Alex Kovalev
Registered User
1. Washington Capitals - Alexander Ovechkin - The Capitals win the lottery and end up selecting the highly coveted Ovechkin. Ovechkin is a rare package of skill, physical presense, and character. There are no visible holes in his game. He's a game breaker that is now desperately needed in Washington.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins - Evgeni Malkin - The Penguins get a nice consolation prize for losing the lottery. Malkin brings everything to the table and should fill out to be 6'4 - 215 lbs. With elite offensive skill and vision he should be a key contributer for the Pens for many years to come.
3. Chicago Blackhawks - Lauri Tukonen - May surprise a few, but the Blackhawks chose to pass on Barker and take Tukonen. Tukonen is a big time player and is solid at both ends of the ice. Tukonen is physically dominant in the corners and in front of the net and should be a nice playmate for Tuomo Ruutu - a fellow Finn.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets - Cam Barker - The BJ's get the player they were after. After taking offensive sniper Nikolai Zherdev and 2003/2004 co-Marice Richard winner Rick Nash in the past two drafts - The BJ's decide to focus on defense. They get by far the best defensemen available in the draft. Barker is excellent at both ends of the ice and has a quick transition game. Hes got great vision of the ice, and can set up plays as well as do it himself.
5. Phoenix Coyotes - Alvaro Montoya - The Yotes decide to improve their goaltending by adding the athletic Montoya to their prospect pool. With Boucher, LeNeveu and Montoya - the Yotes should have no problems in net for many years to come. Montoya is at least 3-4 years away but he is worth the wait.
6. New York Rangers - Andrew Ladd - The Rags decide to pick arguably the most NHL ready prospect in this draft. Ladd is great at both ends of the ice and plays the NA style of hockey. Ladd is excellent at reading the ice and getting open and creating offensive pressure. The BPA at this point.
7. Florida Panthers - A.J. Thelen - After taking Horton and Stewart last year the Panthers are solid up front as well as in net with Luongo. After Bouwmeester and Krajicek the Panthers are rather weak defensively. The addition of Thelen strengthens their defense considerably. Thelen dominated college at only the age of 17. Hes a big strong 2-way defensemen with a cannon of a shot.
8. Carolina Hurricanes - Rostislav Olesz - Surprise! I guess some of you may bock at this, probably Rag's or Yotes fans, but I think Olesz is perfect where he is. Olesz plays a great 2-way game and is very slick with the puck. He has a great first step and can take checks as well as dish them out. After taking nasty hit from Phaneuf at the WJC, Olesz never really bounced back from a concussion that he obtained from the hit. Not to mention he did not have a homerun season this year - which is part of the reason why he fell to 8. Great pick at 8.
9. Anaheim Mighty Ducks - Andrej Meszaros - Making some great strides late in the year. Meszaros is the next best defensemen available. The Ducks are extremely solid up front with Getzlaf and Perry on their way, not to mention Chistov and Lupul already playing in the bigs. Meszaros is an extremely talented rear-guard with a great transition game and elite vision of the ice as he reads the play very well. Meszaros could be a future Ozolinsh, which only means good news for the Ducks.
10. Atlanta Thrashers - Alexander Radulov - The Thrashers take Radulov after watching both Thelen and Meszaros picked ahead of them. Though there real hole is defense, they couldnt help but go out and grab one of the most talented players in the draft. Radulov is a sniper with mindboggling puckhandling skills and vision. Radulov will make a nice trio with Heatley and Kovalchuk.
11. Los Angeles Kings - Marek Schwarz - Kings fill a hole by taking Schwarz. Schwarz is a big time goaltender and a real competitor. He is great at covering the botton half of the net and should be an excellent goaltender if he works with a good goaltending coach.
12. Minnesota Wild - Ladislav Smid - With Koivu, Bouchard, O'Sullivan, and Burns the Wild are more than solid up front. The wild take the crafty rear-guard at 12. Smid has great offensive upside for a defensemen and should man the PP for the Wild in the future.
13. Buffalo Sabres - Robbie Schremp - The Sabres take one of the most entertaining players in the draft. Schremp falls out of the top ten and the Sabres pick take him at 13. Schremp is a puckhandling wizard and an excellent passer. Schremp is more a high risk/high reward type prospect. For all of you wondering why he fell it was because of three reasons - 1) lack of physical presence - mainly battling through traffic to score goals. 2) Attitude - say whatever you want. 3) Size - hes not the biggest guy available. No knocks against Schremp, he could turn out to be the best player in this draft offensively.
14. Edmonton Oilers - Drew Stafford - The Oilers take the BPA. Stafford is a great 2-way player who does it all. Scores-hits-defends and is a great leader. Solid pick at this point.
15. Nashville Predators - Lauri Korpikoski - One of my favourite players in this draft. Korpikoski is a winner. The total package and a coachs dream. He can dangle like no tomorrow and has really turned heads late in the season. The Preds take a chance on him, and I think its an excellent pick at this point.
16. New York Islanders - Wojtek Wolski - Mad Mike gets his hands on yet another highly offensive forward. Wolski is great upfront, but is very soft and seems like he lacks some desire out there. Hes a bit of a project, though his offensive skill is definitely there. He's another high risk/high reward type guy.
17. St. Louis Blues - Alexandre Picard - A bit of a drop then expected. The Blues take the BPA in Picard. Picard is goalscorer and will help the Blues considerably. Hes a good pick at this point.
18. Montreal Canadiens - Kyle Chipchura - The Canadiens take a safe pick and adds a 2-way grinder that has been needed for years. Chipchura isnt the most offensively gifted forward but is solid in every situation and an excellent leader.
19. Calgary Flames -Enver Lisin - Fast, Fast, Fast. Sounds like a fit in Calgary. Lisin is a threat everytime he steps on the ice. He has great goalscoring ability and is the fastest player in the draft. Great pick for the Flames as they could use some scoring.
20. Dallas Stars - Boris Valabik - Big Boris gets taken at 20 by the Stars. After moving Sydor and letting go of Hatcher the Stars try to fill a hole on defense. Valabik is a big, strong defensive rear-guard. He is known for dropping the gloves and gives the Stars and real defensive punch so to speak.
21. Colorado Avalanche - Jakub Sindel - The Avalanche take a chance on Sindel thinking he could one day be a dominant offensive force in the NHL. Some question his size and character, though his skills are amazing.
22. New Jersey Devils - David Bolland - Bolland is a solid player who brings everything to the table. A good pick at this point.
23. Ottawa Senators - Mike Green - A heart-and-soul player who brings everything to the table. Was on a terrible team this year (Saskatoon) and was one of the few bright spots on the team. Probably would have been top ten bound if he would have been on a stronger team. Hes great at both ends of the ice and should help the Senators one day.
24. New York Rangers (from Toronto) - Roman Voloshenko - The Rag's decide to add more offense by grabbing Voloshenko. Though hes not overly fast, he has a great set of hands and is a great playmaker. Could be a homerun pick if he bulks up and works on his skating.
25. Edmonton Oilers (from Philadelphia) - Devan Dubynk - A big goalie who hates to lose. Has a great a ton of raw skill and should be a good keeper one day.
26. Vancouver Canucks - Petteri Nokelainen - A excellent 2-way forward who crash's and bangs to score goals. He has a good skill set and is capable of playing any gametime situation whether its the PP, PK or ES.
27. Washington Capitals (from Boston) - Wes O'Neill - O'Neill is a big defensemen with good potential. Very underrated offensively and is great defensively. He can also be a physical presence which the Caps need.
28. San Jose Sharks - Johan Fransson - After taking Michalek last year, the Sharks decide to turn their forcus towards defense. Fransson is a puckmoving rearguard with excellent offensive potential. Hes a year older than everyone else and has played like a veteran in the Swedish Elite League.
29. Washington Capitals (from Detroit) - Kirill Lyamin - A big solid, hardhitting defensemen who is a great fit in Washington.
30. Tampa Bay Lightning - Cory Schneider - Khabibulin is not going to be around forever. Scheider is at least 4 or 5 years away from NHL action, but has great potential and should fill in nicely when Khabibulin retires.
Let me know what you guys think. And take it easy, I cant fill everyones needs/wants.
PS - if the grammer is wrong I apologize, this took me quite a while and I didnt feel like going over it again.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins - Evgeni Malkin - The Penguins get a nice consolation prize for losing the lottery. Malkin brings everything to the table and should fill out to be 6'4 - 215 lbs. With elite offensive skill and vision he should be a key contributer for the Pens for many years to come.
3. Chicago Blackhawks - Lauri Tukonen - May surprise a few, but the Blackhawks chose to pass on Barker and take Tukonen. Tukonen is a big time player and is solid at both ends of the ice. Tukonen is physically dominant in the corners and in front of the net and should be a nice playmate for Tuomo Ruutu - a fellow Finn.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets - Cam Barker - The BJ's get the player they were after. After taking offensive sniper Nikolai Zherdev and 2003/2004 co-Marice Richard winner Rick Nash in the past two drafts - The BJ's decide to focus on defense. They get by far the best defensemen available in the draft. Barker is excellent at both ends of the ice and has a quick transition game. Hes got great vision of the ice, and can set up plays as well as do it himself.
5. Phoenix Coyotes - Alvaro Montoya - The Yotes decide to improve their goaltending by adding the athletic Montoya to their prospect pool. With Boucher, LeNeveu and Montoya - the Yotes should have no problems in net for many years to come. Montoya is at least 3-4 years away but he is worth the wait.
6. New York Rangers - Andrew Ladd - The Rags decide to pick arguably the most NHL ready prospect in this draft. Ladd is great at both ends of the ice and plays the NA style of hockey. Ladd is excellent at reading the ice and getting open and creating offensive pressure. The BPA at this point.
7. Florida Panthers - A.J. Thelen - After taking Horton and Stewart last year the Panthers are solid up front as well as in net with Luongo. After Bouwmeester and Krajicek the Panthers are rather weak defensively. The addition of Thelen strengthens their defense considerably. Thelen dominated college at only the age of 17. Hes a big strong 2-way defensemen with a cannon of a shot.
8. Carolina Hurricanes - Rostislav Olesz - Surprise! I guess some of you may bock at this, probably Rag's or Yotes fans, but I think Olesz is perfect where he is. Olesz plays a great 2-way game and is very slick with the puck. He has a great first step and can take checks as well as dish them out. After taking nasty hit from Phaneuf at the WJC, Olesz never really bounced back from a concussion that he obtained from the hit. Not to mention he did not have a homerun season this year - which is part of the reason why he fell to 8. Great pick at 8.
9. Anaheim Mighty Ducks - Andrej Meszaros - Making some great strides late in the year. Meszaros is the next best defensemen available. The Ducks are extremely solid up front with Getzlaf and Perry on their way, not to mention Chistov and Lupul already playing in the bigs. Meszaros is an extremely talented rear-guard with a great transition game and elite vision of the ice as he reads the play very well. Meszaros could be a future Ozolinsh, which only means good news for the Ducks.
10. Atlanta Thrashers - Alexander Radulov - The Thrashers take Radulov after watching both Thelen and Meszaros picked ahead of them. Though there real hole is defense, they couldnt help but go out and grab one of the most talented players in the draft. Radulov is a sniper with mindboggling puckhandling skills and vision. Radulov will make a nice trio with Heatley and Kovalchuk.
11. Los Angeles Kings - Marek Schwarz - Kings fill a hole by taking Schwarz. Schwarz is a big time goaltender and a real competitor. He is great at covering the botton half of the net and should be an excellent goaltender if he works with a good goaltending coach.
12. Minnesota Wild - Ladislav Smid - With Koivu, Bouchard, O'Sullivan, and Burns the Wild are more than solid up front. The wild take the crafty rear-guard at 12. Smid has great offensive upside for a defensemen and should man the PP for the Wild in the future.
13. Buffalo Sabres - Robbie Schremp - The Sabres take one of the most entertaining players in the draft. Schremp falls out of the top ten and the Sabres pick take him at 13. Schremp is a puckhandling wizard and an excellent passer. Schremp is more a high risk/high reward type prospect. For all of you wondering why he fell it was because of three reasons - 1) lack of physical presence - mainly battling through traffic to score goals. 2) Attitude - say whatever you want. 3) Size - hes not the biggest guy available. No knocks against Schremp, he could turn out to be the best player in this draft offensively.
14. Edmonton Oilers - Drew Stafford - The Oilers take the BPA. Stafford is a great 2-way player who does it all. Scores-hits-defends and is a great leader. Solid pick at this point.
15. Nashville Predators - Lauri Korpikoski - One of my favourite players in this draft. Korpikoski is a winner. The total package and a coachs dream. He can dangle like no tomorrow and has really turned heads late in the season. The Preds take a chance on him, and I think its an excellent pick at this point.
16. New York Islanders - Wojtek Wolski - Mad Mike gets his hands on yet another highly offensive forward. Wolski is great upfront, but is very soft and seems like he lacks some desire out there. Hes a bit of a project, though his offensive skill is definitely there. He's another high risk/high reward type guy.
17. St. Louis Blues - Alexandre Picard - A bit of a drop then expected. The Blues take the BPA in Picard. Picard is goalscorer and will help the Blues considerably. Hes a good pick at this point.
18. Montreal Canadiens - Kyle Chipchura - The Canadiens take a safe pick and adds a 2-way grinder that has been needed for years. Chipchura isnt the most offensively gifted forward but is solid in every situation and an excellent leader.
19. Calgary Flames -Enver Lisin - Fast, Fast, Fast. Sounds like a fit in Calgary. Lisin is a threat everytime he steps on the ice. He has great goalscoring ability and is the fastest player in the draft. Great pick for the Flames as they could use some scoring.
20. Dallas Stars - Boris Valabik - Big Boris gets taken at 20 by the Stars. After moving Sydor and letting go of Hatcher the Stars try to fill a hole on defense. Valabik is a big, strong defensive rear-guard. He is known for dropping the gloves and gives the Stars and real defensive punch so to speak.
21. Colorado Avalanche - Jakub Sindel - The Avalanche take a chance on Sindel thinking he could one day be a dominant offensive force in the NHL. Some question his size and character, though his skills are amazing.
22. New Jersey Devils - David Bolland - Bolland is a solid player who brings everything to the table. A good pick at this point.
23. Ottawa Senators - Mike Green - A heart-and-soul player who brings everything to the table. Was on a terrible team this year (Saskatoon) and was one of the few bright spots on the team. Probably would have been top ten bound if he would have been on a stronger team. Hes great at both ends of the ice and should help the Senators one day.
24. New York Rangers (from Toronto) - Roman Voloshenko - The Rag's decide to add more offense by grabbing Voloshenko. Though hes not overly fast, he has a great set of hands and is a great playmaker. Could be a homerun pick if he bulks up and works on his skating.
25. Edmonton Oilers (from Philadelphia) - Devan Dubynk - A big goalie who hates to lose. Has a great a ton of raw skill and should be a good keeper one day.
26. Vancouver Canucks - Petteri Nokelainen - A excellent 2-way forward who crash's and bangs to score goals. He has a good skill set and is capable of playing any gametime situation whether its the PP, PK or ES.
27. Washington Capitals (from Boston) - Wes O'Neill - O'Neill is a big defensemen with good potential. Very underrated offensively and is great defensively. He can also be a physical presence which the Caps need.
28. San Jose Sharks - Johan Fransson - After taking Michalek last year, the Sharks decide to turn their forcus towards defense. Fransson is a puckmoving rearguard with excellent offensive potential. Hes a year older than everyone else and has played like a veteran in the Swedish Elite League.
29. Washington Capitals (from Detroit) - Kirill Lyamin - A big solid, hardhitting defensemen who is a great fit in Washington.
30. Tampa Bay Lightning - Cory Schneider - Khabibulin is not going to be around forever. Scheider is at least 4 or 5 years away from NHL action, but has great potential and should fill in nicely when Khabibulin retires.
Let me know what you guys think. And take it easy, I cant fill everyones needs/wants.
PS - if the grammer is wrong I apologize, this took me quite a while and I didnt feel like going over it again.