Who's this year's surprise first round pick?

[Epsilon]

If teams are going to reach for a guy it will be because:

1. they have improved greatly over the last year

2. they have a desirable characteristic such as exceptional size or speed

Guys like McGrath whose stock have fallen over the last year are typically not the kind of players that teams reach for in the first round.

 

[ttnorm]

Didn't TJ Hensick opt out or was that just a rumor?

According to this page on USCHO, Hensick has opted out.

 

[Canadien16]

Actually re: Ihnacak, who is quite skilled, I think his shooting is the weakest part of his game.

Ttnorm, I hear its one of his better attributes, http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect.php?pid=3940 , look under Talent analysis.

 

[Hiishawk]

From North America Scott McCulloch could be a big 1st round surprise. I hadn't even heard of him until a month ago but apparently some teams rate him in their top 40, which led him to opt in at the last minute (according to scuttlebutt).

From Europe, some NHL types were very high on Slovakia goalie Michal Valenti- rating him as the 3rd best goalie according to second-hand chit-chat (so take that for what it's worth- maybe very little). Russia's big '85 Defender Dmitri Megalinsky (aka Megadeth) could also surprise because word is he has improved his skating considerably over the course of the year. I heard that he started late as a player and so has a very big upside... and at 6'1 220, a rather big backside too. Again, this is 2nd/3rd hand hand-me-down stuff.

You heard it from steblick first...

 

[Ajacied]

Soderberg..

 

[Brock]

A lot of these players mentioned in this thread wouldn't exactly be surprise picks to land in the first round of the draft.

The 2004 crop is so even, in terms of talent, after around the mid first round. I'd say there are about 50 guys that I wouldn't be surprised at all about landing in the first round. Hell maybe even 60.

So I'll give one name, that I think could surprise and land himself in the first round. Victor Oreskovich of Green Bay. He's a big kid, potential power forward, who loves to crash the net, has good hands, a good enough skater. He's off to Notre Dame next year. Last year he was named the OPJHL's Top Pro Prospect. And I think that with this draft year looking as it is, teams just might take a chance on him in the first.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Dimitri Shitikov might go first round. He is very small but has so much talent.

Roman and Michal Psurny are also two very good brothers from the Czech Republic. Both are in the junior league right now but put up some pretty good numbers.

I say Shitikov, though, has a decent chance at it.

 

[penkil2]

Pineault will go in rd 1, not a massive surprise but his stock has gone to the shitter.

My Picks to be surprise 1st rounders:

Lukas Kaspar
Viktor Alexandrov
Ryan Garlock

Pineault definitely should be in the top 20.......going to BC and sitting out games dropped his stock, but this kid has the talent and a huge upside.

 

[Vincent_TheGreat]

Every year there seems to be someone who no one expects to go in the first round and does. Last year it was Brent Burns. The year before Jesse Niinimaki. Then the year before that, Jason Bacashihua seemed a bit of a reach. So who's going to be this year's first round surprise?

Make your predictions.

Can't answer this question, they are called surprises because you can't see them in the round, hence the reason I can'[t conjure up a guess.