EHM The Blue Line

Any thoughts ahead of the draft tonight, my guess is that Patrick Kane will go to the Blackhawks, then Van Riemsdyk to Philli and Alzner to Phoenix, followed by Turris then Cherapanov, anyone with any good rumours or ideas??

Also, i am from England, is there any way i can watch the draft on my computer, as i don't have the american network.

Thanks alot.

I've been hearing Turris first lately. Check the off-season transactions thread for rumors. There's been tons of them!

Supposedly, NHL.com is streaming the draft tonight.

Try nhl.com. TSN as well may carry it on their webcasts? Not sure.


Anyway...lots of rumours and speculation..but trades are all in the NHL off season transaction forum. Discussing the rumours there.

If Chicago and Philly keep their picks...it will go:

Kane
Turris
Van Riemsdyck
Alzner
Cherepanov

IMHO no way Phoenix takes a d-man. They have lots of young ones in Michalek, et al. And are desparate up front so will go for Van Rimmer, or if Turris still there him. Cherapanov may be an option too for them.

The reason people are hearing Turris first...is the Canucks really want him. They are working hard to get one of the top 2 picks and be sure if they get #2 that the Hawks don't take Turris.

thanks alot, good news about im able to watch it,

the coyotes have a good D, but no one really jumps out at me in it.
who wud the b'hawks or the flyers trade their picks too? are there any good deals offered so far?

Tis the good young D..Ballard, Jovo, Boynton, Michalek, and a couple of others.

As for the hawks/flyers move--have a good look in the transactions thread. Rumours are there.

I'm wondering if Bob Gainey will try to draft Esposito..
Also, I'll really like to see Keven Veilleux with the Habs.

I agree with you, Kane or Turris are the first gone.

i just hope the ducks take a good left winger, i mean we have Getzlaf (aka God ) and Perry but a nice left winger would be good to be alongside them 2.

i guess your right about phoenix, maybe a good center, or right winger, blake wheeler aint too good, hopefully theyll get someone better with ruffly the same pick,

i think the esposito debate is very interesting, some say top 10, some say later, id love him to fall to 16th, dont think it will happened tho!

i love the draft, i cant wait for midnight here.

I think Espo may be the shock of the draft. I dunno just have some weird feeling in my head that came a minute or so ago when I read his name. I think he is going higher than anyone expects. He is ranked 8th. Many think he could be available at 10,11,12. I bet he goes 4th, 5th or 6th. Maybe even 3rd.

Yes he dropped off the plateau in rankings...but you know what? He still has amazing potential, and maybe just maybe (he says he is embarrassed and widdled) someone bites and goes for him. The dropping off the plateau bothers me...Alot. I think he got the bum's rush from Roy in Quebec, and I think he should be higher than he is. He has a huge upside, and a huge downside. Boom or bust. Someone will gamble, because this draft is weak really

I can especially see Wayne going for him in Phoenix...well rather that Oiler guy Phoenix hired as GM....

Sorry Holydogg...Unless the Habs trade up I have a feeling, with no real basis that Espo is going to jump into the top 5. Not sure....

I've heard that Phoenix was listening to offers for their pick but under the condition that Nick Boynton had to be a part of any deal for the pick. They really want to get rid of him.

I think you may be right about Espo, batdad. I've read some things saying that the reason his production fell off was that Roy insisted he work on playing a two-way game. He was focusing so much on getting better defensively that he didn't push his offensive game so much. I've never seen him play, so I can't give my two cents on that. I just remember he was highly touted a year or two ago as the consensus #1 of this draft.

Keep all draft related talk in here, I stickied tihs and the other thread

DRAAAAAFT! I'll predict the top-10.

01. CHI - R Pat Kane
02. PHI - C Kyle Turris
03. PHX - R Jakub Voracek
04. LAK - L James Van Riemsdyk
05. WSH - R Alexei Cherepanov
06. EDM - C Sam Gagner
07. CBJ - D Karl Alzner
08. BOS - C Angelo Esposito
09. STL - D Keaton Ellerby
10. FLA - C Logan Couture
(11. CAR - D Nick Petrecki)

The Flyers website will also be running live coverage, from what it sound like.

HERE....WE>>>>>>>>>>GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Completely off topic, and kind of pointless commentL

Kyle Turris's mom is a pretty good looking lady. I have seen her around the rink before. Did not know it was her... Anyway...

Let the excitement begin.

nhl.com is supposed to broadcast the draft...not in Canada...but it seems Europe doesn't have the right to watch it too They'd better say they broadcast it only in the US

[font=Arial Black]Catchup's 'Real-time' Draft Blog[/font]
I can do this because I'm a Mod.

1. Hawks don't surprise anyone and take PATRICK KANE RW, London (OHL)

2. Philly keeps their pick and take JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK LW, US U-18 (USDP).

3. Gretzky and PHX take the Canucks prize - KYLE TURRIS C, Burnaby (BCHL. *side note* Fans in CBJ give Gretz a very respectful ovation when he hits the podium. Classy.

4. LA goes WAY off the board and take THOMAS HICKEY D, Seattle (WHL)

5. The Caps take KARL ALZNER D, Calgary (WHL) and put him in one of their new red sweaters.

6. Oil GM Kevin Lowe wishes new Jackets GM Scott Howson good luck to a rousing ovation before taking SAM GAGNER C, London (OHL). Sam's dad Dave is interviewed and admits his son is twice as good as he was as a player.

7. The hometown 'Jackets new head man Howson gets a steal with JAKOB VORACEK C, Halifax (QMJHL).

8. B72's Boston Bruins grab ZACH HAMILL C, Everett (WHL). A bit of a surprise to the TSN team as they had him ranked 16th.

9. St. Louis' pick goes to San Jose in exchange for the #13 the #44 and a 3rd Round in 2009. After the trade the Sharks pick LOGAN COUTURE C, Ottawa (OHL).

10. To round out the first round (terrible I know) the Panthers are on the clock and take Shane Doan's first cousin KEATON ELLERBY D, Kamloops (WHL).

11. The pressure is high for yours truly right now as Carolina is on the clock and Espo is still on the board. Pierre McGuire is saying the Canes are going to scoop him from my Habs (who pick next at #12). And yowza, they take the one millionth Sutter to be drafted by an NHL team, BRANDON SUTTER C, Red Deer (WHL).

12. Ah, here we go, the Habs at #12. Lots of excellent players still on the board....BG selects RYAN McDONAGH D, Cretin-Derham (High-MN). I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm surprised they passed on Espo the hometown boy AND Cherepanov. Instead they take another high school defensemen who will be playing with Kyle Turris next year in college. Hm.

13. JD and Co. will be picking here after dealing the #9 to SJ. I'd like to point out that JD is growing into his grey hair nicely - looking very stylish. The Blues take LARS ELLER LW, Frolunda (SWE Jr) who becomes the highest drafted Danish player ever.

14. The Avs are on the clock as Pierre McGuire goes off about Cherepanov and Espo being still on the board. His voice just cracked twice so that should give you an indication of how ticked PMac is. Anyway, Colorado takes KEVIN SHATTENKIRK D, US U-18 (USDP).

15. K-Lowe from the Oilers is up again - Pierre wonders if he is the one with the cajones to take Cherepanov. And no, they take ALEX PLANTE D, Calgary (WHL)

16. Anaheim trades this pick to Minnesota for the #19 and a 40-something pick. Minny uses the #16 to take COLTON GILLIES C, Saskatoon (WHL).

17. The Rangers hold this pick. Pierre wonders again if THEY will take Cherepanov to play with Jagr. And they make him lose his mind when they do, in fact, take ALEXEI CHEREPANOV RW, Omsk (RUS).

18. Calgary trades this pick to STL and JD and the Blues Clues team take IAN COLE D, U.S. U-18 (USDP).

19. The Cup Champs have always drafted well and here they select a good kid from PEI, LOGAN MacMILLAN C, Halifax (QMJHL). The TSN team compares him to Sami P from the current Ducks lineup.

20. Sid the Kid's Pens are on the clock at #20 and they take ANGELO ESPOSITO C, Quebec (QMJHL). Will anyone be able to out-offense the Pens over the next few seasons? Seems doubtful.

21. Another trade to announce from Buttman. PHX trades the the #21 to EDM for #30 and #36. K-Lowe makes another trip to the podium (their third in the top 21) and takes RILEY NASH C, Salmon Arm (BCHL).

22. Bob and my Habs have another pick here and I've got my fingers crossed for a forward. They got this pick in the Rivet trade and they use it to take MAX PACIORETTY LW, Sioux City (USHL). Thumbs up from me.

23. The Preds are up now and Bob Mac admits that he jumped the gun on reporting the Balsillie story. Apparently, Leipold is still willing to deal with Jim, but wants a binding agreement in place ASAP. They take an awesome Vancouver Giants D-man, JONATHAN BLUM D, Vancouver (WHL).

24. The Flames take Swedish born MIKAEL BACKLUND C, Vasteras (SWE 2).

25. Dave Nonis takes the #46 ranked player on the TSN list, PATRICK WHITE C, Tri-City (USHL). What does batdad think about this I wonder?

26. TSN says JD has a steal here with DAVID PERRON LW, Lewiston (QMJHL).

27. Stevie Y selects BRENDAN SMITH D, St. Michael's (OPJHL). Pierre says this might be one of the better steals of the draft.

28. The Caps trade this pick for SJ for #41 and a 2nd Rounder in '08. The Sharks use it to take the 'hardest hitter in the draft' NICK PETRECKI D, Omaha (USHL).

29. Brian Murray's Sens take the 10th American player in the 1st round - JIM O'BRIEN C, Minnesota (NCAA).

30. Gretz and the 'Yotes finish off the first round by selecting NICK ROSS D, Regina (WHL).

And that's that! Thanks for reading dudes.

Hi all

Im watching on nhl.com


Pat Kane to Chicago 1st pick

Shadd666 wrote:nhl.com is supposed to broadcast the draft...not in Canada...but it seems Europe doesn't have the right to watch it too They'd better say they broadcast it only in the US

Hey Shadd, here in England, i can view the draft on the nhl.com

ive only just realised how much talent is available in the draft.
lets go ducks

batdad wrote:I think Espo may be the shock of the draft. I dunno just have some weird feeling in my head that came a minute or so ago when I read his name. I think he is going higher than anyone expects. He is ranked 8th. Many think he could be available at 10,11,12. I bet he goes 4th, 5th or 6th. Maybe even 3rd.

good prediction batdad, haha, espo n cherepanov are falling badly! i guessed espo wud, but cherepanov to go at 17th, WOAH, wat a steal!!!
im glad the ducks traded down, backlund or espo hopefully.

CatchUp wrote: 8. B72's Boston Bruins grab ZACH HAMILL C, Everett (WHL). A bit of a surprise to the TSN team as they had him ranked 16th.

I had actually been reading a lot of speculation for the past week or two (there's some press guy in the Bruins forum at HFboards with inside sources) that the Bruins were high on Hamill. He was one of the 3 or 4 guys they had in town for meetings recently. I think it was Hamill, Espo, Gillies, and somebody else maybe. Definitely the first two. I was a little surprised but not very surprised that they passed over Cher(how-ever-you-spell-it) because most of the mock drafts had him already taken before the Bruins choice. I was a little up in the air over whether or not they'd pick Espo.

The two big droppers, Cher(yeah, him) and Espo seem to have found teams that are actually good fits for them. Cher is supposed to be a huge Jagr fan. Plus, NY has tons of money so they can handle all the that is going to be involved in getting him over here. Espo ends up in a very young and talent rich Pittsburgh. I'm almost scared to think what that team is going to look like in a couple years. They've still got to shore up their defense though.

I'm a little surprised not to see any players involved in trades for picks this draft.

So much people complaining about the first, first round pick of MTL... Our main scout is one of the best in the league and i am sure he made the right decison.

Do our swedish guys know Mikael Backlund well? He mostly suck in EHM, but as the Flames drafted him as their 1st pick, i'd like to know how he is in real life

So I suppose the big stories of the draft are Cherepanov and Esposito falling so far down the board. I think in the end they probably ended up in the best places for them. The Rags have all the cash in the world to pull Cherepanov out of Omsk and I have a sneaking suspicion we might see him in Rangers camp in Sept.

As for Espo - he lucked out! If you're Therrien, how do you feel looking at a depth chart that reads: Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Esposito? I think you feel pretty dang good.

I like both of the Habs picks in the first round (after checking out the scouting reports and stats!). MacDonagh is one of the better defensemen that was available in this crop. He isn't entirely offensive or defensive minded and can skate and move the puck well. Sounds like a solid pick to me. Package it with the fact that he's a Minnesota kid and will be playing for the great program at Wisconsin next year.

Espo to Pitt. WOW! Who knew he would fall so far. Clearly there is something not quite right with this guy. His physical talent is amazing...so the head...must be screwy. As for my prediction...as I said it was just a thought off the top of my head, with nothing to support it. A shot in the dark...and boy did I miss.

But as for the Pens--When you have Crosby/Malkin?Staal already there...taking a shot at a guy who could be another "next coming" if he gets his head together makes sense...Why not? if he booms holy schmoly. If not...someone will take him off your hands for a 2nd chance..even Daigle got that.


McDonaugh is a great pick I think. I have heard alot about him recently.

Canucks pick..some say totally off the board, but ISS had him at 23. It could be a great one, could be a bust just like all these kids. Most likely turns out an average player...but at 25 not a shock.

No Russian transfer agreement mucked things up for Cherepanov for sure


Oh and...nice blog CatchUp

Wow, What an unpredictable round, i agree with the russian agreement messin with Cherepanovs choice, and i think Esposito is a weary one, he looked EXTREMELY moody when he was sat in the stands, maybe a little understandable but hey...
I'm surprised Petrecki fell down so far, i like this guy from a look while back
The Sharks have done really well , considering before the draft they didn't even have a first round pick, but Couture and Petrecki are awesome!
Shame the Ducks didn't take Backlund, i would have loved to have him... Oh Well... Lot of good reviews about MacMillan though, What could have been...
Does anybody know if any of the players will play in the NHL next year?
Thanks alot

Yeah, I'm thinking Espo must be a serious headcase. I know Boston was looking at him leading up to the draft and had meetings with him but there must've been something they saw that they didn't like. They went with the lower ranked Hamill instead. Heck, even Montreal passed on him and the story floating around before the draft was that they wanted to trade up to make sure they got him.