It is being widely speculated that a Carolina Hurricanes’ press conference scheduled for 2:30 pm on Wednesday will be where Rod Brind’Amour will formerly announce his retirement. Rod “The Bod” Brind’Amour is expected to take on a “new challenge” with the team after spending the last 10 seasons as a player there. Brind’Amour spent parts of the last five seasons as the Hurricanes’ captain, before relinquishing the duties to Eric Staal mid-season in 2009-10.
He will finish his NHL career with 1484 games played and 1184 points. Brind’Amour was an integral piece of the Carolina Hurricanes’ march to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002, before losing to the Detroit Red Wings. A rejuvenated Brind’Amour potted 12 goals in 25 playoff games during the team’s 2006 Stanley Cup winning season. Following a move from Philadelphia to Carolina in 2000, Brind’Amour looked to be on a steady decline for several injury-plagued seasons. The lockout served him well, as Brind’Amour enjoyed his most productive seasons since the mid-90s following the year long layoff.
Rod Brind’Amour will best be remembered as an elite two-way centre, having twice been a recipient of the Frank J. Selke trophy as the league’s best defensive forward. Off the ice, and in pictures, he’ll be remembered for his Atlas-esque build and dedication to conditioning.
Leading up to today’s expected announcement, Brind’Amour was viewed as a potential buyout candidate for the Hurricanes with one-year left on his contract. More than likely, Brind’Amour will still have to be bought out for the purposes of his retirement. It was becoming increasingly clear over the last couple of seasons that Brind’Amour had lost a step, although he was still a more than serviceable player. Team president and general manager Jim Rutherford is expected to be on-hand with Brind’Amour at today’s presser; a classy send-off for one of the franchise’s greatest players.
A tale of two captains, one former, the other made of glass.
Exhibit A: Mike Modano Can’t Quit You, NHL
Mike Modano has been the face of the Dallas Stars/Minnesota North Stars franchise for over 20 years. They’re the only team he’s known during his 22-year playing career. He should retire, you know it, we all know it. Modano spent three seasons as the Stars’ captain, before being stripped of his “C” in 2006 in favour of Brenden Morrow. Dallas Stars’ GM Joe Nieuwendyk announced on Tuesday that the team does not plan on offering a contract to the 40-year old centreman.
I’m sure the Stars’ front office were hoping Mike would just hang ‘em up and walk away, but he can’t. Not just yet. Nieuwendyk alluded to what Modano really should do on the team’s official website; like so many greats in other sports, he should accept the reality that he’s unable to compete at the level he once did.
Is there a team out there willing to gamble on a 40-year old pivot that’s been on a steady decline over the last four seasons? Maybe, maybe a change of scenery could rejuvenate the former first overall pick. In reality, though, we all know it’s the end of the road. The Stars did their best to send him off in a respectful manner, but it never should have come to this.
Exhibit B: The Island of Ethan Moreau is Paved in Perpetual Decline
Ethan Moreau was the heart-and-soul of the Edmonton Oilers for a time that was among the franchise’s darkest hours. His contributions were not always measurable on the stats sheet, but there was a time when the few goals he scored always seemed to have an impact.
He was tough, he played the hardest minutes, he nearly lost an eye for his team. Now, all that remains is a shadow of the player that once was. More of that may be attributed to the eye injury than we know, at least that’s what someone much wiser than I has said.
On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers placed three players on waivers, in all likelihood with the intention of buying them out. Ethan Moreau was of those three. Like that, he’s been thrown away.
If Tambo and the Oilers do in fact buyout Moreau’s deal, the implications would be as follows:
With offensive stars like Patrick Marleau and Tomas Plekanec taken off the board without testing the luxurious waters of free agency, it’s likely we’ll see unrestricted free agent-to-be Ilya Kovalchuk net a ludicrous payday. After Kovalchuk, the pool of offensive talent thins out considerably. It’s likely that players like Alexander Frolov, Colby Armstrong, and Lee Stempniak will be awarded with contracts paying them more than they’re worth, leaving cap-conscious teams to sift through the bargain bin looking for a deal.
Outlined below are five UFA wingers that could provide a solid return on investment for several NHL clubs. Barring the unlikely occurrence that these guys get locked up before July 1st, the following list of players could attract a number of suitors looking to add depth and experience.
Miroslav Satan (36): “The Client” as many have come to refer to him as following his agent’s trigger-happy Twitter musings over the playoffs, performed admirably for the B’s after being snatched off the scrap heap. The knock on Satan throughout his career has been a lack of effort and desire, but his inspired play late last season and for stretches during the playoffs garnered him a considerable amount of media attention. Of course, Satan had a lot to prove after fading into obscurity, thus he played for a tick above the league minimum. Satan could make a welcomed addition to a team looking for some offensive depth or some help on the power play, but a GM would be nuts to gamble with anything more than a one-year deal with Satan.
Fernando Pisani (34): It’s a safe bet that Pisani has played his last game as an Edmonton Oiler, a sad notion for the Oilers’ faithful that so fondly recall his remarkable playoff performance in 2005-06. For Pisani, it’s been a series of injuries and inconsistencies that have kept him from building on that 14-goals in 24-games run that nearly immortalized him in the City of Champions. He’s your classic low risk/high reward case that could provide any club with solid shutdown, two-way play if he’s healthy. He won’t command anywhere near the $2.5 million per season he made on a four-year pact with the Oilers, but his health could deter potential suitors.
Jon Sim (33): Sim is an interesting case. While he’s struggled to find regular minutes over his three-year stint with the New York Islanders, he’s been one of their most effective players at drawing penalties and even found some time on both sides of the special teams spectrum. Sim was a top-five goal scorer for three years in the OHL and has 162-points in 164 AHL games. He’s been a streaky scorer in the NHL, but found a role as a pest-type guy. The comparisons to Dino Ciccarelli are behind him, but as a depth/situational guy Sim’s still got a lot of potential. He’s played just about everywhere, and probably won’t command much more than $1 million per; Sim could be an incredible bargain.
Marek Svatos (29): In five NHL seasons, Svatos career-high games played is at a less the impressive 69. Although he’s scored at least 15 goals in three of his five campaigns, it’s been a rough couple of years for the Slovakian right winger. His past scoring prowess may bump up his price tag a bit, especially given the relatively thin market, but his cap hit was at a very reasonable $2.05 last season. As long as GMs don’t end up paying for the 32-goals in 61-games contribution from four seasons ago, Svatos could be an excellent upgrade for several teams at the wing on the bottom two lines.
Alex Tanguay (31): It’s been a rapid decline for Tanguay from the days of his perennial 75-point output. Last season in Tampa Bay was a disaster for just about everyone not named Stamkos or St. Louis, Tanguay was practically invisible from night-to-night. Tanguay made $2.5 million last season, and it would be hard to see him commanding much more than that after his third consecutive lackluster season. If he can convince a team that he’s still got some of that semi-elite playmaking ability, he might find a job on somebody’s second or third line. As it’s been for most of his career, Tanguay’s defensive play leaves much to be desired. With the right line mates, he could return to the north side of 60-points.
Ottawa’s Jonathan Cheechoo and Calgary’s Ales Kotalik were unsurprisingly among a group of players placed on waivers by their respective clubs Monday afternoon according to TSN’s Bobby Mac. The moves are likely a precursor to buyouts of the players’ contracts. Cheechoo was acquired by Bryan Murray from San Jose in the deal for Dany Heatley, and is looking at the real possibility of playing outside of the NHL next season after what was perhaps his worst season. Kotalik was a roaming disappointment last season after beginning the year in New York with the Rangers before being dealt the Calgary where he registered just 5 points in 26 games.
If Kotalik is in fact bought out of his contract, the salary cap implications for the Calgary Flames would be as follows:
Kotalik, along with Chris Higgins, came to Calgary in a deal that sent another one of Flames’ GM Darryl Sutter’s questionable personnel decisions in Olli Jokinen to the New York Rangers along with Brandon Prust. It seems that everyone’s job, players included, is on the line in Calgary save for Sutter. It might be time for Calgary to cut some Sutter-weight loose.
Cheechoo is four years removed from a 56-goal season (big thanks Joe Thornton), and was a monumental bust for the Senators last season. The salary cap implications for a buyout of his deal is as follows:
To say that homophobia is present in professional sports would be an understatement. Despite the fact that a hockey dressing room is somewhat of a homoerotic paradise where men parade about nude in front of other men and (gasp!) shower together, the sanctity of hockey hasn’t exactly been inviting to gay culture.
Last November, Brendan Burke courageously took the first step in breaking down the barriers that gays and lesbians face in sport. Never mind that Brendan Burke’s coming out as a former hockey player and son of one of the game’s most respected executives was an enduring challenge on its own, but coming out in general is perhaps one of the bravest steps anyone can take in this society that is only beginning to understand and accept homosexuality as a natural human existence. Of course, Brendan Burke will live on tragically as some sort of martyr for his bravery after being killed in an automobile accident on February 5th, 2010.
As the barriers for gays in sport have only begun to be tackled, Brent Sopel’s classy decision to spend his day with the Stanley Cup by participating in Chicago’s Pride Parade should help further the cause for acceptance and awareness of an issue that we’re sadly still learning how to approach. Thankfully, we have professional athletes like Sopel that are more than willing to shed the macho stereotypes that the culture of our sports can often reinforce.
Here’s a short clip of Sopel spending his day with the Cup at Chicago’s Pride Parade:
Dan Bylsma knows the code, he is its keeper and probably akin to advising some of its policies. Behind closed doors, with cigars, of course. Bylsma carefully chooses his words here talking about the current state of his Penguins’ defense. I thinkhe’s assuming they get a deal done with Dan Hamhuis, which is likely, but he then name drops impending UFA Sergei Gonchar(!).
Although he doesn’t really answer the question as to whether or not he’ll be talking to Gonchar, Dan Bylsma does admit that he spoke to Matt Cooke in the negotiating process leading up to his re-up with Pittsburgh last week.
And, as I did this morning with the first round, a quick recap of some of the Round 2 selections that stood out to me:
The Oilers snag Tyler Pitlick with the 31st overall pick. Not a bad selection; I’ve got questions about what kind of offensive upside they can expect from him, but he’s got good size and the reports say nice things about his defensive game. Derek Zona of Copper & Blue nailed that prediction.
Jared Knight at 32 isn’t a bad selection at all. He was just under a point per game in the OHL but’ he’s a big goal-scorer and a guy who had a very, very good playoffs and probably climbed a few lists over the last couple of weeks of the season.
John McFarland slides to 33rd overall, where he’s taken by Florida. It’s not a pick I’m wild about given some of the names still left on the board but I can understand why they made it. Based on his pre-draft year, McFarland’s a very good pick, while his performance this year was heavily underwhelming.
Not a good draft for Columbus, as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t like how early they took Johansen, and their pick at 34 is a guy (Dalton Smith) who doesn’t project to be a scorer in the NHL. He’s another guy who was expected to go much later than he did.
Ludvig Rensfeldt is a very nice pick at 35 by Chicago; I like his size and his numbers in Sweden.
The 36th overall pick for Florida is another big defenceman in Alex Petrovic, a guy I like quite a bit. Florida is loading up on good-sized blue-liners.
I wasn’t impressed yesterday when the Rangers picked Dylan McIlrath at ten (although I like the player) but their first second round selection is a nice one. Christian Thomas is a pint-sized player young for this draft class, but he scored 41 goals in the OHL this year. No teammate had more than 21.
Anaheim’s great draft continues; they get Devante Smith-Pelly at 42 and he could end up being a gem. He took a big step forward this year.
The Leafs traded up to 43 to select Brad Ross, which is a very nice addition to the team. Ross brings lots of nastiness and a physical edge, but his scoring touch is underrated I think.
Undersized forward Ryan Spooner is a nice guy to take a flyer on at 45. His OHL numbers were pretty good and I can see the attraction for the Bruins.
The Oilers traded forward Riley Nash for the 46th pick, which isn’t a big surprise; there were all kinds of rumblings about a poor relationship between him and the team. No big loss there, but I don’t like that the Oilers spent the pick on Martin Marincin, a huge but very raw Slovakian defenceman. He’s a long-term project. Their pick at 48, Curtis Hamilton, is a selection I like a little better – an under-the-radar guy who was hurt and didn’t get many games this year.
The Tyler Toffoli selection by the Kings at 47 was a great one; Toffoli’s got high-end skill and scored 27 goals this year. Personally, I had him in the first round, and despite concerns about his skating I was surprised to see him drop to 47.
Calvin Pickard fell to 49; widely touted as the second-best goalie in the draft it’s interesting to see him last as long as he did. Perhaps NHL teams are starting to realize high picks on goalies generally aren’t a good idea.
Phil Lane is an odd pick to make at 52 for Phoenix; presumably they saw some non-score sheet stuff that impressed them the right way. He’s got good size but his offensive touch is pretty minimal and seems like a pretty low-potential guy for a mid-second round pick.
Mark Alt at 53 is a weird selection by Carolina. He’s a guy with good physical attributes playing high school hockey (on defence, no less) who might be more interested in a football career than a hockey career,. Weird, weird pick.
Petr Straka at 55 is the first Columbus pick I’m not a little irate about. He’s a good talent whose QMJHL totals this year were a little disappointing, but sometimes transplanted Euros take a year or two to adjust to North American hockey.
Chicago’s pick of Kent Simpson at 58 is an interesting one, and not bad as far as goaltenders go. Simpson played in a defensive system in Everett but put up some great numbers (22-9-1, 0.925 SV%) and he’s got size to boot.
Jason Zucker at 59 is a bizarre pick. Outplayed by 16 year-olds in the USA development system.
I’ve made my thoughts on most of these prospects plain over the last month, so I’m not going to spend a lot of time re-evaluating them here. Instead, I’m just going to highlight some of the thoughts I had about the specific selections.
Good to see Hall/Seguin go 1-2. I thought the Oilers might over-think themselves and do something funny and it was a relief to see them make the obvious pick. Boston took the other guy, but while some people have highlighted their depth at centre, it’s probably not a big deal to move Seguin to the wing if they decide they like him better there, at least for the first couple of years. It’s generally easier for a young player to break in on wing anyway, where the defensive responsibilities are less.
Interesting to see the Portland pair go as early as they did. I like Johansen and Niederreiter quite a bit but I wouldn’t have taken them with some of the players left on the board. Neiderreiter in particular sticks out to me; he was brilliant at the World Juniors but his junior scoring dropped off quite a bit afterward. I think he’ll play but I don’t like the risk at number five.
Very happy to see Jeff Skinner go early on; I wouldn’t have taken him given some of the players left on the board but I had him in the top 10 and I think he was deserving of that slot. Also, given that I’m an Oilers fan, I was not at all happy to see Granlund go to Minnesota; that player flat-out scares me.
The Burmistrov selection by Atlanta shocked me; he’s a good player but not the type I generally associate with Rick Dudley, given that one scout told THN he was “built like Gilligan.” He also went earlier than I really expected.
I like McIlrath, but the Rangers took him absurdly early. I also like Campbell, but blowing a pick on him with Cam Fowler still on the board was not a decision I’d be comfortable making.
The Fowler slide wasn’t deserved in my opinion, and I think teams are going to regret letting him fall the way they did. He’s not a perfect player but he’s got very good offensive potential and both numbers and physical attributes that appeal. I was also surprised to see Gormley fall, although less so.
The Joey Hishon pick at 17 was the first real off-the-board selection, but the more I think about it, the more I like it, and if I were re-doing my top-30 today he’d be in it for sure. His numbers last year were phenomenal, and he struggled through injuries this year on a poor team. He’s an under-the-radar pick who may pan out very well indeed, and given the quality left on the board I have no issue with Colorado taking a chance on him.
I don’t feel strongly about the trade the Canucks made, but I think they probably got a good deal. I’ve never been sold on Grabner, given his lacklustre AHL totals and the fact he relies so heavily on the power play to produce offence, and dumping Steve Bernier is probably a plus given his contract.
I wasn’t surprised to see Emerson Etem slide given the scouting report on him, but I still think Anaheim got a steal at 29. I was fairly lukewarm on the player but his goal-scoring totals in the tough WHL were very high-end.
Finally, on John McFarland not going in the top-30: it was totally deserved. People go on and on about his potential but the reality is he had a brutal draft year and didn’t deserve to go in the top-30. I still feel bad for the guy (as I do for most of the highly-touted prospects who fall on draft day; it’s ugly to watch) but I wouldn’t have spent a first round pick on him.
Alright, the NHL Entry Draft is finally upon us. Soon the faux-drama surrounding who’s number 1 will be behind us, but the fun shouldn’t stop there. Will a team move their top pick for a building piece? What on earth is Brian Burke going to do tonight, and what say you Darryl Sutter? Keith Ballard appears to be on the trading block, anybody want a hazard for their own goaltender?
Anyway, I’m here until the coverage stops tonight. I’ve got a bevy of beverages beside me, a family size box of Lucky Charms, and a whole butt-load of enthusiasm. Do check in with us, the blog should be updated at least every 15 minutes or as transactions unfold.
6:30 pm: Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Landsberg is finished badgering GMs with questions they have no intention of answering. We’re still about half an hour from the actual draft, but the pre-game show should be a hoot… amiright? According to Bob MacKenzie, Keith Ballard could be headed to Vancouver. Ballard has 5-years remaining on a contract that holds a cap hit of $4.2 million per, so I’m not entirely sure what the logic is there right now.
6:35 pm: I really hope we get some Murray and Burke interaction this year.
6:39 pm: I can tell already that Pierre McGuire wishes there were more guys using abbreviated forms of their names. That smug look on his face is dying to call Brett Connolly “Brettopher”. Either Pierre watches more junior hockey than anyone, or he’s been lurking around here reading JW’s bad ass draft previews.
6:42 pm: Pens apparently interest in Kris Versteeg, but price tag is rather high at a first-round pick and prospect, according to Pierre LeBrun.
6:50 pm: TSN is killing time with a human story of Gudbranson’s younger brother receiving a bone marrow transplant last year. Nice story, but c’mon… let’s get ‘er going. I can tell you after watching the NBA draft last night, I’m ecstatic to see some kids curve the bill of their hat before putting it on. Kids…
6:52 pm: LeBrun is saying that Ballard is on his way to Vancouver pending trade approval. More to come…
6:55 pm: The Oilers are aggressively pursuing the 2nd overall pick, can’t imagine the price tag that would come with that. T-minus five minutes, let me shovel a few spoonfuls of Lucky Charms in here and I’ll be right back.
7:03 pm: TSN cuts to a shot of Rexall Place in Edmonton and the crowd goes wild. Rumours are coming in at a furious pace, but one worth mentioning was a Robyn Regher and Daymond Langkow package to Ottawa for Spezza. We’ll see, say what you will about Spezza, but having him feeding the puck to Jarome Iginla could be deadly.
7:09 pm: Taylor Hall being interviewed, mentions spotting Jennifer Love-Hewitt last night. Big Party of Five fan for a young guy. Seguin looks much more human than Hall.
7:11 pm: Sounds like there could be something holding up the Ballard deal, I’ll update when the smoke clears. Chasing these rumours is kind of silly, but I’ll post the good ones here.
7:14 pm: Edmonton hoping Hall/Seguin doesn’t become what this guy became:
7:15 pm: Gary has taken the stage, hears cheers for the first time when he thanks Kings fans. Get on with it bud… Bettman mentions that eight Californian born players receiving rankings, bro. Rexall looks more packed than Staples.
7:16 pm: Tambo ready to make his selection… and… it’s…
7:20 pm: Taylor Hall! Was there ever any doubt. Thank fuck that’s over. Now would be a great time to mention I’m a die hard Oilers’ fan. The future is now. Katz’s kid hands jersey to Hall, Christ that kid has one helluva an afro, good gut on him, too. That’s the life of a drug store magnate’s child, I guess.
7:25 pm: Here comes Chiarelli, walks right by the Leafs table. Burke’s head is down the whole time. Tyler Seguin is your second overall draft choice. Don’t act surprised.
7:28 pm: I like Seguin’s make up, like so many have said, he’s not “as ready” as Hall. Regardless, the Bruins are stacked at centre barring a Savard deal. Been told by a couple knowledgeable folks that Seguin projects Spezza-like production with excellent hockey sense (read: less giveaways).
7:35 pm: Panthers take Erik Gudbranson with the third pick. Another OHL guy. Tallon goes with a Seabrook-esque guy in Florida. Wow, Gudbranson is such a well spoken guy, he’s got the smarts.
7:41 pm: Columbus is on the clock next, man I wish Doug MacLean was there to blow it.
7:46 pm: Scott Howson goes with a centre and takes Ryan Johansen of the Portland Winterhawks 4th overall. Bit of a reach down the board IMO, he’s got the size to be a dominant centre, but his physical game could come up a notch or three. Although, he’s a prototypical late-bloomer. Spongebob just mentioned he played some Double-A, Vinny Lecavalier played some Double-A.
7:48 pm: More on the Ballard deal, latest has Ballard, Oreskovich to Van for Bernier, Grabner and a 1st. Vancouver is apparently sitting on the deal depending on player availability. More to come on this one…
7:54 pm: Samantha Micelli, aka Alyssa Milano is sitting with James Duthie. She hasn’t aged in years, hot-damn. She could be 24-years old. “E” from Entourage is taking the stage with the Islanders wtf?
7:56 pm: Garth Snow announces a 7-year extension for Rick DiPietro, I kid. The Isles take another Portland Winterhawk with Swiss sensation Nino Niederreiter at fifth overall. McGuire actually says Nino “doesn’t have holes in him like Swiss cheese”.
7:58 pm: Dreger reports that the Oilers were denied Florida’s 15th overall choice for Andrew Cogliano. Yzerman and the Lightning are up next. Steve Yzerman is such a good looking man, I’m comfortable enough to say that.
8:03 pm: Yzerman takes Brett Connolly with somewhat of a surprise. I really thought they’d go D and take Fowler, anyway, they gamble on Connolly, who appears to chew his gum like a cow. I hate how he carries himself already.
8:15 pm: Carolina Hurricanes are up, Jim Rutherford apparently doesn’t like drafting defensemen. I’ve got news for you Jim, you could use some. Cam Fowler and Gormley are still on the board, surprisingly, it’s not like they’ve got bionic hands like Brett Connolly.
The ‘Canes take Kitchener Rangers’ right wing Jeff Skinner with the seventh pick. Skinner scored 20 goals in 20 playoff games, that’s all I’ve got for yah right now.
8:21 pm: Rick Dudley and the Atlanta Thrashers are actually going to draft by taking Alexander Burmistrov eighth overall. A Russian, a Russian has gone off the board before Fowler and Gormley. Somebody has to step up and grab those two at some point. All due respect to Russians, I’m just surprised.
8:26 pm: Chuck Fletcher and the Wild coming up with the ninth pick. It’d be very surprising to see them pass on a D-man. Here we go… Mikael Granlund. Bob MacKenzie says he was voted the smartest player in the draft. He’s already planning on playing another season in Helsinki. I don’t know what the hell is going on in Minnesota, but it’s not much. Very surprised they passed on Fowler. That last comment was in regards to their roster, not the Granlund pick… me likes that choice overall.
8:31 pm: Kool and the gang are sending up video as they take it. I’ll try and post as they’re available. Here’s Taylor Hall talking to a crowd of reporters.
8:34 pm: The Rangers pass on Fowler, take Dylan McIlrath. McGuire calls him “Mayhem on Ice” and says the scouts call him the “Undertaker”. Tough as nails.
8:36 pm: I’m beginning to think Cam Fowler flipped off all the GMs prior to the draft.
8:40 pm: Jack Campbell is the first goalie and first American off the board, goes to the Dallas Stars at 11th. Most have him a few years away from seeing NHL action, sooo the faith of the franchise is in Kari Lehtonen’s hands. Yikes.
8:47 pm: Now it all makes sense, Ducks will take Fowler for the fowl connection. That’s the worst joke I plan on making tonight, I think. Finally, Cam Fowler is taken 12th. Niedermayer leaves a void, Cam Fowler will be moving the puck in Anaheim.
8:55 pm: Here come the Coyotes, making the 13th overall pick. Actually a pick from Calgary in the Olli Jokinen fleecing trade. Don Maloney says the Phoenix Coyotes would like to thank our 146 fans, and would like to select Brandon Gormley. There we go, Gormley and Fowler gone.
9:00 pm: John Davidson and the St. Louis Blues are on the clock at 14th. They take Tri-City Storm’s James Schwartz. Best friend of Gormley, apparently. Nice college boy, somewhat undersized for a centre.
9:05 pm:According to Mirtle’s super draft board, the lowest Gormley was ranked was at 7th by The Hockey News. Fowler’s lowest ranking was 6th by McKeen’s Hockey. I’m telling you, these guys must have been out on the town banging hookers and snorting blow last night.
9:08 pm: Tallon is wheeling and dealing again, Bettman announces Florida has swapped the 15th overall pick to the L.A. Kings (crowed erupts) for the 19th and 59th picks in the draft. Kings move up the board, will take the next pick.
9:11 pm: Kings take Derek Forbort from US Development Program/University of North Dakota with the newly acquired pick. Big, strong defenseman, the future is so bright in L.A. that I gotta wear shaaaaaades.
9:16 pm: Trade! Ottawa sends the 16th pick to St. Louis for David Rundblad. Murray was scared Burke would storm the stage and claim the guy they wanted. St. Louis is up again.
9:19 pm: St. Louis selects Vladimir Tarasenko with the 16th pick, Russian right wing. Could end up being a steal, the skill is certainly there. Only the “Russian factor” let him slip. MacKenzie calls him Vladimir Krutov, “but in shape”. Nice.
9:26 pm: The Colorado Avalanche take Joey Hishon from Owen Sound. Another “undersized” forward off the board in the first round.
9:32 pm: Here come the Predators, they take Austin Watson from the Peterborough Petes with the 18th pick. Curves the bill of his cap, good kid. Massive family in attendance for Watson. Annnnnd Burkie is with James Duthie, looking red-faced and haggard. Defends Kessel trade yet again. Can’t blame him I guess. I’d love to have an idea what Burke is expecting in return for Kaberle, he says top six forward but I’m guessing it’s closer to top two by the way things are going.
9:38 pm: Florida makes a selection, go with Nick Bjugstad the gigantic 6’5″ Minnesota native. He’ll attend the University of Minnesota next year.
Pittsburgh and Detroit are coming up, I’m assuming Detroit will wait until the 7th round to draft their next franchise player, though.
9:45 pm: Penguins on the clock, likely they’ll go with defense based on the fact they have about three for next season. Here’s Shero; Beau Bennett the great Golden State hope! So no D, but they grab a cool kid from Gardena.
Dreger talks Gonchar and Penguins negotiations, sounds like they’re still somewhat far apart. Gonchar is looking for three years, Pens willing to offer two. Gonch is still looking for $5 million+. Let him walk…
9:50 pm: Red Wings step up and take booze-bag Riley Sheahan. Jim Nill nearly messes up the announcement of his name.
Let me count the ways this makes me feel great:
9:56 pm: Phoenix trades the 22nd and 113th to Montreal for 27th and 57th picks. Montreal is up, could grab Tinordi.
Habs take Jarred Tinordi with the 22nd pick, I’m a clairvoyant. Tinordi is similar in style to his father, but could pack a lot more offensive upside and be an impact player. Great pick by Montreal.
We’ve got fresh video of Steve Kouleas breaking down the Vancouver/Florida trade. For your viewing pleasure:
10:08 pm: Jarred Tinordi and dad Mark are chatting with Duthie, Mark Tinordi looks like he swallowed ex-Toronto Raptors GM Glen Grunwald. Jesus.
23rd overall pick on the way.
10:11 pm: Buffalo Sabres, with the 23rd pick in the 2010 NHL draft, select defenseman Mark Pysyk from the Edmonton Oil Kings. Buffalo is building themselves a pretty solid blue line. Several scouting reports have Pysyk ready for the NHL in a year or so, we’ll see.
Just for the hell of it, here’s another flashback to a draft decision that someone made on acid. Acid man, acid.
10:15 pm: Here come the Blackhawks with the Byfuglien trade via Kovalchuk to New Jersey pick. Nice score by Chicago, let’s see where they go with it.
Bowman and cronies finally get their asses in gear, take Kevin Hayes with the 24th pick. Hayes jumps way up the draft board, which as Gord Miller points out, is due to his impressive performance at the combine.
10:19 pm: The Canucks are due, the pick in the Ballard deal is conditional based on the availability of an unnamed player. If he’s available, the draft choice going to Florida becomes a 2011 pick. Word. We’re winding down now, thanks for everyone who stopped by, we’ll keep ‘er going til the show’s over.
10:22 pm: Bettman officially announces the Ballard deal, Canucks don’t have their man, 25th pick is Florida’s. Once again, ladies and gentlemen… Dale Tallon and co.
Side note, as the camera pans by Brian Burke, I’ve never seen so many old white-haired guys sitting at one table. Anywhere.
Panthers take Quinton Howden with the pick from Vancouver. Emerson Etem remains available.
10:35 pm: Washington Capitals are up, Evgeny Kuznetsov is their choice. The Caps go back to Russia, if it’s not broke then don’t fix it… wait a minute.
10:39 pm: The ‘Yotes are up for the second pick of the first round. In the 27th slot, the Phoenix Coyotes take a goaltender in Mark Visenten. I know nothing of him, that’s my fault. According to MacKenzie he was way down everyone’s draft board at the bottom of the second round. Hit the beach tomorrow, kid.
10:45 pm: The San Jose Sharks are selecting 28th overall, they take Charlie Coyle. Poor Emerson Etem, I hope he gets taken tonight.
10:51 pm: The Ducks are on the clock with a conditional pick they got from Philadelphia for Chris Pronger. Let’s go, give Etem some California love. Emerson Etem! Phew, how fitting.
Cam Fowler and Emerson Etem both slipped down the board, and both end up in Anaheim.
10:57 pm: Chicago holds the final pick of the first round. With the 30th overall pick, the Blackhawks elect to trade it to the New York Islanders for the 35th and 58th picks.
Kevin Connolly, aka “E” from Entourage still kicking around the Islanders’ draft table. Here comes the Isles’ crew, Wangs sizing up what’s still available with the 30th pick.
The New York Islanders take, Brock Nelson, as announced by “E”.
Steve Kouleas is reporting on the 2010 NHL Draft from ground zero in L.A. Here’s a couple of videos he cut earlier today on the Taylor/Tyler debate, and what’s on the horizon for Canadian clubs this weekend.
It is being widely speculated that a Carolina Hurricanes’ press conference scheduled for 2:30 pm on Wednesday will be where Rod Brind’Amour will formerly announce his retirement. Rod “The Bod” Brind’Amour is expected to take on a “new challenge” with the team after spending the last 10 seasons as a player there. Brind’Amour spent parts of the last five seasons as the Hurricanes’ captain, before relinquishing the duties to Eric Staal mid-season in 2009-10.
