Serving the Youth

BOSTON BRUINS

2017-18 record: 50-20-12 (112 points)
Lost to Tampa Bay in Conference semi-finals
Captain: Zdeno Chara

What was supposed to be another season of transition for the Boston Bruins became an accelerated rebuild, as their youth became major contributors from the word go. They finished just behind Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division, and as their playoff run showed, they still have some things to shore up before they can get back to Lord Stanley.

One of the pleasant surprises has been where the offense has come from, as Brad Marchand, super pest, has become a regular 30-goal scorer. David Pastrnak has also emerged as one of the offensive leaders on the team, and he's  not even close to his prime. They are still relatively top heavy when it comes to scoring, something that was exposed when last year's rental Rick Nash didn't pan out as expected. Improvements in that regard are expected to come from within, as they're counting on a healthier Patrice Bergeron and a declining David Krejci to rebound, as well as continued maturation from Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen and possibly Ryan Donato making the roster. Defensively, the torch may be passed down soon, as Zdeno Chara could fold any minute. Fortunately, there is depth, as Charlie MacAvoy has become a solid defender and only figures to get better, health permitting. Similarly, Brandon Carlo is banking on health becoming less of an issue as he figures to at least fill the defensive part of the Zdeno Chara talent pool. Depth got better thanks to signing John Moore to fill in as a third pairing defender who can step into the second pair if needed. For all that's been good, the goaltending has been somewhat ordinary, as Tuukka Rask hasn't been as dynamic as he was a few years ago. Part of the problem has been overuse, something the Bruins hope they fixed when they signed Jaroslav Halak to be the backup.

Prediction: 3rd in the Atlantic Division

Tampa Bay still has a loaded roster and Toronto got better down the middle thanks to signing John Tavares, which makes Boston's hopes for a division title look small. However, they should be comfortable in knowing that they are a playoff team that could surprise people despite not adding much to the roster.

Finding the Oasis

ARIZONA COYOTES

2017-18 record: 29-41-12 (70 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: TBA

The Arizona Coyotes' season, on the surface, was like every other season, in that they failed to take the next step forward in trying to make the playoffs. In reality, it was a horrid start in which they couldn't get a win for the first 20 games that doomed their 2017-18 season. Not having Antti Rantaa healthy in that time was a factor, as was the majority of their core failing to step forward. By the time they got their act together, it was too little, too late. The failure of some of their key players expected to lead them to the playoffs caused some changes beginning in the middle of the season, and it carried over into the off-season.

This time last year, the Coyotes were counting on the core that included Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Antti Rantaa to push them up in the standings. Instead, Rantaa was hurt to start the season and both Domi and Duclair underachieved to the point that Duclair was traded mid-season while Domi was traded for new core player Alex Galchenyuk. Galchenyuk joins Clayton Keller as the new bright spots up front while Oliver Ekman-Larsson was given an extension and Niklas Hjalmarsson was also given a new deal, thus solidifying a youthful defense. Rantaa showed that he was worth the Coyotes trading for him last off-season when healthy, and that will help considerably. In addition to Galchenyuk, the Coyotes added Michael Grabner to help out a penalty kill that just wasn't any good. There are pieces in place for the Coyotes to finally make the playoffs, but things must go exactly as planned. It would also help if Dylan Strome can finally break through onto the NHL roster this season.

Prediction: 6th in the Pacific Division

The Coyotes are a team that continues to rise, albeit slowly. Unfortunately, they are also in a pretty stacked Western Conference, so a playoff spot may be stretch. If they can stay in it until the final week or so of the regular season, the season can be considered a success.

Getting Unstuck from the Mud

This is my favorite time of year, the time when I get to try my hand at previewing each of the NHL teams and predicting what I think will happen. Thanks to Vegas being included prior to last season, that has thrown aside my tradition of starting in September. Saying that, let's go.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

2017-18 record: 44-25-13 (101 points)
Lost to San Jose in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Ryan Getzlaf

The Anaheim Ducks were one of the hottest teams in the NHL leading up to the playoffs. However, they reverted back to the team that couldn't show up when it mattered the most, and were ousted in the opening round to San Jose in a sweep. They didn't make many moves in the off-season outside of re-signing key players and bolstering their depth. Their moves up front included extending Adam Henrique and Ondrej Kase and signing depth players Brian Gibbons and Carter Rowney. Their scoring was ranked 18th in the league, and outside of Rickard Rakell, there wasn't a great amount of scoring, as only Henrique and Kase scored 20 or more goals. It doesn't figure to get any better, as Corey Perry is in deep decline while Ryan Kesler may miss the entire season due to surgery. Where the Ducks figure to get scoring depends on whether Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Getzlaf can get back some of their scoring touch. Defensively, they were one of the better teams in the league, as they allowed the fourth fewest goals, although they did miss Cam Fowler come playoff time. Luke Schenn and Andrej Sustr are depth pieces added to fill in the gaps left by departures of Shea Theodore and Sami Vatanen in the past year or so. John Gibson was once again a stud in the regular season, and once again, he couldn't stay healthy for an entire season, yet he got an 8-year extension. The good news is that Ryan Miller can fill in as a starter whenever Gibson needs a rest or is injured. Their special teams reflected their strengths and weaknesses, as their power play was 23rd while the penalty kill was 5th. With recent playoff failures, it may be time for Randy Carlyle to produce more than just a playoff appearance, as they have been exposed in terms of speed the further they go.

Prediction: 4th in the Pacific Division

The Ducks will have a hard time making the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference, but as long as their defense holds, they should be one of the last teams in, at worst. It will be in the playoffs that things bear monitoring.

Clownshows abound

What would an NHL off-season be without a clownshow? How about two of them? Today, that is the topic, and it just so happens that there is one in both the United States and Canada. Let's examine this in the timeline of the last 24 hours.

First, the United States and the Carolina Hurricanes. Let's preface this with the fact that the Hurricanes didn't completely crap all over themselves this off-season, with trading underachieving Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin for much needed toughness in Micheal Ferland, a proven scorer from the blue line in Dougie Hamilton, and a solid prospect in Adam Fox, plus hiring Rod Brind'Amour as head coach. So, how do they fall into the category of laughingstock? Prior to those moves, owner Tom Dundon has been on record as wanting to have the lower bowl filled to the point of not selling upper level tickets, which still hasn't helped their attendance problem. Also, remember when Dundon was on record as saying everyone except Sebastian Aho was on the trading block? Yesterday, he showed that he wasn't kidding, as Jeff Skinner was traded to Buffalo for Cliff Pu, and three draft picks. None of those draft picks were in the first round, and getting a second, third, and sixth round pick in 2019 and 2020 total isn't exactly the haul that the Hurricanes hoped for. It isn't helping that the only player to come the other way is a guy who isn't likely to help in the immediate future.

Now, on to Canada and their version of the clownshow. That's right, everyone's favorite soap opera, the Ottawa Senators. You already know about the Mike Hoffman/Erik Karlson saga, or more specifically, their significant others, and you already know about avaricious owner Eugene Melnyk and the many ways in which he trashes the city of Ottawa. Well, he's at it again, as they may no longer have two star players gone by the end of the season; they may have three players gone by the end of next season. Erik Karlsson and Matt Duchene can leave after the season, but now, Mark Stone, who could have left right now, just signed a new deal. The catch? It's only one year, which means he too, can leave after next season. I haven't even talked about the on-ice product, and if Craig Anderson doesn't find his 2016-17 form, the Senators are screwed. They may win the draft lottery...for Colorado, who if you remember, has the Senators' first round pick in 2019 thanks to the deal for Duchene. Oh, and they don't have anyone in the pipeline in goal if Anderson doesn't rediscover form.

Who says the NHL off-season isn't full of comedy? The Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators are proof that you can actually laugh at others' misery...or if you're a fan of either one, a source of income for the therapist.

The One-Time Accidental Champions

The Carolina Hurricanes originally came into existence as the former Hartford Whalers in 1997. Since then, they've always had struggles in gaining a foothold in the Carolinas, as they are currently the lowest drawing team in the league. So, how did a team that accidentally won a Stanley Cup, and accidentally made another Stanley Cup Final get to this point? Besides poor ownership, it would be wise to look at the team's Draft history since they came to the Tar Heel State.

• 1997 was the first year that the Hurricanes would be entering the Draft. Their first pick as a team was Nikos Tselios, who is related to Hall of Famer Chris Chelios. Unfortunately, Tselios had very little of the talent that made the more well-known Chelios a Hall of Famer, as he played just two games. The players with the most games played in this draft class were Francis Lessard (115), who spent most of his time in Atlanta, and Shane Willis (174), who spent time in Tampa. Great start.
• The following year, the Hurricanes drafted another first round bust in Jeff Heerema, who played just 30 games. However, they actually did better this time around overall, as Erik Cole would be one of the franchise's better players in the Carolina era while the late Josef Vasicek carved out a nice career with the Hurricanes. Tommy Westlund and Jaroslav Svoboda also cracked the century mark in games played from this draft class.
• 1999 was the first year their first round pick played more than 50 games in a season. David Tanabe wasn't great, but he did play 449 games over his NHL career, bouncing around and being serviceable. However, he was also the only guy to play any more than 2 games from that  year, as three other players played a combined five games while five more picks didn't even play in the NHL, including Ryan Murphy (they would later draft another Ryan Murphy who hasn't panned out thus far).
• The Hurricanes did not have a first round pick in 2000, as it was traded to Colorado. Of their picks, only Ryan Bayda (179) and Niclas Wallin (614) played significant games in the NHL.
• If their first year at the Draft was brutal, then 2001 was even worse. Only Michael Zigomanis played over 100 games, and only one other player (Rob Zepp) played any games at all in the NHL. Worse, their first round pick, Igor Knyazev, didn't play a game at all in the NHL, as he spent just two seasons in North America and the AHL before going back to Russia in 2004.
• 2002 was marginally better, as the Hurricanes had just four picks that year, and only one of them actually played any games. That player? Cam Ward, who until last week, had played all 512 games in a Hurricanes uniform. The next game he will play will be in a Chicago Blackhawks uniform, as he signed a one-year deal to back up Corey Crawford.
• 2003 was status quo for the Hurricanes at the draft, as half of their picks didn't even play, and they still managed to find at least one significant contributor in Eric Staal, who recently cracked the 1000 game mark. Largely inconsistent in Carolina, he has rediscovered his game in Minnesota. Tyson Strachan was the only other player to play over 100 games from this class.
• 2004 was in line with the other classes, as only one player has had a long career in the NHL. Andrew Ladd had won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 as a rookie, but was traded to Chicago for Tuomo Ruutu. In Chicago, he won another Cup with them in 2010. He has also spent time with Atlanta/Winnipeg, a short second run in Chicago, and now the New York Islanders. The next players with time in the NHL were Brett Carson (90) and Justin Peters (80).
• 2005 was the definiton of brutal, as the only player to net any real time in the NHL was Jack Johnson, who never played a game with them. Johnson's rights were traded a few months after the draft along with Oleg Tverdovsky in exhcange for Tim Gleason and Eric Belanger. No one else even cracked the double digit barrier, that is, if they played at all.
• 2006 also saw another year of just one player making any time in the NHL, as Jamie McBain was the only player to be in the NHL. He did play 348 games, but you were hoping for at least another diamond in the rough to go along with it.
• 2007 was actually the most successful draft overall for the Hurricanes thus far, as Brandon Sutter has played the most games of the group. Drayson Bowman, Chris Terry, and Brett Bellemore also had time with the Hurricanes, though it should be noted that all only had minor success with the team.
• 2008 may have seen most of their class play at least 60 games each, but like 2007, no one really distinguished themselves. Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe played around 125 games each, but because the Hurricanes missed on those picks (notice a trend?), it would begin setting the team back.
• 2009 was not nice to the Hurricanes, as their first round pick Philippe Paradis hasn't played at all in the NHL, and the one player to have any time in the NHL, Brian Dumolin, didn't even suit up for Carolina at all, as he was part of the trade to bring in Jordan Staal in 2012.
• The Hurricanes actually hit on their first two picks of 2010, as Jeff Skinner and Justin Faulk have been major contributors on the current Hurricanes squad. However, they could have had three, as Frederik Andersen was drafted, but never signed and was taken by Anaheim in 2012 when he re-entered the Draft.
• 2011 wasn't as kind, as Ryan Murphy didn't pan out despite playing 151 games, the last few in Chicago, and Victor Rask has been merely okay in 242 games.The rest of the group hasn't been memorable.
• 2012 saw the Hurricanes lose their first round pick to Pittsburgh in the Jordan Staal trade. Phil Di Giuseppe and Brock McGinn have played for the team, but their best pick that year is Jaccob Slavin, who looks like a solid building block on the blue line.
• 2013 has seen decent returns despite only having four picks. Elias Lindholm, who was recently traded to Calgary, was solid, though not the player Carolina was hoping for at fifth overall, while Brett Pesce figures to be another solid player on the blue line.
• 2014 hasn't seen many returns thus far, although Haydn Fleury did play his first NHL games this past season. He figures to split time between the NHL and the AHL next season.
• 2015 has already seen some major returns, as Sebastian Aho is a stud to the point of the team's owner saying he was the only untouchable, while Noah Hanifin made the All-Star team last season. However, it remains to be seen if Hanifin will be one that got away, as he was also trade to Calgary along with Lindholm to get Dougie Hamilton.

The 2016 and 2017 drafts haven't seen much in the way of contributions yet, but those figure to be coming soon.

With a draft history like Carolina has had, is it any wonder why they seem to accidentally back into success at random times? That luck hasn't been there in the last nine years, and the attendance numbers reflect that. Will it change this time around? If they keep drafting like this, the answer will be no.

NHL Free Agency: Burning Money Edition

July 1 is known as a money burning day, as the first day of both NBA and NHL free-agency begins, as well as the New York Mets' tradition of giving long-gone Bobby Bonilla a million plus interest a year until 2035. So, how will the NHL make me laugh this time?

• The big shoe that needed to drop, did, as John Tavares announced that he would be taking the Toronto Maple Leafs' offer of seven years, and an annual amount of 11 million. It's a steep price for Toronto, and it still doesn't solve their defensive woes, but Tavares potentially shoves both Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri down a slot, which improves their offensive output. The big concern would be what happens next offseason, when both Matthews and Mitch Marner are coming off their ELCs.
• The Maple Leafs' 11 million dollar gamble wasn't actually the worst move made. No, the worst happened this morning, as the Calgary Flames decided to throw five years and an annual cap hit of 5.75 million at James Neal. You might say that's better than what Washington threw at TJ Oshie, but even four years is excessive for a 30-goal scorer that is on the wrong side of 30, has major streaks of production and non-production, and may be headed for a steep decline ala Dany Heatley. The Flames also threw over 3 million to some guy named Derek Grant. Have fun with the RFA contracts of Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin.
• Los Angeles did the expected, and signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a three year deal. The hit carries a 6 million dollar price tag a year, and it had been announced that the Kings intended to make him the focal point of their offense. If you're paying him that much, he better be, and if he can still score 30 goals per year, it's not bad. So, where are the Kings screwed? The eight year extension that will be carrying an 11 million dollar hit that is going to Drew Doughty. The Kings learned nothing from the Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik sagas. The Kings will be in Cap Hell even after Kovalchuk is gone thanks to the ridiculous contracts being handed out.
• Detroit likes to kick the can down the road, and signing both Jonathan Bernier and Thomas Vanek to deals, as well as re-signing Mike Green to a new two year deal is proof. On a contending team, these signings would actually be praised. However, Detroit is not even close to contending. I know there's the albatross contracts of Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm, and Jonathan Ericsson, but there is no way they are a Jonathan Bernier away from playoff contention.
• Chicago actually didn't do badly with signing Cam Ward to one year, as he proved that he had something left, although that wasn't necessarily by choice in Carolina, as Scott Darling self-immolated. Brandon Manning is just a warm body on defense while I absolutely don't understand how Chris Kunitz will fit with the team.
• Vegas made moves, as they slightly overpaid for four years Paul Stastny and inexplicably threw 2.75 million a year for two years at Ryan Reaves.
• Pittsburgh signed Jack Johnson. The issue with Johnson isn't money, as about 3 million a year is sensible, but term, as five years is a little long. They also brought back Matt Cullen because I don't know.
• Boston signed Jaroslav Halak for two years and a 2.75 million annual deal. Halak had a bad year, but he should rebound somewhat, since Boston is a stronger defensive team and he won't have to be overextended, as he backs up Tuukka Rask. The Bruins also signed John Moore to the same 2.75 million a year hit, but for five years. I don't know if Moore is worth that much money-wise, but he's still relatively young, and you can do worse than him if you're a Boston team that figures to be led by Charlie MacAvoy and Brandon Carlo in the future.
• Buffalo moved on from the volatile Robin Lehner in favor of an older, but calmer Carter Hutton. Hutton is getting three years, and 2.75 million per year. The bigger news is that they traded Ryan O'Reilly to St. Louis and are getting back Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, and two draft picks. The change was needed for both Buffalo and O'Reilly, which showed cracks late season. O'Reilly instantly gives St. Louis a second line center and takes the albatross contracts of both Berglund and Sobotka off the books.
• Speaking of the Blues, they gave David Perron four years and four million per year to make his return for a third time. Inconsistent as he is, it isn't a bad number, and he showed that he has something left. They also gave Tyler Bozak a three year, 5 million a year contract because I don't know. The money is too high for what will amount to a third line center, especially now that Brayden Schenn and O'Reilly will be in front of him. They also picked up a year rental of Chad Johnson for 1.75 million. Again, too high of a price, given his lack of production lately.
• Vancouver continues to want to tread water, as they handed out identical four year, 3 million per year contracts to Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel. Two years and just under 2 million a year for Tim Schaller and three years and 3.36 million a year to Sven Baertschi were also handed out. None of those are Loui Eriksson bad, which is good, but only the Baertschi signing makes sense, as he can still deliver on some of his offensive upside. Roussel, Beagle, and Schaller do provide a defensive presence up front that had been sorely lacking since Ryan Kesler bolted town.
• If I began with the Maple Leafs, I have to end with the New York Islanders, the team Tavares is leaving behind. I don't think Tavares leaving is a death blow, as Mat Barzal looks like he will be the best player on the Islanders by this time next year, but it certainly hurts. Saying that, the Islanders signed Leo Komarov to four years and 3 million per year. The term may be a little long, and Komarov isn't going to provide major offense, but he will provide leadership and at a reasonable price, the Islanders will have room to move. They also re-signed Thomas Hickey for four years and 2.5 million. Thought to have been a bust after failing to crack the Kings roster in the time after he was drafted in 2007, he's turned out to be a respectable defender with the Islanders, and he was one of the few bright spots on a blue line that was awful last year. The big problem was signing Valtteri Filppula for 2.75 million. It's only one year, but the Islanders did not need Filppula, who clearly has nothing left at this stage of his career.

If I didn't mention your team, it's because there weren't any good or bad moves made. 

NHL Draft First Round Recap

The NHL Draft is in the books, and while the first two picks were easy to figure out (those were the only two I got correct), the rest provided some interesting moments.

1. Buffalo Sabres-Rasmus Dahlin, D, Frolunda (Sweden)

This was just a formality, as Dahlin is a generational talent on the blue line. He does everything well, and should easily step in as the Sabres' second best defenseman after Rasmus Ristolainen. He may very well be the team's best defender by the end of the season. He was the beginning of the Sabres' attempt to rebuild the blue line, as Mattias Samuelsson was taken at the beginning of the second round, and he should provide a physical presence.

2. Carolina Hurricanes-Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Barrie (OHL)

Carolina needs scoring, and Svechnikov provides that in numbers. His play off the puck isn't bad, but he may need to gain a little weight to withstand the rigors of the NHL. Still, his goal scoring is welcome on a team that may be getting a roster makeover soon. That makeover began in earnest today, as Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin go to Calgary while Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox come to Carolina. It feels like a shuffling of chairs, but Ferland provides a physical presence the team has lacked for years while Hamilton provides the team security in terms of contract term. The move also means the Hurricanes won't have the pain of renegotiating with either Lindholm or Hanifin, as both were set to be RFAs soon.

3. Montreal Canadiens-Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Assat (Finland)

While it may look on the surface that Montreal may have reached to get a center, a position that they have long been unable to fill in any way, shape, or form, Kotkaniemi had been rising on the draft boards in recent weeks. He's no generational talent, but great centers don't often grow on trees, and Kotkaniemi may yet to realize his full potential, especially if Montreal's front office and coaching staff don't foul it up.

4. Ottawa Senators-Brady Tkachuk, LW, Boston University (Hockey East)

The departure of Mike Hoffman opened a need for a scoring winger, and Tkachuk provides that. He also has the same snarl that his father Keith and brother Matthew have, and that should make the Senators a little harder to play against. His timetable to play in the NHL may be sooner than you think if he signs with the team in the next month or so.

5. Arizona Coyotes-Barrett Hayton, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

I've been on record as saying that the Coyotes reached on this pick. He wasn't projected until the middle of the first round, but given that Kotkaniemi went off the board, the Coyotes got spooked into reaching here. This may also be a pick that proves me wrong at this time next year, since Hayton is slated to have a more prominent role on the Greyhounds if he stays there.

6. Detroit Red Wings-Filip Zadina, RW, Halifax (QMJHL)

Conversely, I loved that Detroit picked Zadina here despite the team's massive hole on the blue line. Sometimes, the best available player is there and you just have to go for it. Detroit did well here, and their scoring is going to be better for it. This wasn't the only good thing the Red Wings did in the Draft, as you'll find out later.

7. Vancouver Canucks-Quinn Hughes, D, Michigan (Big10)

Hughes is short even by today's standards, but he provides the team a much needed offensive spark, and with no real game breaker on the Canucks plus some level of uncertainty with Olli Juolevi, it was wise of the Canucks to further bolster their blue line.

8. Chicago Blackhawks-Adam Boqvist, D, Byrnas Jr. (Sweden)

The Blackhawks need help just about everywhere in the pipeline, but they really needed it the most on the blue line. Boqvist is an offensive force from the blue line with some defensive issues (think Erik Karlsson in his draft year), but given that there isn't much for the Blackhawks right now combined with their two best defenders nearing 35, they need all the help they can get.

9. New York Rangers-Vitali Kravtsov, RW, Chelyabinsk (KHL)

Kravtsov wasn't projected to be going until the middle of the first round, and certainly, I had him not at all in the first round, given that Russian players in the draft that aren't potential superstars are rarely certainties. Kravtsov will need to add weight, but his skill set isn't far from what Valeri Nichushkin and Denis Gurianov were in their draft years. Like the Dallas Stars' prospects, Kravtsov carries question marks about whether he wants to be in North America, but he should provide the Rangers a physical presence should he decide to come across the pond.

10. Edmonton Oilers-Evan Bouchard, D, London (OHL)

The Oilers' search for defensemen continues, and Bouchard has the best all-around game of every defenseman not named Rasmus Dahlin. He should continue to develop in London and the Oilers should be thrilled that a player of his caliber fell here.

11. New York Islanders-Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, US NTDP (USHL)

There is still uncertainty with John Tavares, as he is going to talk to five teams in addition to the Islanders before making his decision. In the interim, the Islanders picked a pure goal scorer in Whalstrom. However, unlike Kiefer Bellows, Whalstrom may have the potential to be a little more, as he has power forward ability once he unlocks his full potential.

12. New York Islanders (from Calgary)-Noah Dobson, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)

The run on defensemen I thought was going to happen earlier this round didn't happen until a little later. Fortunately for the Islanders, it brings them Dobson, a player that needs to fill out, but is already a winner, having won a league title and the Memorial Cup with the Titan. His skill set is also intriguing, as he is just as good as the other prospects, and has a height advantage over most of them.

13. Dallas Stars-Ty Dellandrea, C, Flint (OHL)

If Barrett Hayton had the talent lever that Dellandrea had around him, Hayton would have been right around this spot. As it is, Dellandrea is every bit the player Hayton is, but with proven character, as he had been drafted by the Firebirds when they had their ownership problems. The numbers are comparable, and Dellandrea can produce regardless of who's around him.

14. Philadelphia Flyers (from St. Louis)-Joel Farabee, LW, US NTDP (USHL)

The Flyers were incredibly frustrating in this round, as Farabee was a smart pick. They have no obvious holes in their pipeline, and Farabee has proven that he can play with superstars. You can never have enough scorers, and that is what Farabee can do.

15. Florida Panthers-Grigori Denisenko, LW, Yaroslavl 2 (Russia)

Denisenko is a Russian equivalent of Brad Marchand in that his play can sometimes go over the line. However, like Marchand, Denisenko is also capable of scoring, and given that Florida lacks snarl, this is an okay move. It would have been better had he not had the Russian factor hanging over his head, as he may be a while in coming over.

16. Colorado Avalanche-Martin Kaut, RW, Pardubice (Czech Republic)

Kaut is seen as a safe pick, as the worst he could end up in the NHL is third liner. The Avalanche coincidentally need secondary scoring, which is exactly what Kaut provides. If Kaut comes to North America to play, as reported by local sources, that may speed up his development.

17. New Jersey Devils-Ty Smith, D, Spokane (WHL)

Despite making the playoffs, the Devils' defensive depth was on full display, as they got repeatedly torched by Tampa Bay in the first round. Smith is similar to Will Butcher in that offensive upside may be limited, but he is responsible in his own end. With no real playmaker on the blue line available at this spot, the Devils picked the best available here.

18. Columbus Blue Jackets-Liam Foudy, C, London (OHL)

Columbus reached here a little, but like with Barrett Hayton, this pick may be looking good this time next year. Foudy is fast, and Columbus needs some speed down the middle. His offensive numbers looked way better in the second half of the season, and he is in line for a bigger role in London next season.

19. Philadelphia Flyers-Jay O'Brien, C, Thayer Academy (USHS)

Remember when I said the Flyers were a frustrating team in this round? This is why. O'Brien wasn't even projected to go until possibly the third round, yet the Flyers took him here. Why didn't they trade out of the pick? Better yet, why did they leave Joe Veleno on the board? You want to pick a center that badly, Veleno would have been a good pick here. Instead, this one has Mark Jankowski written all over it, as O'Brien may not even be ready for 4-5 years, and even then, he doesn't have high level talent potential.

20. Los Angeles Kings-Rasmus Kupari, C, Karpat (Finland)

Before Jesperi Kotkaniemi ascended the draft boards at a rapid pace, Kupari was relatively close in terms of which Finnish center would come off the boards first. Kupari tailed off a little in the second half, but his potential is there, and the Kings' continued commitment to speed in the draft rewards them here.

21. San Jose Sharks-Ryan Merkley, D, Guelph (OHL)

This pick has either the potential to be a home run or a major bust. Merkley has talent that would have put him in the top five of this year's draft. His attitude is what caused him to slide down the boards to possibly second round in some cases. In other words, he will either be PK Subban or Anthony D'Angelo in terms of what he can be in the NHL.

22. New York Rangers (from Ottawa via Pittsburgh)-K'Andre Miller, D, US NTDP (USHL)

The Rangers traded up to pick a project in Miller, as he's only been on the blue line for about three years. However, the potential surrounding him is immense and he could very well be the best pick the Rangers made this round, especially if he uses his time in Wisconsin wisely.

23. Anaheim Ducks-Isac Lundestrom, C, Lulea (Sweden)

Solid, two-way player and fills a need for the Ducks down the middle, as they are facing potential problems with center depth soon with Ryan Kesler likely missing this coming season to surgery and the uncertainty of what he can be if he comes back. Given Ryan Getzlaf is nearing his mid-30's, passing on Joe Veleno could be a mistake down the line, but Lundestrom provides more in terms of being a safe pick.

24. Minnesota Wild-Filip Johansson, D, Leskand Jr. (Sweden)

With a number of defensemen on the board and the Wild needing somebody there, Johansson isn't the best pick available, but he is solid in all areas. He may need a couple of years to put on weight, but it's not a bad pick here.

25. St. Louis Blues (from Toronto)-Dominik Bokk, RW, Vaxjo Jr. (Sweden)

Bokk provides scoring, something that the Blues lacked. However, they also needed a center, which once again, Veleno would have provided. This may turn out to be the pick that the Blues regret lest Robert Thomas is that second line center next year and/or Bokk turns out to be the second coming of Vladimir Tarasenko.

26. Ottawa Senators (from NY Rangers via Boston)-Jacob Bernard-Docker, D, Okotoks (AJHL)

At this point, you could put in a number of defensemen here and it would be good to decent. Bernard-Docker is actually the safest pick of the defensemen available, as nothing truly stands out, but he also doesn't make many mistakes. North Dakota awaits him next year.

27. Chicago (from Nashville)-Nicolas Beaudin, D, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Another undersized defender picked by the Blackhawks, I thought this would have been where they either took a forward or took a gamble on Bode Wilde. Still, Beaudin is a good pick that was often overshadowed by fellow QMJHL defenseman Noah Dobson. He will provide offense and maybe more if he adds weight.

28. New York Rangers (from Tampa Bay)-Nils Lundkvist, D, Lulea (Sweden)

Even this late in the first round, Lundkvist is a bit of a reach. However, his potential isn't bad and the Rangers can afford to let him develop for a while, especially with the glut of defenders already in the system.

29. Toronto Maple Leafs (from St. Louis via Winnipeg)-Rasmus Sandin, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

I thought Sandin would have gone higher than most. Toronto was able to trade down and still get the guy they wanted plus extra picks. Sandin has offensive upside and will likely spend an extra year in major junior.

30. Detroit Red Wings (from Vegas)-Joe Veleno, C, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Shockingly, Veleno was the one to take the free fall in the draft. Fortunately, Detroit decided to take the best player available, and despite needing defenders (they would take Jared McIssac a few picks later), it's hard to pass on a player of Veleno's caliber. Great pick by Detroit here, as it seems to be the theme for them throughout the draft.

31. Washington Capitals-Alexander Alexeyev, D, Red Deer (WHL)

This is the Brooks Orpik replacement pick. Alexeyev had an up and down season, but he carries size and a physical component. Offense may be an issue, but character is not, as he had left Red Deer to be with family after the death of his mother and came back to finish the season in time for the WHL playoffs, where he played with an injured finger.