The Edmonton Oilers hold the 4th overall pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo this June. There’s been a lot of banter as to what the Oilers should do with it. Trade it outright, trade down, or select Matthew Tkachuk, Pierre-Luc Dubois, or Olli Juolevi. I’ll tell you what the Oilers shouldn’t do…
Trade the 4th Overall for an NHL player
Apart from the obvious expansion draft exposure to said acquired player, the main reason the Oilers shouldn’t be dealing that pick out for an established NHL player is because the Oilers are finally in a position to develop players on the long-term ala the Detroit Red Wings.
The top 9 is more or less sorted and the defense is on its way. Not quite there mind you but the blue line has some nice pieces coming up that should blossom in the following season or two.
The Oilers could select players like Matthew Tkachuk, Jakob Chychrun or PL Dubois and send them back to junior after they’re drafted and then when their junior careers were up, those players could be sent to the AHL for a season of marinating and learning the pro game. There’s absolutely no need to rush teenagers onto the NHL roster anymore and much more to gain from developing them properly.
Just a side note on Matthew Tkachuk. Yesterday on Lowetide’s show he was talking to NHL draft guru Corey Pronman and he said in so many words that Tkachuk has never been the “Go-To Guy” since coming onto the scene. This past season he was paired up with Mitch Marner and the two previous seasons he was centred by Auston Matthews. So take that for what it is.
Or let’s say that Edmonton decides to go with a defenceman like Olli Juolevi or Mikhail Sergachev. Well since they are Europeans, they’re eligible to go straight to the AHL after being drafted. See Julius Honka. Not too sure why they would do that given the amount of LH’d shooters already down there but the option is there nevertheless. I imagine somebody like David Musil would be moved if this scenario were to actually play out.
As fans of the Oilers we should know better than to want the Oilers to rush things. They rushed all those 1st overall picks into top 6 roles and that turned out marvellous. This dovetails with yesterday’s post on patience. If the Oilers take their time and do things the right way instead of forcing things, they will be fine. But should they listen to some of the fanbase and move a valuable piece, like the 4th overall pick, for immediate help; that may very well do more damage than good.
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It has been done. Auston Matthews to the Toronto Maple Leafs is but a formality now. I think this is going to be way better for the NHL and for fans of the Oilers. Toronto needs a player like this and perhaps all the Stamkos to T.O. talk can subside. All the OEL for the 1st overall pick rumors can go away and we can start to focus on something else for a change.
What won’t stop is every time the Oilers miss the playoffs there’ll be the chatter about changing the rules if they win the 1st overall pick again… That will be with the team until they stop holding drafts.
I don’t hate the Toronto Maple Leafs. I’ve always liked them and having a young superstar to build their team around is going to make watching the Leafs and the Oilers that much more fun. Add to that William Nylander and Mitch Marner and they’re forward corps. is almost as good as the Oilers’ forwards. But they’re already denying the most obvious tank job since Buffalo last year and that’s a joke. Seriously. You might say the Oilers tanked to get some of their top picks but the sad reality is, the were just that bad…
I do not like the Calgary Flames or Vancouver Canucks and to see them bounced out of favourable lottery spots was a delight. I cheered against them both when they made the Cup finals most recently and I mean check out this pic of Brian Burke at the moment he realized his team was out of the running for the top three lottery picks and Kevin Cheveldayoff’s Jets jumped past him.
Ron Francis and Cheveldayoff’s faces… Just don’t look the beast in the eye…I was pretty shocked that Winnipeg jumped up though. Didn’t see that coming but they’ll get their Selanne 2.0 now. Whether that is Patrick Laine or Jesse Puljujarvi, who knows? Columbus at no.3 is just happy to be there. The “scraps” that Toronto and Winnipeg leave them will be better than anything else any other team is bound to pick in June.
But we move on to the Oilers. They dropped from no.2 to no.4 and that is possibly the best thing that could’ve happened to them. The players, the coaching, management, ownership and most importantly, the fans can now shine their attention on a different scenario.
When I refer to the trusty charts over at mynhldraft.com and check out who the consensus is at no.4 I find that it’s a battle between Matthew Tkachuk, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Jakon Chychrun.
Tkachuk has the bloodlines and the privilege of developing within the London Knights organization. Personally I like that he’s got a reputation for being a bit of a prick on the ice and Lordy is that an attribute the team is missing. Chiarelli had Marchand in Boston and surely he’d love to have a similar type of player. My only reservations is that sometimes when these little guys play bigger than they are they can turn out to be bit-role players and it’s not like Tkachuk is tiny. He’s 6’1″ and nearly 200lbs but there’s always that concern lurking around in the background.
Click the pics and grab a tee!Pierre-Luc Dubois is seemingly the guy that would fit the bill for the Oilers. He put up 99 points in 60-odd games this year and standing at 6’2″ and over 200lbs, he doesn’t have far to grow physically. He can play both centre and left wing and he’s got a reputation for being “old-fashioned” in his play sometimes. Craig Button’s Dubois comparison to Jamie Benn is compelling. I’ve also heard Ryan Smyth comparisons, so that would make fans in the YEG happy. He’s a late riser in the rankings and Dave Gordon from The Oilers Rig said that was a concern to him. For me, if Dubois spent another year in the QMJHL for Cape Breton and developed a bit more, I’d be happy with that. No need to rush kids into the ‘Chel…
Jakob Chychrun is a man of may opinions. He’s one of, if not, the best skaters in the entire draft and there’s a reason people have been keeping an eye on him since he was 15. Maybe that’s why the defenseman has gone from competing with Auston Matthews for the no.1 spot overall to nearly dropping out of the top ten due to the good performances from Olli Juolevi and Mikhail Sergachev and his poor performances at the Prospects game and his non-performance at the World Juniors. Too much coverage.
There are too many questions that come with Chychrun at this point that make me comfortable with the Oilers picking him here. I’d prefer the Finn, Olli Juolevi, if I had to choose. We have more of an idea with Juolevi and he’d be eligible to go to Bakersfield if the Oilers did select him because he’s a Euro. The same way Julius Honka graduated from the WHL to the AHL the year after he was drafted by Dallas.
Lastly, there’s one more option I’d prefer the team to explore to great extent. The trade option. There are going to be teams that want one of the three players above. I reckon Boston or Arizona would love to get their hands on Tkachuk. Undoubtedly the Habs would jump at a chance to draft Juolevi or Dubois. How much would Toronto offer the Oilers for their 4th overall pick and the chance to draft another one of the Hunter’s boys?
This is not a pick the Oilers should be using to trade outright for an NHL-ready player though. The havoc that will cause when the expansion draft comes could be a bit too much. They need to use this opportunity to re-stock the shelves in the prospect cupboard.
So how far would you be willing to move down in the draft? Are there enough prospects in the 2nd and 3rd rounds that you think will pan out? I suppose it’s an unknown until it’s a known but having a few more bullets in the chamber within the first three rounds appeals to me at this point in the Oilers development path.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @beerleagueheroe!
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Ahhh yeah folks….it’s Mini-Friday a.k.a. Thursday. We’re sooooo close to the weekend! How’s everyone doing today? I don’t know about where you are, but here in Toronto it is an absolute beauty of a day outside! The sun is shining, birds are singing, and my 3 sons just got home from school and are racing to get outside and play some road hockey with their new net and goalie gear! Wherever you are, I hope that you’re having a fan-fucking-tastic day!
So let’s do this! Here is the highest ranked defenseman on my list…yessir! That clearly means that I have 2 forwards taking up the #1 and #2 spots. But who? People of the BLH Universe, this defenseman is not only the d-man that I’d like to see the Oilers land, I also think that he’ll be the first d-man to go in the draft this year. So heeeeeeeeeere we go…#3!
If you haven’t read no.4 through no.10 on our list, check them out below! And please keep in mind that these are my projections based on the Oilers’ needs as an organization.
Jakob Chychrun – D
Sarnia Sting (OHL)
6’2″ 216lbs
62GP 11G 38A 49PTS 51PIM 23+/-
The son of former NHLer Jeff Chychrun and nephew of former Edmonton Oiler Luke Richardson, Jakob Chychrun is a complete defender, hands down. He’s already a monster with NHL size (6’2″ 216lbs), that definitely does not shy away from using it. Have you ever you seen Chychrun lay someone out? Oh man, it’s a beautiful thing. Of course, not if you’re on the business end of that shit! But getting back to that whole complete defender thing, he truly does possess a lot of skills and tools. He has elite vision and the premier skating ability to match it. Those two skills combined have him almost always ahead of the play. He plays a very well composed game as well, and is able to apply pressure to the opposition. Causing them to make high pressure plays, which usually results in the play being broken up. Jakob is very responsible defensively, and is consistently trustworthy. He also has, what I personally think is, the best first pass in the OHL, and the best out of any prospect in this years draft. That’s not to take away from his stick handling/puck carrying ability, as Chychrun is excellent whenever he is driving or directing the play. This kid also has a widow-maker of a shot, that he loves to flaunt on the power play. All in all, this kid is an absolute stallion as far as defensive prospects go, He possesses a high hockey IQ, elite vison, excellent skating, and he mixes them up with an outstanding two-way game.
NHL Comparable(s): Aaron Ekblad
while injury is an inevitable part of the game, the ability to rebound and perform and produce on a consistent basis is generally what separates the stars from the pretenders. When he’s defending from the circles and below, he possesses the uncanny ability to successfully differentiate between when to pressure the opposing puck possessor and when to support the friendly.
Chychryn is perhaps a more complete version of former top pick (and OHL’er) Aaron Ekblad, and in that we mean both offensively and defensively. – Steve Kournianos (source)
Where does he fall versus the plethora of forwards that are available? In comparing him against Olli Juolevi and Mikhail Sergachev, Chychrun is the most complete player of the three. Juolevi made a significant push forward during the past World Junior Championship. The smooth skating Finn put up several points and impressed several scouts. The London Knights top defender does not have the physical ability, overall hockey sense, or shooting ability that Chychrun holsters. Sergachev is as good or maybe better when rushing up the ice and driving towards the net. Again he loses out in sense and shooting. – Craig Smith, Hockey Prospectus (source)
Why would this player be on the Oilers Draft List? Simple, because we need an Aaron Ekblad type of d-man on our team…and hello Chychrun! But for real, he’s a stud and we need a stud on our back-end. I mean we have Nurse, and Klefbom…but I’m not even sure that they have the same ceiling as Jakob Chychrun. The sky’s the limit with this kid…I think that he’s the type of d-man that you build you’re back-end around. If we fell back in the draft, I’d scoop him up in a heartbeat.
That’s all for today people, I’ve got a road hockey game to get to! Stay trippy!! See who checks in at #2 next!
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It’s that time ladies and gentlemen. We are looking down the barrel of a shotgun named playoffless for a tenth straight season and unless the return of Connor McDavid, Oscar Klefbom, and Brandon Davidson can propel this team past the likes of a surging Anaheim Ducks, the ever-present Arizona Coyotes, or the unpredictable Vancouver Canucks, we’re starting at a top 5 pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft… Again.
So it behooves me to introduce you to some of the prospects that could be available in the form of a mock draft. Now, I had my amazing prospects writer, Corey Mitchell (@corn_cwm), help me out a bit here by doing up a mock of his own to which I will comment on each of his picks.
From here I’ll turn it over to Corey.
I used Craig Button’s most recent draft rankings to conduct my draft. I’ve included the player’s current team, as well as Button’s draft ranking. My selections, with standings as of the All-Star break, are as follows. Note: this does not take into account any future trades, or the draft lottery itself.
1. Columbus Blue Jackets – Auston Matthews, Zurich ZSC, Swiss A (1) CM – Matthews is the consensus number one pick in all the draft rankings I’ve seen. This is a no brainer.
BLH – I agree. Ryan Johansen is gone and they need a true no.1 franchise centerman. Matthews is their man.
2. Buffalo Sabres – Jesse Puljujarvi, Karpat, SM-liiga (2) CM – Large right-winger, currently the overwhelming favorite to go number 2 in the draft, despite only 18 points in 38 games.
BLH – I wonder if the Sabres go with Puljujarvi’s sharp shooting teammate Patrik Laine here. Eichel’s the setup man with Laine sniping… Either way the Sabres need some scoring from the wing and they can definitely pick that up at this year’s draft.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs – Matthew Tkachuk, London, OHL (4) CM – This is where I go a bit off the board, only because of the chemistry Tkachuk has with Leafs prospect Mitch Marner.
BLH – I like Tkachuk here too but not because of his chemistry w/ Marner but because of the Mark Hunter/London Knights connection. I’m torn here though, what about Toronto’s mediocre depth on defense or would they take Jesse Puljujarvi due to his exquisite puck possession skills. We know Kyle Dubas is an analytics monster, how heavy will his opinion weigh on the final say and what about William Nylander’s brother, Alex, who we’ve heard could be better than William?
4. Edmonton Oilers – Jakob Chychrun, Sarnia, OHL (7) CM – For the Oilers, it’s about drafting for need, not best available. A large blue liner to help fill the lack of depth they continue to have.
BLH – I love Chychrun here. He’s a helluva skater, he can quarterback the powerplay, he’s got mad poise, and he’s drawn comparisons to Rob Blake. If Chychrun is gone at this point and Matthew Tkachuk is available, lock it in. Tkachuk will be an Oiler. Edmonton needs to add some character and Tkachuk has it in spades. Also, I’m not a fan of Laine’s history of mental lapses and injury history.
5. Winnipeg Jets – Patrick Laine, Tappara, SM-liiga (3) CM – The Jets would be ecstatic to see this large body forward still be available to them at number 5.
BLH – I dig this pick for the Jets too. His countryman Jesse Puljujarvi has drawn comparisons to former Jet, Teemu Selanne, but I see Laine becoming a great scorer alongside Kyle Connor and Nik Ehlers someday. I’ve heard him compared to Stamkos in regards to his scoring ability.
6. Calgary Flames – Alexander Nylander, Mississauga, OHL (5) CM – The Flames take the best player available to the at number 6, an offensive minded forward to fill the ranks with their young core.
BLH – I don’t see the Flames going with Nylander here. They’ve got Bennett and Monahan to cover the bases for the time being and Nylander doesn’t seem like a Burke/Treliving kinda guy. I could see his linemate in Mississauga, the lightning fast Michael McLeod going here or perhaps Boston University defenceman Charlie McAvoy. Burkie loves a good American boy and McAvoy did very well in the Ryan Suter role at this year’s World Juniors.
7. Anaheim Ducks – Olli Juolevi, London, OHL (6) CM – The top ranked defence man at the moment, the Ducks would be more than happy to add him to a system that could be lacking in top blue liners soon.
BLH – Here is a Ducks team that has Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Brandon Montour, Shea Theodore, Jacob Larsson, Cam Fowler… There’s no shortage of great young dmen there. They’re looking to add some top six scorers and I say they go after Alexander Nylander here or Julien Gauthier. It’s either skills to thrill (Nylander) or Mac truck power (Gauthier). Either way, they’d be adding a major threat to their offense.
8. Philadelphia Flyers – Pierre-Luc Dubois, Cape Breton, QMJHL (10) CM – The Flyers take Dubois two spots higher to add some youth, size, and offense to their forward prospects depth chart.
BLH – PLD wowed at the top prospects game and I can’t help but like him at this spot too. The Flyers are building a nice looking team here with the likes of Sam Morin, Ivan Provorov, and Travis Konecny coming in. Dubois fits right in here.
9. Arizona Coyotes – Mikhail Sergachev, Windsor, OHL (9) CM – Taken right were Button feels he should be to help add depth to the blue line.
BLH – The Coyotes are so boring so it makes perfect sense that they’d grab the least of the flashy defencemen here. Warren Rychel compared him to a former teammate of his, Alexei Gusarov, in that he’s Captain Cool out there and nothing fazes him.
10. Carolina Hurricanes – Tyson Jost, Penticton, BCHL (12) CM – With Eric Staal rumours about, the Canes could be needing to draft for need. In my mind, Jost is the best centre available to them.
BLH – I am in agreeance that the Canes will be looking at adding to their forward corps. but I’m not sure it’ll be Jost. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about him, I reckon that Ron Francis would prefer to go for a Michael McLeod or Julien Gauthier if they’re still around when they pick.
11. Ottawa Senators – Dante Fabbro, Penticton, BCHL (8) CM – Fabbro drops a few spots because of teams drafting for need, and the BCHL being overlooked a bit. Decent size and offensive instincts could make him a dangerous addition to the Senators.
BLH – Where the ‘Canes need offense, the Senators need defense. If one of Juolevi, Sergachev or Fabbro are still here then I could really see the Sens selecting them. Each add their own special spice to the game but they would definitely be a great help to Ottawa down the road. The Senators did very well with their selection of Thomas Chabot last year, you can have faith if they go a similar route this year.
12. Montreal Canadiens – Julien Gauthier, Val-d’Or, QMJHL (15)
CM – The Canadiens love to take their French-Canadian players, and Gauthier is the best available to them, with good size, and offensive numbers.
BLH – Love the pick of Julien Gauthier here. I’m a sucker for romantic narratives like the French-Canadian leading the Habs to success or the local Toronto boy heading up the Leafs. That being said, they could use a bit of help at all positions. One has to wonder about Clayton Keller here too. The Habs are having trouble scoring and Keller is a crafty playmaker…
13. Nashville Predators – Clayton Keller, US NTDP, USHL (11) CM – After dropping a few spots, Nashville would be quick to take Keller to help with their issues of depth down the middle.
BLH – Not sure if the Preds would take Keller here now that they have Johansen and there’s Kevin Fiala coming up too. I like Kieffer Bellows here. Son of former NHL sniper, Brian Bellows. He’s lighting the USHL up right now with 32 goals in 40 games. A very tenacious player and would be a great fit in the Predators system.
14. Toronto Maple Leafs (PIT) – Michael McLeod, Mississauga, OHL (17) CM – Decent sized centre playing for his hometown Steelheads, and having a very productive year.
BLH – McLeod would be a lovely selection here for the Leafs but I’m still enamoured by the Mark Hunter/London Knights connection and if I were the Leafs I’d go for Max Jones. A very dangerous power forward with NHL size (6’3″ 200+lbs). He’s trapped behind some great talents in London at the moment but when all of those players left to play at the World Juniors, he stepped up his game. He’s a bulldog out there and might have a dusting of the Wendel Clark to him…
15. Vancouver Canucks – German Rubtsov, Russia MHL, RusJr (13) CM – The Russian centre drops a few spots, but with a young forward core ready to take over, I see the Canucks taking a chance on him.
BLH – I do like the Russian here. He’s a very responsible two-way player and add him to the likes of McCann and Horvat and you’ve got some sweet depth in the making. God know the Canucks are going to need it when the Sedins are gone… Best plan of attack might be to have the best defensive team in the league.
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16. Colorado Avalanche – Kieffer Bellows, US NTDP, USHL (14) CM – Another drop in the rankings, Bellows could be another productive addition to an already impressive young group of forwards in Colorado.
BLH – If I’m the Avs, I do what I can to add to the defense here. Be that by taking offensive dynamos Jake Bean or Samuel Girard, the aforementioned Charlie McAvoy or the yet to be mentioned Kale Clague. This team needs to shore that part of the organization up and pronto.
17. Boston Bruins (SJ) – Dillon Dube, Kelowna, WHL (18) CM – An offensive minded centre, if a bit on the small side at 5’ 10”, the Bruins are looking to fill organizational needs.
BLH – The Bruins are solid in regards to their prospect depth with Pastrnak, DeBrusk, Zboril, Subban and Morrow coming up. I think if they went with the best player available here it wouldn’t be a surprise. Two names pop out at me, Logan Stanley (6’7″ 220lbs) and Max Jones (if available). The inevitable Chara comparisons come out with Stanley and justly so. He’s a bit stay-at-home dmen with an edge. Jones’ comparison is obviously close to Milan Lucic and surely Bruins fans could get on board with that.
18. New Jersey Devils – Jake Bean, Calgary, WHL (19) CM – Always keen on defencemen, the Devils take Bean, although not the highest ranked player still on the board, because of his size, and his offense.
BLH – This team is bereft of any prospect depth with the highlights being Pavel Zacha, MacKenzie Blackwood, and Steve Santini. They are in dire need of some help everywhere and I’d like to see them go with Connor McDavid’s former linemate in Erie, Alex DeBrincat here. Devils fans from many moons ago will remember Steve Sullivan… DeBrincat is an elf of a player but he can put the puck in the net. If you’re a Devils fan, wouldn’t you like to see some more scoring?
19. Boston Bruins – Alex DeBrincat, Erie, OHL (21) CM – Although on the small side, DeBrincat is having a stellar year for the Otters. Has the ability to play centre or wing.
BLH – Here we are with the Bruins second pick in the first round and fifth first rounder in two years. I maintain, if Logan Stanley or Max Jones are still lingering here, they should go that route. If not then why not take a chance on Tyler Benson (injuries have derailed a promising junior career but he’s got mad character and loads of potential) or the towering Logan Brown (6’6″ son of former NHLer Jeff Brown).
20. New York Islanders – Vitalii Abramov, Gatineau, QMJHL (20) CM – Abramov doesn’t move out of his current ranking, and could be a dynamite player for the Islanders, as he’s lighting up the QMJHL at the moment.
BLH – I don’t see a lot of weaknesses on the Islanders pro squad depth or it’s prospect cupboard. The could very well take the talented Russian but I wonder if they’d take a chance on the top ranked goalie Carter Hart here. Then again Garth Snow is fairly unpredictable, maybe he’d go as far as to double-down on this pick and take Sean Day at this point?
21. Minnesota Wild – Riley Tufte, Blaine, High School (25)
CM – A big body forward, the Wild draft this local product a few spots higher because of the size he brings up front.
BLH – I like the Wild’s depth on D right now so I reckon they could be after a forward. More specifically a center and Tufte fits right in. Big guy, can skate like the dickens, and has an innate ability to get his shot off anywhere. Mikko Koivu isn’t going to be there forever and the next guy in line right now is Jarret Stoll… That being said Joel Eriksson-Ek is an outstanding center too and he’ll be giving Koivu a run for his money sooner than later.
22. Detroit Red Wings – Mitchell Mattson, Grand Rapids, High School (23) CM – A large forward at 6’4”, the Red Wings have a knack for finding hidden gems in the draft. This local product could be another one.
BLH – The Red Wings have some lovely prospects coming on the wing in Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Svechnikov. I don’t see them adding there. But they could use a guy like Kale Clague on defense. Very cool and collected, doesn’t get fazed and has a very good hockey IQ. Perfect for the Detroit system.
23. Tampa Bay Lightning – Samuel Girard, Shawinigan, QMJHL (16) CM – I have Girard dropping down because of his size. But with so much potential upheaval in the organization, Tampa takes the best player still on the board.
BLH – Sam Girard could very well go to the Lightning but with Anthony DeAngelo and Slater Koekkoek coming would he be a good fit? The Lightning’s roster is deep and varied in every sense of the word. It’s hard to say what kind of player they’d lean towards. Are Stamkos and Drouin still with the team this summer? Maybe Yzerman dips into his Swedish contacts and goes with two-way forward Rasmus Asplund or the gritty Carl Grundstrom.
24. Arizona Coyotes (NYR) – Charlie McAvoy, Boston U, NCAA (22) CM – Good size for a defenceman, with some offensive upside. Arizona has a nice set of young forwards already, and continue to build the blue line.
BLH – I’m with Corey on this one. If McAvoy is still available I think the Coyotes would be best served taking him.
25. Florida Panthers – Logan Stanley, Windsor, OHL (24) CM – With one of the best young groups of players in the league, and drafting in unfamiliar territory, the Panthers look to add size to their blue line.
BLH – This is definitely a team I could see picking Carter Hart. Goalies in the first round isn’t always a sure thing but the way he’s dominating the WHL this year. The Panthers’ roster is more or less set for the foreseeable future so they can afford to take a chance here on what could be a very good goalie in the future.
26. Carolina Hurricanes (LA) – Brett Howden, Moose Jaw, WHL (30) CM – With a second pick, the Canes go off board a bit, taking 30th ranked Howden at 25. Big body centre with nice offensive upside to help shore up the middle.
BLH – I had to take a second look when I saw Carolina picking here, I forgot they got LA’s 1st rounder in the Sekera deal. I like the skilled and amazingly named Sam Steel here. Great at creating offense and isn’t that just what the ‘Canes could use? If not him, then why not a flyer on Top Prospects game star, Pascal Laberge?
27. St. Louis Blues – Tyler Benson, Vancouver, WHL (26) CM – Benson stays on track, having fallen down the list over the season. A nice addition to the forward group in St. Louis.
BLH – Tyler Benson would be a great addition to the Blues and it’s hard to gauge where this team will be and what the make-up of it will be in 3-4 years when this prospect develops but if not Benson, why not a PP quarterback like Chad Krys?
28. Dallas Stars – Markus Niemelainen, Saginaw, OHL (33) CM – Things get interesting, as the Stars overlook a handful of players to take the large defenceman from Sarnia.
BLH – Woof! Another team that has a great NHL roster and a deep prospect cupboard. Corey has them taking the Finn, I’d like to see them take a Canadian. Power forward Nathan Bastian makes up 1/3 of the Mississauga Steelheads top line with Alex Nylander and Michael McLeod. He’s a big boy (6’3″ 195lb) and we know the Stars do alright drafting big wingers…
29. Chicago Blackhawks – Carter Hart, Everett, WHL (32) CM – The only goalie to go in the first round. He has sensational numbers this year, and could be the goalie of the future for Chicago.
BLH – Rough goalie depth for the Hawks right now. I agree with Corey, if Hart is there, they should take him.
30. Washington Capitals – Will Bitten, Flint, OHL (27) CM – The best player on the board with a few teams going for later ranked players, Washington would love to have this skilled player available at number 30.
BLH – What a name?! Will Bitten. I’m not sure if the Caps go for him, he’s a great two-way center but I think they’d likely want to re-stock the defense here. Libor Hajek is a wonderful blueline who models his game after LA Kings dman Drew Doughty. He’s got good hands and hockey sense and he’s willing to play a physical game.
Well there it is! 3000 words later we’ve come to the end. Let us know in the comments below if you agree with our picks!
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