Here's a new NHL mock draft that's worth checking out, in that it ties a new player to the Pittsburgh Penguins at No. 23 overall, and he's a local:
Pittsburgh: Brandon Saad (LW), Saginaw, OHL: Despite going stone cold in the second half of the season, Saad is a talented power winger with a lot of weapons in his arsenal. The fact he's a Pittsburgh native could give the Pens some extra incentive to call his name on Friday.
I don't think the fact that Saad is local will be much of an incentive for the Penguins, and neither do I think the fact that he's a winger will in itself sway them, since it's generally unwise to draft for need in the NHL. But the Pens aren't tipping their hand about who they are picking, so I can't blame the folks doing the mocks for seeing things this way.
Elsewhere in this mock, Rocco Grimaldi and Ty Rattie, two players who have been tied to the Pens in other mock drafts, go at No. 27 and No. 28. Another local product, J.T. Miller, joins Saad in the first round, going to the Coyotes at No. 20.