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[LemaireisGOD]

The State of Hockey News | MVN - Most Valuable Network » Blog Archive » 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Wild draft? Part II: the Forwards

2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Wild draft? Part II: the Forwards

By Derek Felska | May 10th, 2007

In our first segment, the State of Hockey News took a look at the Wild’s most pressing personnel / prospect needs and determined that drafting a defenseman might be the way the team goes when it makes its selection in 2007 NHL Entry draft. Particularily, a physical stay-at-home type of defenseman, which is a position that does not seem to be in great plenty. So what if all of the “good” ones are taken by the time we select? When you draft at least 19th overall or perhaps later (like we’re likely to) that is a distinct possibility. So what would the team consider next? A quick look at Minnesota’s draft history shows a distinct preference for forwards; as the team has drafted forwards 6 times out of the 7 first round selections it has made (remember Brent Burns was drafted as a forward from Brampton, and it was only this season did the team seem to give up on using him in that capasity). The Wild’s most pressing need at forward is a 1st line calibre centre or a bigger-sized checking winger. With that as our focus we’ll take a look at a few prospects that might be the perfect fit for the Wild. We will examine how good of a fit this player could be for the State of Hockey as well as the player’s likely availability when the Wild make their selection (most likely around 19th Overall).

C - Sam Gagner - London Knights (OHL)

Height: 5′ 11″ Weight: 191lbs Shoots: Right Stats: 53GP 35G 83A = 118pts 36 PIM’s +32

Talent Analysis: While former North Stars fans will immediately recognize the resemblance to father Dave who played with Minnesota during their glorious ‘90-’91 season they may see an overall resemblance in terms of style of play. Gagner was originally set to play for the Wisconsin Badgers until at the last minute when he decided the OHL was more suited to his tastes. Gagner demonstrated great playmaking skills on another loaded London Knights squad. Despite having a “well-rounded” game according to scouts, Gagner saw a slight drop to 8th in Central Scouting’s Final rankings from being 5th at the Mid-term report. Sam Gagner could potentially be the skilled 1st line centre the team is looking for, but he lacks the grit this team is also in short supply of.

Availability: Even though Gagner’s stock has dropped slightly from the Mid-Term report, Gagner is the type of player that could very well be selected by the time the Wild get their chance to pick. If Minnesota would wish to select Gagner it would likely have to move up in the draft to have their chance.

C - Angelo Esposito - Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

Height: 6′1″ Weight: 180lbs Shoots: Left Stats: 60GP 27G 52A = 79pts 63 PIM’s +9

Talent Analysis: If you were to look at any hockey prospects magazine before this season started and were to ask, “Who is going to be the #1 pick in the draft in 2007?” virtually everyone would’ve answered Angelo Esposito. How things have changed. The former Shattuck-St. Mary’s star had a less than superstar-like season for the Remparts after leading them to a Memorial Cup a season before. Coaches and fans questioned Esposito’s attitude and desire, and he took a significant drop in the CSS rankings; dropping to 8th after being ranked #1 in the Mid-term report. Esposito is said to have tremendous hands, and great on-ice vision but the main knock is his skating. While he is not ever going to be considered a gritty player, he is skilled enough to potentially develop into a 1st line centre. Some scouts even compare Esposito to Alexandre Daigle, is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?

Availability: With the question marks around Esposito it is within the realm of possibility that he could drop so far to be able to be picked by the Wild, if that happens the question then becomes “should the Wild take the risk?” It would be difficult not to, considering it was a well-known fact the pressure that comes with being a percieved #1 selection many years in advance of his actual draft year; its pretty tough to live up to such lofty expectations.

C - Logan Couture - Ottawa 67’s (OHL)

Height: 6′.05″ Weight: 195lbs Shoots: Left Stats: 54GP 26G 52A = 78pts 24 PIM’s -1

Talent Analysis: Couture is a solid two-way centre who has great hands, and found himself more in the role of a playmaker despite not having many good finishers around him. He has good offensive skills to go along with a strong defensive game which would make him fit well in Jacques Lemaire’s system. The Brian Kilrea-coached centre took a drop from being rated 11th at the mid-term to 19th in the CSS Final rankings.

Availability: Couture might not be skilled enough to anchor the 1st line, and he’s certainly not a checking-style of forward which could mean the Wild might pass even if Couture was available when they were going to make their selection.

LW - Brett McLean - Oshawa Generals

Height: 6′1.25″ Weight: 196lbs Shoots: Right Stats: 68GP 47GP 53A = 100pts 43 PIM’s +9

Talent Analysis: McLean is a skilled and tireless competitor. He demonstrated excellent finishing and playmaking ability making him an ideal skilled winger. The Port Elgin, Ontario-native has rocketed up the rankings from a milquetoast 45th at the Mid-term to 15th in CSS’ Final assessment. He was 2nd on the team in scoring behind phenom John Tavares and is a teamate to Wild prospect Cal Clutterbuck. While he is not quite a checking winger, McLean’s offensive skills might help fill out a scoring line.

Availability: This could be pretty close call for the Wild. McLean would give the team a skilled winger with deft hands, and scoring touch. It would be tough for the Wild to pass on McLean considering his skill level, but he would not provide the grit the team needs at wing. McLean is a Corey Perry-esque type of winger, and this team could always use another assertive scoring winger to work perhaps on another line opposite of Marian Gaborik.

C - Patrick White - Grand Rapids High School (USHS-MN)

Height: 6′.05″ Weight: 186lbs Shoots: Right Stats: 30GP 18G 31A = 49pts

Talent Analysis: White is a dynamic forward with an ability to score big goals at key times. White dazzled audiences at the 2007 Minnesota State Hockey Tournament. His great puckhandling and quick release made him deadly for the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks and almost brought the school a state championship. The electrifying high school phenom earned a trip to represent the U.S. at the Under-18 tournament, a rare feat for a high school player. White will also be developing fairly close to home as he has signed a letter of intent to play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. As to be expected for a youngster out of high school White will need to add strength if he is to compete at the next level.

Availability: White will likely be available for the Wild to select if it chooses to. Minnesotans seem to appreciate when locals at the very least are considered and White is one of the state’s best even though he came up short in his bid to be named Mr. Hockey. The main drawback to selecting a player like White is that he’s probably more of a long-term project than other the other prospects I’ve mentioned.

C / RW - Dana Tyrell - Prince George Cougars (WHL)

Height: 5′10″ Weight: 185lbs Shoots: Left Stats: 72GP 30G 26A = 56pts 51 PIM’s +4

Talent Analysis: He is a fantastic skater who’s stock has soared from a mediocre Mid-Term ranking much in the same way Brett McLean has. Tyrell also has a fantastic one-timer to go along with his great skating ability making him a potentially lethal forward with an added amount of versatility as he can play both centre and right wing. His excellent 2nd half was capped off by his team’s improbable playoff upset of WHL President’s trophy favorite Everett. His lack of size is a bit concerned, even though he’s solidly built.

Availability: Tyrell would be another close call for the Wild as some team may try to take a surging player like him a bit early. Tyrell is not known for his grit but he’s a tough competitor willing to pay the price for victories in the high traffic areas of the ice.

[LemaireisGOD]

The State of Hockey News | MVN - Most Valuable Network » Blog Archive » 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Wild draft? Part I: Defensemen

2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Wild draft? Part I: Defensemen

By Derek Felska | May 6th, 2007

When the hockey world’s eyes will be on Columbus June 22nd-23rd for the 2007 NHL Entry draft, for fans of the league’s 30 teams it is a time of excitement and nervous anticipation. In the coming weeks hard-core fans will debate almost endlessly this basic question, ‘Who will my team draft?’ As the drama unfolds and the team’s make their selections will they finally get their answer. Yet, perhaps a better question to ask is, ‘Who SHOULD we draft?”

Our answer? A physical, stay-at home defenseman. The Wild’s performance in the 2007 NHL playoffs demonstrated the Wild lacked enough physicality on its blueline to deal with the hard checking forwards of the Anaheim Ducks. Apart from a yeoman-like effort from Keith Carney and Brent Burns the Wild’s blueline was woefully unsuited to knocking Ducks’ forwards off the puck when it needed to. The Wild have had an image of being a bit of a ’soft’ team, where they seem to value finesse over physicality but even in the playoffs Wild Head Coach Jacques Lemaire demonstrated he wanted his team to try to match Anaheim’s physical intensity by sending out 6′7″ enforcer Derek Boogaard to throw his body around. While Boogaard did his best to provide an intimidating presence the team has needed a physical blueliner for some time to provide that consistant physical presence that a 4th line tough guy doesn’t really give you. When Jacques Lemaire coached the New Jersey Devils to a Stanley Cup in 1995, it was his physically punishing tandem of Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens that forced the oppositions forwards to think twice before making a dash for a puck along the boards unless they wished to be pounded into dust for doing so. The Wild need their own sort of Scott Stevens in their lineup. Looking at the Wild’s prospect pool; defense is probably the team’s greatest weakness. According to Hockey’s Future, a website which assesses the top prospects for all of the NHL’s 30 teams the Wild’s top defenseman prospect AJ Thelen, is the 7th best prospect overall and fellow blueliner Shawn Belle is 8th. While Thelen and Belle can be physical at times, that is not considered to be the strongest part of their respective games. Also, it has been reported by Minneapolis-Star Tribune’s Michael Russo that the Wild are not even talking to AJ Thelen’s agent anymore which would seem to indicate they are not going to sign the former 1st round pick (12th overall in 2004) and simply opt for a compensatory 2nd rounder (42nd Overall) instead.

With that in mind, the State of Hockey News is going to take a look at some of the top rated defenseman coming into this draft. We will look at what each of these top defenseman brings to the table, as well as considering whether it is likely they will be available by the time the Wild make their first pick (which will be around 19th Overall).

Karl Alzner - Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

Height: 6′2″ Weight: 206lbs Shoots: Left Stats: 63GP 8G 39A = 47pts 32 PIM’s +16

Talent Assessment: Alzner is noted for his excellent physical ability to match his decent-sized frame. He can play a two-way game who projects to being a 1st pair defenseman. The Burnaby, British Columbia-native’s penalty minutes may make someone believe he is not overly physical, but Alzner is said to throw his body around when he needs to and is smart how he uses his body to avoid taking foolish penalties. Central Scouting has Alzner rated 5th among North American skaters which is a slight improvement over his 8th overall Mid-term ranking. It is not all smooth sailing either after Ellerby’s coach benched him for shooting a puck into the crowd. One scout even said, “He is the type of big, strong defenseman we all look for.”

Availability: As far as the Wild being able to select Alzner does not seem real likely as he will likely be drafted by the time the team gets the chance to make its selection. If the Wild were to have a chance to draft Alzner they’d likely have to make a trade, but it might be worth it as the team could use a defenseman with his skillset.

Keaton Ellerby - Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

Height: 6′4″ Weight: 188lbs Shoots: Left Stats: 69GP 2G 23A = 25pts 120 PIM’s -2

Talent Analysis: The first item scouts rave about when talking about Ellerby’s game is his incredibly fluid skating stride. Despite being a great skater, Ellerby also is not afraid to use his big 6′4″ frame as his 120 penalty minutes attest to. While he may already be a big body, he definately will be asked to fill it out a bit more at the NHL level. Ellerby is a prototypical defenseman of the “new” NHL as he can skate plus add to a physical element to a team’s blueline. The Okotoks, Alberta-native is rated 4th among North American skaters in Central Scoutings Final rankings and is the top rated defenseman.

Availability: As is the case with Karl Alzner, Keaton Ellerby will most likely be drafted before the Wild have a chance to select him. If the Wild are to have a chance they’ll likely have to trade up to do so; the Wild do have some players (i.e. Manny Fernandez) who it may wish to move but to think it could happen is probably a bit too optimistic.

Ryan McDonagh - Cretin Durham-Hall High School (USHS-MN)

Height: 6′1″ Weight: 200lbs Shoots: Left Stats: 26GP 14G 26A = 40pts

Talent Analysis: Ryan McDonagh capped off a strong high school career at St. Paul’s Cretin Durham-Hall High School by earning the coveted 2007 ‘Mr. Hockey’ Award for Minnesota’s top high school hockey player. McDonagh has an impressive array of offensive skills that he used to help lead his Raiders to a State Championship in 2006. While McDonagh’s offensive skills are well known, he’s a capable defender who can play physically as well. The defenseman is ranked 11th among North American skaters (3rd amongst defenseman) according to Central Scoutings Final rankings. The Arden Hills, Minnesota-native has already announced he will be playing for the Wisconsin Badgers next season.

Availability: The State of Hockey’s best choice at bringing in local talent could very well be picked by the time the Wild get their chance to make a selection. Some mock drafts project McDonagh to be a Top 10 pick which would definately put Minnesota out of the running. A trade would likely be required for the Wild to pick McDonagh.

Nick Petrecki - Omaha Lancers (USHL)

Height: 6′3″ Weight: 213lbs Shoots: Left Stats: 54GP 11G 14A = 25pts 177 PIM’s

Talent Analysis: Nick Petrecki is a big defender with a mean streak. Apart from the NHL type size he has, he also loves to hit which can be seen by his 177 penalty minutes. Petrecki also has demonstrated some offensive skills as well, which really comes as a bonus when considering his physical capabilities. The Clifton Park, NY-native is a player who has really rose up the Central Scouting charts earning him a 21st overall ranking amongst North American skaters up from being rated 31st in the Mid-term assessment.

Availability: Nick Petrecki is one player who would likely be available when the Wild are able to make a selection. The team would most likely not have to make any deals to move up to select the strong defenseman who has announced he’ll be playing for Boston College next season. Petrecki would be a great addition to the Wild as he would join Boston College teamate / Wild prospect Anthony Aiello as players in the teams’ talent pool.

Nick Ross - Regina Pats (WHL)

Height: 6′.05″ Weight: 188lbs Shoots: Left Stats: 71GP 7G 24A = 31pts 87 PIM’s +11

Talent Analysis: Ross is a tenacious competitor on an improving Regina Pats squad. He may not be as gifted physically as Alzner, Ellerby, or Petrecki but he makes up for it with a firery attitude that makes him a pain to play against. One red flag against Ross is that he makes alot of turnovers, having some scouts question how much he’s improved this season. The Lethbridge, Alberta-native was rated 18th in Central Scouting’s Final rankings.

Availability: Nick Ross could very well be available when the Wild are ready to make its first selection. While there is no doubt that Ross likes to hit, the Wild may wish to pass as they’d like to get a bigger player to be that physical force for its blueline.

[Ledge]

Too bad the forum didn't get a point of view from somebody who has seen these players instead of someone who has copied and pasted from someone else.

[LemaireisGOD]

The State of Hockey News | MVN - Most Valuable Network » Blog Archive » 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Wild draft? Part III: the Goaltenders

2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Wild draft? Part III: the Goaltenders

By Derek Felska | May 20th, 2007

This is the last segment of our three part examination of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, and taking a look at who might just end up being the Wild’s first round selection. The draft is always an exciting time for fans as they get a chance to get a glimpse at the future of their teams, when General Managers, scouts come together to make selections that dictate a franchise’s destiny. The State of Hockey News is still going to stick to its initial ruling that drafting a physical stay-at-home defenseman is the team’s most pressing need, but as we all know there are only so many of those sorts of players out there. History has shown us that the team has used 6 out of 7 of its first round selections on forwards. The team has never selected a goaltender in the 1st round. Do we think that will change this season? No, but we’ll be as prepared as we can be in that regard.

The old hockey drafting axiom goes “Never take a goaltender in the 1st round” and so far the organization has kept to that, but it has used a 2nd round pick for a goaltender when it drafted Josh Harding 38th Overall in 2002. Minnesota’s goaltending cupboard is virtually empty. Prospects Miroslav Kopriva, Kristofer Westblom, and Anton Khudobin have all underachieved. Minnesota’s other goaltending prospect the giant Niko Hovinen, all 6′7″ of him is not getting many starts while playing for Jokerit of the Sm-Liiga. The Wild are in no hurry to develop a starter as they already have a bit of a goaltender log jam with the big club, but they would like to have a younger developing goaltender ready to go to be the backup when Josh Harding is ready to assume the #1 role.

If you are to read what the “experts” have to say about this year’s crop of goaltenders the outlook is rather bleak. Only 2 goaltenders (American Jeremy Smith and Swede Joel Gistedt) made it onto the Hockey News‘ Top 50 prospects. This would indicate that drafting goaltenders are a fairly risky proposition and that very few are of high calibre, so it would be somewhat questionable to use a high round pick on one. Expect the Wild to use a 4th or 5th round selection for a goaltender.

Just as we did with the defenseman and forwards ahead of this portion of our pre-draft analysis. We will examine the skills the player brings to the table, but unlike the previous segments we will not analyze the availability of these players as they are all likely to be available when the Wild make their 1st round selection.

G - Joel Gistedt - Frolunda (SWE Eliteserien)

Height: 5′11″ Weight: 174lbs Catches: Left Stats: 17W-13L-4OTL 2.58GAA .897%SP

Talent Analysis: Joel Gistedt is the top European netminder according to Central Scouting Service. He is an average-sized goaltender with good athletic ability and strong positioning. Gistedt really made scouts start to pay attention to him when he unseeded veteran Tommy Salo as Frolunda’s #1 goaltender, not too shabby for a 19-year old. Last season teams’ passed on Gistedt so to see him come on so strong is a testament to his character. International Scouting Services has Gistedt rated 8th out of its list of goalies. The Uddevalla, Sweden-native is making a lot of teams wish they drafted him last year when they had the chance.

G - Antoine Lafleur - Prince Edward Island Rocket (QMJHL)

Height: 6′4.25″ Weight: 186lbs Catches: Left Stats: 70GP 27W-19L 2.97GAA .909%SP

Talent Analysis: Lafleur is a big, athletic goaltender who put up solid numbers for an improved Prince Edward Island squad. At times Lafleur can literally take on the appearance of a wall between the pipes, as he earned defensive player of the week honors in the CHL back in November. Lafleur’s awards do not come without some criticism as well, as he was critisized for being caught out of position. It is hard not to like Lafleur’s natural size and athleticism, and even though he has to improve his consistancy there is a lot to like about this kid’s ability.

G - Linden Rowat - Regina Pats (WHL)

Height: 6′1″ Weight: 177lbs Catches: Left Stats: 52GP 25W-18L-1OTL 2.87GAA .897%SP

Talent Analysis: Rowat is another kid with fairly decent size who plays well using a traditional butterfly technique that is blessed with hyper quick hands. Rowat was one of the best goaltenders in the WHL, and has demonstrated a level of resilience as he battled through some tough starts in the middle of the season to having a respectable season. Rowat was not listed in the Hockey News‘ Top 50 prospects, but International Scouting Services had him ranked 2nd. Former Wild scout Mark Seidel even remarked, “A team should be excited about bringing him to their organization.”

G - Nicola Riopel - Moncton Wildcats

Height: 5′11.5″ Weight: 162lbs Catches: Left Stats: 66GP 17W-10L 3.35GAA .894%SP

Talent Analysis: Riopel is not gifted with tremendous size, so he is an outstanding technician position-wise. He is great with angles and maximizing his limited frame to stop pucks. To go along with this great positioning, he has a great glove hand but he saw just limited action for the Wildcats this season. Riopel was rated 15th by International Scouting Services, and saw a significant jump from 10th (in CSS’s Mid-Term report) to the 6th ranking in Central Scouting’s final report. One player he is compared to is promising Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect goaltender, Corey Crawford.

G - Mark Guggenberger - Richfield Spartans (USHS-MN)

Height: 6′2″ Weight: 197lbs Catches: Left Stats: 27GP 17W-10L 1.74GAA .950%SP

Talent Analysis: As with our previous two segments; where we covered potential defenseman and forwards in this year’s draft and we found a local product making a strong case and between the pipes is no different. The top ranked Minnesota-raised goaltender is Richfield’s Mark Guggenberger. Guggenberger decided not to play at Benilde-St. Margaret for more ice time with the Spartans and he had a tremendous season even though his win-loss totals may not impress that was due to a lack of goal support. A good-sized traditional butterfly style goaltender, and is noted for his solid positioning. He has a tremendous glove, and the closest thing to a weakness is the fact his rebound control is just average. Unlike most Minnesota high schoolers Guggenberger has decided not to go the traditional route and play in the NCAA but instead signed to play for the Portland Winterhawks (WHL).

G - Tyson Sexsmith - Vancouver Giants (WHL)

Height: 5′11″ Weight: 209lbs Catches: Left Stats: 51GP 31W-12L-2OTL 1.79GAA .915%SP

Talent Analysis: When Tyson Sexsmith started the season he expected to be the backup goaltender, but his overage starter (Dustin Slade) decided to make the jump to the pro’s and he became the starter and by all accounts he did rather well. A smaller, atheletic goaltender he’s a focused competitor who calculates his angles well. Sexsmith had tremendous #’s this season for the Vancouver Giants, but perhaps his most impressive statistic was his 10 shutouts. Some may point out that Vancouver was one of the most talented teams in the WHL as they played host to the Memorial Cup; but even most skeptical scouts were impressed with how well the youngster handled the workload and pressure of guiding his team to a President’s Trophy as well to the Memorial Cup tournament.

Minnesotans in the Draft

The draft day is not just a big day for Wild fans, but its also a big day for a lot of Minnesota hockey players and their families. It is one of those days that literally change lives as these select few players wait to see their name announced. Over the last few years, Minnesota High Schoolers seem to be playing a more pronounced role as they get selected but virtually none of them immediately make the jump to the NHL like former South St. Paul Packer star Phil Housely did back in 1982. For most, getting drafted is more of a rite of passage as they go on to play college, Jr. A, or in rare cases Major Junior. Here is a list of Minnesota’s draft day hopefuls (including the school or team they played for along with their CSS rating)

D - Ryan McDonagh - St. Paul, MN - (Cretin Durham-Hall HS, rated 11th)

LW - Mike Hoeffel - North Oaks, MN - (USNDT, rated 22nd)

C - Patrick White - Grand Rapids, MN - (Grand Rapids HS, rated 23rd)

C - James O’Brien - Maplewood, MN - (U of Minnesota, rated 38th)

C - Nico Sacchetti - Virginia, MN - (Virginia HS, rated 56th)

RW - Jake Hansen - St. Paul, MN - (White Bear Lake HS, rated 65th)

C - Drew Leblanc - Duluth, MN - (Hermantown HS, rated 86th)

D - Joe Stejskal - Grand Rapids, MN - (Grand Rapids HS, rated 95th)

C - Nick Larson - Edina, MN - (Hill-Murray HS, rated 109th)

D - Ben Blood - Plymouth, MN - (Shattuck-St. Mary’s HS, rated 116th)

C - Taylor Matson - Mound, MN - (Academy of the Holy Angels HS, rated 130th)

C - Joe Beaudette - Blaine, MN - (Blaine HS, rated 136th)

D - Tyler Keifer - St. Paul, MN - (Stillwater HS, rated 140th)

C - Tyler Johnson - Cloquet, MN - (Cloquet HS, rated 144th)

LW - Andrew Conboy - Burnsville, MN - (Omaha-USHL, rated 149th)

D - Baylor Dieter - Bloomington, MN - (Green Bay-USHL, rated 152nd)

D - Brandon Martell - Fridley, MN - (Elk River HS, rated 176th)

RW - Brandon Vargas - Coon Rapids, MN - (USNDT, rated 179th)

C - Brandon Bahneman - Fresno, CA - (Rochester Lourdes HS, rated 186th)

D - Cade Fairchild - Duluth, MN - (USNDT, rated 189th)

C - Matt Reber - Edina, MN - (Edina, MN, rated 197th)

D - Brian Schack - St. Paul, MN - (U of Minnesota, rated 203rd)

D - Justin Braun - St. Paul, MN - (U of Mass-Amherst, rated 209th)

G - Mark Guggenberger - Edina, MN - (Richfield HS, rated 7th)

G - Reid Ellingson - Cloquet, MN - (Cloquet HS, rated 10th)

When the NHL draft proceeds June 22nd and 23rd the State of Hockey News will track these Minnesota hopefuls no matter if they’re drafted by the Wild or not; afterall they’re all still apart of the State of Hockey. These young players carry our state’s legacy and the fact we have so many playing in the NHL is a big part of that.

[LemaireisGOD]

Too bad the forum didn't get a point of view from somebody who has seen these players instead of someone who has copied and pasted from someone else.

Have you ever made a hockey related comment in your sad lonely life? Never, so who are you to tell me anything? When you actually say something hockey related please let me know because I could use a laugh.

[bedir than average]

LiG, do you have the copyright holder's permission to republish their work?

[LemaireisGOD]

Which one? The MVN article?

[bedir than average]

Yes, and it seems you do.

What do you think The Wild should do in this draft?

[LemaireisGOD]

The Wild need a physical stay-at-home blueliner; but those are a few and far between in this draft. If they can't get that; they need a gritty winger. There are a few, but it doesn't seem like you're going to get much beyond grit. Its not like you're going to get grit and offense...you either just get GRIT or just OFFENSE. We need the grit; as we have skilled offensive guys in the system.

[Ledge]

There are probably more stay at home defenceman available to be drafted than any other type of defenceman. Also, there are lots of players that combine grit and offence. Maybe you have seen too much High School hockey up there in the State of Mosquitos, I live in a city that has a OHL team and have seen all of the OHL teams play in the last few seasons.

I don't know where you have the idea that there is a notion of not taking a goaltender in the first round because it happens all the time. You're not going to see goaltenders as much as any other position because teams only have two, but they hardly shy away.

Also, I read your crappy story on the Ducks thuggery, as you say. If you really believe that the Ducks are the only team around that has ever gone after another team when they are behind big, than you have not been a hockey fan for a very long.

[LemaireisGOD]

There are probably more stay at home defenceman available to be drafted than any other type of defenceman. Also, there are lots of players that combine grit and offence. Maybe you have seen too much High School hockey up there in the State of Mosquitos, I live in a city that has a OHL team and have seen all of the OHL teams play in the last few seasons.

I don't know where you have the idea that there is a notion of not taking a goaltender in the first round because it happens all the time. You're not going to see goaltenders as much as any other position because teams only have two, but they hardly shy away.

Also, I read your crappy story on the Ducks thuggery, as you say. If you really believe that the Ducks are the only team around that has ever gone after another team when they are behind big, than you have not been a hockey fan for a very long.

Congratulations you've talked about hockey! Lots of Stay at Home defenseman? If you read the reports you'll see that there are lots of smallish offensive defenseman. There are very few decent sized physical stay at home blueliners in this draft. Alzner, Ellerby, and Petrecki are the only guys you see until you get to Justin Falk. Its a thin draft all around.

What OHL team would that be by the way? Not that I really care, more curious than anything else.

I know thuggery has been around in the playoffs before, but that doesn't mean it needs to stay. The NHL needs to find ways of becoming relevant again in the U.S. if it really wants to survive. It needs to be able to find a way to make money beyond just the fans paying to sit in the seats. When the only highlights your league gets is a goaltender going nuts and slashing someone crazily after being in the game for just 18 seconds that doesn't help the league's image and only enforces old stereotypes.

I love hits as much as anyone, I love fights too...but if you want to go after someone, drop the gloves and go toe to toe. Slashing is for pansies; and if the other guy challenges you to fight after you slash them you better have the cahones to drop the gloves and fight otherwise your a gutless coward. The league's image is important if it is ever to even get itself back on a level of consciousness with the average American sports fan and even though it annoys Canadians the NHL needs the U.S. and so therefore its important to keep its integrity as much as it can.