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Draft Analysis: The First Round and Gomez to Phoenix? |
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The Edmonton Oilers – They took the guy with the highest ceiling and probably the best passer and let’s face it is anyone really surprised? Though he may need a year the Oilers were obviously looking at the potential for a pass first center in RNH with a shoot first Hall to be a dynamic duo. Personally I like Huberdeau better but with RNH you really can’t go wrong and the Oilers have a potential first line center on their hands.
Grade: A
The Colorado Avalanche – Landeskog has been called Forsberg-lite by a few scouts so who better to draft him then the Aves? With JM Liles traded I thought they would go with Larsson in the 2 spot, but they really must want a winger for Duchene and a replacement in the power forward department after trading Stewart. Though he may not have the high end offensive potential that others have Landeskog is one of the smartest, best leaders and most competitive of the draft.
Grade: A-
The Florida Panthers – Huberdeau the two-way high octane Memorial Cup MVP fell into the lap of Tallon and I’m sure he didn’t complain. Tallon really looks like he is building the Hawks out there as this selection of Huberdeau is eerily similar to when he selected Jonathan Toews at number 3 in 2007. Both are good leaders, both are dynamite in the players and both have that je ne sais quoi when the game is on the line. The only question is does he play center or wing?
Grade: A+
The New Jersey Devils – Devils fans on this site were screaming and praying for Larsson, well congratulations. The Devils really needed a premier defenseman which they have been lacking for a long time and get it in Larsson. His two-way ability should mesh well with the way the Devils play and especially with their growing group of young Swedes. Larsson is a pretty good consolation prize for the roller coaster season they had.
Grade: A
The New York Islanders – Well I like Snows style, he really isn’t afraid to pull off what he wants whether it was trading up for Calvin De Haan or going off the board a bit and grabbing Ryan Strome. I’m not a huge fan of this pick in the sense that the Isles to me really needed a two-way guy to fill the 2nd line spot since Tavares is more of an offensive demon in the number 1. Nobody can deny the potential to be a high scoring player and being friends with Tavares and Moulson off the ice and at the gym also helps.
Grade: B
The Ottawa Senators – With the core of Swedes being acquired I’m not really surprised they took Mika Zibanejad. He may never be a number 1 center but with him you get the potential for a solid and reliable second line center that should slot in very nicely behind Spezza. Zibanejad is one of the new breed of Swede who does like to hit and not just play a perimeter high skill game, he is not afraid to go into the tight areas or corners and take abuse or give it.
Grade: B+
The Winnipeg Jets – Well to be honest I am not a fan of this pick. I don’t know if it was because they fired their scouting staff 4 weeks before the draft, wanted to make a splash or just really liked him but picking Schefeile this early was the first WTF of the draft. He has good size and hands with top-6 potential but they let two extremely good players drop by who have higher potential. I hope for the Jets sake the gamble pays off, but it is an interesting way to restart the franchise.
Grade: C+
The Philadelphia Flyers – Did anybody believe that after Jeff Carter was traded they would get his replacement so quickly? Couturier at 8 is pretty much a steal for the Flyers and is a great addition to a team that has prided itself on depth at center. He will probably need another year in the Q but Couturier might be the best player in this draft and with his size and two-way play he will at least be an NHLer. I love this pick and dread what the Flyers will look like in 3 years with JVR, Giroux, Schenn and Couturier.
Grade: A
The Boston Bruins – I really hate to say this but if there were any doubts of the Kessel trade being lost in Boston…look who fell to them. Dougie Hamilton the huge punishing defenseman with great skating, a booming shot and huge offensive upside is now a Bruin. I am not sure how Hamilton fell this far but I think it is a crime worthy of Fowler’s epic fall last year. Hamilton brings everything a team could want and has top pairing potential. This was a coup and a perfect fit in Boston.
Grade: A+
The Minnesota Wild – Not a huge fan of this pick, Brodin is a solid but unspectacular guy who will probably top out as a 20 point top-4 defensive dman. I expected the Wild to maybe go with Murphy after since they were trading Burns but I guess they didn’t want to see anymore Burns-esque turnovers. This is a safe pick and left a bunch of better players on the board, but you have to give it to them they went with the guy they wanted.
Grade: C
The Colorado Avalanche – This is a solid pick, Siemens is a hard hitting shutdown guy with some intriguing offensive upside. With Landeskog added the logical move was defense. Colorado needs a new Adam Foote since he has just retired and Siemens plays a similar game. This move fits their need and was appropriate.
Grade: B+
The Carolina Hurricanes – Never a fan to take defensemen in the draft Rutherford found one he had to pick. Murphy sitting at 12 must have really made him happy as Murphy and Skinner are friends from their Ranger days and Murphy is the best offensive dman in the draft. At the moment this looks like a homerun pick and with all the young forwards coming through the system it is nice to add a dman.
Grade: A-
The Calgary Flames – They went for the big potential here and I guess have stopped the hope of drafting a center for Iginla. Baertschi is small put has dynamic speed and skill, he plays a lot like Camalerri and I bet Flames fans miss him. I think it is great that the Swiss are starting to pump out so many good young players now and I hope they can continue. Baertschi will need a few years to bulk up and add consistency to his game but he could be a game breaker.
Grade: B
The Dallas Stars – They swung for the fences with Oleksiak and hope he can turn into a premier shutdown defender while also praying he has Tyler Myers style offensive upside. He is huge, strong and can skate well. Skating is usually the key for big guys like him and can make or break a career, Oleksiak could be a longer term project but at 244 pounds already he could be ready sooner than expected.
Grade: B+
The New York Rangers – Interesting choice. Miller had the label of a guy that can’t produce but has all the tools to be a top-6 forward before his great WJC U18. It will be interesting to see how he develops and which one is the real Miller. The Rangers are ever looking for that elusive 1st line center with size though in my opinion Miller will never reach such heights.
Grade: B-
The Buffalo Sabres – This was a great pick and a really good one at 16. Armia “falling” this far is great value for the Sabres. He is a dynamic player that can score and outmuscle people already at 17 in a men’s league. I really hoped Armia would be available for the Yotes because he really is such a strong player. The Sabres are looking good with this addition.
Grade: A
The Montreal Canadiens – A solid pick at 17 and they answered my prayers of not drafting an USHLer (You can thank Sather later guys). Beaulieu has some offensive creativity to go with an average defensive game with good size. Though I think at 17 McNeil the big two-way center would have been the better pick, it makes sense that they chose Beaulieu as their defense is getting on in age outside of Subban.
Grade: B-
The Chicago Blackhawks – How low can McNeil go? About 18. A great freaking fit here. The Hawks need a center line center down the line, preferably with size and skill. Enter McNeil. I really like this player, he has it all except elite skill. With Toews, McNeil and Bolland as a 1-2-3 I can’t even imagine a harder team to play down the line. I was dubious with a few of Bowman’s moves before, but this was a great one.
Grade: A
The Edmonton Oilers – I am probably the only guy that had Klefbom out of the top-30, mainly because I just don’t see it. He has size and some skill but it isn’t elite skill. I can see him more as a jack of all trades master of none type guy down the road. The pick in general made sense though as all of the “Can’t miss” dmen were taken already so why not go for a gamble?
Grade: C+
The Phoenix Coyotes – I don’t like this pick at all. Murphy hasn’t played a lot of hockey and his potential is rather dubious because of it. The Yotes have a plethora of dmen in the system and 3 very solid ones extremely close to making the show. What the team lacks are scoring forwards. I really wanted to see Philips with this pick, but it seems the trend of Maloney grabbing defensemen continues. Expect to see Murphy in a Yotes uniform as early as 4-5 years.
Grade: D+
The Ottawa Senators – Stefan Noesen is one of the first off the boarders. I’m not a big fan of his but it seems logical when you think that Spezza is locked in as their number 1 and Zibanejad potentially as number 2, do they need another center? Noesen has strong goal scoring ability and speed but is known to avoid contact at times. With hindsight it is a good pick since they get the guy I wanted them to get here later.
Grade: C
The Toronto Maple Leafs – Solid but unspectacular, the “Burke” type player personified in Biggs. He won’t put up a heck of a lot of points but he will hit everything he sees, kill penalties and be a fixture on a third line. Think of him as Colby Armstrong with more hitting. With a few high scoring players left on the board I’m not a huge fan of taking Biggs as the Leafs need top-6 scorers. That said every team needs a player like Biggs if they want to contend.
Grade: C+
The Pittsburgh Penguins – I was pretty confused with this one. I really like Morrow and I can see him being a good puck moving top-4 dman…but the problem in Pittsburgh isn’t on the backend, it’s on the wing. With Puempel, Phillips and a host of others still around I thought for sure they would pick one of them. This is a pick looking far down the road when their long term contracts on defense start to disappear.
Grade: C
The Ottawa Senators – For all the laughter they gave me with Noesen they shut me up with Puempel. A fast high scoring winger with a lethal shot that doesn’t need an elite center to help him score is always needed. This is a guy that could look great on Spezza’s wing down the line. His knee injury has dropped him from where he should have gone and if he had been healthy all year he could have been pushing 50 goals. This guy is a major sleeper and a great pick.
Grade: A-
The Toronto Maple Leafs – This one could go either way. The organization needs a center in a bad way, but down the line they also need an offensive defender. It’s my belief that Burke wanted him with the 39th overall but since it was traded he took the risk with the 25th. With Blacker and Gardiner in the pipeline I was surprised he went with the offensive defender Percy instead of the center Phillips but he wants character and loves his defense. Not the best pick, not the worst pick.
Grade: C
The Chicago Blackhawks – A grinder with skill that’s 5’10, a gutsy pick by Bowman. Danault doesn’t have great offensive instincts and relies on going into the dirty areas to get his goals; this would sound like the perfect player if he wasn’t so short. I don’t really like this pick; I think Danault might not be a guy that can translate his game to the NHL level. If he does though, expect Marchand without the insanity and small man complex.
Grade: D+
The Tampa Bay Lightning – The first and only Russian on the day is Namestnikov from the Knights. He is a bit of a project player as he is madly inconsistent with his offense and can dazzle you or be invisible. He is ok defensively but it isn’t his strength. Down the line this is a boom/bust player but he doesn’t have the Russian factor and will develop in North America.
Grade: C-
The Minnesota Wild – A pick that should excite the hometown fans they get an amazing player at 28 who I can’t believe fell that far. Phillips is a goal scorer that just gets it done. He is a two-way player that never quits on the play and was great as Huberdeau’s center. I guess the question marks on him were if he would be the same player without Huberdeau and that his skating isn’t very good. His hockey sense and instincts will make or break him but this could be a giant steal.
Grade: B+
The Vancouver Canucks – Nicklas Jensen the next Great Dane…or was it the first? Jensen is a mixed bag of solid two-way play and inconsistent offense. He has excellent size and isn’t afraid to use it which is something the Nucks would want going forward. I question if he has any top-6 potential and see him more as a 3rd liner with some pop. This is a solid pick that will add to the depth of the Canucks in the future.
Grade: C
The Anaheim Ducks select – I don’t like this pick, Rakell is a guy who like Jensen is inconsistent with his offense and doesn’t have great instincts. Aside from the WJC he hasn’t really shown he can play well in an offensive role. Anaheim rarely picks Swedes and that might show as this doesn’t seem like a good choice at 30 for the Ducks.
Grade: D-
Reading a report from a writer at RDS in Montreal that has Phoenix in talks with both the Leafs and Canadiens for a player with a high cap hit. One name tossed around is Gomez who has a cap hit of 7.3mil until 2014 but is paid less each year and in his final year get's only 4.5mil. The sad fact is that the Yotes need a number 1 center...heck even a number 2 center that is better than Eric Belanger, Gomez fits that bill. He would instantly become the best center on the team. Is it worth it to trade for a guy much maligned in Montreal that is overpaid just ot hit the cap floor? What is it worth to the Canadiens to get rid of him? My proposal. Gomez and prospect Danny Kristo for Rastislav Klesla.
Thanks for reading.
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