Friday, June 20, 2008

NHL Draft - Live Round One Results

1) Tampa Bay - Steven Stamkos, C (Sarnia - OHL) No surprise here. A Joe Sakic/Steve Yzerman type, Stamkos will be surrounded by a new coaching staff, and talented vets Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis to guide him to early success. 2) Los Angeles - Drew Doughty, D (Guelph - OHL) What do you do when scouts start questioning your commitment? You lose 25 pounds, and promise to shed more. Now at 5'11, 200-pounds, Doughty is a offensive defenseman who should play in the NHL next season. 3) Atlanta - Zach Bogosian, D (Peterborough - OHL) Mean, competitive and very steady, Bogosian could be the biggest superstar in this draft. Entering tonight, he was our "#1 Player You Trade Up To Get". 4) St. Louis - Alex Pietrangelo, D (Niagara - OHL) Petro had his season end early with a lacerated spleen, but not before using his 6'3, 210-pound frame to rush the puck, steady his end, and be an overall, two-way force. He notched 20 points in his last 11 games before the injury. Teammates refer to him as "Chris Pronger without the edge". 5) Toronto (from NY Islanders) - Luke Schenn, D (Kelowna - WHL) After swapping picks (and a 2nd and extra 2nd/3rd) with the Isles, the Leafs get their franchise defender in the first round. A nasty, shut down defenseman, Schenn personifies the rugged Western style that Toronto fans are going to love for years. 6) Columbus - Nikita Filatov, RW (CSKA Moscow - RSL) A speedy, smart finisher, Filatov is the first Russian off the board. Fluent in English and commitment free in Russia, the skilled Filatov is ready to make the jump to North America to play in either the NHL or CHL next season. Best player on the board at #6, hands down. 7) Nashville (from NY Islanders) - Colin Wilson, C (Boston University - NCAA) The Isles trade down again, allowing Nashville to get their man. NHL bloodlines are hard at work with Wilson. A point a game player with BU, Wilson had six goals in six games with Team USA at the World Juniors. Head Scout Paul Fenton saw plenty of Terrier hockey, and makes a nice, safe pick here for the Preds. 8) Phoenix - Mikkel Boedker, LW (Kitchener - OHL) After a sigh of relief from Yotes scout Keith Gretzky, brother Wayne makes Boedker the highest Dane ever drafted in the NHL. A speedy goal scorer, the slick winger displayed equal playmaking aptitude in the Rangers Memorial Cup run. Pretty much chalk on the selection front to this point. Still - five OHLers already gone. Wow. 9) NY Islanders - Josh Bailey, C (Windsor - OHL) A solid, two-way forward, Bailey can distribute the puck with the best of them. His 67 assists were 2nd best in the entire CHL. One of the safest picks in the draft, the Isles traded down twice and passed over some excellent talents to secure the player they wanted most. 10) Vancouver - Cody Hodgson C (Brampton - OHL) A true competitor, Hodgson is a gifted scorer who can be a heart and soul guy a few years down the road for the Canucks. We really like this pick for Vancouver, as leadership will be thin by the time Hodgson arrives. Seven of the top 10 picks for the OHL. Unreal. 11) Chicago - Kyle Beach, C (Everett) The bad boy wildcard of the draft, Beach will head to Chi-town to toughen up the forward ranks with star youngsters Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews. Hits, fights, agitates, scores. Attitude issues were a red flag for many teams, but you cannot argue his thick shot and hard nosed style near the cage. Beach could very well be a 40 goal guy in the NHL with 200 PIMs if groomed correctly. 12) Buffalo (from Los Angeles) - Tyler Myers, D (Kelowna - WHL) Needing defense in the system, the Sabres pass over SabresProspects.com choice of Luca Sbisa and hard-nosed Colten Teubert to take the 6'7 Myers. Myers is an excellent skater with good hands, but needs to use his large frame more to his advantage. 13) Los Angeles (from Buffalo) - Colten Teubert, D (Regina - WHL) The meanest SOB in the draft, the Kings add another stud defender to the stable after earlier taking Doughty. There's no one in the WHL who hates Kyle Beach more, and the two will continue their love affair for years in the Western Conference. 14) Carolina - Zach Boychuk, RW (Lethbridge - WHL) A creative scorer, Boychuk scored 11 goals in the WHL playoffs this past season for Lethbridge. Boychuk is very athletic, and has enough ability to overcome a size bias associated with his 5'10, 175-pound frame. 15) Ottawa (from Nashville) - Erik Karlsson, D (Frolunda, Sweden) Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson arrives to the podium to select the swift moving countryman in Karlsson. A world class puck carrier, the smallish Swede generates offense from the back end and was worth the move up from #18 to get. Quickest riser in the first round. 16) Boston - Joe Colborne, C (Camrose - AJHL) A tall, skilled playmaker, Colborne can dominate offensively but sometimes disappears. The Canadian Junior "A" Player of the Year will be attending University of Denver in the fall, where he'll hope to fill out his frame, and in time develop the physical aspects of his game. 17) Anaheim (from Calgary) - Jake Gardiner, D (Minnetonka - Minn. HS) Minnesotan Brian Burke goes back home to select the tall, swift skating defenseman with a deadly wrister. Heading to Wisconsin this fall. 18) Nashville (from Ottawa) - Chet Pickard, G (Tri-City - WHL) The Preds need to focus on the draft to re-build, and Pickard gives them a strong goaltending prospect to work around. 19) Philadelphia (from Colorado) - Luca Sbisa, D (Lethbridge - WHL) And our targeted defenseman goes to the Flyers. The Swiss defender made a smooth transition to the WHL, but disappointed some scouts on the international stage at the WJC's. A two-way mover, Sbisa carries a nice shot and a subtle physical edge that should appeal to Philly fans. 20) NY Rangers - Michael Del Zotto, D (Oshawa - OHL) 21) Washington (from New Jersey) - Anton Gustafsson, C (Frolunda - Swe Jr.) 22) Edmonton (from Anaheim) - Jordan Eberle, RW (Regina - WHL) 23) Minnesota (from Washington) - Tyler Cuma, D (Ottawa - OHL) 24) New Jersey (from Minnesota) - Mattias Tedenby, LW (HV71 - Swe Jr.) 25) Calgary (from Montreal) - Greg Nemisz, C (Windsor - WHL) 26) Buffalo (from San Jose) - Tyler Ennis, LW (Medicine Hat - WHL) 27) Washington (from Philadelphia) - John Carlson, D (Indiana - USHL) 28) Phoenix (from Dallas) - Viktor Tikhonov, F (Russia) 29) Atlanta - Daulton Leveille, C (St. Catharines - OHA) 30) Detroit - Thomas McCollum, G (Guelph - OHL)