I get excited about the draft. Then I wonder why I care so much, have an existential crisis (moderate), eat some breakfast and relax. It's the best day of the year. Hockey Christmas.
Sure, I also say that on July first, trade deadline day, training camp opening day, the first day of the season, Abe Vigoda's birthday and all the days (theoretically) when a team I like makes and plays in the Playoffs, but religions have more than one holiday, so why can't hockey?
I guess I just somewhat feel that if I can get excited about a hockey draft, then I should probably be pretty thankful that I have it so good.
Anyways, the big story today - from an Arizona or Toronto perspective - is the drafting of Auston Matthews.
If you can imagine it, the #1 prospect in the world is a kid from the (puke) "non-traditional" hockey market of Arizona. Think of what that means - the Jets left the hockey-mad town of Winnipeg for the desert, the team struggled, was kept alive almost singlehandedly by Gary Bettman's stubborn refusal to ever admit defeat and has now found stability and given the world one of (we assume) it's best hockey players.
Matthews is likely to become the 7th American to be drafted first overall. (Except for three Russians, Ovechkin, Kovalchuck and Yakupov, and two Czechs, Hamrlik and Stefan, and one Swede, Sundin, all the rest of the first overalls were Canadian).
Matthews is also the first ever warm-weather city occupant to be drafted first overall.
I don't think you can really overrate what it means to the Coyotes, even if they don't get him, which they won't, to have Matthews picked first overall.
It shows that people in Arizona are embracing the game, it shows that the game is growing and it gives people there a reason to care. It's all very exciting.
I mean, look at how crazy people are about Stamkos maybe coming home to Toronto, a city which could probably ice it's own (competitive) Olympic team. So people in Arizona are sort of excited about Matthews is all I'm saying.
The Coyotes have two picks tonight in the first round and eight overall.
They are expected to be very active in the trade market since they have only several players assured to be in the lineup next season as of yet.
Though the Coyotes are woefully thin on the Blue Line, with the #7 pick they will have to choose the best player available. I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a shot at someone who plays defense, but there may be a Dubois or a Nylander available to them at 7 that is just too good to pass up.
People continue to keep talking about the Coyotes attempting to get Matthews and no doubt they'll try, but come on. The proposals from Toronto fans are insane and the ones from Coyotes fans are too cheap.
The best Coyotes writer, Craig Morgan suggested (and he was spitballing, not a rumour) both firsts and a prospect, assuredly Strome.
There is no way Toronto would even think about that. I would say realistically, to get him, the Coyotes would have to do one of the crazy things Toronto fans are proposing - which is basically what Craig said, plus OEL and probably another asset. We're talking Lindros territory here. (Forsberg + ).
So it isn't happening, unless the Coyotes want to rip apart everything they have and rebuild for several more years around Matthews. Considering they are maybe closer to competing right now than anyone thinks, I doubt it goes down.
With a core of Domi, Strome, Dvorak, Duclair, OEL, Stone, Goligoski, Hanzal, Martinhook and Reider, the Coyotes are on the right track. Add in Perlini, Fischer, Murphy and two picks, all of which might help the team or become trade bait, and things look well.
Here are two guys who don't look very well:
The Coyotes desperately need to cut bait with Murphy and Dahlbeck, with Michalek and Grossman. Not one of these guys is allowed to be on the team next year as far as I'm concerned.
The defense as it is now consists of OEL and Goligoski and Stone. They need two right handed top four D and one left handed D to play with Stone on what should be a very good bottom line.
Dylan Demelo, Josh Manson, Cody Franson, Mark Pysyk, Hampus Lindholm (in a dream) Ryan Ellis (also in a dream) and maybe even T.J Brennan are all players I think the Coyotes should target to fix the backend.
For the draft, I'd like to see them rescue ex-top two ranked D Jakob Chychrun from a free-fall. However, that's based mostly on him formerly being ranked so highly earlier. After the first few players, I am not sure I have the ability to say who the best picks are. At this point Chychrun isn't the top rated dman, but I'd be curious to know why not.
The Coyotes, if they keep their pick, will get one of Tkchuck, Dubois, Chychrun, or Nylander so it should be pretty great. And hey, if they pass over one of those guys for one of the other interchangeable (to me at least) top ten players, I'm fine with it. I might not be later, but I don't have the knowledge about junior hockey to say whether or not I think one guys good or the other a bust.
As for the second pick, the Rangers pick is at 20th (the Rangers lost Yandle before the Coyotes even made the pick they got for him, also, thanks for Duclair) I have no idea who could be taken, or even if the Coyotes will make the pick, so I'll just wait and see what happens.
Anyways, enjoy the best day of the year.
Once again, thanks to ownthepuck.blogspot.ca for the charts.
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