|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Menu NYI Database News
//// //// //// //// |
Islanders 2005 Picks 1st round - one pick
2005 Draft Coverage Continued
From THN: C Ryan O'Marra Scouts really like O'Marra's size, skill level and ability to play in traffic and stay focused. Consistently a regular in the scoring summaries, he's easily someone a team could pencil in as a second-line center down the road. Consistency is a strong suit. Ranked: 16th by THN. CSB: A good skater for a player his size and is improving his agility and foot speed....solid on his skates and tough to knock off the puck....sees the ice well and moves the puck effectively through traffic....his soft hands make him a skilled playmaking type of forward....will carry the puck....always hovering around the net ready to release his good wrist shot....maintained a point per game pace throughout the season....a reliable face-off man....plays a steady two-way game and shows good hustle getting back to his own end....gives a consistent effort each shift at home and on the road....played the point on the power play and used on the penalty kill unit....not a punishing type forward, but does finish his check in all areas of the ice....selected fourth overall in the 2003 OHL priority selection....voted to the 2005 CHL Top Prospects game in Vancouver....member of Team Canada for the 2005 U-18 World Championships. ISS: We love this kid and expect him to have a breakout year. A 17-year-old native of Mississauga, O'Marra has natural goal-scoring instincts and may possess the best shot in the draft. O'Marra elevated his game to another level in the playoffs which demonstrates an ability to rise to the occasion. Has ability to find a seam and get open for a laser shot...can score goals from anywhere on the ice...uses size and reach effectively. Plays an aggressive and physical game; works well in the corners, finishes his checks, has good puck control at full speed, drives the net for rebounds and demonstrates good hands in close. Is a very good skater; nice long stride, good agility, speed, strength and balance. Plays well in both ends of the ice and works hard. A real team leader and a very talented player. Redline Report: A RLR favorite. Can do it all.
Very good skater with excellent, crisp edges, particularly for a big man.
Works well in all three zones and is very smart positionally- knows where
to be on the ice. Smart, heady player with good hands and a nose for the
net. Has pro size and plays a ppro style game. Very willing to battle
physically and can be dominant below the circles. Dangerous on both special
teams, and uses his long reach effectively on PK unit to break up passes
and transition to offence. Has very good offensive upside. Versatile,
equally adept in the middle and on the wing. Gets to the net for scoring
chances. Excelled in international competitions. Hasn't learned to bring
it every night as of yet; needs to develop consistency, but is determined
and motivated.
- islesinfo.com's Draft Profile for Ryan O'Marra
From THN: D Dustin Kohn What Kohn has going for him is hockey sense and an innate ability to generate offense. He doesn't mind the nitty-gritty of being a bruising defenseman and he's still growing. Scouts would like to see his foot speed improve. With the puck, though, he's very patient. Rank: 32nd by THN. CSB: A strong skater with a wide based stride....has good agility and he turns and pivots very well....a good puck carrier....supports the rush after head-manning the puck....an alert player who makes good decisions passing the puck....solid in the transition game....a smart player who anticipates the play in front of him....will pinch in front of the opposition's blue line to keep the puck down low for possession....controls the game in a poised and confident manner....very effective on the power play....has a hard wrist shot and slap shot from the point....throws hard open-ice hits and finishes his checks in all areas with authority....will block shots....has a good understanding of his defensive responsibilities and is quick to read the attack and adjusts to various situations....he has leadership qualities and does not back down from a challenge....played in the 2005 CHL Top Prospects game in Vancouver where he won the 150' dash competition.
- islesinfo.com's Draft Profile for Dustin Kohn
W Shea Guthrie A Canadian born player going through the American ranks, through high school and college instead of the traditional junior route. Also won the NEPSIHA and U. S. Hockey Report (USHR) Division II Player of the Year awards and was named to the Boston Globe's All-Scholastic Team two years in a row. Guthrie has averaged 50 points a season with the St. George Dragons.
- islesinfo.com's Draft Profile for Shea Guthrie
July 30, 2005: Let the Fun Begin.... 2:45pm EST: The first round has come to a finish and their are obviously still some very good prospects left who were expected to go higher. LW Guillaume Latendresse, C Ryan Stoa and D Brendan Mikkelson are still available. Will the Isles have some interest in one of these players or will they look for a defenseman or perhaps a left winger? Also, the Islanders may want to look for a goaltender in the third round or later on. Stay tuned.... 1:30pm EST: Very happy with the selection of C Ryan O'Marra. This strengthens the Isles depth at the center position and gives the Islanders someone who can probably, hopefully, take over for Michael Peca as the Islanders second line center two or three years down the line. Got to vent big time here! The MSG Network telecast of the Draft decides to cut in when O'Marra was approaching the stage to put on the Isles jersey so they can have Mike Crispino interview the Rangers selection Marc Staal over the phone. This is absolutely unacceptable and wrong!! Islanders fans didn't get to see O'Marra put on the Islanders jersey and later on when they did interview Ryan over the phone they had Stan Fischler asking him really stupid questions and telling him about how Mike Milbury was a defenseman. Also, when showing video of O'Marra with Erie, half of the video was of another player named Blunden. Horrible coverage! But I guess better than nothing. In the interview though, O'Marra seemed extremely articulate and very friendly. He will be a good addition to the Islander family. One interesting trivia note about O'Marra, even though he's lived most his life in Mississauga, Ont., he was actually born in Tokyo, Japan. More to come on the New York Islanders selection of C Ryan O'Marra with the 15th pick to come..... 1pm EST: Sidney Crosby goes first overall to Pittsburgh as expected. The top ten picks have passed and already we are seeing some teams go off the board. Surprisingly D Marc Staal and even more surprisingly C Anze Kopitar are still available. Could Kopitar slip to #15??? 12pm EST: This just in, the Islanders have received a compensatory 7th round pick, 196th overall as a result of the loss of Group III free agent D Alexander Karpovtsev. 11:15am EST: There are so many good players available at mid round today that it's hard to predict who the Islanders will be coming away with today. As one GM was quoted in the last few days, after the top seven or so picks you can find a player at #50 that could end up being just as good as a guy who might go nine or ten. Picked this up in a Michigan Newspaper this morning called the Times Herald: The Islanders are reportedly one of three teams interested in F Jimmy Fraser who has captained the U.S. Under-18 team for the last year and a half. Fraser, 5'11" and 188 lbs., is considered a defensive minded forward with excellent skating ability that some scouts deem NHL ready. According to Fraser he has been contacted by representatives of: the Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and New York Islanders. He is projected as a middle round draft pick and will be attending Harvard next fall where he claims he is 95% sure he will remain for the next four years.
- The 2005 NHL Entry Draft will seem like business as usual for the Islanders as they drew the 15th overall selection. Last year they had the 16th overall pick in the 2004 Draft and selected Finnish winger Petteri Nokelainen. Two years ago they had the 15th overall pick and took Swedish center Robert Nilsson. With a 2.1% chance at gaining the top overall pick through the lottery balls, the Islanders landed right in the middle. For those hoping for a higher finish there is a bit of a disappointment. Of course, winning Sidney Crosby would have been a dream come true. A top 7 finish would have been absolutely fantastic. Top 10 would have been great. But they could have also landed in the bottom twenty, which many of the teams in the same predicament, with the same odds, saw happen. If there is one good thing about 15th overall it's when the subsequent rounds snake the Islanders won't see a big gap between selections. It will be the same every time. Lottery Recap - Well, the Pittsburgh Penguins have apparently been saved once again. You hate to sound like sour grapes but as we mentioned earlier, they already had their Mario Lemieux. Now they get a true bona-fide heir apparent. I found myself almost rooting for Anaheim when there were two picks left. The Penguins were one of four teams with the maximum 3 balls in the machine. The other three teams with 3 balls did not fair as well. Columbus did good with the 6th overall pick, but Buffalo landed at #13. And much to the happiness of some Islander fans, the Rangers came out at #16. The Islanders managed to edge out the Rangers(odd that they both came out consecutively isn't it?) and the Devils drew the 23rd pick overall. Islanders Draft Preview - For the second time in the last three years the Islanders own the 15th overall pick in the draft. But don't fret Islander fans. There still should be some good young talent available when the Islanders "step up to the podium."(even though there won't be one to step up to this year). Following is a good guess as to who will be available at that position. But remember, teams sometimes go off the board, and at 15 you don't always know. At the end of the preview islesinfo will give it's annual prediction. Over the last two draft we are pretty proud to hold a 1-1 record. In 2003 we were dead on with the selection of Robert Nilsson. In 2004 we weren't that spot on with a prediction of defenseman A.J. Thelen, who ended up going earlier to the Minnesota Wild. After an impressive freshman year leading up to the draft, Thelen practically dropped off the map in 2004-05. At the same time, the Islanders selection of Petteri Nokelainen is still looking like a solid good pick. So now without further adieu, the next New York Islander first round pick could be..... D Luc Bourdon, 6'2", 185 lbs.: With the Islanders most likely looking at a totally revamped defense corp. entering 2005-06 and beyond, they may need to go with a defenseman in the first round. Bourdon is considered a safe and steady pick, something the Islanders considered last year when they selected Nokelainen. Bourdon may not be in the same class as Jack Johnson, but the Quebec league d-man is considered a physical force and makes other players pay for challenging him. He also has a very good offensive upside. C Martin Hanzal, 6'3", 189 lbs.: Hanzal is a high level offensive talent. He has good hands, great foot speed and very sound hockey sense. The only problem is his desire has been questioned. But Czech born players are for the most part always competitive and hard workers. Notched 44 points including 22 goals in 37 games with Budejovice Junior in 2004-05. RW Guillaume Latendresse, 6'2", 222 lbs.: A big power forward who has been gradually putting up some numbers in the Quebec League. Many believe he will probably challenge for the league scoring title next year now with Sidney Crosby most likely off to Pittsburgh. The only knock is his mobility, but the same is true for many big developing power forwards. Just give him time. Latendresse would be a very nice option for any team, but how bout the Islanders? Well, of course GM Mike Milbury is going to take the player he and his scouting staff believes is the best available(or the player they like the best). But in scanning the Islanders roster, the strongest position on the team is right wing. They are very deep at the NHL level with Trent Hunter, Arron Asham, Mark Parrish and Mattias Weinhandl. There are also plenty of prospects they have drafted over the last few years that are capable of filling in the right side. So that might play a factor in whether the Islanders draft by position. W Niklas Bergfors, 5'11", 192 lbs.: This Swedish player is described as a tireless skater that goes hard all night. He's skilled and brings a physical element to his game. He has soft, quick hands and is dangerous 1-on-1. A very good all around talent and could possibly be a very good one two punch alongside Robert Nilsson one day on the Island. His 34 points in 21 games played with Sotertalje Jr. last season was very impressive. C Ryan O'Marra, 6'2", 190 lbs.: O'Marra has size, skill and focus. He's regularly in the scoring summaries and consistency is considered his strong suit. Scouts project him as a future second line center, something the Islanders may be in the market for down the line. RW Devin Setoguchi, 5'11", 180 lbs.: A tenacious and consistent scorer last season in the WHL with Saskatoon where he scored 33 goals in his second season. Scouts say his defensive game and quickness are only average, but could improve. Other Possibilities: G Ondrej Pavelec, 6'2", 180 lbs.: A standup goaltender with a lot of poise and confidence. He also has a very sharp glove hand and overall reflexes. Don't expect to hear the Islanders select him with their pick. They do need a goaltender, but Rick DiPietro is their sold #1 and it's doubtful the Islanders are looking to give him some competition. They do need some depth at the position though, so don't be surprised if you do hear them take a goaltender in the 3rd or 5th round. As far as Pavelec, his stock has dropped a bit over the last month. C Marek Zagrapan, 6'1", 185 lbs.: Has overcome a shyness to physical play while honing his skill with Chicoutimi of the Quebec League instead of staying in Europe and the Czech Republic. Considered a finesse player who has speed and skill. He's always been a scorer but has added a defensive touch to his game which is admirable considering the offensive league he's in. Some other Notables.... In the last few years quite a few independent scouting services have cropped up with their own rating of the draft hopeful prospects. The consensus among them is not always the same, especially after the top ten. The International Scouting Service (ISS) has a few players slipping down in their ratings. According to them they have RW Jack Skille, C Alex Bourret, and D Ryan Parent all possibly available when the Islanders select at #15. Most other services have these players going in the top ten. Skille is considered another power forward type who has come up through the U.S. national program. Bourret is projected to be a high scoring player out of the Quebec League and is a stocky 5'10" and 214 lbs. Parent is another solid defenseman much like Staal and Bourdon and is considered a safe pick. TSN.ca in their mock draft has noted G Tuuka Rask from Finland as one of the best European goaltenders available along with Pavelec. They also like D Brian Lee, an offensive minded defenseman who will be attending North Dakota next season. Their selection for a dark horse mid round pick is C Andrew Cogliano, a Toronto native who has been recruited by Michigan. Cogliano scored 102 points for St. Mikes Jr. A in 2004-05. According to FoxSports.com keep an eye out for LW Kenndal McArdle, who scored 37 goals for Moose Jaw of the WHL last season. McKeen's Hockey Prospects has Marc Staal possibly slipping down to #15, as well as Jack Skille and G Carey Price, who is rated the highest among goaltenders by most other sources. Redline Report, another highly touted draft source, is high on Czech D Jakub Kindl, who like Zagrapan, came over a year early and played major junior hockey in the OHL. Here are the top rated #15 prospects by the independent scouting services: The Hockey News: G Ondrej Pavelec Player who averaged near #15 the most times on all lists: C Martin Hanzel In a new mock draft held this week by McKeen's Hockey they chose C Ryan Stoa at #15 to the Islanders. Stoa is a 6'3", 200 lbs. forward who has a physical side and is a good playmaker. They feel this ability would go well together with some of the Islanders smaller prospects like Bergenheim and Nokelainen. They also mentioned 6'2", 177 lbs. D Brendan Mikkelson. After two season's with Portland of the WHL, Mikkelson is described by scouts as not too flashy but dependable defensively. All in the Family... The Draft always seems to have a few names that ring a bell. This year is no different. Most notable this year is D Marc Staal, the first of three younger brothers of 2003 second overall selection Eric Staal. There are a few other notable names who would make very good candidates for second or third round selections. C Paul Stastny, son of Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, last year as a freshman with Denver University was an integral part in helping his team repeat as NCAA Champions. He has very good hands and offensive instincts as he recorded 42 points in 40 games played. Paul's older brother Yan Stastny was drafted in 2002 by the Boston Bruins. Then you have Ohio State's LW Tom Fritsche, younger brother of Dan who was drafted by Columbus in the second round in 2003. Tom is considered not as flashy as Dan but is a dependable workhorse. Brendan Mikkelson is the son of Bill Mikkelson who played for the Washington Capitals in the 1970's. Lastly among the most notable relations is LW Siarhei Kostitsyn, who is the younger brother of the Montreal Canadien's 2003 first round pick Andrei. The forward from Belarus is believed to be at the same skill level as his older brother but he's a smaller package at 5'11" and 181 lbs. Not the Year of the European Unlike last year, the 2005 NHL Entry Draft is not a great one for European born players. Don't expect to see any go particularly very high as they did in 2004 when Russian's Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeny Malkin went first and second respectively. 2005 is considered a strong draft for North American born players. In fact there are a few good American born players available. Already mentioned are talented prospects like Paul Stastny and Tom Fritsche. Keep an eye out for Michigan star freshman C T.J. Hensick, who opted out of the 2004 Draft. Hensick was a bit disappointing for the U.S. squad at the 2005 World Junior Championships, but has a lot of offensive potential despite a small frame of 5'10" and 180 lbs. islesinfo.com Prediction This is yet another extremely hard decision just as it was last year with a mid round selection. The Islanders have gone with European born players each of the last three years with Sean Bergenheim in 2002, Nilsson in 2003 and Nokelainen in 2004. Last year they hinted at shying away from Europe only to surprise everyone with their pick. This year could have the same result. You could look at two possible reasons for the Islanders recent attraction to European players. First, under the old CBA European draft rights were held for almost ever, whereas North American players and particularly Canadian Juniors had to be signed after two years. So drafting a European was basically deemed as a cheaper alternative. But that will change in the new CBA as European players will now fall under the same rules. It's doubtful though that this was the Islanders reason for drafting Europeans. I believe it's more likely they went with the best player. But even more so, if you look at the Islanders scouting staff, the strongest scouts they have are European themselves, led by former Islander Anders Kallur. Guillaume Latendresse looks like he'd make a very good selection, but as mentioned earlier the Islanders are very deep down the right side, and unless you are drafting high teams usually tend to take need into account a little more than just taking the best talent. Plus, the Islanders have tended to stray away from the power right wingers ever since failing with Todd Bertuzzi. Now if you look at the Islanders most pressing need it is most likely defense. While they could never go wrong with adding depth to the blue line, unless they had a chance at a bonafide #1 d-man like a Jack Johnson, the Islanders will probably most likely wait till the later rounds to add a defenseman. I believe the Islanders will add to their growing crop of young offensive forwards. That is why I like Swedish winger Niklas Bergfors. Once again it's a tough decision because it would be nice to see them draft a North American player for a change with that first pick and Ryan O'Marra sounds like he would be a solid player down the middle for years to come. But Bergfors could become an exciting player. He has all around skill and may possibly play more than one forward position. He has physical presence, the 1-on-1 skill and he's Swedish, just like Kallur. You can bet Kallur has taken a long look at him. Of course Tony Feltrin is the Islanders scouting head and his input will play a major part in the decision. One player that has risen on many services draft lists over the last month is Marek Zagrapan. So keep an eye out for him and enjoy the draft. islesinfo.com prediction: Islanders select W Niklas Bergfors #15th overall. July 29, 2005 Update During the week leading up to the draft, GM Mike Milbury commented quickly on one player in the draft that he liked. He mentioned that Slovenian C Anze Kopitar reminded him of a Ron Francis type of player. Now it's doubtful the Islanders will have any crack at drafting Kopitar since he is slated to go somewhere in the top five. It has been rumored that the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, headed by GM Brian Burke, may be willing to deal the 2nd overall selection in return for some established players. Once again it's doubtful the Islanders would be a good trading partner for them. In other news, it seems as though the islesinfo.com predicted pick, Niklas Bergfors, has slipped down on a few scouts lists and could end up somewhere in the late first round. If this becomes true, islesinfo does not want to go back on it's prediction, but since this draft at #15 is so hard to predict we will just tell you to keep an eye out for two players: Quebec League center's Marek Zagrapan and Alex Bourret. The Draft can be seen on TSN.ca in Canada for two hours from 12 to 2pm, most likely covering the first round. MSG Network is suppose to pick up the TSN feed for those in the U.S. tidbits: The Islanders, should they keep the 15th overall selection, will have selected in that position for the fourth time in team history. That would also be a team record. In 1977 they drafted Hall of Famer Mike Bossy and followed that up with Steve Tambellini in 1978. In 2003 the Islanders selected Robert Nilsson....the Islanders 6 selections in Saturday's draft would tie a team record for least amount of players selected in a single draft. The Islanders came away with 6 players in the 1976 Draft, 29 years ago. Incidentally enough, that is also the only Islanders draft that saw every player selected play in at least one game with the Islanders during their careers. 10pm News, Friday: The talk more and more is that after drafting European the last three drafts it is safe to bet the Islanders will go North American this year. But that's what they said last year. It's also a possibility that the Islanders may be focusing on defense with their first pick. If that is true they may be hoping that Luc Bourdon slips down to the #15 position as he is considered the next best d-man with offensive potential after Jack Johnson. A player I forgot to mention to keep an eye out for is London Knights defenseman Danny Syvret, who had an excellent tournament for Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships. He's a little short at 5'11" but he has a 203 lbs. frame and put up some great numbers in the OHL last season en-route to the Memorial Cup. In 2004-05 he scored 23 goals from the blue line and totaled 69 points in 62 games played.
The even better news, especially for NHL fans in the United States, is that there should be opportunities to view the whole selection process. NHL.com is planning to have a live streaming feed of the event. Also, MSG Network announced today that they will televise it. - All fingers are crossed for Islander fans as they can only dream of hearing Gary Bettman count down from #30 to #1 and be the last team called. But as said in earlier updates, a top seven finish would be absolutely superb as well. - When the Islanders position is learned I will begin to have more previews and Draft news. One note not mentioned earlier is that each subsequent round of the draft will snake back and forth. So whoever gets the #1 pick won't choose again until pick #60(like it would matter?). Whoever gets the #30 selection will pick again right away at #31.
July 17, 2005: The 2005 NHL Entry Draft apparently is slated to take place on July 30th. The draft lottery is to take place July 21st, the same day it is believed the new CBA will be ratified by the NHLPA. It is now believed that the format for the lottery will not be a equally weighted system among the 30 NHL teams, but the earlier rumored system which considers the last four years of play. - islesinfo does not want to sound like sour grapes over this decision, but this system will obviously lessen the Islanders chances of gaining the #1 overall selection, which will undoubtedly be Sidney Crosby. There seems to be many who are unhappy with this decision throughout the NHL including some GM's. If that's the truth then why did the owners agree to go with this format? Did the NHLPA have any say over this? Or could it be what is rumored in some circles as a possible conspiracy to land Crosby in a particular market? Possibly a New York market, and I don't mean our beloved New York Islanders. Under this proposed format every team started off with 3 lottery balls. For every time a team made the playoffs over the past three seasons of play they had a ball taken away. BUT, every team is guaranteed at least one ball. Also, something which may have hurt the Islanders is that any team which already had the #1 selection overall within the previous FOUR draft would have a ball taken away. This includes the 2001 Draft where the Islanders won the lottery and selected goaltender Rick DiPietro. Here are the projected percentages for winning the first overall selection under this lottery format: THREE BALLS (6.25%) Buffalo Sabres; Columbus Blue Jackets; N.Y. Rangers; Pittsburgh Penguins. TWO BALLS (4.17%) Anaheim Mighty Ducks; Atlanta Thrashers; Calgary Flames; Carolina Hurricanes; Chicago Blackhawks; Edmonton Oilers; Los Angeles Kings; Minnesota Wild; Nashville Predators; Phoenix Coyotes. ONE BALL (2.08%) Boston Bruins; Colorado Avalanche; Dallas Stars; Detroit Red Wings; Florida Panthers; Montreal Canadiens; New Jersey Devils; N.Y. Islanders; Ottawa Senators; Philadelphia Flyers. San Jose Sharks; St. Louis Blues; Tampa Bay Lightning; Toronto Maple Leafs; Vancouver Canucks; Washington Capitals. - So the Islanders have only a 2.08 percent probability their ball will come up giving them the first overall pick, as do 15 other NHL teams. 10 NHL teams have a 4.17 percent chance. And only 4 teams have a 6.25 percent chance of gaining the top pick. One of those teams is the New York Rangers. Hmmmm, smell a rat? The Impact of Sidney Crosby... - Let's discuss the impact of what Sidney Crosby would do for an NHL franchise. For the Islanders it might quite possibly rank right up there with winning the Stanley Cup! Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. But it would be damn close. Crosby is being mentioned in the same company as Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Plus he is being billed as the best prospect to enter the draft since Eric Lindros. Crosby would bring a spotlight to the Island like possibly no player ever before. Yes, we've had some of the greatest, but not during the new Millennium of hockey and media coverage. Crosby as an impact player could quite possibly instantly become the Islanders best player. - Now let's look at these other scenarios. Back in the early 1980's the NBA, needing a big shot in the arm, were rumored to have somehow rigged their draft so that the New York Knicks landed the first overall pick, giving them Patrick Ewing. The lottery format that has been chosen for this upcoming NHL draft could bring some skeptics to question it's validity especially if it does come out towards the Rangers favor. It has come to light in the last few days that despite constant efforts by executives involved in Ottawa, the NHL has declined to hold some kind of scaled down NHL Draft event. What may be even more alarming, considering the league needs to become more fan friendly and even more so validate this lottery format, is that the NHL has turned down requests to televise the lottery selection. This has already brought on some skepticism. Is the NHL's refusal to televise the draft lottery because they don't want anyone to see them tossing back any balls that come up that belong to a low market NHL franchise? - As far as the other team's with the highest percentage, and yes this may sound hypocritical, but who wants to see Crosby land in Columbus? Pittsburgh already got their Mario Lemieux. Does that mean they don't deserve Crosby? Well......yes it does! And Buffalo? I don't know about that either.(This paragraph is purely a New York Islander fans point of view) - But overall, let's just hope whatever the outcome it is good for the league. But even more importantly, let's hope that first ball that comes out has a blue, orange and white stripe around it! ;) Update - It seems the NHL has had a change of view on whether they should televise the lottery which is now scheduled for Friday, July 22nd. Apparently, following much criticism over the last couple of days, the NHL has decided to allow TSN in Canada to televise the results of the lottery, similar to the NBA event. The actual drawing of the lottery balls won't be televised. Instead the most likely scenario will be Commissioner Gary Bettman announcing the results in a backwards order from pick #30 all the way down to the coveted #1 overall selection. It's a shame this may not be televised in the United States as this definitely sounds like some good drama.
- With recent news that the NHL lockout may be finally coming to a merciful end, it's time to start getting excited that their will actually be an NHL Draft this summer. Of course it probably won't have the usual fanfare since it most likely won't be televised. It is now believed that the event, originally slated for late June in Ottawa, will most likely take place somewhere around the first weekend of August and the selections will be posted over the internet from the NHL's New York offices. - With the NHL missing an entire season, the biggest question for the 2005 Draft of course is what will the selection order be and how will it be determined. A couple of months ago a rumor was circulating that every team would be involved in a weighted lottery. Order of finishes would be taken into account for a certain number of years, like the last four, and those teams with the lowest combined amount of finishes over that period would have more balls placed in the lottery machine. But there could be backlash by some NHL executives over this format who may feel that this system would favor inept teams that either overspent and failed or already had their chances to draft highly ranked prospects. Also, some of the teams that have done well over the last four years may want some kind of reward for having to accept a salary cap in the new CBA. That means a more likely rumor coming to fruition and that's a fully weighted lottery in which every team will have an equal chance to gain the #1 overall pick and every subsequent pick after. - Well, now that we got that all out of the way, let's talk about what's most important...the New York Islanders. Recently a mock draft was held by the International Scouting Service(ISS), a scouting service that has risen to popularity over the last couple of years. Using the fully weighted lottery where every team had an equal opportunity, the Islanders came out with the 26th pick overall. Obviously this would not be good news for the Islanders. The team to win the ISS mock draft #1 overall selection was the Toronto Maple Leafs. But this is obviously prefaced by the fact that the results could be totally different every time. Where do the Islanders need to finish? Well, obviously it would be a dream come true to gain the top selection and come away with this years phenom Sidney Crosby. But basically anywhere in the top 6 or 7 would be a dream come true for the Islanders and their fans. - We all know that the best way to build a championship team is from the goal out. Right now the Islanders don't need to worry about their top goaltender as they should be alright with Rick DiPietro. With a good team in front of him he is probably capable of taking the Islanders deep into the playoffs. What exactly are the Islanders looking for in this draft and what do they need? Here's a look at the top prospects available: 1. C Sidney Crosby, 5'10" 175 lbs: He has pretty much been anointed the heir apparent by Wayne Gretzky and the consensus is that he is the best prospect since Eric Lindros. So how great would it be for the Islanders to land the #1 overall pick? There is a good possibility that if that happened Crosby would immediately become the Islanders best player. If Alexei Yashin accepted a second line center role it would be even better. Or perhaps Yashin could be moved to the left side and Crosby may be able to help the Islanders get more out of Alexei than ever before with a bonafide player skating alongside him. 2. D Jack Johnson, 6'1", 200 lbs: Back in the glory years the Islanders had one of the most dominant defensemen to ever lace on skates in Denis Potvin. Now of course islesinfo would not go as far to compare any defenseman in this draft to Denis, but Johnson is far and away the best defensive prospect in this draft and he could be a future #1 d-man on any club. With the Islanders looking more and more like only one or two of their top four defensemen from 2003-04 will return for 2005-06, they sure could use a top flight stud defenseman to come up through their system and possibly one day take the reigns as the go to guy on the blue line in all situations. 3. LW Benoit Pouliot, 6'2", 180 lbs: Any other year Pouliot would probably be the consensus #1 selection. There are a lot of scouts who believe Pouliot could be cut from the same mold as Vincent Lecavalier. What's also good about him is he is a left winger which is difficult to find at the level of player he is projected to be. Scouts say he has the full package with size, character, speed and great offensive instinct. 4. C Gilbert Brule, 5'10", 180 lbs: Brule for a while was considered the second best prospect to Crosby. One intangible that separates Brule from the other prospects is that he has already proven he loves to compete. He'll go through a wall for his team and is considered a can't miss producer and future leader. 5. RW Bobby Ryan, 6'1" 224 lbs: Ryan is a big winger that has been compared to Rick Nash. As with many big power forwards, Ryan has received some criticism on his skating and probably could improve in that area. 6. C Anze Kopitar, 6'2", 202 lbs: Will most likely become the highest drafted Slovenian player ever drafted. Scouts also believe he has the full package of skating, shot, hockey sense, attitude and play making. 7. RW Jack Skille, 6'1", 200 lbs: Big Wisconsin born winger is projected as a solid second line player in the NHL.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1998-2005 Tom Mascioli
