The NHL Draft is often compared to Christmas. Where fans wait and see what presents their team will score much like how a child anxiously awaits to see what Santa left under the tree.
If that's a fair comparison, then fans of the Phoenix Coyotes should feel like a kid who got everything on their Christmas list with the selection of Brandon Gormley.
As the first round is now all said and done, let's take a look at the Phoenix Coyotes first round selections.
Brandon Gormley - Defenseman
6'1", 175 lbs, Shoots: Left
2008-09 - Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL - 62GP, 7G, 20A, 27PTS, 34PIM
2009-10 - Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL - 58GP, 9G, 34A, 43PTS, 54PIM
Being able to select Brandon Gormley 13th overall is an absolute steal for the Phoenix Coyotes. For many hockey insiders and experts who put together a mock draft, Gormley was expected to be picked in the top 10. Some even had him as a top 5 selection.
Gormley is not a flashy defenseman who is going to blow you away with his offense or an extremely tough defensive game. Though he did have 17 points in 21 playoff games this season for Moncton.
Where Gormley really shines is that he is reliable. You can put him on the ice in any situation and not worry about him making mistakes. He has a very high hockey IQ which is why so many scouts and experts had him in the top 10. Plus he plays top minutes with the Wildcats.
Gormley will not be ready to join the Coyotes in 2010-11, as he will return to the Moncton Wildcats. But fully expect him to be a big part of the Phoenix lineup in 2011-12 in what will be one of the top defensive cores in the league alongside Keith Yandle, Adrian Aucoin, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Maxim Goncharov, and perhaps Zbynek Michalek.
The Phoenix Coyotes were then slated to make their second pick at 22nd overall. They however traded that pick to the Montreal Canadiens and dropped five spots to take 17-year old goaltender Mark Visentin.
Mark Visentin - Goaltender
6', 176 lbs, Catches: Left
2008-09 - Niagara IceDogs, OHL - 5W-11L-3OTL, 4.26 GAA, .871 SV%
2009-10 - Niagara IceDogs, OHL - 24W-26L-5OTL, 2.99 GAA, .911 SV%
For as much praise as the Phoenix Coyotes will get for being able to select Brandon Gormley 13th overall, they should equally get as much criticism for selecting Mark Visentin 27th overall.
The Yotes really went off the board in selecting Visentin in the first round. If they wanted a goalie, there were two much better options in Calvin Pickard of the Seattle Thunderbirds or Everett Silvertips netminder Kent Simpson.
Visentin has yet to post a winning record in his two years with the Niagara IceDogs, though a lot of the IceDogs struggles can't be pinned on Visentin as they are a weak offensive team, finishing 17th out of 20 teams in goals scored. One strong point for the 17-year old is that he did manage to get his goals-against average under three this past season.
Visentin is likely going to be a long-term project for Phoenix. With the depth that the Coyotes have in net, fans will likely will not see Visentin in the NHL for a few years to come. He will be back with the Niagara IceDogs next season perhaps as well as the following season as an over-ager. Visentin will then be given time to fine tune his game and try to prove all the critics wrong in the AHL.
The Coyotes have three picks in Saturday's final day of the draft. Phoenix has picks number 52 and 57 overall in the second round. They also have number 138 overall in the fifth round.
Be sure to check into Hockeybuzz.com on Saturday for analysis of the Phoenix Coyotes next draft picks. And for up-to-the-minute Coyotes news, stats, and updates, be sure to follow Ken Beckett on Twitter
@KenBeckett 
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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