Grading the 2011 Draft Part 2

We're back with team grades for the NHL's 11-20 for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Big winner is Edmonton, with the only A+ grade so far.

We'll start off on the right foot with the Oilers, who had a tremendous two days in St. Paul.

Edmonton Oilers
Grade: A+
Potential franchise center in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Check. (We heard all year that 2011 didn't have top talent at the top, but several scouts said RNH was an exception) Potential top-two defenseman with upside and charisma in Oscar Klefbom? Check. Excellent value shutdown D in David Musil? Check. Goaltending depth in Samu Perhonen? Check. Upside and depth the rest of the way with Travis Ewanyk, Dillon Simpson, Tobias Rieder and Martin Gernat? Absolutely. Don't know anything about goalie Frans Tuohimaa, but with a class that strong, who cares? We don't think Steve Tambellini could have set the board up any better in his wildest dreams.

Florida Panthers
Grade: A
Panthers GM Dale Tallon has built quite a war chest in just two drafts. From the looks of it, the 2011 draft upgraded Florida's system even more after what looked like a strong 2010 showing. The Panthers get two high-end offensive players in Jonathan Huberdeau and Rocco Grimaldi with their first two selections. At the end of the second round, they landed intriguing Swedish d-man Rasmus Bengtsson. With a pair of third-round picks, the Panthers grabbed more help up front getting the big and skilled but needing to get more physical Logan Shaw from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and small, but fiery Vincent Trocheck out of Saginaw. They went to Minnesota for two later picks, grabbing Mr. Hockey Kyle Rau, a highly skilled forward out of Eden Prairie High and Burnsville's Eddie Wittchow. All in all, this is another solid draft in year 2 for Tallon and Co.

Los Angeles Kings
Grade: B
The draft grade is closer to a C, but in landing Mike Richards, the Kings get a full letter grade boost. After trading their first-rounder to Edmonton for Dustin Penner, Lombardi and company picked up goalie help with Christopher Gibson, a talented and good kid who had a strong season with Chicoutimi, but who also has some holes in his technique he'll need to address. They grabbed overage forward and 33-goal man Andy Andreoff from Oshawa and then got some nice value with utility forward Nick Shore at Denver University. They got some raw, but interesting picks later with Mike Mersch, Joel Lowry and Michael Schumacher, but not a great deal of upside here. They are no doubt hoping to make a splash by landing Brad Richards via free agency.

Minnesota Wild
Grade: A-
Some wheeling and dealing boosts Minnesota's grade from the B+ range. Jonas Brodin is one of the smartest defenders in the draft and will need to get a lot stronger, but could prove to be a very good puck mover and power play QB in time. After acquiring San Jose's first-rounder (along with Charlie Coyle) for Brent Burns, they snagged natural scorer Zack Phillips- no issues there- this kid can put the puck in the net. The Wild got nice value late in the second with Minnesota high school sensation Mario Lucia- the heat is on. They got another local product in Nick Seeler and then grabbed the busiest high school goalie in the country in Steve Michalek, who is going to Harvard next season. Closing out with big checking pivot Tyler Graovac out of Ottawa makes it a pretty solid class overall.

Montreal Canadiens
Grade: B+
The Habs got nice value with a player they clearly wanted in Nathan Beaulieu, who surprisingly fell to them. They then lacked picks until the fourth round, grabbing intriguing defense prospect with size, skill out of the USHL in Josiah Didier, whose stock was on the rise in the second half of the season. Olivier Archambault is nothing to get excited about (one source cited character concerns with him as well), but Magnus Nygren is a skilled offensive-minded Swedish defenseman and overager who was at the top of Red Line's European draft eligibles list. After picking Darren Dietz out of Saskatoon in the fifth round, the Habs closed strong with two very good value picks in Czech winger Daniel Pribyl and U.S. prep defender Colin Sullivan.

Nashville Predators
Grade: B-
We love the Magnus Hellberg pick, even if he was a bit of a surprise at 39. He's huge and pretty close to competing for an NHL job. That said, not as sold on Miikka Salomaki's upside. Josh Shalla has great hands but can't skate. Garrett Noonan was a reach (in our view) in the fourth round, while Simon Karlsson, Chase Balisy and Brent Andrews on the whole are not enough to make this an exciting class. It's lacking in value and upside.

New Jersey Devils
Grade: B+
Getting Adam Larsson at fourth overall was a steal for the team that might have taken him first overall, which is where they were for much of the year until putting together a laudable late-season run. The Devils traded its second-rounder to Nashville a year ago for Jason Arnott (Hellberg) and forfeited its own third as part of the Kovalchuk signing fiasco, but picked up Dallas' third-rounder and used it on USHL scoring ace Blake Coleman. The Devs then got a value pick with Team USA sniper Reid Boucher, a steal at 99th overall after helping his team to the gold medal at the U-18s. The Devils got some solid value guys with Blake Pietila, Reece Scarlett and Patrick Daly.

New York Islanders
Grade: A
The Islanders landed a legitimate scoring force with character in Ryan Strome with the fifth overall pick. The, they added excellent value with raw but highly promising Scotty Mayfield early in the second. Not as high on Johan Sundstrom at 50th overall, but if he moves out of center (lack of creativity) he could be a horse of a wing and two-way guy. The Isles got more value with Andrey Pedan and Robbie Russo in the third and fourth rounds. Their Western scout got into the act with a pair of picks in the Dub: Red Deer's John Persson and Brenden Kichton of Spokane was a nice steal for them in the fifth. Mitchell Theoret was a nice way to finish out what looks like a quality and deep draft for the Isles.

New York Rangers
Grade: B+
The Rangers got a skilled centerman in J.T. Miller, but we're concerned with his up-and-down season. He pulled it together at the right team for Team USA in the U-18s, but his overall performance was uneven. Steven Fogarty is a raw but interesting playmaking center project who is quite a few years away. Mike St. Croix was a good value pick, but we've never been huge on him based on reports about a lack of work ethic. Shane McColgan is another value pick- once thought of as a potential first-rounder, but who dropped after a slow start. Small, but feisty and skilled- the question is- can he bring the offensive element with him at the NHL level? He's Brad Marchand-type, so it could happen for him. Rangers went tough late with nasty d-man Samuel Noreau and then added a big shutdown guy in Slovak Peter Ceresnak who underachieved in his draft season, but could play one day.

Ottawa Senators
Grade: A
Ottawa went wild with forwards in this draft class, which could get the sad-sack Sense back into contention in short order. Bryan Murray grabbed a gem with Swede Mika Zibanejad, but followed it up with two more promising players up front out of the OHL in Stefan "Tex" Noesen, a hard-nosed but productive forward out of Plymouth and Matt Puempel could be one of the most natural scoring wings available. They grabbed local 67's player Shane Prince with the Chris Kelly 2nd-rounder from Boston, then got mighty mite Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who had a tremendous playoff run with Gatineau. Fredrik Claesson was a bit of a head scratcher, but he has good wheels and could blossom as an offensive-minded guy when he gets a little more development. The rest of the picks didn't as much for us, but those first five are the types of players who could do big things one day.

J-Money a Panther

The Florida Panthers followed the script and took Saint John ace Jonathan Huberdeau. Can't go wrong with this player- parlayed his talent into a productive season and Memorial Cup MVP performance.

The Sunshine State is going to love this kid. We called him J-Money after he put on a clinic in the QMJHL playoffs and Mem Cup tourney, and he'll be making a splash for the Panthers real soon.

Bob McKenzie's 2011 final draft rankings are out

Death. Taxes. Bob McKenzie's annual NHL draft rankings on TSN.

It's an annual rite of summer when the ultimate NHL insider posts his annual top-60 prospects for the draft, plus honorable mentions. TSN has scout Grant McCagg weighing in on each profile, while McKenzie does the rankings based on a poll of 10 NHL scouts and a special mathematical formula he uses to triangulate the top-60 submissions he gets from each scout.

The link to his rankings are here.

He mentioned on the NHL Live Show that the aforementioned "elite 8" expanded to one more player (a "divine nine" perhaps?- w h/t to Dominic T. for that one). Swedish center Mika Zibanejad broke into the party, which means that the Bruins are looking at having their choice of at least one player from that select group assuming they don't go off the board for someone else.

Not surprisingly, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is on top of the list, and assuming that the Oilers keep the No. 1 pick, the Red Deer Rebels star will go to Edmonton, where that team is assembling an embarrassment of riches up front.

Not surprisingly, defenseman Adam Larsson is No. 2 on the list and he could be the second overall pick to Colorado. If not, we can't imagine he will fall too far.

Jonathan Huberdeau (whom we started calling "J-Money" after his playoff run) is the third player on the list, which isn't a surprise given his meteoric rise up the draft boards all season.

Gabriel Landeskog is a nice fit at 4th- the feeling here is that if he gets to New Jersey, they would snap him up. He's ready to come in and contribute right away, and the Devils have to love his character and potential as a leader and impact player on that roster.

Rounding out the top-five is Sean Couturier, who was at one time thought to be the consensus choice for No. 1 overall. We actually think Couturier will fall out of the top-five based on what we hear, but he's a natural fit for Ottawa if he were to drop a bit.

A pair of Niagara Ice Dogs, defenseman Dougie Hamilton and center Ryan Strome, are 6 and 7 respectively. Hamilton and Strome were both major impact players as 17-year-olds on a team that wasn't expected to contend, yet finished as one of the OHL's top seeds and made it to the eastern conference final series before getting hammered by Mississauga.

At eighth overall is Kitchener defenseman Ryan Murphy, who is a popular topic of conversation among B's fans. He may be however, perfectly slotted at eight if the rumored Columbus-Philadelphia deal does not go off and the Blue Jackets keep the pick. Murphy is the kind of player who would appeal to Columbus given his dynamic element and ability to run the power play.

Zibanejad is ninth on McKenzie's list, but we hear this is too low for the Swede who has come on like gangbusters. He's looking like a player who will come off the board much closer to five than at nine.

Rounding out the top-10 is another Swede- defenseman Jonas Brodin, who is extremely slight and doesn't have a big shot, but who may think and process the game better than any other defenseman in the entire draft class. Off the ice, he's quiet and shy, but when in action, he plays with the cool, confident poise of a veteran and always seems to make the right play with the puck and his positioning.

One player making real noise not only on McKenzie's rankings but in Red Line Report as well is Barrie center Mark Scheifele. Both have him at 12th, one spot behind Nathan Beaulieu. Scheifele played well on a bad team and was a top forward for Canada at the Under-18s this spring. He's bright and committed- someone will take a chance on him early. McKenzie likened him to Ryan Johansen as 2011's super riser who will take people by surprise in terms of where you hear his named called. Might he be a guy who sneaks into the top-10 to Boston? They do love their OHL guys...

Ohio winger Tyler Biggs cracked the top-15, which is good to see, because he's probably underrated now after being overrated by Central Scouting's mid-term rankings. After seeing the Vancouver Canucks get manhandled in the Stanley Cup Finals, is it any secret why teams covet those big-bodied power forwards? Even if Biggs' upside is a question mark, his size and nastiness is not- he should go somewhere in the first round. 15 might be a tad high, but top-20 would not surprise.

Another bit of a surprise at 30 is another Buckeye (headed to Miami University along with Biggs) in Connor Murphy, but then again, with his potential and mental makeup/maturity, if teams are confident that he's not going to be a huge injury risk going forward, he's definitely a first-round talent. It's a chancy move simply because Murphy hasn't seen as much action as most of his peers, but when he played, his performances were usually quite memorable. Just ask Team Sweden about him.

Just missing the first-round cut at 31 and 32 are a pair of OHL imports from Russia and Sweden- Vladislav Namestnikov and Rickard Rakell- both of whom are knocking on the first round's door and will be interesting to see if they make it in.

One interesting omission from the first round is John Gibson at 37, who we thought did enough to break into the top-30 based on his performance at the World Under-18s. Will he pay the price of the current down cycle on drafting goalies high, exacerbated by the Conn Smythe performance of one former ninth-round pick in Tim Thomas?

The rankings are worth checking out. Last year, McKenzie got 25 of 30 right, which was a down year by his standards most of the time. We shall see if he can get back closer to his high of 28.

Monday rumor mill and draft strategies

It's hard to believe that the 2011 NHL Entry Draft is already upon us with the first round happening Friday night at 7:00 p.m. (EST) from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

It's been a long season, and we're approaching 500 posts here on the B2011DW blog. It's been a pleasure to bring you the information and insights on the 2011 draft (and even a small look ahead to 2012 and 2013 as well) so we're going to put the head down, find the hidden energy reserves, and finish out strong.

Much of the draft rumor talk this week revolves around speculation that Steve Tambellini and the Edmonton Oilers are entertaining moving back a few spots to give up the No. 1 choice. Now, while this thought could be dismissed out of hand given the popularity of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but Edmonton at least entertaining offers makes sense for them. This is the second consecutive year that the Oilers own the top pick, and while they will need a pretty sweet offer to move it, one team that could make sense for them to make a trade with is Florida. Dale Tallon has some pretty good currency to work with in terms of extra picks, prospects and even a roster player or two the Panthers could flip to Edmonton for the right to draft Nugent-Hopkins. The Oil would only be moving back two spots, giving them a shot at Adam Larsson or Jonathan Huberdeau, plus they would have extra assets to work with.

It all comes down to how much Tallon is willing to give up, but Florida could use the bounce they would get by selecting RNH a year after trading with the Bruins to send Nathan Horton to Boston as one of the key missing pieces to a Stanley Cup champion.

B2011DW talked to a source who said that Tambellini has quietly taken some calls about that No. 1 pick. A year ago, he was adamant about not moving it, and even tried to trade with Boston to get the first two selections. The philosophy has changed somewhat given Edmonton's need to be a better team now and not later. We can't confirm if the Oilers have talked specifically with Florida about that top selection, but if there is a deal to be made, it makes sense for them because moving back just a couple of spots keeps them in the running for a top forward in Huberdeau or even Gabriel Landeskog, or allows them to land their high-end defenseman in Larsson while adding other pieces to the cupboard.

We shall see whether the Oil stands pat at 1 or they flip the pick for more assets.

Another option for them is to try and package additional assets to try and move up from 19, where they currently own L.A.'s first pick, to the top-10 to try and land a second high-profile prospect.

As far as players go, Mika Zibanejad looks like a slam-dunk inside the top-8, which means that the Bruins will have a nice shot at any one of Ryan Murphy, Ryan Strome and maybe even Sean Couturier. Zibanejad exploded onto the scene after playing very well in Sweden's top pro league and impressing NHL teams with his winning attitude and personality. Where the B's once hoped to have a shot at him at ninth overall, that isn't happening. We don't think he'll get past Ottawa at six.

Also hearing from a good source and friend that the rumored Jeff Carter to Columbus from Philadelphia for eighth overall (and possibly a player) deal is done and that the Flyers will jump ahead of Boston in the draft order, with announcement pending sometime this week. If this is in fact true, then expect the Flyers to snap up Strome if he is on the board, which we would expect would mean that Murphy would probably be the guy to go to Boston at nine. Strome or Murphy- Ryan's Hope- either way, Boston wins. They get another Tyler Seguin-style high-end scorer to insure them against an early Marc Savard retirement, or they get a Phil Housley-type elite skills offensive-minded defender who becomes the best skater in the organization right from jump street.

With the Bruins having won the Stanley Cup, don't expect them to move up on Friday. They will likely hold onto the assets they have (9th, 40th, 81st picks in the first three rounds) and add to the organization rather than surrender ones at a premium to try and move up a few spots. The math does not lie: a nice player will drop to the B's at 9- there is no need to move forward unless the cost isn't going to hamstring them. The Bruins have a rare championship winner's opportunity to strengthen their organization with two non-playoff picks in the first two rounds.They'll take advantage of that.

It's all winding down now. Bruins fans aren't yet coming off their euphoria of a Stanley Cup victory, but the team is focused on having a good draft. They're having defenseman Nathan Beaulieu in town for a quick visit on his way to Minnesota. Their list is essentially done- it's decision time.

50 in 30: #4 Jonathan Huberdeau

Jonathan Huberdeau, C/LW Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
6-1, 170
Born: June 4, 1993 in St-Jerome, Quebec
Shoots: Left

Scouting report:

Strengths: Good height with long arms and reach. Very good skater; rangy player with smooth, loping stride. Not all that explosive or possessing of elite speed, but can get from point A to point B effectively and has good shiftiness in open ice. Excellent hands; can stickhandle in traffic or dangle, using his long stick to maintain distance between the puck and would-be checkers. Soft touch for pinpoint passes. Gives and receives passes well. Heavy snap shot that he can get off very quickly. Accurate shooter who can elevate the puck in close or keep his bullet drives low to the corners when goaltenders give him an opening. Loves to score and looks great doing it. High-end offensive instincts; always around the puck and a deal-closer when the play is in tight to the net. One of the most creative players in the class; sees the ice extremely well and anticipates the unfolding play, knowing where his teammates will be and finding them with the puck. A good teammate; has a lot of flash to his game, but fits in well with the group dynamic because he isn't selfish nor does he put his own importance higher than others. Protects the puck and will go into the dirty areas. Versatile; can play center or wing. An asset more on the power play now, but has penalty killing potential at the highest level if he develops his positional awareness/play away from puck. Character kid who works hard and is a leader. Already speaks English passably, so will have no cultural challenges when he makes the jump to pro hockey. Memorial Cup MVP after a dominating performance in the QMJHL playoffs.

Weaknesses:Extremely slight frame; lacks in physical maturity and will require significant conditioning and added mass to set himself up for the rigors of the next level. Although willing to do the dirty work along boards and down low, often gets overpowered because he lacks the functional upper- and lower-body strength that should come to him in time. High center of gravity makes him susceptible to being knocked off stride. Defense is a work in progress; play without the puck needs to improve. Not an overly physical player or fighter, but that is not a knock-- he simply plays a skill game and doesn't concern himself with things like fighting (though he will do it as the YanthaCanada highlight video below can attest)

Multimedia:

Huberdeau highlight film from You Tube (Alex20Wild)


Another highlight film of Huberdeau in action (YanthaCanada)


Jonathan Huberdeau combine video (B2011DW video)



Style compares to: Jeff Carter

Draft prediction: Anytime you lead your team to a Memorial Cup championship, you're going to be in demand, but Huberdeau lifted his stock all year with a consistent, productive showing in the 'Q'. He's a top-three pick, especially if the rumors linking him to Florida are true. Even though we rank him just outside the top-three, it's simply because we have Gabriel Landeskog rated ahead of him, where many lists do not. Huberdeau is a slam-dunk in the top-five and will very likely be gone even earlier.

Projection: First-line center or wing with 40-goal, 90-point upside. Huberdeau has all the offensive tools you look for, plus nice intangibles like work ethic and an honest desire to round out his game and get better defensively. He was a very good penalty killer in his rookie QMJHL season, so Huberdeau has proven his versatility to go along with the offensive explosion this season. He has all the makings of an NHL star and longtime, franchise-stabilizing fan favorite.

Background:18th overall selection (R1) of Saint John in 2009 Midget Draft out of the Saint Eustache Vikings. Set a team record for rookie playoff goals last season with 11 en route to the QMJHL finals (Saint John fell to Moncton). Won a gold medal with Team Canada at the August Ivan Hlinka Tourney. Named assistant captain for Team Orr in the 2011 CHL Top Prospects Game played in Toronto. Finished third in league scoring with 43 goals and 105 points. Ranked #3 among North American skaters on Central Scouting's final list. Favorite NHL team: Montreal Canadiens Favorite NHL players: Jordan Staal, Mike Ribeiro

If Huberdeau had his own soundtrack it would be: "Becoming the Bull"- Atreyu

"The Chauffeur"- Deftones

Quotable:

“He's the type of player who can change the outcome of a game suddenly and quickly. He's displayed unbelievably quick hands and an ability to set up and score goals. He definitely has NHL hands and playmaking ability . . . he's also gritty and does not back down when challenged.”- Central Scouting's Chris Bordeleau to NHL.com

"The biggest surprise for me this year with Huberdeau is the goal scoring. I knew he was an excellent passer from seeing him last year, but I didn't see how aggressive he was going to be at taking the puck to the net and finishing off the play. He put a lot of work into his shot, and he's playing with a lot of confidence. The puck is going in a lot for him, and I don't see that it's a fluke. He's got some real upside."- Quebec-based NHL scout for Western Conference Team

"Without the work of this fluid, imaginative playmaker, there's no way (Zack) Phillips would be second in the Q in goals scored."- Red Line Report, December 2010

"Showed really soft hands on his rebound goal tight near crease. Beautiful look and cross-ice feed to set up one glorious PP chance. All-around impressive game. Made some instinctive plays at both ends. Stood up for himself and whacked a few guys with his stick. Lots of upside."- Red Line Report, February 2010 (CHL Top Prospects Game review)

The Scoop:

Huberdeau skating to the top of 2011 Draft rankings by Mike G, Morreale, NHL.com

Huberdeau making charge at top spot by Mike Ulmer from Mapleleafs.com

Combine whispers: "A wild ride in store..."

Had a productive day at the NHL Draft Combine in Toronto.

Spent the afternoon at the hotel, where players were coming in and out all day, while the NHL scouting staffs made appearances at various times as well.

Had a chance to sit down and do extensive interviews with BU defenseman Adam Clendening and Ottawa winger Shane Prince, two of the best prospects coming out of New York.

B2011DW was also a part of the media scrum that engaged the top prospects made available to us by the NHL today: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog, Sean Couturier, Adam Larsson, Dougie Hamilton and Jonathan Huberdeau. More on them later.

Also ran into a few NHL sources who didn't have a great deal of time to chat, but one longtime veteran scout had this to say: "We've figured out a lot of the top players in this draft, but I'm just going to say that after about three, things are going to break wide open and things will get crazy. I think opinions are really divided on where these guys are going to go in terms of order. I would say that a wild ride is in store- it should be fun."

Feedback from a lot of the players themselves were that the line of questioning did not seem to be all that intense nor were there some of the more bizarre questions asked in the past. Most talked about how each team approached the interview process differently, but none claimed that they were grilled particularly hard by the teams themselves. Of course, this could be a product of the players being high character guys enough that grilling was not warranted.

We even had a chance to stop Ryan Strome in between interviews, armed with a bag of Subway, trying to knock out his last two interviews before he turns his attention to the physical testing tomorrow afternoon. He's one of the lucky ones- he lives just a few minutes down the road in the neaby Toronto suburb of Mississauga, so he's not living in the hotel for the week. He's a sharp kid with excellent people skills, to say nothing of his impressive hockey talent. He has future team leader and fan favorite written all over him.

Even lower-round guys who weren't invited to the combine like OJHL and Michigan recruit Brennan Serville, were on hand to conduct scheduled team meetings. The guys from Ontario can make the trek to meet with clubs and we can see that opportunity being used to full advantage.

Much more to come, but we have to wrap up the #19 prospect and get it in the books before we do anything further. We did see Ty Rattie at the hotel today, but he was sharply dressed and on the way to an interview; he did not have time to stop and chat. We'll get him tomorrow after his testing is complete.

J-Money is Memorial Cup MVP

Back in March, B2011DW predicted big things for Saint John star Jonathan Hubderdeau this spring when we said:

Only a complete dud of a playoff performance is going to hurt Huberdeau's draft prospects, and frankly, we don't see that happening. If Saint John makes its expected deep run, Huberdeau could be the Taylor Hall of the 2011 postseason in terms of a guy who scouts see well into May and therefore leaves a fresh and lasting impression leading into the draft.

You can read the rest of the post here.

Huberdeau not only led his Sea Dogs to the first Memorial Cup championship for any QMJHL team from the Maritimes in the tourney's 93-year history, but he captured MVP honors in the process. Just like Hall did a year ago.

He posted a goal and an assist in the 3-1 win over Mississauga to finish the tourney with three goals and six points in four games. But his sense of timing was what sealed the deal for Huberdeau- an overtime goal against Owen Sound to get his team into the championship game.

We started calling him J-Money last week, and he validated that with another strong game with it all on the line. He could be a top-two pick in June- his stock is through the roof right now.

And while we're taking credit for Hubderdeau's storybook run and ending, we'll also remind that we picked the Sea Dogs to win the Memorial Cup. Boom.

Championship Sunday: Saint John Memorial Cup update

To the surprise of no one, the Saint John Sea Dogs are playing for the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup championship tonight.

This team went wire-to-wire to ragdoll the competition in the QMJHL, capture the President's Cup in six games over a tough and game but ultimately overmatched Gatineau Olympiques (who have a skilled little Patrice Bergeron clone in Jean-Gabriel Pageau)

The Sea Dogs have been the class of the CHL this season, but they'll have their hands full with Mississauga. Can they go the distance? Unlike with the St. Mike's, the core of the Sea Dogs are 2011 draft kids, headlined by the trio of Jonathan Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu and Zack Phillips.

Jacob DeSerres will likely be the x-factor in this game. The former Brandon Wheat King and Flyers prospect came into the Memorial Cup viewed as the weak link on a dominant team, but he's put those fears to rest with a strong performance. He'll have to step up big tonight like he did in the opening match against Missy.

Here's a look at the 2011 draft's key Sea Dogs (We've covered a lot of ground with these guys already, so we'll keep it brief).

Jonathan Huberdeau, LW
We call him J-Money, because that's all Huberdeau's been throughout the playoffs. He did it again in overtime, beating Jordan Binnington to propel his team to the championship game. His 2 goals, 4 points in 3 games are second on the team in scoring to Tomas Jurco. Huberdeau is both a scorer and a playmaker and he can also kill penalties effectively and play a good defensive game. He'll be coveted on draft day- top-three pick we think.
Stock watch: Surging- he's this year's Taylor Hall- his heroics will be fresh on NHL scouts' minds going into the draft process

Tomas Jurco, RW
Jurco kicked off the tournament with a thrilling breakaway and score on J.P. Anderson just moments into the opening contest against Missy. He's been on his game throughout the tourney, scoring highlight reel goals and big ones at that. He has 4 goals and 5 points in three games to lead his team. Skills-wise, Jurco is a clear first-rounder, but his consistency has been the biggest concern, as he tends to go long stretches without doing much. The streakiness coupled with pretty indifferent defensive effort is largely responsible for him dropping out of contention for top-10 consideration but make no mistake- this kid is a heck of a talent. On the right team, he could be deadly.
Stock watch: On the rise- if you're a strong NHL team picking late in the 1st round, wouldn't you love a guy who can dangle like this kid can? You bet you do- warts and all.

Nathan Beaulieu, D
Depending on who you talk to, Beaulieu is either a solid top-10 candidate or closer to 20th overall. It's a strange variance in opinions, and it really gets to the heart of the matter in terms of how interesting the 2011 draft is going to be when everything plays out. He's big, mobile, can fire the puck, play D and run the power play. Some scouts question the hockey sense, but others say it's a strength. Which is it? He's one of the most pure puck movers available in the class. All told, with the tools and upside, we think Beaulieu's wait on draft day won't be a very long one. He has 1-2-3 stats in 3 games at the tournament.
Stock watch: Up; B2011DW predicts top-10 for Beaulieu on draft day- his skill set is simply too coveted, too much in demand for him to drop.


Zack Phillips, RW/C
A shoulder injury against Gatineau has limited this scorer's effectiveness at shooting the puck at the Memorial Cup. He's put up a valiant effort, but he's clearly laboring. It's not going to kill his stock, because NHL teams are well aware of what he can do, but it has effectively limited his upward movement that teammates Huberdeau, Jurco and Beaulieu have taken advantage of. This guy has the size and hockey sense to be a scorer at the next level and it will be interesting to see where he goes in the draft.
Stock watch: Holding steady- a shame about the dinged up shoulder, but he'll have one more chance to shine when the spotlight is brightest.

Ryan Tesink , LW
With a motor that is always revving, this kid is an NHL draft pick in waiting, and it isn't his fault that Central overrated him. Despite having to play on the lower lines, he's managed to make his ice time count with some key goals in the playoffs and a solid performance overall. He's got a ton of weight to add to his 160-pound frame, but he's demonstrated a work ethic and the kind of energy to make a difference at the next level.
Stock watch: Steady as she goes- worth a mid-round pick, but we wouldn't go any earlier than 4th for him

You can see the final match between the Sea Dogs and St. Mike's tonight at 7:00 p.m. on the NHL Network in the U.S.- broadcasting the Rogers Sportsnet feed from Canada.

Jonathan Huberdeau: J-Money doing strong Taylor Hall impression

One year ago, Windsor's Taylor Hall used the OHL playoffs and 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament in Brandon as a springboard for establishing himself as his draft class's No. 1 pick.

In 2011, that honor has gone to Saint John Sea Dogs left winger Jonathan Huberdeau- we've calling him "J-Money" these days.

Here's an NHL-produced video on him, but even it doesn't do much justice to him.

Although he's a member of a deep and "stacked" team, so was Hall, right? Players on great teams still have to produce and make the plays, and Huberdeau has done that.

"It's not just the production, but the timeliness and importance of his goals and points," said an NHL scout recently. "He was a big-time scorer for them in the regular season and he's carried it over."

He scored an overtime goal to win one of his team's games against Victoriaville in the second round (winning the series 4 games to 1), and then in the deciding game of the President's Cup series against Gatineau, he tied it with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation with as calm and poised a play you will ever see. His team then went on to win the QMJHL championship in double-OT on a goal by Alexandre Beauregard.

In Game 2 of the Memorial Cup against Owen Sound, Huberdeau capped a come-from-behind victory with an overtime strike against Jordan Binnington, another 2011 draft candidate. It may not have been the prettiest goal, but J-Money was left alone in front of the Owen Sound net and was able to beat the netminder, who has been quite good in his own right since coming into Game 6 of the OHL championship series. It wasn't a picture perfect goal as it took him an extra second to get control of the puck after Stanislav Galiev's pass slid off his stick blade. However, he buried it to send his team to the final.

Here's the call in French on RDS and it's a beaut. (Or is it a but? It's both!) Thanks to Jérôme Bérubé for the hookup.

Huberdeau came into the season as a solid second-rounder, but now he might go as high as second overall. It probably won't happen, as we still see Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Gabriel Landeskog as better players overall, but you never know. Those guys haven't been playing hockey since late March/earl April.

J-Money is still writing his scouting report and staying fresh in teams' minds. There's a lot to be said about that extra spring bounce that not every player has a chance to benefit from.

Just ask Hall.

Memorial Cup update: Saint John-Mississauga open tourney, Goalie notes

We have had a chance to look at the first three games of the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup since the tourney opened Friday night with a barnburner of an opening contest between Saint John and host Mississauga.

The St. Mike's were wearing commemorative sweaters in honor of trooper Marc Diab, a Mississauga resident who was born in Lebanon but moved to Canada when he was a teen. He was killed in action in Afghanistan in March 2009 while serving with the Canadian military. The beautiful game jerseys will be auctioned off for charity after the Memorial Cup concludes.

Two of Saint John's biggest draft stars came through Friday- Jonathan Huberdeau and Nathan Beaulieu. Huberdeau scored a goal when Michael Kirkpatrick put a shot into the net off No. 11's thigh. Not the prettiest goal, but the Dogs will take. Beaulieu scored the game-winner on a controversial play where Zack Phillips was clearly off-side on the play. A shame, because it tainted a very nice play where Beaulieu swooped in to deposit a rebound past a helpless J.P. Anderson. Teams on the lookout for that offensive defenseman have to be putting some serious consideration into Beaulieu, whose production since the second half of the season and playoffs has been outstanding.

Owen Sound thrashed Kootenay on Saturday night to the tune of a 5-0 pasting that saw Jordan Binnington continue his red-hot play since Game 6 of the OHL championship series. Binnington was aggressive, out challenging shooters all night and doing a nice job of controlling rebounds and blockering them away from the front of his net. He showed the same kind of composure and patience that he did late in the Robertson Cup round against Missy, not overcommitting to shots and staying square to the shooter. He's a completely different guy from the shaky, overactive guy we saw against London in the first round way back in late March. He posted 29 saves in the whitewash to get off to a great start.

OHL MVP Robby Mignardi scored a pair of goals including a shortie, while Andrew Fritsch tallied on the power play in the third period.

Nathan Lieuwen did not play all that well. He looked off-balance all night and was playing very deep in his net, which didn't give him much of a margin for error. He can make highlight reel saves at times because of his enormous size and athleticism, but he's still a rough-around-the-edges work in progress in terms of his reads and decision-making. He seemed slow to react and anticipate where the backside pressure was coming from on several goals, caught looking the other way as Owen Sound moved the puck on him at will.

He was better in a 2-1 loss to Mississauga Sunday night, but still scrambles too much for our liking. With his excellent size, less should be more for him. He needs to work on his lateral crease movement and staying square to the shooter a little better. Lieuwen has the size to scramble and still make desperation saves because he's so big and long-limbed, but it's not the preferred method. In the two games of Memorial Cup action so far, mechanics have been his undoing. He's playing with fire by playing so deep in the net. Needs to be more confident in his angles by coming out to cut them down and challenge the shooter/force them to put the puck into his sizeable mass.

We love the raw tools in Lieuwen, but he's getting exposed a bit so far- needs to tighten it up and do the little things to get back to the level he was at in the WHL playoffs.

Memorial Cup Preview #4: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

They were the most dominant team in major junior hockey this season and then the Saint John Sea Dogs essentially ragdolled the Quebec League competition en route to the 2011 President's Cup trophy.

Now, the most prolific and draft-heavy/deep team in the CHL is in Mississauga looking to capture the MasterCard Memorial Cup as an encore.

Former Detroit Red Wing Gerard Gallant is the coach, and has his team firing on all cylinders. They're talented, scrappy and opportunistic- much like he was when he skated with Stevie Y back in the day before the Wings became synonymous with the word elite. He had 211 goals in 615 NHL games with Detroit and Tampa Bay after being a sixth-round pick out of Sherbrooke in 1981. He replaced defenseman Nathan Beaulieu's dad, Jacques (now at Sarnia), behind the bench.

Overage Flyers prospect and goalie Jacob DeSerres is considered the weak link, but he was excellent in the playoffs and is playing in his second consecutive Memorial Cup after being a member of the host Brandon Wheat Kings a year ago. He stood tall in Game 6 against Gatineau, not allowing the Olympiques to get a goal and take the momentum and series back to Saint John for Game 7. Some weak link!

Of course, where it's at for Saint John is up front and on D- they have a killer balance of veteran depth and useful high-end talent.

Jonathan Huberdeau headlines the club and could be a top-three pick in June. He and Zack Phillips (38 goals) have been the "Line of Death" (to steal a term once coined by Libyan madman Muhammar Gaddafi) for Saint John this season. Phillips injured his shoulder in Game 4 and his status is uncertain. He's a potentially big loss if he can't go, but we suspect that he'll make an appearance at some point. How effective he'll be is another story. Stay tuned.

Don't forget about the puck wizard Tomas Jurco as a potential fourth possible first-round pick from this team (though B2011DW believes he will slide to early 2nd- very good value there).

There is also some real skill and production from veterans Mike Kirkpatrick, Stanislav Galiev (Capitals), Steven Anthony (Canucks) Stephen Macaulay (Blues) and Alexandre Beauregard (who scored his only goal of the playoffs in double OT to clinch the QMJHL championship).

On defense, Nathan Beaulieu is a top draft candidate. He's joined by veterans Simon Despres (Penguins) and Eric Gelinas (Devils).

For depth, Ryan Tesink, Scott Oke and (recently hospitalized and released for a bruised kidney) Jason Cameron are all ranked by Central Scouting. And they barely play compared to the other guys. Cameron is out- will not play in the Memorial Cup.

This team has it all, and is built for a short tourney like this one. DeSerres is the x-factor, but he doesn't have to carry this club- just be solid. He can handle it. After smoking everyone in rounds 1-3, he got a test in the championship round, but proved he can make the big save when needed.

We predict that the Sea Dogs will win it all, even though this tournament field has some serious matchups, especially against the host city Majors. Both are tremendous, but we like the Sea Dogs a little more because they are a well-oiled machine that is getting top performances from its best players.

We won't have to wait long to find out, though- Saint John-Missy is the opening game of the round robin on Friday.

Time to drop the puck.

Sea Dogs 2011 Draft Eligibles

Jonathan Huberdeau, C/LW
Born: June 4, 1993 in St-Jerome, Quebec
6-1, 175 Shoots: Left
Can you believe this kid isn't even 18 yet? Unreal playoff performance from one of 2011 draft's biggest risers- 16 goals, 30 points in 19 games and he's one of the younger guys on the team. It's safe to say that Saint John's leading scorer in the regular season (105 points) has established himself as a legitimate top-five option for the NHL draft next month, and we think he could go as high as 1st. Yes, you read that right- if anyone is going to unseat Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at the top of the board on June 24, it won't be Adam Larsson, but Huberdeau who does it. How is that for being bold? He tallied an overtime goal against Victoriaville but perhaps even more impressive was his tying goal against Gatineau in Game 6 with just 23 ticks left on the clock. The calm with which he collected a Galiev rebound and tucked it home with just a slight shift and flick of the wrist was one of the more sublime hockey plays we've seen in a long time. Anytime a player is scoring a goal per game as Huberdeau has done, he's going to be a hot commodity among NHL teams. We wouldn't be at surprised to see Huberdeau go third overall to Florida, but cannot envision that he will drop out of the top-five under any circumstance. He has all the natural size (though he's skinny and needs to get stronger), talent and a gamer's mentality you want in a stud forward. We love the way Huberdeau carries himself on and off the ice, and he's done precisely what B2011DW predicted for him back before the playoffs started: he's taken on a Taylor Hall-like scoring role on a deep playoff run. His heroics will be fresh in the minds of the scouts for teams in the top-three when they sit down for their final meetings to hash out their lists.
Upside: No. 1 center, leader and fan favorite for the team who drafts him.

Zack Phillips, Center
October 28, 1992 in Fredericton, New Brunswick
6-1, 195 Shoots: Right
Banged up his shoulder in the QMJHL championship series- if he misses Memorial Cup it will hurt him a bit mostly due to being out of sight, out of mind while linemate Huberdeau has stepped it up to another level. A bit of a surprise to the general public when he appeared ninth overall on The Hockey News' 2011 Draft Preview which was released last week in Canada. However, some scouts are telling us that Phillips in the top-10 isn't much of a shocker to them given his big goal scoring potential and a natural nose for the net that players like Jeff Skinner have forced NHL teams to respect. Phillips is not an explosive player, and he's certainly benefited from skating alongside playmakers like Huberdeau and Michael Kirkpatrick this season, but to insinuate that he's not a lethal scoring threat is to sell the former Massachusetts prep player short. The former Lawrence Academy standout (19 goals, 48 points in 30 games) from Fredericton, NB was involved in a car accident that killed teammate Mark Frattaroli in September 2008 (Frattaroli was driving when the vehicle struck a tree). Zack is an October 1992 birthdate, so he's on the older scale of the 2011 class, but he had a tremendous season with 38 goals and 95 points. At 6-1, 195 pounds, he can drive hard to the net and has outstanding hands to finish off plays in close.
Upside: First- or second-line winger and power play ace

Nathan Beaulieu, D
Born: December 5, 1992 in Strathroy, Ontario
6-3, 191 Shoots: Left
Opinions on this defenseman are split, but when talking about players with a high ceiling and the ubiquitous scouting term "upside" this Ontario and New Brunswick-raised defender has it. Although not as big as Dougie Hamilton, Beaulieu nonetheless plays big and brings a physical edge to his game with the ability to fight if provoked. In 19 games, he's tallied four goals and 17 points. Beaulieu is a fine skater and works very effectively on the point. His real strength is in the way he can both move and rush the puck. He sees the ice beautifully and can make any pass. Central had him fifth overall in their final rankings, but THN only had him 18th. He got off to a slow start this season offensively, and he could be a case of a pick-your-flavor player in terms of some NHL teams liking him a lot more than others.
Upside: Lower-end No. 1/capable No. 2 who can play on both special teams units and brings character and hard-nosed play to mix.

Tomas Jurco, RW
December 28, 1992 in Kosice, Slovakia
6-2, 195 Shoots: Left
You Tube star and Slovak winger scored 30 goals this season and has tallied six more in his club's 19 postseason games, posting 18 points, but didn't score in last six postseason games. His uneven production is why Jurco's stock has slipped a bit this season after huge expectations generated from last season and Saint John's run (and loss to Moncton) in the QMJHL finals. As far as slick, puck possession forwards with dynamic moves go, he is at the top of the 2011 class. We also liked his performance at the 2011 WJC and did not understand why his coach shorted him on ice time, especially on the power play. Yes, Jurco is a bit one-dimensional at this stage, but comes off like an affable kid who is willing to work on it and who wants to be a player. He's been overshadowed by Huberdeau and Phillips this year after being expected to vie for a top-10 draft selection, but Jurco is still a dangerous offensive player with the tools to be an impact scorer in the NHL one day.
Upside: Top-six forward or bust. Probably does not have the overall two-way acumen to stick in anything less than a scorer's role, but could develop that aspect if he wants to play in the NHL badly enough. Otherwise, he'll be an Extraliga star.

Scott Oke LW
Born March 16, 1993 in St-Lambert, Quebec
6-3, 190 Shoots; Left
You're telling us a guy with five goals in a season is projected on Central's second-round final list? How do you spell overrated? At the same time, this winger has nice size, and can skate well, but he's not had a lot of ice time given how talented his club is. His production barely registered on the radar given how high Central had him, and his playoff scoring totals reflect his reduced role on the club: 18 games, 1-5-6, with just one assist in the last six games. With Oke, it's all about what he *could* become and his physical traits are admittedly intriguing, but he simply hasn't done enough to justify where they have him. And we believe his ultimate draft spot will reflect where NHL clubs more realistically have him.
Upside: Hard to gauge right now given lack of playing time, but shouldn't be judged on anything more than a 3rd/4th liner until he proves otherwise.

Ryan Tesink, LW
Born: May 21, 1993 in Saint John, New Brunswick
6-0, 161 Shoots: Left
We like Tesink better than Oke, but he's still ranked too prominently by Central given his lack of numbers, and this kid has some major filling out to do. Hometown Dog has some skill and the instincts to play the game at the next level, but he doesn't have a lot of size or the frame to add the kind of weight and strength you want in a player, so he'll have his work cut out for him. In 19 games, Tesink has three goals and five points, but one of them was a huge overtime winner against Gatineau. He's got some interesting potential so long as he can get a lot stronger and continue to develop, but risky pick if Tesink taken too early.
Upside: See Oke; tough to predict, but has at least shown more offensive hockey sense and production.

Other draft eligibles: C/RW Dannick Gauthier (1991), C Jason Cameron, LW Aidan Kelly (1993)

Michael Kirkpatrick: undrafted free agent; attended Dallas Stars prospect/development camp on invite.

For more on the Sea Dogs, Jamie Tozer's Station Nation blog is a must-read!

Last man in: Saint John Sea Dogs clinch QMJHL title in double OT

With the Saint John Sea Dogs trailing 2-1 late in Game 6 of the QMJHL championship series on the road against the Gatineau Olympiques, a potential Game 7 staring them in the face tomorrow (and after Mississauga blew their OHL championship lead to Owen Sound not a nice thought), they looked to their go-to guy.

And Jonathan Huberdeau came through.

Standing just off to Gatineau goaltender Max Clermont's left (and Clermont was absolutely brilliant this series), Huberdau calmly collected a rebound of a Stanislav Galiev shot and slipped it into the net at 19:37 of the final frame to send the game to overtime.

For Huberdeau, it was just one more defining moment for the electrifying forward for whom a top-five pick seems a fait accompli, and he could go as high as third overall, even.

It was Huberdeau's 16th goal and 30th point in 19 games for a team that crushed the competition in the regular season and steamrolled their way to the President's Cup series only to find a fiery, tenacious opponent in Gatineau.

Thanks to the outstanding play of Clermont, who found himself under siege (he took 55 shots tonight, stopping 52 of them), and thanks to the emergence of little center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is a highly gifted offensive player we didn't give enough credit to for his skating (can you say serpentine- the kid is a waterbug- cannot catch him) the Olympiques gave the Sea Dogs everything they could handle. Pageau finished with 14 goals and 29 points in 24 games- a real nice performance for a guy we weren't really tracking until recently. Kid's got game and will be interesting to see how much of a boost his playoff performance gives him after a solid 79-point campaign.

In the end however, it was too much. Alexandre Beauregard buried a shot at 15:45 of the second overtime session after the puck hit Gatineau defenseman David Weckworth's skate and bounced right to him. He wound up and drilled a shot that beat Clermont cleanly for the winner. Ironically, it was Beauregard's only goal of the playoffs. Talk about a crowning achievement!

NHL Draft Video has the game highlights here. In French of course, compliments of RDS.

In the end, Saint John was too skilled, too deep, too powerful. It almost wasn't fair. Their netminder is none other than Jacob DeSerres. You might remember him- he was playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings in last year's Memorial Cup. He gets to go back and try to close the deal now. However, DeSerres is so experienced that he's the perfect netminder for this talent-laden team.

Saint John didn't have injured star forward Zack Phillips, lost with a shoulder injury during the series. But it didn't matter, because all year, they've been able to bring talented guys into the lineup.

And did we mention that they won every single game on the road this playoffs to set a QMJHL record? Uh. Huh. This team deserved the big enchilada.

Nathan Beaulieu was solid, finishing the playoffs with four goals and 17 points in 19 games. He was a +2 in this match. Here's a picture his teammate Galiev tweeted after the game. Good stuff- Beaulieu is on the right. Between this huge win and his dad being named head coach of the Sarnia Sting this week, that family is living the dream right now.

Tomas Jurco was flashy at times, but didn't do much in this one. Finished the playoffs with a solid six goals and 18 points in 19 games. He's dangerous and can really score. He needs to work on not trying to beat the whole team all by himself and use his teammates more, but Jurco is getting there.

But we keep going back to Huberdeau- the straw that stirs the drink for this team. 105 points in the regular season, 30 more in the playoffs, including the clutch-as-clutch-can-be 1-1-2 line in the clinching game.

We said when the playoffs started that a long run and strong performance gave Huberdeau a chance to be this year's Taylor Hall if he was up for the challenge. Well folks, he answered that question and then some.

The Saint John Sea Dogs are going to Mississauga.

And the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup will be all the better for it.

B2011DW will be back this week with a Memorial Cup preview in which we will post capsules on each team with scouting reports on the key draft eligibles. If you're going to Mississauga, we urge you to print them out and have them on hand. If not, you can still print them out as the games will be televised in the U.S. and in Canada- check your local listings.

Game on!

What a difference 9 months makes

We went back and looked at Red Line Report's 2011 NHL draft rankings from August, 2010 and compared them to April 2011 (we talked to Kyle Woodlief and the May issue will be out this week, btw).

For those of you not as familiar with RLR, August is the first month that the independent scouting service, now in its 18th year of publication, publishes its monthly rankings. They start with 110 players for that season, and by spring time they're up to about 300 (286 in April 2011).

For fun, we thought it would be nice to go and look at what has changed in the top-10 from August up until now.

Red Line Report: August, 2010:

1. Sean Couturier, C Drummondville (QMJHL)
2. Adam Larsson, D Skelleftea (SEL)
3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C Red Deer (WHL)
4. Brandon Saad, LW Saginaw (OHL)
5. Gabriel Landeskog, LW Kitchener (OHL)
6. David Musil, D Vancouver (WHL)
7. Seth Ambroz, RW Omaha (USHL)
8. Victor Rask, C Leksand (SWE-2)
9. J.T. Miller, C U.S. NTDP (USHL)
10. Shane McColgan, RW Kelowna (WHL)

Here is what RLR had for April (and we'll update this post when the new issue is out)

1. Gabriel Landeskog, LW Kitchener (OHL) +4
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C Red Deer (WHL) +2
3. Adam Larsson, D Skelleftea (SEL) -1
4. Dougie Hamilton, D Niagara (OHL) +8 (12th in Aug)
5. Jonathan Huberdeau, C/W Saint John (QMJHL) +32 (37th in Aug)
6. Ryan Murphy, D Kitchener (OHL) +11 (17th in Aug)
7. Ryan Strome, C Niagara (OHL) +94 (101 in Aug)
8. Sean Couturier, C Drummondville (QMJHL) -7
9. Alex Khokhlachev, C Windsor (OHL) +20 (29th in Aug)
10. Rocco Grimaldi, LW U.S. NTDP (USHL) +56 (66th in Aug)

Strome was the biggest gainer- moving up almost 95 spots from where he was to start. He didn't even get a sniff at the Hlinka, so for him to have accomplished so much is remarkable. His 105 points was second to Tyler Toffoli and Jason Akeson in the OHL this season.

Mighty mite Grimaldi was the other big riser, moving 56 spots with his production, spirit and dynamic ability. Although he's only 5-6 and about 165 pounds, we wouldn't bet against this guy overcoming that serious size deficit to be an impact NHL player one day.

Huberdeau's rise was pretty significant, too- he was a skinny playmaker in the summertime, but this year, he really turned it on, scoring 40+ goals and breaking the 100-point mark for the juggernaut Saint John Sea Dogs. We don't see any way that he's not picked in the top-5 come June. There's simply too much skill and upside for this kid.

Murphy was pretty highly regarded, but his snub from the Hlinka team in August seemed to light a fire under him. He was as dynamic as they come all season long for Kitchener and he stepped up his game in the U18s as well, setting a Canada scoring record in that tournament with 13 points. Not bad for a defenseman.

Now for the fallers:

11. J.T. MIller, C U.S. NTDP (USHL) -2
18. David Musil, D Vancouver (WHL) -12
20. Brandon Saad, LW Saginaw (OHL) -16
45. Victor Rask, C Leksand (SWE-2) -37
55. Seth Ambroz, RW Omaha (USHL) -48
60. Shane McColgan, RW Kelowna (WHL) -50

Miller is not really a "faller" dropping down two spots from 9 to 11, but we've heard whispers that he was too highly ranked by RLR all season. After his superb U18 performance, we wouldn't be surprised to see him jump back into the top-10 for May, given how close he is.

Musil and Saad are two players who are clearly sliding, but could prove to be nice value picks later in the first round. We don't believe they'll drop out of the top-30 altogether, but given the expectations for them coming into the 2010-11 campaign, they've regressed. Thing is, they both have such impressive natural talent, that if they reverse the developmental trend, they could end up being very good NHL players. We like Saad's upside better, and we hear that the situation he's dealing with in Saginaw may have a lot more to do with it than his not being able to play at the highest level. He could use a change of scenery.

Rask may have slowed his descent a bit with a strong Under-18 performance for Team Sweden, but he's still a 1st-round wildcard. His season hasn't warranted being picked in the top-30, but if scouts believe that the 16-17-YO Rask they saw last season and was seen more in the 2011 U18 tourney is more of what to expect from him, you have to think someone will grab him between 20-30.

Ambroz has withered on the vine- he's the classic case of a physically dominant kid who emerged three years ago, but has not progressed much, while a good number of the kids in his peer group caught him and passed him. Last year, Ambroz would have been a slam-dunk top-10 pick had he been eligible. But, with another full year to dissect and nitpick his game, look at his ugly skating stride and lack of acceleration, plus hear stories about how he's passed on summertime opportunities to improve his game, this Minnesotan will be lucky to be a second-round pick. We believe someone will take him there simply because there is still a lot of raw potential with him, but it would have to be a club with extra picks to risk on a reclamation project with a questionable work ethic. Don't be surprised if he drops into the third round, though.

Finally, McColgan got off to a horrendous start after having surgery to remove his tonsils on the eve of the season and taking a good 1.5 months to settle in. Already small and not having much room to add mass to his frame, he's a risky pick to begin with, but when you get down to it, there isn't a whole lot of difference between McColgan and Grimaldi. In fact, it's almost astounding to see the two have juxtaposed their positioning, with McColgan being the top-10 guy before the season and now down where Grimaldi was. The difference? We have to believe it is Grimaldi's production and the fact that he hit the ground running from the start of the season. McColgan is not chopped liver- he's still a skilled, dynamic little winger with some serious offensive skills. His strong finish with the Rockets should keep him from falling off the map too much on draft day.

For more on Red Line Report, you can visit the website.

The draft guide will be coming out in early June and will feature in-depth scouting reports on the top-110 or so draft prospects, plus team draft analysis, mock drafts and the ever-popular awards section.

NHL Draft Video link: The Ecstasy of Gold

Our friend Jerome B. over at NHL Draft Video blog has a sweet highlight film of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft's top players posted on You Tube.

You can watch the video here.

He does a nice job using Metallica's version of the Ennio Morricone classic track from "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" soundtrack. It's the perfect music to set to some of these majestic hockey plays.

Nice job, Jerome and merci for all the great videos you've posted on your blog all season.

QMJHL playoffs update: Saint John Sea Dogs

Not surprisingly, the Saint John Sea Dogs await the winner of the Gatineau-Quebec playoff series to determine which team will capture the league's President's Cup trophy and represent the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the 2011 Master Card Memorial Cup in Mississauga, Ontario.

The Sea Dogs had an amazing regular season, establishing themselves as the top team in the CHL with a 58-7-1-2 record.

Since the playoffs started, Saint John has steamrolled opponents, sweeping Cape Breton, beating Victoriaville by a 4-1 series score and then sweeping the Lewiston MAINE-iacs. IN 12 games, they've outscored their opponents by a 66-27 margin.

This team has an embarrassment of riches for the 2011 draft class, so here's a look at them and what they are doing in the 2011 postseason, with the draft seven weeks away.

Jonathan Huberdeau, C/W- It's safe to say that Saint John's leading scorer in the regular season (105 points) has established himself as a legitimate top-five option for the NHL draft next month. In 13 playoff games, he's scoring at nearly a 2 points per game clip (13 goals, 25 points 1.92 PPG) and has been Gerard Gallant's go-to guy up front. He tallied an overtime goal against Victoriaville, and anytime a player is scoring a goal per game as Huberdeau has done, he's going to be a hot commodity among NHL teams. We wouldn't be at surprised to see Huberdeau go third overall to Florida, but cannot envision that he will drop out of the top-five. He has all the natural size (though he's skinny and needs to get stronger), talent and a gamer's mentality you want in a stud forward. We love the way Huberdeau carries himself on and off the ice, and he's done precisely what B2011DW predicted for him back before the playoffs started: he's taken on a Taylor Hall-like scoring role on a deep playoff run. His heroics will be fresh in the minds of the scouts for teams in the top-five when they sit down for their final meetings to hash out their lists.
Prediction: Top-three pick in draft; too skilled, too productive, just too damn good to fall very far.

Zack Phillips, RW- A bit of a surprise to the general public when he appeared ninth overall on The Hockey News' 2011 Draft Preview which was released last week in Canada. However, some scouts are telling us that Phillips in the top-10 isn't much of a shocker to them given his big goal scoring potential and a natural nose for the net that players like Jeff Skinner have forced NHL teams to respect. Phillips is not an explosive player, and he's certainly benefited from skating alongside playmakers like Huberdeau and Michael Kirkpatrick this season, but to insinuate that he's not a lethal scoring threat is to sell the former Massachusetts prep player short. The former Lawrence Academy standout (19 goals, 48 points in 30 games) from Fredericton, NB was involved in a car accident that killed teammate Mark Frattaroli in September 2008 (Frattaroli was driving when the vehicle struck a tree). Zack is an October 1992 birthdate, so he's on the older scale of the 2011 class, but he had a tremendous season with 38 goals and 95 points. At 6-1, 195 pounds, he can drive hard to the net and has outstanding hands to finish off plays in close.
Prediction: 10-15 pick; NHL teams love goal scorers, and while he's not the best skater, his size, hands and hockey sense make too much sense for him to stick around on the board for long.

Nathan Beaulieu, D- Opinions on this defenseman are split, but when talking about players with a high ceiling and the ubiquitous scouting term "upside" this New Brunswick native has it. Although not as big as Dougie Hamilton, Beaulieu nonetheless plays big and brings a physical edge to his game with the ability to fight if provoked. In 13 games, he's tallied three goals and 14 points. Beaulieu is a fine skater and works very effectively on the point. His father, Jacques, used to be the Saint John head coach and is currently an assistant for Dale Hunter with the London Knights, so Beaulieu has grown up around high-level hockey and has had good coaching. Central had him fifth overall in their final rankings, but THN only had him 18th. He got off to a slow start this season offensively, and he could be a case of a pick-your-flavor player in terms of some NHL teams liking him a lot more than others.
Prediction: This one's tougher; internet chatter makes Beaulieu a candidate for top-10 selection in June, and he could get there, but we've heard enough lukewarm opinions on him from NHL sources which could mean he's closer 15-20 than 9 or 10. Solid first-rounder, but his ranking is all over the map.

Tomas Jurco, RW- Slovak winger scored 30 goals this season and has tallied six more in his club's 13 postseason games, posting 16 points. By now, Jurco's puckhandling exploits are legendary on You Tube. As far as slick, puck possession forwards with dynamic moves go, he is at the top of the 2011 class. We also liked his performance at the 2011 WJC and did not understand why his coach shorted him on ice time, especially on the power play. Yes, Jurco is a bit one-dimensional at this stage, but comes off like an affable kid who is willing to work on it and who wants to be a player. He's been overshadowed by Huberdeau and Phillips this year after being expected to vie for a top-10 draft selection, but Jurco is still a dangerous offensive player with the tools to be an impact scorer in the NHL one day.
Prediction: Late first-rounder, top-five in second at latest. Overall game is a question, but his offensive chops are so intriguing that it's hard to imagine one of those final-1st contenders not rolling the dice on this guy.

Scott Oke LW- Overrated on Central's final rankings, this winger has nice size at 6-2, and can skate well, but he's not had a lot of ice time given how talented his club is. His production barely registered on the radar given how high Central had him, and his playoff scoring totals reflect his reduced role on the club: 12 games, 1-4-5. With Oke, it's all about what he *could* become and his physical traits are admittedly intriguing, but he simply hasn't done enough to justify where they have him. And we believe his ultimate draft spot will reflect where NHL clubs more realistically have him.
Prediction: We'd be surprised if Oke goes anywhere before the late-3rd round, but his physical tools and measurables are better than that of teammate Tesink. Middle rounds seems more on target for Oke.

Ryan Tesink, LW- Like Oke Tesink was ranked too prominently by Central given his lack of numbers, and this kid has some major filling out to do. He has some skill and the instincts to play the game at the next level, but he doesn't have a lot of size or the frame to add the kind of weight and strength you want in a player, so he'll have his work cut out for him. In 13 games, Tesink has two goals and 3 points.
Prediction: We like Tesink's hockey sense and playmaking ability, but this kid is more like a 5th-7th-round project than anything else to us.

A mock draft worth checking out

In the interest of full disclosure, B2011DW is on to it because he linked some of our analysis, but what I like about Tom Stivali's mock on the excellent New Jersey Devils blog "In Lou We Trust" is that he has some ballsy picks in there and goes against the standard grain.

This draft is going to have some surprises- guys going higher than you think they will, even though the top-10 may very well resemble what we're already looking at in terms of players. The crazy thing will be with where these guys go in the draft order.

We told Tom that his Jonathan Huberdeau pick is ballsy, but that's precisely the kind of selection that might happen after hearing about an "established top-three" for months. Don't be so quick to dismiss it. Who had Ryan Johansen going 4th overall to Columbus last year? I'd wager not many folks did.

Anyway- check out the mock. I've linked to it right here. And, if you found this site because you followed Tom's kind link to a few of our posts, then please accept out thanks. One good turn deserves another.

Nation Radio Archive: BruinsDraftWatch featured guest, April 16

Last weekend we went on Allan Mitchell's Nation Radio show, which is broadcast on Team 1260 in Edmonton every Saturday.

Click on this link to visit the Nation Radio website to hear to interview.

In it, we're talking Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson, Sean Couturier, Jonathan Huberdeau, Dougie Hamilton and some of the Team USA guys at the Under-18s like Rocco Grimaldi Connor Murphy and John Gibson. We close out the segment with talk about one of our favorite sleepers- Belmont Hill winger Jimmy Vesey and the intriguing Moose Jaw gigantor D Joel Edmundson.

As always, it's a pleasure to go on with Allan, whose Lowetide blog is one of the most respected and popular hockey blogs out there.

Central releases final rankings: Nugent-Hopkins headlines class; top-10 analysis

To nobody's surprise, Red Deer Rebels center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sits atop the NHL Central Scouting Service's final rankings for North American skaters for the 2010-11 season. The list was released today, and featured some interesting movement, as RNH moved up to the top spot from his mid-term position of No. 3 after a tremendous second half that saw him hit the century mark for points (31 goals, 106 points) to tie Ryan Strome for most points by a CHL draft eligible this season.

You can see the entire list here, but this post will attempt to shed some light on some key areas until we can track down some NHL sources to weigh in with their opinions.

RNH is a dynamic, game-breaking talent who belongs at the top of the list. Some have made interesting observations about his production, both predominant success with the man advantage and in terms of him requiring room to operate. In all honesty, the NHL and independent scouts we've spoken to have raved about his pure skill and ability to get it done, so the only real concern with him right now is putting some size on his very slender frame. Even with some of the doubts, RNH has still managed to put the puck in the net and set up myriad other goals, so as far as we're concerned, he deserves his spot atop the NA skaters list.

His ascendance displaces Kitchener Rangers captain Gabriel Landeskog, whose club was knocked out of the first round of the OHL playoffs in seven games by the upstart Plymouth Whalers. Landeskog is No. 2 after a 36-goal, 66-point season hampered by a high ankle sprain suffered in December, which kept him out of the World Jr. Championship in Buffalo and forced him to miss about six weeks.

Jonathan Huberdeau moved up one spot from his fourth spot at mid-term, and the Saint John Sea Dogs standout with his 105 points is primed to land inside the top-five or just outside if he drops slightly.

The first two defensemen in North America appear at 4th and 5th- Dougie Hamilton, who has been steadily tracked all year on this blog, and Nathan Beaulieu, another member of the juggernaut Saint John team that steamrolled the QMJHL this season. Hamilton is 6-4 and skates very well, though some scouts question his vision and hockey sense (yet he still managed to score 58 points this season). Beaulieu isn't as big as Hamilton, but has excellent skating and puck moving ability, some nastiness and might be a little more rounded at this stage than Hamilton is.

Sean Couturier fell down to No. 6 on the list, which is consistent with some of the buzz we've been hearing on him. However, it's hard to imagine he'll fall very far come draft day. He's simply too big, talented and promising to take a major nosedive as other highly-touted prospects have done in the past. He's not the best skater, but let's be frank: it's not a major flaw and is correctible with some work on mechanics. He has the size and power to be a legitimate power forward and top-six player for years in this league, and we don't put a lot of stock in his WJC performance because of the role he was given. Yes, he could have produced more because the opportunities were there for him, and that was noted back in January when we published our notes. But at the same time, the fact that he generated those scoring chances counts as well. He battled mononucleosis which has a debilitating effect on any athlete, so in our view Couturier is not going to have the kind of fall the rumor mongers will predict for him. If he gets out of the top-five, then whoever snags him shortly thereafter is getting some nice value.

We're surprised to see Swiss winger Sven Bartschi ahead of Ryan Strome on the list at 7 and 8, however. Strome is someone who produced from wire to wire and lost the OHL scoring championship on the very last day of the season when Tyler Toffoli and Jason Akeson had big days. Bartschi is skilled, but he's on the small side and we don't like his perimeter game. Strome can do a little bit of everything and has some real high-end hockey sense and a nonstop motor. We're highly doubtful that Bartschi will get picked ahead of Strome on June 24, though we do feel Bartschi is a solid first-round player.

Two intriguing defensemen are 9th and 10th on the list: Ryan Murphy, whom we profiled in detail here last week, and the player this blog has more posts on than anyone else, needs no major introduction if you're a long-time reader of this space. His lack of size and functional strength continue to be the only drawbacks to this player, who tore it up in the first-round loss to Plymouth and convinced several NHL scouts we've talked to, among others in the independent community, that he deserves to be closer to 5 than 10 on draft day. We believe that the Bruins have a genuine interest in Murphy among other players, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Duncan Siemens is more the thunder to Murphy's lightning. If Murphy is the small, dynamic guy, Siemens brings the lumber with his mobility and tough edge. A very good skater lacking only minor issues (and even that is debateable), Siemens may not have Murphy's game-breaking element, but he's big, fiery and has some upside. A player who can do it all including fight, he was actually seen on camera giving Murphy fighting tips when the two played together on Team Cherry during the CHL Top Prospects Game. Siemens dropped the gloves with David Musil in that game and is one of those guys who at first doesn't seem like much, but really grows on you in time. At nearly 6-3, and 192 pounds, he has a lot of room to grow, and scouts love his zeal and passion for the game.

As you can see from the top-10, this is a pretty solid class. We'll have much more later this evening, when we break down more of the North American skaters, but we wanted to get this post up and to you for quick digestion before we take on the bulk of the list in the next post.

Waffle Watch complete: Bruins are picking 9th

The Minnesota Wild pulled it together, winning their last two games of the season to breeze by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the standings, dropping Toronto's draft pick position to ninth overall.

Bruins fans should consider it a moral victory, as the "best" non-playoff club, ie- Carolina and Dallas, who blew win and in scenarios on back-to-back nights and will pick 12th and 14th in a draft that many scouts are saying is about 15-16 deep (Calgary picks 13th with 94 points- three ahead of the 'Canes). Let's face it- 13 and 14 isn't bad, but getting inside that top-10 is bigger for Boston for several reasons.

First, they're going to get a player with a lot of promise there. One NHL scout told me that as far as he's concerned, the kid who possibly goes 11th overall has as much potential to be one of the top three players in this draft as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson or Gabriel Landeskog do- your "consensus" three highest-ranked guys. Will they be the three who hear their names called 1-3 in St. Paul? There is still much time left to decide that.

You have to wonder about the guys who will still be playing deep into the CHL playoffs, such as Jonathan Huberdeau or Sean Couturier and possibly Ryan Strome and Dougie Hamilton or Sven Bartschi and Duncan Siemens out west? What will their extended run bring them in terms of rising on draft day? If you count up those names, that leaves you with nine solid draft options right there. Here are three more: One small but dynamic defender with elite skills in Ryan Murphy, and a pair of power forward bookends Brandon Saad, and Tyler Biggs.

Oh, and there's 2010 CHL Rookie of the Year and two-time 30+ goal guy for Peterborough Matt Puempel. That makes 13. Three players with some size, jam and upside in Mika Zibanejad,Jamie Oleksiak and Nathan Beaulieu round out 16. Big horse with legitimate scoring potential Mark McNeill is 17, but could go inside the top-10 if he has a strong Under-18 tourney next week.

And so, you get the picture. This is not a weak draft. Furthermore, that just happens to be this blog's top-17. Who knows if it actually reflects the guys who will go 1-17 in June? Our best guess is- probably not.

Which leads us to our second point about the value of picking ninth overall: Being inside the top-10 makes a potential move up the board by Boston feasible. Usually, teams sitting at 5 or 6 don't want to leave the top-10 altogether, though it normally comes down to just how many like-ranked players they have on their board. The more there are, the more willing a team is to move down and still get a player they want. If their heart is set on 1 or 2 guys, a team picking fifth probably is not going to move down to nine unless the other GM does some real pot-sweetening.

OK- so it's not second overall. As Mick Jagger once crooned, You can't always get what you want. The ninth pick in 2011, after getting the second and 32nd selections in 2010, is not a bad way to go at all.

Give the Bruins and GM Peter Chiarelli credit, (though we didn't like the Chris Kelly deal when it was made and still don't). The Bruins are picking third from the end in every round (for now- those final four seedings actually go to Stanley Cup champion, finalist, and the two semi-finals teams, and is not based on regular season record as in the old days) but managed to move up 19 slots in the 1st round with Toronto's pick, 18 slots in the second with Minnesota's and 8 slots in the third with Phoenix. Even though the Bruins don't have their own pick in any of rounds 1-3, they effectively moved up the board to non-playoff positions for the first two and upgraded modestly with the third.

That will position the Bruins to add some more legitimate building blocks to the organization just one year after adding some impressive parts in Tyler Seguin, Jared Knight and Ryan Spooner in rounds 1 and 2.

Now, it's up to the scouts to finish their due diligence.

With that, here is the final draft pick update of the season 2010-11 season:

2011 Boston Bruins draft picks 6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)

1st Round
9th overall- Toronto (85 points; 37-34-11)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.

2nd Round
40th overall- Minnesota (86 points;39-35-8)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.

3rd Round
80th overall- Phoenix (99 points; 43-26-13) - Completes Derek Morris trade.

4th Round
118th* overall- Boston (103 points; 46-25-11)
*Final four pick positions determined by Stanley Cup winner, finalist, and semi-finalists

5th Round
148th overall- Boston

6th Round
178th overall- Boston

7th Round
183rd overall- Florida (conditional 72 pts; 30-40-12)- 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
28th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle

2nd Round
58th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly

3rd round
88th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal

7th round
208th 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

QMJHL 2010-11 regular season roundup

It has been a pretty good year for the QMJHL in terms of draft eligible talents.

We saw the cream rise to the top, and although Sean Couturier has fallen down some of the lists out there, we're not buying that he'll make too much of a free-fall on draft day. He could possibly fall out of the top-three, sure- but beyond that, he shouldn't last long.

The big winner in the QMJHL regular season in 2010-11 was the Saint John Sea Dogs, who boast a plethora of draft eligible talent, headlined by Jonathan Huberdeau, who we made a case for Boston drafting on this blog space last month. You can check it out here if you haven't read it. The Sea Dogs ran away with the regular season title and are Memorial Cup frontrunners given their impressive depth. They are also a playoff-tested team, having advanced all the way to the President's Cup championship last spring before bowing out to the Moncton Wildcats. Barring a major upset, the 'Dogs should be Mississauga-bound in May.

You can go all the way back to August and look at who was on our QMJHL watch list before the season and see that Jonathan Huberdeau was the big winner. He really came on this year and had a tremendous performance. Conversely, what the hell happened to Andrei Makarov? In fairness, he had a rough transition and played much better for Lewiston at the end of the year- he may have done enough to get a mid- or late-round call, but the big winner for Q goalies this season was Christopher Gibson.

Here's a quick look at some of the top QMJHL draft eligibles and where they sit going into the postseason. If you see a lot of Saint John guys on the list, your eyes do not deceive you.

1. Jonathan Huberdeau, LW Saint John- We knew this guy was a talented playmaker coming into the season, but what we didn't know was just how good he would be at putting the puck in the net. Huberdeau led all 2011 draft eligibles in the CHL in goal scoring this season with 43 markers. He finished the year third overall in league scoring with 105 points in 67 games. He's the complete package of physical tools, hockey skills and sense with a natural knack for scoring. Versatile; spent most of the season on the left wing, but is a natural center. NHL teams like multi-taskers. He's also a mature kid who carries himself well and exudes professionalism. There is no reason to think that Huberdeau can't crack the top-5 in June when all is said and done, but if he doesn't he's gone no later than 6 or 7. He reminds us a lot of Luc Robitaille in the way he comes off during interviews, and we can't imagine he's going to drop much if at all when the draft comes.
Stock watch: Blue-chip; only a complete dud of a playoff performance is going to hurt Huberdeau's draft prospects, and frankly, we don't see that happening. If Saint John makes its expected deep run, Huberdeau could be the Taylor Hall of the 2011 postseason in terms of a guy who scouts see well into May and therefore leaves a fresh and lasting impression leading into the draft.
Here's an interview with Huberdeau and Beaulieu at CHL Top Prospects Game

2. Sean Couturier, C Drummondville- Every year there seems to be a player at or near the top who falls off for whatever reason. Couturier is that guy, even thoughhe finished just behind Huberdeau in league scoring at the fourth spot. He's got a nice 6-4, 195-pound frame and has the hands and instincts to be a scorer at the next level. What is hurting him most are his heavy feet, but you can expect that he will spend a lot of time with power skating instructors between now and whenever he's knocking on the NHL door to remedy that shortcoming. We're not buying the argument that because his father was a journeyman, Couturier might be bound for the same NHL fate- just look at Sidney Crosby. NHL teams aren't spending much time using that as a major sticking point as to whether to draft Couturier or not. Two straight years of 96 points should be convincing enough evidence that this kid can get it done offensively.
Stock Watch: We wouldn't say he's falling as much as other guys around him have played so well that Couturier's star has lost its luster a bit. A strong postseason would go a long way toward quieting the critics and re-establishing himself as one of the top players in class.
For more on Couturier, you can catch this video on him done for the CHL Top Prospects Game in January.

3. Nathan Beaulieu, D Saint John- Superb two-way defenseman may be the one guy not being talked about with Dougie Hamilton and Duncan Siemens, but could crack the top-10 of the draft if a team likes him enough. The Ontario-born, Maritimes-raised Beaulieu is not quite as big as Hamilton, but is a good skater who can hit, pass and shoot. He's got a real nasty edge to him, too. He'll fight, but doesn't do it all that often after creating some space for himself in some one-sided bouts. Smart player and son of a London Knights assistant coach, his 12 goals and 45 points and a plus-44 are numbers that may be inflated given how good his team was this season, but this guy has some legitimate potential and should be off the board by pick 15 at the latest. Of course, you never know- we would have never believed that both of Brandon Gormley and Cam Fowler would drop as far as he did?
Stock Watch: So long as Saint John is playing, Beaulieu's got a nice chance of raising his profile and moving up in the draft. Like Huberdeau, the playoffs could be this guy's big moment to make a push to be the second d-man off the board after Adam Larsson.
Here's an NHL-produced video on Beaulieu with some interesting background.


4. Zack Phillips, C Saint John- With 38 goals and 95 points, Phillips was one of the surprises to come out of the Quebec league this season. Although he's not a great skater, Phillips is the classic guy who has that "nose for the net" and just finds ways to finish even without the blazing speed. He and Huberdeau were a deadly duo this season, and pure scorers like Phillips always find a way to get it done. The question with a guy like him is whether his numbers are more a product of the superior club he was on, or a reflection of his own superior offensive instincts and quick release. We think it's the latter- he's going to produce no matter who you put him with.
Stock Watch: With his production, it's up, but like Huberdeau and Beaulieu, he needs a strong playoff performance to stay foremost in scouts' minds.
Here's an Open Ice interview of Phillips from the CHL Top Prospects Game. Sharp kid and former Deerfield Academy product.

5. Tomas Jurco, RW Saint John- This puck wizard's exploits are well-documented on YouTube, but this has been a bit of a disappointing campaign for the Slovak. Expected to be a top-five pick in 2011 in some circles after his impressive rookie season a year ago, his production was up-and-down. He finished with 31 goals and 56 points, but was a streaky player in doing so, getting off to a hot start, fading in the late fall/early winter before heating up again in February. His hands could be without peer in this draft, and we liked what we saw in flashes from him at the WJC. He may not crack the first round, but if he isn't a top-30 pick, he shouldn't last much into the second.
Here's a video on Jurco produced during CHL Top Prospects Game where you'll see his puck and stick sleight-of-hand for yourself

6. Phillip Danault, C/LW Victoriaville- Speedy and versatile forward has a high compete level that has become his calling card this season despite some pretty average size. At only 6-0 and about 170 he doesn't have the functional strength right now, and some are concerned about his frame and how much more room he has to grow. Still, he's been pretty productive with 23 goals and 66 points this season. He's kind of like the little engine that could and if he goes in the top-60 picks, then you'll have your answer as to whether an NHL team thinks he projects as a legitimate pro. If he slips, then the wildcard element of this prospect will be more in play. His skating, hands and creativity are impressive, so don't bet against this guy.
Here's a nice video on Danault from John Moore, who does very good work in Q

7. Christopher Gibson, G Chicoutimi-Finnish goaltender put up some nice numbers on a pretty mediocre club this season. He posted a 14-14-3-5 record with 2.41 GAA, .920 save percentage and 4 shutouts. He's about 6-1, 200 pounds and plays that classic butterfly style, blotting out a large portion of the net and daring shooters to find holes through his coverage. Gibson is a driven kid who came to Canada two years ago to play for the Notre Dame Hounds in Saskatchewan (where he won a minor midget national title) and has stuck around to gain the trust of NHL scouts. We think he'll be one of the first three goalies taken in this draft, and our gut feel is he'll be three behind American John Gibson and countryman Samu Perhonen.
Here's another nice John Moore video on Gibson for your review

8. Ryan Tesink, C Saint John- The very average-sized hometown player has some interesting upside. Tesink's numbers are nothing to write home about- he scored just 8 goals on the season, with two of them coming in the team's final game of the year against PEI (went 37 previous games without one before breaking out). More of a playmaker (27 assists in 59 games playing on the third line), he's got good speed and is an intelligent two-way player. It's hard to stand out when you play on a stacked team like he does, but when he gets stronger (he's about 6-0, and only 160 pounds or so) and more experienced, you could see a jump in the production. He's even willing to drop the gloves and fight, though because of his size, he's not exactly suited for such endeavors. Still, you have to admire his willingness- he's one of those "whatever it takes to win" guys. Interesting player who gets lost in the shuffle of Saint John's galaxy of stars, but could be a real good one soon.

9. Logan Shaw, RW Cape Breton- Big hometown kid makes his B2011DW debut today, surprisingly enough. The skilled right winger has quietly impressed playing in one of the league's backwaters. He's got a long, powerful stride and while he needs to upgrade his first couple of steps, he's got nice speed when he gets going and really came on after December, scoring 26 goals and 46 points in 68 games for the Screaming Eagles. Guys with his 6-3 frame and quick hands usually end up being in pretty high demand. It will be interesting to see if he can crack the top-three rounds in June.
Here's Shaw's QMHJL draft video from 2008

10. David Honzik, G Victoriaville- Big, athletic Czech goalie has had an up-and-down season for les Tigres, but he's got some tools to be a good one down the road. He's got very good size at 6-3, 195 and has extremely quick pads. He's working on his rebound control and overall consistency, but so long as a team is patient and willing to put in the time to develop him, he's got the skill to make it as a big league puck stopper eventually.
Here's another John Moore vid on David Honzik

11. Xavier Ouellet, D Montreal- Average-sized defenseman isn't a great skater, but sees the ice well and has a good head on his shoulders. A strong passer and puck-mover, the risk for Ouellet, who started the season like a house on fire, is that he just doesn't have the size or feet to be a defenseman at the highest level. Evidence to support that belief amongst some in the scouting community was his poor performance in the CHL Top Prospects Game.
Thanks to Jerome B for providing a vid of a Ouellet goal via his NHLDraftVideo blog

Late riser:

Troy Vance, D Victoriaville- American defender is 6-5, 205 and kind of came out of nowhere after starting the season in Rouyn-Noranda. He's a big hitter, meat-and-potatoes type who will drop the gloves. From what we've seen, he reminds us a lot of Bruins rookie Adam McQuaid, but with a little better mobility than Quaider at the same stage of his junior career.

Overagers worth a look:

Marek Hrivik, LW Moncton- Yes, again. We'll ring the bell on this Slovak, who scored 38 for the Wildcats this season for the second straight season. He's a '91 and in his final year of eligibility for the draft. We liked what we saw from him at the WJC this past winter, and although he has a reputation for being soft and not being willing to go into traffic, we saw none of that from him in Buffalo. He has a bomb of a shot, even if his feet are a bit heavy.

Tomas Filippi, RW Quebec- Passed over last year because of perceived indifference and inconsistency issues, this Czech forward has had a better time of stringing effective shifts and games together in the Q. He's a speedster who creates offense and plays a high tempo game. Why not?

Alex Saulnier, C Moncton- Undersized, but ultra-skilled and creative pivot is out with a concussion suffered recently, so durability concerns are raised with him off the bat. But prior to the hit, he was one of the QMJHL's top scorers (85 points in 65 games) and had really impressed by stepping up his game to another level this season.