including the potential for moving up in the first round and dealing roster players.
• Doug Wilson compares this year’s proceedings to the now-infamous 2003 draft, especially in terms of depth, and discusses calls he’s fielding from teams eager to snag one of the Sharks’ four top-sixty selections.
• From our friends at NHL Numbers, here’s the final top 100 consensus rankings for this year’s draft, created by aggregating the individual rankings of several different experts and scouting services.
• Speaking of projecting the draft, we picked Swedish winger Andre Burakowsky 20th overall in the SB Nation Mock Draft earlier this week. Burakowsky is one of several offensively talented wingers who should be available in the first round to a Sharks team largely bereft of that type of player in their pipeline.
• This Elliotte Friedman piece doesn’t directly pertain to the Sharks but it does have the phrase “Rumor Orgasmatron” in it so it’s worth a read on that basis alone.
• Broad Street Hockey’s Eric T. looked at how highly-rated CHL prospects were used by their coaching staffs this season and earlier in the year assembled a model of what it usually costs teams to move up in the draft./

We’ll update the site with coverage and analysis of any and all Sharks-related moves that happen today. In the meantime, buckle up and feel free to discuss the draft here.