Draft Recap

The Draft came and went with some big and bold moves, and great sound bites from the most entertaining GM of the league, Brian Burke. Hockey fans have to admit it was like a great reality show to watch Burke first try to trade up and get Tavares and then try to acquire Luke’s brother Brayden. With free agency on the horizon, let’s reminisce about the winners and losers of this year’s NHL Draft.

Winners:
New York Islanders: They did the right thing in picking John Tavares, did anyone really believe the rumors of them selecting Matt Duchene? I'm sure Duchene will be a good player, but to see the way the Coliseum erupted when reacting to the selection shows you that this once prominent franchise has made the right move not only off the ice but on it as well. Continuing the Las Vegas theme from the award show, Garth Snow showed us all his best poker face and I liked it. I think that's why I have them as winners, in an era where NFL 1st picks get signed the day before the draft, and NBA GM’s don’t keep it a secret at all, I enjoyed the drama and felt so excited for Tavares when his name was called. This is how the draft should go.

Legacy players: I still am waiting for the family feud between the Sutter brothers and Dineen’s or Howe’s, but this year’s draft had some nice legacy names attached to it. Ryan Bourque was selected in the 3rd round by the Rangers, he is the son of legendary defenseman Raymond Bourque. You would have thought it was father’s day in the NHL with the amount of former players who saw their sons get drafted in Montreal. Ulf Samuelsson (Philip, 61st to Penguins), Ray Ferraro (Landon , 32nd to Red Wings), Steve Smith (Baron, 188th to Maple Leafs), Mike Foligno (Markus, 104th to Sabres) and Brent Ashton (Carter, 29th to Lightning) were among the dads who saw their son’s NHL dreams begin. So many other bloodlines were prominent including brothers, grandsons, and nephews. You have to love a sport that promotes family.

Philadelphia Flyers: This was a team that has had their Stanley Cup dreams dashed two years in a row by the Penguins dynamic duo of Crosby and Malkin. So what do they do in the off-season, but pick up the best defenseman made available. I agree with all the experts that they gave a lot for a 34-year old d-man only signed for one more year, but as my main man Brian Burke put it in an interview I read; “They did give up a lot, but how do you get a [future] Hall of Famer without giving up a lot?” The answer is, “You don't.” This is an obvious go for it all now for the Orange and Black. So many times you see a GM’s desperation at the trade deadline, where they end up mortgaging the future for a couple months with a rent-a-player. This move not only gives the Flyers a full season to get Pronger under contract, but also puts them in a position to be legitimate Cup Contenders.

Losers:
Calgary Flames: Another bold move for a defenseman by a GM, but this one was not economically smart. I do agree that acquiring Jay Boumeester puts the Flames defense at the top of the charts, but also puts them at the top of salaries. In the age of the salary cap, the days of having any player you want at any salary you want is a dream. The Flames lost the ability to make this move when they traded for the big contract of Jokinen. However, Jokinen does only have one year left on his deal which could make him tradeable. I just don’t see how the Flames will be able to field a legit complete NHL roster with the amount of cap space left if they sign JayBo. The Senators and Lightning have shown the league that when you put most of your cap towards a couple of players disaster strikes. I also can’t believe Jay Bouwmeester would put a cap on himself, by only being paid the same amount of money as Dion Phaneuf.

Montreal Canadiens: You draft a French-Canadian in the first round only to make your fans cheer your pick. You make no movement towards acquiring players and thus continue the downfall of this great franchise. Yet, this could all change when July 1st hits. This team has loads of cap space left and a lot of roster decisions, but I expected bigger things from the host city.

Dany Heatley: Even Jay Bouwmeester, who said he wanted to go to free agency, got traded but Heatley did not. With all 30 GM’s in the same room negotiating by leaning in and whispering to each other, this shows you how dark of a corner Senators General Manager, Bryan Murray, was backed into by his star winger. No one will deny his talent and dynamic scoring ability, but his contract and bonus due is making it hard for him to be traded. Heatley would have been traded if a team felt he was worth the risk, so now it seems more likely that he will have to play out his time in an uncomfortable position. That could all change, though, if the Rangers are willing to give up more than their trash for this All-Star. Something to definitely look for as free agency starts this week.