E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120: Andrei Pedan #97

By Eldon MacDonald

97. Andrei Pedan - “Andrei the Ogre” - D - Russia

Vitals: Size - 6’4”, 196 lb.; Shoots left; Born 3-Jul-93 Moscow, RUS
Team: Guelph, OHL
2010-11 Stats: 51-2-10-12-89-(-11) + OHL playoffs - 6-0-8-8-8- (+1) + U18 - 6-0-2-2-25-(+4)

Rankings:
63 - The Scouting Report's Top 100 Skaters
HM - Bob MacKenzie's June Poll of Scouts (HM’s are 61 to 85)
80 - Christopher Ralph's Top 210
90 - ISS's List per TSN
91 - The Hockey News' List per TSN
97 - E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120
111 - NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings (85th North American skater)
Draft result:
63 - New York Islanders

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Guelph Storm thought they were getting Andrei the superstar in addition to Andrei the Giant, especially after his outstanding play in the Ivan Hlinka tournament. However, during the regular season, there was almost none of that “big shot”, the passing was tentative and he showed almost a total lack of offense. So, his stock dropped like a barometer during a hurricane.

However, what the Guelph Storm did get was not your father’s Russian - Andrei the Giant was really Andrei the Ogre and he played with more than a touch of nastiness, physicality and fighting prowess. Luckily for the Storm by the time the playoffs rolled around the hurricane had passed and the barometer bounced back up along with Andrei's confidence and you started to see a touch of offense along with that mean, nasty ogre of a shutdown D-man.

And then, he played in the U-18 for Team Russia where he looked pretty good putting his skating, size and athletism on display along with picking up a bronze medal against Team Canada.

So in summary, you are pretty confident that Andrei’s size, skating, athletism and nastiness will make him an effective shutdown guy and there is enough of a glimmer in his offense that you believe he could be a contributor there as well so you maybe prepared to go as early as the late 3rd or early 4th for this guy.