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Habsfan18 - Carolina
Whitesnake - Winnipeg
nhldraftvideo (Markov79fan) - Pittsburgh
Watsatheo - Ottawa
Garo - Montreal
Ohashi_Jouzu - Washington
RoyBoyCoy - Boston
Habs 4 Life - NYR
HarryI - Detroit
Duff88 - Chicago
Yarfangor - Anaheim
Turtleneck Plek - NYI
Pernell Karl - Calgary
Habitants - Buffalo
habsprospects (thief50) - Nashville
Freaky Habs Fan - Minnesota
WTFPineapple (LOL) - Edmonton
Jeffrey - Dallas
Zaluty - Toronto
HomaridII - Los Angeles
Kyle West (inBobwetrust) - Tampa Bay
le depisteur - Philadelphia
WeThreeKings - Colorado
hototogisu - St.Louis
overlords - Phoenix
le_sean - Vancouver
CrimsonSkorpion - Florida
Analyzer - New Jersey
Carey Price - Columbus
eaglesmaster - San Jose
Round 1:
1. Edmonton - Adam Larsson
"We believe that Adam Larsson is the perfect fit for our organisation. With core players such as Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle already in the system, a franchise cornerstone defenseman is exactly what we were looking for. Adam Larsson, whose play has already drawn comparisons to Nicklas Lidstrom, possesses an incredible combination of size and skill and we believe he will be able to contribute to our hockey club immediately."
2. Colorado - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
"It is our honour to pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. A fierce competitor in all three zones, a flawless vision, a wicked offensive arsenault along with hockey sense that just can't be taught. We believe with Duchene already blossoming into a top offensive threat and Erik Johnson patrolling the blueline, we have the makings of a team that can get it done all over the ice, producing offence and thwarting attempts against our own goal. This pick excites us greatly."
3. Florida - Gabriel Landeskog
"We truly believe that Gabriel Landeskog fits are organization's needs. He brings a great two way presence to our team, and also adds that physicality and grit that the Panthers organization is looking for. He is currently being compared to Jonathan Toews, which is also an up-side. He is truly a one of a kind player, a Swedish born hockey player that plays a true North American game. With leadership qualities in his blood, we believe he has the ability to captain and lead our franchise in the future."
4. New Jersey - Sean Couturier
"Sean is a tremendously skilled centre with a big frame who will help add great depth to our centre position as we look to next year to climb back into a playoff contender. His big frame needs a little filling out, but we feel he will be a consistent contributor to our team for years to come."
5. New York Islanders - Jonathan Huberdeau
"We're very pleased to welcome Jonathan in our organization. He is an intelligent player with evident passing and scoring skills. He will need to fill out his big frame but we already have our trainers working on a training and eating program for Jonathan. We feel that we just acquired an impact player for the future that will secure our offense for years."
6. Ottawa - Ryan Strome
7. Winnipeg - Dougie Hamilton
"Hamilton possesses a rare blend of what a real 2-way defenseman could end up being. Great at both sides of the rink, he can also deliver thunderous hits and is able to choose when he can do it. On top of that, while we probably don't expect him to be that offensive in the higher levels, you can't ignore the numbers he put in this year. And for a big man who's still growing, he's a pretty good skater on top of that with a good first pass and great shot. Still learning the position but we saw some improvement as the year passsed by which is a great sign. So another hulking blueliner to add to this Thrashers team."
8. Columbus - Ryan Murphy
"We feel that he is an elite puck moving defenseman like we see on Championship clubs in this era, he should help our young skill players like Nash, Brassard and Voracek by getting them the puck in the not too distant future. We are looking to him to be a key part of our transition game along with Anton Stralman and Kris Russell and be a key member of our blueline for a long time."
9. Boston (From Toronto) - Mika Zibanejad
"We here in Boston believe that Mika Zibanejad is a talent you simply do not see every day. From his extraordinary physical play, to his impeccable shot placement, to his elite level hockey IQ, we believe Zibanejad will be doing very special things for this organization one day soon. This exactly the slightly-above-average risk, very high reward pick we feel we are in a position as a franchise to make. A natural center who also plays right wing, Mika gives us extra flexibility in regards to our center situation"
10. Minnesota - Joel Armia (missed pick)
11. Colorado (From St.Louis) - Nathan Beaulieu
"We are pleased to select Nathan, we believe that he will add some offense to our back-end. His offensive ability along with his ability to jump up into the rush will be very important in our future. We like his shot and his playmaking, his ability to get the puck up to our impact forwards should contribute to a scary offence going forward."
12. Carolina - Sven Bartschi
"We're very proud to select Sven with our first selection in the draft. His passing ability and vision on the ice makes him an exciting prospect. Add great hands, a quick and accurate wrist shot, and fantastic hockey sense, and we're very excited with the package that he brings. We look forward to watching him progress and we believe our fans will will love his style of play."
13. Calgary - Mark McNeill
"Mark is a big hard-nosed RH centre who fits the mold of our club perfectly and competes at both ends of the rink. He may not have the most pure skills when compared to some of the top draft-eligible players, but with his hustle and anticipation, he is able to jump on loose pucks and he will be able to contribute at the NHL level. He has proven that he can create his own offense, maintaining a PPG in the absence of top-flight help, and lord knows that may be something he has to deal with a lot in the future."
14. Dallas - Duncan Siemens
"Duncan Siemens is a physical presence in the back-end with his aggresive style and marvelous skating abilities. There are some questions about his decision making and offensive upside but the Dallas Stars can't let a guy with so much potential pass by. He is also one of the younger player available and he is already one of the best shutdown defenseman in the WHL."
15. New York Rangers - Mark Scheifele
"We feel Mark isn't far away from the NHL level with his big frame. He will be a key player down the road for this orginization."
16. Buffalo - Zack Phillips
"We were very impressed by Zack’s strong playoff performance, and the progression he has made since last season. He is a Smart player with great hockey sense and on ice vision. Always in the right place at the right time, Zack is capable of finding open space in order to score points. Our organization believes it is important for players to have good balance of skills and Zack fits the bill as a well rounded prospect. We look forward to following his progression and helping him to grow to his full potential with the Sabres."
17. Montreal - Jamieson Oleksiak
"There is a lot to like about this young man, and we think he can develop into a great defenceman for our team moving foward. He has size, obviously, but also rare skating ability to go with it. His offensive skills are also intriguing, and while they are not as developed as his defence already is, we think there is something there that could end up being very valuable. We also like College hockey for him, as he has already gone against solid competition, playing more than 20 minutes a game as a Freshman, and he'll have tons of time to work on his technical skills, making sure he's going to be ready for the pro game in a few years. Overall, we're not going into hyperbolic comparisons, but with his skills and drive to improve, we see a potential top-4 defenceman on our Cup competing teams."
18. Chicago - Rocco Grimaldi
"We believe that Grimaldi is going to be a great player for years to come. He is a hard worker who is gifted with an offensive skillset that sets him appart from the rest of this draft class. He also has the attitude to be a successful player in the NHL despite his size."
19. Edmonton (From LA) - Matthew Puempel
"We feel that Matthew is the best available player at this point and time in the draft. His natural scoring ability and set of skills are coveted by the Edmonton Oilers organization and do believe that he will fit perfectly among the likes of Hall, Eberle, Paarjavi and Larsson."
20. Phoenix - Nicklas Jensen
"With his large frame and slick hands, we feel that Nicklas Jensen is going to be a huge player for us down the line. He had a fantastic playoffs for oshawa and we feel that he`ll be an offensive pillar for us in the future."
21. Ottawa (From Nashville) - Brandon Saad
"We feel he is a player of many tools. Has good size, speed, skill, and can play physical as well. He and Strome not only adds size up front but a good amount of offensive upside that will make us a hard team to play against in the future."
22. Anaheim - Jonas Brodin
"We feel that Jonas is among the best D in the draft, and has an excellent skill set, mixed with superb hockey sense, and decision making this made our pick a no brainer."
23. Tampa Bay - J.T. Miller
"We like JT's skill level and his ability to step up his game on the big stage. He's a great skater who can play either wing or center and works hard at both ends of the ice. He's got good size and is not afraid to get physical, with a few years at UND to develop his game we think he'll be a leader for our core group of forward prospects."
24. Toronto (From Boston) - Scott Mayfield
"We feel there is a huge upside to this pick and he will anchor a strong Toronto defence in the upcoming years."
25. Detroit - Vladislav Namestnikov
''We feel that Vladislav has a huge upside for a guy his age. His size will be an advantage at the center position and we expect great things in the future. When you are compared to a young Igor Larionov, it means you are doing something right.''
26. San Jose - Oscar Klefbom
"Klefbom is an excellent young defencemen who brings a lot of speed and physicality to the game. His offensive instincts coming from the backend combined with his size will complement our other young defencemen nicely. Oscar is also an excellent leader, our european scout tagged him as the "heart and soul" of the Swedish U-18 team, which he captained to a silver medal finish. We here in San Jose envision him becoming the heart and soul of our defense for years to come."
27. Pittsburgh - Dimitrij Jaskin
"Jaskin is a complete package; skating is a certain drawback, as he lacks smooth stride and looks awkward at times but has deceptive speed, is strong on his skates and is able to get where he needs to be. He is strong on the puck, tough to separate off the puck down low. Goes through checks and tough to handle physically, shields the puck well. Excellent puck puck control in tight space and very good hands in close to the net. Very creative with the puck, anticipates well, has vision and soft hands, passes are crisp. Drives the net, very instinctive player around the net with scoring touch, looks for tips and rebounds close to the net. Quick release of his wrist shot. Finishes all checks causing (defenders) to throw the puck away, creating turnovers plus absorbs checks well, tough to knock him down.Very solid defensively, responsible in own zone and make good decision with puck in own zone showing poise and hockey sense, smart and poised with puck around own blue line, does even the small things well. Has enthusiasm for the game, always plays hard, strong competitor, plays with heart and character." (from Redline)
28. Toronto (From Philadelphia) - Boone Jenner
29. Washington - Alexander Khokhlachev
"Possibly the most offensively-gifted of the remaining players, which made it easier to leave a few 'BPAs' on the board. A consistent and reliable defensive player who shows very good offensive creativity and has the ability to really break down a defense with his stickhandling ability and elusiveness. Has no problem setting up goals, but seems to be even better at scoring them himself. Reports say his style is a carbon copy of his idol, and former Capital, Sergei Fedorov, so what else can we say... we here in Washington love the Khok."
30. Vancouver - Tyler Biggs
"Tyler is an enigma, but one we are willing to take a chance on. He has gamebreaking physical ability and leadership. A surefire NHL level player, Tyler will bring an edge to the Canucks for years to come. We feel he is not only the best player available, but also fills a need. Although some question his offensive upside, we feel he can be used on any line and contribute in a strong fashion."
Round 2:
31. Edmonton - Joseph Morrow
"Joseph is a terrific young player with strong offensive abilities as well as strong defensive play. His mobility is superb and his passing skills are solid. He plays the man very well, he possesses good hockey sense and he’s steady in all 3 zones. We have no doubt that he'll become a fixture on the Oilers blueline for years to come."
32. St.Louis (From Colorado) - Ty Rattie
"Ty has the potential to be a top-line player at the NHL level and brings an exciting combination of offensive capabilities. We think he's a perfect fit amongst our young, dynamic core of forwards."
33. Florida - David Musil
"For this organization, we felt David Musil would be a perfect fit. Our defense is pretty beefed up on the farm team, but when we saw Musil still available, we had no choice but to take him. He possesses a very strong defensive style, has a great first pass and is very intelligent. His offensive side is also starting to rise, and we feel with a bit of conditioning on his shot, we can turn Musil into a great two-way defenseman. We, the Florida Panthers organization, are very pleased to have him."
34. New York Islanders - Victor Rask
"We really like Victor's skill set. He didn't have the best season this year but we saw a great jump in maturity as he understood the efforts he needed to make to be a professional hockey player. He has great hands and physical assets and we look forward to having him in Long Island/Quebec City/Las Vegas."
35. Ottawa - Phillip Danault
"Dependable two-way forward that battles hard each and every shift. Being the captain of the Victoriaville Tigers shows his leadership and team play qualities. Shows a lot of passion towards the game and we believe this along with his skill and hard work will help develop him into a solid NHLer down the road. If not in the top 6, at the very least as a checking line player."
36. Chicago (From Winnipeg) - Connor Murphy
"He had a hard time raising his draft profile with consecutive injury-plagged seasons. Still, we believe that he is one of the top defensemen in this year's crop. He is a smart kid who is very strong on both ends of the ice and who quietly makes the others around him better."
37. Columbus - Shane Prince
"We believe Shane will be a main cog in our offense for years to come with his speed, quickness and creativity. we believe he was a 1st round talent, in fact Red Line has him rated 22nd overall so we feel we got a real steal here."
38. Nashville (From New Jersey) - Stefan Noesen
"We liked his consistancy throught the season, and he has a great shot. He's a gritty player that does a lot of the little things like finishing checks and winning board battles. Though, he will need to work on his skating."
39. Toronto - Tomas Jurco
"Tomas has unbelievable hands and great moves. He is the type of player who you might not notice but at the end of the game he has 3 points. A great addition to the Maple Leafs."
40. Boston (From Minnesota) - Adam Clendening
"Our organization has had our eyes on this young man ever since we heard that he had committed to Boston University, and amazed us as a dominant force for the USNTDP Under-18 program, notching 49 points in 65 games as a 17 year old, and for the National U18 team. Without so much as a minor speed bump, Clendening transitioned seamlessly into the NCAA and was a standout freshmen for the Terriers, leading all defensemen on his team in points. To go along with his strong offensive instincts, great first pass, and exceptional decision making under pressure, Clendening has shown a lot of feistiness, leading BU with 80PIMs, and USNTDP before that with 120. We feel there is a lot of potential in the physical aspect of his game. We are very pleased to add Clendening to our prospect pool, and feel he compares well to the likes of James Wisniewski."
41. St. Louis - Seth Ambroz
"We think at this point in the draft picking a guy like Seth Ambroz is a no-brainer. What he doesn't have can be worked on, but what he has cannot be taught. Seth is a big, tough player who can make a difference in many ways on the ice, either by scoring goals or being a physical presence."
42. Carolina - Daniel Catenacci
"Daniel is a player who we didn't believe would be available at this point in the draft. A first round talent, we believe he's amongst the faster skaters in the entire draft and he excels at making plays at high speed. Despite his size, he still shows a willingness to play a gritty game, and we're very happy to welcome him into our organization."
43. New York Rangers - Brett Ritchie
44. Chicago (From Calgary, Toronto) - Michael St. Croix
"Everyone knows that St. Croix is a very gifted offensive player, but he has improved leaps and bounds in his all-around play through the year. He has become much more mature and is now getting involved in the game at a much higher level. We believe he has what it takes to continue improving in the next few years and make it in the NHL."
45. Dallas - Nikita Kucherov
"Kucherov is a slick, speedster that simply can put the game on his stick. He has Datsyuk-like ability, where he can elude defenders at top speed, is very creative, and has tremendous vision and hockey IQ."
46. St.Louis (From Buffalo) - Xavier Ouellet
Xavier is an extremely smart, talented defenseman. Not only has he proven his capabilities in his own zone, he has also displayed an offensive touch this year. We think he'll be a strong player in all three zones for us.
47. Florida (From Montreal) - Rickard Rakell
"Only 17 years old and already so much up-side. He has high-end skill, plays with a lot of energy and intensity and has a physical edge to his game as well. He still has a lot of room to improve, but this organization just absolutely loves his style and believes he will be a very good two-way, versatile player for the future."
48. Ottawa (From Chicago - conditional) - Matthew Nieto
49. Los Angeles - Miikka Salomaki
"Salomaki isn't the most skilled prospect, but he is a gritty competitor that will give you everything he has every shift. He plays the game with utter determination and always finds himself in the thick of the action. Great defensive awareness and can play in all situations. With the depth our organization's prospect pool has on defense and skilled forwards, we feel Salomaki adds a dimension that every good team must have. We look forward to his development in Finland before he comes over to NA in 2 years."
50. New York Islanders (From Montreal) - Ryan Sproul
"Ryan kinda came out of nowhere this season in Sault Ste. Marie. He grew a lot this year and found his offensive game in his first year of OHL hockey. He is a towering presence on the ice at 6'4 and has a great shot. He needs to bulk up a bit and work on his defensive game but we believe he will be a great physical two-way defender for the Islanders in the future."
51. Phoenix - Joel Edmundson
"We feel that a defenseman of Joel's caliber will be someone we rely on for years to come to steady our blue line."
52. Nashville - Myles Bell
"With his powerful and fairly accurate point shot, Bell can run the Power Play and scores some goals. He is a physical defenseman that lays out opponents with spectacular checks. We also like that he is an effective penalty killer."
53. Anaheim - Lucas Lessio
"We are thrilled that Lessio was still available at our pick, and we were hoping he would fall to us, we feel his solid mix of technique, grit, physicality, skill and his jaw dropping speed make him an excellent addition to the Anaheim prospect pool, and we see him future in to our plans as a very solid NHLer."
54. Tampa Bay - John Gibson
"We feel we have good depth at the goaltending position in our system but John has the tools and temper to be an elite goalie. He has the size and reflexes teams look for these days and he also has been very consistent no matter the level of opposition he is facing. He was the best goalie at the recent U-18 tournament and will only get better backstopping the University of Michigan Wolverines for the next few years."
55. Ottawa (From Boston) - Mario Lucia
"Protects the puck so well in traffic and uses that size to his advantage. He's a threat coming out of the corners. He works hard and has a passion to get better and he wants to get to the next level. 6'3'' with great hands and playmaking ability to make people around him better. Size and upside made it difficult not to select him"
56. Detroit - Vincent Trocheck
''We feel that his skill set at the center position was too good to pass up. He is still very raw but hopefully he will become as good as we expect.''
57. San Jose - Joachim Nermark
"We were pleasantly surprised to find Joachim still on the board at our selection. Despite his disappointing year, his dominance at the Ivan Hlinka in august is enough to merit us selecting him at 57. From our scouts perspective, we noticed that Joachim's struggles revolved more around trying to do too much. We are confident that if he simplifies his game and regains his confidence we could have a future star on our hands. He is the type of player who can control the flow of a game. Excellent both offensively and defensively. He makes his wingers much better. We are ecstatic to make Nermark our selection."
58. Pittsburgh - Stuart Percy
59. Phoenix (From Philadelphia) - Robbie Russo
60. New York Rangers (From Washington, Carolina) - Tyler Wotherspoon
61. Vancouver - Nick Shore
"Nick Shore was a late birthday for last year's draft and therefore was old enough to play for the University of Denver Pioneers, with his brother, Drew, a draft pick of the Panthers. He is a strong two-way centre that shows some flashes of offence, as seen at the 2010 U-18 tournament when he led the Gold Medal winning Americans with 10 points. We feel he will be at his own in the NHL as he shows loads of maturity and hockey smarts."
Round 3:
62. Edmonton - Max Friberg
63. New York Islanders - Joseph LaBate
"Joseph is a big guy with all the tools to become a force in the NHL and we hope he will be a quality player for the Islanders in the future."
64. Florida - Logan Shaw
"Logan Shaw is a big, offensive threat that has very soft hands and skates well, despite his large frame but also has a nice two-way game to his style. He's not afraid to drop the gloves and protect his teammates and he has a lot of promise. We look forward to the future for Mr. Shaw and working with him."
65. Anaheim (From NYI - Conditional) - Markus Granlund
"Shocked and Thrilled, as we were convinced Granlund would not be there at our 3rd round pick, but we feel he has a solid chance at being an NHL top 6 forward, and we feel he Granlund is an excellent fit to our system."
66. Ottawa - Rasmus Bengtsson
67. Winnipeg - Kale Kessy
"We love his mix of grit, toughness and competitiveness he brings."
68. Columbus - David Honzik
"We feel that David will be a #1 NHL goaltender down the road, he has the size and athleticism to be a premier goalie. We love how he performed these past playoffs against favored Acadie-Bathurst and Saint John facing high scoring teams and playing very well. We already have Steve Mason but feel this is a position we need to add depth, plus this is a great value pick."
69. Chicago (From Toronto) - Jeremy Boyce-Rotevall
70. Minnesota - Olivier Archambault
"At this point, we are looking for skills. We have a lot of character player in our system, but we are lacking skilled player. We think Olivier Archambault will only get better when he'll get stronger. His stats with the Foreurs aren't that great, just like almost anyone on that team. We believe next year will be a big one for him as he'll be more mature."
71. St.Louis - Adam Lowry
"At 6'4", Adam is already a behemoth on the ice and uses his size very effectively. Like his father, former NHLer Dave Lowry, Adam is a relentless hard worker and is willing to pay the price to get the job done. We are hopeful he continue his offensive output in addition to rounding out the defensive aspect of the game."
72. Carolina - Reece Scarlett
"Reece is a defenseman who specializes in moving the puck, and is capable of playing high minutes. He's a fantastic skater who has the potential to one day possibly quarterback a powerplay at the NHL level. He must work on filling out his frame, but he has plenty of time to do so. We're excited to add him to our group of prospects."
73. Florida (From NYR) - Marcel Noebels
"We were very pleased that our decision to wait was well worth it. We gambled the thought of Noebels being available a little later into the third round and it paid off. The Panthers organization has been following Marcel since the age of 14, when he would put up a season of 58 goals and 94 points in just 28 games. Since then, we've kept a close eye on his progress back in Germany and now in the WHL. He has displayed great offensive instinct and is a decent skater and mobile for his size too. We have no doubt, that with the right amount of time, Marcel can blossom into a great power forward."
74. Edmonton (From Calgary) - Colin Jacobs
"Colin is a good two-way forward who brings an edge to his game. He possesses good vision along with precise shooting ability."
75. New Jersey (From Dallas - Conditional) - Keegan Lowe
76. Buffalo - Austen Brassard
"Brassard is a strong physical player with good Size. He has the ability to control the play along the boards and work hard in the trenches. He has displayed good speed as well as a strong shot. His willingness to drop the gloves shows that he is able to stand up for his teamates. With further development we feel he has the potential to grow into a solid power forward."
77. Montreal - Joshua Leivo
"A OHL rookie, Leivo didn't have the best start to the year, but in the second half he started showing something we really like. From six points in his first thirty games, he started to get hot with 24 in 34 and exploded in the playoffs, ending them as the second scorer for the Wolves and the +/- leader. We do think he'll continue this form, and will be a nice physical winger with scoring upside."
78. Chicago - Mike McKee
79. Los Angeles - Maxim Shalunov
"The Los Angeles Kings organization feel that Shalunov's combination of size and incredible skill will translate very well in North America. Shalunov needs time to fill and to develop but we feel he has all it takes to be a top 6 player at the NHL level."
80. Boston (From Phoenix) - Christopher Gibson
"Although Tim Thomas is an elite NHL goaltender, we in Boston are faced with the harsh reality that he is not getting any younger. We are also still unsure of what calibur of goaltender we truly have in Tuukka Rask, so we feel that selecting a goaltender is worth it in the 3rd Round, and we feel we've found a good one in Chicoutimi's Finnish netminder Christopher Gibson. What Gibson lacks in size compared to the ever growing modern-day-tender, he makes up for in a very high compete level, excellent athleticism and air-tight technical abilities."
81. Nashville - Dylan Wruck
"He's got high skill and he doesn’t shy away at all from going to all the tough areas. He’s quick, fast and competitive."
82. Anaheim - William Karlsson
"We are once again thrilled to be able to choose such an excellent forward, we feel he has excellent tools, raw skill, and with a bit of fine tuning we are confident he can become a potential steal of the draft."
83. St.Louis (From Tampa Bay) - Benjamin Conz
"After being passed over in the draft last year, we feel Benjamin has shown this year he is capable of being a bonafide number one goalie. While consistency may be an issue with him, we feel his top-end skill is undeniable, and worthy of taking a chance on with our extra pick in the third round."
84. Florida (From Boston) - Zachary Yuen
"Zachary Yuen was high up on our list of prospects out of the WHL. We've been scouting him for some time now and absolutely love his gritty play and his two-way ability. He isn't quite dominant at any role just yet, but he is solid at every role. He's put up decent numbers offensively, defensively good, hits well and skates well too. We are also pleased with his willingness to drop the gloves, despite his smaller frame for a defenseman. We have no doubt Zachary Yuen will be a force to reckon with on the Panthers blue line, in the future"
85. Detroit - Joseph Cramarossa
86. San Jose - Klas Dahlbeck
"Solid defensemen with good size, skating and a first pass, but above else Klas is a very intelligent hockey player. We are confident that Klas will be in a position to help our club within the next year or two."
87. Philadelphia (From Pittsburgh) - Steven Michalek (missed pick)
88. Toronto (From Philadelphia) - Tobias Rieder
89. Florida (From Washington) - Gregory Hofmann
"We are pleased with this selection. We took notice of him in the M18 World Championships in Belarus and liked what we saw. We believe he has the determination, the hockey IQ and the skill-set to excel under our organization. He still has a ways to go, but we have no doubt he will be a Panther regular in the future."
90. Vancouver - Andrei Pedan
"Andrey Pedan is big, physical specimen that is willing to throw the body around and defend his teammates when necessary, as witnessed by his 89 PIMs in his first OHL season with Guelph. He has good mobility and a good first pass out of the zone. His offensive game jumped in the playoffs when he picked up 8 assists in 6 games. With his size and tenacity we hope he can strengthen his all around game with another season in the OHL."
*New Jersey forfeits 3rd round pick
Round 4:
91. Edmonton - Travis Ewanyk
"Travis is a very energetic player who brings it every night. We believe that he will become an important player for us in the future as every team needs those passionate players to be successful."
92. Colorado - Samu Perhonen
"We in Colorado cannot believe that he has fallen to our spot in the fourth round. We believe he is the most talented goaltender in the NHL Entry Draft and that he may end up a lot like Pekka Rinne. Perhonen is big, rangy and athletic. He has all the fundamentals, he just needs experience and we look forward to watching him mind the nets in Colorado for years to come."
93. Florida - Adam Reid
"Adam Reid will be heading to Northeastern University and will be re-evaluated after that. We expect him to become a good, solid 3rd liner with good speed, and the size to control the pace of the game."
94. New York Islanders - Michael Paliotta
"Michael is a very interesting prospect with smooth skating and great size. He's a great asset for our prospect pool as we have been lacking big defence-oriented defencemen."
95. Ottawa - Nick Cousins
"He has deceptive moves in traffic and very good vision on the ice. Very skilled but also has some grit as he doesn't shy away from the difficult areas on the ice despite his small stature (between 5'10'' and 5'11')'. Needs to work on the defensive side of his game and although not slow his skating isn't that good for a small player. Had a good U18 tournament so at this point in the draft we are comfortable taking a flyer on him."
96. Winnipeg - Michael Mersch
"This freshman had a really good 1st season in the NCAA and we beleive that the day the kid improves his skating, he could very well become a very good power forward in the NHL. Tons of potential that will be more clear the day he works on his agility."
97. Columbus - Jean-Gabriel Pageau
"we are very pleased that he was still there with our 4th pick, as he was one of the fast risers late this season a nd a force in the playoffs for Gatineau, he is very skilled but also intense and very gritty, we feel these qualities will help him overcome his size at the pro level"
98. New Jersey - Josiah Didier
99. Toronto - Patrick Koudys
100. Minnesota - Magnus Hellberg
"We believe we have in our hands a big goaltender with great potential. He's a project, but with his size and skills, he could become an important part of the Wild."
101. St.Louis - Alan Quine
"Alan's speed and raw skill with the puck on his stick are off the charts. He has a dazzling array of offensive moves and if we can find a way to limit his turnovers and improve his play without the puck, we feel he has the potential to be a dangerous scorer for us in the near future."
102. Carolina - Kalle Johansson
"This undersized defenseman has been highly touted for a few years now, and we simply couldn't pass on him in the 4th round. We especially liked what we saw when Kalle helped Sweden win the silver medal as an assistant captain at the U18's. We feel he has loads of potential and can overcome his size issues to become a player for us down the road."
103. New York Rangers - Scott Oke
104. Calgary - Lars Volden
105. Dallas - Reid Boucher
106. Buffalo - Andrew Fritsch
"We Feel that Andrew is a player with great potential. He has good speed and strong puck skills along with a quick shot. Andrew has great hockey sense and scoring instincts, He is hard working and drives to the net. We are very happy to welcome Andrew into the Buffalo organization"
107. Montreal - Seth Griffith
"We're pleased to add a smooth skater like Griffith, who works hard all over the ice and developed as a dangerous scorer for the Knights, and in a few years could become a key player in our system."
108. Chicago - Troy Vance
109. Los Angeles - Marek Tvrdon
"Before his season ending shoulder injury, Marek had 11 points in 11 games and was projected to be a 2nd round pick with potential to sneak into the 1st round with a good season. He is actually the youngest player ever to play in the Slovak Extraliga, younger even than Michael Gaborik. Listed 6'2, 212 lbs as a 17 year old, Marek is a big, strong kid and very strong on his skates. He has to improve his skating but has very soft hands, a good shot and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. We are confident that Marek will be an NHL player someday as he has all the tools needed to succeed."
110. Phoenix - Scott Harrington
111. Nashville - Shane McColgan
"McColgan plays a lot bigger than his 5'10, 170 lbs frame suggests, he has good hands, is a great skater, has a quick release to go with smart anticipation and hockey sense. He also has been known to have a bit of a temper, and has been compared to Jarome Iginla at times as he won't shy away from a fight."
112. Winnipeg (From Anaheim, Montreal) - Alexei Marchenko
"This defenseman who was not pick in last year's draft has everything in his skill set to become a good 2-way defenceman in the NHL. Great size, great skills 1 on 1, a good first pass some underrated offensive abilities, while mostly defensive, we believe he will grow into a complete defenceman in due time."
113. Philadelphia (From Tampa Bay) - Dillon Simpson
"North Dakota freshman blueliner Dillon Simpson is in fact the son of former NHLer Craig Simpson. He has true hockey blood in him. His great hockey sense offsets his lack of skating. Simpson is actually ranked higher on some lists and notably Red Line Report, who had Simpson 19th in last August."
114. Boston - Johan Sundstrom
"A Swedish forward standing at 6'3" 196, we fail to see where this pick can go wrong. Sundstrom is a very well rounded hockey player. From his impressive overall athleticism, to his strong Hockey IQ, there is no doubt in our minds that Sundstrom has all the tools to be a good NHLer. Despite only notching 1 point in 41 games with Swedish powerhouse Frolunda, Sundstrom impressed us most by notching 15 points in 7 games, both in the SuperElit playoffs, and the U19s."
115. Detroit - Zakhar Arzamastsev
116. San Jose - Alexander Ruutu
"We went into the 4th round with a particular player in our sights, but decided to change course when Alexander Ruuttu fell into our laps. Ruuttu is just too good for us to pass up. We are confident that this skilled and hard nosed center will be able to follow in his father's footsteps by having a successful NHL career."
117. Edmonton (From Pittsburgh) - Andy Welinski
"Andy is a good sized defenseman who possesses strong skating and puck-handling abilities. He has demonstrated great poise playing in the USHL playoffs, and if his play in Green Bay is a measure of his potential as a pro player, then we are extremely proud to welcome Andy to the Edmonton Oilers family."
118. Philadelphia - Guillaume Cloutier
119. Washington - Zac Larraza
"Zac's a big body who's developing into a solid contributor. Winning just seems to follow this guy. Will add some much needed depth to our LW prospect pool."
120. Vancouver - Destry Straight
"Destry Straight is a good skater with very good offensive hockey sense. Winner of the Coastal Conference Rookie of the Year, he is committed to play in one of the great NCAA hockey programs in Boston College."
Round 5:
121. Edmonton - Jean-François Leblanc
"Jean-François is a forward with a big frame and an interesting set of tools. He's a good skater who excels on faceoffs. He’s a big player who would make a great “net presence†on the power play. We see in him the potential to center our 3rd line in the future. Although he could display more of a physical game, we believe that he can have a lengthy career in the big leagues."
122. Colorado - Alex Kuvaev
"We believe that Kuvaev has the size and grit to go along with his protoypical russian skills. Once he develops consistency and comfortability in the North American game he will be a scoring force that is tough to knock off the puck."
123. Florida - Colten St. Clair
"Colten is a gritty centreman with the ability, skill-set and skating ability to play a shut-down, two-way role. He stands up for his team-mates and plays a strong game, despite his smaller frame."
124. New York Islanders - Justin Thomas
"Justin is a very intriguing player. He suffered a season-ending injury early this season but showed great promise beforehand. He is a physical player who is not afraid to drop the gloves, while he also displays an offensive touch. This is a high-risk, high-reward pick that we believe is going to pay off in the future."
125. Ottawa - Jesse Forsberg
126. New York Islanders (From Winnipeg) - Petr Placek
"Petr is a project-pick for us. He is heading to Harvard next year to further his hockey and scholar careers. We believe that is a sign of intelligence and maturity and we believe Harvard coach Ted Donato is the right man to develop Petr. At 6'4 and over 200lbs, Placek plays a big man game and shows clear offensive qualities. He needs to work on his skating a bit and try to get more involved in the play near the net."
127. Columbus - Alexandre Grenier
"We are very proud to select Alexandre as he has come a very long way this season,starting the year in junior A. He has great size and skating, and has shown a fine scoring touch. We believe he is a bit of a project but we will give him another season in the QMJHL before grauating to the AHL"
128. New Jersey - Neal Goff
129. Toronto - Peter Ceresnak
"We are glad Peter was still around at this spot. He will give us flexibility moving forward as he develops into a NHL defenceman."
130. Minnesota - Austin Wuthrich
131. St.Louis - Jyrki Jokipakka
"Jyrki has shown all the positive signs of being a late-bloomer and we are thrilled to be able to grab him at this point in the draft. He's a big, smart player with a strong first pass and we think he has the potential to develop into a two-way defenseman along the lines of his countryman Kimmo Timonen."
132. Winnipeg (From Carolina, Florida) - Kyle Rau
"There's room for smaller players in this league and we believe that he could totally bring his exciting and offensively gifted game to the higher levels. From his hands, to his skating, to his work ethich and commitment, we just believe his skills were too great to pass on at this point even if there were other interesting players out there. We have been impressed, as short a stint it was, that he was able to keep his offensive rhythm in the USHL. And next year, he's going to be a Gopher which should improve next year."
133. New York Rangers - Matt Killian
"Matt has good size and skill but what impresses us most is his ability to read the game. He's going to a strong program in Yale and we think this local kid could be a real good addition to our young defence corps in a few years."
134. Calgary - Philippe Hudon
"We like Phillipe's size, work ethic and skills. He has incredible maturity and will be playing at Cornell University next season."
345. Dallas - Alex Roach
"Alex has been a constant riser during the year. He had harder time adjusting to the WHL speed at the start but at the end the year he was one of the top defenseman for the Hitmen. He has all the tools and the work ethic to become a ''horse'' next year."
136. Buffalo - Daniel Pribyl
137. Montreal - Cason Hohmann
"Hohmann has a lot of things going for him, he's very fast, feisty, equally talented as a playmaker or a scorer, lives to win and is going to a very good program in BU. But, he's small, 5"8 at the very most. However, we don't put a big emphasis on size when the player is ready to do anything on the ice to win, and Hohmann does just that."
138. Chicago - Luke Lockhart
139. Los Angeles - Eddie Wittchow
"Wittchow was recently drafted 4th overall in the USHL draft by the Waterloo BlackHawks. This kid is a superb skater for his size who came out of nowhere this season, he is expected to fill out to 210-215 lbs, has a lot of upside, both offensively and defensively and has been described as "nasty and aggressive" and as having "a whole lot of nasty". He has very good puck skills, a good shot and is a very smart kid. What's not to like?"
140. Phoenix - Viktor Arvidsson
141. Nashville - Jordan Binnington
"We liked his competitive instincts this season and he has the ability to make acrobatic saves and single handily keep his team in the game."
142. Anaheim - Victor Berglind
"We believe Berglind at this pick is a steal, we feel he has the right mixture of speed, skill, poise and a solid point shot to be a potential top 4 Defender in the NHL one day. We are shocked once again that this young potential star was still available at our pick."
143. Tampa Bay - Albert Yarullin
"We were impressed with his leadership as captain of the Russian U-18 team and we like his mobility and playmaking skills. Our defence crew needs a powerplay quarterback and we think he could come over and spark some offense for us right away."
144. Boston - Sahir Gill
"Although he is one year overage, we feel like there is a lot of potential in this young man. Like Clendening, we were lucky to have a front row seat for Gill's freshman season with the Terriers. The BC native put up 25 points in 39 games. Gill is mostly a perimeter player, and has some slick moves in the offensive zone that he uses to make plays. He's not particularly large, and his defensive skills have left some scouts unimpressed. But Gill is a bright kid and we have little doubt that he'll be able to buy-in and commit to developing a more well rounded game."
145. Detroit - Alessio Bertaggia
146. Winnipeg (From San Jose) - Michael Houser
"With the team he had in front of him, this guy has been simply great and frustrating to play against. We just love his consistency, work ethic and desire to play hard."
147. Pittsburgh - Ryan Tesink
148. Detroit (From Philadelphia) - Maximilien LeSieur
"We believe there's some untapped offensive potential for this kid. But we love his size (though he will have to use it more) his great skating, his 2-way awareness and overall attitude. We believe there's a pretty high ceiling for this kid."
149. Washington - Adam Pettersson
"Adam is quite simply the best player available in our eyes. It wasn't long ago that he was considered the best prospect in Sweden besides Gabriel Landeskog. While his progress may have leveled a bit (leading him to go undrafted last year), he still has the skating, skills, and hockey sense to be able to eventually contribute in the NHL. He's a creative all-round player who can play all forward positions, and has gained some size without losing any of his agility. We feel he is a short term project at the very worst."
150. Vancouver - Joakim Ryan
"Ryan is a smooth skating defenceman that should be able to develop his skill and hockey sense after a few years in Cornell. He was the best defenceman on a very good team despite being only 17. Fun fact: he was born in New Jersey yet plays for Sweden internationally."
Round 6:
151. Toronto (From Edmonton) - Justin Sefton
"We had to check our draft list over and over to make sure Justin hadn't been picked yet. The proverbial we are surprised he is still available certainly applies to our pick. He will be a NHL defenceman one day. The steal of the draft in our eyes."
152. Colorado - Gustav Bjorklund
"Bjorklund is undersized but we believe that we will be able to surround him with talent and size to make up for that. All Bjorklund does is score and is a coveted right handed shot. With 5 goals and 8 points in the U18 along with 41 points in 34 games in the Swedish Junior league, we like his offensive pedigree."
153. Florida - Garrett Meurs
"We are very pleased to have Meurs in our organization. Although not the biggest player, he shows lots of heart, hustle and energy. He plays a fast game and has soft hands with the mind to go to the net and the soft hands to finish the play. He needs to work on getting bigger, to help prevent from being knocked off the puck too easily, but we are confident that he is ready and up to the task at hand."
154. Phoenix (From NYI) - Brenden Kichton
155. Ottawa - John Norman
"We feel this two way player with good speed and hockey sense has done pretty well in the SEL as a 19/20 year old in his rookie season vs players much older. Although he's older than most players in the draft, we feel this late he's well worth the selection."
156. Winnipeg - Pontus Netterberg
"We believe that this overager can be an offensive player in the NHL. Needs some work to do but hey...it's the 6th round for pete's sake...who doesn't."
157. Columbus - Rob O'Gara
"We feel taht Rob has a bright future with a strong blend of size, skill and mobility, he will join the Yale program in 2012 and this should really help his development going forward"
158. New Jersey - Brian Ferlin
159. Toronto - David Broll
160. Minnesota - Matej Stransky (missed pick)
"We've been impressed with the adjustments and progress Matej has made since coming to North America from the Czech U20 system. By playoff time he was showing that he can provide reliable secondary production. He's NHL-sized already, and adds a bit of needed depth to the organization at RW, but is still very much a work in progress. We expect he'll be thrilled at moving up to the big time and bright lights of Minneapolis after his time spent between Ostrava and Saskatchewan."
161. St.Louis - Blake Coleman
"After spending his draft year in a defensive role, Blake exploded this year to lead the USHL in scoring. So not only is Blake a threat at both ends of the ice, he can also drop the gloves when he has to, and has a tireless work ethic, willing to do whatever it takes to reach the next level. We feel this is a skill set that's difficult to pass on at this point in the draft."
162. Carolina - Brent Benson
"Once believed to possibly battle Sean Couturier for tops in this draft class as a top 5 selection, Brent has admittedly fallen off track this season. However, we still believe this hard working two-way center can develop into a solid player for our hockey club. Brent doesn't shy away from physical contact, and he's the type of player who coaches look for to kill penalties. We're excited to grab him in the 6th round."
163. San Jose (From NYR) - Steffen Kent Soberg
"We are ecstatic to make Soberg our selection here in the 6th round. We feel he has the potential to become a top goaltender in the NHL someday. His outstanding performance at the u-18 solidified his spot on our list of top goaltending prospects in the draft. Soberg made it look easy at the u-18's posting a .931 save% despite being constantly bombarded by shots. He also posted an impressive .913 save % at the world juniors, u-20."
164. Calgary - Anton Zlobin
"Anton had a solid first year in North America and we are very impressed with his offensive skills, mainly his shot."
165. Dallas - Konstantin Komarek
''This austian prospect is already playing in the Eliteseren in Sweden and he was quite good during the playoff. We don't expect much in the short term but when he gets stonger and with more seasoning in the sweden league then he might develop as a fine NHL player''
166. Buffalo - Pascal Zerressen
167. Montreal - Colin Sullivan
"Like everyone else, we love his skating abilities, which are tremendous for a defenceman. His offensive upside is a bit questionable, but we're positive he'll do what it takes to reach the NHL."
168. Chicago - Samuel Guerra
169. Los Angeles - Steven Fogarty
"Steven is a very hardworking player on and off the ice, he plays a gritty physical two-way style and is not afraid to go to the dirty areas. Steven is committed to Notre Dame, but decided to go play in the USHL this year after his high school season was over, despite the possibility of hurting his draft stock, that is the type of player that the Kings want on their team."
170. Ottawa (From Phoenix, Anaheim) - T.J. Tynan
"He's tiny at 5'8'' but you can't deny his production. This late in the draft we found it tough to pass up a chance to pick him up especially after his dominating season in the NCAA as a rookie."
171. Nashville - Gabriel Bourret
172. Toronto (From Anaheim) - Andrew Shaw
"Andrews Memorial Cup earned him the chance to further his career. He stepped up into a leadership role and might have been their best player in the tournament. We love his abrasive style."
173. Tampa Bay - Nikita Nesterov
"He showed very well at the U-18 and seemed to have great chemistry with Yarullin. He's got a great shot and showed some exciting playmaking skills on the powerplay, an area of our team we need to improve. With his vision and passing skills, this could turn out be a Markov-like addition to our prospect roster."
174. Boston - Nick Bligh
"We are very happy to add Nick Bligh to our prospect pool. Bligh was an offensive force for his Massachusetts High School. The Boston native notched 64 points in just 29 games, and with his unique Krejci-like skillset and terrific work ethic, we doubt Bligh will have trouble translating to the NCAA level with Dartmouth. While Dartmouth isn't exactly a Wisconsin or Minnesota in terms of being a prospect factory, it has given the NHL the likes of T.Glass, L.Stempniak, B.Lovejoy and D.Jones, and we embrace Nick's decision to pursue an education."
175. Detroit - Albin Blomqvist
"While he will never be mixed with Mike Green, this stay-at-home, real solid and tough defenceman has a pretty high ceiling, we believe. Developed quite well from the start of the year to the end of it. Nice showing during the U-18 as well. We believe that his style of play will fit better on smaller rinks."
176. San Jose - Joel Mustonen
"As a surprise to everyone and no one, we have elected to turn to europe for our selection. Joel is a very skilled center whom we feel can become an excellent player once he matures physically and becomes more defensively responsible."
177. Pittsburgh - Austin Czarnik
178. Philadelphia - Sergei Barbashev (missed pick)
179. Washington - Sean Kuraly
"Not too long ago, Sean was the most talked about commodity entering the USHL, which makes drafting him at the end of the 6th round really feel like a steal. He was talked about mostly for his offensive instincts/production, but he has now also established somewhat of a reputation for penalty killing (especially generating short-handed chances) and occasionally playing a punishing game in the corners. He joined an Indiana team with plenty of fire power and leadership (Coleman, Tarasov, Ferlin, etc), so never really got a chance to grab the limelight in his first full USHL season. With a little bit of skating development we have no doubt that he will eventually be an effective 2-way contributor at the NHL level."
180. Vancouver - Matt McNeely
Matt is a big, quick, athletic goalie that has all the tools to become a successful goaltender. He was hurt for some time this season and played behind the country's best goaltending prospect, John Gibson. Because of these factors, we feel he is much better than his statistics indicate. Seen as a long-term project, Matt will have the opportunity to develop in the Canucks system. At this point in the draft, it was a no-brainer to select him. He is committed to play at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Round 7:
181. Edmonton - Michael Morrison
182. Colorado - Joseph Manno
"Joseph Manno put up 43 points in 24 games in highschool. He is a decent sized player with a right handed shot. His future in the NCAA should give him time to bulk up and develop his skills at a higher level of hockey."
183. Florida - Sami Salminen
"Sami is an absolute beast. 6'5, 203 pounds with soft hands, a powerful shot and a tenacious mind to go to the net and score. The downside to his play at this time, is that he skates like a 6'5 kid. He does not posses a good first step nor does he have a great top speed either. However, he is a good kid and we believe he has what it takes to improve on that and be a big threat for the Panthers in the future."
184. NYI - Matt Mahalak
"We are pleased to add a goaltender of Matt's potential to our organization. He's a big player who shows great intelligence on and off the ice."
185. Ottawa - Miro Aaltonen
"Although small in height at 5'10'', he is a shifty, very dynamic centre that has nice hands, excellent vision, hockey sense, good wheels, and a great work ethic. Boom/bust pick."
186. Winnipeg - Todd Fiddler
"A guy who has 17 points in his last 20 games, still showed his scoring touch with 3 goals on the 6 games the really ordinairy Raiders played, same guy who showed his scoring abilities in lower leagues, we believe that while his speed needs to improve, he has everything else to succeed in the NHL in due time. A player we believe will play a much bigger role next year, Fiddler is, I'd say, a sure bet to play in the NHL. Role to be determine. But he plays hard, he shows 2-way awareness, he does it all.....at what pace remains the question."
187. Columbus - Max Everson
"We really liked max's upside, he is headed to harvard next year to advance his development further. He skates well with nice overall mobility,quick on his transition from defense to offense is his biggest weapon and sees the ice well and gets the puck to his forwards…has a nice shot that is both hard and accurate…plays the point on the PP…uses a quick stick and good gaps to close off attackers…some question his upside as he is not overly creative with the puck…not the strongest guy and will need to add much strength before moving on to the next level."
188. New Jersey - Tony Cameranesi (missed pick)
"Tony has blinding speed and good vision, one of the most exciting players on the Minnesota High School circuit."
189. Toronto - Carter Sandlak
190. Minnesota - Dan Carlson
"He already has a nice size, he's thick, and he's from a good program. He was selected 5th overall in the USHL draft, and in the 7th round, we are glad to take a flyer on him."
191. St.Louis - Martin Gernat
"We left some other, "safer" prospects on the board to take a chance on Martin, a 6'4" Slovakian defenseman. He's a decent skater who can move the puck well, and has a very moldable frame. He has drawn favorable comparisons to Martin Marincin, a 2010 draft pick, and we think he's too tantalizing a project to pass on with our final pick."
192. Carolina - Frankie Simonelli
"After almost selecting him in the 6th round, we're extremely happy at the fact he was still available at pick 192. While he was clearly still getting adjusted to the NCAA game, Frankie had a decent freshman season at Wisconsin, tying for 3rd in points on his team for defenseman. We look forward to watching him progress in his sophomore season and beyond."
193. Phoenix (From NYR) - Tyler Hansen
194. Winnipeg (From Calgary) - Chase Balisy
"This 1992 overager was just incredible this year in his 1st year in the NCAA. What he doesn't have in size and strength, he has in smarts. Is definately worth a 7th round pick."
195. Dallas - Mike Reilly
"I know he is not the biggest and far from being the strongest but he has 1st round skillset and come from a good hockey backgound with good pedigree. He is going to the BCHL next year and has draw favorable comparison to Brian Rafalski and John-Michael Liles. He is a boom or bust type of guy but give this guy some cookies to eat and 2 or 3 years in the NCAA and he might make some people passing on him look like fool."
196. Buffalo - Brennan Serville
197. Montreal - Stephen Miller
"We just see a lot of potential in this guy. He's already physically mature, he's a born goalscorer and he's not afraid to give and take punishment on the ice. He has the drive to get better, and we will give all the time he needs to round out his game at higher levels."
198. Chicago - Colby Drost
199. Los Angeles - Nikita Zaytsev
"Nikita is a perfectly bilingual Russian Defenseman who has already stated his goal is to play someday in the NHL. With some work on his positioning, amongst a couple of other things he needs to work on, he can become a good overall defenseman and a valuable asset to an NHL team"
200. Phoenix - Pathrik Westerholm
201. Nashville - Dominik Uher
202. Toronto (From Anaheim) - Charlie Finn
"Charlie moved from Vancouver to Kingston this year and starred with the Voyageurs. He had a 1.98 GAA during the regular season with a .933 SA In the playoffs he had a 2.68 GAA and a .927 SA."
203. Tampa Bay - Heikki Liedes
"He projects as a grinding winger who likes to throw his weight around. An unkown now, someday he will be synonymous with big hits. As in "he knocked the Heikki out of him on that hit Bob!"
204. Chicago (From Boston) - Dylan Willick (missed pick)
205. Detroit - Yannick Veilleux
"I'd go as far as to think the ratio rank/quality, we've just made a great pick. Veilleux is big, skates well for a guy his size, use his body wisely, good offensive instincts. If he can work on being more agile, there's still some interesting tools to work with as far as he's concerned."
206. Pittsburgh (From San Jose) - Garrett Clarke
207. Ottawa (From Pittsburgh) - Garrett Haar
208. Philadelphia - John Gaudreau
209. Washington - Karol Korim
"The major knock against Karol is his name. Not exactly very masculine. But what IS masculine about this 17 year old is his size: 6'2" 210 lbs. He isn't the strongest of skaters, and has a below average first step, but we feel he is just growing into his large body, and with strength and training it should improve. One thing we really like, though, is his ability to get involved in scoring plays. He is able to get his point shot through traffic and on the net, and his 12 goals helped him to finish 4th in scoring among all defenseman in the Slovakian U20 division (and by far the highest scoring defenseman in his age class; almost twice as many points as Pavelka). He also showed well at the U18 WJCs, leading to recognition as one of Slovakia's 3 best players in the tournament, so we don't mind selecting him in the 7th round."
210. Vancouver - Zach Franko
"With great speed, a great wrister and good hockey sense, we hope Zach can continue to grow upon his good rookie season in the WHL. Though he needs to add weight, the skillset and smarts are there. Hopefully he can be our very own Patric Hornqvist and become a solid NHLer despite being the last pick overall."
Let us know what you think!
Habsfan18 - Carolina
Whitesnake - Winnipeg
nhldraftvideo (Markov79fan) - Pittsburgh
Watsatheo - Ottawa
Garo - Montreal
Ohashi_Jouzu - Washington
RoyBoyCoy - Boston
Habs 4 Life - NYR
HarryI - Detroit
Duff88 - Chicago
Yarfangor - Anaheim
Turtleneck Plek - NYI
Pernell Karl - Calgary
Habitants - Buffalo
habsprospects (thief50) - Nashville
Freaky Habs Fan - Minnesota
WTFPineapple (LOL) - Edmonton
Jeffrey - Dallas
Zaluty - Toronto
HomaridII - Los Angeles
Kyle West (inBobwetrust) - Tampa Bay
le depisteur - Philadelphia
WeThreeKings - Colorado
hototogisu - St.Louis
overlords - Phoenix
le_sean - Vancouver
CrimsonSkorpion - Florida
Analyzer - New Jersey
Carey Price - Columbus
eaglesmaster - San Jose
Round 1:
1. Edmonton - Adam Larsson
"We believe that Adam Larsson is the perfect fit for our organisation. With core players such as Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle already in the system, a franchise cornerstone defenseman is exactly what we were looking for. Adam Larsson, whose play has already drawn comparisons to Nicklas Lidstrom, possesses an incredible combination of size and skill and we believe he will be able to contribute to our hockey club immediately."
2. Colorado - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
"It is our honour to pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. A fierce competitor in all three zones, a flawless vision, a wicked offensive arsenault along with hockey sense that just can't be taught. We believe with Duchene already blossoming into a top offensive threat and Erik Johnson patrolling the blueline, we have the makings of a team that can get it done all over the ice, producing offence and thwarting attempts against our own goal. This pick excites us greatly."
3. Florida - Gabriel Landeskog
"We truly believe that Gabriel Landeskog fits are organization's needs. He brings a great two way presence to our team, and also adds that physicality and grit that the Panthers organization is looking for. He is currently being compared to Jonathan Toews, which is also an up-side. He is truly a one of a kind player, a Swedish born hockey player that plays a true North American game. With leadership qualities in his blood, we believe he has the ability to captain and lead our franchise in the future."
4. New Jersey - Sean Couturier
"Sean is a tremendously skilled centre with a big frame who will help add great depth to our centre position as we look to next year to climb back into a playoff contender. His big frame needs a little filling out, but we feel he will be a consistent contributor to our team for years to come."
5. New York Islanders - Jonathan Huberdeau
"We're very pleased to welcome Jonathan in our organization. He is an intelligent player with evident passing and scoring skills. He will need to fill out his big frame but we already have our trainers working on a training and eating program for Jonathan. We feel that we just acquired an impact player for the future that will secure our offense for years."
6. Ottawa - Ryan Strome
7. Winnipeg - Dougie Hamilton
"Hamilton possesses a rare blend of what a real 2-way defenseman could end up being. Great at both sides of the rink, he can also deliver thunderous hits and is able to choose when he can do it. On top of that, while we probably don't expect him to be that offensive in the higher levels, you can't ignore the numbers he put in this year. And for a big man who's still growing, he's a pretty good skater on top of that with a good first pass and great shot. Still learning the position but we saw some improvement as the year passsed by which is a great sign. So another hulking blueliner to add to this Thrashers team."
8. Columbus - Ryan Murphy
"We feel that he is an elite puck moving defenseman like we see on Championship clubs in this era, he should help our young skill players like Nash, Brassard and Voracek by getting them the puck in the not too distant future. We are looking to him to be a key part of our transition game along with Anton Stralman and Kris Russell and be a key member of our blueline for a long time."
9. Boston (From Toronto) - Mika Zibanejad
"We here in Boston believe that Mika Zibanejad is a talent you simply do not see every day. From his extraordinary physical play, to his impeccable shot placement, to his elite level hockey IQ, we believe Zibanejad will be doing very special things for this organization one day soon. This exactly the slightly-above-average risk, very high reward pick we feel we are in a position as a franchise to make. A natural center who also plays right wing, Mika gives us extra flexibility in regards to our center situation"
10. Minnesota - Joel Armia (missed pick)
11. Colorado (From St.Louis) - Nathan Beaulieu
"We are pleased to select Nathan, we believe that he will add some offense to our back-end. His offensive ability along with his ability to jump up into the rush will be very important in our future. We like his shot and his playmaking, his ability to get the puck up to our impact forwards should contribute to a scary offence going forward."
12. Carolina - Sven Bartschi
"We're very proud to select Sven with our first selection in the draft. His passing ability and vision on the ice makes him an exciting prospect. Add great hands, a quick and accurate wrist shot, and fantastic hockey sense, and we're very excited with the package that he brings. We look forward to watching him progress and we believe our fans will will love his style of play."
13. Calgary - Mark McNeill
"Mark is a big hard-nosed RH centre who fits the mold of our club perfectly and competes at both ends of the rink. He may not have the most pure skills when compared to some of the top draft-eligible players, but with his hustle and anticipation, he is able to jump on loose pucks and he will be able to contribute at the NHL level. He has proven that he can create his own offense, maintaining a PPG in the absence of top-flight help, and lord knows that may be something he has to deal with a lot in the future."
14. Dallas - Duncan Siemens
"Duncan Siemens is a physical presence in the back-end with his aggresive style and marvelous skating abilities. There are some questions about his decision making and offensive upside but the Dallas Stars can't let a guy with so much potential pass by. He is also one of the younger player available and he is already one of the best shutdown defenseman in the WHL."
15. New York Rangers - Mark Scheifele
"We feel Mark isn't far away from the NHL level with his big frame. He will be a key player down the road for this orginization."
16. Buffalo - Zack Phillips
"We were very impressed by Zack’s strong playoff performance, and the progression he has made since last season. He is a Smart player with great hockey sense and on ice vision. Always in the right place at the right time, Zack is capable of finding open space in order to score points. Our organization believes it is important for players to have good balance of skills and Zack fits the bill as a well rounded prospect. We look forward to following his progression and helping him to grow to his full potential with the Sabres."
17. Montreal - Jamieson Oleksiak
"There is a lot to like about this young man, and we think he can develop into a great defenceman for our team moving foward. He has size, obviously, but also rare skating ability to go with it. His offensive skills are also intriguing, and while they are not as developed as his defence already is, we think there is something there that could end up being very valuable. We also like College hockey for him, as he has already gone against solid competition, playing more than 20 minutes a game as a Freshman, and he'll have tons of time to work on his technical skills, making sure he's going to be ready for the pro game in a few years. Overall, we're not going into hyperbolic comparisons, but with his skills and drive to improve, we see a potential top-4 defenceman on our Cup competing teams."
18. Chicago - Rocco Grimaldi
"We believe that Grimaldi is going to be a great player for years to come. He is a hard worker who is gifted with an offensive skillset that sets him appart from the rest of this draft class. He also has the attitude to be a successful player in the NHL despite his size."
19. Edmonton (From LA) - Matthew Puempel
"We feel that Matthew is the best available player at this point and time in the draft. His natural scoring ability and set of skills are coveted by the Edmonton Oilers organization and do believe that he will fit perfectly among the likes of Hall, Eberle, Paarjavi and Larsson."
20. Phoenix - Nicklas Jensen
"With his large frame and slick hands, we feel that Nicklas Jensen is going to be a huge player for us down the line. He had a fantastic playoffs for oshawa and we feel that he`ll be an offensive pillar for us in the future."
21. Ottawa (From Nashville) - Brandon Saad
"We feel he is a player of many tools. Has good size, speed, skill, and can play physical as well. He and Strome not only adds size up front but a good amount of offensive upside that will make us a hard team to play against in the future."
22. Anaheim - Jonas Brodin
"We feel that Jonas is among the best D in the draft, and has an excellent skill set, mixed with superb hockey sense, and decision making this made our pick a no brainer."
23. Tampa Bay - J.T. Miller
"We like JT's skill level and his ability to step up his game on the big stage. He's a great skater who can play either wing or center and works hard at both ends of the ice. He's got good size and is not afraid to get physical, with a few years at UND to develop his game we think he'll be a leader for our core group of forward prospects."
24. Toronto (From Boston) - Scott Mayfield
"We feel there is a huge upside to this pick and he will anchor a strong Toronto defence in the upcoming years."
25. Detroit - Vladislav Namestnikov
''We feel that Vladislav has a huge upside for a guy his age. His size will be an advantage at the center position and we expect great things in the future. When you are compared to a young Igor Larionov, it means you are doing something right.''
26. San Jose - Oscar Klefbom
"Klefbom is an excellent young defencemen who brings a lot of speed and physicality to the game. His offensive instincts coming from the backend combined with his size will complement our other young defencemen nicely. Oscar is also an excellent leader, our european scout tagged him as the "heart and soul" of the Swedish U-18 team, which he captained to a silver medal finish. We here in San Jose envision him becoming the heart and soul of our defense for years to come."
27. Pittsburgh - Dimitrij Jaskin
"Jaskin is a complete package; skating is a certain drawback, as he lacks smooth stride and looks awkward at times but has deceptive speed, is strong on his skates and is able to get where he needs to be. He is strong on the puck, tough to separate off the puck down low. Goes through checks and tough to handle physically, shields the puck well. Excellent puck puck control in tight space and very good hands in close to the net. Very creative with the puck, anticipates well, has vision and soft hands, passes are crisp. Drives the net, very instinctive player around the net with scoring touch, looks for tips and rebounds close to the net. Quick release of his wrist shot. Finishes all checks causing (defenders) to throw the puck away, creating turnovers plus absorbs checks well, tough to knock him down.Very solid defensively, responsible in own zone and make good decision with puck in own zone showing poise and hockey sense, smart and poised with puck around own blue line, does even the small things well. Has enthusiasm for the game, always plays hard, strong competitor, plays with heart and character." (from Redline)
28. Toronto (From Philadelphia) - Boone Jenner
29. Washington - Alexander Khokhlachev
"Possibly the most offensively-gifted of the remaining players, which made it easier to leave a few 'BPAs' on the board. A consistent and reliable defensive player who shows very good offensive creativity and has the ability to really break down a defense with his stickhandling ability and elusiveness. Has no problem setting up goals, but seems to be even better at scoring them himself. Reports say his style is a carbon copy of his idol, and former Capital, Sergei Fedorov, so what else can we say... we here in Washington love the Khok."
30. Vancouver - Tyler Biggs
"Tyler is an enigma, but one we are willing to take a chance on. He has gamebreaking physical ability and leadership. A surefire NHL level player, Tyler will bring an edge to the Canucks for years to come. We feel he is not only the best player available, but also fills a need. Although some question his offensive upside, we feel he can be used on any line and contribute in a strong fashion."
Round 2:
31. Edmonton - Joseph Morrow
"Joseph is a terrific young player with strong offensive abilities as well as strong defensive play. His mobility is superb and his passing skills are solid. He plays the man very well, he possesses good hockey sense and he’s steady in all 3 zones. We have no doubt that he'll become a fixture on the Oilers blueline for years to come."
32. St.Louis (From Colorado) - Ty Rattie
"Ty has the potential to be a top-line player at the NHL level and brings an exciting combination of offensive capabilities. We think he's a perfect fit amongst our young, dynamic core of forwards."
33. Florida - David Musil
"For this organization, we felt David Musil would be a perfect fit. Our defense is pretty beefed up on the farm team, but when we saw Musil still available, we had no choice but to take him. He possesses a very strong defensive style, has a great first pass and is very intelligent. His offensive side is also starting to rise, and we feel with a bit of conditioning on his shot, we can turn Musil into a great two-way defenseman. We, the Florida Panthers organization, are very pleased to have him."
34. New York Islanders - Victor Rask
"We really like Victor's skill set. He didn't have the best season this year but we saw a great jump in maturity as he understood the efforts he needed to make to be a professional hockey player. He has great hands and physical assets and we look forward to having him in Long Island/Quebec City/Las Vegas."
35. Ottawa - Phillip Danault
"Dependable two-way forward that battles hard each and every shift. Being the captain of the Victoriaville Tigers shows his leadership and team play qualities. Shows a lot of passion towards the game and we believe this along with his skill and hard work will help develop him into a solid NHLer down the road. If not in the top 6, at the very least as a checking line player."
36. Chicago (From Winnipeg) - Connor Murphy
"He had a hard time raising his draft profile with consecutive injury-plagged seasons. Still, we believe that he is one of the top defensemen in this year's crop. He is a smart kid who is very strong on both ends of the ice and who quietly makes the others around him better."
37. Columbus - Shane Prince
"We believe Shane will be a main cog in our offense for years to come with his speed, quickness and creativity. we believe he was a 1st round talent, in fact Red Line has him rated 22nd overall so we feel we got a real steal here."
38. Nashville (From New Jersey) - Stefan Noesen
"We liked his consistancy throught the season, and he has a great shot. He's a gritty player that does a lot of the little things like finishing checks and winning board battles. Though, he will need to work on his skating."
39. Toronto - Tomas Jurco
"Tomas has unbelievable hands and great moves. He is the type of player who you might not notice but at the end of the game he has 3 points. A great addition to the Maple Leafs."
40. Boston (From Minnesota) - Adam Clendening
"Our organization has had our eyes on this young man ever since we heard that he had committed to Boston University, and amazed us as a dominant force for the USNTDP Under-18 program, notching 49 points in 65 games as a 17 year old, and for the National U18 team. Without so much as a minor speed bump, Clendening transitioned seamlessly into the NCAA and was a standout freshmen for the Terriers, leading all defensemen on his team in points. To go along with his strong offensive instincts, great first pass, and exceptional decision making under pressure, Clendening has shown a lot of feistiness, leading BU with 80PIMs, and USNTDP before that with 120. We feel there is a lot of potential in the physical aspect of his game. We are very pleased to add Clendening to our prospect pool, and feel he compares well to the likes of James Wisniewski."
41. St. Louis - Seth Ambroz
"We think at this point in the draft picking a guy like Seth Ambroz is a no-brainer. What he doesn't have can be worked on, but what he has cannot be taught. Seth is a big, tough player who can make a difference in many ways on the ice, either by scoring goals or being a physical presence."
42. Carolina - Daniel Catenacci
"Daniel is a player who we didn't believe would be available at this point in the draft. A first round talent, we believe he's amongst the faster skaters in the entire draft and he excels at making plays at high speed. Despite his size, he still shows a willingness to play a gritty game, and we're very happy to welcome him into our organization."
43. New York Rangers - Brett Ritchie
44. Chicago (From Calgary, Toronto) - Michael St. Croix
"Everyone knows that St. Croix is a very gifted offensive player, but he has improved leaps and bounds in his all-around play through the year. He has become much more mature and is now getting involved in the game at a much higher level. We believe he has what it takes to continue improving in the next few years and make it in the NHL."
45. Dallas - Nikita Kucherov
"Kucherov is a slick, speedster that simply can put the game on his stick. He has Datsyuk-like ability, where he can elude defenders at top speed, is very creative, and has tremendous vision and hockey IQ."
46. St.Louis (From Buffalo) - Xavier Ouellet
Xavier is an extremely smart, talented defenseman. Not only has he proven his capabilities in his own zone, he has also displayed an offensive touch this year. We think he'll be a strong player in all three zones for us.
47. Florida (From Montreal) - Rickard Rakell
"Only 17 years old and already so much up-side. He has high-end skill, plays with a lot of energy and intensity and has a physical edge to his game as well. He still has a lot of room to improve, but this organization just absolutely loves his style and believes he will be a very good two-way, versatile player for the future."
48. Ottawa (From Chicago - conditional) - Matthew Nieto
49. Los Angeles - Miikka Salomaki
"Salomaki isn't the most skilled prospect, but he is a gritty competitor that will give you everything he has every shift. He plays the game with utter determination and always finds himself in the thick of the action. Great defensive awareness and can play in all situations. With the depth our organization's prospect pool has on defense and skilled forwards, we feel Salomaki adds a dimension that every good team must have. We look forward to his development in Finland before he comes over to NA in 2 years."
50. New York Islanders (From Montreal) - Ryan Sproul
"Ryan kinda came out of nowhere this season in Sault Ste. Marie. He grew a lot this year and found his offensive game in his first year of OHL hockey. He is a towering presence on the ice at 6'4 and has a great shot. He needs to bulk up a bit and work on his defensive game but we believe he will be a great physical two-way defender for the Islanders in the future."
51. Phoenix - Joel Edmundson
"We feel that a defenseman of Joel's caliber will be someone we rely on for years to come to steady our blue line."
52. Nashville - Myles Bell
"With his powerful and fairly accurate point shot, Bell can run the Power Play and scores some goals. He is a physical defenseman that lays out opponents with spectacular checks. We also like that he is an effective penalty killer."
53. Anaheim - Lucas Lessio
"We are thrilled that Lessio was still available at our pick, and we were hoping he would fall to us, we feel his solid mix of technique, grit, physicality, skill and his jaw dropping speed make him an excellent addition to the Anaheim prospect pool, and we see him future in to our plans as a very solid NHLer."
54. Tampa Bay - John Gibson
"We feel we have good depth at the goaltending position in our system but John has the tools and temper to be an elite goalie. He has the size and reflexes teams look for these days and he also has been very consistent no matter the level of opposition he is facing. He was the best goalie at the recent U-18 tournament and will only get better backstopping the University of Michigan Wolverines for the next few years."
55. Ottawa (From Boston) - Mario Lucia
"Protects the puck so well in traffic and uses that size to his advantage. He's a threat coming out of the corners. He works hard and has a passion to get better and he wants to get to the next level. 6'3'' with great hands and playmaking ability to make people around him better. Size and upside made it difficult not to select him"
56. Detroit - Vincent Trocheck
''We feel that his skill set at the center position was too good to pass up. He is still very raw but hopefully he will become as good as we expect.''
57. San Jose - Joachim Nermark
"We were pleasantly surprised to find Joachim still on the board at our selection. Despite his disappointing year, his dominance at the Ivan Hlinka in august is enough to merit us selecting him at 57. From our scouts perspective, we noticed that Joachim's struggles revolved more around trying to do too much. We are confident that if he simplifies his game and regains his confidence we could have a future star on our hands. He is the type of player who can control the flow of a game. Excellent both offensively and defensively. He makes his wingers much better. We are ecstatic to make Nermark our selection."
58. Pittsburgh - Stuart Percy
59. Phoenix (From Philadelphia) - Robbie Russo
60. New York Rangers (From Washington, Carolina) - Tyler Wotherspoon
61. Vancouver - Nick Shore
"Nick Shore was a late birthday for last year's draft and therefore was old enough to play for the University of Denver Pioneers, with his brother, Drew, a draft pick of the Panthers. He is a strong two-way centre that shows some flashes of offence, as seen at the 2010 U-18 tournament when he led the Gold Medal winning Americans with 10 points. We feel he will be at his own in the NHL as he shows loads of maturity and hockey smarts."
Round 3:
62. Edmonton - Max Friberg
63. New York Islanders - Joseph LaBate
"Joseph is a big guy with all the tools to become a force in the NHL and we hope he will be a quality player for the Islanders in the future."
64. Florida - Logan Shaw
"Logan Shaw is a big, offensive threat that has very soft hands and skates well, despite his large frame but also has a nice two-way game to his style. He's not afraid to drop the gloves and protect his teammates and he has a lot of promise. We look forward to the future for Mr. Shaw and working with him."
65. Anaheim (From NYI - Conditional) - Markus Granlund
"Shocked and Thrilled, as we were convinced Granlund would not be there at our 3rd round pick, but we feel he has a solid chance at being an NHL top 6 forward, and we feel he Granlund is an excellent fit to our system."
66. Ottawa - Rasmus Bengtsson
67. Winnipeg - Kale Kessy
"We love his mix of grit, toughness and competitiveness he brings."
68. Columbus - David Honzik
"We feel that David will be a #1 NHL goaltender down the road, he has the size and athleticism to be a premier goalie. We love how he performed these past playoffs against favored Acadie-Bathurst and Saint John facing high scoring teams and playing very well. We already have Steve Mason but feel this is a position we need to add depth, plus this is a great value pick."
69. Chicago (From Toronto) - Jeremy Boyce-Rotevall
70. Minnesota - Olivier Archambault
"At this point, we are looking for skills. We have a lot of character player in our system, but we are lacking skilled player. We think Olivier Archambault will only get better when he'll get stronger. His stats with the Foreurs aren't that great, just like almost anyone on that team. We believe next year will be a big one for him as he'll be more mature."
71. St.Louis - Adam Lowry
"At 6'4", Adam is already a behemoth on the ice and uses his size very effectively. Like his father, former NHLer Dave Lowry, Adam is a relentless hard worker and is willing to pay the price to get the job done. We are hopeful he continue his offensive output in addition to rounding out the defensive aspect of the game."
72. Carolina - Reece Scarlett
"Reece is a defenseman who specializes in moving the puck, and is capable of playing high minutes. He's a fantastic skater who has the potential to one day possibly quarterback a powerplay at the NHL level. He must work on filling out his frame, but he has plenty of time to do so. We're excited to add him to our group of prospects."
73. Florida (From NYR) - Marcel Noebels
"We were very pleased that our decision to wait was well worth it. We gambled the thought of Noebels being available a little later into the third round and it paid off. The Panthers organization has been following Marcel since the age of 14, when he would put up a season of 58 goals and 94 points in just 28 games. Since then, we've kept a close eye on his progress back in Germany and now in the WHL. He has displayed great offensive instinct and is a decent skater and mobile for his size too. We have no doubt, that with the right amount of time, Marcel can blossom into a great power forward."
74. Edmonton (From Calgary) - Colin Jacobs
"Colin is a good two-way forward who brings an edge to his game. He possesses good vision along with precise shooting ability."
75. New Jersey (From Dallas - Conditional) - Keegan Lowe
76. Buffalo - Austen Brassard
"Brassard is a strong physical player with good Size. He has the ability to control the play along the boards and work hard in the trenches. He has displayed good speed as well as a strong shot. His willingness to drop the gloves shows that he is able to stand up for his teamates. With further development we feel he has the potential to grow into a solid power forward."
77. Montreal - Joshua Leivo
"A OHL rookie, Leivo didn't have the best start to the year, but in the second half he started showing something we really like. From six points in his first thirty games, he started to get hot with 24 in 34 and exploded in the playoffs, ending them as the second scorer for the Wolves and the +/- leader. We do think he'll continue this form, and will be a nice physical winger with scoring upside."
78. Chicago - Mike McKee
79. Los Angeles - Maxim Shalunov
"The Los Angeles Kings organization feel that Shalunov's combination of size and incredible skill will translate very well in North America. Shalunov needs time to fill and to develop but we feel he has all it takes to be a top 6 player at the NHL level."
80. Boston (From Phoenix) - Christopher Gibson
"Although Tim Thomas is an elite NHL goaltender, we in Boston are faced with the harsh reality that he is not getting any younger. We are also still unsure of what calibur of goaltender we truly have in Tuukka Rask, so we feel that selecting a goaltender is worth it in the 3rd Round, and we feel we've found a good one in Chicoutimi's Finnish netminder Christopher Gibson. What Gibson lacks in size compared to the ever growing modern-day-tender, he makes up for in a very high compete level, excellent athleticism and air-tight technical abilities."
81. Nashville - Dylan Wruck
"He's got high skill and he doesn’t shy away at all from going to all the tough areas. He’s quick, fast and competitive."
82. Anaheim - William Karlsson
"We are once again thrilled to be able to choose such an excellent forward, we feel he has excellent tools, raw skill, and with a bit of fine tuning we are confident he can become a potential steal of the draft."
83. St.Louis (From Tampa Bay) - Benjamin Conz
"After being passed over in the draft last year, we feel Benjamin has shown this year he is capable of being a bonafide number one goalie. While consistency may be an issue with him, we feel his top-end skill is undeniable, and worthy of taking a chance on with our extra pick in the third round."
84. Florida (From Boston) - Zachary Yuen
"Zachary Yuen was high up on our list of prospects out of the WHL. We've been scouting him for some time now and absolutely love his gritty play and his two-way ability. He isn't quite dominant at any role just yet, but he is solid at every role. He's put up decent numbers offensively, defensively good, hits well and skates well too. We are also pleased with his willingness to drop the gloves, despite his smaller frame for a defenseman. We have no doubt Zachary Yuen will be a force to reckon with on the Panthers blue line, in the future"
85. Detroit - Joseph Cramarossa
86. San Jose - Klas Dahlbeck
"Solid defensemen with good size, skating and a first pass, but above else Klas is a very intelligent hockey player. We are confident that Klas will be in a position to help our club within the next year or two."
87. Philadelphia (From Pittsburgh) - Steven Michalek (missed pick)
88. Toronto (From Philadelphia) - Tobias Rieder
89. Florida (From Washington) - Gregory Hofmann
"We are pleased with this selection. We took notice of him in the M18 World Championships in Belarus and liked what we saw. We believe he has the determination, the hockey IQ and the skill-set to excel under our organization. He still has a ways to go, but we have no doubt he will be a Panther regular in the future."
90. Vancouver - Andrei Pedan
"Andrey Pedan is big, physical specimen that is willing to throw the body around and defend his teammates when necessary, as witnessed by his 89 PIMs in his first OHL season with Guelph. He has good mobility and a good first pass out of the zone. His offensive game jumped in the playoffs when he picked up 8 assists in 6 games. With his size and tenacity we hope he can strengthen his all around game with another season in the OHL."
*New Jersey forfeits 3rd round pick
Round 4:
91. Edmonton - Travis Ewanyk
"Travis is a very energetic player who brings it every night. We believe that he will become an important player for us in the future as every team needs those passionate players to be successful."
92. Colorado - Samu Perhonen
"We in Colorado cannot believe that he has fallen to our spot in the fourth round. We believe he is the most talented goaltender in the NHL Entry Draft and that he may end up a lot like Pekka Rinne. Perhonen is big, rangy and athletic. He has all the fundamentals, he just needs experience and we look forward to watching him mind the nets in Colorado for years to come."
93. Florida - Adam Reid
"Adam Reid will be heading to Northeastern University and will be re-evaluated after that. We expect him to become a good, solid 3rd liner with good speed, and the size to control the pace of the game."
94. New York Islanders - Michael Paliotta
"Michael is a very interesting prospect with smooth skating and great size. He's a great asset for our prospect pool as we have been lacking big defence-oriented defencemen."
95. Ottawa - Nick Cousins
"He has deceptive moves in traffic and very good vision on the ice. Very skilled but also has some grit as he doesn't shy away from the difficult areas on the ice despite his small stature (between 5'10'' and 5'11')'. Needs to work on the defensive side of his game and although not slow his skating isn't that good for a small player. Had a good U18 tournament so at this point in the draft we are comfortable taking a flyer on him."
96. Winnipeg - Michael Mersch
"This freshman had a really good 1st season in the NCAA and we beleive that the day the kid improves his skating, he could very well become a very good power forward in the NHL. Tons of potential that will be more clear the day he works on his agility."
97. Columbus - Jean-Gabriel Pageau
"we are very pleased that he was still there with our 4th pick, as he was one of the fast risers late this season a nd a force in the playoffs for Gatineau, he is very skilled but also intense and very gritty, we feel these qualities will help him overcome his size at the pro level"
98. New Jersey - Josiah Didier
99. Toronto - Patrick Koudys
100. Minnesota - Magnus Hellberg
"We believe we have in our hands a big goaltender with great potential. He's a project, but with his size and skills, he could become an important part of the Wild."
101. St.Louis - Alan Quine
"Alan's speed and raw skill with the puck on his stick are off the charts. He has a dazzling array of offensive moves and if we can find a way to limit his turnovers and improve his play without the puck, we feel he has the potential to be a dangerous scorer for us in the near future."
102. Carolina - Kalle Johansson
"This undersized defenseman has been highly touted for a few years now, and we simply couldn't pass on him in the 4th round. We especially liked what we saw when Kalle helped Sweden win the silver medal as an assistant captain at the U18's. We feel he has loads of potential and can overcome his size issues to become a player for us down the road."
103. New York Rangers - Scott Oke
104. Calgary - Lars Volden
105. Dallas - Reid Boucher
106. Buffalo - Andrew Fritsch
"We Feel that Andrew is a player with great potential. He has good speed and strong puck skills along with a quick shot. Andrew has great hockey sense and scoring instincts, He is hard working and drives to the net. We are very happy to welcome Andrew into the Buffalo organization"
107. Montreal - Seth Griffith
"We're pleased to add a smooth skater like Griffith, who works hard all over the ice and developed as a dangerous scorer for the Knights, and in a few years could become a key player in our system."
108. Chicago - Troy Vance
109. Los Angeles - Marek Tvrdon
"Before his season ending shoulder injury, Marek had 11 points in 11 games and was projected to be a 2nd round pick with potential to sneak into the 1st round with a good season. He is actually the youngest player ever to play in the Slovak Extraliga, younger even than Michael Gaborik. Listed 6'2, 212 lbs as a 17 year old, Marek is a big, strong kid and very strong on his skates. He has to improve his skating but has very soft hands, a good shot and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. We are confident that Marek will be an NHL player someday as he has all the tools needed to succeed."
110. Phoenix - Scott Harrington
111. Nashville - Shane McColgan
"McColgan plays a lot bigger than his 5'10, 170 lbs frame suggests, he has good hands, is a great skater, has a quick release to go with smart anticipation and hockey sense. He also has been known to have a bit of a temper, and has been compared to Jarome Iginla at times as he won't shy away from a fight."
112. Winnipeg (From Anaheim, Montreal) - Alexei Marchenko
"This defenseman who was not pick in last year's draft has everything in his skill set to become a good 2-way defenceman in the NHL. Great size, great skills 1 on 1, a good first pass some underrated offensive abilities, while mostly defensive, we believe he will grow into a complete defenceman in due time."
113. Philadelphia (From Tampa Bay) - Dillon Simpson
"North Dakota freshman blueliner Dillon Simpson is in fact the son of former NHLer Craig Simpson. He has true hockey blood in him. His great hockey sense offsets his lack of skating. Simpson is actually ranked higher on some lists and notably Red Line Report, who had Simpson 19th in last August."
114. Boston - Johan Sundstrom
"A Swedish forward standing at 6'3" 196, we fail to see where this pick can go wrong. Sundstrom is a very well rounded hockey player. From his impressive overall athleticism, to his strong Hockey IQ, there is no doubt in our minds that Sundstrom has all the tools to be a good NHLer. Despite only notching 1 point in 41 games with Swedish powerhouse Frolunda, Sundstrom impressed us most by notching 15 points in 7 games, both in the SuperElit playoffs, and the U19s."
115. Detroit - Zakhar Arzamastsev
116. San Jose - Alexander Ruutu
"We went into the 4th round with a particular player in our sights, but decided to change course when Alexander Ruuttu fell into our laps. Ruuttu is just too good for us to pass up. We are confident that this skilled and hard nosed center will be able to follow in his father's footsteps by having a successful NHL career."
117. Edmonton (From Pittsburgh) - Andy Welinski
"Andy is a good sized defenseman who possesses strong skating and puck-handling abilities. He has demonstrated great poise playing in the USHL playoffs, and if his play in Green Bay is a measure of his potential as a pro player, then we are extremely proud to welcome Andy to the Edmonton Oilers family."
118. Philadelphia - Guillaume Cloutier
119. Washington - Zac Larraza
"Zac's a big body who's developing into a solid contributor. Winning just seems to follow this guy. Will add some much needed depth to our LW prospect pool."
120. Vancouver - Destry Straight
"Destry Straight is a good skater with very good offensive hockey sense. Winner of the Coastal Conference Rookie of the Year, he is committed to play in one of the great NCAA hockey programs in Boston College."
Round 5:
121. Edmonton - Jean-François Leblanc
"Jean-François is a forward with a big frame and an interesting set of tools. He's a good skater who excels on faceoffs. He’s a big player who would make a great “net presence†on the power play. We see in him the potential to center our 3rd line in the future. Although he could display more of a physical game, we believe that he can have a lengthy career in the big leagues."
122. Colorado - Alex Kuvaev
"We believe that Kuvaev has the size and grit to go along with his protoypical russian skills. Once he develops consistency and comfortability in the North American game he will be a scoring force that is tough to knock off the puck."
123. Florida - Colten St. Clair
"Colten is a gritty centreman with the ability, skill-set and skating ability to play a shut-down, two-way role. He stands up for his team-mates and plays a strong game, despite his smaller frame."
124. New York Islanders - Justin Thomas
"Justin is a very intriguing player. He suffered a season-ending injury early this season but showed great promise beforehand. He is a physical player who is not afraid to drop the gloves, while he also displays an offensive touch. This is a high-risk, high-reward pick that we believe is going to pay off in the future."
125. Ottawa - Jesse Forsberg
126. New York Islanders (From Winnipeg) - Petr Placek
"Petr is a project-pick for us. He is heading to Harvard next year to further his hockey and scholar careers. We believe that is a sign of intelligence and maturity and we believe Harvard coach Ted Donato is the right man to develop Petr. At 6'4 and over 200lbs, Placek plays a big man game and shows clear offensive qualities. He needs to work on his skating a bit and try to get more involved in the play near the net."
127. Columbus - Alexandre Grenier
"We are very proud to select Alexandre as he has come a very long way this season,starting the year in junior A. He has great size and skating, and has shown a fine scoring touch. We believe he is a bit of a project but we will give him another season in the QMJHL before grauating to the AHL"
128. New Jersey - Neal Goff
129. Toronto - Peter Ceresnak
"We are glad Peter was still around at this spot. He will give us flexibility moving forward as he develops into a NHL defenceman."
130. Minnesota - Austin Wuthrich
131. St.Louis - Jyrki Jokipakka
"Jyrki has shown all the positive signs of being a late-bloomer and we are thrilled to be able to grab him at this point in the draft. He's a big, smart player with a strong first pass and we think he has the potential to develop into a two-way defenseman along the lines of his countryman Kimmo Timonen."
132. Winnipeg (From Carolina, Florida) - Kyle Rau
"There's room for smaller players in this league and we believe that he could totally bring his exciting and offensively gifted game to the higher levels. From his hands, to his skating, to his work ethich and commitment, we just believe his skills were too great to pass on at this point even if there were other interesting players out there. We have been impressed, as short a stint it was, that he was able to keep his offensive rhythm in the USHL. And next year, he's going to be a Gopher which should improve next year."
133. New York Rangers - Matt Killian
"Matt has good size and skill but what impresses us most is his ability to read the game. He's going to a strong program in Yale and we think this local kid could be a real good addition to our young defence corps in a few years."
134. Calgary - Philippe Hudon
"We like Phillipe's size, work ethic and skills. He has incredible maturity and will be playing at Cornell University next season."
345. Dallas - Alex Roach
"Alex has been a constant riser during the year. He had harder time adjusting to the WHL speed at the start but at the end the year he was one of the top defenseman for the Hitmen. He has all the tools and the work ethic to become a ''horse'' next year."
136. Buffalo - Daniel Pribyl
137. Montreal - Cason Hohmann
"Hohmann has a lot of things going for him, he's very fast, feisty, equally talented as a playmaker or a scorer, lives to win and is going to a very good program in BU. But, he's small, 5"8 at the very most. However, we don't put a big emphasis on size when the player is ready to do anything on the ice to win, and Hohmann does just that."
138. Chicago - Luke Lockhart
139. Los Angeles - Eddie Wittchow
"Wittchow was recently drafted 4th overall in the USHL draft by the Waterloo BlackHawks. This kid is a superb skater for his size who came out of nowhere this season, he is expected to fill out to 210-215 lbs, has a lot of upside, both offensively and defensively and has been described as "nasty and aggressive" and as having "a whole lot of nasty". He has very good puck skills, a good shot and is a very smart kid. What's not to like?"
140. Phoenix - Viktor Arvidsson
141. Nashville - Jordan Binnington
"We liked his competitive instincts this season and he has the ability to make acrobatic saves and single handily keep his team in the game."
142. Anaheim - Victor Berglind
"We believe Berglind at this pick is a steal, we feel he has the right mixture of speed, skill, poise and a solid point shot to be a potential top 4 Defender in the NHL one day. We are shocked once again that this young potential star was still available at our pick."
143. Tampa Bay - Albert Yarullin
"We were impressed with his leadership as captain of the Russian U-18 team and we like his mobility and playmaking skills. Our defence crew needs a powerplay quarterback and we think he could come over and spark some offense for us right away."
144. Boston - Sahir Gill
"Although he is one year overage, we feel like there is a lot of potential in this young man. Like Clendening, we were lucky to have a front row seat for Gill's freshman season with the Terriers. The BC native put up 25 points in 39 games. Gill is mostly a perimeter player, and has some slick moves in the offensive zone that he uses to make plays. He's not particularly large, and his defensive skills have left some scouts unimpressed. But Gill is a bright kid and we have little doubt that he'll be able to buy-in and commit to developing a more well rounded game."
145. Detroit - Alessio Bertaggia
146. Winnipeg (From San Jose) - Michael Houser
"With the team he had in front of him, this guy has been simply great and frustrating to play against. We just love his consistency, work ethic and desire to play hard."
147. Pittsburgh - Ryan Tesink
148. Detroit (From Philadelphia) - Maximilien LeSieur
"We believe there's some untapped offensive potential for this kid. But we love his size (though he will have to use it more) his great skating, his 2-way awareness and overall attitude. We believe there's a pretty high ceiling for this kid."
149. Washington - Adam Pettersson
"Adam is quite simply the best player available in our eyes. It wasn't long ago that he was considered the best prospect in Sweden besides Gabriel Landeskog. While his progress may have leveled a bit (leading him to go undrafted last year), he still has the skating, skills, and hockey sense to be able to eventually contribute in the NHL. He's a creative all-round player who can play all forward positions, and has gained some size without losing any of his agility. We feel he is a short term project at the very worst."
150. Vancouver - Joakim Ryan
"Ryan is a smooth skating defenceman that should be able to develop his skill and hockey sense after a few years in Cornell. He was the best defenceman on a very good team despite being only 17. Fun fact: he was born in New Jersey yet plays for Sweden internationally."
Round 6:
151. Toronto (From Edmonton) - Justin Sefton
"We had to check our draft list over and over to make sure Justin hadn't been picked yet. The proverbial we are surprised he is still available certainly applies to our pick. He will be a NHL defenceman one day. The steal of the draft in our eyes."
152. Colorado - Gustav Bjorklund
"Bjorklund is undersized but we believe that we will be able to surround him with talent and size to make up for that. All Bjorklund does is score and is a coveted right handed shot. With 5 goals and 8 points in the U18 along with 41 points in 34 games in the Swedish Junior league, we like his offensive pedigree."
153. Florida - Garrett Meurs
"We are very pleased to have Meurs in our organization. Although not the biggest player, he shows lots of heart, hustle and energy. He plays a fast game and has soft hands with the mind to go to the net and the soft hands to finish the play. He needs to work on getting bigger, to help prevent from being knocked off the puck too easily, but we are confident that he is ready and up to the task at hand."
154. Phoenix (From NYI) - Brenden Kichton
155. Ottawa - John Norman
"We feel this two way player with good speed and hockey sense has done pretty well in the SEL as a 19/20 year old in his rookie season vs players much older. Although he's older than most players in the draft, we feel this late he's well worth the selection."
156. Winnipeg - Pontus Netterberg
"We believe that this overager can be an offensive player in the NHL. Needs some work to do but hey...it's the 6th round for pete's sake...who doesn't."
157. Columbus - Rob O'Gara
"We feel taht Rob has a bright future with a strong blend of size, skill and mobility, he will join the Yale program in 2012 and this should really help his development going forward"
158. New Jersey - Brian Ferlin
159. Toronto - David Broll
160. Minnesota - Matej Stransky (missed pick)
"We've been impressed with the adjustments and progress Matej has made since coming to North America from the Czech U20 system. By playoff time he was showing that he can provide reliable secondary production. He's NHL-sized already, and adds a bit of needed depth to the organization at RW, but is still very much a work in progress. We expect he'll be thrilled at moving up to the big time and bright lights of Minneapolis after his time spent between Ostrava and Saskatchewan."
161. St.Louis - Blake Coleman
"After spending his draft year in a defensive role, Blake exploded this year to lead the USHL in scoring. So not only is Blake a threat at both ends of the ice, he can also drop the gloves when he has to, and has a tireless work ethic, willing to do whatever it takes to reach the next level. We feel this is a skill set that's difficult to pass on at this point in the draft."
162. Carolina - Brent Benson
"Once believed to possibly battle Sean Couturier for tops in this draft class as a top 5 selection, Brent has admittedly fallen off track this season. However, we still believe this hard working two-way center can develop into a solid player for our hockey club. Brent doesn't shy away from physical contact, and he's the type of player who coaches look for to kill penalties. We're excited to grab him in the 6th round."
163. San Jose (From NYR) - Steffen Kent Soberg
"We are ecstatic to make Soberg our selection here in the 6th round. We feel he has the potential to become a top goaltender in the NHL someday. His outstanding performance at the u-18 solidified his spot on our list of top goaltending prospects in the draft. Soberg made it look easy at the u-18's posting a .931 save% despite being constantly bombarded by shots. He also posted an impressive .913 save % at the world juniors, u-20."
164. Calgary - Anton Zlobin
"Anton had a solid first year in North America and we are very impressed with his offensive skills, mainly his shot."
165. Dallas - Konstantin Komarek
''This austian prospect is already playing in the Eliteseren in Sweden and he was quite good during the playoff. We don't expect much in the short term but when he gets stonger and with more seasoning in the sweden league then he might develop as a fine NHL player''
166. Buffalo - Pascal Zerressen
167. Montreal - Colin Sullivan
"Like everyone else, we love his skating abilities, which are tremendous for a defenceman. His offensive upside is a bit questionable, but we're positive he'll do what it takes to reach the NHL."
168. Chicago - Samuel Guerra
169. Los Angeles - Steven Fogarty
"Steven is a very hardworking player on and off the ice, he plays a gritty physical two-way style and is not afraid to go to the dirty areas. Steven is committed to Notre Dame, but decided to go play in the USHL this year after his high school season was over, despite the possibility of hurting his draft stock, that is the type of player that the Kings want on their team."
170. Ottawa (From Phoenix, Anaheim) - T.J. Tynan
"He's tiny at 5'8'' but you can't deny his production. This late in the draft we found it tough to pass up a chance to pick him up especially after his dominating season in the NCAA as a rookie."
171. Nashville - Gabriel Bourret
172. Toronto (From Anaheim) - Andrew Shaw
"Andrews Memorial Cup earned him the chance to further his career. He stepped up into a leadership role and might have been their best player in the tournament. We love his abrasive style."
173. Tampa Bay - Nikita Nesterov
"He showed very well at the U-18 and seemed to have great chemistry with Yarullin. He's got a great shot and showed some exciting playmaking skills on the powerplay, an area of our team we need to improve. With his vision and passing skills, this could turn out be a Markov-like addition to our prospect roster."
174. Boston - Nick Bligh
"We are very happy to add Nick Bligh to our prospect pool. Bligh was an offensive force for his Massachusetts High School. The Boston native notched 64 points in just 29 games, and with his unique Krejci-like skillset and terrific work ethic, we doubt Bligh will have trouble translating to the NCAA level with Dartmouth. While Dartmouth isn't exactly a Wisconsin or Minnesota in terms of being a prospect factory, it has given the NHL the likes of T.Glass, L.Stempniak, B.Lovejoy and D.Jones, and we embrace Nick's decision to pursue an education."
175. Detroit - Albin Blomqvist
"While he will never be mixed with Mike Green, this stay-at-home, real solid and tough defenceman has a pretty high ceiling, we believe. Developed quite well from the start of the year to the end of it. Nice showing during the U-18 as well. We believe that his style of play will fit better on smaller rinks."
176. San Jose - Joel Mustonen
"As a surprise to everyone and no one, we have elected to turn to europe for our selection. Joel is a very skilled center whom we feel can become an excellent player once he matures physically and becomes more defensively responsible."
177. Pittsburgh - Austin Czarnik
178. Philadelphia - Sergei Barbashev (missed pick)
179. Washington - Sean Kuraly
"Not too long ago, Sean was the most talked about commodity entering the USHL, which makes drafting him at the end of the 6th round really feel like a steal. He was talked about mostly for his offensive instincts/production, but he has now also established somewhat of a reputation for penalty killing (especially generating short-handed chances) and occasionally playing a punishing game in the corners. He joined an Indiana team with plenty of fire power and leadership (Coleman, Tarasov, Ferlin, etc), so never really got a chance to grab the limelight in his first full USHL season. With a little bit of skating development we have no doubt that he will eventually be an effective 2-way contributor at the NHL level."
180. Vancouver - Matt McNeely
Matt is a big, quick, athletic goalie that has all the tools to become a successful goaltender. He was hurt for some time this season and played behind the country's best goaltending prospect, John Gibson. Because of these factors, we feel he is much better than his statistics indicate. Seen as a long-term project, Matt will have the opportunity to develop in the Canucks system. At this point in the draft, it was a no-brainer to select him. He is committed to play at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Round 7:
181. Edmonton - Michael Morrison
182. Colorado - Joseph Manno
"Joseph Manno put up 43 points in 24 games in highschool. He is a decent sized player with a right handed shot. His future in the NCAA should give him time to bulk up and develop his skills at a higher level of hockey."
183. Florida - Sami Salminen
"Sami is an absolute beast. 6'5, 203 pounds with soft hands, a powerful shot and a tenacious mind to go to the net and score. The downside to his play at this time, is that he skates like a 6'5 kid. He does not posses a good first step nor does he have a great top speed either. However, he is a good kid and we believe he has what it takes to improve on that and be a big threat for the Panthers in the future."
184. NYI - Matt Mahalak
"We are pleased to add a goaltender of Matt's potential to our organization. He's a big player who shows great intelligence on and off the ice."
185. Ottawa - Miro Aaltonen
"Although small in height at 5'10'', he is a shifty, very dynamic centre that has nice hands, excellent vision, hockey sense, good wheels, and a great work ethic. Boom/bust pick."
186. Winnipeg - Todd Fiddler
"A guy who has 17 points in his last 20 games, still showed his scoring touch with 3 goals on the 6 games the really ordinairy Raiders played, same guy who showed his scoring abilities in lower leagues, we believe that while his speed needs to improve, he has everything else to succeed in the NHL in due time. A player we believe will play a much bigger role next year, Fiddler is, I'd say, a sure bet to play in the NHL. Role to be determine. But he plays hard, he shows 2-way awareness, he does it all.....at what pace remains the question."
187. Columbus - Max Everson
"We really liked max's upside, he is headed to harvard next year to advance his development further. He skates well with nice overall mobility,quick on his transition from defense to offense is his biggest weapon and sees the ice well and gets the puck to his forwards…has a nice shot that is both hard and accurate…plays the point on the PP…uses a quick stick and good gaps to close off attackers…some question his upside as he is not overly creative with the puck…not the strongest guy and will need to add much strength before moving on to the next level."
188. New Jersey - Tony Cameranesi (missed pick)
"Tony has blinding speed and good vision, one of the most exciting players on the Minnesota High School circuit."
189. Toronto - Carter Sandlak
190. Minnesota - Dan Carlson
"He already has a nice size, he's thick, and he's from a good program. He was selected 5th overall in the USHL draft, and in the 7th round, we are glad to take a flyer on him."
191. St.Louis - Martin Gernat
"We left some other, "safer" prospects on the board to take a chance on Martin, a 6'4" Slovakian defenseman. He's a decent skater who can move the puck well, and has a very moldable frame. He has drawn favorable comparisons to Martin Marincin, a 2010 draft pick, and we think he's too tantalizing a project to pass on with our final pick."
192. Carolina - Frankie Simonelli
"After almost selecting him in the 6th round, we're extremely happy at the fact he was still available at pick 192. While he was clearly still getting adjusted to the NCAA game, Frankie had a decent freshman season at Wisconsin, tying for 3rd in points on his team for defenseman. We look forward to watching him progress in his sophomore season and beyond."
193. Phoenix (From NYR) - Tyler Hansen
194. Winnipeg (From Calgary) - Chase Balisy
"This 1992 overager was just incredible this year in his 1st year in the NCAA. What he doesn't have in size and strength, he has in smarts. Is definately worth a 7th round pick."
195. Dallas - Mike Reilly
"I know he is not the biggest and far from being the strongest but he has 1st round skillset and come from a good hockey backgound with good pedigree. He is going to the BCHL next year and has draw favorable comparison to Brian Rafalski and John-Michael Liles. He is a boom or bust type of guy but give this guy some cookies to eat and 2 or 3 years in the NCAA and he might make some people passing on him look like fool."
196. Buffalo - Brennan Serville
197. Montreal - Stephen Miller
"We just see a lot of potential in this guy. He's already physically mature, he's a born goalscorer and he's not afraid to give and take punishment on the ice. He has the drive to get better, and we will give all the time he needs to round out his game at higher levels."
198. Chicago - Colby Drost
199. Los Angeles - Nikita Zaytsev
"Nikita is a perfectly bilingual Russian Defenseman who has already stated his goal is to play someday in the NHL. With some work on his positioning, amongst a couple of other things he needs to work on, he can become a good overall defenseman and a valuable asset to an NHL team"
200. Phoenix - Pathrik Westerholm
201. Nashville - Dominik Uher
202. Toronto (From Anaheim) - Charlie Finn
"Charlie moved from Vancouver to Kingston this year and starred with the Voyageurs. He had a 1.98 GAA during the regular season with a .933 SA In the playoffs he had a 2.68 GAA and a .927 SA."
203. Tampa Bay - Heikki Liedes
"He projects as a grinding winger who likes to throw his weight around. An unkown now, someday he will be synonymous with big hits. As in "he knocked the Heikki out of him on that hit Bob!"
204. Chicago (From Boston) - Dylan Willick (missed pick)
205. Detroit - Yannick Veilleux
"I'd go as far as to think the ratio rank/quality, we've just made a great pick. Veilleux is big, skates well for a guy his size, use his body wisely, good offensive instincts. If he can work on being more agile, there's still some interesting tools to work with as far as he's concerned."
206. Pittsburgh (From San Jose) - Garrett Clarke
207. Ottawa (From Pittsburgh) - Garrett Haar
208. Philadelphia - John Gaudreau
209. Washington - Karol Korim
"The major knock against Karol is his name. Not exactly very masculine. But what IS masculine about this 17 year old is his size: 6'2" 210 lbs. He isn't the strongest of skaters, and has a below average first step, but we feel he is just growing into his large body, and with strength and training it should improve. One thing we really like, though, is his ability to get involved in scoring plays. He is able to get his point shot through traffic and on the net, and his 12 goals helped him to finish 4th in scoring among all defenseman in the Slovakian U20 division (and by far the highest scoring defenseman in his age class; almost twice as many points as Pavelka). He also showed well at the U18 WJCs, leading to recognition as one of Slovakia's 3 best players in the tournament, so we don't mind selecting him in the 7th round."
210. Vancouver - Zach Franko
"With great speed, a great wrister and good hockey sense, we hope Zach can continue to grow upon his good rookie season in the WHL. Though he needs to add weight, the skillset and smarts are there. Hopefully he can be our very own Patric Hornqvist and become a solid NHLer despite being the last pick overall."
