The 2011 Double-A Draft (sign-up, roster, picks, everything)

[Velociraptor]

Juha Widing and Tom Poti for the Wings.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

The Pirates select a pair of Russians.

RW Andrei Kovalenko and D Danny Markov

x1 30 Goals, x2 20 Goals
x3 Top 5 Shooting % (4,4,5), x1 Top 10 Shooting % (7)

The Russian tank will provide a net presence on the powerplay and finish my first line with sniper Josef Cerny and center Carey Wilson.

Kovalenko has never forgotten his roots. He was grateful for the opportunity to play for his national team in the 1991 Canada Cup, the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the 1998 Olympics. After a dismal season in Canada he scored only six goals in the regular season, Kovalenko's performance in Nagano, Japan, was excellent. In six games, he scored four goals. He dreams of being invited to play for Russia in the Olympics at Salt Lake City in 2002.

During his first three years in the NHL, Kovalenko's output was moderate. Then his team moved from Quebec City to Denver, Colorado. The Colorado Avalanche were headed for the Stanley Cup and wanted to get their hands on Montreal's Patrick Roy, who was in a dispute with Canadiens coach Mario Tremblay at the time. In order to get Roy, the Avalanche decided to sacrifice their young forwards Kovalenko and Martin Rucinsky. Kovalenko's nine goals in the previous 10 games with Colorado didn't encourage his team to keep him.

Kovalenko stayed with Montreal for less than a season. His performance was good during the regular season but fell short in the playoffs. That was all the excuse the club's administration needed to trade him to Edmonton. In the regular season he scored 32 goals, but after a year with the Oilers, Kovalenko finally came through in the playoffs, scoring four important goals in the series. However, the next year he scored only half a dozen goals and he appeared on the ice only in one playoff game. Kovalenko asked general manager Glen Sather to trade him. Six months later, at the start of the 1998-99 season, his wish was granted.

His term with Philadelphia lasted less than two months. He saw little ice time and in 13 games he earned only one point. Kovalenko thought the Flyers only wanted him so they could get rid of the costly Alexandre Daigle, who wasn't on good terms with Bobby Clarke. Still, Philadelphia was actively seeking an experienced defenseman, and...Kovalenko was swapped. Philly coach Roger Neilson told him, "Don't blame it on yourself, you were just missing your chance."

Since March of 1999, the Russian Tank has been playing for the Carolina Hurricanes, who take advantage of his ability as a shooter. Coach Paul Morris and veteran players Ron Francis and Gary Roberts are firm in their opinion that Kovalenko has become an integral part of the team.

x1 WC Gold
20:47TOI in 538 Regular Season GP
21:58TOI in 81 Playoff GP

Daniil, who is of no relation to Andrei, will pair with the offensive-minded Rick Lanz. Markov's still playing in the KHL and is currently the captain of Vityaz Chekhov.

Fearless in his approach to hockey, Markov shows a passion on the ice that demonstrates his immense love of the game. Unafraid to slide in front of a slapshot, play through injuries, or holler at an opponent in his native tongue, Markov was the 223rd selection in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He made his debut during the 1997-98 season, splitting the season between Toronto and their AHL affiliate in St. John's, while representing his homeland at the 1998 World Championships. But by 1998-99, he was a full-time NHL defenseman. Markov played three seasons in Toronto before he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in the deal that brought Robert Reichel and Travis Green to Toronto.

In his first season with the Coyotes, Markov established a career high in assists with 30 and points with 36 and was a member of Russia's bronze medal Olympic Team in Salt Lake City. Injuries plagued Markov in 2002-03, limiting the Phoenix rearguard to 64 games before being acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in the summer of 2003.

Upon his arrival in Carolina, Markov tallied 14 points in 44 games before being dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers for Justin Williams. The Flyers had suffered key injuries to their blueline and hoped that the acquisition of Markov would help them compensate for their injuries. Upon his arrival with the Flyers, Markov continued to be force on the blue line, helping the club reach the Eastern Conference Final.

Although the Flyers fell short in their attempt to reach the Stanley Cup final, Markov season would not be over, as he would represent his homeland at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Following a lock out year in 2004-05, Markov was acquired by the Nashville Predators in the summer of 2005 and would compete a mere 58 games with the club. That season Markov would once again represent Russia in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Following the Predators elimination from the 2006 NHL playoffs, the feisty defenceman was acquired by the Detroit Red Wings in the off-season.

On a team full of slick-skating, skilled defensemen such as Kimmo Timonen, Marek Zidlicky and Dan Hamhuis, Markov will serve as the sandpaper — the player most likely to throw his body in front of a power-play slap shot, battle power forwards in front of the net and generally make life unbearable for opponents' top lines.

"The one term that comes to mind for Danny Markov is 'ultimate warrior,' " says hockey analyst Bill Clement, who will serve as studio host for Outdoor Life Network. "Nobody plays the game harder than him, and I mean nobody."

Markov, a Russian, recalled seeking out contact from an early age.

"If I remember, I always liked it. I don't know why," Markov says. "This is the game of hockey. It's a physical game."

Since coming into the league in 1997-98, Markov has built a reputation for toughness.

Predators forward Steve Sullivan recalls shaking his head at some of the sacrifices Markov was willing to make when the two played together in Toronto.

"His body is second to winning, no questions asked, because he does whatever it takes," Sullivan says. "He's one of those guys who reacts first and thinks later. There's never a night off with that man."

In helping Philadelphia reach the Eastern Conference final in 2003-04, the 6-1, 190-pound Markov proved a perfect fit on one of the biggest, baddest teams in the league. The Flyers eventually traded Markov to the Predators because of salary-cap concerns.

"He may not be huge in stature, but he's got a huge heart," Flyers captain Keith Primeau says. "He's an extremely competitive guy, loves to make contact and loves to be physical. He's a guy that will almost always play the last few minutes of a game — whether you're up a goal or down a goal."

Markov's game is by no means one-dimensional. He has compiled a respectable 120 points (25 goals, 95 assists) in 414 NHL games, tying his career best with six goals in 2003-04.

"I think people probably sell him a little short on that end of the ice," Predators coach Barry Trotz says. "He's got good skills, and he likes to jump up in the play. I could certainly see him on a second power-play unit."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/predators/2005-09-22-markov_x.htm

 

[BenchBrawl]

Michel Larocque G & Brad Boyes RW for the wings

 

[tony d]

Garnish selects defenseman John Michael Liles and Goaltender Urpo Ylonen.

John Michael Liles:

-292 points in 552 NHL games
-3 40 + Point Seasons
-2003-2004 All-Rookie Team Selection

For more on Liles click the following link:

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=19713

Urpo Ylonen

Some facts on Ylonen:

-Inducted in the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997
-188 Games with the Finnish National team
-Best Goalie at the 1970 World Hockey Championship

For more on Ylonen click the following link:

http://www.vapriikki.net/jaakiekkomuseo/english/honoured/ylonen_u_e.htm

 

[Hedberg]

The Rensselaer Engineers select:

G Ron Grahame

1975 WHA 1st Team All-Star
1976 WHA 2nd Team All-Star
1975 WHA Ben Hatskin Trophy (Best Goaltender)
1975 WHA Playoff MVP

VanI:

Ron Grahame was an NCAA all-star who was a great starter for a four-year stretch that included a WHA championship (he was twice WHA top goaltender and once a second team all-star) and only 6 loses in a 40-game NHL season as a Bruin the year they went to the Stanley Cup Final. Until his 28th birthday he was a star goalie everywhere he had played. Then the wheels fell off of the wagon when he was traded to Los Angeles for a first round pick (Boston used to pick a guy named Raymond Bourque).

C Jorgen Jonsson

International Hockey Legends:

Home is where the heart is. For Sweden's Jorgen Jonsson, that old saying proved very true. He resisted the National Hockey League until the age of 28. And even after a successful rookie season in the NHL, Jonsson packed his bags and went back home.

Citing personal reasons such as his family being unhappy away from Sweden, Jonsson somewhat reluctantly signed a 1 year contract with the New York Islanders in 1999-2000. Originally a draft pick of the Calgary Flames, the Swedish Elite League veteran made it clear he had no intentions of going to North America. But that did not stop the Isles from trading for his rights. The Isles had a key drawing card in convincing Jorgen to jump the Atlantic - star defenseman Kenny Jonsson. Kenny, the Isles captain during that season, is Jorgen's younger brother.

Jorgen agreed to come over in order to play with his brother, but only signed the 1 year contract as he seemed to have his mind made up before he came over that this would be a short term thing.

Jorgen was touted as a solid player who could help almost any team immediately because of his skating and defensive expertise. He was a great penalty killer and worked well on a checking line. And though his numbers did not necessarily suggest it, he had some good offensive tools too. He was a shifty skater with a good burst of speed. He was an intelligent passer and protected the puck well.

Upon returning to Sweden, Jorgen signed a 4 year deal with Farjestad, the Swedish Elite League club that he starred with for 4 years prior to his stint in the National Hockey League. He retired in 2009 as quite the legend back in Sweden. He won 2 Olympic gold medals, two world championship gold medals, and five Swedish league titles. He was so highly respected that as a veteran he was normally named captain of Team Sweden if Mats Sundin was not available for tournaments.

1997 Guldpucken

Played for Sweden in:

1994 Winter Olympics (gold medal)
1994 World Championships (bronze medal)
1997 World Championships (silver medal)
1998 Winter Olympics
1998 World Championships (gold medal)
1999 World Championships (bronze medal)
2000 World Championships
2001 World Championships (bronze medal)
2002 Winter Olympics
2002 World Championships (bronze medal) Captain
2003 World Championships (silver medal)
2004 World Championships Captain (silver medal)
2004 World Cup of Hockey
2005 World Championships Captain
2006 Winter Olympics (gold medal)
2006 World Championships (gold medal)

 

[chaosrevolver]

This happened so fast..really disappointed I couldn't participate. Expected a PM.

 

[vecens24]

He only had 1 vote, a 3rd place selection (technically finishing 13th)

Oh not as much as I expected. Doesn't make it a bad pick or anything it's still good. Just thought he got a few more votes and finished top 10 at least.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

J.M. Liles is a fantastic pick if you want an offensive defenseman at this point.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Lydman got a single 4th place vote for the Norris last year - which IMO, is meaningless.

He also received a single vote for 2nd Team All Star last year - probably from the same writer.

I'd say he doesn't have a Norris or all-star record at all.

On the other hand, you could argue that maybe he should have some kind of record, as he served as the defensive conscience for Vishnovsky, who led the league in points from defensemen and finished 4th in both Norris and All Star voting.

 

[Hobnobs]

The Rensselaer Engineers select:

G Ron Grahame

1975 WHA 1st Team All-Star
1976 WHA 2nd Team All-Star
1975 WHA Ben Hatskin Trophy (Best Goaltender)
1975 WHA Playoff MVP

VanI:


C Jorgen Jonsson

International Hockey Legends:


1997 Guldpucken

Played for Sweden in:

1994 Winter Olympics (gold medal)
1994 World Championships (bronze medal)
1997 World Championships (silver medal)
1998 Winter Olympics
1998 World Championships (gold medal)
1999 World Championships (bronze medal)
2000 World Championships
2001 World Championships (bronze medal)
2002 Winter Olympics
2002 World Championships (bronze medal) Captain
2003 World Championships (silver medal)
2004 World Championships Captain (silver medal)
2004 World Cup of Hockey
2005 World Championships Captain
2006 Winter Olympics (gold medal)
2006 World Championships (gold medal)

My question is, why do you have a picture of Kenny?

This is Jörgen.

 

[Hedberg]

My question is, why do you have a picture of Kenny?

All Swedish brothers are twins

Thanks - I'll fix it.

 

[Hobnobs]

Michigan Wolverines selects:

Horace Merrill, D and Gord Pettinger, C

 

[seventieslord]

Bob Froese, G.

Wow, did I ever go back and forth on this one. Do I really want a guy with 242 NHL games? And the answer is yes. I'll explain why.

First of all, Froese has a 2nd all-star team nomination. That alone makes him worthy of consideration. But there are other all-star teamers not yet selected, and rightfully so. So more deliberation was required.

So let's look at his 2nd team all-star season, 1986. Froese was actually two voting points away from being a Vezina winner, being narrowly edged by John Vanbiesbrouck, 60-58. But Philadelphia had a knack for making their goalies look better than they were during the 1980s. Was Froese really the NHL's 2nd-best goalie for a season? Because if he was, you put that together with a career seven more seasons longer, and that alone clinches it. The details of Froese's 1986 season:

- He led the NHL with a .909 sv%, plus three team stats (31 wins, 2.55 GAA, 5 SO)
- Froese's edge in sv% was more than enough to transcend team factors: He was just 4 points ahead of runner-up Kelly Hrudey, and 14 points ahead of "the pack", led by Clint Malarchuk. He was also 35 points better than the league average of .874.
- If Philly was making Froese look better, why didn't they make Jensen, Lindbergh & Resch look better in the 42 games they played in? The three managed a combined sv% of .883.
- Froese's sv% was the highest recorded in the entire 1980s. There were only six times in the 1980s that a goalie played 2400 minutes and recorded a .900 sv%.
- The Flyers were the league's 2nd most-penalized team, leading to more high-percentage PP shots against. Froese held the fort very well.

Maybe not a season for the ages, but one of the finest seasons of the 1980s.

Froese was a bit of a hidden gem before that, though:

- In 1985, he played just 17 games behind Vezina winner Lindbergh, but his .914 sv% was better than Lindbergh's .899.
- In 1984, he played 48 games to Lindbergh's 36, and his 7th-place sv% of .887 dstroyed Lindbergh's brutal .860. (he was actually 7th in all-star voting this year too, with 10 voting points) No one played more minutes than Froese and had a better sv%. Philly was also the 4th-most penalized team in the NHL this year.
- In 1983, the rookie Froese played 24 games behind Lindbergh, posting a sv% of .896 that would have been 5th in the NHL had he maintained it over more games. (Lindbergh was 2nd with .890)

With Philadelphia careers almost entirely overlapping, Froese outperformed Lindbergh rather significantly, with a sv% of .899 as a Flyer to Lindbergh's .887. And it's not like he was playing backup minutes: He played 8101 in Philly; Lindbergh played 9150.

After his 1986 season, it was a mixed bag, but there was some good. In 1987, he was 12th with an .885 sv%, out of 40 goalies with 25+ GP. In the following three seasons, he faded, but performed at a level close to the league average (.874 vs. .880)

Few goalies have started off so well as he did as rookie in 1982-83... While Flyers have been waiting for Pelle Lindbergh to reach his potential, Froese has quietly done a steady job in nets... relieves stress of goaltending with sense of humour... plays standup style and covers angles well...

Became Flyers' #1 goalie following the tragic death of Pelle Lindbergh. "I always wanted to be #1... but not this way."... Proved he could handle the load under emotionally difficult circumstances...

Froese is a standup goaltender, excellent at cutting down the shooter's angles... he comes out to challenge effectivemy and is good at deflecting shots either to teammates or into the corners.. handles his rebounds well... has fast hands and feet... Vulnerable when he comes out of the net on breakaways... not as good off his feet as he is standing up, but when he butterflies he covers the bottom half well... has very strong concentration and is mentally tough, able to forget about bad outings or goals... can become nonchalant after a few good games in a row and loses a degree of intensity... he was outstanding in the playoffs, regardless of the results, and held the team together with steady performances throughout the year...no one could have asked for more from him last year.

a cool customer...GM Esposito was happy to get Froese... "Bob is a quality goaltender, an all-star", he said...

Jason Woolley, PP specialist defenseman.

Jason Woolley, D

Woolley was not good defensively... at all. he's an offensive specialist, true and true. But he is a damn fine offensive specialist for this level. His 0.52 adjusted points per game average in his career is now the highest among available defensemen, and it remains to be seen if Liles can maintain that average for the 200 games that he trails Woolley by.

Woolley played sheltered minutes for much of his career, averaging just 17.1 minutes. As such, he had a career adjusted +/- of +109, showing the folly of using adjusted +/- on its own to judge modern defensemen beyond the ATD level. Minutes played are very important. However, Woolley, like a poor man's version of Fredrik Olausson, did appear to dominate the 2nd and 3rd lines he played against.

Despite being a defenseman, Woolley is actually the 3rd-highest-scoring available playoff player of all-time, with 47 points in 77 games. (note: Mikael Samuelsson was ahead at this time and is now selected) His best playoff run was 1999, when he was 8th in the NHL in playoff points and 1st among defensemen. The year before, he was 18th in total points and 3rd among defensemen, behind only Lidstrom and Murphy

The highest he ever placed on a team in icetime was 3rd with the Pens in 1997. With Buffalo, the team for which he played the most, and for whom is he is best known, he was almost always a #6 defenseman in overall time, but 1st on the PP, as he played on the first unit with Zhitnik.

Woolley is pretty much a one-way defenseman, but since that one way has never been at the elite level of a Paul Coffey, he has always been somewhat of a journeyman... rushes the puck well and sets up from the point... he does not have a bullet shot but he gets it away quickly and keeps it low and on net... has the vision to spot a man low for a pass... mobile but doesn't possess blazing speed. He can lug the puck or make an outlet pass... uses finesse skills in his defense... has good size but isn't a physical presence... had to settle for $950,000 in salary arbitration... needs to score in the 40-point range to make up for the other things he doesn't bring to the table...

------------------------------------------------------------

Love the Widing, Markov, Boyes, Ylonen, Liles & Lydman picks. Hate the Larocque pick. Not really sure about any of the others. Pettinger, for example, is really hard to get a read on. The four cups are intriguing - but what did he do, personally?

 

[Hobnobs]

Bob Froese, G.

Jason Woolley, PP specialist defenseman.

More on them later.

Love the Widing, Markov, Boyes, Ylonen, Liles & Lydman picks. Hate the Larocque pick. Not really sure about any of the others. Pettinger, for example, is really hard to get a read on. The four cups are intriguing - but what did he do, personally?

We will ofcourse try to make a bio for him. Be patient.

 

[VanIslander]

This happened so fast..really disappointed I couldn't participate. Expected a PM.

This thread was up six days before the draft began, nearly a full week for sign up. Plus a couple of posts on the AAA draft thread about this draft starting early December, right after the AAA ends. You chaosrevolver seemed very busy this year in multiple drafts, posting less, co-GMing, missing voting PM requests. I am a bit surprised that you intended to field a team in this draft. And a bit disappointed that you missed the sign-up period. Yeah, I regret not sending a PM now.

Heads up, there will be an Undrafteds Thread open between Christmas Day and New Year's for posting bios of players overlooked in the Double-A Draft. Feel free to then post some profiles, or heck an entire squad a la seventieslord 'Single-A' assembly style, then.

And in January begins ATD 2012, though discussion on that thread suggests it might be later in the month. Still: Heads up!

 

[seventieslord]

Hey guys, I sent chaos a message earlier today telling him to go ahead and draft six players tonight to catch up. He agreed. So we have 7 teams now.

 

[tony d]

Hey guys, I sent chaos a message earlier today telling him to go ahead and draft six players tonight to catch up. He agreed. So we have 7 teams now.

That's good, the more the merrier. We should make a push for an 8th to even things out though as there is still lots of talent available to fit 8 teams.

 

[seventieslord]

That's good, the more the merrier. We should make a push for an 8th to even things out though as there is still lots of talent available to fit 8 teams.

agree. and if a guy were to come in tomorrow and catch up with 8 picks, if he makes the right picks he's not behind at all.

 

[seventieslord]

Juha Widing and Tom Poti for the Wings.

Reen took him yesterday.

 

[seventieslord]

I'm not sure about this Augusta character. 100+ international games sounded like a lot so I looked into it further and he was in just 45 IIHF games, scoring 15 points.

Novak, on the other hand, has some real potential as a sniper. He had 23 points, including 20 goals, in 40 international games. (Still, I wonder, did you mean to draft someone else with this pick? You say he had two World Championship golds but he had one; however, a very similar sounding player with much better personal achievements at the same time for the same team, had two.)

I'm trying to find accolades for these guys and they don't seem to show up in my files anywhere. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but they don't show up in:

- The top-8 in czech league scoring in any season
- the czech all-star teams
- Czech MVP voting
- The Golden Stick voting for all of Europe
- All-star teams in any IIHF tournaments

(edit: I could better answer these things if the SIHR site was up right now, but it seems to be down. Perhaps I am missing that they were high up in czech scoring a few times or in a couple major tournaments. Looks like Augusta was never close, but Novak may have been)

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Reen took him yesterday.

He's teamed up with Reen. Widing is a real nice pick though. I was gonna try to snag him and have him and Wilson as my 1-2 centers.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Pirates select C Gerry Meehan and D Hannu Virta

x2 60 points
x3 50 points
423 Points in 670 GP

Centre Gerry Meehan was a fine scorer and playmaker who could also check effectively. He played nearly 700 games for six clubs and turned to the administrative side of hockey the after his playing days.

The Toronto native excelled with the junior Marlboros and helped the club win the Memorial Cup in 1967. After scoring 31 goals for the CHL's Tulsa Oilers in 1967-68, he played 25 games for the Leafs the next year. In March 1969, he was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of package used to acquire veteran Forbes Kennedy.

Meehan didn't fit into the Flyers' plans and was sent to the WHL's Seattle Totems for the entire 1969-70 season. He finally received a chance to prove himself after the Buffalo Sabres picked him in the 1970 Expansion Draft. Meehan scored 94 goals in four seasons with the club and was captain for three years. He earned a measure of revenge against Philly on the last night of the 1971-72 season when he scored late in the third period on an 80-foot shot to pin a defeat on his former team that eliminated them from playoff contention.

Meehan began the 1974-75 season in Buffalo but eventually moved to the Vancouver Canucks and Atlanta Flames. In January 1976, the Flames traded him to the Washington Capitals. The veteran pivot was an offensive star and team leader for his new club. In 1976-77, he recorded a career high 64 points. By the end of the decade, he began to slow down and retired in 1979. Along the way he earned the distinction of being the first player to score 100 points in a Caps uniform. During the 1986-87 season, he replaced Scotty Bowman as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, a position he held until the end of the 1992-93 season.

NHL GP 245 - Goals 25 - Assists 101 - Points 126 - PPG 0.51
FEL GP 426 - Goals 63 - Assists 202 - Points 265 - PPG 0.62
WC GP 54 - Goals 5 - Assists 25 - Points 30 - PPG 0.56
OG GP 8 - Goals 2 - Assists 1 - Points 3 - PPG 0.38

x4 Pekka Rautakallio Award Winner (FEL Best Defenseman)
x5 FEL AST
x1 WC Gold
X1 WC Silver
x1 WC Most Assists-all positions ('96)
Longtime Captain of TPS in FEL

Hannu Virta was a surprise pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, 38th overall, of the 1981 Entry Draft. Sabres GM and coach Scotty Bowman had pulled off another coup. Prior to the draft Bowman had taken a trip to Finland and happened to take in a game in Turku. Immediately, his attention was drawn to a young kid on the defense that controlled the puck like it was magnetically drawn to him. Bowman had to know who was this player. He was told the defenseman was Hannu Virta and that he had been given special permission to play that exhibition game. He was under suspension due to excessive violent play.

Bowman ran around the rink to see if there was any other scout present. Luckily, he couldn't find another scout in the rink. The cat almost got out of the bag in the unlikely town of Camrose, Alberta. Camrose hosts an annual tournament for the Viking Cup and they invited a Finnish team to participate. Bowman, who was the guest of honor, had a scare when Edmonton Oilers GM Glen Sather appeared to look at Virtu. Sather, while impressed, decided to save Virtu for his third or fourth round pick. Bowman acted quickly on draft day and snapped up the all-round defenseman earlier.

Virta played another season in Finland before joining the Sabres. For four full seasons he prowled the Sabres' blueline before getting his Finnish armed forces call up. By this time Virta had soured on Bowman's coaching style and insisted he would not return after his mandatory service unless there was a change behind the bench.

Hannu Virta stayed in Europe after his military service. He played mainly with TPS Turku and the Finish National team. The Finnish team captured gold in the 1987 European Hockey League, the 1993 European Cup and the World Championship in 1995. Until his retirement he was a five- time Finnish Hockey League All-Star.

 

[tony d]

Pirates select C Gerry Meehan and D Hannu Virta

You must be reading my wish list, Scuderi, Meehan was going to be my pick today, should have got here a few minutes earlier, anyway I'll make my picks now in a minute.

 

[tony d]

Garnish selects Defenseman Brooks Orpik and Centre John Tucker, both players will be alternate captains for Garnish.

Brooks Orpik:

Will serve as a hard hitting defenseman for the Bulldogs' 2nd pairing. Like Muni he doesn't play much of an offensive game but he's solid defensively.

More on Orpik can be found here:

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=19573

John Tucker:

-436 points in 656 games
-4 Seasons of 30 or more assists
-28 points in 31 career playoff games.

More on Tucker can be found here:

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=11665

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Oh man glad I could snag Meehan just in time then.

I love the Orpik pick as well. He'd probably be the Pens captain if it weren't for Crosby so the A should fit well.