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	Isles Take C Petteri Nokelainen
	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 16th pick.

2004 Islanders Selection Board
RD	#	Selection	Pos.	Ht	Wt	From
1	16	Petteri Nokelainen	C	6-1	190	SaiPa Lappeenranta, FIN
2	47	Blake Comeau	RW	6-1	198	Kelowna, WHL
3	82	Sergei Ogorodnikov	C	6-1	185	Tver, RUS
4	115	Wes O'Neill	D	6-4	200	Notre Dame, CCHA
5	148	Steve Regier	LW	6-5	195	Medicine Hat, WHL
6	179	Jaroslav Mrazek	D	6-3	198	Sparta, CZE
7	210	Emil Axelsson	D	6-3	198	Orebro, SWE
7	227	Chris Campoli	D	6-0	192	Erie, OHL
8	244	Jason Pitton	LW	6-2	196	Sault. Ste. Marie, OHL
9	276	Sylvain Michaud	G	5-11	180	Drummondville, QMJHL

Islanders 2004 Picks

1st round - 16th overall
2nd round - one pick
3rd round - one pick
4th round - one pick
5th round - one pick
6th round - one pick
7th round - 2 selections: NYI & PHI (acquired in Mattias Timander deal)
8th round - one pick
9th round - one pick
Total: 10 selections

Pre-Draft Info:

Milbury: "We Have Eyes on Sleeper"

June 23: In a pre-draft conference with the media Wednesday night, Isles GM Mike Milbury stated that it could be a quiet weekend for the Islanders at the draft. That means don't expect a deal for the #1 overall pick, and with the looming prospects of a lockout this fall there may not be many deals at all by NHL clubs. He also said that the team will most likely use their 16th pick on Saturday to select a player.

- Milbury went on to tell the media that there is one player who may not be very high on many teams' draft lists but the Islander scouts are really enamored with him. At the same time he stated they don't believe the player will still be available by #16 but they are hoping he will be. When asked what type of players the Islanders are looking at Milbury was quoted as saying "skilled players who compete." He also tipped his hat that the team has acquired some good young forwards through the draft in recent years and this will finally be a draft that the Isles focus on defense, especially with some current d-men becoming free agents this summer.

islesinfo comment: Once again, with the Islanders scouting staff being dominated by European scouts it's possible that the sleeper pick could be either defenseman Boris Valabik or Finnish winger Lauri Korpikoski. Though with Milbury stating he thinks the player could be gone by the 16th pick, could he be refering to islesinfo's pick D A.J. Thelen. The college defenseman has seemingly risen on many draft lists over the last couple of weeks and could make it into the top 10. Or could this sleeper be someone pulled out of left field? It's quite possible the way this draft is shaping out. A player ranked 3rd on one teams list could be ranked 15th on another.

- The Capitals and their GM George McPhee have raised some speculation in the last couple of weeks that perhaps it is not a slam dunk that they will use the selection. McPhee has yet to have any discussions with Ovechkin and the way they have cut payroll over the last year signing the phenom long term may not be in owner Ted Leonsis' plans. The Chicago Blackhawks are rumored to be gunning hard for the pick. The Detroit Red Wings are said to be involved, as were the Florida Panthers before recent GM Rick Dudley was fired. Some may remember Dudley tried to pull one over the NHL's eyes last summer when he tried challenging a ruling in the league's drafting age clause when he attempted to select Ovechkin in the 9th round. He was overruled. Most believe Ovechkin is ready to play in the NHL next season, or as soon as the league gets underway again.

islesinfo comment: I would love to see the Islanders pull this off. But it may be a pipe dream. The Caps could just be posturing. It always seems like the Islanders names are always dropped, or at least involved in little talks here and there. But nothing major ever happens. But if the Islanders do decide to shake things up and get rid of some guys who haven't been getting it done over the last couple of years, adding a potential superstar to the mix at the end of the day would definitely bring some hope and excitement to the team. But who can the Islanders give up? Obviously the Capitals would be interested in inexpensive talent. The Islander DO have some pretty good young players with Calder Trophy runner-up Trent Hunter, Mattias Weinhandl, Sean Bergenheim and Robert Nilsson. Or would the Caps be interested in say a Mark Parrish, one of Roman Hamrlik or Janne Niinimaa, a flop of first round picks and say another 1st round pick in 2005? Hell, they took a lot less than that for Jaromir Jagr. So anything's possible. 

- If I had to make a prediction I wouldn't expect to see the Islanders acquire Ovechkin, but there could be a deal or two on Draft Day. BUT, there is a possibility there won't. Remember last year in Nashville, there were not many trades made due to the fear of this years impending lockout. So what will happen this year, with it possibly right around the corner?

	Isles History with the 16th Pick
	The Islanders hold a .500 record with their history of selecting 16th overall in the NHL Draft. In 1983 they selected D Gerald Diduck, who went on to have a pretty good career in the NHL. Their one miss came in 1988 when they selected D Kevin Cheveldayoff 16th overall. Thanks to some major knee injuries, Cheveldayoff never made it to the NHL.

16th picks since 1983:

- Since the Islanders selected Gerald Diduck in 1983, the 16th spot has really only produced one superstar caliber player: Markus Naslund in 1991. Tom Chorske, Jamie Heward and Eric Fichaud would all have a very brief cup of coffee in New York with the Islanders.

	Flashback
	The Islanders looked like sure bets to win their fifth straight Stanley Cup when they announced in March of 1984 that they had signed Olympians Patrick Flatley and Pat LaFontaine to join their already potent offense.

First Round Preview
June 6: With the draft only 3 weeks away, are the Islanders in for big changes? GM Mike Milbury will have a lot of decisions to make. Will he use the 16th pick to take a player? Or does he consider moving the pick in an effort to obtain the physical d-man or scoring winger the team needs? Will the looming potential of a lockout play a factor? We'll find out soon enough.....but first:

- Alexander Radulov     RW     6'1"  178 lbs.
Born in Moscow, Russia 7/5/86. The younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks promising prospect Igor Radulov. There have been conflicting reviews of Alexander's play this past season for his team Tver in Russia. On one hand he is described as a player with immense skill, deceptive moves and exceptional one on one ability. He works very hard and shows excellent pursuit of the puck at all times. While he exhibits this toughness on his skates and often likes to run over the opposition to obtain the puck, some scouts also believe him to back off when the opposition gets physical with him. But scouts also like that he plays with emotion. He has been described as a bit of a hot head after a few run ins with officials this past year.

- Enver Lisin     RW     6'2"   190 lbs.
Born in Voskresensk, Russia 4/22/86. NHL scouts have had a hard time trying to figure out Enver Lisin. His biggest asset is his blazing speed. Considered a sniper his biggest knock has been that he doesn't play a lick of defense. Critics say because of his speed he is lazy and never comes back to the defensive zone. Scouts also question his thinking with the puck. One game he will use his blazing speed and make nice plays. The next he will make bad decisions and passes. Most believe Lisin will frustrate his first NHL coach but these flaws are not something that should deter teams from selecting him. His speed is very attractive and he might learn to be more responsible defensively. He has some size, but islesinfo does not think the Islanders will consider Lisin as they already have a similar player speedwise, minus the sniper tag, in Sean Bergenheim.    

- A.J. Thelen     D   6'3"   205 lbs.
Born in Savage, Minnesota 3/11/86. According to NHL scouts, there doesn't seem to be any real stud defensemen available in this years draft. But there are a few who could make an impact contrary to what the scouts believe. One blueliner who could look very attractive to the Islanders at the 16th pick is Michigan State Freshman A.J. Thelen. He has great size for a defenseman and only should get bigger. Add that to the fact that he led the NCAA, the ENTIRE nation, among defensemen in scoring with 29 points in 2003-04 as a freshman and the NHL could have a player that has been vastly underrated coming into the draft. Not many flaws have been found in his game. Thelen right now is projected as a skilled d-man that can carry the puck out of his own end and quarterback the powerplay. He also uses his size well, not overly, but dishes out the same punishment he receives. Scouts believe he's at least 2 years away from making the jump.

- Alexandre Picard     LW   6'2"   190 lbs.
Born in Les Saules, Quebec 10/9/85. Picard has a great work ethic. The French Canadian recently learned how to speak English which shows he has character, something the Islanders need in their locker room. He has a bent over style of skating, but most believe it is not an issue. He could use some work on his defensive play, but what kid doesn't especially in the QMJHL where he scored 39 goals and 80 points in his second full year with Lewiston last season. Most scouts believe he is capable of turning his game up another notch, but they are usually impressed with his game by the end of the night. On many nights he's described as not a standout but always seems to have at least two points and is a plus player. Picard has been mentioned as a Ryan Smyth type player for his work ethic.

- Devan Dubnyk     G   6'6"   194 lbs.
Born in Calgary, Alberta 5/4/86. This draft is deep in goaltenders. Rated second among North American goaltenders and third overall, Dubnyk is huge at 6'6". A couple of goaltenders have played in the NHL at 6'5", former Islander Stephen Valiquette being one of them. For a big kid, scouts describe Dubnyk as being very agile with good lateral movement. With his big frame he doesn't give shooters much to look at. With Marc-Andre Fleury probably joining Pittsburgh for good next season, Dubnyk will be counted on for Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2005. As far as the Islanders are concerned, they already have their man in Rick DiPietro. So you can pretty much scratch Dubnyk of their draft list on June 26th.

- Kyle Chipchura     C   6'2"   197 lbs.
Born in Vimy, Alberta 2/19/86. Chipchura, a teammate of Islanders 2003 second round pick Jeremy Colliton of the Prince Albert Raiders(WHL), started the 2003-04 season with a bang. He was so good that when the Central Scouting Bureau released their mid year rankings Chipchura was rated as the #1 North American available. His terrible second half really hurt him in the final rankings as he slipped to 4th among North Americans according to the CSB and most scouts figure he'll now go somewhere between the 10th and 20th selections. The knock on him is that he probably won't be a big goal scorer in the NHL and is most likely slated for third line duty. But he is a scrappy Canadian player, very good at killing penalties, checking and taking faceoffs. He's another character type player that the Islanders may want to take a good look at and probably have as they've kept tabs on Colliton all season..  

- Wojtek Wolski     LW   6'3"   200 lbs.
Born in Zabrze, Poland 2/24/86. Wolski (pronounced voy-tek vol-ski) should be another very attractive player when the Islanders step up to the selection podium on the 26th. Originally born in Poland, Wolski and his parents moved to Canada when he was at a young age. The family was basically poor using hand me down hockey equipment for their two sons. Wojtek continued to develop into a solid prospect and he has excellent size to boot. He uses it well as he likes to go to the net and play along the boards. These are traits every NHL team looks for in a gritty power forward type player. He has improved each of his two years in Brampton(OHL) and should come close to reaching the 40 goal, 100 point mark in 2004-05. 

Some other notables to keep an eye on: Much has been said over the last year of the attitude of London(OHL) C Robbie Schremp during the course of the 2003-04 season. He is most definitely this years version of Patrick O'Sullivan, who was drafted last year by Minnesota in the second round. But most likely the same thing will not happen to Schremp. Many scouts believe his character is not in question, even though he demanded a trade from Mississauga, the team he played for and drafted him in 2002-03, and eventually got his wish when Schremp was dealt to the powerhouse Knights before 2003-04. It's most likely that he will be gone by the time the Islanders select 16th, but many scouting services have him possible going between 13 and 20th overall.....The WHL's leading rookie scorer, Clagary Hitmen's LW Andrew Ladd is described as a player who likes the rough game and likes to play in the corners. He rose out of nowhere this season and produced 75 points(30 goals) in 71 games to overtake Chipchura as the CSB's top rated North American. Even with that on his resume most believe Ladd will land between 5-10 at the NHL draft. It's also unlikely he'll be available at 16. 

- Keep an eye on big RW Drew Stafford. The 6'2" 202lbs winger with North Dakota of the WCHA has been mentioned as a Michael Peca type player. Stafford was a key member of the U.S. squad that won their first gold medal earlier this year at the WJC's. He's not the type you throw out on the powerplay but he's a character player that likes to muck and grind......I mentioned that the Islanders will most likely show interest in A.J. Thelen because of their need for depth and young skilled talent on their blueline. Ever since they got rid of Zdeno Chara the Islanders have sorely missed his presence back there. The Islanders need a physical big mobile defenseman to clear the crease. Chara has become all that as a Norris Trophy candidate in Ottawa. Another Slovak,  D Boris Valabik, has been described as a Chara clone at 6'7" 212lbs. Valabik has so far followed the same footsteps as Chara in his developement by joining the OHL and the Kitchener Rangers last season. He racked up 278 PIM's in 68 games played and added 15 points. Scouts say he plays mean and dirty and doesn't care if the opposing player in 5'6" or 6'5", he'll come at you. He's very competitive and played against the opposing teams' top lines on most nights late during the season.

- One final sleeper that i'll mention is a very slick skating Finnish player that has risen up in the rankings very fast this past year. 6'1" 183 pounds, LW Lauri Korpikoski has many scouts talking. He can play tough, play the skill game, and is another player with blazing speed al la Bergenheim. Many scouts put a lot of clout in what a player does in the World Uner-18 Tournament and Korpikoski led the tournament in scoring with 11 points, along with his linemates Lauri Tukonen and Petteri Nokelainen who both also are first round hopefuls this year. 

Rumors: Word out of Edmonton is that they are considering taking Schremp or Dubnyk at #14. The Oilers are very thin in goal throughout their system and they may opt for Dubnyk. The NY Rangers are rumored to be interested in Stafford at #6.

islesinfo prediction: Some of you may recall that islesinfo was right on the money in 2003 predicting that the Islanders would take C Robert Nilsson with the 15th overall selection. Ok ok, enough patting on the back. There was one stipulation, and that was if Zach Parise was still available the Islanders may opt for him instead. Well he was available but the Isles stuck with Nilsson. With this years draft being dubbed not exceptionally deep the pool of talent after the first two picks is very much a toss up. It may depend on who a team likes and what their long term needs are. That being said I have narrowed my selection down to one, but their are so many who could be a solid selection at the 16th pick. In the last few weeks, it seemed like the Islanders would be in a good position to get a quality forward with Chipchura slipping down, Schremp possibly slipping down into the teens and Wolski slated to go mid-round. But after reading all the bio's, that of D A.J. Thelen just looks so appetizing to what the Islanders need in the future. He has great size for a puck moving defenseman and he will only get better, bigger and smarter. He led the entire nation in scoring with 29 points among d-men as a freshman, two more points than Islanders prospect Ryan Caldwell, and does not back down from the physical play. While the Islanders top four on defense get older, and who knows if all of them will return next season, they need to start thinking about their future on D. So while I like many players this year and wouldn't be disappointed if the Islanders went for any of Radulov, Picard, Chipchura, Wolski, Schremp or even Valabik, the islesinfo prediction for the Islanders is Thelen at 16.

The Scouts:

Mike Milbury - General Manager
Tony Feltrin - Head Amateur Scout
Anders Kallur - Sweden/Finland Scout
Ryan Jankowski - Chief European Scout
Jim Madigan - U.S. scout
Mario Saraceno - his father selected Mike Bossy. Mario also covers the QMJHL
Earl Ingarfield - Western scout
Brian Hunter - U.S. scout
Karel Pavlik - Czech scout
Yuri Karmanov - Russian amateur scout
Harri Rindell - Finnish scout
Harkie Singh - Western scout
Al McPherson - Western Scout
Jay Heinbuck - U.S. amateur scout
Todd Stirling - U.S. Scout
David McNamara - Ontario Scout
Doug Gibson - Ontario scout
Mirslav Hlinka - Slovakian Scout
Kevin Maxwell - Assistant director of pro scouting
Ken Morrow - Director of pro scouting