Welcome to the last Waffle Watch draft pick update of March. It's hard to believe, but we're in single digits for games left in the season and less than two weeks away from finishing out the 2010-11 regular season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have continued to win hockey games behind the goaltending of James Reimer and some opportunistic scoring. They aren't going to make the playoffs, but the nonplayoff clubs pick 1-14, so it isn't outside the realm of reason to think that they could end up with the 11th or 12th pick if Carolina and Minnesota go south in the standings over the final 7 games. They both have a game in hand on the Leafs, who have six to go and could finish with 90 points if they go 6-0. Because of Buffalo's recent winning streak, that's not likely going to be enough to get them in- Buffalo only needs six points in 7 games to clinch the eighth spot in the East.
The good news for Bruins fans is that the depth of this draft class is pretty good, so while everyone got spoiled last year with the Tyler Seguin watch, the B's are looking at someone like Ryan Murphy and Dougie Hamilton, or perhaps Brandon Saad or Mika Zibanejad or even Matt Puempel the closer they get to 10th overall.
The CHL playoffs are in full swing, as is the NCAA tournament, which established its Frozen Four bracket over the weekend in shocking fashion with some frontrunners in the Hockey East going down in flames. Michigan, North Dakota, Notre Dame and Minnesota-Duluth are your 2011 contenders for the national championship. Not a Hockey East club in the bunch after UNH lost to the Fighting Irish yesterday.
The weather's getting warmer, the NHL draft lottery will be on April 12th and while the Leafs have played that Boston pick out of the lottery, the Bruins are in the dance officially after beating Philly last night and just need a few more wins to wrap up the Northeast and the third seed in the East.
Life is good.
And that's the weekly commentary- now for the Bruins pick update.
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks 6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
10th overall- Toronto (78 points; 34-32-10)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
41st overall- Minnesota (78 points;35-32-8)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
83rd overall- Phoenix (93 points; 41-25-11) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston (94 points; 42-23-10)
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
184th overall- Florida (conditional 69 pts; 29-36-11)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
*(Not affiliated with the Boston Bruins or the New England Hockey Journal)
I can't see either of Ryan Murphy or Dougie Hamilton being around by the time the B's take the podium at likely 10 or 11.
ReplyDeleteYou might be right. Or, you could be completely wrong.
ReplyDeleteThat's the beauty of the NHL draft...every year, people are sure certain players won't be around at certain picks and insist on it on internet message boards right up to the big day. And yet, when the time comes and the later picks roll in, there they are.
Cam Fowler or Brandon Gormley, anyone?
I would love to see Puempel come to the B's. Spooner and him played together when Spooner was on the Petes, and that would be a great reunion as they already have chemistry.
ReplyDelete