Final CSS Rankings

[chad]

NHL.com

1. Tyler Seguin, C -- Steve Yzerman (retired)
2. Taylor Hall, LW -- Zach Parise, Devils
3. Brett Connolly, RW -- Peter Forsberg (Sweden)
4. Erik Gudbranson, D -- Dion Phaneuf, Maple Leafs
5. Cam Fowler, D -- Mike Green, Capitals
6-Brandon Gormley, D -- Chris Phillips, Senators
7. Mark Pysyk, D -- Duncan Keith, Blackhawks
8. Emerson Etem, RW -- Glenn Anderson (retired)
9. Derek Forbort, D -- Erik Johnson, Blues
10. Ryan Johansen, C -- Jason Spezza, Senators
11. Alexander Burmistrov, C -- Maxim Afinogenov, Thrashers
12. Nino Niederreiter, RW -- Erik Cole, Hurricanes
13. Nick Bjugstad, C -- Andrew Brunette, Wild
14. Austin Watson, F -- Kris Draper, Red Wings
15. John McFarland, C -- Brenden Morrow, Stars
16. Tyler Toffoli, C -- Tim Connolly, Sabres
17. Dylan McIlrath, D -- Ed Jovanovski, Coyotes
18. Tyler Pitlick, C -- Mark Parrish, Lightning
19. Quinton Howden, C-- Todd Bertuzzi, Red Wings
20. Stanislav Galiev, RW -- Alexander Frolov, Kings
21. Jonathon Merrill, D -- Jordan Leopold, Penguins
22. Riley Sheahan, C -- Jordan Staal, Penguins
23. Petr Straka, RW -- Pavol Demitra, Canucks
24. Charlie Coyle, F -- Bob Sweeney, Bruins
25. Brock Nelson, C -- David Backes, Blues
26. Kevin Hayes, RW -- Eric Staal, Hurricanes
27. Ryan Martindale, C -- Steve Bernier, Canucks
28. Jaden Schwartz, C -- Derek Roy, Sabres
29. Alexander Petrovic, D -- Brent Seabrook, Blackhawks
30. Jordan Weal, C -- Jason Blake, Ducks

[timothy]

Chad and I were IM'ing and my take is that our blueline system is just so barren and poorly stocked of big minute studly young d-men. If I'm picking 3-5, I'm tempted to grab a guy like Gudbranson, who I believe is reportedly NHL-ready, good skater, and as one scouting report said was a "Chris Pronger type that actually fights". I'm also really tempted by the upside of a guy like Connolly too, but it's looking like there won't be any trading down and still getting a guy like Connolly.

What does Red Line say about Gudbranson?

Seems like El Nino might be dropping in the ranks.

[astro]

NHL Live had Jay Feaster on and they were talking about the Lightning. Feaster believes that they will pick a defenseman. In a round-about way, he stated, it's just not your first round pick that will make a difference. The analogy that he used was in 1998 the Lightning selected Vinny with their number one pick and in the third round they selected Brad Richards.

I would prefer that they pick a forward. IMO, we would see a forward play in the NHL before a defenseman. I like Pete's strategy of trading down a few slots and hopefully acquiring some more picks. We need to stock up our system.

The 6-foot-3 3/4, 195-pound Gudbranson plays a skilled but nasty game that has drawn comparisons to Chris Pronger and Dion Phaneuf. Fowler, a silky-smooth skater, has a style more reminiscent of Brian Leetch and Phil Housley.

"You get a guy as big as he is and skates as well as he does, handles and moves the puck as well as he does, there's not much there not to like," Central Scouting's OHL scout, Chris Edwards, told NHL.com. "He has real high-end puck moving ability, he sees the ice very well. In the offensive zone … I used to see Chris Pronger do the same thing -- wind up one of those slap passes after faking a shot and send everyone down to block it, but he sends it across the slot for an outstanding goal

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=524282

[chad]

Full list can be found here.

Free with that link is a picture of Taylor Hall wondering what a camera is.

[chad]

Originally Posted by astro

I would prefer that they pick a forward.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=524282

I would too, but I think management will look at Ashton, Stamkos, Panik, Hutchings, Tyrell, Wright, and Fadden and compare that group to Hedman, Mihalik, Lashoff, and Wishart and see the glaring weakness at the top of the future defense core.

I think skill forwards like Nino or Connolly are much harder to find. But as we've seen this year from the Lightning and conversely, the Predators, you can't win without defense and you can win without a surplus of top-end forwards.

Of course, a very dependable system and coach also helps. As does goaltending.

I'm always a believer in BPA, and I think Connolly will be the most skilled and highest ceilinged player on the board at 3.

[astro]

Originally Posted by chad

I'm always a believer in BPA, and I think Connolly will be the most skilled and highest ceilinged player on the board at 3.

I would be cocerned about his injury problems

[chad]

True, but that still doesn't take away the fact he's the highest ceilinged player at that spot... AKA the B Player A. Not, the B Pick A.

Nino there is too high, and trading down will be relatively difficult unless someone falls in love with one of the defensemen. If they like 2 or 3, then the best spot to trade to is 2-3 beneath us when there's one left on the board.

At this second, if the Lightning were picking third, I want them to take Connolly, but I want to read more about how serious the injury was. I think they'll pick Gudbranson or maybe Fowler. Gudbranson being a righty has its perks.

Edit: Connolly had a hip flexor muscle injury at the U-18s last year as an underager, then hurt his other hip.

"What would I say to an NHL scout worried about Brett? Don't be," explained Prince George general manager Dallas Thompson. "He's a kid who's been going non-stop. He didn't get much of a break with all his Hockey Canada stuff. He just didn't get enough time off."

Connolly was originally injured helping Canada win the gold medal at the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in the Czech Republic in August.

He's tweaked the other hip since then. Connolly says that he was merely overcompensating, while Thompson figures it's a "freak thing." Connolly, who played the first seven games of the season and then five games from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5, has seven goals, 13 points and a plus-two rating on the abbreviated campaign. He had 60 points and a minus-26 rating in 65 regular-season games a season ago. He was voted the CHL's rookie of the year. The previous three winners of the award were Taylor Hall, Patrick Kane and John Tavares.

Source

He was named to Canada's U-18 team again. This will be a huge tournament for him.

Upon his return to the PG lineup, apparently one of Montreal's scouts referred to him as a franchise player.

[pete]

Red Line's opinion was that none of these d-men were franchise caliber #1 guys and that Forbort would probably be the best of the bunch after he finally develops.

ISS has Niederreiter at 9 and Connolly at 11. They have Fowler at the more conventional 3 spot.

Red Line has Niederreiter at 4 and Connolly outside of the top-10. They have Fowler at 6 behind Forbort.

Cam Fowler (Windsor) — Skates and passes like a pro. Shoots and bodychecks like a pee-wee.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hocke...terstitialskip

What all of this proves is that outside of the top-2, this draft is sloppy.

If he was a righty shot, Fowler might interest me more, but he's a lefty. You're going to draft a guy who will be competing with Hedman for PP time? I'm selling hard that I'm interested in Fowler to sucker someone into trading up, and then I'm drafting a forward after I split my picks. It's considered a draft that's got some interesting blueliner projects hovering around the 2nd round.