Faceoff Factor

A Complete Synopsis of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft

Michael Farkas | NHL Entry Draft

Jun 23, 04:06 PM | Hype this story!

Well, another exciting draft day passes by. Not a ton of deals like some expected, but deals are still trickling in on day two and I saw a lot of GMs talking. Read on to see what else I saw and heard on draft weekend.

For starters, I can’t remember the last time the draft was on at primetime…on a Friday night, in the summer…so needless to say this didn’t grab the casual hockey fan; this was hardcore fans or people looking for cage matches (or whatever else Versus broadcasts). I was in front of my television, pen in hand, so here’s what you missed, or forgot.

Rumor: As the draft got started, Darren Dreger (all these names will be TSN guys) says that Flyers and Leafs talked about the 2nd overall pick. The Leafs lost their first rounder earlier in the day to San Jose in the Toskala trade. The Flyers said they wanted forward Alexander Steen, the Leafs said ‘no dice’ in their best Charles Bronson voice.

Rumor: Blackhawks may be shopping Martin Lapointe around to free up salary…well…yeah, of course…

Rumor: Insider Bob McKenzie then comes out with a bombshell. He says that Predators owner Craig Leipold doesn’t want the NHL to consider Jim Balsillie as a potential owner because he wants to move the team to Hamilton. Click the stopwatch folks, we have a new record, it took him two weeks to realize this. What gave it away? The fact that he’s selling mock season tickets in Hamilton or the Albuquerque Isotopes posters on his wall (any Simpsons fans?).

The draft is ready to go: how does Bettman talk into that microphone with all those people unmercifully booing him into submission like that. I would probably cry if I was booed everywhere I went. That’s got to get to you after a while…

Dale Tallon, Blackhawks GM, is pumped up by the booing, but being the GM of Chicago he’s got to be used to that treatment by now.

Pick 1: Blackhawks select first overall: Patrick Kane from London (OHL).

“That’s my goal,” says Kane when asked if he would play in the NHL next season.

Pick 2: Flyers keep their second pick: James VanRiemsdyk who will be going to the University of New Hampshire (NCAA).

That marks the first time ever two Americans have gone one-two in a draft before.

Holmgren: “reminds us of former Flyer John LeClair, little bit of Rick Nash.”

Pick 3: Gretzky steps up to the podium, gets the Gretzky standing-O, drafts Kyle Turris from Burnaby Express (BCHL) and is going to the University of Wisconsin, which will be a growing trend in the first round.

Gretzky says he’s always had an eye on Turris, very excited to get him. Despite the fact that he’s not playing Major Junior yet, Gretzky thinks he’s going to be special. Batman lunchbox and all, followed by uncomfortable silence thanks to James Duthie. Turris wears #19 for his idols Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic.

Pick 4: Los Angeles makes a surprise pick, Thomas Hickey from Seattle (WHL).

“I’m shocked,” Doug MacLean, former Jackets GM, now a bright-toothed TSN analysis.
Dean Lombardi did these kind of off the board moves in San Jose too.

Rumor: The Kings, Flyers and Oilers were talking for a while before that pick was made. Something big was going to happen but they just couldn’t get it done.

Kings GM Dean Lombardi, “we tried to move down.”

Rumor: Oilers GM Kevin Lowe then started chatting with Capitals GM George McPhee.

Pick 5: Capitals come up to the podium with their ugly new uniforms and select Karl Alzner from Calgary (WHL).

“They don’t look like postal service workers anymore,” Pierre McGuire says enthusiastically.

Pick 6: Edmonton steps up to the podium for the first of many, it’s Sam Gagner from London (OHL).

The crowd erupts for the Blue Jackets, a long standing “Let’s go Jackets!” drowns out any chance that GM Howson has to make the pick.

Pick 7: Finally, it’s Jakub Voracek from Halifax (QMJHL) the first European of the draft, as always to Columbus.

Howson on Voracek playing this season: “it’s dangerous to say any young player is ready…we aren’t [going to do] anything outlandish.”

Rumor: Howson on trading Nikolai Zherdev: “we intend to keep him.” – we’ll see about that Howson…

Pick 8: Bruins go a bit off the board, but not much, Zach Hamill from Everett (WHL).

Analysts pick apart Hamill for not being a good skater, and being very undersized, but Boston meant to trade up anyway, so they made the best of it.

Trade:
SJ gets: #9

StL gets: #13, #44 and a 3rd round pick in ’08.

Pick 9: San Jose selects former top-ranked player Logan Couture from Ottawa (OHL).

Comparisons to Jonathan Cheechoo emerge, at least in terms of skating ability.

Pick 10: Florida, quite obviously and smartly, selects Keaton Ellerby from Kamloops (WHL).

Fun fact: Ellerby is Shane Doan’s first cousin. He’s also one of the toughest kids in the draft says Bob McKenzie.

Pierre McGuire is yelling things as if a jumbo jet is flying 80 feet overhead about how Alexei Cherepanov has not been picked yet.

Pick 11: Carolina makes a smart pick in Brandon Sutter from Red Deer (WHL).

No Sutter interview goes by without a reference to their six fathers and 44 brothers that also played hockey or were drafted in the same spot as Brandon. Sutter wears #14 for Brendan Shanahan, it’s a Mimico thing.

Cherepanov through his interpreter: “nothing [I] can do, it’s the draft, it’s unpredicatable.”

Pick 12: Montreal skips on hometown favorite Angelo Esposito and selects Ryan McDonagh who will be going to the University of Wisconsin.

Habs GM Bob Gainey, “Angelo was on our list, but he wasn’t on our list at the 12 spot.”

Much to the chagrin of Esposito, who looks like Roberto Luongo after Sidney Crosby called him “Marty” at the NHL Awards ceremony.

NHL source: “without question one team asked how close an agreement is.” –referring to the NHL transfer agreement with Russia, regarding Alexei Cherepanov.

Here comes John Davidson, always looking professional and classy.

Pick 13: Blues leave TSN analysts shuffling papers and clearing throats, they pick Lars Eller from Frolunda Jr. (Jr. Swe – can’t remember the name of this league, I think it starts with an “A,” forgive me)

Eller is the highest drafted Dane of all time.

Pierre McGuire is having kittens: “The fact that Alexei Cherepanov is sliding right now is unconscionable. This is a bizarro move.” If there wasn’t a new coat of gloss on his forehead you would see the vein emerge.

Pick 14: Colorado with no time for salutations, selects Kevin Shattenkirk from the U.S. National Development Team.

Edmonton has the Islanders last three #15 picks, Ryan O’Marra, Robert Nilsson and whoever they take here…

Pick 15: Edmonton goes a little off the board, especially when they have a later pick in the first round and high second rounder: Alex Plante from Calgary (WHL).

Kevin Lowe on his frequent flyer miles to the podium: “You’ll see me again in the first round, I’m not sure if it’s at 30…” Pretty much as upfront as you’d see about a trade.

Trade:
Min gets: #16

Ana gets: #19 and #42

Pick 16: Minnesota selects Colton Gillies from Saskatoon (WHL).

Since I can use one hand to count the picks until Pittsburgh and the fact that the number is now three with Esposito and Cherepanov still out there makes me increasingly excited, until…

Pick 17: Rangers steal a well-groomed Alexei Cherepanov from Omsk (RSL).

The kid idolizes Jagr and we’ll get a chance to play with him next season it seems, good for him. Although, I idolize Jagr too and I sit and sulk wondering why I’ll never get that chance.

I also wonder what it would have taken to trade up to 15 or 16 (from 20) to snag a goal scoring wing like Cherepanov. Pittsburgh could certainly use someone like that for the cost of a mid-round draft pick, couldn’t they?

Trade:
StL gets: #18

Cgy gets: #24 and #70

Pick 18: St. Louis selects Ian Cole from the U.S. Development Team

Pierre, ignoring Cole, “this is a steal for the New York Rangers.”
Duthie: “If Toronto didn’t trade their 13th pick they could have taken Cherepanov.” As various objects are thrown at televisions all over the Greater Toronto Area.

Pick 19: Brian Burke is all business, Logan MacMillan from Halifax (QMJHL).

Brian Burke says that he can’t replace Scott Niedermayer and since he was a free agent signing he didn’t cost him any assets…he has earned the right to take as much time as he needs to decide whether he wants to retire, no time limit from the Ducks…same for Teemu Selanne.

That means, the Pens are up and Esposito is still seated…could it be…

Pick 20: The Penguins select, Angelo Esposito from Quebec (QMJHL).

The Penguins take heat for having all those high picks and getting superstars, or they are ignorantly accused of fixing the drafts…I wonder how badly the Pens are grilled for being able to select a former first overall pick less than a year ago in the 20 spot. How ‘bout that, Angelo Esposito…

Esposito says the Penguins are one of the teams he wanted to play for…
Duthie: “There are 19 teams that passed you up…are you going to carry around a list with you when you make it to the NHL?”
Esposito: “I’m going to try and prove a few people wrong.”

Esposito when asked about his expectation to get picked by Montreal, “Yeah I was, I was kind of anxious.”

Trade:
Edmonton gets: #21

Phoenix gets: #30 and #36

Pick 21: Edmonton selects Riley Nash from Salmon Arm (BCJHL)

Edmonton has made two somewhat questionable choices in a row…trading up to make the latter of the three. But maybe Lowe knows something I don’t here.

Pick 22: Montreal picks Max Pacioretty of Sioux City (USHL).

Pacioretty says his game is modeled after Jed Ortmeyer. Interesting choice.

Fun fact: The real Jed Ortmeyer is an unrestricted free agent.

Pick 23: Nashville uses their first pick, twice removed to pick Jonathan Blum from Vancouver (WHL).

Duthie: “Are we witnessing the gutting of the Nashville Predators?”
GM Poile: “Absolutely not. We’re going to be a competitive team next year” he goes on to assure that the Predators will be in Nashville this season “one-hundred percent.” After trading Hartnell, Timonen and Vokoun go in the past six days, I don’t think Nashville cares nearly as much as they used to.

Pick 24: Calgary takes Mikael Backlund from Vasteras (SEL).

Darryl Sutter in his mush mouth quirkiness, “I like the Swedes.”

If Backlund is one-hundred percent recovered from his knee injury, then this is an underrated steal by Calgary.

Pick 25: Vancouver selects Patrick White from Tri-City (USHL).

Pick 26: Pick 26 and half of them belonged to St. Louis or Edmonton it seemed…David Perron of Lewiston (QMJHL) is the pick.

Doug MacLean: “I talked to one team that had him in their top ten.”

Fun fact: He wears white skates.

Here comes Steve Yzerman, who does not get a Gretzky welcome…I guess it’s that whole Ohio-Michigan rivalry or the $2 beers?

Pick 27: Detroit picks in the first round for the only like the fourth time since 1968: Brendan Smith from St. Michaels (OPJHL).

Detroit doesn’t normally pick North Americans and they don’t normally pick in the first round. I’m still guessing that this kid will be good.

Rumor: Brian Deasley, the agent to phenom John Tavares, says that he’s in the “very early stages” of getting the NHLPA to the table to talk about getting Tavares in the 2008 draft instead of 2009. Tavares misses the cut off by five days according to Deasley and they are trying to sneak him in a “year” early.

Trade:
SJ gets: #28

Wsh gets: #41 and 2nd rounder in ‘08

Pick 28: San Jose selects Nick Petrecki from Omaha (USHL).

MacLean: “A lot of people said if he would have played in the OHL, he would have been a top ten pick.”

Pick 29: Ottawa chooses Jim O’Brien from the University of Minnesota (NCAA).

From Jay Onrait:
Duthie asks him if he prefers “Jim,” “Jimmy,” or “James.”
“Jimmy or Jim,” says Jimmy or Jim.

Ties the record for most Americans in the first round with ten.

Pick 30: Phoenix selects the first no-show of the draft, Nick Ross from Regina (WHL).

Day two trades and notables:

Pittsburgh gets:
Tim Brent

Anaheim gets:
Stephen Dixon
————————

Carolina gets:
Michael Leighton

Montreal gets:
7th round pick
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Vancouver gets:
Ryan Shannon

Anaheim gets:
Jason King
Conditional pick
——————-

Atlanta gets:
Jesse Schultz

Vancouver gets:
Jimmy Sharrow
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Draft picks: #32 Phoenix: Brett MacLean #38 Chicago: Bill Sweatt #52 Los Angeles: Oscar Moeller #56 Chicago: Akim Aliu #69 Chicago: Maxime Tanguay #88 Detroit: Joakim Andersson #91 San Jose: Tyson Sexsmith