2010 NHL off-season and draft thread

[Beef03]

Thought this would be as good a time as ever to start this thread now that the cup has been handed out.

Will throw a bone to the Southern Ontario SportsJournalists.com members, as Dion Phaneuf is about to be named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=324333

Should be interesting to see him in a leadership role after his attitude and clash with teammates is a big reason he is rumoured to have been shipped out of Calgary, at the very least he needed a reality check or to be knocked down a peg, now he is being empowered as the face of the biggest team in the NHL.

 

[crimsonace]

Schedule comes out June 22.

And the big question on June 25 ... does Edmonton take Taylor or Tyler? As a Boston fan, it's been about the only question since gakking away their shot at the Stanley Cup.

 

[Ilmago]

Taylor Hall will be the number one selection, but the Oilers and Bruins might work out a trade. Hall wants to play for Boston and his agent is Bobby Orr.

I personally believe Hall is the more talented player out of the two.

 

[crimsonace]

Taylor Hall will be the number one selection, but the Oilers and Bruins might work out a trade. Hall wants to play for Boston and his agent is Bobby Orr.

I personally believe Hall is the more talented player out of the two.

Everything I've read is that Hall may be more talented now, but his style of play makes him very injury-prone, and that Seguin projects to be the better player long-term. Having not seen either of them play (there's not too many OHL games on TV in Indiana :) ), I have to defer to the "experts."

Either way, Edmonton & Boston are both going to end up with very good players at the top of the draft.

 

[Ilmago]

I've seen both of them play and yes Hall plays more dangerously then Seguin, but I don't think he plays on the edge like lets say Ovechkin so I think he'll be fine.

Hall is a natural goal scorer, he'll definitely top over 50 goals a few times in his career. He has a lot to improve, but that's expected.

Not taking anything way from Tyler because he's talented, but when I compare them head to head I just believe Taylor is a better overall player.

 

[Beef03]

As an Oilers fan I would like to see Hall drafted, he is the more dynamic of the two and insists he can play centre as well. But what I really like about him is that he has always stepped up on the big stage be it the Memorial CUp or the World Juniors or the OHL playoffs. Not sure I can say the same about Seguin, he disappeared when the two went head to head in the playoffs this year — yes Hall was surrounded by the more talented group of players, but it wasn't as if Seguin was surrounded by a team of plugs a number of them should be drafted in rounds two through four this year.

Mind you I have never seen Seguin play and Hall only a handful of times on TV, so I will defer to the experts on this and trust that either way the oilers will be getting a hell of a player.

I will say this, however, there is a lot of talk about the Oilers trading down with the Bruins and picking up an extra pick or prospect, but that is mostly media speculation. There has been little to no indication which way the organization is leaning although a number of local media guys are pushing for Seguin.

 

[Ilmago]

Hall also stepped up his game at the World Juniors, grant it they didn't win the Gold Medal, but he still had a great tournament. Seguin didn't even make the team.

Once again, I am not taking anything away from Seguin, I think he's a terrific player and I'm no Hall fan boy by any means but I've watched these guys at least fifteen times each and when you really pay attention to the their games and study them then you come to realize that Hall is a better player.

I know some mock drafts have Seguin ranked number one overall and I know they know more then I do, but in my mock draft I have Hall first and Seguin second.

 

[JR]

Leafs hold press conference to announce new jersey design (actually it's pretty much the one from the Gilmour era) AND to announce Phaneuf as new captain.

This will lead everysportscast --hell, every newscast--tonight at 6:00

 

[RickStain]

Chicago has about two weeks to clear $6 million or so in cap space just so they can send qualifying offers to all of their RFAs. Then they have to clear even more money if they want to actually sign them.

 

[JR]

Rob Blake to retire. Terrific 20 year career---not bad for a guy who was a fourth round draft pick in '88

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/source-sharks-blake-to-retire/article1604020/

 

[maberger]

Rob Blake to retire. Terrific 20 year career---not bad for a guy who was a fourth round draft pick in '88

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/source-sharks-blake-to-retire/article1604020/

first ballot HHOF, no?

 

[Double J]

Rob Blake to retire. Terrific 20 year career---not bad for a guy who was a fourth round draft pick in '88

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/source-sharks-blake-to-retire/article1604020/

first ballot HHOF, no?

I would certainly think so.

 

[Mark2010]

Was impressed with Hall each time I saw him. Don't the Oilers have the rights to a Swedish forward (name escapes me at the moment) who was real impressive in the World Juniors?

 

[Smash Williams]

I always thought Blake was over-rated in his own end of the ice. Isn't he the only guy to win a Norris with a - in that season?

He's more of a name than he is a talent to me. He'll probably get in the HOF, but I don't think he's special enough to be a first-ballot guy. Of course, I'm less enamored with guys who play defense but can't actually, you know, defend well.

 

[Huggy]

I have seen Hall and Seguin play live a number of times and many hockey people I talk to (not involved with either Boston or Edmonton) like Seguin since he's a right-shot centre.

I'll take Hall.

 

[Double J]

I always thought Blake was over-rated in his own end of the ice. Isn't he the only guy to win a Norris with a - in that season?

He's more of a name than he is a talent to me. He'll probably get in the HOF, but I don't think he's special enough to be a first-ballot guy. Of course, I'm less enamored with guys who play defense but can't actually, you know, defend well.

Yeah, he was -3 in 1997-98. A vast improvement over the -28 he put up the year before, lol. But he was the second guy to win the Norris with a minus. The first was Randy Carlyle, who was -16 in 1980-81. But he scored 83 points, dammit - isn't that what defence is all about?!?! ::) :D

Considering they have a trophy for the best defensive forward, wouldn't it be something if they actually had a trophy for the best defensive defenceman? lol

 

[Ilmago]

Was impressed with Hall each time I saw him. Don't the Oilers have the rights to a Swedish forward (name escapes me at the moment) who was real impressive in the World Juniors?

Yes they do and his name is Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, he's going to be a stud. They also have Jordan Eberle who is another huge prospect. So in a few years they'll have a sick team.

 

[mb]

Was impressed with Hall each time I saw him. Don't the Oilers have the rights to a Swedish forward (name escapes me at the moment) who was real impressive in the World Juniors?

Yes they do and his name is Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, he's going to be a stud. They also have Jordan Eberle who is another huge prospect. So in a few years they'll have a sick team.

Just make sure they all stay single ... and away from newscasters if they don't.

 

[Beef03]

Was impressed with Hall each time I saw him. Don't the Oilers have the rights to a Swedish forward (name escapes me at the moment) who was real impressive in the World Juniors?

Yes they do and his name is Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, he's going to be a stud. They also have Jordan Eberle who is another huge prospect. So in a few years they'll have a sick team.

Just make sure they all stay single ... and away from newscasters if they don't.

MPS was their first rounder from last year, 10th overall. I know there were some scouting services that had in the top 5 last year (The NHL scouting board had him ranked second among European skaters, behind just Victor Hedman) and the Oilers were dancing when he unexpectedly fell all the way to them. I am real excited about him, he is signed and will be in North America next year, and if he doesn't start the year with the big club will be there at some point. Same with Youtube sensation Linus Omark, although he may spend the entire season down in Oklahoma. Also big things are expected out of Anton Lander, who was MPS's linemate with the world juniors and I think they played in the Swedish Elite League together at some point, is expected to sign in the near future as well.

I am cautiously optimistic about Eberle, his skating isn't terrific and he is of course small, but all he does is score, especially in the clutch situations. All I can think is that many of the same things were said about Luc Robitaille and he turned out to be a pretty good player. That's what I hope for, but then he could flop like many an Oilers prospect has.

Not to mention they will have Hemsky coming back next year andfingers are crossed that both Penner and Gagner continue to improve.

The Oilers biggest concern heading forward is their blue-line where they are thin throughout the entire organization. They have a ton of skilled young forwards coming up, but right now Alex Plante and Jeff Petry are their two best defensive prospect and best case scenario they form the Oilers No. 2 pairing in the future. There is not a lot after that at all on defence. Theo Peckham is a nice No. 6 defenceman and he's already with the team and same with Taylor Chorney who actually projects to a No. 2 pairing blueliner as well although I think he eventually could be stretched out onto the top unit. Regardless work needs to be done to shore up the back end, the only sure thing they have back there is Ryan Whitney who played real well after coming over in the Visnovsky trade with Anaheim, and Staios isn't long for the league either.

I say the Oilers are probably two or three years away from the playoffs and then well see where they go from there, that's as long as they don't get cute and stick to the rebuilding plan.

 

[Mark2010]

Was impressed with Hall each time I saw him. Don't the Oilers have the rights to a Swedish forward (name escapes me at the moment) who was real impressive in the World Juniors?

Yes, thank you, couldn't recall the name. Is he going to be on their roster next season? Seems like he might be ready to play in the NHL, if they don't expect too much too soon.

Maybe they can be like the Penguins, who stunk in the mid 2000s and got Crosby and Malkin as the foundations of a good, young team. Or the Blackhawks. There is hope in Edmonton yet.
Yes they do and his name is Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, he's going to be a stud. They also have Jordan Eberle who is another huge prospect. So in a few years they'll have a sick team.