Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NHL Entry Draft

2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Thirtieth Overall Pick

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)
16th Overall: Alec Martinez, Minnesota Wild (95)
17th Overall: Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers (168)
18th Overall: Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues (13)
19th Overall: Alex Killorn, Anaheim Ducks (77)
20th Overall: Nick Bonino, Pittsburgh Penguins (173)
21st Overall: Pat Maroon, Edmonton Oilers (161)
22nd Overall: Paul Byron, Montreal Canadiens (179)
23rd Overall: Sam Gagner, Nashville Predators (6)
24th Overall: Justin Braun, Calgary Flames (201)
25th Overall: Ian Cole, Vancouver Canucks (18)
26th Overall: Brandon Sutter, St. Louis Blues (11)
27th Overall: Karl Alzner, Detroit Red Wings (5)
28th Overall: Carl Gunnarsson, San Jose Sharks (194)
29th Overall: Riley Nash, Ottawa Senators (21)

While Nash has largely been a role player throughout his career, it was still enough to keep him in the first round as he slips from 21st to 29th.

Although he hasn’t been a point producer in the pros, he was at the lower levels.  A strong showing in the BCHL is what got him selected in the first round while he averaged a point per game in 102 contests with Cornell which is certainly solid.

However, Nash never spent a minute with the Oilers (who drafted him) or any of their affiliates.  Instead, they flipped him to Carolina in 2010 for a second-round pick (used on Martin Marincin who has been a fringe defender for most of his career).  They turned him pro right away but it took until 2013-14 for him to make the Hurricanes on a full-time basis.  He spent three seasons with them as a regular and didn’t surpass the 25-point mark.

Things started to look up when he joined Boston in free agency in 2016.  He had a clearly defined role and in his second season, his production took off as he produced career highs across the board with 15 goals and 26 assists.  It had taken a while, but now Nash looked to have established himself as a capable two-way center.

That’s what Columbus was banking on when they signed him to a three-year, $8.25MM deal that beat the combined value of all of his previous contracts.  Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, that hasn’t happened.  Instead, Nash has a combined four goals in 101 games with them while averaging less than 11 minutes per night on the fourth line.  He’s still playing a role but not the one that they initially envisioned.

We now turn our focus to the final pick of the first round in this draft class which was held by the then-called Phoenix Coyotes.  This pick was originally held by Edmonton but they moved up to take Nash nine spots earlier.  They took defenseman Nick Ross with this pick and after not getting an NHL opportunity during his entry-level deal, he was non-tendered and hasn’t played in North America since then.  He has bounced around between Austrian and Slovakian leagues in recent years and is averaging nearly a point per game with DVTK Jegesmedvek, a Hungarian team in the Slovak league this season.

Suffice it to say, while the depth of this draft class wasn’t particularly strong, the Coyotes will wind up with a better selection here than their initial choice.  With the 30th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should they select? Cast your vote below.

(Mobile users, click here to vote.)

*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Draft Rankings, McKee

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and once again a member of the Boston Bruins “Perfection Line” has taken the top spot. Brad Marchand is the first star after a seven-point week, taking him to 39 on the season in just 23 games. Marchand also leads the NHL in +/- with a +17 rating and looks like he could be in legitimate contention for the Hart Trophy this season.

Second and third place go to Connor McDavid and Brock Nelson respectively after each posted four-goal weeks. While Nelson doesn’t get quite the same press as a player like McDavid, he has still been quite effective for the New York Islanders this season with 19 points in 21 games including four game-winning goals.

  • Alexis Lafreniere may be the presumptive first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but Craig Button of TSN argues that Quinton Byfield and Yaroslav Askarov should both be considered contenders for the spot. Button contends that if a team really values the center position Byfield should be the pick, going so far as to say he “can’t imagine a scenario” where a center-needy team doesn’t go with the 6’4″ pivot. Askarov meanwhile is the best goaltending draft prospect since Carey Price according to Button.
  • The Kitchener Rangers have fired head coach and former NHL defenseman Jay McKee, naming general manager Mike McKenzie the interim bench boss. McKee, who played over 800 games in the NHL, took over as head coach of the OHL’s Rangers in 2016 and took them to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.

Ty Smilanic Commits To Quinnipiac University

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The U.S. National Team Development Program may not be the same lauded group as it was last year, producing seven first-round picks and a dozen other selections, but the top player from the program is always a name to watch. This year that is Ty Smilanic. However, Smilanic is not only known for his NHL Draft stock; he was also one of, if not the top remaining un-commited player in American junior hockey. That is no more, as Smilanic made his decision today. Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal reports that Smilanic has committed to Quinnipiac University.

The 17-year-old forward out of Denver is a dynamic talent. A combination of speed and smarts fuels Smilanic’s dangerous two-way game. At 6’1” but only 170 pounds, he still has room to bulk up and become even more of a threat at both ends. Smilanic has proven at each level of the developmental stage to have superior skating ability and a nose for the net, while also growing in his defensive awareness. So far this season with the USNTDP, Smilanic has rebounded from missing some time early on to record ten points in 13 games. While he may not catch Michigan-bound teammate Thomas Bordeleau for the team lead in scoring this year, he is a safe bet to finish second. And many scouts like him as the first player to be drafted from the team as well, ahead of Bordeleau and several other talented prospects. Most draft rankings have Smilanic going in the back half of the first round in June, but others like his chances at pushing toward the top ten. As he gets his legs under him this season, he could continue to take strides in his development and enter the conversation as a top pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

This is no small deal for Quinnipiac. While the team has grown into a national contender over recent years, it has not been because they had the best players, but instead the right players who have bought in to head coach Rand Pecknold’s system. Sure, the program has produced NHLers like Devon Toews, Connor Clifton, and Matthew Peca in recent years and had two high-profile graduates in Chase Priskie (CAR) and Andrew Shortridge (SJS) last season, but those players were not considered surefire pro talents before their collegiate careers began. Smilanic is a different story. He is easily the top recruit in program a history and has surely left several other NCAA programs disappointed today.

Prospect Notes: Zavgorodny, Mylymok, Aaltonen, Hockey Canada

at CDT | by 2 Comments

By any measure, Rimouski Oceanic is a top-three team in the QMJHL this season, mostly due to the play of presumptive 2020 top pick Alexis Lafreniere. The team holds a 14-5-4 record and the second-best goal differential in the league, with Lafreniere leading charge with a league-best 51 points in just 23 games. However, things are about to get more difficult for Rimouski. The team announced today that Dmitri Zavgorodny, an impressive Calgary Flames prospect and a line mate of Lafreniere’s, is set to miss the next two to three months. Zavgorodny suffered a broken collarbone and the team anticipates an 8-to-12 week recovery timeline. The talented forward has surely played his last hockey of the 2019 calendar year, but the focus now will be on making sure he is at full strength for the stretch run and postseason when he returns to action, likely in February. In the meantime, Lafreniere and Cedric Pare will try to keep their incredible level of play up; Zavgorodny was third on the team in scoring, but amazingly also third in the league as well, with his 43 points trailing only his line mates. Oceanic will also look for someone to step up and fill Zavgorodny’s slot on the first line, while also expecting their secondary scoring to shoulder some of the burden of his absence. The Quebec league contenders will also likely look into a trade. If Lafreniere and company can survive Zavgorodny’s loss over the next few months, they will remain a formidable opponent in the 2020 playoffs. Perhaps the biggest loser in this situation is Russia’s World Junior team; a key piece will now miss the tournament.

  • 2020 NHL Draft prospect Luke Mylymok is jumping leagues mid-season. The University of Minnesota-Duluth commit, who some expected to be with the Bulldogs this season, instead remained in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. However, he is making a switch, as the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks announced that Mylymok has joined their team. Beginning the 2017-18 season as a 16-year-old, Mylymok nevertheless finished the year as a top-six scoring forward for the Gamblers. However, after a relatively slow start to this new campaign – six points in 14 games – the skilled forward will try something new in British Columbia. It’s hard to peg where Mylymok may fall in the draft this spring, but the endorsement of Minnesota-Duluth, one of the top programs in college hockey, has to be worth something. If Mylymok can improve his play with a change of scenery, his name could be getting more attention later this season.
  • The New York Rangers may have to wait a while longer to see 2019 draft selection Leevi Aaltonen in action in North America. Fortunately, the team has a deep pipeline and can allow for the intriguing young forward to develop at his own pace. Aaltonen has signed a two-year extension with KalPa of the Finnish Liiga, where he is enjoying a regular role for the first time in his young career. A product of the system in KalPa, Aaltonen has already played in a career-high 14 games this season and clearly wouldn’t mind playing with the team for a while longer. After putting up good numbers at the top junior level in Finland last year, Aaltonen was well-regarded entering the draft and considered by many to be a steal by the Rangers in the fifth round. A small, shifty forward, Aaltonen’s skating ability and skill are apparent, but he has a ways to go physically and in developing a more mature, well-rounded game. Patience by New York will likely pay off as Aaltonen continues to grow in KalPa.
  • There will be no more Peewee, Midget, and Bantam in Canada. After a meeting this weekend in Montreal, Hockey Canada has announced that they will be re-naming their age divisions in youth hockey to simplify the structure of the game. No longer will each level have its own unique title; instead, age groups will largely be categorized as being under a certain odd number age. The new titles are U-7, U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15, U-18, and U-21. These changes will be implemented almost immediately for next season. While the oldest age group will surely continue to be referred to as “Junior” hockey, the other titles that many have come to know will cease to exist. A helpful simplification of the game for many, but at the cost of novelty to others.

2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Ninth Overall Pick

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)
16th Overall: Alec Martinez, Minnesota Wild (95)
17th Overall: Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers (168)
18th Overall: Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues (13)
19th Overall: Alex Killorn, Anaheim Ducks (77)
20th Overall: Nick Bonino, Pittsburgh Penguins (173)
21st Overall: Pat Maroon, Edmonton Oilers (161)
22nd Overall: Paul Byron, Montreal Canadiens (179)
23rd Overall: Sam Gagner, Nashville Predators (6)
24th Overall: Justin Braun, Calgary Flames (201)
25th Overall: Ian Cole, Vancouver Canucks (18)
26th Overall: Brandon Sutter, St. Louis Blues (11)
27th Overall: Karl Alzner, Detroit Red Wings (5)
28th Overall: Carl Gunnarsson, San Jose Sharks (194)

An exercise like this only goes to show how difficult the draft really is, especially if you are picking at the bottom of the round. Gunnarsson jumps up from the seventh round and joins our first-round group, even though he hasn’t been much more than a depth defender for his entire career.

Back in 2007, it would have been difficult to expect Gunnarsson to even ever suit up for an NHL contest though. He had already gone undrafted twice, but must have caught the eye of a Toronto Maple Leafs scout while playing in the Swedish Elite League. A big body with a good reach, Gunnarsson actually kept developing his defensive acumen to the point where the Maple Leafs put him into the NHL during the 2009-10 season.

Gunnarsson logged some big minutes for bad Toronto teams as a young player, but by the time he ended up with the St. Louis Blues he was being used more as a depth player. Carving out a 593-game career is nothing to sneeze at, but teams are certainly hoping for a little more upside when they pick in the first round.

Even with the 29th pick, the Ottawa Senators were hoping to get a piece that could help refill the prospect cupboards. They had just lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Anaheim Ducks and had a top line as good as any in the league. They decided to add to that forward depth by taking University of Minnesota center Jim O’Brien, who had held his own at the college level even as a teenager.

O’Brien was listed 38th among North American skaters, but had a big frame and could potentially give the team another option down the middle where they were already exceptional deep. Unfortunately, O’Brien would struggle to find much consistency at the NHL level.

Though his professional career has lasted more than a decade, O’Brien played just 77 games in the NHL before leaving for the DEL this offseason. He recorded 13 points during that time and spent most of his years in the AHL playing on various minor league rosters. To be sure, the Senators wish they would have picked someone else back in 2007.

While the options are thinning out, Ottawa still could have found more than 77 career games. With the 29th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Senators select? Cast your vote below.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.

Prospect Notes: Bjorkqvist, King, Samuelsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The first professional season for Kasper Bjorkqvist will not be what he or many Penguins fans had hoped. The former Providence College captain entered the year with high expectations after back-to-back strong seasons of NCAA play and looked like the exact type of intelligent and hard-working two-way forward that Pittsburgh could use. It was not a major surprise that he did not break camp with the NHL club, but there remained speculation that he would not have to spend much time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before earning his first career recall. Unfortunately, as it turns out he will have to wait until next year at the earliest for that promotion. Just six games into his AHL season, Bjorkqvist suffered a knee injury and was sidelined. WBS beat writer Jason Iacona now reports that Bjorkqvist has undergone surgery on his knee and the expected timeline for recovery is six months. As Iacona states, this essentially ends his season. The earliest conceivable return for Bjorkqvist would be during the Calder Cup playoffs, should the AHL Penguins qualify, and that’s only if the Pittsburgh brass decide it is worth it to get him back on the ice this season. Most likely, the talented Finnish winger will be shut down until next season in hopes that he can resume play at full strength and compete for an NHL role again next year.

  • If trade value at the junior level is any indication of NHL Entry Draft stock, Ben King is a 2020 draft prospect on the rise. The 17-year-old forward was dealt by the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos to the Red Deer Rebels this week for a rather hefty return of two players – including recent first-rounder Cohner Seleski – the rights to a third player, and a third-round pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. Such packages are usually reserved for veteran junior players who can be immediate difference-makers for a contender, but head coach and GM Brent Sutter clearly sees something that he likes in King and opted for the long-term play. A first-round pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, King recorded 26 points in 48 games for Swift Current in his first season with the team in 2018-19 and had eight points through his first 16 games this year. King, who usually lines up at center, has a sturdy frame and plays a patient, play-making style. He still has room to grow, both physically and in his skill development, but early expectations have been that is already in consideration for selection in the third or fourth round of the coming draft. And with this vote of confidence from the well-respected Sutter, that may just be the floor of where one might expect King to go in June.
  • A new name in Canadian juniors is Adam Samuelsson. The son of Ulf and brother of Philip and Henrik, Samuelsson comes from a strong hockey background and was once considered a future NHL prospect. However, things started going downhill when he surprisingly went undrafted out of the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2018. Then, he struggled at Boston College early last season and ended up on the bench for much of the first half of the season before leaving school to join the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. It isn’t uncommon for college players experiencing production issues or a poor fit to return to juniors before transferring to another NCAA team, but Samuelsson instead returned to Sioux City this season in a confusing move, especially considering his improved play after leaving BC. It appears now that this was simply a precursor to his true intentions. The hulking defenseman has signed on with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, who had drafted him back in 2016. The team’s press release indicates that they have been pushing to sign Samuelsson for years and the blue liner finally decided to give up on the collegiate path and head to Ontario. It remains to be seen if Samuelsson can re-assert himself as an NHL prospect, but with two years of junior eligibility, there is plenty of time to show that he is a pro-quality player like his dad and brothers.

Sharks Sign Dillon Hamaliuk To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the San Jose Sharks were busy facing the Canadiens in Montreal on Thursday night, the front office was still hard at work as well. CapFriendly reports that the team has come to terms with prospect forward Dillon Hamaliuk on an entry-level contract. The team has signed the junior forward to a three-year deal that carries a $700K base salary in years one and two and a $750K salary in year three, with a $92.5K signing bonus in each season and performances bonuses totaling a $809K cap hit in all three years.

Hamaliuk, 18, was San Jose’s second round pick this past June in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Hamaliuk was considered a reach in round two at the time, having not yet proved himself as an elite offensive talent. Hamaliuk has just one full junior season on his resume, a 2017-18 campaign in which he recorded only 39 points in 72 games. Last year, injuries limited Hamaliuk to just 31 games with Seattle, but he scored at a much higher clip to total 26 points on the year. The Sharks must have liked what they saw in that limited action, as they reached for the big winger at No. 55. So far this season, it looks like their move may have paid off. Hamaliuk, now with the Kelowna Rockets following an off-season trade, has five goals and ten points in only 12 games.

Even if Hamaliuk continues his torrid scoring pact this season in Kelowna, don’t expect him in the NHL right away next year, regardless of the entry-level deal. While he has the size and strength to compete at the pro level, Hamaliuk is still somewhat of a raw player, who relies heavily on his athleticism and aggressive style. The 6’3” left wing needs to continue to focus on improving his skating and skills before making the jump. His contract will now be waiting for him once he’s ready. With proper development, Hamaliuk could prove to have been a steal by the Sharks as he grows into a dangerous power forward.

Nashville Predators Sign Philip Tomasino

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have signed top prospect Philip Tomasino to a three-year entry-level contract, adding him officially to the organization after his recent selection in the NHL Entry Draft. Tomasino is currently tearing up the Ontario Hockey League as a member of the Niagara IceDogs, where he will spend the rest of the season.

The 18-year old forward was selected 24th overall in June’s draft, after an impressive second season with Niagara. This year has been even better though, with Tomasino recording 23 points through his first 12 games. That puts him fourth in the entire OHL, and means he has figured into more than 56% of Niagara’s 41 goals this season.

This marks the second forward prospect the Predators have signed recently after inking Yegor Afanasyev on Saturday. Both players have huge expectations, especially given that Nashville’s pipeline isn’t exactly overflowing with high-end talents up front—save for Eeli Tolvanen who still hasn’t found his footing at the NHL level.

College Hockey Round-Up: 10/17/19

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Welcome to a new bi-weekly column at Pro Hockey Rumors, where we’ll stray from the “pro” in favor of the “soon-to-be pro”. The depth of talent at the college level in hockey is at an all-time high. Of the 217 players selected in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, 72 were either enrolled or committed to an NCAA institution, with others likely to follow suit. This included nine first-round picks, including eight from the lauded U.S. National Team Development Program. The talent level is also evident in the parity between NCAA programs. Of the 16 teams in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, only six had won a national championship and historic powerhouses Boston College, Boston University, Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota were all absent for the first time since 1970. College hockey is growing – in ability, popularity, and geography – and we here at PHR hope you will enjoy the expanded coverage that the collegiate level has earned.

The Season Begins

The NCAA season is only about two weeks old, getting underway back on Saturday, October 5th. Yet, there has already been rankings movement among the Top 20 teams in the country, after some impressive performances.

While most top teams schedule cushy match-ups for opening weekend, No. 13 Providence College and the University of Maine got right to it with an early Hockey East clash. It wasn’t the battle many expected though, as the Friars cruised to a 7-0 win. Mostly due to that blowout, through two games Providence’s Greg Printz is the top per-game goal scorer in the NCAA with five tallies, as well as one helper.

This past weekend featured more heavyweight bouts, including the No. 3 University of Minnesota-Duluth facing the first test in their pursuit of a third straight championship. They faced No. 18 University of Massachusetts Lowell in a two-game home series and it was the River Hawks who took the first game, 3-2. While the Bulldogs edged out the 2-1 win in game two, the early-season loss was enough to bounce them from the No. 1 ranking. As for UMass Lowell, the team entered the Top 20 with a 3-1 start to the year, led by goaltender Tyler Wall (NYR), who boasts a .942 save percentage thus far.

In a battle between star-studded squads, No. 6 Boston College took down No. 17 University of Wisconsin by a score of 5-3. The game featured five 2019 first-round picks in Alex Turcotte (LAK) and Cole Caufield (MTL) for the Badgers and Spencer Knight (FLA), Matthew Boldy (MIN), and Alex Newhook (COL) for the Eagles. Wisconsin took their frustration from the loss out on a different Hockey East the following night, scoring eleven goals in a win over Merrimack College. In his first two college games, Caufield recorded four goals and five points and it certainly looks like his torrid scoring pace from the USNTDP could continue in the NCAA. Meanwhile, Caufield’s former teammate Knight is also continuing his dominance despite transitioning to the college level. He has a .954 save percentage and perfect 2-0 record thus far with BC.

The No. 1 ranked team in the country is now the University of Denver. The Pioneers have jumped out to a 4-0 record and, while their competition has not been elite, most teams haven’t even played four games, nevertheless won all four. Freshman goaltender Magnus Chrona (TBL) manned the net in all four wins, posting a .935 save percentage and 1.75 goals against average, getting off to a hot start. Ian Mitchell (CHI), Bobby Brink (PHI), and the rest of the Pioneers will face their first real test this coming weekend when they host Boston College.

Other standout performances from the first two weeks of the season came from a pair of intriguing undrafted prospects. Speedy senior forward Nate Sucese of No. 9 Penn State University is the NCAA’s scoring leader with seven points in just two games. In net, No. 2 Minnesota State University got a stellar performance from keeper Dryden McKay as he won his first two games while sporting a .975 save percentage.

College Commitments

Penn State may be losing Sucese at the end of this season, but they may already have a suitable replacement waiting in the wings. Small but skilled 16-year-old forward Colby Saganiuk announced that he has committed to play his college hockey for the Nittany Lions. A current member of the USNTDP’s U-17 team, Saganiuk is unlikely to arrive at State College, PA until at least 2021, but when he does he will make an instant impact. Already on the radar for the 2021 NHL Draft, Saganiuk scored at a point-per-game clip for the U-16 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite last year and will grow tremendously with the USNTDP.

Saganiuk’s teammate with the USNTDP and fellow top 2021 draft prospect Matthew Beniers has also planned his college career. Beniers will attend Harvard University and reportedly will enroll next year. While Beniers is just 16, the talented center has played exclusively with the U-18 team with the USNTDP so far this season and played in 20 games with the top team last year compared to 42 with the U-17 team. A mature player with a well-rounded game, Beniers will be one of the top players to watch in college hockey next season, likely as the top draft-eligible prospect playing in the NCAA.

Draft Watch

Wisconsin forward Dylan Holloway and University of Connecticut defenseman Yan Kuznetsov may be the only current college players who will be drafted next June, but there are plenty of future NCAA players set to be selected. NHL Central Scouting released a preliminary watch list last week for the upcoming draft class which featured a number of USNTDP standouts headed for the college level. University of North Dakota commit Jake Sanderson led the way with an “A” rating, alongside Ty Smilanic, who has yet to decide on his college destination. One of these two is likely to follow Holloway as the top college-bound player selected this summer. Sanderson’s current teammate and fellow North Dakota prospect Tyler Kleven, University of Michigan commit Thomas Bordeleau, Boston College commit Eamon Powell, Boston University duo Luke Tuch and Dylan Peterson, and undecided Brock Faber all received “B” ratings and could push for first-round consideration. Ten other USNTDP players received “C” ratings. While this draft class may not be nearly as strong as last season’s historic group when it comes to Americans and NCAA prospects, many of these players will be high picks and future pros, after they take their talents to the college game.

2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Fifth Overall Pick

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)
16th Overall: Alec Martinez, Minnesota Wild (95)
17th Overall: Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers (168)
18th Overall: Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues (13)
19th Overall: Alex Killorn, Anaheim Ducks (77)
20th Overall: Nick Bonino, Pittsburgh Penguins (173)
21st Overall: Pat Maroon, Edmonton Oilers (161)
22nd Overall: Paul Byron, Montreal Canadiens (179)
23rd Overall: Sam Gagner, Nashville Predators (6)
24th Overall: Justin Braun, Calgary Flames (201)

We finally have our first seventh-round selection jumping up the board, as Braun was nearly left undrafted completely back in 2007. Picked just ten spots before the end of the draft, he was one of five players in that round to ever suit up in the NHL—surprisingly though, not the only one to break the 500-game mark.

The thing was, it wouldn’t have been the first time that Braun went unselected by an NHL team if he had fallen out of the 2007 draft. He had already gone undrafted in his first two years of eligibility and had already completed his freshman year at UMass (Amherst). Despite being more than two years older than many of the prospects available, Braun still slipped onto the NHL Central Scouting list as the 209th-best North American skater (210 were ranked).

Though he wasn’t a star in college, the Sharks must have seen something they liked in the right-handed defenseman as not only did they pick him, but decided to offer him an NHL contract after his college career finished. Stepping almost directly into the NHL, he would play 28 games with San Jose during his first professional season and recorded 11 points doing it. Rather quickly, Braun would become a dependable option for the team and ended up playing more than 600 games for the Sharks before ending up with the Philadelphia Flyers this offseason.

While his 155 career points don’t pop off the page, that’s actually the sixth-highest total by any defenseman drafted in 2007. Braun has also played in 18th-most games by any player from that class, justifying his place here in the first round of our redraft. Not bad for a seventh-round pick in his final year of eligibility.

Vancouver, who picked next back in 2007, surely would have liked to know that Braun would turn out so well. When they strode up to the podium they had a different name in mind, one that would never play a single game in the NHL.

Patrick White was an American center who was actually ranked 23rd by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters, and was supposed to give the Canucks another weapon down the middle. Unfortunately, the offense that was supposed to develop in college never did, and White finished his four-year career at the University of Minnesota with just 53 points in 147 games.

When it became apparent to Vancouver that it wasn’t coming together, White was included in what was basically a salary dump with the San Jose Sharks, taking on Christian Ehrhoff a year into his three-year, $9.3MM deal. Ehrhoff ended up playing extremely well for the Canucks, while White was never even tendered a contract by the Sharks and ended up playing in half a dozen different European leagues.

If they had another chance, the Canucks certainly would have decided to go in a different direction with their pick. But in our redraft, the talent pool is getting shallow. With the twenty-fifth pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Vancouver Canucks select?  Cast your vote below!

[Mobile users click here to vote]

*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top