1. New York Islanders: Victor Hedman
In the era of free-agency, the Islanders will realize it is harder to find an all-star defenceman than an all-star forward. The team has told the hockey world that Rick DiPietro is their franchise building block and when you build from the net out you don’t start with the forwards, you build a defense first, and that coincidentally is what wins you championships. In addition, I have two words for you: Taylor Hall.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning: John Tavares
This doesn’t even require a comment.
3. Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene
As the best player available, Duchene is a great compliment to players like Wojtek Wolski and with Paul Stastny bound to have a come-back year next year, the Avalanche will have a very strong core of players down the middle which solidifies their forward ranks.
4. Atlanta Thrashers: Evander Kane
Atlanta needs marketable, exciting players that will make their fans rise to their feet for every goal, and few players in this draft score goals of that caliber in the quantities that Evander Kane does. Brought up through one of the best junior systems in Canada the Thrashers know he will be well disciplined under Don hay’s tutelage so that his skill can be concentrated on the ice.
5. Los Angeles Kings: Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson
The Swede has a perfect blend of talent and tenacity. The Kings have many goal scorers but not enough players to get the puck to those players. MP-S will compliment the likes of Kopitar and Frolov with the willingness to battle in the corners, the skill to carry the puck to the offensive zone, and the skill to be able to finish plays if need be.
6. Phoenix Coyotes: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
With a formidable forward core the Coyotes need someone to back those skilled forwards up. OEL will be able to do everything a defenceman should do and provide the offence from the back end that forwards do. With the inevitable departure/retirement of Ed Jovanovski, OEL will step in at just the right time so this young squad does not miss a step.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs: Brayden Schenn
As if Brian Burke would even consider taking anyone else. He’s brought brothers both into Vancouver and into Anaheim and in both situations those duo’s have made significant contributions, yet this duo could provide to be the most significant yet. Just imagine for a moment Jim Hughson’s call:
“Kovalchuk, carrying the puck over the line, OH! CRUSHED BY LUKE SCHENN, WHAT A HIT-puck is loose now, picked up by Brayden-NICE MOVE THERE TO GET BY BOGOSIAN, IN ON GOAL…SCORES!!!!”
I hate it, but I love it at the same time…
8. Dallas Stars: Jared Cowen
A big bodied defensive defenceman who hits with all of his weight worked well once upon a time for the Dallas Stars in Derian Hatcher. Cowen was once considered a top-3 selection in this draft and if not for an injury he has recovered from could easily have beat out Duchene, the talent and the potential are too much for Dallas to overlook.
9. Ottawa Senators: Nazem Kadri
A lot of offense has been lost in the Senators lineup and quite frankly, the team is just boring, Kadri however is anything but. The offensive dynamo will become a fan favourite and score highlight reel goals, exactly what an Ottawa team that is inevitably heading towards a makeover needs.
10. Edmonton Oilers: Dmitry Kulikov
So many young, small, speedy and skilled forwards in that lineup and absolutely no top-tier defensive prospects. Sheldon Souray has a rocket from the point but don’t ask him to carry the puck over the line with poise and finesse. Kulikov however fits this description perfectly, his combination of speed and skating ability with his patitude at both ends of the rink make him a future top-pairing d-man and powerplay QB for an Edmonton squad that has everything else…except a goalie…
11. Nashville Predators: Scott Glennie
The Predators got what they considered a franchise forward last year in Colin Wilson, the rangy power-centre from BU is going to need equally large wingers and Glennie is the best option at this position, the Preds will be ridiculed for not taking the guy who is next on this list, after he has build some chemistry with Wilson on the US Junior team, but ultimately who knows where that chemistry can go in the future because it has had such a brief time to develop. Glennie is the best forward available and with the loss of Radulov to Russia, they need goals to come from the front lines.
12. Minnesota Wild: Jordan Schroeder
Many Wild fans will be able to die happy. The teams first legitimate home-grown star in Jordan Schroeder will electrify that already fantastic hockey market in Minnesota. With Lemaire finally put out to pasture like the old cow he is, the Wild can start building a new team, shown by last year’s selection of utility forward Colton Gillies they now need some added offensive spark and Schroder is the best option for this.
13. Buffalo Sabres: Zack Kassian
A player that fits right in with the future and the culture of the hockey team and the area. Kassian has that rare combination of size and skill that makes a power-forward so dominant, able to crush anyone on the ice and dangle around anyone at the same time Kassian will be a marketable talent and one the Sabres fans will grow to love.
14. Florida Panthers: John Moore
The Panthers have a plethora of swift-skating forwards and they have a great balance between size and skill and John Moore will provde that balance now on the back end. Perhaps the best skater of the draft and one of the best in recent memory, Moore will be able to do what Jay Bouwmeester was supposed to do for Florida which is get the puck up the ice and let their stock-pile of forwards do the rest.
15. Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Ellis
An undersized, offensive catalyst has served Anaheim very well for the last few years. And with Scott Niedermayer likely departing why not bring in his successor. The size issue that is brought up is a moot point in my mind, because really, will anyone mess with Ellis when he has Corey perry, Bobby Ryan, and Ryan Getzlaf in front of him?
16. Columbus Blue Jackets: David Rundblad
The Jackets just in the last year have (finally) seen the success they waited so long for, and most of it has come in the form of guys like Brassard and Filatov and Voracek, with the immeasurable young talent that Columbus has up front and the equally immeasurable young talent behind them in Steve Mason, just one position is left to fill and David Rundblad fits it perfectly. He’ll be able to outlet that puck to those forwards and have them dance around opposing players to no end, and all-around solid player he provides just that little bit of extra offensive output that CBJ needs to get those forwards going.
17. St. Louis Blues: Jacob Josefson
They had a little bit of success in drafting their last Swedish center, why not give it another go?
18. Montreal Canadiens: Louis Leblanc
Can anyone honestly say the Canadiens will take anyone other than a French-Canadian? I don’t think so. The Harvard-bound Leblanc was once talked about in the same breath as John Tavares and perhaps would have continued to be if not for his move to the USHL and now the NCAA. A top-end offensive talent the Canadiens are willing to gamble here due to the strength of the rest of their prospect pool, in all areas.
19. New York Lamegers: Carter Ashton
The big-bodied presence that the Lamegers desperately need falls right into their lap and could help change the look of that team. With so many high-priced and under-producing talents and no vision or identity to the squad, Ashton will provide that in spades with his scoring ability and presence on-ice.
20. Calgary Lames: Dylan Olsen
It just feels so right, the Calgary boy going back home. I also doubt the Lames have scouted any player as much as Olsen given he wass for all intents and purposes, on the patio of their backyard.
21. Philadelphia Flyers: Simon Despres
Another team with a strong nucleus of young forwards, they desperately need goaltending but no goalie in this draft is going to be the answer so they go with the best defenceman available at this point.
22. Vancouver Canucks: Chris Kreider
Do I want Chris Kreider? I’m not sure, very little is known about him, but the last time the Canucks drafted from the Phillips Academy, that player turned out just fine. (google it) I’m trusting the new management team can see a diamond in the rough when it’s there. Kreider has everything you want, size, speed, and a wealth of scoring talent, which is what the Canucks desperately need up-front. Undoubtedly some will be upset the Canucks did not go for an offensive d-man here, but with the emergence of Evan Oberg and the fact Kreider is undeniably more highly regarded that Eliot or De Haan, Gillis cannot go against his BPA preachings. Kreider has NHL-size already, is going to Boston College under the legendary Jerry York and has every single offensive skill you want at both ends of the ice, he can deke, he can break out, he can shoot and he can pass. Okay I want him now…
23. New Jersey Devils: Tim Erixon
Slwo and steady has won championships for New Jersey in the past, and that’s what Tim Erixon is, solid in every area, can’t go wrong…and the Devils rarely do.
24. Washington Capitals: Nick Leddy
Maybe a surprise pick here, but the Capitals really don’t need any more forwards and we’ve seen how dynamic they are with just Mike Green feeding them the puck, how great will they be when a mature Nick Leddy is added to the mix? I can’t wait to see it.
25. Boston Bruins: Calvin De Haan
With the steady decline of Matt Lashoff as a potentially top-pairing defenceman the Bruins take Calvin De Haan as the best d-man available at this point, his great passing and scoring skills are also attractive as the Bruins have an already stingy defensive core so they can take a leap of faith on a more one-dimensional player.
26. New York Islanders: Landon Ferraro
Just seems like common sense that when you take a d-man first your next pick will be a forward. Ferraro will look really good with Kyle Okposo as the former’s sniping ability will gel with the latter’s crease-crashing tendencies.
27. Carolina Hurricanes: Peter Holland
The Hurricanes like big, skilled forwards, Holland is the next in a long line.
28. Chicago Blackhawks: Zach Budish
My surprise pick of the first round, Budish was considered by many to be a top-15 talent before a bad injury playing football to his feet, he has fully recovered however and will be joining the NCAA ranks next year and could dominate. He has NHL-size already and the Hawks love their big bodies (curse you Byfuglien!) and are willing to wait for Budish’s skating ability to develop because of the strength of their existing prospect pool at forward and the fact they really don’t have ANY holes in their lineup except for maturity, which will come eventually.
29. Detroit Red Wings: Carl Klingberg
Big Swede that is strong in every aspect of the game, does that sound familiar? I’ll gave you a hint:
_enrik _etterberg
30. Pittsburgh Penguins: Jordan Caron
Caron is a player I wouldn’t mind seeing pull a Canuck jersey over his head tonight, a nagging injury throughout the year kept scouts from seeing as much of him as they should have, but if not for the injury he would have potted more than 40 goals and 40 assists, which is exceptional for such a young player in the Q. He’s good defensively as well, and his 6-3 frame will compliment players like Sidney Crosby in the future…oh, speaking of Sidney, did I mention Caron plays for Rimouski?
This post has been edited by Toxic: 26 June 2009 - 12:13 PM
MultiQuote
haha
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