audio post!

Way to late analysis: Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto for Chris Higgins, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko

I'm going to go ahead and say that this trade will be the highlight of the Rangers off season. The Rangers may do something else great, like flip Michael Rozsival for a nice return, trade for Dany Heatley or some other in-his-prime premium player but this trade came as a mild surprise and the return went beyond my wildest dreams.

I had gotten word 12 hours before this trade went down that Gomez to Montreal was a legit possibility. I didn't put much stock into it but when I had read that Chris Higgins was on his way to the Rangers, I knew that it had come to fruition. I was elated with this return alone, I think Chris Higgins is going to be a tremendous fit in the Tortorella offense and he may even crack 30 goals next year as long as he stays on the ice and away from the bars. Clearing Gomez salary seemed like a pipe dream, but what happened next really made me wonder what the hell Bob Gainey was smoking out of that pipe...

The Rangers sent prospects Tom Pyatt, who figures to be a 3rd line grinder at best and Michael Busto, an ECHL player in the deal - No big deal, these guys are hardly irreplaceable. Getting Pavel Valentenko in this deal alone would have made it a steal, but Montreal also threw in top prospect Ryan McDonagh which sent the entire hockey world into a mass frenzy, or meltdown if you live in Montreal.

Ryan McDonagh is not a throw in a deal just for the fuck of it type prospect, McDonagh is a legit blue chip defensive prospect. His progression slowed a little bit last year as he had a rough 3/4ths of the season at the University of Wisconsin and a less than spectacular showing for team USA at the World Junior Championships, but he picked up his game the last 1/4th of the season and is going to be the Captain of the Badgers this upcoming season. McDonagh is a great skater who can move the puck, win the physical board battles and has great 2 way upside. if all goes well here, Ryan McDonagh is a true #1 type defensman who will look great playing next to Marc Staal. Even if he doesn't round out his offensive game, hes still a good bet to make the NHL as a reliable 3-4 guy on a contending team.

I know that Montreal has a tough time getting free agents and I'm aware that the market for centers this year outisde of which ever Sedin is a center was pretty much non existent, but throwing McDonagh in this deal just reeks of desperation and will likely come back to bite the Habs in the ass, especially if a guy like PK "twinkle toes" Subban doesn't stick in the NHL. Oh yeah, Pavel Valentenko, according to some scouts, is ready to play in the NHL right now, though he is signed in the KHL for a while. The Rangers have had no problems with drafting Russians and getting them to cross the pond so if they want Valentenko, they'll find a way to get him on the team. Valentenko is a pesky bottom paring guy who infuriates the opposition and also owns a very hard shot from the point.

Landing Gomez allowed the Habs to sign Mike Camalleri and Brian Gionta so all isn't awful in Habs land but was it really worth it to spend a collective 18.4 mill PLUS giving up Higgins, McDonagh and Valentenko to get that done? I don't think so.

Currently the Rangers defensive prospect depth chart looks like this

Michael Del Zotto (high end offensive defenseman)
Ryan McDonagh (strong defensive defensman with good offensive upside)
Bobby Sanguinetti (offensive)
Matt Gilroy (offensive)
Mike Sauer (stay at home)
Nigel Williams (crease clearing)
Tomas Kundratek (All around)
Pavel Valentenko (All around)
Corey Potter (blah)

They've already got a pure shut down type in Marc Staal and a do it all type in Dan Girardi who they've developed and graduated to the NHL. If they were to hold onto both of those guys and if only HALF of that group above makes it to the NHL, they'd be able to ice a full top 6 if they wished to do it that way.

Thank you Bob Gainey for making my year.

Rating (1-5 pucks) 4.5 pucks, with the potential to go to a million pucks.

Not So Instant Analysis: Lauri Korpikoski for Enver Lisin

Its become abundantly clear that John Tortorella intends to ice a completely different roster next year. I have to admit that I thought Lauri Korpikoski was a guy that he'd like to keep around.

Outside of Evgeny Grachev the recently drafted Chris Kreider and maybe 2008 2nd rounder Derek Stepan the Rangers do not have any young prospects in their system with top line potential. They recieved Enver Lisin, a speedy russian enigma from the Coyotes in exchange for Korpikoski. Lisin had been bounced around from the AHL to the NHL the last two years and never really got to settle in playing under Wayne Gretzky (as good as he was as a player, hes that bad as a coach.) Lisin has the high ceiling that we're looking for, but hes pretty far from reaching it. Now Korpikoski is far from a superstar, but I felt that he would become an excellent third line player who served a purpose, meaning that he wasnt a guy who'd be plugged onto a third line just because he wasn't good enough to crack a top 6, but because he does the little things right and can really be a useful piece in creating a winning team. That said, I'm ok with this move. The Rangers motto for the off season has been "bust or boom", starting with the draft, continuing with signing Marian Gaborik and taken a step further by acquiring Lisin. This trade is a watered down version of the Tyutin for Zherdev trade from last year. Both Lisin and Korpikoski are only 23 years old, so its tough to say who won this trade but if they both end up hitting their ceilings, the Rangers will come out on top here. Elite third liners are nice, top line scorers are even nicer.

Rating (1-5 pucks) - 2.5 pucks - Its pretty much a wash at this point.

Instant Analysis: Brian Fahey for Nigel Williams

When I read that this trade went down I had to do a double check - I didn't, and still don't know much about Williams but I did remember that he was a highly touted player in his draft year and some publications had him pegged to go in the first round (he fell to the 2nd round due to attitude problems.) I did a little research and found out what he was about: Big Physical defenseman (6'4" 230) with a real nasty streak, which is something that we lack on our blue line. He's also got a rocket of a shot from the point. The downsides to his game are his skating (fixable), his positioning (ehh) and some say that his effort level isn't very consistent. Still, there are times where he shows flashes of potentially being a top 4 guy but at this point I'd be fucking thrilled if he became a bottom pairing defenseman.

One really has to wonder why Colorado, a rebuilding franchise that doesn't have the luxury of great depth on the back end would trade a talented 21 year old for a 28 year old AHL Journeyman. Williams was drafted as a very raw prospect (and he still is) and he progressed enough to have a decent year in the AHL last year. Could his attitude have caused the Avs to send him out on a rail? Maybe, but one has to think that they could have at least gotten a draft pick for a kid with Williams potential, hell, Ryan Hollweg netted the Rangers a 5th round pick last year. Really questionable asset management by the Avs here.

Williams will join an already deep and talented (maybe more so than any other team in the league) group of Rangers defensive prospects and brings a nasty, physical element that they lack amongst the group. I wouldn't call this a steal yet - There is a better than average chance that Williams never sees a game in the NHL but for Brian Fahey? Its a fucking no brainer

Raiting (1-5 pucks) - 3 pucks.

Free Agent Frenzy - Winners and Losers

Yes I'm aware that there are still a good number of pretty good players left on the market, but most if not all of the top UFA's have signed somewhere. But this list may, and probably will look different when it's all said and done.

Winners:

Calgary Flames - Adding Jay Bouwmeester to a defensive core that already ices Robyn Regher, Dion Phaneuf and Cory Sarich gives the Flames the best top 4 in the league with three guys who can be #1 on almost any other team. They'll probably score less next year with the loss of Mike Cammalleri (Montreal, 5/30 mill), but they still have Jarome Iginla who is in the upper echelon of NHL forwards and Olli Jokinen who is just a cut below that group. Brent Sutter lives and dies by playing a defensive style, which will make under achieving goal tender Mikka Kipprusoff the happiest man in Alberta.

Tampa Bay Lightning - After another dismal season which was preceded by an awful offseason, the Tampa Bay Lightning finally got it right. Locking up veteran Mattias Ohlund to a cap friendly deal to mentor 2nd overall pick and fellow Swede Victor Hedman. Unlike most rebuilding teams, they have a legit #1 goalie (Mike Smith) and some very attractive assets in Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavilier who they can move for massive returns if they wish to speed up the rebuilding process.

Los Angeles Kings - Picking up Ryan Smith while unloading Tom Preissing's contract was Genius. Smith will provide leadership and add grit to the Kings top six as they prepare themselves for a run at a playoff birth. The contract they gave to Rob Scuderi was probably a bit of an overpayment, but he adds experience and depth to a young and extremely talented group of defencemen. They also have the liberty to lock up Jack Johnson if they want to.

Toronto Maple Leafs - I know, its a curious choice but Burke did exactly what he set out to do this offseason and added toughness and depth to the blue line. Signing Mike Komisarek not only makes the Leafs stronger but weakens the hated Habs and Garnett Exelby will be a very nice addition to the bottom pair of their top six. Burke can still move Tomas Kaberle for a good return this off season (and it will be a mild surprise if it doesn't happen at some point)and the Leafs are the front runners for Swedish sensation, Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson. They may not be much, if at all better next year, but this sets them up well for the future.

Anaheim Ducks - I know this happened on draft day, but the Ducks are winners for no other reason than the return they got for Chris Pronger from the Flyers. Luca Sbisa figures to be a top 4 defenseman, Joffery Lupul is a talented 2nd line winger who will be serving his second tour with the Ducks (Hes been traded for Pronger twice in his young career, how funny is that?) On top of that, the Ducks received a first round pick for 2009 (Kyle Palmieri, who was one of my favorite players in last years draft class) and 2010, so essentially, the Ducks received three first round picks (Sbisa was the Flyers top choice in 2008) and Joffrey Lupul, who himself was a top 10 pick in 2002, for an aging Chris Pronger, who has slowly started to show signs of decline the last two seasons. Grade A move by Anaheim.

New York Rangers - Am I basied? possibly (yes), but the trade of Scott Gomez to the Habs for Chris Higgins alone would have made me happy, the fact that they threw top prospect Ryan McDonagh as a sweetener made this one of my favorite trades ever, and I have no idea how Higgins is going to perform in NY or if McDonagh will ever reach half of his potential. I always felt that Scott Gomez's salary was the 2nd easiest to move in the group of Michael Roszival, Gomez, Chris Drury and Wade Redden (in that order), but I felt that the last 3 would be near impossible to move with out throwing in a first rounder. You could imagine the level of my elation when we moved Gomez with two AHL depth players for Higgins, a blue chipper and another prospect who also has NHL potential. Moving Gomez allowed the Rangers to take a risk on Marian Gaborik, who unlike the free agent signings of the past two years, will be deserving of the money that will be paid to him as long as he stays on the ice. If/When they dump Roszival's contract, they'll have even more flexibility to continue putting together a roster that may have a chance to do something pretty soon.

More than anything...

Staal, Girardi, Sanguinetti, Del Zotto, Gilroy, Kundratek and now McDonagh?!??!?

Excuse me while I go to the bathroom and rub a few out.


Losers:

Florida Panthers - First the Luongo trade and now this. Poor team has nothing to look forward to for the distant future. I know that they kept Jay-Bo around last year because they had a shot at the playoffs, but in hindsight, they would have been much better off moving him for what would have been at the least a decent return. Sometimes I wonder why there is still team in South Florida and by sometimes I mean always and by always, I mean they should be moved to Canada.

Chicago Blackhawks - They've got one of the best, if not the best, young core of players in hockey, none of whom are signed long term. They're already up against the cap and decide its a good idea to sign Marian Hossa to a long term deal. Don't get me wrong, the annual cap hit of 5.2 million for a player like Hossa is not a bad deal, but when you figure they have a ton of young players they'll need to resign in the next two years it really makes you wonder. Now its come out that their GM flubbed some paper work that may allow Kris Versteeg and Cam Barker to become UFA's...

They may have ended up losing one or both of them eventually, but they'd be losing them for nothing but cap space if this ends up happening. They better hope they can get Kane and Towes signed ASAP, because there will be a long line of GM's who will be more than happy to throw a lucrative offer sheet at either of them.

Edmonton Oilers - I think they made one of the best signings of the off season by bringing in Nikolai Khabibulin but the poor team just can't stay out of off season drama. They had to suffer through the Legend of Pronger after he decided he no longer wanted to live in Edmonton after signing a long term deal, and this year they had a deal set to bring Dany Heatley to Edmonton and after he strung them on for more than 24 hours, he nixed the trade at the last minute. I'm dubbing them the lovable loser of the off season, but a lovable loser is still a loser.

Montreal Canadiens - They've been a smaller team for quite some time and GM Bob Ganiey announced that he wanted to land a big center man this off season, that lead everyone to believe that Vincent Lecavilier may be on his way to Montreal....

Instead, they got Scott Gomez and his bloated contract. They followed up that doozy of a deal by signing Mike Cammalleri (5'9") and Brian Gionta (5'7", but I've stood next to him and hes closer to 5'5") to flank Scott Gomez (5'11") on his wings. Gomez, Cammy and Gionta are all nice complementary players who are going to be played 7+, 6 and 5 million dollars annually while being asked to form the top line of a team that is under more pressure from the media than any other team in the sport. They also added Hal Gill (who can barely skate) and Jaroslav Spacek (at almost 4 mill per year) who are hardly difference makers, though Spacek can play a little bit. All I know is that the Habs better hope that Yannick Weber and PK "twinkle toes" Subban (I'm not a fan, kid is going to get killed at the NHL level trying to pull the moves he did in Junior and he dives more than Sidney Crosby and Derek Roy combined) pan out because they're going to be hurting on D big time for years if they don't, and they may if they do anyway.

The Dany Heatley Soap Opera - Episode one

If anyone was worried that the economy would make this a dull off season, the Ottawa Senators did everything they could to absolve that notion.

Ok its completely unfair to put this on the entire Senators organization, but the blame can certainly be placed on two people, Dany Heatley for acting like a 12 year old on her period and Bryan Murray for acting like her douchebag ex-boyfriend who pretends to want the best for her.

Dany Heatley signed a six year deal for 7.5 million per last offseason to keep him in Ottawa long term, along with a no trade clause. He desides to throw a hissy fit when a rookie coach demanded a better effort from him and transofrmed what should have been a fart in the wind annoyance into one of the greatest off season soap operas we've seen the Pronger saga back in 2006 (aside: The Oilers were involved in both of these episodes, how fucked up is that?)

As far as what we've heard through the media, this is how everything transpired.

-Heatley is pissed off at coach, demands trade, gives list of teams he can be traded to (Oilers were not on that list)
- Murray meets with a few GM's at the draft, has a long talk with Glen Sather.
- Rumblings that Rangers are ready to acquire Heatley, need cap space to do it
- Rangers pull a miracle out of their collective asses and trade Scott Gomez to Montreal.

At this point, one would think that Heatley to NY would be a lock right? One of the Rangers most reputable beat writers even made an announcement that the Rangers would be acquirng Heatley later that night (after Gomez was moved.) Anyone who knows Glen Sather knows that if he can, he will try to win a trade 1,000,000,000,000,000-1. Senators and Rangers have everything worked out except Murray insists that the Rangers add Brandon Dubinsky in the deal, Sather isn't budging - Who will blink first?

Murray gets a call from Edmonton, Kevin Lowe offers him a better deal, Murray is intrigued.

This wouldn't be a Soap Opera with out a love triangle.

Commercial Break.



If I see that commercial one more time, bad things are going to happen. But anyway, here is where we left off.

- Here comes seabiscuit! The Edmonton Oilers enter the picture, offering Dustin Penner, Ladislav Smid and a personal favorite, Andrew Cogliano. Murray prefers this package more than the alleged Rangers one (Which was apparently Roszival, Zherdev and prospect Bobby Sanguinetti.) Murray accepts the deal! The Saga is OVER!

Not so fast...

I bolded No Trade Clause above because that is the thing that dropped the hammer on this whole deal. Dany Heatley had given Murray a list of teams that he would accept a trade to - The Rangers were on that list (and rumored to be at the very top of it) and the Oilers...

No where to be found.

-Murray brings the deal to the attention of Dany Heatley, he has no intention of going to Edmonton. At this point everyone in the Senators orginization wants him out, including former linemate Jason Spezza. Heater knows this and decides to sleep on it.

- Day 2 begins, no progress. We're hearing a bunch of different stuff. Day goes on, no news. Eklund reports he nixes the trade, I think hes going to Edmonton, Eklund says hes going to Edmonton, I think he nixes the trade. Eklund says...

Wait... Why the hell was I listening to Eklund?

- Midnight looms and still no word. The tension is building, most of Canada is already tired of this story and just want it to be over. Heater didn't oblige, he nixed the deal....

And thats how Dany Heatley offically became the most hated man in Canada.

Now Heater is deserving of a lot of the hate hes been getting, but How Bryan Murray gets a break here is beyond me. Here you have a GM who fielded an offer from a team that Heatley did NOT have on his list of teams hed accept a trade to, went through with the deal and expected it to all work out. I know that Heater wants out of Ottawa, but he has the right to choose where he wants to go since MURRAY'S DUMB ASS GAVE HIM THE NTC! The fact that Heatley even considered the move says something to me (that Ottawa is a fucking shit show right now.) Murray pretty much ruined what ever chance he had at getting back a reasonable deal for Heatley, and I'm going to laugh when he gets back a modest return for Heatley...

Roszival, Zherdev and a 2nd round pick, you heard it here first! (e5)

Up next: Episode two, because you know this shit isn't over.

2009 NHL Draft Craziness!

Contents include the following -

-Central Scoutings final rankings for both the top 30 North American Skaters and top 15 European Skaters (Complete with Photographs and statistics)
- First round mock draft
- Draft Overview.

This is going to be by far the most in depth and informative thing I've ever done in my life. If I put this type of effort into making the world a better place, well, it probably would be. Is there better information on the draft out there than what I'm going to provide? Yes but this shit is free, and nothing beats free.

Ok lets get started.

*Note, these photographs were NOT made by me. I don't want to take credit for something I didn't do so there it is.



Central Scouting Top 30 North American Skaters (Click images to view in full size)





















































































Central Scouting top 15 European Skaters




















































Mock Draft: The First Round

1. New York Islanders - C John Tavares, London (OHL) - Been mega hyped since day 1. Though Victor Hedman may be a better fit for the franchise long term, Garth Snow won't pass on the opportunity to add this scoring machine to his team. Lack of a defensive game and poor skating may hold him back from fulfilling potential. Other possibilities - Victor Hedman, Matt Duchene

2. Tampa Bay Lighting - D Victor Hedman, Modo (Sweden) - Big, Mobile, booming shot from the point. Hedman could stand to be more physical, suffers from lapses in concentration and lacks that intensity you want to see from your defensemen but his overall package of skills should see him be a perennial all star - even if he doesnt put it all together.
Other Possibilities: Matt Duchene

3. Colorado Avalanche - C Matt Duchene, Brampton (OHL) - Solidified his status as the third overall pick in this draft with an excellent playoff run. Duchene is the type of guy who can score a game tying goal, make an excellent play breaking up a scoring chance agains the next shift and scoring the go ahead goal right after that. Captain Material, cut from the same deck as Jonathan Towes, except hes an even better skater and has better hands. Other Possibilities: Victor Hedman, Evander Kane.

4. Atlanta Thrashers - LW Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Trima IK (Sweden) - MPS has bring-you-out-of-your-seat type speed and hands. The flash and dash player of this draft. He doesn't have a great shot and that will limit his goal scoring ability, but hes naturally more of a playmaker anyway, so that shouldn't really matter too much. Other Possibilities: Evander Kane, Jared Cowen

5. Los Angeles Kings - LW/RW Evander Kane, Vancouver (WHL) - Evander Kane is one of the more intriguing, yet the most risky player in the top 10. He's got a really nice projectable frame and excellent hands around the net but he needs to improve his skating, bulk up, and tie all of his tools together. Hes a really, really talented player but hes a project.
Other Possibilities: MPS, Brayden Schenn, Trade.

6. Phoenix Coyotes - D Jared Cowen, Spokane (WHL) - May have gone higher of not for tearing his ACL midway through the year. Cowen is your classic shut down Canadian defenseman. At 6'5" 205 pounds (and still growing), Cowen looks to be a bigger, meaner version of Robyn Regher, which would make him one hell of a defenseman.
Other Possibilities: Brayden Schenn, Oliver Ekman Larsson, Dimitri Kulikov

7. Toronto Maple Leafs - C/LW Brayden Schenn, Brandon (WHL) - Younger Brother of Last years first round pick Luke Schenn and we know how much Brian Burke loves his family connections (Traded up to get both Sedins in Vancouver, re united the Niedemeyers in Anaheim.) Schenn is the best two way player in this draft - He could still stand to improve at both ends of the ice but he figures to be a 70 point center who can shut down the opposing teams top line as well as possibly wear the C on his chest (If his brother doesn't.)
Other Possibilties: Jared Cowen, Trade.

8. Dallas Stars - D Dimitri Kulikov, Drummonville (QMJHL) - I personally do NOT like players, especially defensemen from the "Q" but Kulikov is the real deal. Hes equally adept at both ends of the ice and skates with seemingly little effort. There were times during the memorial cup where he struggled a bit but this was his first full year in Canadian Junior hockey so chances are he was gassed due to the schedule, plus those teams in the Memorial Cup are pretty good. He has Sergei Zubov upside. Other Possibilites: Oliver Ekman Larsson, Scott Glennie, Jared Cowen.

9. Ottawa Senators - D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Leksand (Sweden) - I know that Bryan Murrary's staff has scouting OEL heavily and really like him. Oliver Ekman-Larrson is a smallish, offensive defenseman who some believe has higher offensive potential than Victor Hedman (I say bull shit.) that said, he probably has Brian Rafalski type upside, which is not a bad thing at all. Him and Karlsson on the PP for a decade would look really good for the Sens.
Other possibilites:Dimitri Kulikov, Scott Glennie, Nazem Kadri.

10. Edmonton Oilers - C/W Scott Glennie, Brandon (WHL) - The Speedy linemate of Brayden Schenn (7th overall to the leafs in my mock) also has game to go along with a higher offensive ceiling than Schenn. Glennie has the type of top gear that even the best defensemen in the NHL wouldn't feel comfortable going up against. Along with his speed he has a real nose for the net , great hands and is improving on setting up goals. He plays a high octane and sometimes wreckless game, which may subject him to many injuries in the NHL (Ovechkin mentality with out the frame to hold it up) so thats a legit concern here but make no mistake, Glennie can flat out play, The second coming of Geoff Sanderson. Other Possibilites: Oliver Ekman Larsson, Zack Kassian, Jordan Schroder

11. Nashville Predators - D John Moore, Chicago (USHL) - There isn't a less heralded player ranked in the top 15 than Moore. This smooth skating defenseman put up very good points in the USHL which is a pretty tough league to score in and reminds some people of John Carlsson (Caps 1st pick last year.) While the Predators' system isn't starving for defensemen, Moore is the type of guy who they can draft this year and wait on for 3-4 years before making significant contributions.
Other Possibilities: Zack Kassian, Ryan Ellis, OEL.

12. Minnesota Wild - RW Jordan Schroeder, Minnesota (NCAA) - 5'8" but stop on a dime fast, Schroeder is the quintessential forward for the "new" NHL. If he's available I don't think that it's possible that the Wild go in a different direction - They've made a promise to their fans that they're going to play more exciting hockey going forward and there is no way that they will pass on a guy who is not only a home town boy, but also a perfect fit for their future plans.
Other Possibilities: Scott Glennie, Chris Kreider.

13. Buffalo Sabres - D Ryan Ellis, Windsor (OHL) - The Sabres have been looking for their replacement for Brian Campbell and Ellis would be a great candidate for that role. He QB'd the PP for team Canada in the WJC's and did an marvelous job (had a fantastic tournament all around) and there are scouts who have said that he is the best offensive defenseman that they've seen in over 20 years of scouting Canadian Junior hockey. He lacks size, speed and overall defensive polish but his offensive potential is too good to pass up.
Other Possibilities: Zack Kassian, Scott Glennie.

14. Florida Panthers - C Louis Leblanc, Omaha (USHL) - Leblanc eschewed the QMJHL to play in the USHL in order to keep his NCAA Eligibility. The Harvard Bound forward has a very solid regular season in the USHL, putting up one point shy of a point a game before going bonkers in the playoffs and really rasing his draft stock.
Other Possibilities: Simon Despres, John Moore, Zack Kassian

15. Anaheim Ducks - LW Zack Kassian, Peterborough (OHL) - Anaheim seems to shift towards drafting big bodies with skill and Kassian more than fits the bill. At 6'3" 210 pounds Kassian has a really strong, NHL ready frame and a tough style that is coveted by many teams (and may lead to him being taken higher than this.) He needs to work on his skating and there are questions as to how high his offensive upside is but if he puts it all together, we're talking about a tougher version of Brendan Morrow.
Other Possibilities: Ryan Ellis, Scott Glennie, Chris Kreider

16. Columbus Blue Jackets - C Jacob Josefson, Djurgarden (Sweden) - Argueably a top 10 talent, Josefson falls to #16 in my mock. He's not a spectacular player, infact, he doesn't have one single part of his game that really stands out. But what he does bring to the table is a very steady two way game, good skating ability and the potential to be a very good 60-70 point 2nd line center. He's not the type of kid you get excited about on draft day but there are going to be a few teams that pick ahead of the Blue Jackets who will look back at this draft and say "Man, I really wish we took that guy."
Other Possibilites: Louis Leblanc, Nazem Kadri, David Runblad

17. St Louis Blues - C Peter Holland, Guelph (OHL) - When his game is on, he's extremely tough to handle. His skill set is extremely impressive, there aren't many guys who are as big as him who move as fast as he does, and there aren't many players who shoot like he does. The problem with Holland is that if you see him once you'll come away thinking (There is no way he isn't a top 5 pick) but then with every subsequent viewing, you start to realize why he is ranked where hes ranked. I Know the Blues really like him and hes more than a nice consolation prize for barely missing out on Josefson (whom he may end up a better player than anyway.)
Other Possibilites: Jacob Josefson, Kyle Palmieri, Simon Despres

18. Montreal Canadiens - C Nazem Kadri, London (OHL) - Big faller in this draft due to strength concerns but he won't fall pass the Habs at 18. While he's not the biggest or strongest guy in the draft, he has been a money player in the OHL playoffs the last two years, he even outperformed John Tavares this past year in the second season. Kadri grew up a Habs fan, and the Habs will have a chance to make a dream come true for this kid infront of the home town crowd, sounds too good for them to pass up.
Other Possibilites: Simon Despres, Louis Leblanc

19. New York Rangers - C Kyle Palmieri, U-18 (USNTDP) - Palmieri played on the real life drama known as the US National Development team Program that saw him get kicked off the team at the end of the year when the higher ups of the program decided to make an example out of him for refusing to rat out his teammates for violating team policy. Palmieri has since been working out on his own and is preparing to enroll in Notre Dame in the fall. What Palmieri brings on the ice is a ton of leadership (as well as off the ice, he took the fall for his teammates), great intenisity, strong skating, and clutch goal scoring ability. Palmieri is a safe bet to make the NHL and reminds many scouts of a young Chris Drury with Zach Parise type upside.
Other Possibilites: Landon Ferraro, Chris Kreider, Zack Kassian

20. Calgary Flames - LW Carter Ashton, Lethbridge (WHL) - Father Brent played 15 years in the NHL and had a very solid career. The younger Ashton is even more talented than his dad and potted 30 goals in the WHL this year. He was the lone prospect at the combine to complete the entire VO2 test, which is beyond impressive. His upside isn't that high and there are worries that he has already peaked as a prospect but even if he doesn't reach top 6 status, he'll still be a very good third line player.
Other Possibilites: David Runblad, Calvin Dehann, Landon Ferraro

21. Philadelphia Flyers - C Chris Kreider, Andover (USHS) - If there is going to be a buzz player 48 hours before the draft, It will be Chris Kreider. Kreider is your typical late bloomer, he wasn't on the radar of most scouts two years ago but has really shot up the rankings, wedeging himself for sure into the bottom half of the first round, though his upside may cause him to go even higher. Kreider is the best skater in the draft and has good hockey sense and hands to go along with it but he hasn't been exposed to top competition. He still has a year of HS eligibility left but hes a pretty good bet to end up at Boston College in the fall. The Flyers may be reluctant to take Kreider due to the fact that hes going the NCAA route (they didn't like the way JVR's development went) but the prospect of having Kreider and JVR play on the same line one day is too great for the Flyers to pass up.
Other possibilites: David Runblad, Nick Leddy.

22 Vancouver Canucks - LW Landon Ferraro, Red Deer (WHL) - If the last name sounds familar, thats because Landon is the Son of former NHL all star Ray Ferraro. Landon plays the same type of game as his pops but hes an even better skater and has more of a physical edge. He scored more than 1/5th of his teams goals this past season (37) and would have had more than 50 had he played on a good team. His slight frame and abrasive style may subject him to injuries in his career (see: Gilbert Brule) but the Canucks are thirsting for Young offensive talent and Ferraro fits the bill.
Other Possibilites: Kyle Palmieri, Chris Kreider, Jeremy Morin

23 New Jersey Devils - D David Runblad, Skelletea (Sweden) - The Devils have gotten away from what once made them so successful and will take a step in the right direction towards getting back there. Runblad is a top 15 talent depending on who you talk to but will slip in the draft because hes a bit of an unknown. The Devils need depth everywhere in their system but they're extremely thin on D (Both on the farm and with the big club), so they'll go with Runblad.
Other Possibilites: Calvin De hann, Nick Leddy

24. Washington Capitals - D Calvin De Hann, Oshawa (OHL) - This would be the 2nd straight year that the Caps would be taking a defenseman if they choose to go this route. De Hann is the perfect compliment to a guy like Carlsson in the future. Calvin De Hann has been compared a bit to 2008 first rounder Michael Del Zotto, minus a little bit of the hockey sense.
Other possibilites: Nick Leddy, Jeremy Morin

25. Boston Bruins - C/LW Jeremy Morin, U- 18 (USNTDP) - Morin was on the same team as the aforementioned Kyle Palmieri and Morin is the more talented of the two. Jeremy Morin is by far the best pure shooter in the draft (Yes, including Tavares) and presents a really intriguing package standing at 6'1" and a stout 190 lbs to go along with fantastic hands. There are attitude concerns with Morin as well as consistancy issues and questions about how well he'll be able to adapt to a quicker, more physical games as opposed to his peers. Morin will play for the Kitchner Rangers of the OHL next year.
Other Possibilites: Nick Leddy, Stefon Elliot

26. New York Islanders - D Tim Erixon, Skelleftea (Sweden) - Tim is the son of former NHL'er Jan Erixon. Tim Erixon is a very steady two way defenseman who may one day remind Islander fans of Kenny Johnsson.
Other Possibilites: Nick Leddy, Zack Budish, Simon Despres

27. Carolina Hurricanes - LW Toni Rajala, IIves (Finland) - I get the feeling that someone will take a chance on this you tube senesation in the first round and there is no better fit for Rajala than the Carolina Hurricanes. Rajala is a guy who has the upside of a Magnus Paarjavi-Svensson but is undersized and to put it frankly, has the body of a 12 year old girl. That said, his skills are undeniable and if he puts it together, he will be electric in the Hurricanes system.
Other Possibilites: Drew Shore, Tomas Tatar, Jeremy Morin

28. Chicago Blackhawks - C Drew Shore, U18 (USNTDP) - Another player to come out of that infamous program. Drew Shore is basically Peter Holland with American citizenship. When he brings it, hes great but when he doesn't, it really makes you wonder if hes playing hockey because he likes it or because he can make alot of money doing it because hes good at it. At this spot in the draft and the Blackhawks need for centers in the farm, hes a great pick. Shore will be playing at the University of Denver next year.
Other Possibilites: Zack Budish, Tomas Tatar

29. Detroit Red Wings - LW Carl Klingberg, Frolunda U20 (Sweden) - Big shocker here: Detroit goes european. Klingberg is a high energy player with great size and a developing offensive game. He can turn into a very dynamic first line player but is a sure bet to make it to the NHL as a third liner if it doesnt work out that way. Knowing Detroit, I expect him to become a consistant 35-35 player in no time.
Other Possibilites: Tomas Tatar, Zack Budish

30 Pittsburgh Penguins - C/W Zack Budish, Edina HS (MSHS) - Pittsburgh can afford to take a kid who won't be ready for a few years who possesses tremendous upside, which is exactly what Zack Budish embodies. Budish missed his entire senior season after tearing his ACL playing football, but he put up excellent strength numbers at the NHL prospect combine a few weeks ago and already has an NHL ready frame. Budish will be playing at the University of Minnesota next year where he will continue to hone is skills.
Other Possibilites: Tomas Tatar, Toni Rajala


2009 NHL Draft Overview

The 2009 NHL draft has been pegged as the deepest draft since the 2003 draft which saw every single player drafted in the first round except one play at least one (Hugh Jessiman, 12th overall NYR) game in the NHL. Every single player in the top 10 except for one has played atleast 200 NHL games in their careers so far, the lone player who hasn't reached that plateau yet is Andrei Kostitsyn and hes only 14 games away from getting there, which he will achieve early next season.

The 2003 draft also produced players like Shea Weber, David Backes, Patrick O'Sullivan, Lee Stempniak, Patrice Bergeron and Joe Pavelski in the later rounds. All in all, the 2003 NHL draft produced more than half a rounds worth of first line, first pairing, or #1 goaltending talent, which is unheard of. That is what will seperate it from the 2009 draft.

The 2009 NHL draft is similar to the 2003 draft in the sense that it is very, very deep but the depth falls in the range of picks 20-60, teams will be getting guys in the middle and end of the 2nd round this year that they would have drafted late in the first round last year and in the middle of the first round in 2007. The close to sure bet top shelf talent is not plentiful, however there are a few guys who have the potential to become sure fire go to players outside of the top three. Evander Kane has argueably the highest ceiling of any forward in the draft, which has him pegged to go top 5 in the draft for sure but his lack of foot speed and overall rawness make him a very, very risky pick especially when you consdier that there are players who are more of a "sure thing", like Brayden Schenn who will be available in the same range. Chris Kreider has the size (6'2" 195) speed and offensive potential to make him a legit first line scorer but New England Prep School hockey is not what it once was was when it produced the likes of Brian Leetch, Bill Guerin, Jeremy Roneick and Tony Amonte. When you consider that Krieder will be attending Boston College, who has produced little produtive NHL talent at the NHL level under BC Head Coach Jerry York (Brian Gionta and thats it), it makes Krieder a very risky pick, even late in the first round. Then there is Minnesota High School player Zach Budish, who missed his entire senior season due to an ACL injury. Budish was a for sure first round pick prior to the injury even though he played in a public HS league because he also dominated prospect camps and tournaments against his peers. Budish is slated to go to the University of Minnesota which has produced a ton of good talent so the worry of his development being stunned there.

Then there are guys who will fall for what ever reason into the lap of some lucky (or unlucky) team who were ranked much higher than they went. The Biggest faller will most likely be Nazem Kadri, who was for most of the year projected to be a top 10 pick. Kadri's strength is a major weakness to the point where it will severely limit his effectiveness at the next level. Kadri will most likely be taken in the top 20, but don't be surprised if he falls out of the first round all together. Peter Holland was ranked as the 9th best North American skater when ISS did their mid term rankings and fell all the way to 19th in the final rankings. As I mentioned before, Holland has the potential to come out of his draft as one of the 5 best players from this years crop but he needs to improve his battle level and find a way to light a fire under his ass every time he gets out there. One big issue with Holland is that he seems to be satisfied with giving 75% if he pots 3 goals in the process, he could score 4 if he gave 100.

But of course, this draft has three highly ranked players who are are pretty much asured to become big time NHL players. John Tavares has been one of the most hyped prospects in quite some time (OK, since 2005.) Tavares has been on top for so long that its become the "it" thing to bash him over the past few months instead of focus on all the good things that he does which made him the top player in this years class to begin with. Tavares in my opinion, is a lock to become a first line player who will produce at least 70 points a year. There are however, two things with Tavares that will keep him from being a go to franchise type...

1. Footspeed - He can improve on this and you see players improve on this all the time, but even with his instincts and natural goal scoring ability, Tavares will not be able to get behind defensemen and take off in the NHL like he has in the OHL, which will lower his goal total pretty substantially.

2. Producing when it counts - Ok this is a little unfair since its such a small sample size, but Tavares was virtually invisible in the last 2 games of the World Junior Championships and was the 5th best player on his team during the OHL playoffs. Great players take over when they're needed, Tavares hasn't done that (yet)

Victor Hedman aces the eyeball test. 6'6" 230 pound defensemen who skate like Jay Bouwmeester and shoot like Chris Pronger do not come around often. Hedman has drawn comparisons to those two as well as Zdeno Chara and whats scary is that he is further ahead of all three of them at the same age and has a higher ceiling than any of them did. Hedman's faults are one that may make him subject to alot of Grief as the years go along - For a big guy, hes awfully soft. I'm sorry but if I was 6'6" I'd be trucking everyone when ever the opportunity presented it self and sometimes, I might even go out of my way to do it to send a message. He doesn't have that "edge" that great defensemen usually posses and I'm not sure thats something that you can develop over time. If it is and he does find it, then look the hell out.

Matt Duchene will be, in my opinion, the best player to come out of this draft. He has all the tools you're looking for in a forward (Great speed, excellent shot, ridiculous hands and very good vision) and hes also a pretty good player in his own end. Duchene was on the top pair penalty kill for the Brampton Battalion and also wore the "A" despite being a draft eligible player and playing on a team with guys who were sometimes two years older. Duchene also improved his stock by scoring a key hat trick in a clinching game to send the Brampton Battalion to the OHL finals for the first time in franchise history. When I watch him play, he reminds me so much of Jonathan Towes with the way he handles the puck and the way he can shoot it, but Duchenes got even better wheels. Duchene doesn't come with out his faults thought. Duchene missed time twice during the year with two different injuries and also got hurt again in the playoffs (though he played through this.) I'm not ready to call him injury prone but its something to take note of. Also, alot of the things that were being said about Matt Duchene sound awfully similar to what was being said about Stephen Weiss during his draft year and while Weiss hasn't been a complete and utter failure, he hasn't become half of what was expected of him.

On the surface, the 2009 NHL draft looks to be a pretty good draft, but its no way near the monumental draft that it was once being hyped to be. Who knows, maybe six years from now we'll be looking back at this draft and talking about it the same way we talk about the 2003 draft (Yes, no one expected Parise, Getzlaf, Perry, Richards or Weber to become that good) but in the end what I expect to see is a hand full of guys become very good players, a bunch of others to become serviceable NHL'ers and the majority of the lot to fizzle out.

But hey, isnt that what happens every year?