Go For Value, Not For Big Bucks

By now, you may have noticed a disturbing trend that happens to NHL teams each summer. The team that appears to land the biggest fish in the NHL free agent waters turns out to be the biggest loser, if you look back several years (or even a year later). Remember when the Rangers were the lucky winner of the Brad Richards sweepstakes? Is there anyone in Leafland that actually thinks the David Clarkson signing was good for the team? I won't even get into how the Ilya Kovalchuk contract has impaired the Devils' ability to compete for years to come, plus countless other examples of teams handcuffed by massive, long-term deals.

Now apply that same level of thinking to your salary cap team. Sure, you might have landed Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. But you probably paid full price. Remember that even these elite players are not bulletproof or fallible (remember Crosby's concussion issues and Ovechkin's -35 last season). That is why I believe that spending the big bucks and landing the projected top player will not lead you to a championship. Rather, it's all about ensuring roster balance. It's all about finding the players who will produce at a superior level for a mid-level (or better yet, lower) price. Just like shopping in the real world, savvy shoppers find the bargains by stretching their dollar. The high rollers go bankrupt if they don't have the bank account to back it up. Mikko Koivu, Patrick Marleau, Radim Vrbata, James Wisniewski, and Kari Lehtonen are not considered the NHL's best players at their positions, but I was able to add each of them to my team for a lot less than what I thought it would cost.

As I alluded to in earlier posts, I was able to use this strategy to help me win an auction-style fantasy hockey league this season. Unfortunately, I fell victim to being the big spender at a fantasy baseball draft this season. (Actually, I was unable to show up for the auction draft because of a previous commitment. The person who was to draft in my place also had something more important come up at the last minute. That leads to another tip: Make sure you show up to your auction draft.) The computer autopick was able to draft Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano at full price, but my roster was left with major holes, particularly with my pitching staff and my outfielders. After spending the first month of the season in the basement, I have been able to climb up to 6th out of 12 teams thanks to some significant waiver-wire auction bidding. I love having Cabrera and Cano, but I really could have used the depth instead. 

I hope you've enjoyed reading my fantasy hockey tips, which I provide from experience in competing in some serious fantasy hockey leagues. Just think: we're less than three months away from NHL season puck drop, so don't forget to spend a little time planning the direction of your keeper team in between trips to the beach.

2014 NHL Mock Draft: Picks 31 - 60

By Steven Ives

In a draft filled with wild-cards, it is important to pay as much attention to the second round as the first. It is a virtual guarantee that when we look back on this draft in a decade, there will be head-scratching busts from the 2014 first round and perennial all-stars from the 2014 second round. Unearthing the future stars from the future scrubs in a draft like this one is how NHL GMs reach legend status or lose their jobs.

31) Buffalo Sabres

RW Nikita Scherbak, Saskatoon, WHL After taking the player they hope will be their franchise center with the second overall pick, it is likely that the Sabres will use their three second rounders to move up into the first again for a shot at future franchise goaltender Thatcher Demko. If they miss out on Demko (we have him going to Minnesota 18^th overall), look for them to draft the best overall player 31^st. Scherbak has always been a dynamic scorer, and this year he has answered questions about his defensive play and grit. The young Russian’s game shares many similarities with Jakub Voracek and he could easily not simply go in the first round, but in the top fifteen overall.

32) Florida Panthers

RW Jakub Vrana, Linkoping, SWE After the near-certainty of taking defensive cornerstone Aaron Ekblad first overall, expect the Panthers to take a skilled forward with the 32^nd overall pick. Vrana is another electric but slightly undersized scoring prospect who could easily go in the first round. Comparable to Ales Hemsky, he has the upside of a first-line point producer.

33) St. Louis Blues

LW/C Ryan MacInnis, Kitchener, OHL Yes, Ryan is Hall-of-Famer Al MacInnis’ son. And yes, he inherited an absolute cannon of a slapshot. Unlike his father, he is a forward and not a defenseman. At 6’3” and 190 pounds, he would give the Blues another familiar bloodline in the organization and potentially an impact second-liner with 30+ goal upside.

34) Calgary Flames

G Mason McDonald, Charlottetown, QMJHL The Flames possess a pair of second-rounders, and it would be surprising if they did not to try nabbing a future starting goaltender with one of the two picks. McDonald is the largest major netminding prospect in the draft at 6’4”, and combines that with a quick glove which lead many to think he could be a mid-round steal.

35) New York Islanders

D Julius Honka, Swift Current, WHL If the Isles keep their first two picks, expect them to take Dal Colle with the first and then look to fortify the blueline with their second. Some scouts believe Honka to be the top offensive defenseman in the 2014 draft, a terrific skater and puckhandler who will juice any power play but whose lack of size and strength may make him a bit of a liability in the defensive zone.

36) Vancouver Canucks

D Jack Dougherty, US-NTDP, USHL Expect the Canucks to take what they hope will become a first-line forward with their first pick and then hope to fortify the defense with their early second-rounder. Dougherty may be the top defensive rearguard in the draft after the elite twosome of Ekblad and Fleury – a natural-born leader who loves the physical game and evokes shades of Dan Girardi.

37) Carolina Hurricanes

LW Adrian Kempe, Modo, SWE If, as we predict, the Canes go after Fleury with the top pick to rebuild their blueline around, they will likely go for a forward with the 37^th selection. Kempe has the size and skating combination worthy of a first-liner, but questions about his scoring ability could drop him into the second. The Swede’s grit and skating have garnered him comparisons to Brandon Dubinsky.

38) Anaheim Ducks

D Anthony DeAngelo, Sarnia, OHL With a ton of talent and depth both at the NHL level and in the prospect pipeline, the Ducks can take chances on boom/bust prospects. DeAngelo might be the biggest one in this draft: offensively he looks like the next Kris Letang, but questions about his size and character have many teams crossing him off their draft boards. With four picks in the first two rounds, the Ducks have the luxury of taking a chance on DeAngelo’s enormous offensive upside, plus they have a history of drafting players from New Jersey (Bobby Ryan, Kyle Palmieri). 

39) Buffalo Sabres

G Alex Nedeljkovic, Plymouth, OHL Though the Sabres would love to trade up and grab Thatcher Demko, Nedeljkovic is a character kid and an exceptional athlete. The only question about him is his size – at 6’0”, Alex is two inches away from being a surefire first-rounder. Still, this Ohio native’s off-the-charts quickness and compete level lead us to project him as a terrific starter at the NHL level.

40) Ottawa Senators

C Brett Pollock, Edmonton, WHL Lacking a first-round draft pick (to Anaheim in the Bobby Ryan trade), the Senators need to hit paydirt with an impact player in the second. Barely seen as a third rounder entering 2013-14, Pollock played absolutely outstanding hockey during the Oil Kings’ Memorial Cup run and rocketed up draft boards all across the continent. With NHL-caliber size and hands, Pollock just needs to work on his skating to become a very good NHL forward.

41) New Jersey Devils

C Ryan Donato, Dexter, USHS Under Lou Lamoriello and scouting director David Conte, the Devils have a made a living unearthing under-the-radar talents in the NHL draft. Former NHL-er Ted Donato’s son may have been a first-rounder had he played in the CHL or NCAA, but despite playing lesser competition his work ethic on the ice was consistently astounding. His creativity with the puck and hands are also first-round worthy, and with some work on his skating, he has the potential to become a first-line impact player in the NHL.

42) Nashville Predators

C Braydon Point, Moose Jaw, WHL If, as they claim, the Predators are truly committed to improving their offensive output, drafting the pint-sized Point would be the perfect way to go. Despite his slim, 5’9” stature, all Point does is score – an astounding 91 points this season in the rugged WHL. Point is reminiscent of a young Daniel Briere, whom new Nashville coach Peter Laviolette enjoyed a great deal of success with in Philadelphia.

43) Phoenix Coyotes

LW Christian Dvorak, London, OHL Perhaps our favorite sleeper of the 2014 draft, the question must be asked: where would Dvorak go if he did not miss most of the past season after ACL surgery? A truly phenomenal skater with outstanding puck skills, he showed flashes of brilliance with the NHL-factory London Knights before the leg injury. Phoenix GM Don Maloney is never afraid to buck trends of draft rankings, and Dvorak is reminiscent of a young Carl Hagelin with superior hands.

44) Washington Capitals

C Jayce Hawryluk, Brandon, WHL The Capitals will likely address their blueline with their first pick. With their second pick, look for them to address the fact that they were far too easy to play against this past season. Hawryluk is reminiscent of a Brad Marchand without the incessant diving, a tough little SOB with deceptive puck skills and an engine which never quits. He plays ever on the edge, unafraid to cross it, and will also consistently chip in on the scoresheet.

45) Dallas Stars

D Jack Glover, US-NTDP, USHL We expect Dallas to use their first-rounder on an impact forward and then try to catch lightning in a bottle projecting a top-pairing d-man in the second. Glover will give a team elite skating and terrific size (6’3”, 195) on the blueline. A penchant for mistakes is all that drops this elite athlete out of the first round, but with experience and coaching, Glover has all-star upside.

46) Nashville Predators

RW Hunter Smith, Oshawa, OHL With three picks in the top 46, Nashville can take a chance with the third one on a potential impact player. Passed over completely in his draft-eligible 2013 year, the hulking 6’7” Smith completely turned his game around this past season. Always a physical beast, Smith showed excellent hands in front of the net and became an offensive force in the crease, with 40 points to go along with the ostensible 100 penalty minutes. 

47) Columbus Blue Jackets

D Alex Vanier, Baie-Comeau, QMJHL Teams love size on the blueline, and the Blue Jackets have been striving to get tougher and meaner all over the ice. The 6’5” Vanier would certainly fit both bills – he’s a kid that plays mean and clears creases with reckless abandon. His puck skills need some work, but a brutally hard shot from the point suggests he can eventually contribute offensively, as well.

48) Philadelphia Flyers

D Marcus Pettersson, Skelleftea, SWE We have the Flyers taking Kasperi Kapanen in the first round, though we believe they will be quite tempted by the upsides of offensive defensemen Julius Honka and Anthony DeAngelo. As those players are likely to be gone by the 48^th pick, Philly will take a long look at Pettersson, a smooth-skating, puck-moving project out of northern Sweden. Some scouts claim this kid has first-round upside, though he will have to add some muscle and strength to his current 6’3”, 160-pound frame before he will be able to withstand the rigors of the NHL.

49) Buffalo Sabres

RW Warren Foegele, St. Andrew, CAN-HS Foegele is the type of sleeper pick that one team takes a chance on and 29 teams wonder how they passed over. Ignored at 16 in the CHL draft due to his small stature, Foegele has sprouted to an NHL-like 6’1” and 190 pounds over the past two years. It might be difficult to gauge his talent due to the weakness of the competition he played in the Canadian high school system, but Foegele can skate and shoot at a pro level and hustles his rear end off all over the ice. With a trio of second-round picks, the Sabres can afford to roll the dice on Foegele’s untapped upside.

50) Tampa Bay Lightning

D Joshua Jacobs, Indiana, USHS It is likely that Tampa Bay, with two first-round picks, will take the best available scorer with their first pick and then concentrate on stockpiling their system with defensemen. Jacobs has the prototypical mix of size, skating and strength which NHL teams covet for their bluelines. His puck skills need work, but he projects to be an extremely effective second-pairing rearguard. 

51) San Jose Sharks

LW Shane Eiserman, Dubuque, USHL If San Jose, as reported, is seeking more character and grit to make deeper playoff runs, they are going to need more players like Eiserman. This kid is an absolute bulldog, a 6’2”, 200-pound hitting machine who is relentless in the corners and crashes the net like a heat-seeking missile. Though he may lack the skill to one day be a first-liner at the NHL level, this speed-skating power forward has Wayne Simmonds-like upside.

52) St. Louis Blues

RW Austin Poganski, Tri-City, USHL The season began disastrously for Poganski, as he stumbled out of the gate in his draft-eligible year playing for an awful Tri-City squad. As the campaign wore on, Poganski got better and better, and the 6’1” 200-pound Poganski was a scoring at a point-per-game clip for the second half of the year. The Blues love power forwards with speed, and the slick-skating young Poganski has the upside to one day fit that bill at the NHL level.

53) San Jose Sharks

D Jacob Middleton, Ottawa, OHL We read dozens of scouting reports and watch hours of film on hundreds of players leading up to the NHL draft in order to come up with our analyses. With certain players, common themes emerge among all the myriad scouting reports. With Middleton, it was impossible to read anything which did not include the words “intelligent” and “character”. This kid’s work-ethic and leadership qualities are off the charts, but it is also important to note that he is 6’4”, physical, and a fine skater. This is precisely the type of character player we expect the Sharks to focus on in the 2014 draft in order to turn the corner and finally reach the Stanley Cup finals.

54) Calgary Flames

D Brycen Martin, Swift Current, WHL In a perfect world for the Calgary fan, they will get a franchise forward (in our scenario Sam Bennett) in the first round and a potential future starting goaltender (in our scenario Mason McDonald) with their first pick in the second. It only makes sense that they think defense after that, and right in their WHL backyard is Brycen Martin, an electrifying skater with a tremendous outlet pass and NHL size at 6’2” and 195.

55) Anaheim Ducks

LW Blake Clarke, Saginaw, OHL Clarke’s mix of NHL size, outstanding skating and rare athleticism had many pegging him as a future first-round pick entering the 2013-14 campaign. There are no two ways about it, an absolutely atrocious year has plummeted him from that possibility. This young forward has all indication of being a bright kid, however, and at 18 years old with such talent at his disposal, it would be foolhardy to give up on him. Possessing four picks in the first two rounds, the Ducks can afford to take chances on boom/bust picks. You might never hear Clarke’s name again after the draft, or you might wonder for years how your team passed him up in the second round.

56) Boston Bruins

RW Eric Cornel, Peterborough, OHL A perennial cup contender, Boston does not have many pressing needs. That being said, we expect the B’s to address the speed of their blueline with their first-round pick before trying to inject some scoring life into their prospect pipeline. After struggling with the physicality of the OHL in his rookie season of 2012-13, the center grew to 6’2” and warmed to the task last year, becoming nearly a point-per-game force on the ice. Cornel has drawn comparisons to Nick Bonino and has been, like many players in this draft, ranked with wild inconsistency – from the late first round to deep in the third. We have him going somewhere in the middle to a Bruins’ team especially adept at developing this type of player.

57) New York Islanders

D Ryan Collins, US-NTDP, USHL The big ‘if’ of course remains whether the Isles will keep any of their high picks or deal them in a desperate gamble to make the post-season one season before their move to Brooklyn. If they hang onto this pick, it will be a perfect opportunity to shore up the future of their defense. Collins is a mountain of a kid at 6’5”, and he is a good skater for his size who understands very well how to use this size controlling gaps in the defensive zone.

58) Phoenix Coyotes

C Keegan Iverson, Portland, WHL Another sleeper we love, Iverson is a powerful young player with a 6’0” and 215 pound frame which seems to have muscles sprouting out of his muscles. He was a physical force in the WHL this year, impossible to contain down low and with a penchant for scoring clutch goals. Reminiscent of a young Cal Clutterbuck, Iverson is extremely difficult to play against and is the type of player the astute Coyotes’ braintrust seems to love in the later rounds.

59) New York Rangers

C Vladislav Kamenev, Magnitogorsk, KHL When lacking a first-round pick, the pressure is that much greater on an NHL GM to succeed with their later-round grabs. Kamenev has shown no desire to play in the NHL and represents the reason franchises are loathe to spend early-round picks on Russians. Still, Kamenev has outstanding talent and would likely have been a first-rounder were he playing in Canadian juniors. He captained the Russian squad at the U18 tourney and dominated the scoresheets. At 6’2” and 200 pounds he has ideal NHL size and his offensive tool-box is completely stocked with talent. Many NHL teams will steer clear of the potential headache of convincing a Kamenev to come to the NHL, but with no first-rounder, Glen Sather may just have to take this sort of risk.

60) Columbus Blue Jackets

D Jonathan MacLeod, US-NTDP, USHL Defensive defensemen seem to always be undervalued at the draft table and only appropriately valued at the NHL trade deadline. The physical, smart and mean MacLeod shows every indication of being a shut-down force at the NHL level and somehow gets little love from the scouts due to the unflashy nature of his game. If you loved throwback players like Jeff Beukeboom and Adam Foote you will love this kid – he may never put up points, but he will certainly win you hockey games.

2014 NHL Mock Draft: Picks 21 - 30

By Steven Ives

21) St. Louis Blues

The Team: The Blues are a fantastic team – tough, skilled and defensively sound. All they need to figure out is how to get past the Kings and the Blackhawks – the winners of the past three Stanley Cups have dispatched the Blues in the past three post-seasons. Organizationally sound at virtually every position, they might only have questions in net. If Demko gets past the Wild, we foresee the Blues taking a long, hard look at him. If not, they will likely take the best available player.

The Pick: C/RW Nick Schmaltz, Green Bay, USHL In an absurdly unpredictable draft, two players have been called the “best offensive prospect in the draft” by one scout and a “risk not worth taking” by another. One of those players is Nikolay Goldobin, the other is Nick Schmaltz. It is difficult to see how a player with so much upside is not worth taking a chance on, but Schmaltz truly divides the pundits. His stickhandling and skating are, quite simply, sheer artistry to behold. His lack of commitment to the less artful aspects of the game – digging pucks out of the dirty areas and playing defense – are as frustrating to watch as his puck skills are mesmerizing. With a core of character players to teach Schmaltz and his older brother Jordan Schmaltz already in the organization, the Blues are precisely the type of team which can afford to take a flyer on his immeasurable talents.

22) Pittsburgh Penguins

The Team: After another disappointing early playoff exit despite an exceptionally talented core, the Penguins decided to clean house. Gone were GM Ray Shero and head coach Dan Blysma. Long-time Carolina GM Jim Rutherford took over with the goal of rebuilding around mega-stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. As those two players are firmly entrenched as the highly-paid franchise nucleus, the team-building job generally consists of putting together the proper pieces around them. As Hurricanes’ GM, Rutherford’s draft modus operandi leaned towards taking North American forwards in the first round and high-upside defensemen in the second.

The Pick: LW Sonny Milano, US-NDTP, USHL In a draft class full of undersized scoring wizards, Milano may be the most under-the-radar. An outlandishly creative offensive dynamo, Milano might be the most intelligent player in the offensive zone in the entire class of ’14. He can back this up with his phenomenal hands and skating ability, along with a backhand-shot which is far and away the most lethal in this year’s draft. He is exceptional at complimenting other highly-skilled players. Milano skated alongside Alex Tuch and 2015 lottery-pick Jack Eichel in both the USHL and in several international tournaments, and the three were an unstoppable combination among their age group. Milano is often compared to T.J. Oshie, though his scoring smarts evoke Martin St. Louis. The Pens need players who can skate and think the game with stars like Crosby and Malkin, and Milano would be a perfect fit.

23) Colorado Avalanche

The Team: The Avs may be the next up-and-coming team in the NHL. Under the new direction of Patrick Roy, Colorado has gotten grittier and more active offensively, getting the most out of their supremely talented young core of Nathan McKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly. What they need organizationally is more help on the blueline, but many expect the Avalanche to go after veteran help in this area, and that they will enter trade talks for such stars as Dion Phaneuf, Dustin Byfuglien and perhaps Jack Johnson.

The Pick: LW Brendan Lemieux, Barrie, OHL Claude Lemieux’s son plays like, well, Claude Lemieux. He is tough and infuriating, physical and relentless, and deceptively talented offensively. Patrick Roy played alongside Lemieux for several seasons during the Avalanche’s hey-day of the 1990’s, and if anyone knows how valuable this type of player can be, it is the Colorado coach. Lacking a second-round pick in the 2014 draft, the Avs could probably trade down a few slots to retrieve a pick and still get a good shot at Brendan Lemieux, who is generally ranked in the early second round.

24) Anaheim Ducks

The Team: As stated earlier, we predict the Ducks will attempt to trade one or both of their first-rounders for a second-line center, either Ryan Kesler or Jason Spezza. Ottawa would love their 10^th overall pick returned to them, where they would have a shot at a future game-breaker like Ehlers, Fiala, Fabbri or Virtanen. Vancouver would love to draft a defensive cornerstone like Hayden Fleury along with a top-line forward. Assuming the Ducks don’t deal, they can just draft their second-line center of the future right here.

The Pick: C Connor Bleackley, Red Deer, WHL In hockey, a lot of little things add up to a pretty big thing. Bleackley does all of the little things well – he pays great attention to the defensive zone, always seems to find the smart play and make it. He is better along the boards than any forward in the draft. Though he will never challenge for the NHL scoring lead, his strong skating and hockey smarts give him the upside to contribute 50-60 points at the NHL level, making this Travis Zajac-like young competitor the perfect candidate for a team looking for a future second or third-line center.

25) Boston Bruins

The Team: For the second consecutive season, the Bruins lost a playoff series to a team full of fast and skilled forwards who make their somewhat lumbering defense corps look slow and old. The Bruins have cornerstones to build their blueline around in young blue-chippers Dougie Hamilton and Torrey Krug, but with Zdeno Chara and Denis Seidenberg not getting any younger, they need to compliment the back end with more strong-skating young players.

The Pick: D Roland McKeown, Kingston, OHL McKeown is a mobile, two-way defenseman who has been called the best backwards skater in the draft, making him very difficult for skilled forwards to beat outside on the rush. He is a tremendous outlet passer, transitioning the puck with precision and quickness. Compared stylistically to Roman Josi, Mckeown may have a higher offensive ceiling. In the excellent Boston development system, he could become a top-pairing rearguard at the NHL level.

26) Montreal Canadiens

The Team: It is entirely possible that this team came within one Carey Price injury of a shot at the Stanley Cup. Since the takeover of GM Marc Bergevin, they have drafted well and built a fleet of fast and skilled forwards in front of Norris Trophy-winning defenseman P.K. Subban and elite netminder Price. If they need anything, it is more size and physicality at forward without sacrificing skill.

The Pick: LW/C Ivan Barbashev, Moncton, QMJHL Although the Don Cherrys and Mike Milburys and Pierre McGuires of the world seem to think all Russian players are streaky, prima donna goal-hogs who cannot play a lick of defense, like all people who stereotype absolutely anything, they could not be more wrong with Barbashev. This kid is big and likes the physical game, dominating the dirty areas of the ice. He has fine size (6.1”, 190), is a very good skater, and plays every shift with heart and intelligence. His puck skills are a tick below the more elite offensive talents in this draft, but he has an NHL-caliber shot and can flat-out score. He is often compared to Maxim Afinogenov even though they have virtually no similarities aside from Russian last names. He is more reminiscent of a hybrid between Logan Couture and Alex Steen with his complete, versatile and team-oriented game and 30+ goal upside.

27) Chicago Blackhawks

The Team: After coming within a fluky overtime goal of their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in a half-decade, there is a strong possibility they could move this pick for the second-line center they desperately need. They have been strongly linked to Ryan Kesler, a good friend of Patrick Kane’s and the prototypical NHL second-line, two-way pivot. It is also possible they can wait until free agency and go after a David Legwand, though the Hawks’ brain-trust needs to be careful about the money they spend with Kane and Jonathan Toews’ contracts soon to expire.

The Pick: C John Quenneville, Brandon, WHL If the Blackhawks cannot trade this pick to acquire their second-line center of the future, they can certainly draft one here. Always known as a good-sized (6’1”, 190), intelligent and stifling defensive center, Quenneville’s offensive game seemed to improve all season long and he finished the year as nearly a point-a-game player. If the name sounds familiar, it does not hurt that Quenneville is the second-cousin of Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville. He plays a bit like ex-Hawk David Bolland and would be a perfect fit in Chi-Town.

28) Tampa Bay Lightning

The Team: It is fairly certain that, with one of their two first-round picks, the Lightning take a defenseman, their organizational area of most need. After the big two of Aaron Ekblad and Hayden Fleury, projections for the defensemen in this draft are virtually all over the board. This is certainly the type of draft where a scouting department’s mettle is truly put to the test.

The Pick: D Dominik Masin, Slavia Praha, CZE In the interest of accuracy, his last name is pronounced “machine”. In the interest of consistency, he certainly plays like one. This kid has been under the proverbial radar all year long, ranked by scouting bureaus behind far inferior defensemen. Always a stifling defensive beast with his skating, smarts and off-the-charts toughness, this past season he has also emerged as a force on offense. He dominated the U18 tourney for the surprise silver medalists from the Czech Republic, and is certainly among the hidden gems of the 2014 draft class. The Lightning unearthed another diamond in the rough from the Czech defensive pipeline in Radko Gudas, and Masin, very comparable to Dion Phaneuf, possesses significantly more upside.

29) Los Angeles Kings

The Team: It is certainly good to be the Kings. Stanley Cup champs twice in three campaigns, the Kings look to re-load for a third Cup run and the title of “dynasty”. LA has a top-five player in the league at the three crucial positions, goalie (Jonathan Quick), defense (Drew Doughty) and center (Anze Kopitar). Their goal at the draft will be to build the talent base around those three.

The Pick: RW David Pastrnak, Sodertalje, SWE The Kings recent draft history has involved swinging for the fences with high-upside players on virtually every pick. Last year, it looks like they hit home runs in the second round with Valentin Zykov and then in the fourth round with perhaps the biggest late-round steal in the draft, Hudson Fasching (since dealt to Buffalo). If the Kings are looking to hit a home run late in the 2014 draft, they would be fortunate to have a crack at Pastrnak. A threat to score every time he touches the puck, the young Czech is hard-working and quick-thinking, with maybe the quickest shot-release in the draft. Often compared to David Krejci, Pastrnak represents exactly what makes this draft both frustrating and fun: though we have him near the bottom of the first round and it is highly possible he falls around here, it would not shock us if, a decade from now, he turned out to be the best offensive player from the 2014 draft class. Those are dice the Stanley Cup champion Kings can afford to roll.

30) New Jersey Devils

The Team: How to predict what the devil the Devils do? GM Lou Lamoriello is closer to the vest with his plans than the CIA, KGB and Shield combined. It is possible that the notebook he uses to write down his draft plans will explode five seconds after it is read. That being said, they cannot trade this pick, returned to them by the NHL powers that be following the Ilya Kovalchuk debacle which is far too arduous to get into right now. That is not to say they will not deal at the draft. They are loaded with young, emerging defensemen (Eric Gelinas, Jon Merrill, Adam Larsson, Damon Severson, Steven Santini) but lack for offensive forwards all throughout their system, from the NHL club on down. With all the trade talk involving young offensive projects Nail Yakupov and Mikhail Grigorenko, it is difficult to believe a savvy GM like Lamoriello will not dangle Larsson as bait with the hope of injecting more life into the New Jersey offense. The Devils’ 30^th overall pick, however, is unmovable and will likely be used to draft the forward with the greatest scoring upside.

The Pick: RW Nikolai Goldobin, Sarnia, OHL The Czech-heavy Devils would love to see Pastrnak somehow fall to them and will be tempted by the skill-set of Jakub Vrana, but Goldobin has as much offensive upside as anyone in the 2014 draft. The young Russian played on one of the poorest teams in Canadian junior hockey and still finished seventh in the OHL in scoring with 94 points in just 67 contests. His skating, creativity, hands and shot all can only be describes as somewhere in between exceptional and remarkable. Goldobin’s pinpoint no-look passing routinely baffles defenders as well as, unfortunately, less-talented teammates. How can such a player fall here? As elite as his offensive tool-box is, his defensive play and effort are simply abhorrent. He can get lazier and lazier defensively as his team falls out of games, an extremely frustrating aspect to behold. Still, as one scout said: “if this kid brought it every shift, he would be the top pick in this draft”. If a solid organization like the Devils can get him to be even average on the defensive side of the puck, they could get the dominant scorer they have desperately needed since the defections of Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk.