Status Quo. . .For Now
We can only hope the actual NHL entry draft is more exciting or dramatic than this year's draft lottery, which turned out to be a colossal bore and waste of pretty much everybody's time. Surely the NHL will grasp the rather obvious notion that the time has come to spice this process up a bit even if it means throwing the names of all 14 non-playoff teams in a hat and picking out the draft order one by one.
Tuesday night, the lottery changed absolutely nothing from the way the NHL standings read at the end of the regular season on Sunday, which meant the New York Islanders, who finished the season with the worst record, now officially own the No. 1 pick in the June draft, slated to be held in Montreal. It's the third straight year the league's worst team held on to the No. 1 selection.
If you are one of those conspiratorial types who believed the Isles were playing for John Tavares all along, well, you've been proven right. The much-heralded Tavares, the pride of Oakville, Ont., could be the second straight GTA product to go first overall if the Isles hold the pick.
The Isles will be followed in order by Tampa Bay, Colorado, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix and then, of course, the Maple Leafs, who neither won the lottery nor budged from the No. 7 slot, a position they "earned" with an 81-point season that put them in 24th position at the end of the regular season and out of the playoffs for a fourth straight year.
Leafs GM Brian Burke promises to trade up and possibly get a shot at Tavares, and maybe he'll be able to do that. Back in 1993, as GM of the Hartford Whalers, he started with the sixth overall pick and traded up to the No. 2 pick, selecting defenceman Chris Pronger.
Last year, interim Leaf GM Cliff Fletcher traded the No. 7 pick, a second-round selection and third-round pick to the Islanders in exchange for the fifth overall pick, which they used to select Kelowna blueliner Luke Schenn.
To get to No. 1 this year, however, would cost Burke and the Leafs a bigger package of picks and players, a tough chore to say the least.
For now, they have the No. 7 pick. So whom might they take if they don't budge from that spot?
Well, odds are four players —- Tavares, Swedish defenceman Viktor Hedman, Vancouver forward Evander Kane and Brampton centre Matt Duchene —- will be gone by the time the Leafs pick.
So that leaves us probably with five candidates to be the Leaf top pick if nothing changes between today and draft day.
The top name on that list has to be Brayden Schenn, brother of Luke, a scoring centre with the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings. The younger Schenn has undeniable talents, but the Leafs in making this decision would have to be careful not to assume that all the characteristics that Luke Schenn brought to the club would necessarily again follow with his brother.
Big Kelowna blueliner Jared Cowan would be another candidate, and don't believe for a second the Leafs will be looking for a forward just because they took a defenceman last year in the first round. The complication is that Cowan missed much of the year with a knee injury. That, however, didn't stop Burke from signing University of Denver forward Tyler Bozak two weeks ago.
The third CHLer on the Leaf list might be abrasive Peterbrough Petes winger Zack Kassian, who might be the perfect antidote to the Leafs' lack of size and grit. Some argue Kassian might not have the skill to go this high, but he excels in the aggressiveness and truculence categories which Burke covets.
The other two prime candidates for the Leaf pick might then be two hyphenated Swedes, forward Magnus Paarjarvi-Svensson and defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Paarjarvi-Svensson is a speedy winger who can take the puck to the net and is projected as a top six forward in the NHL, an area of desperate need for the Leafs.
Ekman-Larsson, meanwhile, is a smooth puckmover who might theoretically be the successor to Tomas Kaberle on the Toronto blueline. He's nowhere near as big as Hedman, but he's been slowly but surely working his way up the scouting charts as the season has moved along.
If the Leafs stay at No. 7, it's unlikely the player they get will change the face of the team or even play in the NHL next season. He would be a quality building block, and the Leafs are at the stage they need a bunch of those to become competitive again.
Two years ago, Columbus took forward Jakub Voracek seventh overall, and Voracek will be a key contributor starting Thursday night as the Blue Jackets look to upset the defending champion Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In 2006, the Isles took winger Kyle Okposo at No. 7, and he's showing great promise. The 10 seventh overall picks before that were F Jack Skille (Chicago), F Rostislav Olesz (Florida), D Ryan Suter (Nashville), RW Joffrey Lupul (Anaheim), D Mike Komisarek (Montreal), D Lars Jonsson (Boston), F Kris Beech (Washington), C Manny Malhotra (N.Y. Rangers), D Paul Mara (Tampa Bay) and LW Erik Rasmussen (Buffalo).
The best No. 7 selection ever? Probably Bill Barber ('72, Flyers), with Bernie Federko ('76, Blues) a close second.
The worst? Probably Greg Vaydik of the Medicine Hat Tigers, drafted by Chicago in 1975, with Dan Woodley ('86, Canucks) a close second.
So the Leafs can only dream of No. 7 for now. But it's a long time until draft day.
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| FILE PHOTO |
| Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi at the 2008 world juniors. |
Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi
Forward, Timra (Sweden)
6'1", 200
2009 stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +- | PIM | |
| Reg. Season |
50 | 7 | 10 |
17 | -6 | 12 |
| Playoffs | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| WJC |
6 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
+6 |
6 |
Links:
In Forum: Svensson-Paajarvi has five points in Sweden's win
NHL.com: Prospects to watch at under-18
NHL.com: Paajarvi-Svensson already has look of NHL star
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| FILE PHOTO |
| Jared Cowan looms large in front of the net. |
Jared Cowan
Defenceman, Spokane (WHL)
6'5", 218
2009 stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +- | PIM | |
| Reg. Season |
48 | 7 | 14 |
21 | +15 | 45 |
Links:
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| FILE PHOTO |
| Nazem Kadri skates at world junior camp. |
Nazem Kadri
Forward, London (OHL)
6'1", 177
2009 stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +- | PIM | |
| Reg. Season |
56 | 25 | 53 | 78 | +13 | 31 |
| Playoffs | 9 | 8 | 7 | 15 | +7 | 18 |
Links:
YouTube: Kadri scores great goal
London Free Press: Kadri keeps eye on draft board
Brayden Schenn
Forward, Brandon (WHL)
6'0", 192
2009 stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +- | PIM | |
| Reg. Season |
70 | 32 | 56 | 88 | +20 | 82 |
| Playoffs | 8 | 6 | 9 | 15 | +10 | 10 |
Links:
Toronto Star: Could Schenn join brother on Leafs?
John Moore
Defenceman, Chicago (USHL)
6"2', 180
2009 stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +- | PIM | |
| Reg. Season |
57 | 14 | 25 |
39 | -7 | 50 |
Links:
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| FILE PHOTO |
| Zack Kassian gets physical. |
Zack Kassian
Forward, Peterborough (OHL)
6"3', 205
2009 stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +- | PIM | |
| Reg. Season |
61 | 24 | 39 | 63 | -14 | 136 |
| Playoffs | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 8 |
Links:
Windsor Star: Kassian answers country's call
Peterborough Examiner: Coaches praise Kassian and Romano
Scott Glennie
Forward, Brandon (WHL)
6"1', 180
2009 stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +- | PIM | |
| Reg. Season |
55 | 28 | 42 | 70 | +22 | 25 |
| Playoffs | 8 | 3 | 12 | 15 | +10 | 9 |
Links:
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| FILE PHOTO |
| Simon Despres went first overall in the 2007 QMJHL entry draft. |
Simon Despres
Defenceman, Saint John (QMJHL)
6"4', 214
2009 stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +- | PIM | |
| Reg. Season |
66 | 2 | 30 |
32 | +16 | 74 |
| Playoffs | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | -5 | 2 |
Links:
Here's a thought, and I am the conspiratorial type. Leafs trade Islanders pick for pick but the Leafs throw in another pick or a young player and the Islanders add Rick Dipietro. Not that he would necessarily ever play but the Leafs could afford to keep him in the minors for as long as they needed too and the financially struggling Islanders would get some payroll relief. Here's the conspiracy part, why did Burke make his announcement so public? Because if he called Garth Snow in private about this offer he'd probably say no. But if he puts it out in public and the owner hears about it. Different story, you heard it hear first.
Posted by: EastEnder17 | April 14, 2009 at 10:02 PM
Agreed. The fact that TSN promoted this lottery as an "event" is mind-boggling.
Posted by: nugentmania | April 14, 2009 at 10:03 PM
"We can only hope that the NHL will grasp the rather obvious notion that the time has come to spice this process up a bit even if it means throwing the names of all 14 non-playoff teams in a hat and picking out the draft order one by one."
This quote so perfectly illustrates why the league is so messed up. It is no wonder Damien and some of his colleagues are constantly calling into question the level of excitement in the game. If you're looking to the draft lottery for entertainment, then you're an entertainment junkie and should seek help, or at least a couple of weeks away from the television.
Spice this process up? It's that kind of ingenuity that brought us three-point games. "Overtime's not exciting enough," they said, "something must be done or else Jethro in Valdosta won't want to watch". Should the draft lottery get the same treatment, it will probably end up being determined by a GM royal rumble with the winner crowned by Vince McMahon himself.
Posted by: Noam Sugarman | April 14, 2009 at 10:08 PM
Way to cover yourself Damian. If the Leafs stay at 7 you can say that they drafted a building block but not a star player that they could have had they done more, but if the Leafs trade up you can say they gave up too much.
Posted by: Nathan | April 14, 2009 at 10:25 PM
The draft process is a disgrace. It rewards failure. Nothing in hockey is more annoying than watching potentially great players go to perennial losers, or worse, former champions who do nothing to maintain themselves (Tampa Bay). It reminds of the Florida Marlins when they bought a World Series and then showed what a joke the league was by selling off their players the next season.
The most exciting draft was the year after the lockout season. Everyone had a shot and you got more balls based on how crappy you were. At least the position wasn't fixed, everyone had a chance at number one, and the process was fascinating to watch as a fan of any team. The NHL is so ridiculous they weren't even going to televise that one.
Maybe once Bettman gets the hell out of there it'll become a league worth getting excited about.
In the meantime...uh...go Isles?
Posted by: Jeff | April 14, 2009 at 10:27 PM
Did you notice the Lottery could have been done in between Duthie asking Hedman a question and Hedman giving his answer?
Posted by: Robert | April 14, 2009 at 10:35 PM
Point taken, Noam, but motivations aside, do you feel the current setup used to determining draft order is OK? I don't feel too strongly one way or the other, but if the system were adjusted to give all non-playoff teams a chance at the #1 pick, yes, it may become more of an unnecessary spectacle, but a positive side effect is we'd have less fan and media scrutiny on where non-playoff teams actually placed. (No need to look beyond the irritating fan and media grumbling at how the Leafs won their last game of the season as an example.)
I think I read someone's suggestion that the draft order should *start* at 17th place and move backwards to 30th. There's also the scheme Damien mentioned where all non-playoff teams are thrown into a hat and drawn for all draft spots, starting with #1. It could be a straight up draw, or a weighted system.
Thoughts?
Posted by: kenny | April 14, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Kenny, it's one thing to talk about whether or not the current method for determining the draft order is fair; that's a discussion in which I'd be willing to participate. But I am sick of every hockey debate being couched in terms of 'selling the game', a phrase that makes me sick to the pit of my stomach.
Also, I agree that it is annoying the way the media dwell on the so-called underall standings, but I think that that's been happening lately because the Leafs have been part of that discussion for so long, and the Leafs are the team on everyone's tongue whether you like it or not. Once the they start making the playoffs, I doubt there will be that much focus on it.
Posted by: Noam Sugarman | April 14, 2009 at 10:52 PM
KADRI!!!!!!!!1
Posted by: EYEBLEAF | April 14, 2009 at 11:12 PM
"Surely the NHL will grasp the rather obvious notion that the time has come to spice this process up a bit..."
There are plenty of good reasons to at least consider changing the NHL's draft order rules.
Making the half-hour draft lottery TV special slightly more exciting is not one of them.
Posted by: Down Goes Brown | April 14, 2009 at 11:27 PM
Its not that far fetched that the Leafs and Isles could make a deal.
If the Leafs can turn Kubina and a second into a first the trade the Isles the 2 firsts, a second, Kaberle and the Leafs are starting to get near the ballpark. Sub in Schenn for Kaberle and its a done deal.
I also think that Toskala for Dipietro is also very possible to include in this deals as one year of Toskala for 14 years of Dipietro has gotta be as good as a early first round pick in the Isles eyes.
Posted by: Jason | April 15, 2009 at 06:28 AM
""We can only hope that the NHL will grasp the rather obvious notion that the time has come to spice this process up a bit even if it means throwing the names of all 14 non-playoff teams in a hat and picking out the draft order one by one."
This quote so perfectly illustrates why the league is so messed up. It is no wonder Damien and some of his colleagues are constantly calling into question the level of excitement in the game. If you're looking to the draft lottery for entertainment, then you're an entertainment junkie and should seek help, or at least a couple of weeks away from the television."
The Draft lottery is important because it should be used to energize the cities that didn't make the playoffs and push them to buy tickets for next year. That's why it matters.
And considering how many Leaf "fans" wanted them to lose to get that #1 pick, having an equal shot no matter where you finish would stop all of the bs. Losers shouldn't be rewarded.
Posted by: Guido | April 15, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Damien,
That's an awesome job of providing stats and links for the guys around that draft spot! I love Cowan, but he will be gone by 7th, I think. And I'm not a big B. Schenn fan. He isn't big. Is described as a good skater, but not a speedster. And he's not really "gifted" offensively (though his playoff scoring is impressive so far). It would be two high draft picks spent with no serious offence added. I think you can get guys like him a lot further down in the draft if you do your homework and get a little lucky.
Posted by: John | April 15, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Guido, energizing cities that didn't make the playoffs is what the draft itself is for, not the lottery. I'm not suggesting that the lottery isn't newsworthy, but to make changes simply for the sake of making it more exciting is ridiculous. And like I said, there's nothing wrong with discussing the fairness of how the draft order is determined, as long as entertainment value doesn't enter into the equation.
Posted by: Noam Sugarman | April 15, 2009 at 01:35 PM
Noam, why do they even televise the lottery if they're not looking to provide entertainment? The whole idea of televising it is to keep the league in the media and in fans' awareness in those cities that didn't make the playoffs for a couple more days. With this year's boring outcome, any benefit was dissipated even quicker than a house fly's life. I didn't bother with it, and see no reason to bother in future if they keep it the same, which I don't believe is the desired result for the league or for TSN. It's about eyeballs; they want them so should change it up to get them. And if entertainment doesn't enter into the equation, what's the point of sports - games, this whole section of the paper/website, all the comments? Why should people pay for a non-necessity if it's not entertaining (or educational, but that's a different topic, probably not for the sports section!)?
Posted by: Tabber | April 15, 2009 at 05:36 PM
Tabber, what benefit did you imagine the league would enjoy from a more exciting draft lottery? Is it going to win more fans? Put more butts in the seats? Should we then try and make the general managers' meetings more exciting? Or the announcement of who hosts the all star game? Is it worth infusing the administrative side of the game with artificial excitement at the expense of the game's integrity or dignity?
As for entertainment entering the equation, people watch sports because of the spontaneous drama that occurs on the playing field; that is when sports is at its best, its most entertaining. When your someone scores, it is the goal itself and the emotional reaction of the crowd that excites, not the irritating horn that blares in your ear. Let's stop heaping tinsel onto the game like its some tacky Christmas tree, and let the game sell itself.
Posted by: Noam Sugarman | April 15, 2009 at 09:01 PM
Noam, thanks for not even answering the first question. One other for you to not answer: why do you think the game has any integrity or dignity left, under GB's reign? I think that question is key to this type of discussion, but I don't imagine you'll answer it either, that would question your views, and it's been made very evident that, like certain high-profile people, that is not an option. Unfortunate that this closed-mindedness is so often on display, but you're the one that has to live with it. And in answer to your questions: Benefit would be interest, which could generate more butts in seats. GM's meetings aren't on live TV, all star game is nothing but a schmoozefest (and the announcement is between periods sometime and has no future impact on teams' performance), and the administrative side of the game needs to be infused with something. Thanks for your description of why people watch sports. I'd prefer to watch the sports, I despise the horn nonsense, and wish all the "tinsel" were removed - music between play, silly contests, etc. have no interest for me. Amazing, eh, we have something in common, who'd have thunk it?
Posted by: Tabber | April 16, 2009 at 09:57 AM
The Leafs will get the deal done for Tavares. Burkes will blow our minds. I am in anticipation how he will do it, but it will get done!
Posted by: Tavares a Leaf | April 16, 2009 at 03:44 PM
Tabber:
Q: Why do they even televise the lottery if they're not looking to provide entertainment?
A: They televise it for the same reason they televise the news or the weather: because people are interested. Besides, why not televise it? It's better than showing darts are poker. But just because it's televised, doesn't mean it has to be jazzed up.
Q: Why do you think the game has any integrity or dignity left, under GB's reign?
A: I agree, the league has less integrity these days than it has in a while, and that's precisely the issue. One of the ways they squeezed integrity out of the game is, as I have mentioned, by implementing the three point game. It's made overtime a bit more exciting, but it's turned the standings into a joke. So how is that different from changing the draft lottery just to make it more watchable? And for the record, I'm not that extreme; I don't mind a bit of music during the stoppage or the contests don't affect me. But god do I hate the horn; I'd much rather hear the crowd.
Posted by: Noam Sugarman | April 16, 2009 at 07:32 PM