NHL Draft Preview

The NHL Entry Draft is Friday June 20th. Last year's draft highlight turned out to be the Bill Simmons "Kudos to the NHL" draft review. I'd really love to see a 2008 review but Simmons is probably too busy celebrating the Celtics championship.

I know less each year about the prospects heading into the draft. I greatly miss watching the Wheat Kings in Brandon. I don't get to see the top junior kids from the WHL anymore. I have seen Wheat King defenseman Colby Robak play a few games as well as forward Matt Calvert. Both will be selected this week-end. Robak could go in the first round and be the highest Wheat King taken since Eric Fehr was selected by the Capitals 18th overall in 2003 (side note - I already consider that one of the best drafts ever and it just continues to build momentum. 1983 is another favorite). Robak has the size at 6'3 - 202 and skates well and has good offensive skill. The team that drafts Calvart will get a solid player. He scored 25 goals for the Wheat Kings and played on a line with rookie sensation Brayden Schenn ('09 draft class - sure first rounder). Calvart has a "great motor" as NFL scouts like to say about their prospects. I'm going to apply it for hockey in Calvart's case. I've only seen him play a handful of games but he always played at 100% and created a lot on the ice. He's not big at 5'9 - 172 but that doesn't seem to matter in the NHL today.

Aside from the Wheat King connection, seeing who the Bruins select is something I am interested in. I cheered for the Bruins faithfully in my adolescent years and I guess you could say the Black and Gold are still "my team". Their track record in the first round isn't great so I don't have high hopes for the B's first selection. Their recent first rounders include:

Zach Hamill (8th)
Phil Kessel (5th)
Matt Lashoff (22nd)
Mark Stuart (21st)

TSN mock draft has the B's selecting Tyler Cuma, D, Ottawa...never heard of him.....like most of the players listed in the mock draft.

Then there's watching the draft to see if any big name players get traded. I guess there's a wild rumor that Malkin is on the move but Bob Mackenzie shoots that down here.

Finally, I'd love to see Brian Burke make a smart remark regarding his selection at #12 - the compensation pick he was awarded when Kevin Lowe and the Oilers scooped Restricted Free Agent Dustin Penner from the Ducks last season and overpaid him. I don't think Burke will but you can never predict what he will say. The Oilers actually finished strong and avoided embarrassment. At one point in the season some people thought the Oilers were going to tank and Burke would have had a shot at a very high pick.

At the very least the draft should be somewhat interesting and hopefully TSN does a decent job covering it and I can raise my Bud Light and say, "Kudos".