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	Isles Select 15th
	As we enter into June if your not in the Stanley Cup Finals there's only one other thing: the NHL Entry Draft. As the 21st draws closer islesinfo will be all over the coverage as the Islanders currently hold the 15th pick plus three second round picks.

2003 Islanders Selection Board
RD	#	Selection	Pos.	Ht	Wt	From
1	15	Robert Nilsson	F	5-11	183	Leksand, SWE
2	48	Dimitri Chernykh	RW	6-0	180	Khimik, RUS
2	53	Evgeny Tunik	C	6-2	198	Elektrostal, RUS
2	58	Jeremy Colliton	RW	6-2	195	Prince Albert, WHL
4	120	Stefan Blaho	RW	6-1	198	Trencin Jr., SLO
6	182	Bruno Gervais	D	6-0	188	Bathurst, QMJHL
7	212	Denis Rehak	D	6-2	196	Trencin Jr., SLO
8	238	Cody Blanshan	D	6-1	200	Neb.-Omaha, CCHA
8	246	Igor Volkov	LW	6-0	189	Ufa, RUS

Islanders 2003 Picks(updated - 6/18)

1st round - 15th overall
2nd round - 3 selections: NYI, STL (via Osgood deal) & EDM (via Niinimaa deal)
3rd round - No pick: sent to STL via Osgood deal
4th round - 2 selections: NYI & EDM (via Niinimaa deal)
5th round - No pick; traded last year to Florida for Darren Van Impe
6th round - one pick
7th round - one pick
8th round - 2 selections: compensatory pick for losing Kip Miller & NYI
9th round - No pick: sent to Florida with Juraj Kolnik for Sven Butenschon
Total: 10 selections; 4 in the first two rounds

Isles select C Evgeny Tunik 53rd
The Islanders have selected their second player in a row from Russia with C Evgeny Tunik from Elektrostal. This was the Islanders second pick of the second round with another coming up at 59th. So far the Islanders have concentrated on forwards and have gone exclusively European.

Talent Analysis: 
Size and Physical Play: At almost 6’3 and 200 pounds, Yevgeniy is a big guy.  Ivan doesn’t tend to mix it up physically too much, but doesn’t shy away from contact when he is in traffic.  He plays aggressive hockey and goes through people.  Yevgeniy also fights very hard next to the boards and is very effective in retrieving the puck.  

Shot: Yevgeniy has a very strong shot.  He is a blistering wrist shot with a fast release.  He shoots hard and shoots often. This is Ivan’s strength and his weakness – he doesn’t pass much, so instead he shoots the puck.  He is a sniper and is good at what he does – lately scoring one or two goals a game. 

Skating: This year Yevgeniy has greatly improved his skating. Last year he was a bit off balance and slow, but he appears to have adjusted to his large frame.  He now has solid balance and impressive lateral movement.  Yevgeniy still possesses only average speed, but his overall speed has improved and at times he suprises people with an unexpected burst of speed.  While on defense, Yevgeniy is an average skater backwards due to his size, but improved in this category as well over the past year. 

  Technical Skills: Yevgeniy likes to do everything himself, but can back up this style of hockey with an impressive array of skills.  He has great, soft hands and is a great puck handler, able to go right through people without appearing to do much.  Tunik seems to see things other people don’t and make decisions that people don’t understand until he comes out the other end with the puck.  He is unpredictable and very creative with the puck. He also has a great reaction and can make quick decisions on the fly and react.  Yevgeniy appears to be fixated on the net and doesn’t really have a solid hockey sense for where his linemates are located.  His vision of the ice and creativity does allow him to make the individual accomplishments he is making, but he doesn’t pass the puck often, which makes him more predictable and less dangerous for the opposition.  He has to learn to share the puck and expand his solid vision of the ice to follow his linemates and help his team score, not just himself. 

  Defense: Yevgeniy is dedicated defensively, but his efforts produce only average results.  He doesn’t read the opponent’s offense too well, but tries very hard and very rarely does the other team score against Elemash while he is on the ice.   He is very aggressive and doesn’t hesitate to lay a body on the opponent next to the boards. He tries to play the body in the open ice, but usually uses his reach to stop the opposition. 

  Mental Game: Yevgeniy is a very aggressive and upbeat person. He doesn’t get down on himself no matter what and is not usually phased by losing – which is important considering that he plays for one of the worst teams in the Upper League. 

  Overall: Yevgeniy is a very strong winger who strengths are his size, soft hands, solid shot and great creativity.  The areas where Yevgeniy needs to continue to improve are his skating, his awareness of his linemates, with whom he needs share the puck more often. 

Back In Russia: Yevgeniy has been born and raised in Elektrostal and has played his whole career for Elemash. He spent most of the 2001-02 season with Elemash’s main team.  He started the season with Elemash’s junior farm team, Elemash 2.  He played well there, averaging about goal per game, and towards the middle of the season he was promoted to Elemash’s main team.  He spent the rest of the season on Elemash’s roster and played on the team’s third line, managing to notch five goals.  Yevgeniy improved his game significantly over the course of the year and his position on the team was also helped by the departure of several key players from Elemash to Super League teams.  As a result of his improvements and roster losses, Yevgeniy emerged after the 2002-03 season training camp as one of the team’s leaders.  His production has been steadily increasing and he had several multi goal games in late September and October. 

International Competition: Unfortunately for Yevgeniy, the rules of international competition split up the teams by the year they were born in, and since he was born in late ’84, he had to compete with players who were almost a full year older then him.  His skills were still recognized and he made a solid impact in his limited role on the Russian U18 National team at the U18 WJC and at the 5 Nations Tournament in Tyumen.  This year, Yevgeniy will likely get a lot more ice time on the U18 squad, that is, until he turns 18 late November.  He will continue playing on the ’84 team, but will be unable to compete at the U18 WJC.  So, unless he makes Russia’s U20 team, which is a possibility, it appears that Elektrostal shall be Yevgeniy’s main arena to showcase his skills to the NHL scouts. 

NHL: Tunik is eligible for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. With his size and array of skills, Yevgeniy Tunik could become a solid NHLer.  His upside is two way second line winger and a specialist of playing in uneven situations.  His development has been in the fast lane since the end of last year and if he continues to have success in the Upper League, his draft position should steadily increase. In addition, it appears that, while Yevgeniy’s upside is significant, he does seem to lack the speed and hockey sense possessed by some other peers on his team, like Ivan Khomutov.  His late ’84 birth date does hurt his national team chances, but he shouldn’t be counted out.  The biggest improvement Yevgeniy can make over the course of this year is to share the puck more often with his line mates.  This would be a key improvement that could elevate him straight into the second or possibly late first round. At this point he seems to have solid second or third round pick, but will likely move up if he continues to rip up the Upper League the way he is right now – in the four games he played early in the October, he scored six goals.  Several NHL scouts are have already visited Elektrostal to watch him play.

CSB: His skating has improved considerably during the 2002-03 season....good speed and good balance....moves well for his size....high skill level....very good stickhandler....a creative offensive minded winger who can make quick, good decisions....soft hands and a good solid shot....likes to shoot as much as possible....could work on his passing and playmaking....big, strong player....good competitor, works hard....likes to play an aggressive style of hockey....effective and strong along the boards and in the corners....usually comes out as a winner from one on one situations....two way player, well aware of his defensive duties....good reach.

One of our choices for top performers from the two Russian rendezvous is Evgeni Tunik, the big Russian tank who plowed through the competition in St. Petersburg so easily it was as though the Iraqi military was providing the opposition. Tunik was always a physical, aggressive player, but now he has grown to about twice the size we remember and his increased leg strength shows in a vastly improved skating stride. 

Mark our words: It would not surprise to see him go in the first half of the first round.

 

Evgeny Tunik's stats
Year	Team	Lea.	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002-03	Elektrostal	RUS	42	14	10	24	24

	Isles select RW Jeremy Colliton 58th
	The Islanders have selected their first North American player with the 59th overall pick with RW Jeremy Colliton from the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. The third selection for the Isles in the second round, Colliton has size and skill at 6'2" and 195 pounds.

THN: The jury remains out on 6 foot 2 right winger Jeremy Colliton. Colliton's proponents admire his size, strength, skating and the way he competes every night. They note that as a rookie Colliton finished third in scoring on Prince Albert and was a regular contributor to the offense. It also helped his cause that he played on Canada's world under-18 team and was one of six players to finish with six points in seven games. "This kid can shoot the puck and he's strong," said one scout. "I don't have much of a problem with his skating. It needs a little work but most of the players in the draft need a little work on their skating. I think he might be the bargain of the draft. This guy has a chance to play." Not so fast says Colliton's detractors. Critics say he is soft and they're not sure he'll make an impact at the next level. "Yes, he brings it every night. Yes, he scores and works hard, but he does not excite me," said a scout. "He is a third line winger."

CSB: An adequate skater who is strong on his skates....good balance and agility....shows very good patience with the puck....a conscientious player who shows pride in his defensive play....his good board and corner play create scoring chances....handles the puck well in traffic....is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer....has good hockey sense and offensive instincts....makes smart decisions with the puck....possesses a good shot but could use it more often....while not overly physical, he competes very hard both on the road and at home....very effective at angling opponents in open ice....an unselfish team player who will sacrifice himself by taking a hit to make a play....is used in all key situations....a threat to score while killing penalties....plays the point on the power play....logs an enormous amount of ice time, game in and game out.

Personal profile: member of Canadian team that won gold medal at 2003 world under-18 championships....while playing mostly a checking role on Team Canada at under-18 tournament, was also able to contribute offensively ( six points in seven games ). 

 

Jeremy Colliton's stats
Year	Team	Lea.	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000-01	C. Pass	Jr. A	63	18	30	48	98
2001-02	Prince Albert	WHL	68	11	21	32	53
2002-03	Prince Albert	WHL	58	20	28	48	76
	Canada	WU18	7	1	5	6	18

Isles select RW Stefan Blaho 120th
June 22: The Isles continue their Euro theme in the 4th round of today's draft continuation as scouts Anders Kallur, Tony Feltrin & crew are hard at work. With the 120th pick of the 4th round they select Slovak Stefan Blaho, a RW with Trencin Jr. which is the same developmental team Zigmund Palffy played for.

CSB: Very good skater with a smooth stride and impressive speed....good puckhandler and an intelligent and creative playmaker....good puck carrier, fine passer and playmaker....excellent overall skill level....good competitor....works well in traffic....doesn't prefer a physical style but can be aggressive and tough when needed....solid player in every game situation....could improve his checking ability....key member of Team Slovakia at World under-18 championship.

 

Stefan Blaho's stats
Year	Team	Lea.	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002-03	Trencin Jr.	SLO	17	6	5	11	50

First Round Preview
May 31: In the coming weeks there will be plenty of speculation as to what the Islanders will do with their first round pick. Will GM Mike Milbury trade the pick, or make a selection? If he keeps the pick here are some names to remember....

- Dustin Brown     RW     6'  195 lbs.
Born in Ithaca, NY 11/4/84. He is further in his development than many of the other prospects who are born in the 1985 range. Brown is described as a prototypical winger with size, is fast, strong and has the chance to be a #1 winger in the NHL. An American prospect playing major junior in the OHL, Brown already has 3 years under his belt with the Guelph Storm. He's scored 41 and 34 goals over each of the last two seasons. He was a member of Team USA in the WJC in January and had a good tournament. He has a good track record and considered a mature player as he won the OHL Scholastic Player of the year award two years ago. But there are questions as to if he will develop into a scorer, or remain just a banger. But he's a heart and soul player, comes to play every night and gets on other players nerves. Not bad traits to have.
Rankings: THN - 12 , ISS - 9, McKeen's - 7, SI - 11, forecaster - 11, Cal. Sun - 11, TSN - 6
AVG: 10th

- Andrei Kastsitsyn     W     6'   189 lbs.
Born in Novopolotsk, Belarus 2/3/85. Considered to be a sleeper in the draft. Belarus has not been known to be a breeding ground for future NHLer's but their recent success in the Olympics and other national tournaments has talent from that country on the rise. Kastsitsyn is ranked by CSB No. 3 among European skaters, but among some of the more independent lists he's kind of been overlooked. Some question his conditioning, but the impressive thing about him is that he's played for the Central Red Army team already at such a young age. Kastsitsyn is considered very skilled and smart with the puck. Some teams may back off him though because he's an epileptic.
Rankings: THN - 13 , SI - 13, forecaster - 12, Cal. Sun - 13, TSN - 14
AVG: 13th

- Marc-Antoine Pouliot     C     6'1"   188 lbs.
Born in Quebec City, Quebec 5/22/85. Pouliot is considered a very good two way player. He pays attention to his own end of the ice which is surprising for a Quebec League player. He also played for a bad team in the Rimouski Oceanic. Scouts reportedly would only go to see him play and the assessment was a question: how much better could he have been if he had some wingers to play with? There also were some questions as to whether he was taking some nights off. Still, there are those who think he is an exceptional talent and could be a solid second line center in the NHL. Pouliot played for Team Canada at the recent WJC's. He recorded only 2 goals, but had 9 points in 7 games. He scored 32 goals in his second year in the QMJHL last year. Look for him to increase those numbers next season.
Rankings: THN - 14 , SI - 15, forecaster - 18, Cal. Sun - 17, TSN - 19
AVG: 17th

- Konstantin Glazachev     LW     6'   186 lbs.
Born in Arkhangelsk, Russia 2/18/85. Glazachev is considered another skilled forward with good hands, as well as very shifty and deceptive. But the knock on him is he tends to over handle the puck, which is a sign of immaturity. Sounds a bit like an Alexei Kovalev in his early days. His size is a question mark and his skating has also come under scrutiny as he doesn't have great open ice speed. His skill makes up for the lack of size but it has been reported he may need an attitude adjustment as Glazachev has become very prone to diving.
Rankings: THN - 15 , SI - 14, forecaster - 30, Cal. Sun - 25, TSN - 23
AVG: 21st

- Jeff Carter     C     6'3"   182 lbs.
Born in London, Ontario 1/1/85. Let the comparisons begin. There are always comparisons between prospects and NHLer's who have already achieved success coming into every draft. Carter has been compared to both Joe Thornton and Ron Francis. Not bad company to be compared to. He's another player though who played for a poor team this past season in the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Scouts feel with his height, Carter is bound to get bigger and gain more weight. He has a tremendous upside, handles the puck well and is projected as another two way second line center. He just needs to mature more. He scored 35 goals last season and is a good candidate to play for Team Canada in the 2004 WJC's. 
Rankings: THN - 16 , SI - 23, Cal. Sun - 16, TSN - 24
AVG: 20th

- Ryan Kesler     C     6'1 1/2"   195 lbs.
Born in Livonia, Michigan 8/31/84. Another American born 1984 player. He has size and is projected as another two way forward. But there are huge questions about his offensive upside. Kesler seems to be more concerned with his defensive game, and his offensive ability is considered limited. He does have good speed for a big kid and likes to play a feisty game. While his goal output with Ohio State is low combined with the questions about his offensive potential, Kesler did have a very good WJC's for Team USA finishing second in team scoring averaging a point per game in 7 games. This leads some to believe the hindrance on offense could be his coaching. He may not turn out to be a big point producer but it is believed he's a solid pick for the NHL and could turn out to be a Joel Otto type.
Rankings: THN - 17 , SI - 21, Cal. Sun - 29, forecaster - 24
AVG: 23rd

- Robert Nilsson     F     5'11"   183 lbs.
Born in Calgary Alberta 1/10/85. Well, you've heard about the two Islander sons representing the 2003 draft. Here is another high profile prospect with family ties to the NHL. Nilsson's father Kent was a high scoring winger for the Atlanta and Calgary Flames in the early 80's. Kent was a sniper who usually averaged around 30 to 40 goals a season. Robert is a bit on the small side, but most scouts believe that will not hold him back. Last season he broke a record held by Vancouver's Markus Naslund for most points by a rookie in the Swedish Elite League. His offensive talent is considered on the par with Naslund and Peter Forsberg. He's also been compared to Henrik Zetterberg of Detroit, but some believe he is better. Robert has very high hockey sense and is considered at times to be a little cocky.
Rankings: THN - 18 , ISS - 11, SI - 20, Cal. Sun - 14, forecaster - 15, TSN - 21
AVG: 17th

Honorable Mention: C/RW Anthony Stewart is a 6-1, 239 pound monster who is projected as a power forward. One of a couple of high ranked African American players in this years draft, Stewart notched 6 goals in 7 games with Team Canada at this years WJC's. He's considered a sure fire player. He scored 32 goals this past season with Kingston of the OHL and if the Islanders were there checking out prospect Cory Stillman then they surely would have noticed Stewart. RW Steve Bernier is considered a pure goal scorer from Moncton of the QMJHL. He's so offensively gifted around the net that he has drawn comparisons to Islander great Mike Bossy. Last season in his second season in the offense minded Quebec League, Bernier rattled off 49 goals and 101 points. But just like Bossy before he was drafted, there are some questions about Bernier's defensive ability. 

islesinfo predictions: Well, here I go with an attempt to predict who the Islanders will select with the 15th overall pick. And keep in mind, that all depends on if the Islanders choose not to deal the pick. Also, I reserve the right to change my mind, hehehe. But let me preface this by saying most believe it is not good drafting strategy to draft by name(Brett Lindros ring a bell?). I'm talking about the two Islander sons Zach Parise and Steve Tambellini. But there is no mistaking that they both are very good young talents with good to great aspirations in the NHL. With the Islanders holding 3 second round picks, there is an outside chance that at least one of the two could be called to the Islander table. I've seen numerous rankings that have had Parise in the top ten, and others with him ranked in the 10 to 20 range. I believe that if Parise is still on the board when the Islanders make their selection, they should snatch him up. But he could follow in the steps of Eric Nystrom last year and be long gone by the time the Islanders are up.Tambellini right now looks to be a solid late first round pick to early second round.

- Some who have read some stories I've written on islesinfo.com will know that I feel the Islanders need more scrappy North American type players. But it's hard to overlook Robert Nilsson. There's a possibility he could turn out better than his dad and if that's true than you got one hell of a sniper on your hands. When a player brings up the names Forsberg and Naslund then you have to believe he has the goods. The player most talked about to be going in the 12 to 18 spot that I have seen in most ranking lists is Glazachev. But his early comparisons to Kovalev scare me a little. Brown, Pouliot and Carter all seem like solid picks to me which makes it difficult to choose one player. But right now I will try.
islesinfo early prediction: Robert Nilsson. But if Parise is on the board they will select him. But here's another scenario: the Islanders somehow trade down and in the process acquire a scoring winger. Then they use the pick in the late first round to select the big defenseman I mention below.

Defense?: The draft has some very good defensemen this year, but most of the good ones are high end players considered to be probably top 10 picks. I'm talking about guys like Ryan Suter, Braydon Coburn and Dion Phaneuf. The belief is that there will be a high crop of forwards taken between 10 and 20. But if the Islanders do decide to go defense they may look towards a big physical d-man from Slovakia named Richard Stehlik. At 6-4 and 245 pounds, Stehlik can really throw a hit and has been compared to Zdeno Chara, someone the Islanders have missed for his crease clearing ability. Plus, since he was born in June of 1984, scouts believe he is possibly the closest to joining the NHL, after deciding not to opt into the 2002 draft. The only question mark is his backwards skating. Can he be any worse than Eric Cairns?

Wouldn't touch with a 10' pole: C Patrick O'Sullivan a couple of years ago was being touted as a possible top 5 pick. But through various incidents over the past year that includes him being suspended by the Mississauga Ice Dogs of the OHL, O'Sullivan has gained a reputation as having an attitude problem. He didn't have such a great WJC's tournament with Team USA and to me sounds like the next coming of Tim Connolly at 5-10 and 180 lbs.

The cream of the crop: In what is considered a deep draft, there is no clear cut #1 overall pick. C Eric Staal has been rated #1 by THN and ISS, as well as #1 among North Americans by the CSB. Meanwhile, Redline has goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from Quebec rated #1 overall with Staal ranked 7th. RW Nikolai Zherdev is this years version of Marian Gaborik. He was touted as the #1 overall for the last year plus, but has slipped off on some draft lists. C Nathan Horton, the top ranked power forward available, could throw a wrench into the top players available and cause some NHL teams a lot of indecision.

More Family Affair: You already know about Parise and Tambellini's ties to the NHL. But they're not the only ones. Mentioned earlier was Robert Nilsson, whose father Kent is arguably the best Calgary Flame of all-time. RW Patrick Eaves is rated as a second round hopeful, he is the son of former NHLer Mike Eaves. Patrick's brother Ben was a fourth round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2001. Later in the third to fourth rounds keep an eye out for Liam Lindstrom, the son of former NHLer Willy Lindstrom. Also, there's B.J. Crombeen of the Barrie Colts, whose father Mike is a former NHLer. It doesn't stop there. Highly ranked D Ryan Suter is the nephew of former NHL defenseman Gary Suter and the son of 1980 US Olympian Bob Suter. Finally, Eric Staal won't be the last Staal you will hear about in the upcoming years. He three younger brothers who all have aspirations of making it to the NHL. Jared is 12, Jordan is 14 and the next up is Marc who is currently 16. They could be one of the largest brother acts since the Sutter brothers iced six in the NHL.

With the Islanders holding three second round selections, it will be very important that the Islander scouts do their homework. Barring future compensatory picks handed out, the Islanders should be looking at picks #'s 45, 48 and 52. 

Here are some possible second round picks: 

- Here is my biggest sleeper pick of the second round: LW Stefan Meyer. He's described as a guy that is "all about goals." Last season with Medicine Hat in the WHL Meyer compiled a Cy Young looking statistical mark of 36 goals, 16 assists, 52 points in 70 games played. Of course when you have numbers like that there are going to be some who question your defensive ability. But most believe he can be taught that side of the game. That's something that can be taught. The desire and passion to score goals can not.

- The Islanders biggest needs are players that can finish, put the puck in the net. Along with skilled forwards they really need to stock the system with good defensemen. With three second rounders the Islanders should at least come away with one good d-man, preferentially either a two way defenseman or a good stay at home guy. One possibility is Mike Egener out of Calgary of the WHL. He's described as a "tough as nails guy that is not a lot of fun to play against." At 6-3 1/2 and 195 pounds he has good size as well as he has been compared to a Ken Daneyko type. Another is Paul Bissonette. At 6-2 1/2 and 211 pounds he loves to stick up for his teammatesand is another heart and soul player. He has really moved up after a great performance at the top prospects game. The only knock on him is he has an odd skating style which may have to be worked on.

- Anyone who has the label "goal-scorer" in this draft should have all eyes on him that belong to New York Islander personnel. So keep an eye on another Bernier, no relation to Steve. Marc-Andre Bernier is considered a goal scorer but some say he lacks agility. He suffered a couple of injuries this past season down the stretch and only recorded 29 goals with Halifax of the QMJHL. If he develops he could turn out to be a good one. Jonathan Filewich is a big right winger projected as a future power forward. With Prince George of the WHL last season he averaged just over a point per game, but some question his work ethic.

- Keep an eye out for C Corey Locke of the Ottawa 67's. Last season he led the OHL in scoring going 63-88-151 in 66 games played, almost averaging a goal a game. He also impressed me in game 6 of the OHL Conference Finals against the St. Michael's Majors. Bloodied, Locke took a ton of stitches to the face in the third period, but came back and scored the game winning goal in OT. He is only 5'8 1/2" and 175 pounds, but has the guts and offensive ability to play pro. CSB has him ranked 61st while THN has him at 70th. 

- For recent islesinfo draft coverage including profiles on Zach Parise and Steve Tambellini, as well as other Islander draft goodies click the link for Draft Central 2003 on the links menu or at the bottom of this page.