2009 Draft continued

After all was said and done with the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, I learned I have very different ideas about most team’s needs than they do. The second half of the first round played out the way you’d expect in a deep draft, which is to say, very unexpectedly. To see players like Jordan Schroeder, Carter Ashton and Simon Depres fall all the way to the end of the first round was surprising based on early projections. But most teams are going to be happy with the way the draft went. Starting the Minnesota, who kicked off the second half of the first round, the American system finally started to make an impact on the draft. Nick Leddy, from the US high school system was the first of seven Americans chosen in the first round (though Tim Erixon is American born and Swedish trained). Leddy is very much a project, and is something of a surprise to go at 16. He’s off to the University of Minnesota next year, and it’s no doubt the Wild will let him grow into a very good defenseman. It may take a few years for Leddy to make an impact, but there’s little doubt he can become an impact player. At 17, the St Louis Blues went across the pond to draft Swedish defenseman David Rundblad. Like Leddy, Rundblad is seen as a longer-term project, though some think Rundblad may have been under-scouted and overlooked because of the hype around Victor Hedman. There’s no doubt the Blues are making the most of the lean years they’ve gone through since the lockout, and now feature at least four high-end defensive prospects in their system. Draft host Montreal selected 18th, and went to the USHL, moving away from their recent trend of drafting out of US College in the first round. Of course, the local product Louis Leblanc is headed to Harvard next season. Leblanc is a winner that has a chance of a coming out party with the Canadian World Junior team this coming holiday season. He has the size and tools to have a shot at being a first-line centre in the NHL, something the Canadiens have needed for a very long time. The New York Rangers selected Chris Kreider at 19, a player very similar to Leblanc with size, skill, decent speed, and questions about the level of competition he sees. Kreider has the potential to be an impact player with the Rangers, having drawn comparisons to John Leclair. The Rangers’ cross-river rivals selected 20th, drafting Jacob Josefson from Djurgarden of the Swedish Elite League. Josefson didn’t put up great numbers in Sweden last season, but is the prototypical Devils forward: smart, defensively responsible, a little offense, and again, smart. After they traded down from 16, I wanted to rip the Columbus Blue Jackets, but they got the player they wanted at 21, American defenseman John Moore. As previously noted, Moore is a strong, smart two-way defenseman with an extraordinarily high ceiling. Moore could become the player the Jackets thought they were drafting in 2000 when they drafted Rostislav Klesla. With the 22nd pick, the Vancouver Canucks may have the steal of the draft. Jordan Schroeder spent time flirting with the top of the draft ranking earlier this season before a sub-par World Junior tournament sent him spiralling down. If Schroeder can find his game again, the Canucks could have an ideal running mate to 2008 first round pick Cody Hodgson. The Calgary Flames had success looking to Sweden in the first round last year (expect Mikael Backlund to make the team out of camp), and must have seen something in Tim Erixon while they were there. Most of the write-ups I’ve seen about Erixon are middling at best, but the Flames will need more than that from the 23rd-overall pick. If they can get Erixon hooked up with Robyn Regehr before long, they may have a strong defensive prospect on their hands. Otherwise... Selecting 24th, the Washington Capitals chose Marcus Johansson from Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League. Johansson projects as a two-way forward with very good faceoff skills. The Caps certainly have most of the offensive pieces in place, and a guy like Johansson to anchor the group of defensive forwards could be the missing link. Boston nabbed Jordan Caron at 25, and much like the Canucks, the Bruins have to think they’ve found a diamond in the rough. Caron has shown off all kinds of skill during his time with Rimouski—the kind normally destined to be selected high in the first round. Injuries are more than a concern, as they’ll be the only thing preventing him from becoming an impact player with Boston. Kyle Palmieri projects as a solid two-way forward. The Anaheim Ducks like to draft, big, strong, smart players, and with the success they’ve had in recent years, it’s hard to argue with the logic. Palmieri may not be the most skilled player in the draft, but he can be coached, and should become a valuable player in a shut-down role. The Carolina Hurricanes made a surprisingly deep run in this spring’s playoffs, which actually hurt them in a very good draft. Philippe Paradis wasn’t this high on most boards, though that’s more a product of his projected potential than his skill level. He’s seen as a third-line centre in the John Madden mould, the kind of player you can’t win without. Dylan Olsen improved his stock at last year’s Under-18 tournament, coupling that performance with another strong season in the Alberta Junior League to find his way into the first round of the draft. The Blackhawks know what they’re doing when drafting Western League blue liners, and Olsen should become a special player in the Windy City. With their second pick in the first round, Tampa Bay grabbed Carter Ashton from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Ashton doesn’t have the high-end skill some of the other forwards in the first round have, but he plays a complete game. Expect Ashton to get a long look at Lightning camp, and don’t be surprised if he sticks around. With the last pick in the first round, the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins picked up defenseman Simon Depres from Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior League. Depres is a big, strong defenseman that projects as a shut-down guy. He’s probably a better prospect than most Cup winners expect to get with the last pick in the first round, and the Penguins are already re-stocking. Quick notes on Calgary Hitmen drafted: There’s no doubt Kris Foucault (103 to Minnesota) has elite offensive skill. But questions about his maturity and his work ethic have dogged him (to the point he spent most of last season in the Alberta Junior League). The success the Hitmen had this past season, combined with the strong coaching staff (assuming Joel Otto takes over as head coach) should help Foucault become a more consistent, driven, and complete player. Brandon Kozun was also drafted (179 to Los Angeles). Kozun has all the tools, he notched 108 points this season, second in the league, and has positively blazing speed. But he’s a little guy (5’8”), and there are questions about his durability. Kozun’s speed should get him a look, but it’s tough to say he’ll become a full-time NHL player.

Live blogging the draft

Draft day! I don’t know if you know this about me, but I love draft day. The NHL draft is very different from the ultra-hyped NFL and NBA drafts, but is probably more important to a team’s overall health because of the fact so few players go straight to the pros. Embracing that difference, we’re going to approach this draft a little differently from previous years. In the past, I’ve offered commentary on each pick as it happens, but this year I’ll be looking ahead a little more, offering a suggestion as to what each team should do with their upcoming pick. So let’s dive right in, tackling the New York Islanders and the first overall pick. Going back as far as the 2007 draft, the hockey world has been anticipating tonight’s John Tavares-Victor Hedman showdown. Tavares was the decisive winner in their most recent meeting, dominating the 2009 World Junior Championships and leading Canada past Hedman’s Swedish team. But questions about Tavares’ remaining potential were creeping into the discussion before the tournament, and it seemed Hedman would surpass him for good in the draft rankings (the two players have held the top two spots in the ISS rankings since November 2007). Tavares’ performance at the tournament laid any such talk to rest. That is, until the Islanders won the draft lottery. As I’m sure Islanders GM has also done, I’ve gone back and forth on this pick several times—changing my mind even yesterday. But the Isles are on the clock now, and I suppose I am, too. So here goes: with the first pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders should select: Jared Cowan of the Spokane Chiefs. How’s that for way off the board? The Islanders have a nice group of defensemen from last year’s draft, as well as 24-year old Bruno Gervais playing big minutes on the Island and Jack Hillen getting an extended 40-game look last season. That’s before even considering 2008 free agent gem Mark Streit. The trouble is they’re all small. Gervais tops the list at an even six feet tall, and none of them possess the prototypical nastiness we’ve come to expect from high-end shut-down defenders. Cowan could make the jump immediately, though another season in Spokane would probably be better for his development, and could be wearing the captain’s C before his 22nd birthday. It’s not a sexy pick, and Cowan certainly isn’t the most talented player in the draft at this moment, but there’s a little Duncan Keith in him, and a big, mean, sandpaper defenseman should be the Islanders’ top priority. Trading down to fourth, and picking up and extra pick in the top 15 would give the Islanders five picks in the top 37, which should lead to a very bright future. That said, I expect the Isles to call John Tavares’ name from the podium. HIDE YOUR REPORTERS TSN is reporting Chris Pronger has been traded to Philadelphia. Details to follow. 1 - TAVARES Ol' Garth there knows how to string us along. There you have it. Tavares goes first overall in a pick two years in the making. I have a soft spot for the Isles and I desperately want this pick to work out for them. Looking ahead to number two, I can't imagine the Lightning won't grab Victor Hedman. The logic is pretty simple: name a current Lightning defenseman. In a few moments, we all should be able to. 2 - HEDMAN This pick makes perfect sense. I'm a big Hedman fan, and the city of Tampa will be, too. He's a gregarious young man, and if the Lightning can get their gameplan sorted out, Hedman is going to become a very good player very soon. Expect Hedman to have a better 2009-10 season than Drew Doughty had in Los Angeles last season. At three, the Avalanche have some options. While it's hard to ignore Matt Duchene's talent, the Avs need a big body that creates space in the offensive zone. So much like I thought Cowan was perfect for New York, I think Vancouver's Evander Kane is perfect for Colorado. 3 - DUCHENE This is a great pick. Duchene is a wonderful young player, and I think the Avs would love to see him make the jump right away if they can get him hooked up with Joe Sakic for a year. Atlanta has the fourth pick, and there's talk it's available. Getting Zack Bogosian in last year's draft was the first big step in a big rebuild, and passing on a Cowan, Kane, Brayden Schenn or Nazem Kadri here would be a terrible choice. I'm not sure which of the four players is the best fit, but Thrashers fans will be pleased with any of them. 4 - KANE Great pick. Just great. Kane was one of the best players for team Canada at the World Juniors, and took his game to a whole new level as the games got bigger. The TSN guys figure he won't stick with Atlanta this fall, but no one thought Bogosian would stick last season. He'll get the nine-game look. Los Angeles is on the clock at five, and has to take Brayden Schenn. The Kings' back end is set for the future, and now it's time to make a big splash up front. 5 - SCHENN Great pick. Some technical trouble prevented me from getting that Oliver Ekman-Larsson prediction posted in time. But I like that pick for Phoenix. Ekman-Larsson has elite offensive skills, and should become an impact player for the Coyotes. At seven, the Leafs should be looking at Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson to begin to add speed up front. Nazem Kadri is a good selection for the Leafs. He's nearly as quick as Paajarvi-Svensson, but doesn't have the same high-end offesnive skill, or quite as much grit. TSN revealing now that Burke just hate-drafter Kadri. Paajarvi-Svensson should go to Ottawa at eight, but the Senators could really use Cowan. Oops. Pardon me, the Dallas Stars are up ahead of Ottawa, and all signs say Dmitri Kulikov because of the Sergei Zubov mentorship opportunities. WOW. Dallas goes a little off the board with Brandon's Scott Glennie. This is a surprising but great pick. Dallas really isn't in a place where they need to rush Glennie, and allowing this young man a couple years to mature in junior will be great for him. Now I expect Ottawa to take Paajarvi-Svensson. That's the best personnel decision the Senators have made in a long time. Jared Cowan is going to be a stud defenseman in the NHL, and the teams between three and eight will kick themselves one day for not taking this young man. Edmonton could use a guy like Dmitri Kulikov here at 10. Kulikov has good offensive instincts and is projected to become a Sergei Zubov-like player, which the Oilers could really use. If not Kulikov, the Oilers may jump at Jordan Schroeder, who's been falling down the board for months. As a 16-year old, Paajarvi-Svensson didn't play a lot of hockey at the 2008 World Juniors, but was one of the most talked-about players in the tournament. The Oilers will be happy with this young man in a couple years. The Oilers may even try to get him into the CHL for a year before bringing him to the big club. Nashville will take John Moore from Chicago of the USHL here. The Predators develop young defensemen as well as any team in the league and Moore will fit in nicely. That's a little earlier than Ryan Ellis was expected to go. Nashville is the perfect organization for Ellis to go to. He'll need some time to get bigger and develop his defensive game, and the Predators will give him the time to do it. Up next Minnesota could use a big, strong forward. Slightly off-the-board players that fit are Carter Ashton from Lethbridge or Zack Kassian from Peterborough. Moving down here is a good move for Minnesota, and moving up is good for the Islanders. Dmitri Kulikov or David Rundblad would fill out the back end here. A defenseman was the right choice. Calvin de Haan is a little off the board (second round rated by ISS). De Haan is an explosive offensive defenseman with good defensive instincts. Great choice from out of left field. Buffalo is up next, a team that traditionally doesn't draft based on need. American defenseman John Moore would not be a surprise here, nor would American forward Jordan Schroeder. And though they don't draft for need, the Sabres could really use a finisher. American winger Chris Kreider could be the pick. Kassian's a good pick for the Sabres. He's got a lot of skill and is a big body the Sabres could use to police opponents that want to rough it up-- looking at you Milan Lucic. Florida has the last pick of the lottery group, and has needs just about everywhere. The Panthers have had success drafting from the Western League, but they're more likely to roll the dice with Moore. Given his slide out of the top 10, Kulikov is a bit of a surprise at 14. If there's concern about the transfer agreement and KHL and Russia in general, Miami is the kind of town to convince a Russian to stay in the NHL. Anaheim is next up next, and couple be looking Jordan Schroeder's way. Peter Holland is a big forward with the potential to play as a first-line centre in the NHL. It will take him some time to get there, and he may top out as a second-line centre, but the future is very bright for this young man. That's all for tonight, be sure to check back Monday for a look at the second half of the first round.