2009 NHL draft thread

[caps05]

I'll be covering this, posting pick by pick as they happen and any trades that go down.

Unlike last year, I'll be able to watch the whole shebang, since I get the NHL Network now.

I'll post the picks in this post, so folks don't have to try to figure out where they are.

Round #1:

#1. John Tavares to the Islanders
#2. Victor Hedman to Tampa Bay
#3. Matt Duchene to Colorado
#4. Evander Kane to Atlanta
#5. Brayden Schenn to Los Angeles
#6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Phoenix
#7. Nazem Kadri to Toronto
#8. Scott Glennie to Dallas
#9. Jared Cowen to Ottawa
#10. Magnus Paarjavi-Svensson to Edmonton
#11. Ryan Ellis to Nashville
#12. Calvin DeHaan to the Islanders
#13. Zack Kassian to Buffalo.
#14. Dmitry Kulikov to Florida.
#15. Peter Holland to Anaheim.
#16. Nick Leddy to Minnesota.
#17. David Rundblad to St. Louis.
#18. Louis Leblanc to Montreal.
#19. Chris Kreider to the Rangers.
#20. Jacob Josefson to New Jersey.
#21. John Moore to Columbus.
#22. Jordan Schroeder to Vancouver.
#23. Tim Erixon to Calgary.
#24. Marcus Johansson to Washington.
#25. Jordan Caron to Boston.
#26. Kyle Palmieri to Anaheim.
#27. Philippe Paradis to Carolina.
#28. Dylan Olsen to Chicago.
#29. Carter Ashton to Tampa Bay.
#30. Simon Despres to Pittsburgh.

Round #2:

#31. Mikko Koskinen to the Islanders.
#32. Landon Ferraro to Detroit.
#33. Ryan O'Reilly to Colorado.
#34. Carl Klingberg to Atlanta.
#35. Kyle Clifford to Los Angeles.
#36. Chris Brown to Phoenix.
#37. Matt Clark to Anaheim.
#38. Alex Chiasson to Dallas.
#39. Jakob Silfverberg to Ottawa.
#40. Anton Lander to Edmonton.
#41. Zach Budish to Nashville.
#42. Charles-Olivier Roussel to Nashville.
#43. William Wrenn to San Jose.
#44. Drew Shore to Florida.
#45. Jeremy Morin to Atlanta.
#46. Robin Lehner to Ottawa.
#47. Ethan Werek to the Rangers.
#48. Brett Ponich to St. Louis.
#49. Stefan Elliott to Colorado.
#50. Kenny Ryan to Toronto.
#51. Brian Dumoulin to Carolina.
#52. Richard Panik to Tampa Bay.
#53. Anton Rodin to Vancouver.
#54. Eric Gelinas to New Jersey.
#55. Dmitri Orlov to Washington.
#56. Kevin Lynch to Columbus.
#57. Taylor Doherty to San Jose.
#58. Jesse Blacker to Toronto.
#59. Brandon Pirri to Chicago.
#60. Tomas Tatar to Detroit.
#61. Philip Samuelsson to Pittsburgh.

Round #3:

#62. Anders Nilsson to the Islanders.
#63. Ben Hanowski to Pittsburgh.
#64. Tyson Barrie to Colorado.
#65. Joonas Nattinen to Montreal.
#66. Brayden McNabb to Buffalo.
#67. Josh Birkholz to Florida.
#68. Jamie Devane to Toronto.
#69. Reilly Smith to Dallas.
#70. Taylor Beck to Nashville.
#71. Troy Hesketh to Edmonton.
#72. Michael Latta to Nashville.
#73. Alexander Urbom to New Jersey.
#74. Ryan Howse to Calgary.
#75. Andrej Nestrasil to Detroit.
#76. Igor Bobkov to Anaheim.
#77. Matthew Hackett to Minnesota.
#78. Sergei Andronov to St. Louis.
#79. Mac Bennett to Montreal.
#80. Ryan Bourque to the Rangers.
#81. Adam Morrison to Philadelphia.
#82. Cameron Abney to Edmonton.
#83. Kevin Connauton to Vancouver.
#84. Nicolas Deslauriers to Los Angeles.
#85. Cody Eakin to Washington.
#86. Ryan Button to Boston.
#87. Simon Bertilsson to Philadelphia.
#88. Mattias Lindstrom to Carolina.
#89. Daniel Delisle to Chicago.
#90. Gleason Fournier to Detroit.
#91. Michael Lee to Phoenix.

Round #4:

#92. Casey Cizikas to the Islanders.
#93. Alex Hutchings to Tampa Bay.
#94. David Savard to Columbus.
#95. Jean-Francois Berube to Los Angeles.
#96. Linden Vey to Los Angeles.
#97. Jordan Szwarz to Phoenix.
#98. Craig Smith to Nashville.
#99. Kyle Bigos to Edmonton.
#100. Chris Wideman to Ottawa.
#101. Toni Rajala to Edmonton.
#102. Mattias Ekholm to Nashville.
#103. Kristopher Foucault to Minnesota.
#104. Marcus Foligno to Buffalo.
#105. Justin Weller to Phoenix.
#106. Sami Vatanen to Anaheim.
#107. Garrett Wilson to Florida.
#108. Tyler Shattock to St. Louis.
#109. Alexander Avtsin to Montreal.
#110. Nick Oliver to Nashville.
#111. Henrik Bjorklund to Calgary.
#112. Lane MacDermid to Boston.
#113. Jeremy Price to Vancouver.
#114. Seth Helgeson to New Jersey.
#115. Patrick Wey to Washington.
#116. Alexander Fallstrom to Minnesota.
#117. Edward Pasquale to Atlanta.
#118. Forfeited by Leafs (?)
#119. Byron Froese to Chicago.
#120. Ben Chiarot to Atlanta.
#121. Nick Petersen to Pittsburgh.

Round #5:

#122. Anton Klementyev to the Islanders.
#123. Alex Velischek to Pittsburgh.
#124. Kieran Millan to Colorado.
#125. Cody Sol to Atlanta.
#126. David Kolomatis to Los Angeles.
#127. Roman Horak to the Rangers.
#128. Eric Knodel to Toronto.
#129. Tomas Vincour to Dallas.
#130. Mike Hoffman to Ottawa.
#131. Matt Kennedy to Carolina.
#132. Gabriel Bourque to Nashville.
#133. Olivier Roy to Edmonton.
#134. Mark Adams to Buffalo.
#135. Corban Knight to Florida.
#136. Radoslav Illo to Anaheim.
#137. Thomas Larkin to Columbus.
#138. Wade Megan to Florida.
#139. Gabriel Dumont to Montreal.
#140. Scott Stajcer to the Rangers.
#141. Spencer Bennett to Calgary.
#142. Nicola Riopel to Philadelphia.
#143. Peter Andersson to Vancouver.
#144. Derek Rodwell to New Jersey.
#145. Brett Flemming to Washington.
#146. Jeff Costello to Ottawa.
#147. Philip Varone to San Jose.
#148. Michael Zador to Tampa Bay.
#149. Marcus Kruger to Chicago.
#150. Nick Jensen to Detroit.
#151. Andy Bathgate to Pittsburgh.

Round #6:

#152. Anders Lee to the Islanders.
#153. Dave Labrecque to Philadelphia.
#154. Brandon Maxwell to Colorado.
#155. Jimmy Bubnick to Atlanta.
#156. Michael Pelech to Los Angeles.
#157. Evan Bloodoff to Phoenix.
#158. Jerry D'Amigo to Toronto.
#159. Curtis McKenzie to Dallas.
#160. Corey Cowick to Ottawa.
#161. Darcy Kuemper to Minnesota.
#162. Jaroslav Janus to Tampa Bay.
#163. Jere Sallinen to Minnesota.
#164. Connor Knapp to Buffalo.
#165. Scott Timmins to Florida.
#166. Scott Valentine to Anaheim.
#167. Anton Blomqvist to Columbus.
#168. David Shields to St. Louis.
#169. Dustin Walsh to Montreal.
#170. Daniel Maggio to the Rangers.
#171. Joni Ortio to Calgary.
#172. Eric Wellwood to Philadelphia.
#173. Joe Cannata to Vancouver.
#174. Ashton Bernard to New Jersey.
#175. Garrett Mitchell to Washington.
#176. Tyler Randell to Boston.
#177. David Pacan to Chicago.
#178. Rasmus Rissanen to Carolina.
#179. Brandon Kozun to Los Angeles.
#180. Mitchell Callahan to Detroit.
#181. Viktor Ekbom to Pittsburgh.

Round 7:

#182. Erik Haula to Minnesota.
#183. Kirill Gotovets to Tampa Bay.
#184. Gus Young to Colorado.
#185. Levko Koper to Atlanta.
#186. Jordan Nolan to Los Angeles.
#187. Steven Anthony to Vancouver.
#188. Barron Smith to Toronto.
#189. Marek Viedensky to San Jose.
#190. Brad Peltz to Ottawa.
#191. Michael Sdao to Ottawa.
#192. Cameron Reid to Nashville.
#193. Anthony Hamburg to Minnesota.
#194. Maxime Legault to Buffalo.
#195. Paul Phillips to Chicago.
#196. Oliver Lauridsen to Philadelphia.
#197. Kyle Neuber to Columbus.
#198. Nic Dowd to Los Angeles.
#199. Michael Cichy to Montreal.
#200. Mihail Pashnin to the Rangers.
#201. Gaelan Patterson to Calgary.
#202. Maxwell Tardy to St. Louis.
#203. Jordan Samuels-Thomas to Atlanta.
#204. Curtis Gedig to New Jersey.
#205. Benjamin Casavant to Washington.
#206. Ben Sexton to Boston.
#207. Dominik Bielke to San Jose.
#208. Tommi Kivisto to Carolina.
#209. David Gilbert to Chicago.
#210. Adam Almqvist to Detroit.
#211. Petteri Simila to Montreal.

[Viper207]

Cool deal. I'll be ready with my "Oh for f*ck's sake..." when the Wings draft another Swedish goof.

[HordiBrusk29]

Can't wait for this to get started. Although I won't be able to watch the rest on the draft on Saturday as I'll be out of town until late July 1st.

[HordiBrusk29]

In case anybody is curious, I've complied a list of draft eligible players from the WHL that are willing to drop the mitts.

Frequent fighters:

Sena Acolatse - Arguably the best fighter in the draft. Although Abney would be right there with him. Acolatse is a defenseman although he spent a decent amount of time last season on the wing. He isn't overly aggressive but he's a smart fighter (very technical) and seems to have pretty decent power. He is short, but pretty thick and well grounded. I think his value has dropped a little because he hasn't produced point wise as much as a lot of scouts would have hoped.

Cameron Abney - Very impressive end of the season for Abney holding his own against some tough veterans and beating a few top fighters rather decisively. I think he has a good chance of getting drafted simply because of his fighting ability and the fact he is very willing and seems to enjoy the role.

Tayler Jordan - I had a lot of hope for Jordan a couple of years ago but he hasn't progressed very much, IMO. Pretty skinny but he has a long reach and is very willing to drop the gloves. I wouldn't count on him getting drafted but you never know.

Tyler Halliday - Good team player and a very willing fighter. Unfortunately he isn't the best fighter by any stretch but he had a surprisingly good season and has become a leader for Prince George. He may not get drafted at all but with his decent offensive totals he may get a look.

Mitchell Callahan - Very aggressive player, more of an agitator although not your typical agitator as he was tied for 2nd in the league for fighting majors (he would have finished 1st if you include post season fights). He also took on some tough customers that were out of his size class and held his own.

Garrett Mitchell - I don't know if he'll get drafted (doesn't have much skill) but he works really hard and plays with his heart on his sleeve. He's a smaller player but a pretty entertaining wide open style middleweight.

Brayden McNabb - Not necessarily a fighter per say, but he's willing to stand up for his teammates and play physical. Pretty good hitter and I'd consider him decent with the mitts off.

A few other players that aren't necessarily tough guys or fighters per say, but are willing to drop the mitts nonetheless.

Will fight occasionally:

Brayden Schenn - Hard not to like this kid. Does a little of everything. For such a skilled player it's nice to see him willing to go in the corners, initiate physical contact and stick up for his teammates. He'll be a good one.

Jared Cowen - The only flaw I see in his game is that for his size, he isn't overly aggressive or physical, IMO. That being said he isn't a complete cream puff by any means. And he is willing to play physical and stick up for teammates, but I'd like to see that a little more.

Landon Ferraro - Unlike his father, Landon actually has a sack and is a fairly gritty player. You won't see him fight very often but he's willing to mix it up.

Brennan Yadlowski - Pretty gritty player also on the smaller side. He's another guy I don't really look at as a fighter, but he seems like a good team guy and is willing to play that kind of game if necessary.

Brett Ponich - Ponich is kind of a sleeper here. I don't even think of him as a fighter, however he can fight. I wish he did more as he seems to do pretty well and was involved in a couple of dandy tilts this season.

If anybody has any questions or comments, feel free to ask.

[silverback]

Originally Posted by HordiBrusk29

In case anybody is curious, I've complied a list of draft eligible players from the WHL that are willing to drop the mitts.

Frequent fighters:

Sena Acolatse - Arguably the best fighter in the draft. Although Abney would be right there with him. Acolatse is a defenseman although he spent a decent amount of time last season on the wing. He isn't overly aggressive but he's a smart fighter (very technical) and seems to have pretty decent power. He is short, but pretty thick and well grounded. I think his value has dropped a little because he hasn't produced point wise as much as a lot of scouts would have hoped.

Cameron Abney - Very impressive end of the season for Abney holding his own against some tough veterans and beating a few top fighters rather decisively. I think he has a good chance of getting drafted simply because of his fighting ability and the fact he is very willing and seems to enjoy the role.

Tayler Jordan - I had a lot of hope for Jordan a couple of years ago but he hasn't progressed very much, IMO. Pretty skinny but he has a long reach and is very willing to drop the gloves. I wouldn't count on him getting drafted but you never know.

Tyler Halliday - Good team player and a very willing fighter. Unfortunately he isn't the best fighter by any stretch but he had a surprisingly good season and has become a leader for Prince George. He may not get drafted at all but with his decent offensive totals he may get a look.

Mitchell Callahan - Very aggressive player, more of an agitator although not your typical agitator as he was tied for 2nd in the league for fighting majors (he would have finished 1st if you include post season fights). He also took on some tough customers that were out of his size class and held his own.

Garrett Mitchell - I don't know if he'll get drafted (doesn't have much skill) but he works really hard and plays with his heart on his sleeve. He's a smaller player but a pretty entertaining wide open style middleweight.

Brayden McNabb - Not necessarily a fighter per say, but he's willing to stand up for his teammates and play physical. Pretty good hitter and I'd consider him decent with the mitts off.

A few other players that aren't necessarily tough guys or fighters per say, but are willing to drop the mitts nonetheless.

Will fight occasionally:

Brayden Schenn - Hard not to like this kid. Does a little of everything. For such a skilled player it's nice to see him willing to go in the corners, initiate physical contact and stick up for his teammates. He'll be a good one.

Jared Cowen - The only flaw I see in his game is that for his size, he isn't overly aggressive or physical, IMO. That being said he isn't a complete cream puff by any means. And he is willing to play physical and stick up for teammates, but I'd like to see that a little more.

Landon Ferraro - Unlike his father, Landon actually has a sack and is a fairly gritty player. You won't see him fight very often but he's willing to mix it up.

Brennan Yadlowski - Pretty gritty player also on the smaller side. He's another guy I don't really look at as a fighter, but he seems like a good team guy and is willing to play that kind of game if necessary.

Brett Ponich - Ponich is kind of a sleeper here. I don't even think of him as a fighter, however he can fight. I wish he did more as he seems to do pretty well and was involved in a couple of dandy tilts this season.

If anybody has any questions or comments, feel free to ask.

Thanks for the info. I've been trying to find "fighters" in this years draft. Hearing about the Acolatse kid, I hope he gets drafted. Pretty depressing though to see very few (if any) potential heavies coming out of the WHL.

Got any idea on guys coming out of the OHL and QMJHL?

[HordiBrusk29]

Originally Posted by silverback

Thanks for the info. I've been trying to find "fighters" in this years draft. Hearing about the Acolatse kid, I hope he gets drafted. Pretty depressing though to see very few (if any) potential heavies coming out of the WHL.

Yeah I know. It's certainly not the same as it used to be. Most teams now have several middleweights instead of a legit heavyweight. Out of that list I compiled, I think Abney and Jordan are the two closest to being called heavyweights.

Originally Posted by silverback

Got any idea on guys coming out of the OHL and QMJHL?

I don't follow those two leagues as closely as I do the WHL. However I believe a few other members that are more knowledgeable of those leagues will be posting some information shortly.

[Southpaw23]

Kyle Neuber - OHL- Mississauga - Hands down the toughest guy available in the draft! Probably 5th rounder.

[CatatonicMoose]

Two of the tougher guys for the draft coming out of the Q (who have a hope of being drafted) are defencemen Samuel Finn (son of former NHLer Steeve Finn) and Gabriel O'Connor.

O'Connor is a big, tough defensive defensemen, who did pretty well for himself last season and stepped up for his team when needed or when they needed a spark. By no means an enforcer but he will fight when needed and does well for himself.

Finn is another more defensive minded defencemen who surprised a few with how well he done in fights. By no means a destructive guy but a solid fighter who was willing to step up almost immediately when he made it to the major junior level.

The toughest player available from the Q would be Ryan Jasinsky but I don't think he'll get drafted because he is not much of a player.

Kalin Paul could be a surprise late pick and he's in the mould of O'Connor and Finn, better fighter but not as good a player.

Isn't really too much else, someone may take a punt with a late pick on Mike Thomas, but i doubt it because offensively there isn't much there although he does play a high energy game and hits like a truck.

[The Crow]

When does the first round air on TV?

[Humpzilla]

Originally Posted by The Crow

When does the first round air on TV?

7 o clock, Versus. Saturday...NHL Network

[The Crow]

Originally Posted by Humpzilla

7 o clock, Versus. Saturday...NHL Network

The first round is today?

[Humpzilla]

Originally Posted by The Crow

The first round is today?

No sir. Friday.

[nyislesfan45]

If Garth Snow ****s this up again, there will be a riot at Nassau Coliseum.

[stevecanuck16]

I've gotta say, I haven't been this excited for a draft in awhile. With all the intrigue and mystery surrounding the order of picks, and the swapping of picks, it's going to be one exciting day. Not to mention all the high-profile NHLers rumoured to be moving.

[tie domi28]

Here's a rundown on some of the OHL scrappers that are draft eligible:

Zack Kassian - He's one of the toughest players out of the OHL in this years draft. Not only can he drop the mitts with the best of them, but he can also put the puck in the net, and set up his fair share of goals along the way. The kid also throws one mean body check, when he's on his game look the F out. Zack is pretty much solid at all aspects of the game and would be a welcomed addition to any team. He should go high in the first round.

Kyle Clifford - Very tough individual. Next to Kyle Neuber he's probably the best OHL fighter in the draft. Not known so much for his offense, Kyle tends to let his fists and physical play do the talking. That's his bread and butter. He had a decent year fight wise in 08/09, although I wouldn't say it was a top 10 year for him, he was definitely among the top 25 best pugilists in the OHL.

Paul Bezzo - I think Bezzo is underrated in the fighting department. You don't here his name a lot, maybe it's because he plays in Owen Sound, but it's clear after this past season that he can handle himself. He dropped the gloves with some tough customers in 08/09 and proved he can go with just about anyone. Went punch for punch with Ryan Baldwin, Mike Mascioli, & Peter Stevens and didn't look out of place. I have a feeling Bezzo will continue to progress the more he fights. He's one to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Luke Judson - Luke is a scrappy middleweight that loves to play a physical brand of hockey. He's a heart and soul type of player that grinds it out shift after shift. Should be a late 6th or 7th round pick.

Cody Sol - Sol is a big physical D man. Not the greatest fighter but he shows a willingness night in and night out to drop the gloves whenever the situation calls for it. He does use that size (6'5 215 to be exact) to his advantage and is known as the main physical presence on Saginaw's back end. He's more of a defensive D man than anything else. Definitely not known for his scoring prowess thats for sure.

Kyle Neuber - Well what can you say about Mr. Neuber. Even those of you out there who don't follow junior hockey have probably heard something about this kid. He's tough as they come and one of the more entertaining fighters I've seen in recent years. He's got an uppercut that makes people fold like a lawn chair. And a chin as strong as iron. Neuber is the best fighter in the OHL, and dare I say the best in all of junior hockey. Whatever team ends up drafting him they'll certainly be getting their moneys worth with Neuber.

Matt Clark - Clark doesn't fight alot but he's not afraid to step up to the plate when called upon. When the gloves do come off, he usually does alright for himself. He's a good stay at home D man. Nothing flashy to his game, he just quietly gets the job done. Always reliable at both ends of the ice. A good pickup for any team.

Andrew Shaw - Now this kid is a pitbull. Although small in stature Shaw plays the game like he a guy twice his size. He is very tough for a little guy, and has no problem going with the heavyweights. Even if he takes a beating, you almost have to shoot him to put him away. Probably wont get drafted though, but it would nice to see.

Chris DeSousa - Again, like his teammate Andrew Shaw, DeSousa is a smaller player with a ton of grit. Great crash and bang type of player who doesn't shy away from the rough stuff. He'll fight at the drop of a hat. And if someone runs over one of his teammates DeSousa is usually first on the scene looking for retribution. Not only can he mix it up but he can also put the puck in the net. Had 51 points last year with 33 goals. It doesn't appear that he is ranked by central scouting, but he could get scooped up in one of the later rounds.

Anthony Luciani - Here's another little tough guy that probably wont get drafted. Great scrapper. Luc is always fun to watch. No defence in his style, loves to let his hands go.

Michael Latta - Doesn't win many fights but he'll show up to the dance. One thing he's good at is getting under the opposing teams skin. He knows how to stir the pot and he does it well.

Tyler Randell - Randell doesn't go often but when he does his fights are usually fun for the whole family. Average middleweight, as a fighter he's ok.

Brian Shaw - Shaw can toss 'em. Tough as nails light heavyweight. Doesn't take on the big name enforcers, but you get the feeling from watching him scrap that if he did he'd probably do alright. Doubtful that he will be drafted though.