Hiishawk
Registered User
Here are my first two rounds (ratings, not a mock), plus a few extra “compensation picksâ€, for the 2006 draft.
The ranking is based upon a number of factors. Primary are my own reactions upon seeing the players play both live (preferable) and on TV (passable). Second is from scouts’ (and other hockey people’s) talk, often taken with a grain of salt. Third are ranking services, such as CSB, Redline, ISS, McKeen’s, Top Guns. The less I’ve seen a player, the more I rely on the latter two factors. Some of the players listed, I have not seen.
By the way, the Russians playing within their hockey federation have an * by their names. I put them where they should go in an ideal world but with no IIHF agreement, they could all actually go much later.
1st round
1. Kessel- Dynamic upside. Has that “special†quality.
2. Johnson- Who’d pass on Chris Pronger #2?
3. Backstrom- Best Swede in ages. Mature game.
4. Toews- A 15 year pillar for any team who chooses him.
5. Staal- Huge upside with late b-day, size, strength.
6. Brassard- Most dynamic Canadian and on a seemingly endless upward curve.
7. Okposo- Power forward. Iginla-like player shows no weaknesses. Had little difficulty against USHL opposition.
8. Mueller- Sniper. Eye-hand coordination is already NHL level.
9. Tlusty- Great speed, agility, hands, vision and improving rapidly.
10. Sheppard- NHL body, good work ethic and all-around game maturity.
11. Stewart- At times, he’s the irresistible force. Major power forward potential, can just bull the puck through defenders.
12. Wishart- Ultra-poised, smart, steady. Needs to get meaner. Was only average at U18s.
13. Helenius- Big, technically-sound, and cool under pressure.
14. Sangunietti- Offensive guy can step it up in big games. Sanguinetti is the very opposite of Wishart.
15. Bernier- Ever so cool and always knows where the puck is…or is going.
16. Grabner- Non-stop speed and scoring, often spectacularly so.
17. Foligno- All-around pest and make-a-difference guy. Can play in the trenches or on open ice.
18. *Alexandrov- Captain and leader, very smart with puck. Always in the right place.
19. Berglund- Big upside. Can dominate with size, puck skills.
20. Frolik- Learning/progression curve seems to have stopped. Beware.
21. Vishnevsky- Tremendous quarterback. Elite skater, puckhandler, vision.
22. Little- The guy just scores and scores. Can he do it at the next level? I hope he proves that this rating is too low.
23. Persson- Swedish defenceman simply controls the ice and rarely makes a mistake. Sleeper.
24. *Anisimov- NHL frame. Shows flashes of physical dominance c/w elite skill.
25. Joenssuu- The learning curve may be going up again but what is the upside?
26. Burki- Top 15 skill, but is sometimes on the periphery of the play and can disappear.
27. Clutterbuck- Can’t miss character guy. Not a huge upside but a safe pick (are you reading this, Vancouver?)
28. Irving- Did he make those flashy Everett numbers or does Everett’s shut down system make him?
29. Fischer- Every year there is a Minn. High-school player of 1st round skill. This year’s Brian Lee and a possible riser.
30. Swan- Oozes power forward potential if the injury bug was only a –cough- accident.
2nd round
31. Lewis- Said to remind scouts of Zajac. Take that as you may.
32. Tulupov- Big, mean and mobile. What more do you want? Sleeper.
33. Ahnelov Pihl- Improvement rate is skyrocketing. Plays a very mature game.
34. Fiala- Showing great tools and now starting to find the toolbox in the WHL.
35. White- Another meat and potatoes safe bet pick. 100% warrior-type.
36. Giroux- Lots of skill and flash upside here, on an upward curve yet!
37. Sneep- Getting some late season chinwag. I can add nothing to this.
38. Maxwell- Showed great puck movement at U18s but intensity questions could drop him.
39. Kana- Has stepped up his play against men in Czech leagues.
40. *Varlamov- Acrobatic and intense. Best Russian goalie in a while.
41. Mitera- Didn’t make as much of an NCAA impact as some had hoped. Wild card.
42. Ryan- Tough, reliable, consistent. Will not excite you but get the job done.
43. Weber- Pretty close to Ryan in terms of style, with a touch more jazz in his play.
44. Peckham- Intense, ferocious and colorful player. He can be scary- for his own team too!
45. Geoffrion- Plays a mature and consistent all-around game.
46. Holzapfel- Fast hands and feet with sniper and playmaker potential.
47. Palmer- Unremarkable in style, but gets the job done consistently.
48. *Vasyunov- Elite hands and feet. But what does he actually produce? Beware.
49. Forney- Shows sniper potential. A bit of an unknown quantity for many. Good upside or sleeper potential.
50. Osala- Was turning into a force by season’s end. Still inconsistent but teased with considerable upside.
51. Summers- Versatile and hard working. Drawn like a magnet to traffic- and I mean that both positively and negatively.
52. J. Armstrong- When he’s on his game he looks like J. Staal, but when he’s off he looks like he’s watching a train leave the station. Big hit or miss potential.
53. Matthias- Reliable and consistent defensive forward with good wheels and size.
54. Fadden- Was a major force at the end of the season. But his floating earlier with Seattle might raise character issues.
55. DeGray- He does his job. No more. No less. ‘Nuff said.
56. Emmerton- He lacks an identifiable NHL skill or strength. Call me a doubter. I hope I’m wrong.
57. Strait- See DeGray above. Reliable.
58. Gryba- See Strait and DeGray but with a little less consistency and a little more meanness.
59. McBain- Was very comfortable and creative on international ice. A late riser.
60. K. Armstrong- Didn’t finish as strong as he started but still a worthy 2nd or 3rd rounder.
Others (They'll become 2nd round if Russians are avoided+ compenstion picks)
61. Berra- Everyone remembers his WJC performance. Great size and technically sound.
62. Seppanen- Has adapted to higher level of play well and stood out in ’87 tournaments.
63. *Zharkov- One shift he’s a consistent threat and the next he’s a wreck. Big upside/downside.
64. Mursak- Slovenian has flash, dash and a great worth ethic. On the rise.
65. *Popov- Great with the puck, skates in elegant, meaningless circles without it.
66. Williams- If the U18 team doesn’t have the confidence to play him even as a 6th guy…
67. Juutalainen- Leader of the strong Finnish U18 team can carry the puck, beat guys 1-on-1 and create. NCAA entry should help draft stock.
68. Hillier- A poor man’s Giroux. Nice hands from the Q.
69. Ratchuk- Looking for a quick, agile, but undersized puck-carrying defender with top level vision? Here’s your man.
70. Shutron- Hopefully he’s improved his decision-making but I’m not sure what he brings to the table other than slick skating. Please prove me wrong, Ben.
71. Daugavins- Slick Latvian is a relatively unknown quantity. We may get a peek at the senior WCs in Riga next month.
72. Holzer- Big German defencemen with mobility, puck skills and a mean streak are in demand. Why CSB didn’t list him I don’t know.
73. McGinn- Kind of a poor man’s Ryan White. Dependable up ‘n down guy, but limited upside.
74. Lagerstrom- Swede has been up and down but has a well-rounded game and could surprise.
75. Marcinko- Top Slovakian prospect is in the same boat as Lagerstrom but has too much upside to ignore.
Did I miss anyone? I don’t think so. After this it’s a free-for-all.
The ranking is based upon a number of factors. Primary are my own reactions upon seeing the players play both live (preferable) and on TV (passable). Second is from scouts’ (and other hockey people’s) talk, often taken with a grain of salt. Third are ranking services, such as CSB, Redline, ISS, McKeen’s, Top Guns. The less I’ve seen a player, the more I rely on the latter two factors. Some of the players listed, I have not seen.
By the way, the Russians playing within their hockey federation have an * by their names. I put them where they should go in an ideal world but with no IIHF agreement, they could all actually go much later.
1st round
1. Kessel- Dynamic upside. Has that “special†quality.
2. Johnson- Who’d pass on Chris Pronger #2?
3. Backstrom- Best Swede in ages. Mature game.
4. Toews- A 15 year pillar for any team who chooses him.
5. Staal- Huge upside with late b-day, size, strength.
6. Brassard- Most dynamic Canadian and on a seemingly endless upward curve.
7. Okposo- Power forward. Iginla-like player shows no weaknesses. Had little difficulty against USHL opposition.
8. Mueller- Sniper. Eye-hand coordination is already NHL level.
9. Tlusty- Great speed, agility, hands, vision and improving rapidly.
10. Sheppard- NHL body, good work ethic and all-around game maturity.
11. Stewart- At times, he’s the irresistible force. Major power forward potential, can just bull the puck through defenders.
12. Wishart- Ultra-poised, smart, steady. Needs to get meaner. Was only average at U18s.
13. Helenius- Big, technically-sound, and cool under pressure.
14. Sangunietti- Offensive guy can step it up in big games. Sanguinetti is the very opposite of Wishart.
15. Bernier- Ever so cool and always knows where the puck is…or is going.
16. Grabner- Non-stop speed and scoring, often spectacularly so.
17. Foligno- All-around pest and make-a-difference guy. Can play in the trenches or on open ice.
18. *Alexandrov- Captain and leader, very smart with puck. Always in the right place.
19. Berglund- Big upside. Can dominate with size, puck skills.
20. Frolik- Learning/progression curve seems to have stopped. Beware.
21. Vishnevsky- Tremendous quarterback. Elite skater, puckhandler, vision.
22. Little- The guy just scores and scores. Can he do it at the next level? I hope he proves that this rating is too low.
23. Persson- Swedish defenceman simply controls the ice and rarely makes a mistake. Sleeper.
24. *Anisimov- NHL frame. Shows flashes of physical dominance c/w elite skill.
25. Joenssuu- The learning curve may be going up again but what is the upside?
26. Burki- Top 15 skill, but is sometimes on the periphery of the play and can disappear.
27. Clutterbuck- Can’t miss character guy. Not a huge upside but a safe pick (are you reading this, Vancouver?)
28. Irving- Did he make those flashy Everett numbers or does Everett’s shut down system make him?
29. Fischer- Every year there is a Minn. High-school player of 1st round skill. This year’s Brian Lee and a possible riser.
30. Swan- Oozes power forward potential if the injury bug was only a –cough- accident.
2nd round
31. Lewis- Said to remind scouts of Zajac. Take that as you may.
32. Tulupov- Big, mean and mobile. What more do you want? Sleeper.
33. Ahnelov Pihl- Improvement rate is skyrocketing. Plays a very mature game.
34. Fiala- Showing great tools and now starting to find the toolbox in the WHL.
35. White- Another meat and potatoes safe bet pick. 100% warrior-type.
36. Giroux- Lots of skill and flash upside here, on an upward curve yet!
37. Sneep- Getting some late season chinwag. I can add nothing to this.
38. Maxwell- Showed great puck movement at U18s but intensity questions could drop him.
39. Kana- Has stepped up his play against men in Czech leagues.
40. *Varlamov- Acrobatic and intense. Best Russian goalie in a while.
41. Mitera- Didn’t make as much of an NCAA impact as some had hoped. Wild card.
42. Ryan- Tough, reliable, consistent. Will not excite you but get the job done.
43. Weber- Pretty close to Ryan in terms of style, with a touch more jazz in his play.
44. Peckham- Intense, ferocious and colorful player. He can be scary- for his own team too!
45. Geoffrion- Plays a mature and consistent all-around game.
46. Holzapfel- Fast hands and feet with sniper and playmaker potential.
47. Palmer- Unremarkable in style, but gets the job done consistently.
48. *Vasyunov- Elite hands and feet. But what does he actually produce? Beware.
49. Forney- Shows sniper potential. A bit of an unknown quantity for many. Good upside or sleeper potential.
50. Osala- Was turning into a force by season’s end. Still inconsistent but teased with considerable upside.
51. Summers- Versatile and hard working. Drawn like a magnet to traffic- and I mean that both positively and negatively.
52. J. Armstrong- When he’s on his game he looks like J. Staal, but when he’s off he looks like he’s watching a train leave the station. Big hit or miss potential.
53. Matthias- Reliable and consistent defensive forward with good wheels and size.
54. Fadden- Was a major force at the end of the season. But his floating earlier with Seattle might raise character issues.
55. DeGray- He does his job. No more. No less. ‘Nuff said.
56. Emmerton- He lacks an identifiable NHL skill or strength. Call me a doubter. I hope I’m wrong.
57. Strait- See DeGray above. Reliable.
58. Gryba- See Strait and DeGray but with a little less consistency and a little more meanness.
59. McBain- Was very comfortable and creative on international ice. A late riser.
60. K. Armstrong- Didn’t finish as strong as he started but still a worthy 2nd or 3rd rounder.
Others (They'll become 2nd round if Russians are avoided+ compenstion picks)
61. Berra- Everyone remembers his WJC performance. Great size and technically sound.
62. Seppanen- Has adapted to higher level of play well and stood out in ’87 tournaments.
63. *Zharkov- One shift he’s a consistent threat and the next he’s a wreck. Big upside/downside.
64. Mursak- Slovenian has flash, dash and a great worth ethic. On the rise.
65. *Popov- Great with the puck, skates in elegant, meaningless circles without it.
66. Williams- If the U18 team doesn’t have the confidence to play him even as a 6th guy…
67. Juutalainen- Leader of the strong Finnish U18 team can carry the puck, beat guys 1-on-1 and create. NCAA entry should help draft stock.
68. Hillier- A poor man’s Giroux. Nice hands from the Q.
69. Ratchuk- Looking for a quick, agile, but undersized puck-carrying defender with top level vision? Here’s your man.
70. Shutron- Hopefully he’s improved his decision-making but I’m not sure what he brings to the table other than slick skating. Please prove me wrong, Ben.
71. Daugavins- Slick Latvian is a relatively unknown quantity. We may get a peek at the senior WCs in Riga next month.
72. Holzer- Big German defencemen with mobility, puck skills and a mean streak are in demand. Why CSB didn’t list him I don’t know.
73. McGinn- Kind of a poor man’s Ryan White. Dependable up ‘n down guy, but limited upside.
74. Lagerstrom- Swede has been up and down but has a well-rounded game and could surprise.
75. Marcinko- Top Slovakian prospect is in the same boat as Lagerstrom but has too much upside to ignore.
Did I miss anyone? I don’t think so. After this it’s a free-for-all.
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