Sean Couturier
Date of birth: December 07, 1992
Place of birth: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 195
Shoots: L
Position: Centre
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2011
One-Timer:
Sean Couturier possesses an impressive arsenal of tools that each and every NHL franchise covets, especially for a centreman. He provides great strength down the middle, utilizing his rare blend of size, power, skating, speed to with very good work ethic, puck skills, shot and hands.
Heading into the season, the race for top overall prospect for the 2011 entry draft was seemingly to be decided between Swedish blueliner Adam Larsson and Couturier. As often is the case, however, other prospects emerge and those at the top have each and every aspect of their game heavily scrutinized. Throw in some obstacles like injuries and other medical conditions and it is quite evident it sure is not easy to stay at the top.
This marks the third year my annual monster draft preview has been hosted over at The Hockey Writers (THW). This year also features integral contributions from Brian Huddle, Jeff Blay and Greg Thomson.
Consider this your live “home page” for information for the 2011 entry draft. Bookmark and check back often as it will be constantly updated. The 2011 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 24-25th in St. Paul, Minnesota. Once again, you have to simply love the dates – the 24th and 25th representing hockey’s version of Christmas!Stay connected to THW's "Live" NHL 2011 Draft Guide, to be updated regularly with detailed prospect profiles, mock draft and rankings.
I’m quite certain some will question the placement of Ryan Strome at fourth ahead of Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog is probably the most NHL ready prospect in the draft and one of the most complete players available. Strome’s high end potential is the main factor I considered in this case.
I wanted to have Ryan Murphy even higher than sixth to be honest. I was higher than most on Ryan Ellis in his draft year, and while the two offensive blueliners are different on many levels, they are both rare, elite, dynamic difference makers from the back-end. Size is a factor with Murphy but his skating and off the charts hockey sense will allow him to succeed in the big league.
Christopher Ralph is a hockey writer with a focus on prospects and the entry draft, as well as the Leafs' correspondent at THW.
Well over a week has passed since hockey's version of Christmas (that is, NHL entry draft) has come and gone followed by hockey's version of a Boxing Day sale (that is, Free Agent Frenzy, aka Canada Day!) which commenced last week.
As I gradually recover from withdrawal of these major events, I thought I'd take a look back to see which NHL franchise's scouting teams' performances seemingly stood out from the rest.
Here's my latest article hosted at The Hockey Writers (THW):
http://thehockeywriters.com/top-10-nhl-2009-entry-draft-scouting-performances/
Feel free to comment below or email me at hockeyspy@gmail.com
You can also follow me at Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockeyspy
Last week, I compared the various ranking systems from a couple of
different perspectives and highlighted limitations to any type of
analysis this close to after the draft {Click here for article}.This week I present another methodology in gauging the accuracy of
the major draft ranking services. Basically, a point was assigned for
each draft position a prospect was taken in the actual NHL entry draft
versus where the prospect was projected to go in the respective ranking.
Click here
for the analysis I performed using what information we actually have
at this point to determine which draft ranking service was the most
accurate from the NHL 2009 entry draft results.
http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-2009-entry-draft-aftermath-comparing-the-draft-ranking-services-take-2/
In grading which scouting service and/or ranking system made
the best predictions or was most accurate in terms of how the NHL 2009 entry
draft went down, there are many limitations. It will likely be somewhere between
three to five years before we can begin to understand which scouting/ranking
system was most accurate in their prognostications, and compare this to how NHL
team's professional scouting teams performed.
Click here for the analysis I performed using what information we actually have at this point to determine which draft ranking service was the most accurate from the NHL 2009 entry draft results.
http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-2009-entry-draft-aftermath-comparing-the-draft-ranking-services/
For a guide and legend to the rankings and profile click this link first:
http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spy%E2%80%99s-2009-nhl-entry-draft-preview/The Hockey Spy's Rankings:
Round 1:
{Click on Prospect's Name for link to "Full Potential" Profile}
1. John Tavares
3. Matt Duchene
5. Evander Kane
8. Ryan Ellis
10. Dmitri Kulikov
11. Jared Cowen
12. Nazem Kadri
13. David Rundblad
14. John Moore
15. Carter Ashton
16. Dylan Olsen
17. Scott Glennie
18. Jeremy Morin
19. Kyle Palmieri
20. Jacob Josefson
21. Calvin de Haan
23. Louis Leblanc
24. Peter Holland
25. Chris Kreider
26. Nick Leddy
27. Zack Kassian
28. Landon Ferraro
29. Toni Rajala
30. Ethan Werek
Round 2:
31. Tim Erixon
32. Drew Shore
33. Simon Despres
34. Jordan Caron
35. Tomas Tatar
36. Carl Klingberg
37. Stefan Elliot
38. Richard Panik
39. Ryan O'Reilly
40. Zach Budish
41. Olivier Roy
42. Joonas Nattinan
43. Dmitri Orlov
44. Matt Clark
45. Tyson Barrie
46. Matt Hackett
47. Eric Gelinas
48. Marcus Johansson
49. Philippe Paradis
50. Jerry D'Amigo
51. Sami Vatanen
52. Cody Eakin
53. Taylor Doherty
54. Robin Lehner
55. Kenny Ryan
56. Mikko Koskinen
57. William Wrenn
58. Alex Hutchings
59. Chris Brown
60. Ben Hanowski
For a guide and legend to the rankings and profile click this link first:
http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spy%E2%80%99s-2009-nhl-entry-draft-preview/
The Hockey Spy's Rankings:
Round 1:
{Click on Prospect's Name for link to "Full Potential" Profile}
1. John Tavares
3. Matt Duchene
5. Evander Kane
8. Ryan Ellis
10. Dmitri Kulikov
11. Jared Cowen
12. Nazem Kadri
13. David Rundblad
14. John Moore
15. Carter Ashton
16. Dylan Olsen
17. Scott Glennie
18. Jeremy Morin
19. Kyle Palmieri
20. Jacob Josefson
21. Calvin de Haan
23. Louis Leblanc
24. Peter Holland
25. Chris Kreider
26. Nick Leddy
27. Zack Kassian
28. Landon Ferraro
29. Toni Rajala
30. Ethan Werek
Round 2:
31. Stay Tuned!
I have decided to host my "monster" Draft Preview at The Hockey Writers (THW).
Click on the following link for a guide and legend to my "Full Potential" Prospect Profiles.
http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spy%e2%80%99s-2009-nhl-entry-draft-preview/
I will be releasing approximately 5 to 10 prospect profiles per day for a total of 60.
Check back and stay tuned for updates!
This is a link to all my articles at THW and yuo will also find the draft profiles here:
http://thehockeywriters.com/author/cralph/
"Keep your stick on the ice and eyes on the prize!"
The Hockey Spy's NHL 2009 Mock Draft Round 1 (last Update April 21/09)
Notes up front:
- The mock draft at this point is based on teams drafting BPA (Best Player Available). I will begin with a first round mock and expand from there leading up to the June Entry Draft, likely including three rounds or 100 players.
- I am not a big fan of drafting a goalie in first round unless the talent and potential are simply undeniable. Last year, for instance, given the astronomical odds of actually being a NHL GM, I would have considered selecting Jacob Markstrom and Chet Pitkard in the first round. This year, I would not select a netminder at all. Olivier Roy would be the closest thing to a 1st-round talent goalie, but I seem him more as an early to mid second rounder. - NHL Player Comparisons are simply to give the reader a feel for the players' style and ultimately likely equal the player's ceiling potential being reached. It is often an exercise in futility, but does offer up some value. If I add the suffix "-lite" or "Jr." after a NHL player comparison, it simply refers to the fact the prospect likely has no chance to reach that high a potential, but rather resembles or plays a style reminiscent of the respective NHLer.
- "One-Timer" heading is meant to be a quick synopsis of the prospect. As we move closer to the June entry draft, The Hockey Spy will reveal more detailed information on the prospective players.
- NHL teams not listed at hits point. I'll wait until positions are set after April 16th.
- Stats are from hockeydb.com when the player is available from the database. Some prospects were not available, thus a hyper-link available (click on the player's name for the link) taking you to their stats page {See Nick Leddy and Tomas Tatar). For Jeremy Morin and Kyle Palmieri here is the link for US-U18 team stats (options on left hand side). Any questions, email The Hockey Spy.
# - Name - Hometown - Height - Weight - Amateur League - Amateur Club - Position
1. New York Islanders: John Tavares - Oakville, ONT - 6'0" - 198 lbs - OHL - London - C
One-Timer: Already a legend, J.T. has broken the all-time OHL goal-scoring record this season. Possessing elite hands, hockey sense and an innate pure goal-scorers touch, J.T. seems destined to be an NHL superstar. Skating is about the only issue scouts can identify, but even that is far from a liability.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Dany Heatley, Brett Hull, Mike Bossy
ISS: 1 CSB: 1-NA TSN: 1 NACS: 1
ETA = Ready
2. Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman - Örnsköldsvik, SWE - 6'6" - 220 lbs - SEL - Modo - D
One-Timer: A fast and smooth skating defenseman, offensively and defensively sound and is 6'6" 220lbs and only recently turned 18?!? Is he genetically engineered? Nope! It's one Victor Hedman, who's a shoe in to go second overall in June, with more than a few GMs considering him at first overall.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: hybrid of Jay Boumeester and Chris Pronger
ISS: 2 CSB: 1-E TSN: 2 NACS: 2
ETA = Ready
3. Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene - Haliburton, ONT - 5'11" - 196 lbs - OHL - Brampton - C
One-Timer: Duchene is an explosive skater and speedster with great hands, good passer and has a great shot with a quick release. Matt can also play in his own end, being responsible defensively.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Marian Hossa, Simon Gagne, Joe Sakic Jr.
ISS: 4 CSB: 2-NA TSN: 3 NACS: 3
ETA = Ready to 1 year
4. Atlanta Thrashers: Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson - Norrköping, SWE - 6'1" - 198 lbs - SEL - Timra - LW One-Timer: MSP is a super creative winger with speed to burn. Known more of a playmaker, the talented Swede still knows how to finish. The powerful and smooth skating MSP is also very tough to knock off the puck.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Forsberg-lite, Marian Hossa
ISS: 3 CSB: 2-E TSN: 7 NACS: 6
ETA = 1 year
5. Los Angeles Kings: Evander Kane - Vancouver, BC - 6'1" - 181 lbs - WHL - Vancouver - C
One-Timer: Kane is a physical forward with sniper-like instincts. He is ultra-competitive, consistent and has an innate ability of knowing where to be on the ice at all times. Put that with his great hands and goal-scorer's touch and you have yourself an elite forward in the making.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Iginla-lite
ISS: 7 CSB: 3-NA TSN: 4 NACS: 5
ETA = 1 to 2 years
6. Phoenix Coyotes: Jared Cowen - Allan, SK - 6'5" - 218 lbs - WHL - Spokane - D
One-Timer: The towering all-around defender unfortunately had his season cut short in February with a knee injury. He has already won a Memorial Cup at age 16 and was a valuable shutdown defender on that squad. While the injury may hurt the big and mobile d-man's stock on draft day, if he does drop at all he will likely have GMs who passed him over regret their decision in the future.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Pronger-lite, Braydon Coburn, Robyn Regehr
ISS: 6 CSB: 7-NA TSN: 11 NACS: 7
ETA = 2 to 3 years
7. Toronto Maple Leafs: Brayden Schenn - Saskatoon, SK - 6'0" - 192 lbs - WHL - Brandon - C
One-Timer: The talented and enthusiastic two-way forward is the younger brother of the Leafs' Luke. He plays even bigger than his size suggests. He possesses excellent leadership qualities as well.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Mike Richards, smaller Ryan Getzlaf, Mark Messier Jr.
ISS: 5 CSB: 5-NA TSN: 5 NACS: 4
ETA = Ready to 1 year
8. Dallas Stars: Jordan Schroeder - Prior Lake, MN - 5'9" - 180 lbs - WCHA - Minnesota - RW One-Timer: Although most will dwell on his size, Schroeder more than makes up for this deficiency with his outstanding hockey sense and intelligence, poise, pucks skills and blazing speed. He is the ultimate team player, has excellent creativity and is not intimidated by the physical play despite his size. He is described as more of a playmaker, but the shot he exhibited at the WJC was just as lethal as his passing.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Paul Kariya, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Zach Parise
ISS: 11 CSB: 4-NA TSN: 12 NACS: 12
ETA = 2 years
9. Ottawa Senators: Ryan Ellis - Freelton, ONT - 5'9" - 183 lbs - OHL - Windsor - D
One-Timer: The PP QB magician, Ellis is an offensive dynamo from the blueline! Size will also be the biggest issue with Ryan, but having watched him closely at this year's WJC it is hard to fathom he won't excel at the next level. His hockey sense and smarts are off the chart, and not surprisingly he was the OHL's scholastic player of the year last year. My feeling is at worst, if he is in fact too small to play on the blueline in the big leagues, convert him to forward! It likely won't be necessary, but in all honesty I'd foresee an extremely smooth transition.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Andrei Markov, Dan Boyle
ISS: 12 CSB: 15-NA TSN: 13 NACS: 11
ETA = 2 years
10. Edmonton Oilers: Dmitry Kulikov - Moscow, RUS - 6'1" - 195 lbs - QMJHL - Drummondville - D
One-Timer: Deadly on the powerplay, Kulikov displays tremendous hockey sense and vision. The offensive d-man is exudes great confidence as well, helping him acclimatize rapidly to the North American brand of hockey. The talented puck-moving blueliner also boasts a great shot and is an excellent passer. Interestingly, at this year's WJC he was a cast in more of a shutdown role and adapted nicely to what was asked of him.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Sergei Zubov, Andrei Markov
ISS: 14 CSB: 17-NA TSN: 11 NACS: 8
ETA = 1-2 years
11. Nashville Predators: Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Karlskrona, SWE - 6'2" 176 lbs - Allsvenskan - Leksand - D
One-Timer: The secret is out. Readers don't even need The Hockey Spy to reveal this sky-rocketing gem! "OEL" has been called a poor-man's Nik Lidstrom. That's actually a compliment! Already possessing a pro-level shot, the fluid puck-moving defenseman might very well land in the Top 10 of this draft.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Niklas Kronwall, Nik Lidstrom Jr.-lite
ISS: 28 CSB: not ranked TSN: 10 NACS: 73
ETA = 1 year
12. Minnesota Wild: David Rundblad - Lycksele, SWE - 6'2" - 190 lbs - SEL - Skelleftea - D
One-Timer: The good-sized Swedish d-man is a beautiful skater, adept at making "coast-to-coast" plays on the ice. He is first and foremost a puck-moving blueliner, but given time to develop a more efficient defensive side to his game, should be become a well-rounded two-way defenseman.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Mark Streit, Scott Niedermayer Jr.-Lite
ISS: 29 CSB: 4-E TSN: 23 NACS: 23
ETA = 2 years
13. Buffalo Sabres: Nazem Kadri - London, ONT - 6'0" - 177 lbs - OHL - London - C
One-Timer: A fast, creative, versatile forward, Kadri is an offensive spark-plug. He displays very good vision on the ice as well and this bodes well for his puck possession style of play.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Marc Savard, Scott Gomez
ISS: 8 CSB: 11-NA TSN: 8 NACS: 9
ETA = 1-2 years
14. Florida Panthers: John Moore - Winnetka, ILL - 6'2" - 180 lbs - USHL - Chicago - D
One-Timer: An intriguing combination complete package of skills and size. Out of the USHL, will he be the John Carlson of this year's draft? I read that Moore cites Scott Niedermayer as a major influence, and considers himself a puck-moving defenseman. He also play a relentless physical game and should be a gem if he the whole develops from the sum of his parts.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Scott Niedermayer Jr.-Lite
ISS: 17 CSB: 8-NA TSN: 15 NACS: 16
ETA = 2 years
15. Anaheim Ducks: Simon Despres - Laval, PQ - 6'4" - 214 lbs - QMJHL - Saint John - D
One-Timer: Depres projects to be a shutdown blueliner at the next level. He can make a good break out pass out of his own zone and can play physical as well. The big d-man keeps things simple, but efficient on a very consistent basis. NHL Player(s) Comparison: M.E. Vlasic (but bigger)
ISS: 15 CSB: 6-NA TSN: 14 NACS: 10
ETA = 1 year
16. Columbus Blue Jackets: Peter Holland - Caledon, ONT - 6'2" - 190 lbs - OHL - Brampton - C
One-Timer: The future power forward is a good skater with a nice shot, can also be a set-up man and is no slouch in defensive zone coverage. He is also noted to be effective in the face-off circle and also focuses on scholastics off the ice, planning to earn a degree somewhere along the line - depending on where hockey takes him.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Ryan Kesler, Jason Arnott
ISS: 13 CSB: 9-NA TSN: 17 NACS: 14
ETA = 2 years
17. St. Louis Blues: Scott Glennie - Winnipeg, MTB - 6'1" - 180 lbs - WHL - Brandon - C
One-Timer: A consistent scorer with a pure goal-scorers touch, the speedy and talented forward unfortunately had his season cut short with a broken elbow. At the time, he was tied for 6th in the WHL scoring race. Some wonder if his stock is elevated because of playing with the likes of Schenn and Matt Calvert, but others argue it may in fact be Glennie helping the offensive stats of the other two.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Jeff Carter Jr., Mike Gartner, Geoff Sanderson
ISS: 20 CSB: 12-NA TSN: 9 NACS: 13
ETA = 2 years
18. Montreal Canadiens: Jacob Josefson - Stockholm, SWE - 6'0" - 187 lbs - SEL - Djurgarden - C One-Timer: The well-ronuded two-way centerman had an up and down year in the SEL, but finished strong with 5 pts in his last 6 games. He has a good level hockey IQ and doesn't shy away from the physical side of the game.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Henrik Sedin-lite, Zetterberg Jr.-Lite
ISS: 10 CSB: 3-E TSN: 18 NACS: 17
ETA = 2 years
19. New York Rangers: Zack Kassian - LaSalle, ONT - 6'3" - 205 lbs - OHL - Peterborough - RW
One-Timer: The stock of this budding power forward has been rising this season after raising his offensive game, averaging just over a PPG in the OHL. He is also one of the OHL's toughest players and doesn't shy away from donnybrooks, but likely needs to show more discipline after sometimes taking needless penalties. There is no doubting the size, skill and energy he brings to the table, but he does need to continue to work on his skating and likewise getting quicker.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Milan Lucic, Scott Hartnell, Brendan Morrow
ISS: 19 CSB: 24-NA TSN: 16 NACS: 19
ETA = 2 years
20. Carolina Hurricanes: Calvin de Haan - Carp, On - 6'0" - 165 lbs - OHL - Oshawa - D
One-Timer: The dynamic puck-moving d-man actually increased his production after the trade of Tavares, scoring 17 points in his final 13 games. He actually out-dueled Matt Duchene to win the puck-control relay at the Top Prospects Skill Competition. He does need to fill out physically and although adequate in his own zone, he could improve his defensive play.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Niklas Kronwall
ISS: N/A CSB: 38-NA TSN: 21 NACS: 25
ETA = 3 years
21. Calgary Flames: Landon Ferraro - Burnaby, BC - 6'0"- 170 lbs - WHL - Red Deer - C
One-Timer: Son of former NHLer Ray Ferraro, Landon has wheels - as evident by his winning the fastest skater event at the Top Prospects Game's Skill Competition. Other than his skating, Landon's hockey smarts and hard work make him a solid NHL prospect, even setting bloodlines aside. The young Ferraro also knows a thing or two about scoring.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: David Krejci
ISS: 18 CSB: 13-NA TSN: 24 NACS: 18
ETA = 2 years
22. Philadelphia Flyers: Louis Leblanc - Kirkland, PQ - 6'0" - 178 lbs - USHL - Omaha - C
One-Timer: The fast, offensive centerman was actually considered to be a top 10 prospect coming into this hockey season. He is Harvard-bound next season.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Patrick Marleau Jr.
ISS: 16 CSB: 18-NA TSN: 22 NACS: 37
ETA = 2-3 years
23. Pittsburgh Penguins: Charles-Oliver Roussel - St-Eustache, PQ - 6'1" - 200 lbs - OMJHL - Shawinigan - D
One-Timer: The two-way blueliner is extremely poised and very versatile. Whether you need him to man the powerplay, shut-down the opposing key players, or play a nasty physical game - Roussel will be making the NHL team's scouting department who decides to select him look very good! NHL Player(s) Comparison: Shea Weber-Lite
ISS: N/A CSB: 30-NA TSN: not ranked NACS: 53
ETA = 1 year
24. Vancouver Canucks: Carter Ashton - Saskatoon, SK - 6'4" - 212 lbs - WHL - Lethbridge - RW
One-Timer: The son of former NHLer, Brent Ashton, who played 2 games shy of 1000 in the NHL. The budding 2-way power forward out of the "Dub" has seen his stock rocket as this season went on. The physical forward doesn't shy away from the rough stuff and established himself as a 30-goal scorer this year. He has great character and quite versatile as well.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Mike Knuble, Ryan Malone
ISS: 22 CSB: 10-NA TSN: 19 NACS: 39
ETA = 2-3 years
25. Chicago Blackhawks: Nick Leddy - Eden Prairie, MN - 5'11" - 180 lbs - MN-HS - Eden Prairie - D One-Timer: The recently crowned "Mr. Hockey", as the best high-school player in Minnesota high school, is a tad on the small side, but boy is he fast! He is a very poised player and an uncanny ability to make plays at high speeds. He posses very good vision and thus makes intelligent decisions on both sides of the rink.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Kris Russell, Dan Boyle, Brian Rafalski
ISS: N/A CSB: 25-NA TSN: not ranked NACS: 34
ETA = 3 years
26. New Jersey Devils: Chris Kreider - Boxford, MASS - 6'2'' - 200 lbs - HS-MASS - Andover - LW One-Timer: High schooler has NHL frame and possesses a great touch around the net. The power forward is also a beautiful skater. He'll need some time to develop, but is an intriguing sleeper.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Travis Zajac
ISS: 30 CSB: 14-NA TSN: 20 NACS: 42
ETA = 3 years
27. Washington Capitals: Jeremy Morin - Auburn, NY - 6'0" - 190 lbs - USA-U18 - NTDP - C
One-Timer: One word: Sniper! There are some issues with his attitude and certain aspects of his game (skating and physical fitness), but he has tons of potential and the kid simply knows how to fill the back of the net. He had 26 goals and 22 assists in 46 games with the U18 team this year.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Alexei Kovalec Jr.-Lite
ISS: 23 CSB: 21-NA TSN: 25 NACS: 20
ETA = 3 years
28. Detroit Red Wings: Ethan Werek - Stouffville, ONT - 6'2'' - 195 lbs - OHL - Kingston - LW
One-Timer: With 64 points in 66 games in his OHL rookie season, Werek displays a combination of offense and grit. He utilizes his good hands, strength and reach in close, scoring most of his goals in the "dirty" areas. Ethan has a decent shot with better-than-average passing ability. He does need work on the defensive side and on his discipline, as he sometimes takes needless penalties.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: John Leclair
ISS: 24 CSB: 43-NA TSN: not ranked NACS: 15
ETA = 3 years
29. Boston Bruins: Kyle Palmieri - Montvale, NJ - 5'11" - 191 lbs - USA-U18 - NTDP - C
One-Timer: Palmieri is an explosive skater with and without the puck. He has very good vision and uses the this to distribute the puck to his teammates effectively. Kyle had 30 points in 33 games with the U18 team this season.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Chris Drury
ISS: 21 CSB: 19-NA TSN: 29 NACS: 22
ETA = 3 years
30. San Jose Sharks: Tomas Tatar - Slovakia - 5'11" - 176 lbs - Slovakia - HKM Zvolen- C
One-Timer: Possessing tremendous hands and a great shot, Tatar, who had an unbelievable WJC breakout performance, also has an uncanny ability to be at the right place at the right time.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Jiri Hudler, Zigmund Palffy
ISS: N/A CSB: 17-E TSN: not ranked NACS: 47
ETA = 2 years
Legend:
ETA = Estimated Time Of Arrival to NHL
ISS = International Scouting Services
CSB = Central Scouting Bureau (NA = North America , E = Europe)
TSN = Bob McKenzie's mid-season rankings
NACS = North American Central Scouting - Mark Seidel
With the official 2009 NHL Entry Draft Lottery taking place tomorrow evening, I thought we should revisit the teams' percentage shots at winning the big prize - the #1 overall pick in June! I have also added the prospect by each respective team, based on my recently posted The Hockey Spy's NHL Entry Draft Rankings.
This time of year when you think of the "Quest For The Holy Grail", you think of a grueling Cup run to have members of the victorious team engraved on the chalice of Lord Stanley. Tomorrow, however, the Holy Grail is the prize position of the winner of the NHL 2009 Entry Draft lottery - John Tavares. If you happened to forget just how talented this kid is, take a lot at the above video clip of a goal scored at this past year's WJC.
Coming into this hockey season, hockey experts projected Victor Hedman would likely be the 1st overall selection this June. An elite d-man with mammoth size and outstanding skill, he's the type of guy you can build a franchise around. While that may very well still be the case, Tavares has risen atop of this year's draft crop and is now the consensus #1 pick after the fantastic WJC tournament he had. The elite centerman is the Next "Next One"!
Tavares has just recently shattered the OHL all-time goals record with 215, after sniping a hat-trick on Mar. 8 in a London Knights 4-3 victory over the league-leading Windsor Spitfires.
As of Apr. 13/09, here's a lookout teams with the highest projected percentage chance of landing Tavares, that is the 1st overall pick in the 2009 Entry Draft (courtesy of TSN's Lottery Lookout ):
Team (% Chance of Winning*, % Chance of Winning 1st Overall Pick):
1. New York Islanders (25%, 48.1%) = John Tavares
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (18.8%, 18.8%) = Victor Hedman
3. Colorado Avalanche (14.2%, 14.2%) = Matt Duchene
4. Atlanta Thrashers (10.7%, 10.7%) = Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson
5. LA Kings (8.1%, 8.1%) = Evander Kane
6. Phoenix Coyotes (6.2%) = Jared Cowen
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (4.7&) = Braydon Schenn
8. Dallas Stars (3.6%) = Jordan Schroeder
9. Ottawa Senators (2.7%) = Ryan Ellis
10. Edmonton Oilers (2.1% = Dmitri Kulikov
* % Chance of Winning = chance the team's ball will get drawn in the lottery
** = "Player" is what prospect the team would get based on The Hockey Spy's current Draft Rankings {This is not a mock draft - stay tuned for The Hockey Spy's Mock Draft}
***Note: A team cannot move up more than 4 positions (thus only the bottom 5 teams have a shot at #1 overall) and a team cannot mov down more than 1 position.
The Islanders could use a potential franchise player like Tavares to help try and turn this team around. The Lightning, with Vinny and Stamkos already patrolling the middle, might be tempted to grab d-man Hedman even if they win the draft lottery. One thing is for certain: the winner of all the losers will be one thrilled franchise!
Interestingly, in the 13 years since the lottery has been introduced (not counting the SC87 post-lockout draft when everyone had an equal shot), only 6 out of the 13 teams with the highest percentage chance actually went on to get the #1 overall pick. In fact, in the past 9 weighted lotteries, only 2 of the teams with the highest percentage change indeed landed the coveted position. Obviously then - nothing is etched in stone at this point. Have no fear Islander Faithful, however, as the worst they can do is #2 overall. If that happens to be one Victor Hedman, you might just end up with the best player out of this draft!
Stay tuned as The Hockey Spy infiltrates the amateur hockey ranks to uncover in depth previews, prospect profiles, rankings and mock drafts via Eagle Eye Scouting - your source for inside coverage of the NHL 2009 Entry Draft.
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