Anthony Mauro
DraftBuzz Hockey
DraftBuzz has an interesting top 30 with fun commentary to read. It's nice to compare all the lists out there:
In general, they've got some weird risers and fallers. Pacioretty, Legein, and Marshall unusually ranked high with Ellerby and Perron really low.
I don't like Esposito and even I'd say outside of the top 30 is a bit much, I'd like to see where he is rated in the rest of the list.
For the mock, they just finished the first round and have Kane going first overall:
1. Patrick Kane F (USA)
~An electrifying winger with dance, dazzle, and deadly offensive instincts. He will find every way possible to put the puck in the net and sets his teammates up equally as well. His slight frame and light defense are minor concerns. The winger from Buffalo, NY is a gamebreaker, and is ranked at the top as a result of routinely standing out and exerting offensive dominance in the OHL and WJC stage. There is nothing left for Kane to prove in the OHL, so we may be seeing him at NHL arenas next year ala Phil Kessel.
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2. Jakub Voracek F (CZE)
~If Kane were not as much of a consistent force as he was, Voracek would be first on our list. Voracek is a strapping winger with sweet hands, vision, and playmaking ability. He is a beautiful sight to see rush the puck up ice and can finesse or power his way to the net. His skating is still a bit rough, and he was somewhat inconsistent during the season. He offers a tremendous package of size and skill, but still needs to iron out some jagged edges and as a result could use one more season in the Q. Realistically, he could be ready as early as the 2008 season.
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3. Sam Gagner F (CAN)
~Our favorite player of the draft who just needs time to pass to show how good he really is. The most talented, complete player of the draft went about his business in the shadow of his flashy linemate, Kane. Gagner is captain material and is above average in all facets of the game. There is no better combination of shooting, passing, defensive awareness, hockey sense, and skating in the draft. He is not tall, and consequently may be ranked lower by the scouting community who desire size. It is possible that Gagner slips on draft day leaving one GM and team overjoyed with the selection of this Knight.
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In general, they've got some weird risers and fallers. Pacioretty, Legein, and Marshall unusually ranked high with Ellerby and Perron really low.
I don't like Esposito and even I'd say outside of the top 30 is a bit much, I'd like to see where he is rated in the rest of the list.
For the mock, they just finished the first round and have Kane going first overall:
1. Chicago Blackhawks - Patrick Kane - RW -London Knights
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Top Forward Prospects: Jonathan Toews, Jack Skille, David Bolland, Troy Brouwer, Nathan Davis, Dan Bertram, Jakub Sindel, Bryan Bickell, Jake Dowell, and Michael Blunden.
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Top Defense Prospects: Cam Barker, Danny Richmond, Dustin Byfuglien, Simon Danis-Pepin, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Ben Shutron.
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Top Goalie Prospects: Cory Crawford, Joe Palmer, and Joe Fallon.
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Young NHL Bright Spots (U25): Brent Seabrook, Tuomo Ruutu, Duncan Keith, and James Wisniewksi.
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Commentary: With the 1st overall selection of Patrick Kane in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Chicago provides Toews with a RW thriller to set up for many years. With this pick, the Blackhawks focus intently on getting a legitimate scoring winger in their system to supplement their more rounded, lower ceiling prospects such as Bolland, Brouwer, Davis, and Bertram. Chicago looks to be on the right track with a forward roster that could feature Ruutu, Toews, Kane, and Skille in the near future.
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Option # 2 - Kyle Turris – Double T’s down the middle would be a scary sight for those in the Central Division. Chicago may be best off getting themselves a dynamite winger for Toews, but Turris’ all around skillset and smarts make him a contender for the top choice regardless.
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Option # 3 - Alexei Cherepanov - Despite what Chicago has said in the press, (Kane, Turris, JVR as top three), we think Alexei has a chance to challenge for the first overall as he offers a similar goal scoring prowess as Kane does. DraftBuzz sees him as a quality alternative option for the top choice, as he is bigger than Kane and a little more instinctive in his efforts to light the lamp. The impending journey to get Cherepanov across the pond, along with the everpresent cliche that Russian's are not coachable (see Zherdev), and Chicago's terrible past experiences with Russian forwards (Vorobiev & Yakubov), will be enough to sway CHI to choose the American dynamo from the OHL instead.
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