Red Line

[PEIBolt]

Tavares sinks to third on Red Line's prospect list over weaker than expected playoff stats.

[chad]

Wow. Huge. But I still expect the Isles to take him.


In news across the sea...

Hasek returning to hockey (http://www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-04-21/Dominator_announces_return_to_hockey_.html)

Signed a deal with HC Moeller Pardubice for next season. (his hometown)

I was just wondering the other day what he was up to.

[timothy]

Tavares sinks to third on Red Line's prospect list over weaker than expected playoff stats.

Behind Hedman and Duchene?

[chad]

Listening to Kyle now...

He loves Duchene, saying he could push up to No.2 or even No.1. He says he's worthy of discussion with the top-2.

He loves what Duchene is doing in the playoffs.

[Randy]

If the rankings in Red Line Report become reality, Brian Burke may have his shot at Tavares after all.

And if, and I say if, this holds true, it could cause the Isles to rethink their position and take Hedman.

But this all seems to be based upon Tavares' playoff performance and I would think any team drafting Tavares is going to look at the totality of his play, which could keep him in the top spot.

Interesting, but rankings are like the shifting sands, they move every time a wind comes along.

[chad]

But this all seems to be based upon Tavares' playoff performance and I would think any team drafting Tavares is going to look at the totality of his play, which could keep him in the top spot.

Exactly. You don't look at the body of work and then single out a small part of it and judge everything upon it.

While I do think he's a tad overrated, he's still a lock for the No.1 pick. I don't see the Isles doing anything different. I think this is just good news for Colorado to plug in another center for when Stastny gets injured again.

When you're rated so high for so long... and people have been talking about Tavares since he broke into the OHL as a preteen practically, you start to ignore the good and lift every rock to find the bad.

London is down 3-1 to Windsor right now, but every game has gone to OT. Tavares was scoreless in Game 4 (5-4 WSR win), was 1-2 and 2nd Star in Game 3 (5-4 WSR win), 2-0 and 3rd Star in Game 2 (6-5 LDN win), and scoreless in Game 1 (4-3 WSR win). So... 3-2-5 in 4 games.

[Randy]

3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games not bad. Maybe that just doesn't meet some evaluator's Olympian standards for Tavares. But I have also read somewhere, read so much, can't remember every link, that Tavares has had some nagging injuries, maybe in the shoulder area.

[chad]

He hurt his shoulder at the Top Prospects game and it's been bother him since, reportedly.

[chad]

Sotnos - is it possible to move the Tavares-Hedman-Redline conversation here and out of the around the NHL?

Here's the redline story:

Hedman No.1, Duchene No.2. (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/columnist/woodlief/2009-04-21-red-line-tavares_N.htm)


I don't think Kyle's really stamping his foot down here, but he brings up some good points fighting for Duchene.

As was said... in reality, there's really little chance of Tavares dropping to No.2, not to mention 3.

Again - this is just good news for Colorado.

[pete]

Heh, Red Line does this every other year. Remember when they vaulted Chistov above Kovalchuk and Spezza? He does this to stir controversy and sell draft guides. Tavares will be back to #1 in his final scouting rankings. Guaranteed.

Although... if the Isles want to hand us a gift horse like that I'll take it.

[pete]

Also, there's no way any team has the stones to pass on Tavares or Hedman for Duchene because of Matt's more anemic numbers. It's easy for Kyle Woodlief to say he'd put up better numbers on another team. It's a heck of a lot harder when you're the GM having to pass on a scoring machine (56G 104P) like Tavares for a 31 goal, 79 point guy like Duchene. That's taking your life in your own hands if you're a GM.

[chad]

Tavares 1-1 in Game 5 but London drops another in OT, 4-3, and are done.

[pete]

I don't think the Isles front office can survive the backlash if they don't take him.

[timothy]

I don't think the Isles front office can survive the backlash if they don't take him.

NO WAY they can pass on a (probable) franchise center.

[pete]

No way can they pass on a guy who has been heavily touted for the past 2-3 years as the next big thing. Tavares has received Crosby-type hype. To pass him up for a guy like Duchene is practically suicidal for a GM. Even with Hedman, you're taking a colossal risk if Tavares becomes a 100 point a year guy.

[chad]

ISS latest rankings are out:

Duchene up to 2, passing Hedman. (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=276184)

[pete]

I think the Duchene boomlet is a temporary thing. I think people are seeing Stamkos-esque potential there, but if you evaluate his resume and body of work to this point, he ain't Stamkos.

[Randy]

Make no mistake, Duchene is one heckuva player. And he had a good year this year. But he's done better in the playoffs than Tavares and I get the feeling these scouts are operating on the premise of "what have you done for me lately".

Unless Hedman gets abducted by aliens, the Bolts should take him with the second pick. Duchene is a big AVs fan and the AVs rightfully think highly of him. So let them get together.

[Kowalski]

We'll draft for need, which is Hedman. Duchene fits nicely in Colorado's situation.

[chad]

We'll draft for need, which is Hedman. Duchene fits nicely in Colorado's situation.

Yup. I will be extremely surprised if we come out of this without Hedman, either by trade, or someone else taking him before us, or us taking someone else.

Start ordering your Hedman jerseys... if only we knew the number.

He likes 4... and 4 and 44 is taken.... so... 8? 6 like at the WJCs two years ago? He was 41 for his club team, but Smith has it...

[pete]

My bet would be he takes #5. Lidstrom's his favorite player, and it's a good, solid defenseman's number.

[Kowalski]

I say he goes with 5 or 6. Who else do they sign to play d though? Or do we keep who we have? Still a young group out there...