411 NHL Offseason Roundtable: The 2007 NHL Entry Draft
Posted by Neil Borenstein on 06.28.2007
The heat of the NHL offseason really begins with the NHL Entry Draft. In the second installment of 411’s NHL Offseason Roundtable, staffers offer their thoughts on what occurred at the 2007 Draft, held last Friday-Saturday in Columbus.
The 2007 National Hockey League offseason continues, and we are merely days away from the opening of the free agent market. But for the 30 teams composing the league, the search for an influx of talent has already begun.
From June 22-23, the 2007 NHL Entry Draft took place in Columbus. The draft is an attempt for teams to bring in some fresh talent with potential to become big assets to their organizations at some point in the future.
In this second installment of 411's NHL Offseason Roundtable, staffers give their thoughts on the aftermath of this year's entry draft.
Lets meet the staff giving their opinions on what occurred last weekend in Columbus:
The author of Planet Tapout and a man always ready for a fight, Lotfi Sariahmed.
Frequent Roundtable contributor around 411, and author of High Road/Low Road, Sat.
And yours truly, always lending my expert baseball and hockey opinions in MLB Fastball and Inside The Penalty Box, respectively, Neil Borenstein.
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft
Did Chicago deserve the first overall draft choice or did they just benefit from the draft lottery system?
Lotfi Sariahmed: The purpose of any draft is to help the bad teams get better. Only three teams in the NHL finished with fewer wins than Chicago. Only four teams in the NHL finished with fewer points. The Blackhawks were bad; there were other teams that were worse but it's not like the Blackhawks didn't deserve it. They "won" the right to pick Patrick Kane.
Sat: The Chicago Blackhawks benefited from the draft lottery system because they did not deserve to have the first overall pick in this year's draft. The first pick should have gone to the Philadelphia Flyers because they had the worst season in the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers were eleven points behind the second worst team in the league. The Chicago Blackhawks on the other hand had fifteen more points than the Philadelphia Flyers.
Jason Chamberlain: I personally have issues with the whole concept of rewarding the worst of the worst by giving them the chance to pick the best of the best. First of all, it puts hot young talents on crappy teams that, with the recent exception of the Pens, tend to stay crappy. Look how long young guns like Rich Nash and Jay Bouwmeester have had to waste their talents playing for crappy teams. I'd say do it on a rotating basis, where every team gets the number one pick in successive years ... but that would take thirty years. The Hawks were bad enough to get lucky, and for their sake, hopefully their pick is a Joe Thornton and not an Alex Daigle.
Neil Borenstein:The draft lottery system is something that has its benefits and its downfalls. For those teams looking to dive toward the tail end of the season because the playoffs aren't going to happen and they want to get a higher pick in the draft, it curtails any guarantee that a first overall selection is in the cards. On the other hand, legitimately being the worst team in the league doesn't guarantee it, either. So, it has its pros and cons. But, even though Philadelphia was really the team in place to get the first overall pick as the last place team in the entire standings at the end of the season, all the teams in line for the pick were there because they had bad seasons. The Flyers might have been the worst, but the teams with the best odds outside of Philadelphia also had poor showings. Chicago was one of those teams. It did make a big leap to go from the fifth spot to the first based on the lottery; so a little luck was involved there. But the team still only managed 71 points and had the second worst offense in the entire league. The Blackhawks deserve a spark and Patrick Kane in Chicago is not simply the benefit of a system. Chicago does really need him.
What was your top five before the draft took place? Are you surprised the top five went as selected?
Lotfi Sariahmed: Kane, vanRiemsdyk, Turris, Hickey and Alzner didn't differ too much from my original top five. I didn't have Hickey in there and I had Esposito instead. The Kings pick with Hickey is a bit confusing because I did not see him ranked in the top 10 anywhere. Outside of the Hickey pick, I don't have any huge problem with anyone of the top five.
Sat: I didn't have a top five selected before the draft. The only surprise in the top five would be Thomas Hickey taken with the fourth pick by the Los Angeles Kings. I will discuss that pick below.
Jason Chamberlain: I didn't have a list of my own, as I'm not that up on the hockey prospects until I see the draft itself. And no, I wasn't surprised by the way the first five turned out.
Neil Borenstein: My top five went like this:
1. Chicago Blackhawks – Patrick Kane
2. Philadelphia Flyers – James Van Riemsdyk
3. Phoenix Coyotes – Alexei Cherepanov
4. Los Angeles Kings – Kyle Turris
5. Washington Capitals – Karl Alzner
Actual top five:
1. Chicago Blackhawks – Patrick Kane
2. Philadelphia Flyers – James Van Riemsdyk
3. Phoenix Coyotes – Kyle Turris
4. Los Angeles Kings – Thomas Hickey
5. Washington Capitals – Karl Alzer
I was right on with the top two picks, had my third overall pick as the guy who actually dropped to No. 17, had my No. 4 as the guy who actually went to Phoenix at No. 3, and had the second defenseman actually selected as the first – though the team was the same. I was surprised Cherepanov didn't get selected early and Thomas Hickey actually went to Los Angeles at No. 4 overall. But I was otherwise not surprised at how the rest of the top five played out. Teams drafted based on need and how the players they wanted would fit their systems. The actual top five was a very reasonable.
Which team had the best draft?
Lotfi Sariahmed: When your team stinks, you need lots of help. Flawless logic, right? Well the Blues stunk last season. So what did they do? They went out and landed three first round picks and five picks in the first 44 in the draft. They weren't Flyers horrible but they're a long ways away from being a playoff team again. John Davidson and company has put together good back-to-back drafts now after landing Erik Johnson at #1 overall last year. The only consensus in this draft is that the class is relatively weak. So the Blues decided to go with quantity over quality and ended up with potentially five solid players.
Sat: I would say the teams that had the best drafts were the St. Louis Blues and the Detroit Red Wings. The St. Louis Blues had three first round picks and five of the first 44 picks. I also have to give credit to the Red Wings for getting three players that have first round potential with only five picks in the entire draft. The Detroit Red Wings showed to me that it is possible to trade picks to improve in the current and improve your future.
Jason Chamberlain: The Blues. Any team that nabs three first-rounders is doing something right, off the ice anyway.
Neil Borenstein: I'm going to say the Phoenix Coyotes had the best draft, though I don't think we'll see the results of it for a few seasons. Within the first two rounds, the team managed to grab a highly touted center in Kyle Turris; a physical, yet good playmaking defenseman in Nick Ross; a 100-point scoring winger from the OHL's Oshawa Generals in Brett MacLean and the top ranked European goaltender in Joel Gistedt. Talk about hitting all areas of the game for the Coyotes. These were four very solid picks and should help an organization that needs some offensive punch, intelligent defending and young goaltending. Phoenix really needs to start getting its act together after several failed seasons, and this draft could be the spark the team needs to get moving in the right direction.
Which team had the worst draft?
Lotfi Sariahmed: I don't think anyone can have a "worst draft" when the entire class has been dubbed as weak. I mean for the sake of making a pick I'll say the Kings because they reached on the Hickey pick in the 1st round.
Sat: The Los Angeles Kings definitely had the worst draft. They took Thomas Hickey with the fourth pick, which surprised a ton of experts. I read somewhere that he was the 26th best skater in this class and he was taken four. That right there tells you that the Los Angeles Kings had an awful draft.
Jason Chamberlain: Maybe I'm biased but I'm saying the Leafs, what with how they gave away a lot of their picks in the Toskala trade.
Neil Borenstein: The Toronto Maple Leafs absolutely had the worst draft. They didn't even have a single pick until the third round, and if any teams needs some youth that can make an impact real soon, it's definitely Toronto. For a team that needs some serious rebuilding, how do six picks that all came in the third round or later (the fourth round was the only round that Toronto had two picks in) really help toward that goal? Those players could come out of nowhere, but they're not projected to make the kind of impact a first and second round pick can. Of course, the Maple Leafs didn't have anything in the first or second round because of the Vesa Toskala/Mark Bell trade, but I don't agree it was smart to give up on those picks for that trade.
Which player selected is the most NHL-ready today?
Lotfi Sariahmed: Evgeni Malkin is still making his presence felt at the NHL Draft. After the debacle of Malkin trying to get out of his contract with his Russian team, he finally landed in Pittsburgh and made a huge impact. He won Rookie of the Year and was a crucial part of the Penguins huge year this past season. Enter Alexei Cherepanov. This Russian had NHL GM's terrified because they'll probably have to jump through the same hoops to get him out of his Russian contract. But when he fell all the way to #17, the Rangers jumped on the talented right-winger. He's ready to play in the NHL right now. It's just a matter of when he gets to make his impact.
Sat: The player that is the most ready for the NHL is Jakub Voracek. I would have gone with Alexei Cherepanov and I was planning on doing that, when I read Allan Muir's article on SI. He said that Voracek was ranked by many scouts as the most ready NHL player in this year's draft. This guy was labeled as the safe pick in the NHL draft and a safe pick generally means that he is the most likely to make it to the NHL.
Jason Chamberlain: The Rangers first pick, Alex Cherepanov. Apparently he would of gone higher if he wasn't such a head case. He is apparently almost NHL ready.
Neil Borenstein: He may have dropped way below his projected value, but Alexei Cherepanov is the most NHL-ready out of all the selected players. Everything we heard during draft coverage was that almost all these prospects still needed some growth. Cherepanov is ready as we speak. He's playing in Russia because he says he wants to play one more year out there but wants to be in the NHL no later than the 2008-2009 season. I think he could play right now for the New York Rangers. He has played at a high level of competition in Russia, and much like his fellow Russians' Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, he could probably make a big impact right away in the NHL.
Which player selected needs the most seasoning still and is a few years away from going pro?
Lotfi Sariahmed: If you follow the logic, wouldn't that mean it's Trent Vogelhuber? He was the last pick of the last round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He'd need the most seasoning.
Sat: This is a hard question to answer, so I'll go with Lotfi. Trent Vogelhuber needs the most seasoning because he was the last player taken in the draft, meaning he needs to do the most work to get to the NHL.
Jason Chamberlain: I'm most familiar with the two American kids my Habs took, Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty, both of which I'm told will be spending at least one more year at the university level before hitting the AHL. So they're a ways off.
Neil Borenstein: I'm going to say James Van Riemsdyk here. The Philadelphia Flyers took him because of his size, and he will need to be aggressive in order to meet the Flyers' expectations. Unfortunately, that aggression has come into question, and he may need to mature into that role. Of course, college could help him out there, but I think it might take a year or two after that to really hit that mark that the Flyers see in him, with some of his seasoning probably coming in the minors with the Phantoms. He has to the tools, he just needs to learn how to use them properly. And I think it might be two or three good years before he's where the Flyers need him to be.
What pick was the most surprising?
Lotfi Sariahmed: The Cherepanov pick was definitely surprising, but there was talk that Cherepanov would fall because of his contract status in Russia. But I'm going to go with Angelo Esposito. I'm not too sure how someone goes from a consensus #1 overall pick the year before the draft to dropping to #20. The player everyone compares him to is Phil Kessel, but even he only dropped from consensus #1 to #5 landing with Boston. I clearly missed something there. But now Esposito goes to the Penguins to turn a strong offense into a deadly one.
Sat: There were a few surprising picks. Thomas Hickey was taken by the Los Angeles Kings with the fourth pick when he wasn't expected to be taken that high. Alexei Cherepanov falling to the 17th pick when he could be considered the best player in the draft. The other surprising pick was Angelo Esposito falling to the 20 pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was ranked as the number one player in a mid-season report and then was projected to go 12 to the Montreal Canadiens and eventually winds up in Pittsburgh.
Jason Chamberlain: Esposito going to the Pens at 20. Surprising because he fell that low, alarming because it's Pittsburgh and they've just added yet another offensive dynamo to an already scary team. I can understand my Habs not picking him at 12th, but if he had been around for our second pick, I would have gone with him for sure. Shame.
Neil Borenstein: This award has to go to the No. 17 pick and New York Rangers selection – Alexei Cherepanov. This kid was supposed to go in the top five, was ranked as the top European skater by the Central Scouting Service and might just be the most NHL-ready player taken this year (and he definitely is by my standards.) How he dropped to No. 17 based on stupid politics and question of inconsistency is beyond me. Cherepanov has an immense amount of talent, seems like a happy-go-lucky kid that isn't nearly as cocky as his fellow-country mates currently in the league and will now have an agenda to prove. For Cherepanov to fall that far was flat-out shocking. He fell right into Glen Sathers' lap, though, and he was not afraid to take the "risk." Thank you top 16 teams picking – you gave the Rangers a tremendous player. Angelo Esposito comes in at a close second, but there was talk that he could be a middle of the first round pick, so dropping let's say five spots is not as big as dropping at least 12.
What was the biggest trade on or around draft day?
Lotfi Sariahmed: Both goalie deals were big but I'm going to go with the deal where Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell were sent to the Maple Leafs in exchange for the Maple Leafs 1st and 2nd round picks and a 4th rounder in 2009. The Sharks traded those 1st and 2nd round picks to move up in the draft and pick Logan "Don't call me Randy" Couture. The move screams salary dump so I'll wait to rip on the Sharks. You don't just give up a great backup goaltender (Toskala) and a solid forward (Bell) for a draft pick. If the Sharks don't land a couple of big free agents, this move will enrage Sharks fans.
Sat: The biggest trade on or around draft day was the Nashville Predators trading Tomas Vokoun to the Florida Panthers for three picks. This trade worked for both teams. The Florida Panthers managed to get a number one goalie, while the Nashville Predators managed to pick up three draft picks and they feel that they have a capable number one goalie currently as their backup. The Nashville Predators knew that they would not be able to keep Tomas Vokoun because of their financial troubles and they managed to get something in return for him.
Jason Chamberlain: JFJ saying fuck the future and going for the job security by throwing three picks at the Sharks for a backup goalie and an underachieving forward. Oh, I love the Leafs. In all seriousness, Toskala may work out in Toronto (that Raycroft trade is looking more pointless by the day ... wonder how Tuukka Rask is gonna turn out in Boston?) but he may not, and he isn't the type of goalie that is going to lift the Leafs into contention all by himself.
Neil Borenstein: I think we're really looking at two possibilities here, and they are the goalie trades. I think the Tomas Vokoun deal to Florida is much bigger than the Vesa Toskala deal to Toronto. Vokoun is an immensely talented player that was dealt to dump some salary on Nashville's end based on uncertainty about the team's future and budgeting. But he takes his salary, along with his talent, to a Panthers team that only one year after traded Roberto Luongo. Now Nashville has that surefire No. 1 netminder to replace him Luongo. Nashville, meanwhile, gets some more picks while it transitions – and will run with Chris Mason as starter. This was a huge deal that came seemingly out of nowhere and changes the face of both teams as a result.
Is it wise to trade first round picks at the trade deadline to improve playoff chances?
Lotfi Sariahmed: Rare is the deadline deal that definitively puts a team over the top. Not so rare is the first round draft pick that could be at least a solid player in the league. If I'm running the NHL team, I'm not dealing a first rounder unless I'm in a position where my team is set. If I'm in a position where I have no glaring weakness then I might give up a pick to improve playoff chances. But it'd be tough.
Sat: It is not wise to trade first round picks at the trade deadline to improve playoff chances. When was the last time a team actually benefited from a trade deadline move? I would say Ray Bourque when he went to the Colorado Avalanche, but Colorado won the Stanley Cup the following year. The only scenario I could see where it is wise to trade your first round pick would be if you're just loaded with young talent.
Jason Chamberlain: That depends on the draft and how good your chances are in the year you make the trade. I wouldn't do it to give my team a chance to slide into the lower seeds, because you're only likely to get a couple playoff home dates out of it (though to cash hungry owners that may be enough). Or if the draft is a weak one, maybe then.
Neil Borenstein: It really depends on the situation. I wrote a recent edition of Inside The Penalty Box on this subject. If a team is really ready to take a crack at the Stanley Cup and not just be one of those outside chances, and is willing to act early while the hottest names are still available, then yes, it's worth making a move. But, if we're talking a lower-seeded team that's basically still not favored to go deep in the playoffs, then why risk the move? Most of the time, that one player will not make a difference. The first round pick can make a difference for the next 15-20 years. The Nashville Predators had a team capable of going very deep, and thus made the right move to get Peter Forsberg. Had the Predators not been essentially the second-best team in the Western Conference, I might have had a problem with the deal. But Nashville seemed like a very reasonable contender. It was a wise move. The Detroit Red Wings bringing in Todd Bertuzzi, who played seven games previously and would still be out a few weeks with Detroit before seeing game action, was a huge risk for a team many believed would be out in the first round. That deal wasn't really worth it. Teams need to be sure that they can go deep and really contend for the Cup with this one pickup, because they could be losing a potential stud for their franchise in future seasons to come. It's a crapshoot, but one that needs to be well played.
Thank you for joining us in this second part of 411mania's 2007 NHL Offseason Roundtable. Check back here within the next few days for Part Three: 2007 NHL Free Agency, right here at 411 Sports!
