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Draft Preview 2011
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
THE MONEY ROUND
THE MINNESOTA WILD took a gamble in the 2010 draft and it has nothing to do with the fact they took Las Vegasborn Jason Zucker at the tail end of the second round. But if Zucker turns out to be the legitimate NHL player many project him to be, GM Chuck Fletcher and his staff will look pretty savvy indeed. When Zucker was still on the board with the Florida Panthers poised to make their fourth pick of the second round, Fletcher offered the Cats the 69th and 99th pick in exchange for the 59th and chose Zucker, who had 23 goals and 45 points in 40 games as a freshman with the University of Denver this season. Three picks earlier, Minnesota took Johan Larsson with the Washington Capitals’ second round…
WASHINGTON CAPPED OUT
THE CAPS ARE fast becoming ‘Moscow West’ and that goes for the pipeline, too. Banking on the draw of Alex Ovechkin, Washington has gone after Russian prospects when other NHL teams were avoiding them. Four of the team’s top 10 prospects are Russian. All are trending upwards and none were taken earlier than 26th overall. SHORT-TERM NEEDS The Caps are committed to the young trio in goal and are solid on the blueline, but up front there’s sure to be turnover. Outside of star forwards Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, it wouldn’t be inconceivable to see as many as eight new faces among the forwards. Secondary scoring is a must, as is bottom-six depth. LONG-TERM NEEDS Washington boasted the youngest netminding troika in the league in 2010-11, with regulars Semyon Varlamov (23) and…
YOUNG TALENT BLOWING IN
A YOUTH MOVEMENT is in the offing for a Canes team already sporting the league’s youngest player in Jeff Skinner and 23-year-old blueliner Jamie McBain. And with a number of veteran UFAs up front, three or even four forwards in their early 20s will join the squad full time for 2011-12. SHORT-TERM NEEDS With all that youth on the horizon, Carolina will need some experience to provide stability. The team could re-sign its own veterans with expiring contracts, but the youngsters will need top-nine minutes, so vets willing to play checking rolls are a must. LONG-TERM NEEDS Assuming three forwards graduate, seven of Carolina’s eight top remaining prospects are defensemen – two of whom made Future Watch’s top 75 prospects. Forwards are a must come draft time. There’s a dearth of goalies…
THE FUTURE IS RIGHT NOW
CRITICS WERE CALLING for the Calgary Flames to blow things up after a terrible first 40 games. Then they got hot and the rebuild model turned into regeneration. The Flames hung on to aging leaders Jarome Iginla, Robyn Regehr and Miikka Kiprusoff and even brought in two players at the NHL trade deadline. SHORT-TERM NEEDS The Flames are the league’s second oldest team and in the past six drafts have managed to develop just one prospect, Mikael Backlund, into an NHLer. Calgary lacks team speed and has never really garnished Iginla with a premier playmaking No. 1 center. LONG-TERM NEEDS Calgary’s development system has been floundering for years, having placed in the lower third of THN’s Future Watch a fourth straight year in 2011. Other than Mark Giordano, the best Flames are…