When I was working with Buffalo, we interviewed Alex Ovechkin, even though we were picking 13th. There was some interest in some of our players and there was a possibility we could move to that coveted first pick in the draft. But Ovechkin's body language throughout the interview said, "Why are you wasting my time when it is obvious I'm going first overall?"
I remember him as being pleasant and accommodating and so confident of his English that he did the interview without an interpreter - a rarity for Russian players.
Later in the article...
After the combine, some seriously interested teams will bring in the prospect to meet the entire staff. The year Eric Staal was drafted, 2003, Buffalo had the fifth pick overall. I drove Staal down to Buffalo to meet the Sabres' staff. The Sabres also brought in Nathan Horton, Dustin Brown and flew to the University of Minnesota to see Thomas Vanek, their eventual pick, before the draft. Goalie Marc-Jean Fleury went first to Pittsburgh with Eric going second to Carolina.
Barrie joined Rudy Miguay, Mike Racicot, and David Volek as scouts let go by the Sabres in the 2005 offseason. Peterborough's Bogosian, meanwhile, is considered a lock to be chosen in the top five of the June draft.
