Narrowing Down Where Brian Campbell Could Go

Everyone knows about the much publicized Chicago Blackhawks cap troubles; according to CapGeek after all the deals the Blackhawks have done they are still just over 1mil over the cap. The San Jose took a little revenge from their Confrence Final defeat by the Hawks; by giving an offer sheet to Niklas Hjalmarsson. In the end Stan Bowman matched because Hjalmarsson is part of the "core group" club which includes: Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith and now Sharp which Bowman said will not be traded. The Hawks now added 3.5mil to their troubles. And with a big part of their sucess; Antti Niemi is still a restricted free-agent. You have to think that this was the Sharks plan all along. With Nabokov going to Russia, the Sharks can easily extend an offer to Niemi. The Sharks have confidence in Thomas Greiss, but a tandem with newly acquired Antero Niittymakii and Niemi would be that Nabokov-Toskala tandem they had success with. Sharks have about 6mil cap space and only have restricted free-agent Devin Setoguchi to sign. 6mil to sign Setoguchi and possibly Niemi is easily doable (but there are rumours of Kaberle to SJ for Setoguchi and possibly more).

SOLUTION!



So with Bowman's vote of confidence to Sharp and the matched offer sheet to Hjalmarsson; there is only one player that comes to mind. Brian Campbell; the 7.1 million dollar-man. Personally I don't think Campbell is as bad as it is played out to be, it is just his salary over shadows his play. I am sure if he logged Duncan Keith's minutes he would rack up similar points to Keith (making 8mil). So moving Campbell is only one real move Bowman can do to free up enough salary to sign the very deserving Niemi.

First off, let's go over every team that can afford Campbell: Washington, Buffalo, Columbus, Florida, Carolina, Dallas Edmonton, Phoenix, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Nashville, St. Louis, Colorado, New York Islanders and Atlanta. That's just about half the league, so how come the Blackhawks can't move him? Because it is like the Kovalchuk to Los Angeles situation, where if he got traded (is Kovy's case signed) it would take a big hit to the cap and give teams trouble signing key players. So you would need teams with a lot more than 8, 9 or 10mil to have enough space.



You could put up: LA, Tampa Bay and Anaheim up, but all have players to sign in the future. LA has Doughty, Johnson and Simmonds that they would like to keep; especially Doughty and Johnson. Tampa Bay has Stamkos and Hedman to worry about. Anaheim is currently working on Bobby Ryan (somewhere in the 5mil range), but they also have Getzlaf and Perry in 4 years to sign. There is still 6 years left on Campbell's contract that is a consistent 7.1mil.

So cut the list down to 5. The teams are Nashville (16.1mil), St. Louis (19.5mil), Colorado (23.7mil), New York Islanders (27.2mil) and Atlanta (27.6mil). Let's shorten it to 4 because Nashville is absolutely loaded on defense and has Shea Weber to sign in the next year.

St. Louis's could have one of the best defense core in the league with Campbell. With Alex Pietrangelo (who would have been a leading candidate for the Calder Trophy had he played fewer games), Erik Johnson (who is still a restricted free-agent) and adding Campbell would be good but... It would be Chicago all over again. Because of his contract, he needs to be the top pairing to defenseman. Erik Johnson is part of the core and needs to be resigned. Pietrangelo should be his partner or 2nd pairing next year. So Campbell would be playing the same minutes as he would in Chicago and probably produce the same numbers; which more of his salary criticism.

Campbell to Atlanta would just seem funny. Atlanta is just taking all of the great players Chicago can't afford, basically being the doppelganger of the Blackhawks. But again there is a factor of being a no.1 defenseman. Enstrom and Bogosian are their best defenseman. Enstrom is progressing each year and Bogosian is rising steadily; so the only one that makes sense would be Enstrom for Campbell. I think it would be perfect. Enstrom would be producing the same numbers (or more) playing Campbell's former minutes. There would only be about 3-4mil to work with for Niemi though. Finally Campbell would be able to score like he did with Buffalo.

Now to Long Island where they have Mark Streit, and ... Mark Streit on defense. Mark Streit would be a great fit in Chicago with about a 4mil cap hit for the next 3 years. It is a very modest salary for a great scoring defenseman. But do you know what would be even better? Okposo or Bailey (and maybe some picks) from the NY Islanders. Streit is their only offensive defenseman, and they definitely need at least one more. Now they have Calvin de Haan that can crack the roster, but that is still doubtful. Streit and Campbell would vie for the no.1 defenseman. Even if Campbell wasn't the no.1 he would get great time on the powerplay with Streit; certainly racking up points. Okposo going the other way would be a great replacement for Versteeg. Same type of points producer, and would produce even more on Chicago than NYI.



Finally we have Colorado, where John-Michael Liles lead the team with 31pts. This is great, for a second pairing defenseman. So the Avalanche have space, and really defense space; where Campbell would fit in very nicely. It would really benefit Matt Duchene, who had a great rookie campaign; he could have a Drew Doughty type sophomore, with an offensive defenseman like Campbell feeding him the puck. Players going the other way could be Chris Stewart and/or even underrated defenseman Ryan Wilson (had back-to-back 70+ points in the OHL and wasn't even drafted, rather signed).

This trade isn't a sure thing, obviously because of his contract. Also Tallon wouldn't have gave Campbell a long contract like he did if he didn't think he would be apart of the "core group". Now it is what Bowman thinks. This potential trade could look like the recent Simon Gagne trade. There will probably be not a lot in return because the Hawks are looking just to move his contract to sign other players. I'm not saying they will get a Matt Walker type player in this trade like the Flyers did, but it all depends on the players contract and how much Niemi will get paid.

Most likely? New York Islanders. It's a great trade if Okposo is going the other way. Streit is good too, but he still has 4mil contract. Which is modest for his play, but the Hawks still need more space. The Islanders have 3 restricted free agents next year (or two if they were to trade Okposo or Bailey). They will still have 24.2mil to work with, it shouldn't be a problem. It wouldn't be such a difficult trade to make if it wasn't such a lengthy contract.

The best fit? Colorado Avalanche. Avalanche need an offensive defenseman desperately and Campbell should be their man. The only problem they are facing is what they could send the other way compared to New York. Now Bowman could easily trade him to Colorado as long as it isn't an Aki Berg-type player and there is a lot of cap space to work with to sign Niemi and still have some room to make minor deals.

In the end many things can happen like putting him on waivers with Huet (very doubtful) or one of the 14 teams I listed before could make a trade. But of course it will but the team in cap troubles for the following years if they can't move other players. Or Chicago can keep Campbell and most likely have to trade Niemi or San Jose or others could give him an offer sheet. We musn't forget that because of Campbell's NTC he would get to decide the team(s) he wouldn't mind joining, that's if he wants to leave.

Could the Southeast Division Finally be Competitive?

Before Ovechkin stepped into the scene as a big force in Washington, teams usually had easy time handling teams form the Southeast. The Southeast really proved you can't be a superstar with out a partner, a Robin to Batman if you will. Lecavlier cracked 100pts once, but certainly has not lived up to his 10mil a year salary. Kovalchuck & Hossa chemisty worked well, Hossa produced 100pts with Kovy once, but of course Hossa was traded and Kovalchuck is now a free agent. (Kovalchuck should hurry up and sign with LA. I can't get over the possibilities of the line of Smyth, Kopy and Kovy). Florida, well Jokinen isn't a superstar, but he was a star in Florida, being their all time point getter. Carolina is coming off a bad season, but Eric Staal is a poster boy of a Batman in need of a Robin (Jussi Jokinen is good, but not good enough). They also would have been a lot better had Ward not been injured. And well the Capitals, they are set for years, with Ovechkin playing in Washington for the next 11 years, and don't forget his centre Backstrom for the next 10. So let's look at how the other 4 teams of the Southeast will become a competitive division as a whole.

Florida Panthers:


Florida Panthers fans (if there are any) should be getting excited for the endless possibilities Dale Tallon can create for the Panthers. Of course for there is a possible downside, should Tallon create a champion in South Beach, there could be a cap problem like the Blackhawks have. But lets not worry about that; Tallon has only been GM for the Panthers for less than a year and has already changed the Panthers drastically, in a good way. Nathan Horton , Gregory Campbell for Dennis Wideman and Boston's 1st round pick ( Nick Bjugstad). Then Tallon virtually stole Michael Grabner and Steve Bernier from Vancouver for Keith "Tomahawk" Ballard and prospect Victor Oreskovich. Tallon had one of or the most successful drafts with drafting: Erik Gudbranson, Nick Bjugstad, Quiton Howden and John Macfarland. Hopefully Jacob Markstrom can compete in training camp for the no.1 job. But Tallon has said he would like to see him get some North American hockey in him first. So probably a few games in the AHL, then we could see a Tuukka Rask type season for Markstrom where he could take the no.1 role from Vokoun by the end of the season. Erik Gudbranson has a great chance of making the team, could be Robyn Regehr type of shutdown defenseman with scoring potential as well. I expect the Panthers to have better season than last, not too much but maybe racing for the 8th seed for the playoffs by the end of the season. After next season or maybe at the trade deadline pick up a great scoring forward. Possibly signing Brad Richards next July 1st?

Tampa Bay Ligthing:

Things are looking up, way up in fact for the Lightning since they last beat my Calgary Flames in 04 to hoist the Cup (well they didn't actually win the Cup, the Flames did). That "way up" I'm talking about is the emergence of Steven Stamkos, also his chemistry with the ever producing 35 year old Martin St. Louis; who has signed a 3 year extension with the Lightning and finally the hope that Vincent Lecavalier can get back in the groove; with the blessing of Yzerman challenging him to be better rather than trading him. I shouldn't forget, Victor Hedman the 2nd overall in the 2009 Draft hopefully having a Drew Doughty sophomore season next year. We also shouldn't forget Steve Downie, the great power forward who produced an unpredicted 46pts with the Lightning this year; oh yeah, 208 penalty minutes as well. The ultimate wild card would be Brett Connolly, taken 6th overall in this past draft. Connolly was the 1st 16 year old to score 30g and 20a in the WHL since Patrick Marleau. Connolly even though coming off his hip injury; he is turning heads at the prospect camp.

The only weak part of the Lightning roster is obviously the goaltending. Mike Smith couldn't turn into the no.1 goaltender they hoped when they traded for him, and who knows with Karri Ramo going to the KHL. They do have promising prospect in former World Junior star Riku Helenius and Dustin Tokarski former World Junior Star. Yzerman and Co. hopes they can be stars in the NHL. The Lightning have recently signed Dan Ellis so the Bolts have a two no.1 goaltender, I think Dan Ellis will do better in Tampa than Nashville with more playing time. So If Smith doesn't perform; we could see him put on waivers and either Helenius, Tokarski or if Ramo decides to play in the North America; be the back-up mid-way through the season.

Stamkos can surely match and even surpass his point total last year, so can St. Louis. The player that needs to improve is Lecavalier, and if he does look out because the Lightning will have 3 players capable of scoring 100pts or more. If Hedman can have a Doughty sophomore, or just a 40 to 50pts season will help the Lightning greatly in getting back in the playoffs. Mike Smith and Dan Ellis are the only unsure parts. Smith is a quality back-up and Ellis can be better with more games. So the Lightning could end up in the same position as last year if the their goaltending produces the same numbers; but don't expect Yzerman to watch that unfold if it were to happen.
Carolina Hurricanes



The Hurricanes are tough to figure, they can be like the Calgary of the old where (when they went to the Cup Final) where their goalie steals the show often and 3-2,2-1 and 1-0 a lot. Or it could go the complete opposite and Eric Staal can kick it into overdrive and scores like a franchise player he should score. Staal had a slow start last season, but come the halfway point, he flipped his switch and scores hat tricks by the plenty. When Staal goes down so does the Hurricanes, well half of the Hurricanes; the other half depends on Cam Ward. Thanks to Rick Nash, Cam Ward season was put a on hold for many weeks. That's a lot when the other anchor to the Hurricane ship Eric Staal isn't on his A-game.

Anyways, I can get off track, but what should we see Eric Staal's 70pts seasons go away. For a few reasons, 2 great prospects and an up an coming forward will get their chance to play. Zach Boychuk has produced great numbers in the AHL, we could see him crack the roster and play with Staal on the powerplay, and if they click put the two centre on the 1st line. Brandon Sutter has great potential playing his 1st season and is set to improve, with more playing time a top 6 forward, he could end up on the line with Staal produce point. Jeff Skinner the 70 goal man from his past OHL campaign (50g in the regular season and 20g in the playoffs) could possibly be the Robin for Eric Staal (Batman). He would just need to get used to playing the wing. But the most intriguing player is Jared Staal; yes ladies and gentleman there is are FOUR STAAL BROTHERS! Not many know much about him or know he even exist because of the shadows his older three brothers have casted. Jared was on the only brother not drafted in the 1st round; but being drafted in the 2nd is bad either. He also didn't make the NHL lineup as fast as his older bros, but Jared could be playing along side his older brother. Jared is a winger so that's a perfect fit for Eric, and the only way a really telling is how Jared shows in his development and training camp. He has produced consistent numbers scoring about 50pts every season. In the end the Hurricanes are only 4 years removed from a Stanley Cup victory, last season they defeated Boston in the 7th game overtime to face the Penguins in the Eastern Confrence Final. The success of every game and every season depends on the success of Eric Staal and Cam Ward.

Atlanta Thrashers

The Atlanta Bla-Thrashers I mean, have improved this offseason, I think? The Trades Atlanta made with Chicago certainly got them more grittier with Byfuglien, Eager, Ladd and Sopel. Grit is something Atlanta lacked, and only Evander Kane brought. Eager is the pure 3rd/4th line enforcer, Ladd is a power forward, Sopel has emerged like a Rob Scuderi; being a very good underrated defensive defenseman. Byfuglien had a great post season, a real clutch performer throughout the playoffs. Some people say he won't have the regular season equivalent as his last post season. People shouldn't forget he spent the season playing on defense and forward on and off. It wasn't till the end of the season and the start of the playoffs did he play with Toews and Kane and start scoring. Now he doesn't have the playmaking ability of Toews and Kane to give him the puck, but he definitley has some guys to work with. But the other Kane in the league, Evander Kane will only be 19 by next season and should improve on his 26pts from last season. A line of Antropov, Byfugflien and Kane seem like a great dynamic line that could certainly score and crunch you in the boards. So Byfuglien numbers won't be equivialent to ones he posted in the playoffs with Toews and Kane but could be come close with Nikolai Antropov and E.Kane.

The Kovalchuck trade wasn't as bad as I first thought it was, Niclas Bergfors looks like he can be a 30 goal scorer next year. Johnny Oduya looks even better than he did before with the potential shutdown pairing with him and Sopel. Patrice Cormier obviously has issues to resolve, but could be a great powerforward and should be feared by opposing players. The Thrashers aren't new to players with problems with law, Dany Heatley was involved in a deathly car accident that killed close-friend and teamate Dan Snyder in a car crash. Some players the Thrashers have some of the great players under 21 with Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane, great coming out of nowehere player Rich Peverley, amazing late round pick Tobias Enstrom, even Alexander Burmistrov has a great chance of making the roster and a goalie in Ondrej Pavelec who could be an elite talent with a defesive team (which Sopel should certainly help). Just Look at the effort and athletisism he puts in his game. They also have a great back-up or a 1a goaltender to take the load of Pavelec in Chris Mason. The Thrashers could be really good someday, they just need a little more defensive work and they still have players that haven't reached their full potential like Kane, Bogosian, Bergfors, Bryan Little, Pavelec and even Enstrom who scored 50pts last season could be a 60-70pts defenseman; who knows Rich Peverley could score 80pts one day.

........................................................................................................................................................................................

I give it 2 years time for the entire division to be competitive. Dale Tallon himself said it is his goal for teams not to think their on "vacation" when they come to Sunrise. With new GM and head coach in town, the Thrashers are finally making trades have finally lots of players to be excited about. Lightning should be the first to get out of the Southeast "cake-walk" stigmal; with all their highend talent, it is just their goaltending to worry about. Finally the Hurricanes need what they've always needed: consistent Eric Staal and somebody to play with him, a healthy Cam Ward and come to think of it; who's the Hurricanes best defenseman? Yeah they need one of those too. All in all Tampa Bay, Carolina, and MAYBE Atalnata depending on how their former Blackhawks and defensive system plays out will contend for a playoff spot. But expect Florida to still be in contention for a lotter pick or close to it. What else does this mean? Well it could mean if they start being competitive, the whole rumours of Atlanta, Florida and Tampa Bay relocation to go out the window if the fans start noticing and show up to games.

There's Building Within, Then There's the Nashville Predators, Good or Bad?

Who is the greatest player in Predators history? I know it's a tough one to choose. Kimmo Timmonen playing 8 seasons in Nashvile recording good numbers. Best name they ever had is obviously Peter Forsberg. That obvious did not work out, playing only 17 games. It does show how good of player he was though to be one of the best in Predators history. Back to my point, David Poile needs to make that kind of trade, or any trade of significant value. Don't go out and use multiple of promising prospects (especially defenseman) prospects to get a player of Peter Forsberg value. But a significant player nonetheless; a forward to be exact.

For a team in a non-traditional market, management is definatley going about the wrong way of attracting its fans. The Predators way is to draft the best (defenseman) player avaiable in they can in draft, and wait. Predators can't afford to wait. They've already been pursued by Jim Balsilie and his Blackberry empire; to relocate to Hamilton (which I would have loved). It was talked about much the past postseason, that the Predators need to advance to the 2nd round to get fans excited about the Predators (there was flouding in Nashville arena during the time when the Preds would have played in the 2nd round). The Predators have never is franchise history advanced pass the 1st round. The Predators have always been great regular season team, making the playoffs regulary.

In today's hockey you often need a star player to build and around and attract fans. This appeals the American teams, specifally the southern ones. Carolina has Eric Staal, Washington obvious has Alex Ovechkin and company (i.e Backstrom, Green) and Los Angeles has Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty who are fan favourites. Besides Washington (because of their elite players with loads of talent) Los Angeles is on the climb in attendance with making the playoffs, having a great season and exciting players. Carolina would have had a better attendance showing had Cam Ward not gone down with injury and thus the Hurricanes lost many games.

In the Preds case, they annually make the playoffs and have a great regulary. So what's the problem? They are the the Devils of the West. The difference the Devils have players that can crack 80 pts or more. Steve Sullivan and Patric Hornqvist lead the Preds in points; with 51 pts. It may be a defensive team; but 51 pts!? That should be you no. 1 defenseman numbers with your top forwards getting at least 65 pts or more. Now this wouldn't matter if the Nashville wasn't located where it is. I could barley get through the Preds vs. Hawks 1st round with the trap, and neutralzone play of the Preds. The Preds have 18 players drafted by them; only Detroit can do that and have successful years. The Preds have gone about the wrong way in attracting fans and having successfull campaigns every year.

The best part about this problem, is that it isn't hard to fix this problem. The Preds may have signed Lombardi, who is good but isn't a 1st line centre. There may not be a slew of player to get in return in a trade. The one thing the Preds have done well, is drafting successful defenseman. Their best are Jon Blum and Ryan Ellis. Teams don't carry 5 offensive defenseman: Shea Webber, Cody Franson, Ryan Suter and later adding Blum and Ellis . Not to say they aren't good defensively, but their best assest are their scoring. So it's a good geuss that one of these defenseman will be swaped in the future, hopefully for a scoring roster ready forwards.

NSH trade Jon Blum for SJ Devin Setoguchi

NSH trade Ryan Ellis & David Legwand to DAL for Mike Ribeiro and Jamie Benn



(I think that Cody Franson is interchangeable with either of Ellis or Blum with the same style and is comming off his rookie campaign)

Finally Sign (or make a reasonable trade at the deadline if they can pull it off) Alexander Semin next off season

I really think these deals are possible. David Polie could get more than Setoguchi but Setoguchi is a great alternating 1st and 2nd line player. Dallas is desperate for a defenseman, they are shopping Mike Ribeiro and would gain a little bit more cap space between him and Legwand, and Jamie Benn came off a 22 goal rookie season. Let's be honest; they would be one of the toughest teams to play against if these deals went down, and for once exciting to watch.

It Should Be an Exciting Race Next Year for The Calder Trophy

Next year could be the closest Calder Trophy race or most anticipated since the trio of Ovechkin (52g 54a 106pts), Crosby (39g 63a 102pts) and Phaneuf (20g 29a 49pts). The rookies may not crack 100pts but certainly should be a close race between them. This season has a great crop of players are highly touted prospects. Whether it be players comming straight out of the draft, players drafted in 2009 comming up or players that have spent 2 years or more in the in junior or the minors. No matter what, there are legitimate players expected to be start a great career next season.

Some players that come to mind from the 2010 Draft that come to mind are Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin of course, we could also see Nino Niederreiter make the jump and rack up points with Tavares, since Russians often make the jump; Vladamir Tarasenko. As for 2009 draftees Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Nazem Kadri and Brayden Schenn. Finally players from the 2008 Draft class and further: Cody Hodgson, Jordan Eberle, one of LA's top D prospects could make the jump; Colten Tuebert and Thomas Hickey, and Kevin Shattenkirk.

Here is who I think the top 2 candidates and the eventual winner of the trophy. (SPOILER ALERT EXPECT TO SEE MORE THAN ONE OILER)


-No.3 Nazem Kadri



10/11 45-50pts

What Kadri does best is improve, in which he has raised his point level substantially in his 4 OHL seasons ( 22pts, 66pts, 78pts, 93pts). Kadri is working on his frame, gainging muscle over the summer. And He will, because it is all he needs to be a great player. The fact Kadri didn't crack the roster last season really took effect on Kadri, he recorded a 105 PIMs this past season. So maybe it was always in the cards for Kadri to get sent back to junior. It really has transformed him into a Burke type player. Expect the Toronto hooligan fans to demand Kadri for mayor this October (there's actually an election too), you will see a lot of people wearing #43 blue & white jerseys downtown.


No.2 Taylor Hall


10/11 60-65pts
I was thinking about this one more than I should have. I originally thought Hall was going to have a Tavares type of rookie season. But then I realized Tavares didn't have the great players to work with as Hall does (they may be rookies but they are better than what the Islanders currently have to offer). Players may say "I still have to earn my spot on the team" but when GM Tabellini clears his roster leaving significant holes; you know there are rookies comming in( Hall, Paajavi-Svensson, Eberle, Linus Omark, Anton Lander). Hall is an amazing scorer, he has tremendous accuracy like Patrick Kane, great flair and finish like Alexander Ovechkin. I believe Hall will be the closest thing Edmonton will ever get to having Gretzky back. Unless ......

-Winner- Jordan Eberle



.... Eberle has something to say about it. Plain and simple; playing on a line with Hall and Paajarvi-Svensson (it was a toss up between P.S and Kadri.... but could you imagine THREE! teamates standing side-by-side at the awards in Las Vegas waiting to see who will accept the Calder Trophy), Eberle is going to the beneficiary of the passes from the two players. The best part about that line both Hall and Eberle can play centre. Hall played wing last season, but has been used in center on occaisions. So that really gives that potential line a great dynamic. The casual hockey fan (that watches the WJC) knows that Eberle is going to great player in the NHL. Eberle is the poster boy for the Canadian junior team, now and for years to come. Some people don't realize is that Eberle posted the same amount of pts as Hall (106). The difference is Hall was on a great Windsor Spitfires and Eberle was on the weak Regina Pats(apart from Colten Teubert and Jordan Weal). Eberle is a great player, imagine him on the Oilers great team?

You're probably thinking why I left Seguin out. For two reasons, he is like like Hodgson, Schenn and Ekman-Larsson; all potential studs, but they aren't ready yet or their team can't fit them in the lineup. Both Hodgson and Seguin fall in that category. Also If Boston doesn't trade Savard (it would really be a slap in the face if they did) it is hard seeing Seguin in the lineup. I think since he only played had 1 amazing season in the OHL. It would be great to see him play one more just to see if he can keep his numbers up and step into the lineup when Patrice Bergeron goes into free agency next offseason.

A Look at The Top Prospects for the 2011 Draft

It's been a couple weeks now since the draft in Los Angeles; and I don't know about you, but right when Brock Nelson was picked 30th overall, I was already thinking about next year. The 2011 NHL Entry Draft will take place in the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul Minnesota. If you remeber how the record was broke for the amount of Americans taken in the 1st round this year, I think we could see more. There are 3 americans players in my top 10 prospects for next year. Which must mean there are more to come 11 through 30. And just for fun I'll put who will pick each player. The Hockey News originally had their 2011 NHL Draf Projected Top 10, in their Future Watch issue. I will be using the same players,but in my own order and own analysis with 5 players instead of 10. Without further adue here's my mock draft of the Top 5 propects.

No.1 Sean Couturier LW, 6'3185 Ibs Drumondville Voltigeurs QMJHL

HF Boards may not be an reliabe source at times, but loook what "scoutman1" has to say about Sean Couturier. It is really fascinating; and then when you realize it was posted in 2007 when Couturier was only 14, it is even more amazing. Couturier is a playmaking winger that plays centre at times. If "scoutman1" is correct in saying that he will be the next Jarmoir Jagr than the Dallas Stars fans should get really excited! I don't see the Stars getting back in the playoffs for a few years, and they are team in need of a rebuild. With Jack Campbell brewing in the minors, and Couturier possibly making the jump the following season, should make the Stars more competive down the road.

No.2 Adam Larsson D 6'2 201 Ibs Skelleftea (Swe)

Personnally after reading over what Adam Larsson has to offer on the ice. I believe he is Victor Hedman minus 5 inches. Best friends with prospects with older David Rundblad and Tim Erixon , the youngest is definatley the most dominant. Larsson is big defenseman with can bury you to the ground and slap bombs from the point past the goaltender. Larsson has matured beyond his years, playing as a underager in the WJC. Larsson's fast learning could see him playing to the style of Drew Doughty. The next team to receive Doughty no.2 will be the ,y favourite team the Calgary Flames. With Darryl Sutters' insanity kicking into full gear, expect Sutter to fired after the Flames miss the playoffs (or earlier if he trades for the Flames make anymore Jokinen-esque trades). They will go into a slight rebuild but no as much as their Albertan counter part has done. They have some great forward prospects like Greg Niemz, Mikael Backlund who should play the full season next year, Ryan Howse and Mitch Wahl the Flames can afford to take this can't miss defensive prospect to take over Dion Phaneufs' absence (also imagine the two best friends Erixon and Larsson on the same line).

No.3 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C 6'0 155 Red Deer Rebels WHL

Selected 1st overall in the Bantam draft, Hopkins has produced point-per-game numbers. Expect him to have a great sophmore season because if he is able to produce 65pts in 67 games at 155 Ibs; imagine what he would be at 180 or even 170. It may be because of his weight, but Hopkins is obviously a fast skater, but he can really put the puck in the net. Hopkins will be selected to your Minnesota Wild. The Wild are a team in need of a makeover, and they don't have enough assests to get some quality prospects and players in return. So the Wild will take their first step into rebuilding their forwards, with Nugent-Hopkins and Mikael Granlund as your top center prospects would be something to get excited about. Hopefully the Wild can add a second pick in the 1st round, because their isn't much defenseman (yet) besides Larsson to pick from the Wild's posistion.

No.4 Rocco Grimaldi C 5'6 160 Ibs NTDP USHL

"One of the smallest elite players ever". Grimaldi is one diamond in ruff players that are really smaller than the players on the teams he plays against; but can still play physically. One of the most dynamic players because he can really score goals. People said the same thing about Patrick Kane about his size when he was drafted; and he later scored the Stanley Cup winning goal 3 years later. Grimaldi surely won't be 5'6 when he plays in the NHL, he is still only 17 years old. He is definatley a speedy forward that is everywhere on the ice, all the time. If their is one thing Glen Sather loves, is drafting Americans. Unless the New York Rangers come in as the third party and sign Kovalchuck, the Rangers will finish in the bottom 10 and draft one of the 3 Amercian forwards ( Grimaldi, Seth Ambroz and Brandon Saad). I see Sather picking Grimaldi over the other American forwards because of how dynamic of a player he is.

No.5 Seth Ambroz 6'3 198 Ibs Omaha USHL

A big power forward, with great scoring ability that is dominating the USHL. Ambroz is prototypical power forward scroing 49pts in 56 games. The best part is he will drop the mits aswell putting up a 118 PIMs last season. Ambroz will be like the next Jarome Iginla, with the tenacious scoring ability, hitting and dropping the gloves. Ambroz will be selected by the one-hit wonder playoff team Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunatley if Pierre Gauthier didn't trade Halak I wouldn't be saying this. Carey Price is a good goal, a very good goalie. He just can't handle the pressure he is under in Montreal. Carey Price will get 20-25 wins, but the team was nothing without Halak. The Canadiens only got into the playoffs because the Leafs couldn't win in regulation. Ambroz will be a great addition because the Canadiens don't have a great scoring power forward.

How Dale Tallon's Future Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers Will Look like

I'm not saying Dale Tallon has already worked miracles and constructed a Stanley Cup team through his first couple months as the new GM. But everyone can agree that Dale Tallon has been the most succesfull GM through the draft period. I mean, the Keith Ballard trade for Michael Grabner, Steve Bernier AND! their 1st round pick in 2010. In total Tallon had 13 picks in the draft (out of 7 rounds) and three in the 1st round! So let's go over who Tallon selected and what potential moves Tallon could make.

Florida Panthers 2010 NHL Entry Draft

-Erik Gudbranson 3rd Overall



OHL 09/10 2g 21a 23pts.

NHL 10/11 3g/10a 13pts

Erik Gudbranson will be like the defensive version of former Panther Pavel Bure. In the way that Bure had flair and skill to his offensive game. Gudbranson has equal skill in his defensive game and will obliterate opposing forwards trying to get pass him; they will always be forced to dump and chase. Some say he has potential to get his offensive a game going to in the NHL. That speculation obviously comes from his size and the possibility of playing the point on the powerplay. E.J McGuire of Central scouting compares him to Chris Pronger. That is reasonable with his size and defensive game, but the comparison wont be true till he is able to produce great offensive numbers. Tallon said it himself that every single player in the Panthers system has a chance to crack the roster. Gudbranson expects to patrole the blueline this season and has to have one of the best chances of doing it.

-Nick Bjugstad 19th Overall

HS 29g 31a 60pts

MIN State 30-35pts

I am not sure what to think of this pick. I haven't heard bad reviews of the pick, but for a high schooler hockey player to get drafted in the 1st round you must be an exceptional player. Which he was, scoring 29g 31a 60pts in 25 games (for school standards). He has great size in 6'4 188 Ibs and at 18 definatley still has potential to grow, and has comparisons to Ryan Getzlaf. Even though Tallon said everyone has a shot to make the roster, don't expect Bjugstad because he is commited to Minnesota University. It will be best to keep Bjugstad in in the NCAA to see how good he really is competing against more talented players. Expect Bjugstad to crack the roster in 2-3 years (depending on how long he will be at the University) time and if he plays the way he did in Highschool; he will be not only the Panthers top centre but one of the league's top centers.

-Quiton Howden 25th overall

WHL 09/10 28g 37a 65pts

WHL 10/11 70-75pts

Howden offers something the Panthers have really missed throughout the years, a true two-way guy. Howden showed some great point-per-game play with his 65pts, but Howden is often used on the pentalty kill as well. Howden is a hard player to come by, not the fact that he is a two-way player, but he is also a scorer. Look for Howden to be much like Patrick Sharp (coincidence Tallon drafted Howden and traded for Sharp?). I give Howden a better shot over Bjugstad at cracking the roster because he is proven on a higher level.

One things for sure, every team wished they had the chance to pick the type of players Tallon selected. Don't forget there was 10 other players drafted, John MacFarlan who was ranked in the top 10 but fell. Panthers will have great talent comming into the system this year and years to come.

Acquistions Tallon Will Probably Make

Don't look for Tallon to go out and try and grab a star player. The Panthers would have to give up players Tallon has already acquired to get them. Tallon likes to build within i.e Toews and Kane. You will see Tallon make a trade to get a guy like Sharp was to Chicago. An underrated two-way forward, that only Tallon could knows has potential to greater. Also look for him to go after unwanted 2nd, 3rd or even later round prospects. This is how Tallon got Versteeg from Boston.

If the Panthers end up having a great season and make the playoffs or even if they come close; players will want to join the Panthers. This is because players now know that he can build a champion team. This makes Tallon in the position to sign big name free agents, like he did with: Hossa, Campbell and Huet in Chicago. Now all were really expensive and two of them were good and have fallen off in production right now. But expect Tallon to learn from his mistakes. Here's some next years crop of UFAs; Joe Thornton, Brad Richards, Zdeno Chara, and Patrice Bergeron. I will go out and make a bold statement and say one of those players will sign with the Panthers next offseason.

When the Panthers will win the Stanley Cup? I say 2012-2013 season. And wouldn't it be amazing if the Panthers faced the Blackhawks. Here are the players that aren't on the roster that I think Tallon should have in his lineup when the Panthers make their run.

Gudbranson, newly acquired Grabner and Bernier, Bjugstad and Howden will have made the jump by 2013, Simon Gagne, Dustin Penner, Tomas Fleischmann, Keaton Ellerby, promising young goaltender Jacob Markstrom, prospect John MacFarland should have made the jump and could make other teams pay for not taking him in the 1st round, if the Pathers receive a top 10 pick next year expect to possibly see one of these names Sean Couturier, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Boone Jenner, Victor Rask or Brandon Saad and if Tallon really likes what the Canucks have to offer he will steal another player; Kevin Bieksa.

That's what I think... what do you think?

... and here's who I think Tallon will pursue next offseason or maybe at the tradedeadline... it should make the Lightning Panthers rivalry sweeter.

Minnesota Wild: Management Doesn't Realize The Wild Are in Need of An Extreme Makeover

This is how I describe the Minnesota Wild: A team with an above average centre with a former star winger, NHL's biggest and toughest goons, and a goaltender that is the only reason why they don't compete with the other bottom feeders of the league. Might I add they have the worst prospects in the NHL (well according to Hockeys future,). I think their farm system is one of the worst in the league, but I think the Flyers are the worst. The fans in Minnesota will go and watch their Wild no matter what the team looks like or how it performs (They are one of the league leaders in attendance, and have been since their arrival to the NHL ). If Bettman put teams in cities just to satisfy the community around it, we would see a bunch more of Canadian teams. Personally I would rather see the Devils play than the Wild, because they have Marty in net. So Chuck Fletcher needs to change the look of the Wild.

In the end there is nothing for Wild fans to get excited about other than hoping for Backstrom to be like Ryan Miller and carry your team to the playoffs. Even then, you might be able to get throught the regular season with out a great offense, but you wont get the through the playoffs. It may not be a total rebuild because they got some pieces (very, very few) that Chuck Fletcher can try to work with. The Wild and Wild fans should have to settle for just making the 1st round or not making the playoffs (Backstrom will always win enough games to keep the Wild from top 5 pick contention for the Draft too, so that sucks aswell). So here's my ideas for Chuck Fletcher to ponder about.

-Gather Some Picks and Prospects




The next NHL Entry Draft will take place, which Fletcher said it is a great step to help make the Wild a "world class organization". As I said earlier the Wild have the worst prospects in the league. Now you can make a case for Marco Scandella, Tyler Cuma and maybe Colton Gillies but that is about it. The Wild recently selected a promising forward in Mikael Granlund from Finland. Granlund was the highest rated European in the 2010 Draft. So for the first time in a long time the Wild made an excellent pick in Mikael Granlund and have something to look forward too. So finally the Wild have a potential NHL playmaking stud, maybe similar to Nicklas Backstrom. So what I am getting to is Fletcher needs to trade Mikko Koivu. I don't like the sound of him not being in a Wild uniform, but it has to be done in order for the Wild to progress as an orginization. I think they desperatley need to to get some assests in return. Here is a possible trade the Wild could make

Wild Trade Koivu and prospect Tyler Cuma to Florida for Stephen Weiss and a 1st Round Selection in 2011. This gives the Wild a centre to replace Koivu with the same amount of skill and possibly more because of his illrelationship with the Florida orginization. It could work out the same way the Latendresse and Pouliot trade worked out earlier. Both players went on to have a more success with their new franchises. This also gives the Minnesota a first round selection, and since Florida is still an a rebuilding situation, the Wild could probably receive a 1-15 selection. When you are hosting a draft, the more the 1st round picks the merrier.

A second option that comes to mind only if the Wild are willing to risk missing the playoffs (but could still receive a great pick) would be trading for Kyle Turris. Originally drafted 3rd overall, after two season he finally made the jump to the NHL. Turris played 60 games scoring 20 pts. It means Dave Tippet didn't want to tank the season by filling his roster with rookies. But Turris perfomed well in the AHL scoring 63pts in 76 games and could easily step in the NHL next year. Pheonix can afford to give up Turris because of their abundance of great rookies with high potential (Boedker, Ekman-Larsson, Brett MacLean, Tikhonov and Goncharov). Turris could turn into a franchise player, and Koivu and maybe a little extra would be a great fit. The Wild would have a one-two punch at centre with Granlund and Turris down the middle.

And as for prospects, the Wild need forwards. Players that come to mind with great potential that the Wild could pursue for an affordable price: Zach Hamill (Drafted 8th overall in 2007), Jack Skille (Drafted 7th overall 2005) and if they can find a way to do it Nakita Filatov (Drafted 6th overall 2008).

- Trade Brent Burns



Brent Burns being traded have been rumoured since midway through the season. Brent Burns put up 47 pts through the last two seasons but was plague by injury and played only 106 games. But Burns has great potential, since he posted 43pts. I thought about the possible trade for Brian Campbell, but then I realized his contract is 7mil a year instead of 5mil. I also looked for other players in the same pts range, and they are all either a key part of a teams defense or it just wouldn't upgrade the Wild.

So this is why I think they should trade for a prospect. Marco Scandella is a solid D-man that should get a chance to take Burns place . Some prospects I think the Wild could get for Burns: Ryan Ellis or John Carlson. I think Ellis is more probable. Carlson has played a season in the AHL and performed well; along with a solid stint with Caps scoring 6pts in 22 games. They both have the same type of style, but since Ellis is younger, and hasn't played in pros; he is more likely.

Finally Keep Your 1st Round pick

If Fletcher does some or all of the suggestion I've made, I still believe they won't make the playoffs and finish in the bottom 10. But a season where they could get a possibly a top 5 pick will do well for the Wild. I expect in 2 years, a rather quick rebuild if you will; the Wild will compete in the playoffs. I think there we will see a lackluster Minnesota Wild we could possibly see a 1st overall player picked in the same arena he will playing the following year.

But This is just what I think.... What do you think?

Why the Maple Leafs Will Make the Playoffs for the First Time in 7 Years

May 4th 2004 was the last day Leafs fans really had something to cheer about. I was only 10 years old when the Leafs were playing the Flyers and Jeremy Roenick ended the Leafs post season hopes. To put in prespective here are a few things that have happened since: NHL Lockout, Sidney Crosby being drafted, Youtube and Facebook were both created, Sadam Hussein was executed, Brett Favre retired for the 1st time, Barack Obama became president and Sidney Crosby scored the overtime winner to give Canada Olympic gold on home ice (Everything else Steve Dangle found out that happened since May the 4th ). A lot of historic hockey and world events have happened since. But I have reason to believe Leaf fans we be able to relax this season and we won't see after every Leaf loss fans demanding Ron Wilson to be fired, Burke to step down and silly trade request for Kessel after he a 3 game drought of scoring. I'm not saying the road to the playoffs wont be bumpy, but it is going to happen; and here's why.

-"Double" Dion Phaneuf



09/10 12g 21a 32pts
10/11 17g 23a 60pts

If there is one trade in the Burke era not every Leaf fan likes is the Phil Kessel trade; the one everyone does like is the Phaneuf trade (unless you were a big Ian White fan). Leafs bascially went into the Bank of Calgary Flames and stoll Phaneuf. Now they didn't completely steal Phaneuf but they didn't pay full price. Trading two mediocer forwards with Stajan and Hagman. A goon in Jamal Mayers, and the only player Calgary fans can be excited for Ian White. Leafs also stoll a little extra in a good shoot out guy Freddy Sjostrom and future shutdown defenceman Keith Aulie (played on the same Kelowna Rockets team as Luke Schenn)

Phaneuf is league renowned name, because of his fierce hits, competitiveness and also his scoring ability. Phaneuf only finished with 32pts and only 10 pts in 26 games with the Leafs. Phaneuf is perenial 45-60 pts kinda guy. Something must have been wrong with Phaneuf this year which lead most to believe was the reason why he was trade out of Calgary (or stolen). Even though he didn't dimalish the scoreboard, he really changed the team. After the trade, the Leafs started competing like a playoff team. Players would hit harder and players who didn't hit that often would, to model Phaneuf. Those are the reason why he is the new captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Had the Leafs kept pace with their record after Phaneuf throughout the season they would have been facing the Capitals, or New Jersey in the 1st round. And we all know what happened to those guys in the 1st round. Kaberle was paired with Phaneuf on the powerplay on the regular once he came in, Kaberle finished with 49pts.

Had Burke made the traded for him early in the season or before it, we could have seen Kaberle rack the assists from a Phaneuf one-time powerplay bomb from the point. I know Phaneuf didn't rack up the points after his arrival, but he definatley took the trade hard. For a guy as manly as Phaneuf, I thought he could never cry. But in the interviews after the trade he was. So their definatley was a problem with Phaneuf this season; but a long offseason the think about and a declared captaincy should boost his confindence and bring back that all star defenseman.

-Naz"um" Kadri



OHL 09/10 35g 58a 93pts
NHL 10/11 21g 24a 45pts


I mean no disrespect to Kadri, but I find it funny how he frequently says "um" over and over again in interviews. You would have to go way back to find a star forward drafted by the Leafs. The best in recent history Sundin, Clark, Gilmour all were not drafted by the Leafs. You may have to go all the way to Darryl Sittler to find the best purebred Leaf. Well after a long wait, Leaf fans now have something to get excited about; Nazem Kadri. The past season Kadri ammassed 93pts compared to a still impressive 78pts the previous season. Kadri even had an exceptional post season, scoring 9g and 18a through first 2 rounds in 14 games.

Kadri was oh so close to cracking the Leafs roster with impressing the fans and the coaches with his play. But he could not pull off a Luke Schenn. But it proved succesfull to add some seasoning to Kadri since he was in the top 5 in OHL scoring. He did manage to play one emergency call-up game when the Marlies were on a west coast road trip. He didn't look out of place. You could tell he was a rookie on the ice because of his size, not his height but his weight. I think the only reason he didn;t make the roster was the fact he would have been throw around on the ice. Kadri has shown he can score, him playing next year hinges on him gainging some muscle so he doesn't get thrown around. I see Kadri fitting in as a rotating 2nd and 3rd line centre that will also be the go-to guy in the shootout, which is hasn't been the Leafs best area of expertice. In fact they were the first NHL team to loose in the new NHL shootout format. But as everyone know he can dangle and he has all the tools to be the next Darryl Sittler for the Leafs. Here's some of what you're going to see next season.

-The Duo of Jonas "Goose" Gustavsson and J.S "Getting Giggy With It" Giguere For The Whole Season



Gustavsson - 09/10 16W 15L
Giguere - 09/10 6W 7L (with the Leafs)

Now I really can predict with confidence the stats of these goaltenders. It is harder than predicting players cause goalie only play certain amount of games, and their are wins, losses and overtime losses that factor in. Also goalies can go down to injury and other goalies get called up. If I have to guess I think Goose will get around 28-33 wins and Giguerre about 15-18 wins.

Back to buissness; these to goaltender really showed some solid goaltending towards the end of the season. It is hard to judge Goose for his play throughout the season because of the fact he had 2 heart procedures, and the passing of his mother before the season. It is just unbelieveable he was able to play the way he did throughout the season. He definatley showed potential. Giguere showed great promise in his first showing with the Leafs but later tailed off in March. I really think with these goalies knowing the team was bound for the bottom seller of the standings by February; they didn't have much to play for. It's not like a proffesional should play like that, but when you know you have a legitimate chance of playing in the playoffs you play better. So with a good offseason and pre-season with these two goalies who cover up a tremendous amount of net, we could see the best goalie tandom since Nabokov and Tosakala (Remember Toskala was good once).

-Phil "The Thrill" Kessel



09/10 30g 25a 55pts
10/11 41g 32a 73pts

Phil Kessel trade is arguably the most controvesial Maple Leafs trade ever, because of the amount and quality of draft pick given out. The Boston Bruins received the 2nd overall pick and selected Tyler Seguin. Oh yeah also the Leafs 1st round selection in 2011. But as Brian Burke overly states "We would make the trade again tomorrow". I think this trade will always be hanging over Kessel's head. Even if he ammasses a 80 point season and Seguin get say 90 or 100; the rabid outrageous Leaf fans will scrutinize Kessel as a bad player. Which shouldn't be, because Kessel is no Aki Berg, he is a real pure scorer.

He has the potential to be a star in Toronto, as long as he receives a player that can pass the puck like Marc Savard or better. Even if he doesn't receive a star centre he can still rack up 70 pts in a season with the roster the Leafs have; even if the season started tomorrow. Kessel didn't show up to the Leafs lineup till november and missed 12 games. So there's so much potential for Kessel, with a full and healthy season we can see Leafs Nation agreeing with Burke on this controversial trade.

.........................................................................................
All of my speculation of the Leafs stems on three important things: how the new players will gel together through an entire season, players having career and bounce back season. I am sure this will happen!

Steve Dangle
Almost forgot the most important reason why the Leafs will make the playoffs. If you are a true Leaf fan you watch Steve Dangle's LFRs. And there is no way Leaf fans can go another season without seeing the first LFPR (Leaf Fan Playoff Reaction) without rioting.


http://www.youtube.com/user/SteveDangle

The New York Islanders, The Next Dynasty... I know, The Islanders!

It has been 27 years since the Hall of Fame team of Bossy, Potvin, Gillies (etc) won hockey's Chalice for the fourth straight year. After the dynasty was over, couple years later tumble weeds started circulating Nassau Coliseum. Ever since Nassau Coliseum has not been the place to be for about 20 years or so. But today, there are signs of a potential dynasty.

It is not like the Islanders did not have chance to start another dynasty, in fact they probably had the best chance to begin another one at the turn of the century. Trading Zdeno Chara,Bill Muckalt and the the 2nd pick in 2001 (Jason Spezza) and acquring and signing a mega contract to Alexei Yashin. Trading Bryan McCabe for Trevor Linden and Jarko Ruuto. Tading Luongo & Jokinen for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kavasha, because they drafted Rick DiPietro. Drafting Tim Connoly 5ht overall ( it may have been a weak draft but they could have taken Havlat, or Zetterberg.... but only Detroit scouts can find those gems deep in drafts).

Even the casual hockey fan can point out where the Islanders (*cough* Mike Milbury*cough*) went horribly wrong in theses mostly draft day deals and draft selections. Islander fans often ask themselves what their team could; no rather should of looked like through the 1st decade in the 21st century. Because of this, New York Islanders face the actual possibility of relocating; because of the fact they retain the status of the biggest NHL bottom feeder. And how sad would it be to see such a storied franchise relocate.

I always think that for every bad situation, there are real possibilities of positive situations that can arise. What is this positive situation you may ask? Well the best part of being the bottom feeder of the NHL you often get a top 10 draft pick. And since Mike Milbury is no longer the GM, the Islanders can actually make some real good decisions. The good decisions really started in 2006 for the Islanders, a solid top six forward Kyle Okposo with great leadership qualities. Okay the Ryan Smyth deal didn't work out, so the 15th selection went to Edmonton in 2007, but then followed by Josh Bailey at 7th with a yet an untapped talent. BUT! the next year 2009, was a maybe the best pick the Islanders ever made. John Tavares dubbed the next "Next Great One" (since Gretzky their have been some players like Lindros or Crosby that people think could challenge for the all time scoring record) was taken 1st overall in 2009. Tavares broke some of Gretzky's records in the OHL with goals, and became the first ever 16 year old to play in the OHL because of "exceptional talent". He started his rookie campaign great scoring a lot fast but tailed off in the middle of the season; but he still ammased 54 pts. Along with Tavares in the same draft the Islanders got defenseman Calvin de Haan who showed great promise in the OHL getting 63 pts in 68 games. And if DiPietro injury keeps him out regulary for the next 11 years I believe, Mikko Koskinen a 6'8 goaltender from Finland could step in and be a huge intimidation factor down the road. Finally this year the Islanders had one of the best drafts, selecting 5th Nino Niederreiter, his play on the ice is as fun to watch as it is to say his name. He is a player that can score with and with flair. 30th overall Brock Nelson, a mean powerforward something the Islanders don't have and could possibly be the like Marty McSorley was to Gretzky. And most notably, yes even more notably than the 5th overall Niederreiter, 65th overall Kirill Kabanov. This player has top 10 draft talent. EJ McGure from Central Scouting compares him to Ilya Kovalchuck. But off ice issues and an injury made him fall all the way to the 3rd roud; but he still managed 23 pts in 22 games with the Q's Wildcats. But thats a story for another time.

The Islanders are a very young team, with even younger players that could potentially come into the mix next i.e Niederreiter 18 and Kabanov 18. But it would be best to to leave them in the minors a season or three. But come training camp, anyting is possible; Luke Schenn was almost guaranteed to back to Kelowna but stayed with the Buds. All these big name players have been selected in order to create a long overdue New York Islanders team that is hard to play against; and a team worth watching. With names like Tavares, Niederreiter, Kabanov even Okposo it grabs desperatley needed attention. GM Garth Snow, Charles Wang and co. are doing the best to keep the Islanders on Long Island make them a competitive team. And with recent news of the Islanders pursuing Ilya Kovalchuck with a 10 year 100mil contract (I know the Yashin similarity stories writes itself), but it could be the final player to not only be that final name to keep fans comming to games and keep the Islanders in New York it could finally bring the New York Islanders back to their dynasty days.

Just look at what Charles Wang (Islanders owner) is trying to accomplish for not only the Islanders but the community around it, could really happen with theses young promising players.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbcp03VBZA8



But this is just what I think..... what do you think?