First pick:
Patrick Kane, RW... I don't think it's any more obvious than this. All the scouts and pundits have pretty much pegged Kane to go number one, even if he isn't the number one choice of some scouting outlets. The Blackhawks need Kane, since he is a top talent that could possibly make the immediate jump.Second pick:
Kyle Turris, C... if the Flyers are to actually make this pick, which my actual prediction would be that they move it, Turris would be the best bet. A young centerman is more inclined to be a Flyers' pick, since they really haven't found someone to centre Simon Gagne. If Turris can take the next year to bulk up to NHL size, he'll fit right into the Flyers' plans.Third pick:
Jakub Voracek, RW... scoring, scoring and more scoring is the theme of all the Coytoes' top prospects and they do like their Europeans as well. Voracek, from the Czech Republic, is ranked quite high as a playmaker and he should bode well in the Coyotes system. New GM Don Maloney does have a flair for picking Euros, so this one may fit in well into Coach Gretzky's system.Fourth pick:
James VanRiemsdyk, LW... will bring a solid North American presence to the Kings organization who has a lot of flair in European draft picks already. VanRiemsdyk should be a good fit in Los Angeles and in my guesstimation, should fall down to fourth for the Kings to snap up. His speed and ability would match up well with any of the Kings top forwards.Fifth pick:
Karl Alzner, D... will be the first defenseman taken in 2007 and he'll be going to a team in need of a top rated blueliner. Alzner will be required to be that defensive defenseman who will be leaned upon when the firepower gets caught on the other end of the ice making their fancy-dancy plays. He'd be a great big boost to Washington's chassis of young players and the organization can take one step further towards the playoffs when Alzner cracks the line-up.Sixth pick:
Sam Gagner, C... will be hard to pass up for the Oilers. The Oilers have a history in recent years on taking small, but talented centres that have a long development waiting time. Gagner is quite young and quite skilled, but is quite a ways from making that jump into the NHL, which fits the bill of GM Kevin Lowe to a tee. There's no question of what this kid can do and if he develops well enough, he'd be a great fixture on a line with Ales Hemsky.Seventh pick:
Logan Couture, C... is touted as a safe pick and that's exactly what new Columbus GM, Scott Howson, will look for. With Zherdev possibly on the way out and Brule still not quite meeting expecations, there is no reason as to why Columbus will try and hit a home run this year. Howson, however, does bring some Edmonton Oiler experience with him and for Columbus' sake, they hope that he's learned from Lowe's mistakes.Eighth pick:
Angelo Esposito, C... was supposed to be the first overall pick in this draft class some time ago, but his play somewhat fell off, or maybe it was his development. Anyways, this won't deter Boston from making him the 8th pick and adding him to a list of young talent down the middle that should help out their talented wingers.Ninth pick:
Alexei Cherepanov, RW... fell down to ninth because of the risk in drafting him (because of the Russian transfer agreement not being signed) and uncertainty of his desire, but St. Louis could hit a home run with Cherepanov, as he has exceptional talent and would be able to give him the environment he might need as a budding superstar. His flash could be quite marketable in a city that hasn't had a lot to cheer about in recent years.Tenth pick:
Brandon Sutter, C... should lend his family name to a Florida team for the first time. Sutter, a hard working kid, would have a major impact to a Panthers team who really hasn't seen a player with as much speed and grit in previous years. When the model of the Anaheim Ducks gets studied, Sutter's name will pop up in more lists than not for a kid to play one of those roles.Eleventh pick:
Keaton Ellerby, D... will replace the hole left behind when the Hurricanes dealt Jack Johnson to Los Angeles, a big young defenseman with an offensive upside. If chosen, Ellerby should give the Hurricanes an easier time to sign him up, unlike Johnson, who wished to stay in school... until being dealt to LA. Ellerby's hard shot and big frame should come in handy for the Hurricanes, since the 'Canes don't really have a marquee defenseman coming up the ranks.Twelfth pick:
Maxim Mayorov, LW... is yet another Russian taken in the pro-European stylings of the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs really try to swing for the fences when it comes to these European kids and you'd have to go back to 2001 when Alexander Perezhogin was taken before you can find a drafted Russian that has even made the line-up for any extended period of time. Mayorov has turned some heads and should give the Habs some hope if he ends up there.Thirteenth pick:
Nick Petrecki, D... would be something just a little different in Maple Leaf drafting standards. A great big American defenseman would actually be something quite different... especially as an early round pick. I looked back at the Leafs' history and they really haven't drafted big men in the first round. This could be a good idea.Fourteenth pick:
Zach Hamill, C... a smaller centre with great hands and vision could draw some comparisons to the team captain and may have a chance to skate with Sakic in camp. Hamill will have to step up and be a bigger scorer to have any chance of comparison, but he would fit in the spot with his frame.Fifteenth pick:
Ryan McDonagh, D... is a big, mobile defenseman and has a lot of the qualities that the Oilers traded away to Anaheim last summer. McDonagh, highly rated by TSN and the CSB, would be a pretty big steal down in 15th, but it's certainly possible. This high schooler will go to University next year and will take some time to bulk up and become a bigger defenseman, which will bode well for his NHL club.Sixteenth pick:
Colton Gillies, C... is the Randy Carlyle kind of kid who fits the mould that won them the Cup. A good skater, a big kid and he's touted as more of a character player. He'd more or less resemble a guy like Chris Kunitz... or should be better. Gillies looks like a guy who also needs some really good coaching and Carlyle should be the guy to do it. Burke likes his big kids, so Gillies should be in the crosshairs.Seventeenth pick:
Kevin Shattenkirk, D... is my best guess in a position where there are a lot of short statured defensemen with good offensive abilities. Drafting the home state kid may drive him to excel a little bit more in the US National Team Development Program. He's being listed as an offensive defenseman, which may serve the Rangers well when looking for a defense partner for Marc Staal.Eighteenth pick:
Alex Plante, D... seems almost too obvious, which makes this a hesitant pick, but all the signs point to Plante. A great big defenseman who can skate and works hard for the Calgary Hitmen. All the scouting seems to show that he's the kind of kid that works hard and does nothing flashy, something that the Sutter brand of hockey would look good upon.Nineteenth pick:
Jonathon Blum, D... could be the tonic for the blueline that Minnesota needs to break out of their own zone a bit faster. The Wild is a team who is need of a mobile, puck moving defenseman and Blum was doing just that for the Memorial Cup champions. He may be rather small in stature, but with a little bulking up, he could be what the Wild are looking for in the 19th pick.Twentieth pick:
Joakim Andersson, C... is a defensive forward who could line-up a little bit better in a checking role than Jordan Staal or provide a second penalty kill forward. Excellent along the boards, he can provide a little bit more grit and responsibility for the Penguins. A lot of outlets have him pegged as a second rounder, but I don't think the Pens could afford to take that chance.Twenty-First pick:
Mikael Backlund, C... will be added to the stockpile of European forwards that the Coyotes are harvesting for the future. Backlund, an up-and-down player over the last year, has rebounded to become a pretty good prospect. Scouts are quite pleased with his skating and good vision and could be the kind of player Gretzky would like to mould into his team. Another good player down the middle is what they need in Phoenix and Backlund could fit the bill.Twenty-Second pick:
Keven Veilleux, C... is a big centreman from Quebec should appease both the coaching staff and the fans there in Montreal. Veilleux has received some mixed reviews about his scoring and competitiveness, but there's a consensus about how well he uses his size and reach.Twenty-Third pick:
Thomas Hickey, D... could follow in the footsteps of Dan Hamhuis, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber as great Predator draft picks who developed into a top end defender. Having a plethora of good defensemen should be a benefit to a team, rather than a hinderance. The Predators can bulk up on good D and maybe move them in time to improve other areas of their team.Twenty-Fourth pick:
Oscar Moller, F... seems to me to be a typical St. Louis Blue prospect... a tremendous upside, but lacking in something. Moller, in this case, is quite diminutive, which is his major flaw, but he does have a good hockey sense and puck skills. He seems to be the kind of player that will be rushed to the forefront, as the Blues' organization does like to see kids among men and assess their talents then.Twenty-Fifth pick:
Michal Repik, RW... played for the Giants and could be a sleeper in the Draft according to some scouts. He has been compared to Milan Hejduk in the way that he plays and if the Canucks have the opportunity to snag him here, I think they will. There is the chance that they'll trade up, but if they still have this pick, don't be surprised if Repik dons the Canucks jersey.Twenty-Sixth pick:
Mark Katic, D... is slated to be a very reliable defenseman if and when he makes it to the NHL and the Blues would do very well to have him on their side. There is an indication that the Blues may look for more defense in this draft, either by picks or by trades and since this is their third pick in the first round, it wouldn't be surprising if they didn't even make this pick.Twenty-Seventh pick:
Bill Sweatt, LW... is a speedy winger who can create chances with his skating. The Red Wings will like what this kid can do and will want to have him develop at Colorado College for a couple more years at least. The Red Wing program for their youth is so comprehensive and I'm sure they'll give Sweatt the observations to be a great Red Wing player in the future. This is almost a no-brainer if he's still available at 27.Twenty-Eighth pick:
Max Pacioretty, LW... is already pegged as a potential power forward, since he is already 203 lbs. on a 6'1" frame. The Capitals could use a kid like this to come up the ranks, becuase the re-emergence of power forwards will be coming sooner rather than later and if he can become a much better skater, he should be a force in a training camp a year or two from now and will earn himself a spot on his NHL club.Twenty-Ninth pick:
Joel Gistedt, G... could very well be the first goaltender taken in the draft at the 29th position. With the goaltending situation not looking too stable before the draft, a little more depth could be first on the agenda. Gistedt has already been a starter in Sweden and the Swedes have been doing a good job harvesting goaltending talent. With Emery being a free agent, shopping Martin Gerber around to other clubs and the farm system struggling for wins... it looks quite apparent that we'll see a keeper go to Ottawa.Thirtieth pick:
David Perron, RW... impressed at the Memorial Cup tournament with Lewiston and should have much consideration for the first round. This being the 30th pick and if the Oilers make all their picks, then we'll all be sick of seeing Kevin Lowe at the podium. Picking Perron though could be a very wise decision, however... his quickness could be a good compliment to another up and coming Oiler forward, Andrew Cogliano.Technorati Tags
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