This will be the final installment of the draft day preview, finishing up with the last ten picks of the first round.Picks 21 through 30 were shuffled quite a bit around the trade deadline or before, with only three picks of these last ten actually belonging to the teams that finished in the corresponding position in the standings.
A lot of these picks will be used as youth depth, but there will be some expectation as they are still first rounders. There shouldn't be any marquee names left in this section of the draft, as the Draft Combine, held last week, showed a lot of these top athletes to be in peak shape and then their athletic prowess should be all that's considered.
The Phoenix Coyotes will pick 21st (as well as 3rd) and they'll be looking for yet another talented young player, probably in the best available category. At pick 21, the Coyotes may look towards some good goaltending talent at this point, especially if they nabbed a top scorer with their third pick. I would be really surprised to see them move this pick, as they are firmly in the middle of rebuilding their organization.
Montreal acquired the 22nd pick from San Jose in the Craig Rivet deal. This will be another chance at getting another young scorer or rugged defenseman. It's pretty clear how deep they are in goal coming into the draft that they are highly unlikely to pick another one from this position.
Depth is one thing the Flyers are in desperate need of and with the Predators pick (acquired in the Peter Forsberg deal), they should be able to pick a depth kind of player with some talent. However, the Flyers are in need of some help right away, as they probably won't attract many fans with their ability to finish second-to-last in the league for many more seasons. Don't be too surprised if they can move this pick for a mid-level veteran.
The first of two quick picks and the second of three picks in the first round, the St. Louis Blues will have a little more opportunity to add a bit more talent. I project that with their 9th pick, the Blues would probably get Sam Gagner, so I would also imagine that a top goaltending prospect would be next on the list. This the 24th pick would also be worth moving as they would have the 26th pick and probably wouldn't miss out on a goaltender if they had their eye on one.
The Canucks will be picking 25th... or will they? With an immediate need for some scoring, there is some rumblings that the Canucks will move their pick, either up or out. If it's up, they'll be looking to try and get the 3rd, 4th or 5th pick to get one of the top Canadians as the rumour goes. I have a feeling that they have their eye on a Gagner or Esposito and will move a player and a pick to do so.The 26th pick came from Atlanta in the Keith Tkachuk trade and it really sort of depends what they do with their 24th pick that you can get a good feel of what they'll do here in 26th.
The Red Wings have stockpiled a lot of picks in recent years, but there have only been three picks in the last four years to play for the big club. They are in no big rush to move on any of their prospects, especially since they've done so well with free agents. Watch Detroit make their picks and there shouldn't be much for surprises in their picks. Safe and steady.
With a pick to help Ovechkin in the top five, the Capitals will probably look to upgrade their blueline with their second first rounder. Without a glutton of defensive prospects, the Capitals will probably look to a big defensive defenseman to make their splash with. A scoring forward and defensive defenseman would look really good in their new colours, don't you think?
The Eastern Conference champs hold the 29th pick in the draft after finishing in the Cup Finals. It was a new rule mandate for teams who finished in the Finals to pick 29th and 30th, instead of only the Cup winner moving to the last pick. The last pick to successfully crack the Sens line-up was Andrej Meszaros, who made a pretty big impact in the Sens' Cup run. With the 29th pick, the Senators will need to make some depth selections on the belief that Heatley, Redden, Spezza and Emery can hold down the fort for a few more years.
The Oilers last pick of the first round was given to them by the Ducks as a part of the Chris Pronger deal. If the Ducks were to make the Finals this season, they would get this first round pick. Not only did the Ducks make it... well, you know the rest. A third first-rounder is a big benefit to any team, so the Oilers will have to choose wisely.Technorati Tags
NHL, Hockey Pool, Entry Draft, David Perron, Sam Gagner, Carolina Hurricanes
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