BrooklynCanuck
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First Day Winners and Losers
Winners:
Anaheim Mighty Ducks – A lot of Ducks fans were praying for A.J. Thelen, but the Ducks chose a much safer defensive prospect in Ladislav Smid with the ninth pick instead. Smid is a very consistent player with great poise. He could use his 6’3†frame better, but perhaps that will come in time. Smid should be a steadying force on the blueline, if he can use his size he could be a Mattias Ohlund type player. Their second round selection, Jordan Smith is a very similar defenseman. Smith is steady and moves well, but doesn’t boast a whole lot of upside. Third round pick Kyle Klubertanz is more of the same, a big defenseman with a good head for the game, Klubertanz is a pretty decent sleeper. Anaheim picked straight to their needs and got decent value.
Grade: B+
Buffalo Sabres – Drew Stafford was a solid choice at thirteen. He’s a real demon on the forecheck and has some offensive tools. Stafford isn’t the most talented guy out there, but he has enough skill to get buy and he’s got the heart of a lion. He was the glue that kept the US team together on their run to the World Junior Championship. Michael Funk is a bit of a project and may have been taken more for his height (6’4â€) than his defensive skills. Andrej Sekera adds to defensive depth, but he isn’t nearly the prospect that fellow Trencin product Andrej Meszaros is.
Grade: B-
Carolina Hurricanes – Andrew Ladd was probably the best player available when the ‘Canes picked at 4th. I don’t know if Ladd was worth trading up to snag, especially considering the fact that a very similar player in Tukonen was available at their original slot. Justin Peters, taken in the second round provides a goaltending prospect should promising Cam Ward falter. Casey Borer is a long shot defensive prospect from the WCHA. I think the ‘Canes would have been better served by staying put and taking either Marek Schwarz or Lauri Tukonen. A solid, but unspectacular showing from the home team.
Grade: B-
Chicago Blackhawks – Chicago did a good job taking the best player available in Cam Barker, despite a good pool of defensive prospects. They followed that up by taking Dave Bolland, Ryan Garlock, Bryan Bickell, and Jakub Sindel in the second round. That second round is nothing short of brilliant. Bolland is an intelligent playmaker who some scouts had as a first rounder. Garlock is a two-way center who had an injury shortened season, but looks to be a reliable guy. Bickell is a big kid who skates very well and has lots of upside. Sindel is a pure sniper, but has been tabbed as soft. All of these selections were great value picks. Adam Berti was taken in the final round of the first day and can be very good when properly motivated.
Grade: A
Colorado Avalanche – Wojtek Wolski fell to the Avs due to legal troubles, but many teams were foolish to pass on the Polish born sniper. The Avs get away with yet another steal. Wolski is very skilled, but needs to add a physical dimension to his game. Second round pick Oreshkovich provides a big body, although he will have to transition from the USHL. The Avs took tiny Denis Parshin in the third round, he has a lot of skill but may never make it because of his size.
Grade: B+
Florida Panthers – I’m sure Florida was happy to see Rostislav Olesz fall to seventh overall. Olesz has a whole lot of talent as a playmaker and enough size to compete in the NHL. Olesz is very solid and should develop into a good two-way player. Some question how well his skills will translate into the NHL and question his ability to produce at the highest level, but I don’t. David Shantz is a good goaltending prospect who had an outstanding post season with Mississauga. Shantz almost single-handedly led the IceDogs to the OHL finals. With Luongo’s emergence as a top goaltender, the Panthers can give him time to develop without a whole lot of pressure. Florida got excellent value with both of these selections.
Grade: B+
Los Angeles Kings – The Kings share award for steal of the day with the Blues. Lauri Tukonen should have been taken in the top five, I have no clue how he was allowed to slip to eleven. He’s a big Finnish forward who has a lot of skill and tons of energy. Tukonen has a skill set very similar to Andrew Ladd’s, which is why I can’t understand how he was available seven slots lower. They also took big longshot prep defenseman Paul Baier. Tukonen was absolute highway robbery, Kings fans should be thrilled. The only thing holding the Kings from a better grade was their lack of picks.
Grade: B+
Minnesota Wild – The Wild took hometown boy A.J. Thelen with the 12th pick overall. The pick may have been motivated by ticket sales, but Thelen was an excellent value selection. Thelen needs a lot of work and hopefully Michigan State is the right environment for him, but he has unlimited potential. Thelen could be a number one defenseman, he has all of the tools offensively and he’s a big kid. The Wild’s second pick was centreman Roman Voloshenko. Voloshenko is an extremely skilled playmaker who was dynamic in international play. Some worry that Voloshenko is too slow of foot, but he was a good risk in the middle of the second round. Plenty of playmaking NHL centremen were chided to improve their skating as junior players.
Grade: B+
Montreal Canadiens – The Canadiens think they got their future captain in Kyle Chipchura. No one thinks Chipchura will be winning any scoring titles, but he does all the little things well and has impeccable character. Players like Chipchura win championships. Montreal needs hardworking defensively responsible players and Chipchura is certainly that. Alexi Yemelin is a decent sleeper out of Russia, although he may be a little undersized for a defenseman.
Grade: B
Nashville Predators – Alexander Radulov has a whole lot of skill. Nashville doesn’t have a whole lot of scorers. That’s why his selection halfway through the first round makes a lot of sense. Radulov has a reputation for being a bit impetuous and perhaps Nashville is not the best environment for him, but he’s too good not to have gone in the top 15. Vaclav Meidl is a mean and nasty Czech forward who moved to North America to showcase his skills. He has a 6’4†frame and has the makings of a very good checking forward in years to come.
Grade: A-
New Jersey Devils – The Devils aren’t afraid to move up when they want a kid and for the second straight year they traded up to get the player they wanted, Travis Zajac. Zajac played for Salmon Arm of the BCHL, but drew scouts’ attention with his impressive play. It’s hard to argue with David Conte, so I won’t. Zajac is a big centre who has a really good feel for the game. Zajac will have to prove himself against better competition when he enrolls at North Dakota next year, but he has a lot of potential. New Jersey didn’t pick again, but I admire their confidence in grabbing the guy they wanted.
Grade: B
Ottawa Senators – Andrej Meszaros is extremely smart. He plays a mistake free game and isn’t shy about sparking the rush. He even represented his country in adult World Championships competition, an unheard of accomplishment, especially from a tier A nation like Slovakia. He may be a bit small, but he’s far from tiny. Ottawa snapped up an excellent opportunity when Meszaros fell into their hands. Kirill Lyamin was a great choice late in the second round. Lyamin is Tjutin junior and has been consistently underrated all year. He’s very solid with a good physical side. Lyamin and Meszaros may even make a good pairing in a few years. Peter Regin was a rare Danish selection. Ottawa did a whole lot with not a whole lot of assets in this draft, pound for pound the best draft of the day.
Grade: A
Pittsburgh Penguins – Malkin was a common sense selection. He’s a top notch prospect and figures to play on a top line. Pittsburgh claimed Johannes Salomonsson in the second round. The Swede is a great value pick with top line upside, but an injury kept him from showcasing his talents and dropped his stock. Salomonsson was being talked about as a top 15 guy prior to this season. AJHL prospect Nik Johnson and high schooler Brian Gifford round out a very good day for the waddlers.
Grade: A
St. Louis Blues – Marek Schwarz? Brilliant! If I was the Blues’ scouting staff, I’d be laughing my butt off right now. They got the best goaltender in the entire draft and made the best pick of the entire third round. Schwarz us a game stealing goaltender who would be every bit as good as Kari Lehtonen and MA Fleury if he handled the puck better. The fact that he slipped out of the top 10, let alone to 17 is simply astounding. Not only was the value absurd, but goaltending was a major need. Second round selection Carl Soderberg is a big sniper who needs a lot of work, but there’s plenty of upside to justify his selection. Third round choice Viktor Alexandrov is a feisty little guy who has a lot of skill. He was rated 8th among Euro skaters by CSB. Blues fans should drink to their scouts tonight.
Grade: A+
San Jose Sharks – Lukas Kaspar was a decent selection. He has plenty of size and skill, but needs to use both better. He could be coached into a very effective sniper, but it will be a long road to the NHL. San Jose continued their tradition of finding sleeper European goalies, selecting German Thomas Griess in the third round. If the past tells us anything, the kid’s a sure all-star.
Grade: B
Washington Capitals – Ovechkin was a no brainer. I don’t think you could get a scout outside of Pittsburgh to say he wasn’t the best player in the draft. Schultz has a lot of size and skill, but needs to be more a of bull in his own zone. If he can develop into a meaner player he will be real good. Mike Green was a fabulous selection late in the first. He should have been gone ten picks ago. Green is the most well balanced defenseman in the class. Chris Bourque is too small for the NHL and should have fallen another round or two, even his famous dad didn’t expect him to go that early. Michal Yunkov is a playmaking specialist, but is boom or bust. Sami Lepisto was a good pick, eventhough he really only had one impressive tournament. He could be a solid defensman.
Grade: A
Losers:
Atlanta Thrashers – The Thrashers made a big splash when they took Slovakian giant Boris Valabik with the tenth pick. Valabik is a boom or bust prospect. Valabik is a less polished version of Zdeno Chara. If he overcomes skating deficiencies and starts to use better judgment, he could become a very nasty opponent and a goalie’s best friend. Second round pick Grant Lewis is an underdeveloped defenseman who will need a lot of seasoning, but he has 3 years at Dartmouth to mature. Third rounder Scott Lehman, another defenseman is not a personal favourite, there are major concerns about his ability to think the game. Atlanta swung for the fences, they could look very foolish in a few years.
Grade: C
Boston Bruins – Boston didn’t have a whole lot to work with, drafting only twice at the bottom of the second round. They took a pair of undersized Eastern Europeans with their consecutive picks. Martins Karsums, their second selection is a crafty Latvian winger who made good progress in the Q this season. David Krejci was an unknown until the WU18 where he tallied a point per game. Boston really couldn’t do much, but didn’t do terribly.
Grade: C-
Calgary Flames – One of the joys of the draft last year was watching Darryl Sutter smother defenseman Dion Phaenuf and run off the stage like he’d stolen something. Sutter’s first selection this year was Kris Chucko, Travis Zajac’s teammate at Salmon Arm. Chuko may have been a reach, but he’s the kind of tough two-way player that Sutter likes. Trading down was a wise move. Dustin Boyd is a solid player, but I don’t know if he has what it takes to make it. Brandon Prust, the London Knight’s centreman is not a barnburner either, but that’s not Sutter’s style. After an incredible draft last year, the Flames disappointed me a little.
Grade: C-
Columbus Bluejackets – The Bluejackets failed to address their needs or get good value from their first pick when they traded down to select Alexandre Picard. Picard is a good player, who should add much needed scoring. However, there were several good defensemen available that would have filled a hole on the Bluejackets’ extremely thin blueline. If they were going to select a forward, they would have been better off staying out at #4 and taking Ladd, Olesz, or Tukonen. Their second round selections Adam Pineault and Kyle Wharton couldn’t be more different. Pineault was a top prospect last season, but failed to earn ice time with Boston College. Pineault has skill to burn and could be a big scorer, but has yet to put anything together. Wharton is a solid defenseman who should have little difficulty adjusting to the NHL. Owen Sound goaltender Dan Lacosta was their third round selection.
Grade: C+
Dallas Stars – Dallas traded down twice from 20 to 22 and then to 28 and still got the player they wanted all along in Marc Fistric. Fistric might have been a reach, but he’s a big mean defenseman who can really lay a hit on someone. Fistric is completely one dimensional, which is why he isn’t the most inventive selection. They would have been better off staying put and taking either Andrej Meszaros or Mike Green to replace the aging Sergei Zubov. Johan Fransson, taken 34th overall is that kind of player, but he’s not nearly as well thought of as Green and Meszaros. Raymond Sawada projects to be a defensive forward, he’s a hard worker and could develop into a big hitter. Niklas Grossman is a huge Swedish defenseman who hasn’t really played against high level competition, a major project.
Grade: C+
Detroit Red Wings – Their first pick was 97th overall, so there was not a whole lot of room for creativity. Their selection, Johan Franzen is a big Swede who can play along the wing. The Wings hope they have seen the second coming of Tomas Holmstrom, but I’m not sold. The Wings got less out of this draft than anyone, not great for a team that’s getting so long in the tooth.
Grade: D
Edmonton Oilers – The Oilers usually surprise people at the draft each year, this year’s first selection was no exception. The Oilers took 6’5†goaltender Devan Dubnyk from Kamloops of the WHL over Czech keeper Marek Schwarz. Dubnyk can certainly fill the net, but his size doesn’t allow for great recovery when he’s caught out of position. The key to his game will have to be discipline. The decision to take Dubnyk rattled me and frankly I think it was downright stupid. Time will tell whether Kevin Lowe made the right choice in goaltenders. Roman Teslyuk was a solid choice and adds to Edmonton’s considerable defensive prospect. Geoff Paukovich was a good risk in the second round. He’s a massive winger.
Grade: D-
New York Islanders – I think Mike Millbury wanted Blake Wheeler (he said before the draft that he was going to make a big splash with an unexpected selection) and was preempted when Phoenix took him in the top five. Instead he took Petteri Nokelainen, a solid forward who has been a pesky defender in Finland. Nokelainen has some scoring potential as well. Sergei Ogordnikov adds to the European invasion.
Grade: C+
New York Rangers – The Rangers took Alvaro Montoya far too early for my liking. Hopefully they won’t ruin him by throwing him to the wolves like they did with Dan Blackburn. A lot of scouts like Montoya more than I do, but not many had him sixth or better. They should have taken Lauri Tukonen. Their second pick first round pick, Lauri Korpikoski has been a little blue and white rocket the last year. He’s gone from unknown to hot commodity as fast as anyone in recent memory. He would not have been available had the Rangers stayed put at 24. Bruce Graham, taken in the second round is a behemoth who needs to assert himself more often. Graham was a good selection. Zdenek Bahensky was also a good pickup. Bahnesky is a sniper who needs some time in North America to get more physical. Dane Byers has some tools, but he doesn’t think the game very well. The Rangers finally have some prospects, but I think they could have done much better.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Flyers – The Flyers only picked once on the first day and took someone I’ve never even heard of. That about says it.
Grade: wtf
Phoenix Coyotes – Phoenix obviously saw something in Blake Wheeler that a lot of other scouting organizations didn’t. Wheeler isn’t a bad selection, but The Coyotes had trading partners trying to get the fifth pick in order to select goaltender Alvaro Montoya and they could have picked up some assets and still gotten Wheeler in the teens. Wheeler is a towering forward, but Phoenix did not take advantage of their assets. Enver Lisin was taken in the second round. Lisin is a speedy Russian who has a lot of potential. Phoenix did well to get him at 50, his selection improves their grade substantially.
Grade: C+
Tampa Bay Lightning – I don’t believe Jay Feaster when he says Andy Rogers was rated sixth on Tampa’s draft board. Still, Rogers is a good prospect. He has the hardest shot in the draft class and is a good skater. He would not have been on the board for much longer had Tampa chosen someone else. Second round pick Mark Tobin is a huge winger who is a bit of a sleeper. He was a good value pick late in the second.
Grade:C+
Toronto Maple Leafs – Justin Pogge was their only selection. He’s an athletic goalie with some upside, but he’s not a sure bet to do anything. Not a great day’s catch.
Grade: D
Vancouver Canucks – Cory Schneider is an unproven goaltender who has never faced any sort of competition. A lot scouts say that he has skating flaws. However he interviews well, so he’s a perfectly good first round selection. Schneider is years and years off if he ever cracks an NHL line up. Boston College is a good program, hopefully four years there will turn him into a player who merits first round acclaim.
Grade: C-
Winners:
Anaheim Mighty Ducks – A lot of Ducks fans were praying for A.J. Thelen, but the Ducks chose a much safer defensive prospect in Ladislav Smid with the ninth pick instead. Smid is a very consistent player with great poise. He could use his 6’3†frame better, but perhaps that will come in time. Smid should be a steadying force on the blueline, if he can use his size he could be a Mattias Ohlund type player. Their second round selection, Jordan Smith is a very similar defenseman. Smith is steady and moves well, but doesn’t boast a whole lot of upside. Third round pick Kyle Klubertanz is more of the same, a big defenseman with a good head for the game, Klubertanz is a pretty decent sleeper. Anaheim picked straight to their needs and got decent value.
Grade: B+
Buffalo Sabres – Drew Stafford was a solid choice at thirteen. He’s a real demon on the forecheck and has some offensive tools. Stafford isn’t the most talented guy out there, but he has enough skill to get buy and he’s got the heart of a lion. He was the glue that kept the US team together on their run to the World Junior Championship. Michael Funk is a bit of a project and may have been taken more for his height (6’4â€) than his defensive skills. Andrej Sekera adds to defensive depth, but he isn’t nearly the prospect that fellow Trencin product Andrej Meszaros is.
Grade: B-
Carolina Hurricanes – Andrew Ladd was probably the best player available when the ‘Canes picked at 4th. I don’t know if Ladd was worth trading up to snag, especially considering the fact that a very similar player in Tukonen was available at their original slot. Justin Peters, taken in the second round provides a goaltending prospect should promising Cam Ward falter. Casey Borer is a long shot defensive prospect from the WCHA. I think the ‘Canes would have been better served by staying put and taking either Marek Schwarz or Lauri Tukonen. A solid, but unspectacular showing from the home team.
Grade: B-
Chicago Blackhawks – Chicago did a good job taking the best player available in Cam Barker, despite a good pool of defensive prospects. They followed that up by taking Dave Bolland, Ryan Garlock, Bryan Bickell, and Jakub Sindel in the second round. That second round is nothing short of brilliant. Bolland is an intelligent playmaker who some scouts had as a first rounder. Garlock is a two-way center who had an injury shortened season, but looks to be a reliable guy. Bickell is a big kid who skates very well and has lots of upside. Sindel is a pure sniper, but has been tabbed as soft. All of these selections were great value picks. Adam Berti was taken in the final round of the first day and can be very good when properly motivated.
Grade: A
Colorado Avalanche – Wojtek Wolski fell to the Avs due to legal troubles, but many teams were foolish to pass on the Polish born sniper. The Avs get away with yet another steal. Wolski is very skilled, but needs to add a physical dimension to his game. Second round pick Oreshkovich provides a big body, although he will have to transition from the USHL. The Avs took tiny Denis Parshin in the third round, he has a lot of skill but may never make it because of his size.
Grade: B+
Florida Panthers – I’m sure Florida was happy to see Rostislav Olesz fall to seventh overall. Olesz has a whole lot of talent as a playmaker and enough size to compete in the NHL. Olesz is very solid and should develop into a good two-way player. Some question how well his skills will translate into the NHL and question his ability to produce at the highest level, but I don’t. David Shantz is a good goaltending prospect who had an outstanding post season with Mississauga. Shantz almost single-handedly led the IceDogs to the OHL finals. With Luongo’s emergence as a top goaltender, the Panthers can give him time to develop without a whole lot of pressure. Florida got excellent value with both of these selections.
Grade: B+
Los Angeles Kings – The Kings share award for steal of the day with the Blues. Lauri Tukonen should have been taken in the top five, I have no clue how he was allowed to slip to eleven. He’s a big Finnish forward who has a lot of skill and tons of energy. Tukonen has a skill set very similar to Andrew Ladd’s, which is why I can’t understand how he was available seven slots lower. They also took big longshot prep defenseman Paul Baier. Tukonen was absolute highway robbery, Kings fans should be thrilled. The only thing holding the Kings from a better grade was their lack of picks.
Grade: B+
Minnesota Wild – The Wild took hometown boy A.J. Thelen with the 12th pick overall. The pick may have been motivated by ticket sales, but Thelen was an excellent value selection. Thelen needs a lot of work and hopefully Michigan State is the right environment for him, but he has unlimited potential. Thelen could be a number one defenseman, he has all of the tools offensively and he’s a big kid. The Wild’s second pick was centreman Roman Voloshenko. Voloshenko is an extremely skilled playmaker who was dynamic in international play. Some worry that Voloshenko is too slow of foot, but he was a good risk in the middle of the second round. Plenty of playmaking NHL centremen were chided to improve their skating as junior players.
Grade: B+
Montreal Canadiens – The Canadiens think they got their future captain in Kyle Chipchura. No one thinks Chipchura will be winning any scoring titles, but he does all the little things well and has impeccable character. Players like Chipchura win championships. Montreal needs hardworking defensively responsible players and Chipchura is certainly that. Alexi Yemelin is a decent sleeper out of Russia, although he may be a little undersized for a defenseman.
Grade: B
Nashville Predators – Alexander Radulov has a whole lot of skill. Nashville doesn’t have a whole lot of scorers. That’s why his selection halfway through the first round makes a lot of sense. Radulov has a reputation for being a bit impetuous and perhaps Nashville is not the best environment for him, but he’s too good not to have gone in the top 15. Vaclav Meidl is a mean and nasty Czech forward who moved to North America to showcase his skills. He has a 6’4†frame and has the makings of a very good checking forward in years to come.
Grade: A-
New Jersey Devils – The Devils aren’t afraid to move up when they want a kid and for the second straight year they traded up to get the player they wanted, Travis Zajac. Zajac played for Salmon Arm of the BCHL, but drew scouts’ attention with his impressive play. It’s hard to argue with David Conte, so I won’t. Zajac is a big centre who has a really good feel for the game. Zajac will have to prove himself against better competition when he enrolls at North Dakota next year, but he has a lot of potential. New Jersey didn’t pick again, but I admire their confidence in grabbing the guy they wanted.
Grade: B
Ottawa Senators – Andrej Meszaros is extremely smart. He plays a mistake free game and isn’t shy about sparking the rush. He even represented his country in adult World Championships competition, an unheard of accomplishment, especially from a tier A nation like Slovakia. He may be a bit small, but he’s far from tiny. Ottawa snapped up an excellent opportunity when Meszaros fell into their hands. Kirill Lyamin was a great choice late in the second round. Lyamin is Tjutin junior and has been consistently underrated all year. He’s very solid with a good physical side. Lyamin and Meszaros may even make a good pairing in a few years. Peter Regin was a rare Danish selection. Ottawa did a whole lot with not a whole lot of assets in this draft, pound for pound the best draft of the day.
Grade: A
Pittsburgh Penguins – Malkin was a common sense selection. He’s a top notch prospect and figures to play on a top line. Pittsburgh claimed Johannes Salomonsson in the second round. The Swede is a great value pick with top line upside, but an injury kept him from showcasing his talents and dropped his stock. Salomonsson was being talked about as a top 15 guy prior to this season. AJHL prospect Nik Johnson and high schooler Brian Gifford round out a very good day for the waddlers.
Grade: A
St. Louis Blues – Marek Schwarz? Brilliant! If I was the Blues’ scouting staff, I’d be laughing my butt off right now. They got the best goaltender in the entire draft and made the best pick of the entire third round. Schwarz us a game stealing goaltender who would be every bit as good as Kari Lehtonen and MA Fleury if he handled the puck better. The fact that he slipped out of the top 10, let alone to 17 is simply astounding. Not only was the value absurd, but goaltending was a major need. Second round selection Carl Soderberg is a big sniper who needs a lot of work, but there’s plenty of upside to justify his selection. Third round choice Viktor Alexandrov is a feisty little guy who has a lot of skill. He was rated 8th among Euro skaters by CSB. Blues fans should drink to their scouts tonight.
Grade: A+
San Jose Sharks – Lukas Kaspar was a decent selection. He has plenty of size and skill, but needs to use both better. He could be coached into a very effective sniper, but it will be a long road to the NHL. San Jose continued their tradition of finding sleeper European goalies, selecting German Thomas Griess in the third round. If the past tells us anything, the kid’s a sure all-star.
Grade: B
Washington Capitals – Ovechkin was a no brainer. I don’t think you could get a scout outside of Pittsburgh to say he wasn’t the best player in the draft. Schultz has a lot of size and skill, but needs to be more a of bull in his own zone. If he can develop into a meaner player he will be real good. Mike Green was a fabulous selection late in the first. He should have been gone ten picks ago. Green is the most well balanced defenseman in the class. Chris Bourque is too small for the NHL and should have fallen another round or two, even his famous dad didn’t expect him to go that early. Michal Yunkov is a playmaking specialist, but is boom or bust. Sami Lepisto was a good pick, eventhough he really only had one impressive tournament. He could be a solid defensman.
Grade: A
Losers:
Atlanta Thrashers – The Thrashers made a big splash when they took Slovakian giant Boris Valabik with the tenth pick. Valabik is a boom or bust prospect. Valabik is a less polished version of Zdeno Chara. If he overcomes skating deficiencies and starts to use better judgment, he could become a very nasty opponent and a goalie’s best friend. Second round pick Grant Lewis is an underdeveloped defenseman who will need a lot of seasoning, but he has 3 years at Dartmouth to mature. Third rounder Scott Lehman, another defenseman is not a personal favourite, there are major concerns about his ability to think the game. Atlanta swung for the fences, they could look very foolish in a few years.
Grade: C
Boston Bruins – Boston didn’t have a whole lot to work with, drafting only twice at the bottom of the second round. They took a pair of undersized Eastern Europeans with their consecutive picks. Martins Karsums, their second selection is a crafty Latvian winger who made good progress in the Q this season. David Krejci was an unknown until the WU18 where he tallied a point per game. Boston really couldn’t do much, but didn’t do terribly.
Grade: C-
Calgary Flames – One of the joys of the draft last year was watching Darryl Sutter smother defenseman Dion Phaenuf and run off the stage like he’d stolen something. Sutter’s first selection this year was Kris Chucko, Travis Zajac’s teammate at Salmon Arm. Chuko may have been a reach, but he’s the kind of tough two-way player that Sutter likes. Trading down was a wise move. Dustin Boyd is a solid player, but I don’t know if he has what it takes to make it. Brandon Prust, the London Knight’s centreman is not a barnburner either, but that’s not Sutter’s style. After an incredible draft last year, the Flames disappointed me a little.
Grade: C-
Columbus Bluejackets – The Bluejackets failed to address their needs or get good value from their first pick when they traded down to select Alexandre Picard. Picard is a good player, who should add much needed scoring. However, there were several good defensemen available that would have filled a hole on the Bluejackets’ extremely thin blueline. If they were going to select a forward, they would have been better off staying out at #4 and taking Ladd, Olesz, or Tukonen. Their second round selections Adam Pineault and Kyle Wharton couldn’t be more different. Pineault was a top prospect last season, but failed to earn ice time with Boston College. Pineault has skill to burn and could be a big scorer, but has yet to put anything together. Wharton is a solid defenseman who should have little difficulty adjusting to the NHL. Owen Sound goaltender Dan Lacosta was their third round selection.
Grade: C+
Dallas Stars – Dallas traded down twice from 20 to 22 and then to 28 and still got the player they wanted all along in Marc Fistric. Fistric might have been a reach, but he’s a big mean defenseman who can really lay a hit on someone. Fistric is completely one dimensional, which is why he isn’t the most inventive selection. They would have been better off staying put and taking either Andrej Meszaros or Mike Green to replace the aging Sergei Zubov. Johan Fransson, taken 34th overall is that kind of player, but he’s not nearly as well thought of as Green and Meszaros. Raymond Sawada projects to be a defensive forward, he’s a hard worker and could develop into a big hitter. Niklas Grossman is a huge Swedish defenseman who hasn’t really played against high level competition, a major project.
Grade: C+
Detroit Red Wings – Their first pick was 97th overall, so there was not a whole lot of room for creativity. Their selection, Johan Franzen is a big Swede who can play along the wing. The Wings hope they have seen the second coming of Tomas Holmstrom, but I’m not sold. The Wings got less out of this draft than anyone, not great for a team that’s getting so long in the tooth.
Grade: D
Edmonton Oilers – The Oilers usually surprise people at the draft each year, this year’s first selection was no exception. The Oilers took 6’5†goaltender Devan Dubnyk from Kamloops of the WHL over Czech keeper Marek Schwarz. Dubnyk can certainly fill the net, but his size doesn’t allow for great recovery when he’s caught out of position. The key to his game will have to be discipline. The decision to take Dubnyk rattled me and frankly I think it was downright stupid. Time will tell whether Kevin Lowe made the right choice in goaltenders. Roman Teslyuk was a solid choice and adds to Edmonton’s considerable defensive prospect. Geoff Paukovich was a good risk in the second round. He’s a massive winger.
Grade: D-
New York Islanders – I think Mike Millbury wanted Blake Wheeler (he said before the draft that he was going to make a big splash with an unexpected selection) and was preempted when Phoenix took him in the top five. Instead he took Petteri Nokelainen, a solid forward who has been a pesky defender in Finland. Nokelainen has some scoring potential as well. Sergei Ogordnikov adds to the European invasion.
Grade: C+
New York Rangers – The Rangers took Alvaro Montoya far too early for my liking. Hopefully they won’t ruin him by throwing him to the wolves like they did with Dan Blackburn. A lot of scouts like Montoya more than I do, but not many had him sixth or better. They should have taken Lauri Tukonen. Their second pick first round pick, Lauri Korpikoski has been a little blue and white rocket the last year. He’s gone from unknown to hot commodity as fast as anyone in recent memory. He would not have been available had the Rangers stayed put at 24. Bruce Graham, taken in the second round is a behemoth who needs to assert himself more often. Graham was a good selection. Zdenek Bahensky was also a good pickup. Bahnesky is a sniper who needs some time in North America to get more physical. Dane Byers has some tools, but he doesn’t think the game very well. The Rangers finally have some prospects, but I think they could have done much better.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Flyers – The Flyers only picked once on the first day and took someone I’ve never even heard of. That about says it.
Grade: wtf
Phoenix Coyotes – Phoenix obviously saw something in Blake Wheeler that a lot of other scouting organizations didn’t. Wheeler isn’t a bad selection, but The Coyotes had trading partners trying to get the fifth pick in order to select goaltender Alvaro Montoya and they could have picked up some assets and still gotten Wheeler in the teens. Wheeler is a towering forward, but Phoenix did not take advantage of their assets. Enver Lisin was taken in the second round. Lisin is a speedy Russian who has a lot of potential. Phoenix did well to get him at 50, his selection improves their grade substantially.
Grade: C+
Tampa Bay Lightning – I don’t believe Jay Feaster when he says Andy Rogers was rated sixth on Tampa’s draft board. Still, Rogers is a good prospect. He has the hardest shot in the draft class and is a good skater. He would not have been on the board for much longer had Tampa chosen someone else. Second round pick Mark Tobin is a huge winger who is a bit of a sleeper. He was a good value pick late in the second.
Grade:C+
Toronto Maple Leafs – Justin Pogge was their only selection. He’s an athletic goalie with some upside, but he’s not a sure bet to do anything. Not a great day’s catch.
Grade: D
Vancouver Canucks – Cory Schneider is an unproven goaltender who has never faced any sort of competition. A lot scouts say that he has skating flaws. However he interviews well, so he’s a perfectly good first round selection. Schneider is years and years off if he ever cracks an NHL line up. Boston College is a good program, hopefully four years there will turn him into a player who merits first round acclaim.
Grade: C-