One Week Away

Well, we're one week away from the Draft, teams and players are falling into place, injuries are already starting to pile up and intrigue is starting to build about what the season will bring. I, for one, am very excited. The four teams playing in Europe are already starting their small pre-season tour there and preparing to get going on the season this weekend. Hockey pool drafts have already begun, I've seen the posts, but thankfully, I'll be waiting for most rosters to be complete for those who want the sleepers and late bloomers to the line-ups.

In my last poll, that finished this morning, Evgeni Malkin was a runaway third pick overall (if Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby were taken 1 & 2) in a theoretical draft. Malkin has been one of the sharpest players thus far in the pre-season and should be back in fine form for the regular season. In the running for the honour, both Vincent Lecavalier and Joe Thornton were thought to be running neck-and-neck for the lead for most of the poll's duration, but it was Malkin who picked up a late surge and powered by both of them. There is really a good argument to think that Lecavalier and Thornton will go four and five (not in any particular order) in the draft as well.

Still we wait to find out.

In the week leading up to the draft, I thought I would post two new polls. The first poll, who is your top rated goaltender to be taken in the draft? The second, who is your top rated defenseman (especially now that Gonchar & Whitney are down in Pittsburgh)?

Are you ready yet?