Five things to watch out for during the NHL Draft tonight
Tonight?s NHL Draft from Xcel Energy Center will provide us with storylines for years to come. As it is, the lead up to the draft has already provided its fair share of drama with the trades the Flyers made on Thursday and with everyone getting into the action on Friday night with the first round of the draft (rounds 2-7 take place on Saturday) that can only mean there?s going to be a healthy dose of shenanigans and moves worth the intrigue.
We?ve got a list of five things we?ll be keeping our eyes peeled for during Friday night?s proceedings in St. Paul.
1. How the top five shakes out
This year?s draft is fascinating because there?s not that be-all, end-all #1 guy to be taken first overall. Mock drafts and analysts all have their ideas on who Edmonton should take first with the choices leaning strongly on forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or defenseman Adam Larsson. Either player would be an instant boost for an Oilers team that?s trending hard toward youth and already has a great trio in Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Magnus Paajarvi.
Nugent-Hopkins would add yet another potentially explosive offensive weapon to that young arsenal while Larsson would give them the young defenseman on which to help them continue to build around. Things don?t get any easier to project after Edmonton. Colorado could take Larsson if Edmonton doesn?t or they could be leaning toward Gabriel Landeskog. Florida at #3 could have either of those two or pick from Sean Couturier or Jonathan Huberdeau. New Jersey at four and the Islanders at five will have their choice from who is left or they could go off the map and pick someone else they like better or deal out. It?s always something with the draft.
2. Ryan Smyth being traded and other moves
There?s no doubt that the L.A. Kings will trade Ryan Smyth at some point this weekend to one of Edmonton, Calgary, or Winnipeg. Smyth wants to head back close to Alberta to be closer to his family and the Kings are going to do their part to accommodate him. Calgary is already jumping into discussion but given Smyth?s history with the Oilers, they?ll want to bring him back too. Smyth?s history with Edmonton is strong and his veteran presence would do their host of youth a favor in learning from him.
Calgary would like to tweak out all the fans in Edmonton while adding a net presence guy to help out Jarome Iginla. The issue there for the Flames is how Smyth makes a ton of money against the cap this year. Of course, that?s never stopped them from making an addition in the past so there?s that.
There?s also the chance we?ll see other trades done or completed. Perhaps Robyn Regehr heads to Buffalo finally or other moves come up out of the blue. The draft is where we saw Chris Pronger traded from Anaheim to Philadelphia and going back further than that, deals like Michael Peca to Buffalo. We saw plenty of action yesterday, but there?s always the chance we?ll see more.
3. Winnipeg?s coming out party
When Winnipeg picks at #7 overall, the Xcel Energy Center is going to go bonkers. With Winnipeg being relatively close to St. Paul, the new franchise is going to have a lot of fans in attendance to root on who GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and True North decide to pick to be their first draft choice.
With the virtual confirmation from CBC?s Elliotte Friedman, the team will indeed be called the Jets. When the guys from True North make that declaration along with their pick it will make the Xcel Energy Center go wild. Get used to hearing, ?Go Jets Go? all night and season long.
4. Closure of the Phil Kessel trade
While the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup this year, they?ll be wrapping up the last of their rewards from the Phil Kessel trade when they pick in the Maple Leafs spot at ninth overall. Last year, the Bruins netted Tyler Seguin second overall thanks to the controversial deal that saw the Leafs give up two first round picks and a second round choice for Kessel. This year the Bruins could be looking to add a defenseman in the draft and there are a few mock drafts out there projecting Kitchener?s Ryan Murphy to be the guy.
As for the Leafs, they?re not shut out of the first round this time around as they?ve acquired two first round picks this time around and will come up late in the round at 25 and 30. Leafs GM Brian Burke has been dangling those picks as trade bait and while doubting Burke can be dangerous, it?s not shaping up well that he?ll get a deal done there.
5. Pure joy and excitement
Having been to the NHL Draft before, the one thing about it that never changes is the pure joy and excitement from the players and their families. I recall in 2009 seeing Colorado?s Matt Duchene walking around Montreal?s Bell Centre by himself after the first round was over. He was waiting on his parents to get done talking with other families there and he was minding his own business with the brand of smile you couldn?t knock off his face with a bat. After all, he was chosen in the first round of the NHL Draft by the team he grew up loving to watch play, how do you beat that? You don?t.
Keep in mind here that everyone picked tonight is about 18 years-old and not everyone jumps right into the NHL. While there?s a few guys throughout the draft that will be able to make the leap right away, most guys taken are going to play in junior or college hockey again next year and perhaps for the next few years. A lot of guys will make it, but others won?t do as well. The one thing they will have, however, is this night. They?ll get to slip on the team jersey and draft hat, pose with team executives and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and be rock stars for the night. That brand of pure joy is all part of the fun of the draft so sit back and enjoy it for all that it?s worth.
