More fun. The first goalie is going in this segment and they always bring controversy. Personally I think a team can't get enough young goalies with potential. I don't care if you have your "goalie of the future" already, what if he is a massive bust and you just forsook drafting any other goalies for three years? Suddenly you look like fools (Cough Columbus). With this years draft in the late first really lacking the depth of skilled forwards there has been in past seasons I think we will see some goalies go a bit earlier than usual.
Previously
1. Nail Yakupov
2. Alex Galchenyuk
3. Filip Forsberg
4. Ryan Murray
5. Matt Dumba
6. Jacob Trouba
7. Mikhail Grigorenko
8. Radek Faksa
9. Teuvo Teräväinen
10. Griffin Reinhart
11. Morgan Rielly
12. Zemgus Girgensons
13. Olli Määttä
14. Cody Ceci
15. Slater Koekkoek
16. Washington Capitals select Right/Left Winger Sebastian Collberg Frölunda (Elitserien) 94/02/23 (18 years old) 41GP – 0G – 0A – 0P
Don’t let those numbers scare you away, Collberg found himself stapled to the bench for 90% of the game in a league he just wasn’t ready to play a big part in. His play internationally has opened more eyes as has his impressive play in the SuperElit. On the world stage he is a superstar and the 5’11 speedster barged his way onto the scene with a monster WJC. With all the hype and attention on Forsberg it was Collberg who was a leader and tallied 4 goals and 7 points in 6 games despite little PP time. Collberg’s game is very simple, he beats you to the outside with his elite speed and lasers one home (Much like Phil Kessel). He needs to add on a lot of strength and will be at least two or three years from really contributing, yet the raw talent is there and in a draft filled with “grinders and third liners” in the top-15 forwards Collberg offers an enticing package. At the U18 Collberg was at it again and led Sweden in points with 9 and second in goals with 4. International play is never the be all end all for players, but it shows what he is capable of doing with teammates of similar talent. NHL shot, amazing hands, elite speed and a shifty player, Washington needs top-6 forwards.
17. San Jose Sharks select Defenseman Matt Finn Guelph Storm (OHL) 94/02/24 (18 years old) – 61GP – 10G – 37A – 47P
It’s the Sharks chance to finally get another strong pick and they have to make it count. They have so many forwards it’s scary so I think they’ll go for a defenseman. Finn is severely underrated due to the team he plays for and his role. He’s their all purpose player and plays over 30 minutes a night. He’s a jack of all trades player who can run a PP well, is great in his own zone and provides stability all over the ice. He made big leaps in his skating which has helped his transition game. Finn has no real glaring weakness to his game and is a guy who competes 100% of the time and never gives up. His off-ice work ethic is also considered to be among the best in the draft as seen in the strides he took this year. I think it’s a great fit for a Sharks team that could use more skilled hard working players on defense especially with Boyle aging.
18. Chicago BlackHawks select Defenseman Hampus Lindholm Rögle (Allsvenskan) 94/01/20 – 20GP - 1G - 4A – 5P
Lindholm is one of the more interesting prospects in the draft and I’ve seen him as high as nine and as low as in the thirties much like Jonas Brodin last year. He’s an excellent puck moving defenseman with great passing instincts. His vision is great and he is great at puck possession. I think he is a very “Bowman” pick, Lindholm fits in with their team philosophy and offers another option for a defense that desperately needs a puck mover behind Keith and Seabrook. His play in the Kvalserien ES (essentially their playoffs) was particularly strong and has really helped his ranking. He even provides a little grit, though the 6’2 185 kid can hardly be called a bruiser. He’s prone to some mental lapses like all offensive defensemen and sometimes can be too aggressive in trying to make something from nothing, yet these are small problems. Chicago went crazy last year on forwards, so I expect them to take a defender.
19. Tampa Bay Lightning select Goaltender Andrei Vasilevski Tolpar Ufa (MHL) 94/07/25 (17 years old) – 27GP – 2.23GAA - .931sv%
The first goalie in the draft and the first Russian outside of the CHL. Vasilevski is the best goalie in this draft, you can try to convince me otherwise, but having seen him dominate two years in a row now as the best goalie in the MHL and bring his game to the next level not only on every international stage but in the playoffs...count me a believer. He has that mixture of size and athleticism the NHL craves these days and plays the “Russian Butterfly” which is sort of a bastard version where you play deep in your net but don’t go down on your knees instantaneously. At 6’3 he covers the net well and scouts say he has the best glove hand in the draft. He was a game away from being one of the only 17 year olds to win a Gold Medal as the starting goalie in the WJC’s and despite being pulled near the end of the game in the Canada-Russia classic, the game would have been over if not for him in the first two periods. Yzerman wasn’t afraid to draft Russian born players last year and early, he believes in skill (Namestnikov and Kucherov). His main weaknesses are his puck handling skills, he’s the kind of goalie you just want to stay in his net and do his job because he’s had some flubs that have led to scoring chances. Don't get me wrong I like Dustin Tokarski and I'm pulling for Jaroslav Janus, but Tampa has been a revolving door of piss poor goaltending since their Cup win and could use a real blue chipper.
20. Philadelphia Flyers select Defenseman Ville Pokka Kärpät (SM-liiga) 94/06/03 (18 years old) – 35GP – 0G – 3A – 3P
The Flyers are stacked on offense, it’s absurd. They do however need more fresh blood of the top-4 variety on defense with some aging vets. Though I think they are more likely to draft a Canadian or American defenseman this year, I think Pokka is the best available. Pokka is an extremely smart player who demonstrates excellent positioning and some of the best puck stealing abilities. Much like a certain other Finnish Flyer, he anticipates plays and breaks them up with ease. He has some good offensive instincts as well and is a strong playmaker. The concerns about him stem from his skating, he’s an average skater and lacks any dynamic aspect to it, it’s one of the things that has separated him in many people’s minds from the other elite defenders. He shined internationally at both the U18 and U20 tournaments leading Finland in points by a defenseman both times. He has the ability to run the PP and eat minutes on the PK; he’s just a solid all around player. Working on his shot and skating will be key to his development.
Thanks for reading.
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