NHL '06-'07 Thread
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NHL '06-'07 Thread
by CodeRed68 » Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:47 am
Let's start this next season's thread with the draft.
I am only listing the first round but the full list can be found here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhldraft/draft/tracker/round?round=1&draftyear=2006
or here:
http://www.nhl.com/draft/2006/round1.html
2006 NHL Draft - Round 1
Erik Johnson D Us Nat'l U-18 1 1(1) St. Louis 6’ 4” 222 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Johnson is a complete package of size and skill. Many scouts say he compares favorably to Chris Pronger at the same stage of development. That says a ton. Johnson will be a cornerstone for the re-building Blues.
Jordan Staal C Peterborough 1 2(2) Pittsburgh 6’ 4” 215 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: New GM Ray Shero opted to keep his pick, tabbing the third of the four Staal brothers. Jordan is a lanky pivot that could turn out a lot like his older brother, Eric. The Pens grab another top young player. Add Staal to Crosby and Malkin. Wow!
Jonathan Toews C University Of North Dakota 1 3(3) Chicago 6’ 1” 195 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Under GM Dale Tallon, the Hawks are more interested in hard-nosed North American-born players. Toews fits that mold. He's a smart player who leads by example and makes his linemates better. Good pick.
Nicklas Backstrom C SWE 1 4(4) Washington 6’ 183 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Caps superstar Alexander Ovechkin announced the pick to the crowd at the GM Place. The Swedish center will fit nicely on a top line with the Big O. The Caps' top player liked what he saw when he played against Backstrom at the World Championship.
Phil Kessel C University Of Minnesota 1 5(5) Boston 6’ 189 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Eighteen months ago, Kessel was expected to be the first overall pick. Since then, Kessel's stock began to fall. Scouts love his skill, but weren't sure about his somewhat flaky personality. This pick could be boom or bust for the Bruins.
Derick Brassard C Drummondville 1 6(6) Columbus 6’ 172 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Despite suffering a broken arm early in the season, Brassard put up big numbers (116 points) in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In time, he should be a nice fit in Columbus.
Kyle Okposo RW Des Moines 1 7(7) NY Islanders 6’ 195 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: The St. Paul native quietly moved up the draft board in the weeks leading up to the draft. The Islanders were very impressed with his competitive nature. I love this pick for an organization that needs this type of tough, hard-working young player.
Peter Mueller C Everett 1 8(8) Phoenix 6’ 2” 205 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Another Minnesota native (Bloomington), Mueller is a playmaker that makes his linemates better. He's a deceptive skater who seems to pick up speed when carrying the puck.
James Sheppard C Cape Breton 1 9(9) Minnesota 6’ 1” 204 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Sheppard is viewed as a solid pick for the Wild. He has good size and skates well. He's a competitive kid that put up good numbers with Cape Breton (30 goals, 84 points) of the QMJHL. It will be difficult for other prospects to fill his skates. He wears size 15.
Michael Frolik C CZE 1 10(10) Florida 6’ 185 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: A highly skilled player, Frolik disappointed some at the World Junior Championships. Still, the Czech-born sniper has the ability to be a star in the NHL. This could be a hit or miss pick for the Panthers.
Jonathan Bernier G Lewiston 1 11(11) Los Angeles 5’ 11” 177 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: New Kings GM Dean Lombardi addressed the franchise's long-festering need by plucking the first goalie in the draft. Bernier was rated the No. 1 North American goalie in their final rating. Unfortunately, he'll need a few years before he?s ready for prime time.
Bryan Little C Barrie 1 12(12) Atlanta 5’ 10” 190 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: The Thrashers went for need, grabbing this talent pivot from Barrie of the OHL. Little posted 109 points in 64 games with the Colts. Central Scouting sees him as a competitive, two-way player.
Jiri Tlusty C CZE 1 13(13) Toronto 6’ 196 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Leafs upgraded the skill level in their organization with the selection of Tlusty, who has a lot of upside to his game. Scouts say he's an explosive skater who can beat opponents in one-on-one situations.
Michael Grabner RW Spokane 1 14(14) Vancouver 6’ 170 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Austrian-born right wing is an extremely quick skater who can beat defenders to the outside. In his first year at Spokane of the WHL, Grabner netted 36 goals in 67 games. He's an interesting pick for the Canucks.
Riku Helenius G Fin Jr 1 15(15) Tampa Bay 6’ 202 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Lightning went for need when they selected the 6-foot-3 Finnish stopper. Several scouts believed there was little difference between Helenius and Bernier. He'll have a great opportunity to be fast-tracked to the NHL.
Ty Wishart D Prince George 1 16(16) San Jose (from Montreal) 6’ 4” 205 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Sharks traded up for the right to draft Wishart. Scouts love his size and they say he's pretty agile for a big man. Still, others say he was too inconsistent. We'll give the benefit of the doubt to the Sharks, who've done a good job in recent drafts.
Trevor Lewis C Des Moines 1 17(17) Los Angeles (from Minnesota) 6’ 1” 192 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Eligible but undrafted in the 2005 draft, Lewis enjoyed an excellent season with Des Moines of the USHL. He rocketed up draft boards during the course of the season. The Kings selected the Salt Lake City native with the pick they acquired from the Wild in the Pavol Demitra deal.
Chris Stewart RW Kingston 1 18(18) Colorado 6’ 1” 228 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: The younger brother of Panthers prospect Anthony Stewart (25th overall in 2003), Chris is projected as a power forward who can finish around the net. He'll have to improve his overall conditioning. At the combine, some believed he was overweight. Still, he could be a nice pick for the Avs.
Mark Mitera D University Of Michigan 1 19(19) Anaheim 6’ 3” 202 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Ducks GM Brian Burke selected a Brian Burke-type player. Mitera is a big kid who likes to hit and finish his checks. At the University of Michigan, he was used in all game situations. If there's a knock, some scouts believe he's too inconsistent.
David Fischer D Apple Valley 1 20(20) Montreal (from San Jose) 6’ 3” 185 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: A Minnesota high schooler, Fischer impressed scouts with his size and skating ability. Some clubs that interviewed him believed he was a little too arrogant. Obviously, the Canadiens weren't among that group. They were comfortable trading back to get Fischer.
Bobby Sanguinetti D Owen Sound 1 21(21) NY Rangers 6’ 1” 174 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Growing up in New Jersey, Sanguinetti idolized long-time Rangers defender Brian Leetch. So, perhaps it's fitting that the Rangers tabbed the smooth skating defender. Down the road, Sanguinetti could pair with Marc Staal, the club's first-round pick from 2005.
Claude Giroux RW Gatineau 1 22(22) Philadelphia 5’ 10” 169 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: In a funny moment, Flyers GM Bob Clarke forgot Giroux's name when he was at the podium. Bypassed in the OHL, Giroux made a name for himself in the QMJHL. He's a small, but skilled player. In the "new" NHL, his size won't be as much of an obstacle to future success.
Semen Varlamov G Rus 2 1 23(23) Washington (from Nashville) 6’ 183 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Varlamov figures to be the starting goalie for Team Russia at the 2007 World Junior Championships. He's an athletic stopper. Some scouts believe he has the ability to "steal" games. Somewhere down the road, he could replace Olaf Kolzig in the Caps' crease.
Dennis Persson D Swe Jr 1 24(24) Buffalo 6’ 181 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Sabres might have reached for this Swedish defender. Many scouts figured he'd be a second rounder. Still, Buffalo's scouts have had a pretty good track record in drafting defensemen. Maybe Persson will be better than we think.
Patrik Berglund C Swe Jr 1 25(25) St. Louis (from New Jersey) 6’ 187 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Blues traded up to get the 6-foot-4 Swedish center. Berglund impressed many scouts with his play at the Under-18 championships. He seems like a bit of a project, but there could be a lot of upside in his lanky frame.
Leland Irving G Everett 1 26(26) Calgary 6’ 177 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The fourth goaltender selected in the first round, Irving was a solid stopper for Everett of the WHL. Many scouts didn't see too much difference between any of the four goalies. The Flames, who have Vezina Trophy netminder Miikka Kiprusoff, can take their time developing Irving.
Ivan Vishnevskiy D Rouyn Noranda 1 27(27) Dallas 5’ 11” 176 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Vishnevskiy is small, but very fast. Central Scouting says he can separate himself from an opponent with a few quick strides. In the "old" NHL, Vishnevskiy probably doesn't go in the first round. Clearly, times have changed.
Nick Foligno LW Sudbury 1 28(28) Ottawa 6’ 188 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The son of longtime NHLer Mike Foligno, Nick is viewed as an overachiever. He has some skill and a strong work ethic. Senators GM John Muckler likes his gritty game.
Chris Summers D Us Nat'l U-18 1 29(29) Phoenix (from Detroit) 6’ 1” 180 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Coyotes traded up to grab Summers, who played for the American Under-18 team last season. Scouts like his quick feet and good hockey sense. He will attend the University of Michigan in the fall.
Matthew Corrente D Saginaw 1 30(30) New Jersey (from St. Louis) 5’ 11” 189 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: In his bio, Corrente says he admires mob boss John Gotti. So, I guess it makes sense that he ended up in New Jersey, the home of fictional mobster Tony Soprano. GM Lou Lamoriello says he likes Corrente's fearless style.
I am only listing the first round but the full list can be found here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhldraft/draft/tracker/round?round=1&draftyear=2006
or here:
http://www.nhl.com/draft/2006/round1.html
2006 NHL Draft - Round 1
Erik Johnson D Us Nat'l U-18 1 1(1) St. Louis 6’ 4” 222 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Johnson is a complete package of size and skill. Many scouts say he compares favorably to Chris Pronger at the same stage of development. That says a ton. Johnson will be a cornerstone for the re-building Blues.
Jordan Staal C Peterborough 1 2(2) Pittsburgh 6’ 4” 215 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: New GM Ray Shero opted to keep his pick, tabbing the third of the four Staal brothers. Jordan is a lanky pivot that could turn out a lot like his older brother, Eric. The Pens grab another top young player. Add Staal to Crosby and Malkin. Wow!
Jonathan Toews C University Of North Dakota 1 3(3) Chicago 6’ 1” 195 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Under GM Dale Tallon, the Hawks are more interested in hard-nosed North American-born players. Toews fits that mold. He's a smart player who leads by example and makes his linemates better. Good pick.
Nicklas Backstrom C SWE 1 4(4) Washington 6’ 183 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Caps superstar Alexander Ovechkin announced the pick to the crowd at the GM Place. The Swedish center will fit nicely on a top line with the Big O. The Caps' top player liked what he saw when he played against Backstrom at the World Championship.
Phil Kessel C University Of Minnesota 1 5(5) Boston 6’ 189 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Eighteen months ago, Kessel was expected to be the first overall pick. Since then, Kessel's stock began to fall. Scouts love his skill, but weren't sure about his somewhat flaky personality. This pick could be boom or bust for the Bruins.
Derick Brassard C Drummondville 1 6(6) Columbus 6’ 172 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Despite suffering a broken arm early in the season, Brassard put up big numbers (116 points) in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In time, he should be a nice fit in Columbus.
Kyle Okposo RW Des Moines 1 7(7) NY Islanders 6’ 195 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: The St. Paul native quietly moved up the draft board in the weeks leading up to the draft. The Islanders were very impressed with his competitive nature. I love this pick for an organization that needs this type of tough, hard-working young player.
Peter Mueller C Everett 1 8(8) Phoenix 6’ 2” 205 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Another Minnesota native (Bloomington), Mueller is a playmaker that makes his linemates better. He's a deceptive skater who seems to pick up speed when carrying the puck.
James Sheppard C Cape Breton 1 9(9) Minnesota 6’ 1” 204 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Sheppard is viewed as a solid pick for the Wild. He has good size and skates well. He's a competitive kid that put up good numbers with Cape Breton (30 goals, 84 points) of the QMJHL. It will be difficult for other prospects to fill his skates. He wears size 15.
Michael Frolik C CZE 1 10(10) Florida 6’ 185 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: A highly skilled player, Frolik disappointed some at the World Junior Championships. Still, the Czech-born sniper has the ability to be a star in the NHL. This could be a hit or miss pick for the Panthers.
Jonathan Bernier G Lewiston 1 11(11) Los Angeles 5’ 11” 177 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: New Kings GM Dean Lombardi addressed the franchise's long-festering need by plucking the first goalie in the draft. Bernier was rated the No. 1 North American goalie in their final rating. Unfortunately, he'll need a few years before he?s ready for prime time.
Bryan Little C Barrie 1 12(12) Atlanta 5’ 10” 190 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: The Thrashers went for need, grabbing this talent pivot from Barrie of the OHL. Little posted 109 points in 64 games with the Colts. Central Scouting sees him as a competitive, two-way player.
Jiri Tlusty C CZE 1 13(13) Toronto 6’ 196 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Leafs upgraded the skill level in their organization with the selection of Tlusty, who has a lot of upside to his game. Scouts say he's an explosive skater who can beat opponents in one-on-one situations.
Michael Grabner RW Spokane 1 14(14) Vancouver 6’ 170 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Austrian-born right wing is an extremely quick skater who can beat defenders to the outside. In his first year at Spokane of the WHL, Grabner netted 36 goals in 67 games. He's an interesting pick for the Canucks.
Riku Helenius G Fin Jr 1 15(15) Tampa Bay 6’ 202 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Lightning went for need when they selected the 6-foot-3 Finnish stopper. Several scouts believed there was little difference between Helenius and Bernier. He'll have a great opportunity to be fast-tracked to the NHL.
Ty Wishart D Prince George 1 16(16) San Jose (from Montreal) 6’ 4” 205 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Sharks traded up for the right to draft Wishart. Scouts love his size and they say he's pretty agile for a big man. Still, others say he was too inconsistent. We'll give the benefit of the doubt to the Sharks, who've done a good job in recent drafts.
Trevor Lewis C Des Moines 1 17(17) Los Angeles (from Minnesota) 6’ 1” 192 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Eligible but undrafted in the 2005 draft, Lewis enjoyed an excellent season with Des Moines of the USHL. He rocketed up draft boards during the course of the season. The Kings selected the Salt Lake City native with the pick they acquired from the Wild in the Pavol Demitra deal.
Chris Stewart RW Kingston 1 18(18) Colorado 6’ 1” 228 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: The younger brother of Panthers prospect Anthony Stewart (25th overall in 2003), Chris is projected as a power forward who can finish around the net. He'll have to improve his overall conditioning. At the combine, some believed he was overweight. Still, he could be a nice pick for the Avs.
Mark Mitera D University Of Michigan 1 19(19) Anaheim 6’ 3” 202 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Ducks GM Brian Burke selected a Brian Burke-type player. Mitera is a big kid who likes to hit and finish his checks. At the University of Michigan, he was used in all game situations. If there's a knock, some scouts believe he's too inconsistent.
David Fischer D Apple Valley 1 20(20) Montreal (from San Jose) 6’ 3” 185 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: A Minnesota high schooler, Fischer impressed scouts with his size and skating ability. Some clubs that interviewed him believed he was a little too arrogant. Obviously, the Canadiens weren't among that group. They were comfortable trading back to get Fischer.
Bobby Sanguinetti D Owen Sound 1 21(21) NY Rangers 6’ 1” 174 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: Growing up in New Jersey, Sanguinetti idolized long-time Rangers defender Brian Leetch. So, perhaps it's fitting that the Rangers tabbed the smooth skating defender. Down the road, Sanguinetti could pair with Marc Staal, the club's first-round pick from 2005.
Claude Giroux RW Gatineau 1 22(22) Philadelphia 5’ 10” 169 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: In a funny moment, Flyers GM Bob Clarke forgot Giroux's name when he was at the podium. Bypassed in the OHL, Giroux made a name for himself in the QMJHL. He's a small, but skilled player. In the "new" NHL, his size won't be as much of an obstacle to future success.
Semen Varlamov G Rus 2 1 23(23) Washington (from Nashville) 6’ 183 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Varlamov figures to be the starting goalie for Team Russia at the 2007 World Junior Championships. He's an athletic stopper. Some scouts believe he has the ability to "steal" games. Somewhere down the road, he could replace Olaf Kolzig in the Caps' crease.
Dennis Persson D Swe Jr 1 24(24) Buffalo 6’ 181 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Sabres might have reached for this Swedish defender. Many scouts figured he'd be a second rounder. Still, Buffalo's scouts have had a pretty good track record in drafting defensemen. Maybe Persson will be better than we think.
Patrik Berglund C Swe Jr 1 25(25) St. Louis (from New Jersey) 6’ 187 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Blues traded up to get the 6-foot-4 Swedish center. Berglund impressed many scouts with his play at the Under-18 championships. He seems like a bit of a project, but there could be a lot of upside in his lanky frame.
Leland Irving G Everett 1 26(26) Calgary 6’ 177 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The fourth goaltender selected in the first round, Irving was a solid stopper for Everett of the WHL. Many scouts didn't see too much difference between any of the four goalies. The Flames, who have Vezina Trophy netminder Miikka Kiprusoff, can take their time developing Irving.
Ivan Vishnevskiy D Rouyn Noranda 1 27(27) Dallas 5’ 11” 176 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: Vishnevskiy is small, but very fast. Central Scouting says he can separate himself from an opponent with a few quick strides. In the "old" NHL, Vishnevskiy probably doesn't go in the first round. Clearly, times have changed.
Nick Foligno LW Sudbury 1 28(28) Ottawa 6’ 188 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The son of longtime NHLer Mike Foligno, Nick is viewed as an overachiever. He has some skill and a strong work ethic. Senators GM John Muckler likes his gritty game.
Chris Summers D Us Nat'l U-18 1 29(29) Phoenix (from Detroit) 6’ 1” 180 lbs. Left
Hradek's take: The Coyotes traded up to grab Summers, who played for the American Under-18 team last season. Scouts like his quick feet and good hockey sense. He will attend the University of Michigan in the fall.
Matthew Corrente D Saginaw 1 30(30) New Jersey (from St. Louis) 5’ 11” 189 lbs. Right
Hradek's take: In his bio, Corrente says he admires mob boss John Gotti. So, I guess it makes sense that he ended up in New Jersey, the home of fictional mobster Tony Soprano. GM Lou Lamoriello says he likes Corrente's fearless style.
thanks to Spirit of Me for the sig!
by CodeRed68 » Sun Jun 25, 2006 8:50 pm
Originally posted by Sabres
Staal with Crosby shall be fun to see.
The Pens have some luck in recent years with picks. Mario Lemeiux, Jaromir Jagr, then Crosby.. now the #2 pick with Staal. Still unproven, but good enough to go second in the draft.
For the Flyers (my fav team) picking at #22, it looks like Clarke is finally getting the hint and going with smaller size and speed. Thier pick (Giroux) is only 5' 10" and 169 lbs.
thanks to Spirit of Me for the sig!
by Sabres » Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:23 pm
Yes, speed kills a lot more than size. Not to be cocky or anything, but round one of this past playoffs with the Sabres and Flyers. That proves speed kills over size.Originally posted by CodeRed68
For the Flyers (my fav team) picking at #22, it looks like Clarke is finally getting the hint and going with smaller size and speed. Thier pick (Giroux) is only 5' 10" and 169 lbs.
by CodeRed68 » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:30 am
Originally posted by Sabres
Yes, speed kills a lot more than size. Not to be cocky or anything, but round one of this past playoffs with the Sabres and Flyers. That proves speed kills over size.
I agree 100% Sabres. It was embarrasing how they skated around and up and down the ice against the Flyers. The Flyers looked like orange cones out there at times.
We can only hope here in Philly that Clarke keeps his trading trigger finger off and try to build a team around youth and the draft. His problem is.. is that they draft and model players in thier system really well but don't have the patience to wait a few years until they bloom into good, solid players. Justin Williams is the epitamy (sp?) of this but Clarke and the Flyers are guilty of this in the past 15-20 years.
In other news:
Show me the money: Salary cap increased to $44M
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2502254
The good news about this increase is that the NHL league wide revenues were projected to be 1.8 billion. The final revenues were 2.1 billlion. Proof that the NHL and professional ice hockey is alive and kicking!
thanks to Spirit of Me for the sig!
by Sabres » Fri Jun 30, 2006 5:28 pm
Originally posted by CodeRed68
In other news:
Show me the money: Salary cap increased to $44M
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2502254
The good news about this increase is that the NHL league wide revenues were projected to be 1.8 billion. The final revenues were 2.1 billlion. Proof that the NHL and professional ice hockey is alive and kicking!
WOO!
by CodeRed68 » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:17 am
NHL '06-'07 schedule released :
http://www.nhl.com/schedules/index.html
http://www.nhl.com/schedules/index.html
thanks to Spirit of Me for the sig!
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