Draft results Rounds 1-3 - comment away!

[Ohio Jones]

Rd Pick Org. Tm Drafting Tm. Player Selected
1 1 NAS# NAS Erik Johnson
1 2 COL COL Niklas Backstrom
1 3 TOR TOR Jordan Staal
1 4 DAL DAL Jonathan Toews
1 5 PHX PHX Phil Kessel
1 6 PIT PIT Peter Mueller
1 7 LAK+ LAK Derrick Brassard
1 8 ATL ATL Kyle Okposo
1 9 NYR NYR Michael Frolik
1 10 VAN OTT Jiri Tlusty
1 11 CAR CAR James Sheppard
1 12 FLA FLA Bryan Little
1 13 MTL MTL Bobby Sanguinetti
1 14 CGY CGY Ondrej Fiala
1 15 TAM NYI Chris Stewart
1 16 CHI CHI Jonathan Bernier
1 17 ANA ANA Michael Forney
1 18 STL COL Riku Helenius
1 19 NYI NAS Jesse Joensuu
1 20 OTT CGY Patrik Berglund
1 21 PHI COL Nigel Williams
1 22 MIN MIN Yuri Alexandrov
1 23 DET DET Claude Giroux
1 24 WAS* OTT Cory Emmerton
1 25 EDM* EDM Ty Wishart
1 26 NJD* OTT Tomas Kana
1 27 SJS* FLA Cal Clutterbuck
1 28 CBJ* ANA David Fischer
1 29 BOS* STL Chris Summers
1 30 BUF** ANA Michael Grabner

2 31 COL STL Ben Maxwell
2 32 TOR DET Tomas Marcinko
2 33 DAL DAL Mark Mitera
2 34 NAS NAS Jamie McGinn
2 35 PHX PHX Ivan Vishnevski
2 36 PIT PIT Ryan White
2 37 LAK+ LAK Alexander Vasyunov
2 38 ATL ATL Ben Shutron
2 39 NYR NYR Nick Foligno
2 40 VAN WAS Ryan Hillier
2 41 CAR CGY Artem Anisimov
2 42 FLA STL Dennis Persson
2 43 MTL MTL Vladimir Zharkov
2 44 CGY PIT Brian Strait
2 45 TAM OTT Oskar Osala
2 46 CHI CHI Mathieu Carle
2 47 ANA CBJ Joe Ryan
2 48 STL STL Cody Burki
2 49 NYI NYR Trevor Lewis
2 50 OTT CGY Bryce Swan
2 51 PHI CAR Carl Sneep
2 52 MIN MIN Andrei Popov
2 53 DET DET Mike Weber
2 54 WAS* CGY Andreas Nodl
2 55 EDM* CBJ Nikolai Kulemin
2 56 NJD* CBJ Eric Gryba
2 57 SJS* SJS Kris Berglund
2 58 CBJ* BUF Shawn Matthias
2 59 BOS* BOS Bobby Hughes
2 60 BUF** DET David Ruzicka

3 61 COL COL Leland Irving (NAG2)
3 62 TOR NAS Luke Lynes (NA48)
3 63 DAL DAL Francois Bouchard (NA41)
3 64 NAS NAS John Armstrong (NA51)
3 65 PHX PHX Jamie McBain (NA84)
3 66 PIT CBJ Jan-Mikael Juutilainen (EU24)
3 67 LAK+ CGY David Kveton (EU12)
3 68 ATL ATL Brady Calla (NA28)
3 69 NYR NYR Simon Danis-Pepin (NA61)
3 70 VAN VAN Mike Ratchuk (NA81)
3 71 CAR STL Jhonas Enroth (EUG1)
3 72 FLA TOR Joe Palmer (NAG4)
3 73 MTL MTL Tony Lagerstrom (EU28)
3 74 CGY CGY Riley Holzapfel (EU37)
3 75 TAM TAM Jonas Ahnelov (EU10)
3 76 CHI CHI Igor Zubov (EU37)
3 77 ANA CBJ Kevin Montgomery (NA45)
3 78 STL CBJ Blake Geoffrion (NA33)
3 79 NYI STL Derrick Lapoint (NA49)
3 80 OTT NAS Matt Beleskey (NA46)
3 81 PHI LAK Brad Marchand (NA80)
3 82 MIN FLA Felix Schutz (Not rated)
3 83 DET DET Nikolai Lemtyugov (STL '05)
3 84 WAS* BUF Billy Sauer (NAG13)
3 85 EDM* NAS Semen Varlamov (EUG2)
3 86 NJD* PIT Mike Carman (NA63)
3 87 SJS* SJS Robin Lindqvist (EU81)
3 88 CBJ* DET Niklas Backstrom (MIN FA 2006)
3 89 BOS* LAK Harrison Reed (NA71)
3 90 BUF** BUF Niko Hovinen (EUG7)

Click to read more...

 

[MatthewFlames]

Pick 26 should be OTT
Pick 50 should be CGY

 

[Ohio Jones]

Rd Pick Org. Tm Drafting Tm. Player Selected
2 47 ANA CBJ Joe Ryan
2 55 EDM* CBJ Nikolai Kulemin
2 56 NJD* CBJ Eric Gryba
3 66 PIT CBJ Jan-Mikael Juutilainen (EU24)
3 77 ANA CBJ Kevin Montgomery (NA45)
3 78 STL CBJ Blake Geoffrion (NA33)

Completed three trades:

- Sent 28th overall pick to Anaheim for 47th and 77th overall and Anaheim's 3rd in 2007
- Sent CBK 4th 2006 and CBJ 2nd 2007 to New Jersey for 56th and D Alexei Semenov
- Sent L/RW Kirk Maltby to Pittsburgh for 66th and 78th overall

Very pleased to have picked up great 2-way forwards and defencemen with a good mix of character, grit and leadership, skating, vision and hands throughout. Some long-term projects, but 20-year-old Kulemin in particular may get a chance to try his luck as a pro in North America as early as this season.

With onyl one 7th round selection left, the Jackets will not be a factor in the later rounds, when many interesting prospects are still on the boards. I have to say, though, I'm pretty pleased with how today went. I would have been more pleased if Keith had traded all his picks to me like he was supposed to...

 

[Ohio Jones]

Pick 26 should be OTT
Pick 50 should be CGY

Thanks. 66 is CBJ, too - I can't believe I mistyped my own pick!

 

[Fan.At]

#18 Helenius = Colorado
#31 Maxwell = St. Louis
at least on my list

 

[Ohio Jones]

Changes made, here and in the excel file. Thanks.

 

[MatthewFlames]

1 14 CGY CGY Ondrej Fiala
1 20 OTT CGY Patrik Berglund
2 41 CAR CGY Artem Anisimov
2 50 OTT CGY Bryce Swan
2 54 WAS CGY Andreas Nodl
3 67 LAK CGY David Kveton
3 74 CGY CGY Riley Holzapfel

Trades: The 26th overall pick to OTT for the 41, 50 and 54 picks.

By the time the tenth pick was taken all the players I was interested in for the 14th pick were taken. I tried to move down from the 14th, but the offers were not that great, although both the 18 & 19 picks were available. Of the next tier of players, I liked Fiala, Berglund, Swan and Forney. I figured by the time the 20 pick came around, Fiala was the most likely to be taken.

I saw Fiala play this season, and thought he really improved as the season went on. He has all skills & skating to be a very good player in the NHL, and of the players available was the only one I saw that mixed 'likely to play in the NHL' and very big upside. I think his injuries this season affected people's opinion of him. Good size, great skating, soft hands, coachable. Plus, ISS compares his style to Patrick Elias. Can't go wrong there!

At the 20th spot, it was down to Berglund or Swan - since Forney was taken at 17 - and after talking to a bunch of GM's this past week, nobody mentioned Swan, so I thought I'd wait. Berglund it was. I like his size and skills, though he has yet to put it together, I didn't see anyone better here. Another great skater, with good size as well, and soft hands. I always go with the great skaters....

When the 26th spot came around it was Swan or go for a hit/miss player. My list was Swan, Giroux, McGinn or Anisimov or one of the other Russians. I was gonna pick Anisimov in the end when Keith came through with those three second rounders.

When the 41 pick came around I couldn't believe Anisimov was still there - but I really wanted Swan - but again - nobody was talking about him - so I figured that he would be around at 50. Anisimov is a guy who developed as the year went on, another sign I always look for when drafting. Good size at 6'3 and can skate. Was great at the world's U-18. Has all the tools - if you believe ISS - who were the only ones to rate him that highly (at 14 overall.)

I was really sweating it out and kicking myself at the 47 pick when I thought that someone was bound to take my fave player in this draft (outside of Backstrom)... but there he was at 50 - Bryce Swan. Why the infatuation with Swan you ask. Well, he is another player that has all things needed to play in the NHL. Size. Great skating. Likes the rough and tumble. Good hands. He was awesome in two games i saw him in the playoffs. He got better as the year went on. Heart and soul guy says a couple of scouting reports. The only problem was that he suffered through a couple of injuries this season, so not many people got to see him.

At 54 - with five picks already - it was time for another boom or bust player - and I believe that good skating will always get you a shot in the NHL - even if it's as a checker - and though he will have to get stronger I went with Nodl. Nodl - well, we all know. Great skater. Dominated at the level he played (which was pretty low..) .. Good size & stocky as well. Who knows how good he really is.. but worth the gamble at 54.

As the third round came, and I'd got most of the players I wanted, it was difficult to choose. I really need another Goalie or two in the system, but I wasn't enamoured with anyone. When the 67 pick came around I went with the best player available IMO, though he wasn't on my lists. That was Kveton. Another finess player, a bit small, and maybe too soft for the NHL, but has the skill set, creativity and skating. You can always make something of a player who can really skate and has puck skills (even if it's only getting you a Mountain Dew million dollars as a point getter in the AHL.)

Same story at the 74 pick. Went with the best forward availalbe on my lists in Riley Holzapfel, another player I'd actually got to watch this season. Hard to say what kind of player he will turn out to be, but seems to have decent hands, and once again.. a great skater. Will see if he really has any offensive skills when he moves to the top line next year.

I have two picks left, at the middle of the 7th round, and have no idea yet who'll be on my list.

Overall, a few reaches, especially at 14 - but with all those picks, there will be a player or two amongst them.

 

[Ville Isopaa]

1 2 COL COL Niklas Backstrom
1 18 STL COL Riku Helenius
1 21 PHI COL Nigel Williams
3 61 COL COL Leland Irving

Trades: The 18th overall pick from STL for the 31 and 42 picks.

After the show that Bäckström put on in the WC this spring, there was no doubt who would be drafted to Colorado. Question was only if I could trade down and still get him. In the end I didn't feel that there was anything that would help me enough to take the risk of not getting my guy and I went and got my swede. Bäckström is the first nordic player I've drafted in the 1st round.

With Bernier gone at 16th, I felt I had to move up in the draft to secure Helenius. Sending two high 2nd rounders felt like it was definetly worth it, as I had no specific player I was targeting with the later one, the 42nd. I was also considering picking Williams at 18th and hope that Helenius would drop to 21st, but like last year with Lee/Pavelec, I went with the gut feeling that Williams might still be there at 21st. Helenius is the highest Finn I've ever drafted.

And as I hoped, just a few picks later Nigel Williams was still there, and the choise was easy. Picking the no.2 defenseman in the draft and adding depth and strenght to the defense. Some say Williams a bit of a risky guy, but he still has the potential to match EJ's.


At 61st, I was just hoping someone would drop. And I was more than suprised to see the clear cut no.3 goalie in the draft still available in the 3rd round. Didn't have to think twice, even if I already had two starters in Pavelec and Helenius. Leeland Irving provides a depth on goaltending that has never been seen in Colorado, with 3 potential starters. Goaltending has now gone from an organisational weakness to something that can be traded from.


Overall this draft has so far added a top 6 forward to play with Crosby, Ryan, Olesz, Fehr, Pouliot, Bergenheim, Comeau and Lascek a top 4 defenseman to add to the already deep blueline of Komisarek, Morrisonn, Ranger, Ballard, Lee, Parent, Russell. And finally the goaltending depth is now as deep as can be needed with 3 potential starting goalies in the organisation. The future looks brighter every day for Colorado.

 

[SPG]

1 9 NYR NYR Michael Frolik, RW
2 39 NYR NYR Nick Foligno, C/LW
2 49 NYI NYR Trevor Lewis, C
3 69 NYR NYR Simon Danis-Pepin, D

I'm satisfied overall with my draft so far... although I was hoping Okposo would drop to #9

 

[Fan.At]

doug, i found one more problem:
pick #79 Derrick Lapoint was a pick by St. Louis, not Philly

 

[Ohio Jones]

doug, i found one more problem:
pick #79 Derrick Lapoint was a pick by St. Louis, not Philly

Quite right - thanks.

 

[Fan.At]

Interesting Statistics

		Picks	Pctg
Atlantic		9	10	%
Northeast	13	14,44	%
Southeast	10	11,11	%
Central		28	31,11	%
Pacific		15	16,67	%
Northwest	15	16,67	%
		90	100	%
			
Eastern		32	35,56	%
Western	58	64,44	%

Pretty interesting stats so far. The Western Conference had nearly twice as many picks so far and the Central Division had nearly one third of ALL the picks in the first 3 rounds.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Pretty interesting stats so far. The Western Conference had nearly twice as many picks so far and the Central Division had nearly one third of ALL the picks in the first 3 rounds.

I get the feeling the Central will remain the league's toughest division for quite some time, Tony.