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Boston Bruins Blogger •
I had the pleasure of sitting next to a gentleman by the name of Darryl Houston Smith throughout majority of the regular season up in the press box, while at the TD Banknorth Garden. Darryl, a draft guru and prospects expert for RotoWire, always has one eye on the young talent in the NHL and another on the promising up-and-comers throughout the college ranks and Canadian Junior leagues. He is as knowledgeable and certainly as friendly as they get. So I decided to have Darryl, currently hunkered down in Montreal awaiting the draft, tell us what he expects of not only the Bruins but the rest of the NHL tonight.
JC: Draft day is finally here Darryl, what order do you think the big 3 are going in (Tavares, Hedman, Duchene)?
DARRYL: Barring any last minute maneuverings, the big three of the NHL draft should remain static. The Islanders are the key with the first pick, they need a 40 goal scorer and they desperately need immediate help on the blue line. Any deal involving the No. 1 pick that could net them both would be ideal otherwise I feel the Islanders just have to take John Tavares with the first pick. With the outcome of the Mr. Wang’s “Lighthouse Project” still very much in doubt, the Islanders need to draft arguably the most marketable player on the board.
Tampa's needs are clearer cut and Victor Hedman is exactly the type of player they need. Colorado, like the Islanders, need a bit of everything. The offensive flair of Matt Duchene will be a nice fit for them. Duchene was also a huge Avalanche fan as a kid so it is a nice match on a number of levels.
JC: What kind of a career do you project for the three of them?
DARRYL: I think that all three should have noteworthy careers. Tavares and Duchene should be dynamic scorers in the NHL and, in time, become legitimate stars. I would expect them to have long NHL careers of 800-1,000 games or so. However, it is Victor Hedman that could be the best of them all in five years time.
JC: If you were a GM and had your choice, which one would you go with?
DARRYL: A player like Hedman does not come along very often. He should develop into a player on magnitude of a Lidstrom, Chara or Pronger. A very special player indeed.
JC: What position do you see the B's targeting?
DARRYL: Boston should continue to strengthen their team up the middle by adding quality Centers. Late in the first round, a number of solid Centers will be available such as Chris Kreider, Langdon Ferraro, Peter Howland, Drew Shore, and Kyle Palmieri.
JC: There's been talk of the Bruins trying to move up, and Chris Kreider's (Phillips Academy) name has been discussed. How high do you think Boston would have to move up to get him?
DARRYL: Chris Kreider will be the first US high school player selected in the draft. Boston will have to move up a half dozen slots to get him.
JC: Kreider posted 33-23-56 totals in 26 games this past season. Do you think it's harder to measure such numbers when a player like Kreider is going up against inferior overall talent compared to the Canadian Junior leagues (WHL, OHL, QMJHL)?
DARRYL: You have to look beyond the numbers and look at the situations at which he excelled. Kreider is the total package. He has size, speed, skill and intelligence. Besides, it would be easy for the Bruins to keep an eye on him when he starts to play for Boston College in 2010.
JC: You spend a lot of time focusing on the Canadian Junior leagues, who do you see coming out as a dark horse, a name that hasn't received much hype thus far?
DARRYL: Russian Dmitry Kulikov is an outstanding player in the QMJHL. He has already adjusted to the North American-style game and culture. He’s an above average skater and playmaker who can control a game. He also has the size to succeed in the NHL.
JC: If the Bruins elect to restock on d-men, who are some of the top blueliners that could be within their reach?
DARRYL: A couple of Swedish defensemen spring to mind: David Rundbland and Tim Erixon. Both are big, physical and gritty. Another player in the same type of mode would be AJHL’s Dylan Olsen.
JC: Zack Kassian of Peterborough sounds to be a lot like the second coming of Milan Lucic. What do you think of his game?
DARRYL: I like Zack Kassian a lot but I am concerned about his lack of focus on the ice.
JC: With Tuukka Rask likely to be promoted, are there any stud netminders the Bruins might want to consider taking this year?
DARRYL: I don’t think the Bruins should look for any goaltending talent in this draft. They should look toward goalies who already have NHL experience for backup.
JC: Will Phil Kessel still be a Bruin after this weekend?
DARRYL: Yes, he will still be a member of Boston Bruins at the end of this weekend. The Bruins will be making every attempt to try to resign him right up to the July 1st deadline. If they are unable to negotiate a contract, he will be traded but I don’t see that happening at this weekend’s draft.
************
Great thanks to Darryl for taking the time out to answer my questions.
So what do you guys think?
Will Phil Kessel still be a Bruin come Monday?
Are Tavares, Hedman and Duchene a lock to go in that order?
Will the B's stand pat, or maybe try to move up and grab someone like Kreider?
Is the King of Pop, my childhood idol (pre-scandals), really gone?
Do you wanna be startin' something? You've got to be startin' something.
Enjoy the draft!
JC
Shameless Twitter Self-Promotion:
JC: Draft day is finally here Darryl, what order do you think the big 3 are going in (Tavares, Hedman, Duchene)?
DARRYL: Barring any last minute maneuverings, the big three of the NHL draft should remain static. The Islanders are the key with the first pick, they need a 40 goal scorer and they desperately need immediate help on the blue line. Any deal involving the No. 1 pick that could net them both would be ideal otherwise I feel the Islanders just have to take John Tavares with the first pick. With the outcome of the Mr. Wang’s “Lighthouse Project” still very much in doubt, the Islanders need to draft arguably the most marketable player on the board.
Tampa's needs are clearer cut and Victor Hedman is exactly the type of player they need. Colorado, like the Islanders, need a bit of everything. The offensive flair of Matt Duchene will be a nice fit for them. Duchene was also a huge Avalanche fan as a kid so it is a nice match on a number of levels.
JC: What kind of a career do you project for the three of them?
DARRYL: I think that all three should have noteworthy careers. Tavares and Duchene should be dynamic scorers in the NHL and, in time, become legitimate stars. I would expect them to have long NHL careers of 800-1,000 games or so. However, it is Victor Hedman that could be the best of them all in five years time.
JC: If you were a GM and had your choice, which one would you go with?
DARRYL: A player like Hedman does not come along very often. He should develop into a player on magnitude of a Lidstrom, Chara or Pronger. A very special player indeed.
JC: What position do you see the B's targeting?
DARRYL: Boston should continue to strengthen their team up the middle by adding quality Centers. Late in the first round, a number of solid Centers will be available such as Chris Kreider, Langdon Ferraro, Peter Howland, Drew Shore, and Kyle Palmieri.
JC: There's been talk of the Bruins trying to move up, and Chris Kreider's (Phillips Academy) name has been discussed. How high do you think Boston would have to move up to get him?
DARRYL: Chris Kreider will be the first US high school player selected in the draft. Boston will have to move up a half dozen slots to get him.
JC: Kreider posted 33-23-56 totals in 26 games this past season. Do you think it's harder to measure such numbers when a player like Kreider is going up against inferior overall talent compared to the Canadian Junior leagues (WHL, OHL, QMJHL)?
DARRYL: You have to look beyond the numbers and look at the situations at which he excelled. Kreider is the total package. He has size, speed, skill and intelligence. Besides, it would be easy for the Bruins to keep an eye on him when he starts to play for Boston College in 2010.
JC: You spend a lot of time focusing on the Canadian Junior leagues, who do you see coming out as a dark horse, a name that hasn't received much hype thus far?
DARRYL: Russian Dmitry Kulikov is an outstanding player in the QMJHL. He has already adjusted to the North American-style game and culture. He’s an above average skater and playmaker who can control a game. He also has the size to succeed in the NHL.
JC: If the Bruins elect to restock on d-men, who are some of the top blueliners that could be within their reach?
DARRYL: A couple of Swedish defensemen spring to mind: David Rundbland and Tim Erixon. Both are big, physical and gritty. Another player in the same type of mode would be AJHL’s Dylan Olsen.
JC: Zack Kassian of Peterborough sounds to be a lot like the second coming of Milan Lucic. What do you think of his game?
DARRYL: I like Zack Kassian a lot but I am concerned about his lack of focus on the ice.
JC: With Tuukka Rask likely to be promoted, are there any stud netminders the Bruins might want to consider taking this year?
DARRYL: I don’t think the Bruins should look for any goaltending talent in this draft. They should look toward goalies who already have NHL experience for backup.
JC: Will Phil Kessel still be a Bruin after this weekend?
DARRYL: Yes, he will still be a member of Boston Bruins at the end of this weekend. The Bruins will be making every attempt to try to resign him right up to the July 1st deadline. If they are unable to negotiate a contract, he will be traded but I don’t see that happening at this weekend’s draft.
************
Great thanks to Darryl for taking the time out to answer my questions.
So what do you guys think?
Will Phil Kessel still be a Bruin come Monday?
Are Tavares, Hedman and Duchene a lock to go in that order?
Will the B's stand pat, or maybe try to move up and grab someone like Kreider?
Is the King of Pop, my childhood idol (pre-scandals), really gone?
Do you wanna be startin' something? You've got to be startin' something.
Enjoy the draft!
JC
Shameless Twitter Self-Promotion:
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