Joe from Sacrifice the Body talks Red Wings draft

Joe (aka IAMJoe) is one of the best friends of CLS. He provided clutch posts during the playoffs, including posts in the Red Wings-Ducks mini-blog and during the (glorious) Stanley Cup Finals.

After a while, Joe was fed up with the hack job blog we're running here so he decided to start his own NHL blog Sacrifice the Body. StB is brand new, so make sure that you give Joe your support (and hugs?). It should be a great source of NHL-related opinions, with an emphasis on stat analysis.

(Note: I'm not sure if Joe meant for this first paragraph to be in here, but it's pretty funny so why not right?)

I don't do much on the draft. So I don't know any players. And I'm not going to bullshit you and go get a bunch of prospects' names off a mock draft somewhere and tell you how Billy O'Prospect is going to make everything wonderful. I talk out of my ass from time to time, but I'll at least be honest about it. So this is my thoughts on the draft, sans players. Which, when you're talking about the draft, pretty much means I'm just rambling. Frankly, I don't think anyone cares about who is drafting who after you get outside of the top 10 or 15 anyways.

What direction do you expect Detroit to go in this year's draft? What's your preference?

First of all, I expect the lucky draft pick will have a weird name, and probably be European. On top of that, he'll also have to be patient, because it usually takes a very long time for a youngster to get into the Wings' lineup. I've never checked the numbers, but I'd imagine the Wings probably end up with a lot of guys making debuts at about 2-3 years later than they would on most other teams. However, I think the Wings are on the brink of a major (at least for them) youth movement, with the no-longer increasing cap forcing them to let go of some older guys and replace them with (cheap!) quality depth from Grand Rapids that we've heard so much about for years.

One of the things that I thought was most shocking about the Cup Final this year (aside from the fact that the Wings lost) was how bad their defense looked. It was an ongoing problem throughout the regular season, and it seemed to right itself for a while in the playoffs, but it really came undone against the Penguins. I'll give Lidstrom a free pass, even though he was skating worse than me, because he had a busted testicle, and frankly, its the first time I've seen him NOT have a good series. That said, seeing Lidstrom so completely nullified out there was frankly pretty scary. I don't have much faith in Lilja/Lebda, and one good playoff run for Brad Stuart doesn't make me feel safe. Lidstrom's injury reminded everyone that he won't be around forever, and he won't always be the best defenseman in the NHL even while he's still around. I want a new defenseman who in about 2 years or so can step in to the roster spot left by Lidstrom's retirement, and replace Lebda/Lilja initially.

That said, I think the Wing's forward depth is going to get donkey punched this offseason. Basically, one of Hossa/Hudler will stay, and then a handful of forwards (like you, Samuelsson!) will get let go. On top of that, depending exactly where the cap finally sets at, a buyout or two might be necessary. I think in response to this, Ken Holland is going to grab a forward to help restock that part of the shelf. I won't argue with the master, but it won't make me feel as secure as replacing a couple of idiot defensemen would.

I don't think Detroit will be interested in a goaltender. Jimmy Howard, the "goalie of the future" for the last 5+ years, needs to either make the big club, or jump off a cliff. I've already given up hope on Jimmy Howard, but I'm very much interested in Daniel Larsson (gee, a Swede!). Frankly, I wouldn't be opposed to buying Ozzie out, and going with Howard/Larsson to fight it out for the spot between the pipes for the next 10 years.

Favorite Draft Day Memories?

Well, I'm not much for the NHL draft. I'm not much for prospects either. But as for draft steals? I won't go back too farI'd have to say getting the best defenseman in NHL history at #53 overall is a real good deal. Of course, getting a couple of the most complete players in the game right now at #171 (Datsyuk) and #210 (Zetterberg) is cool too. Part of that is certainly drafting the right players, but a lot of that also is the right developmental system. How many failures on other teams have flourished under the Detroit developmental systems?

Draft Day Busts?

It's hard to have busts when you're consistently picking in the lower parts of the 1st round, or trading those picks for "win now" pieces. But Jimmy Howard is one season away from getting on there in my book. We've been told he's the goalie of the future for a long time now, and yet the 64th overall pick in the 2003 Entry Draft has only 9 NHL appearances. At some point, especially with the carousel in the Detroit crease since Hasek's (first) retirement, shouldn't he have gotten a chance to sink or swim? Not many Red Wings prospects get significant hype on the way to the big club, but Howard has been one of the few, and that definitely sets him in my sights.

Soapbox time!

Could we please stop trying to tailor our sport to get a bunch of people who dislike hockey to like it? I mean, seriously. The game as it is right now is pretty good. Most of the game's problems are not necessarily problems with the game itself, but problems with the league, which are detracting from the product on the ice. Just because our game isn't getting constant coverage on ESPN like Terrell friggin Owens doesn't mean our game sucks. Just because some idiot columnists keep talking about how hockey isn't a real sport doesn't mean our game sucks. Just because our game is different doesn't mean our game sucks. And just because our game isn't as popular doesn't mean our game sucks.

Everyone is so worried about the casual sports fan. You wanna know a secret? The "casual sports fan" who cannot follow anything that Sportscenter doesn't shove down his throat is a dumbass, and we shouldn't give a damn about changing a game that we love in order to get him to tune in or to take it seriously. We're part of a secret club, and we all know a great secret, that the rest of the world is too stupid to pay attention to. I don't know if anything irritates me as much as people that think the game needs changed or the league needs to suck on the ESPN teat in order to somehow be important in the national sports scene.

Hockey is a grassroots thing, and the best thing the league can do to grow its revenues is to give those roots more time to grow and spread in a post lockout scene, and in the 90's expansion markets, where kids who were first introduced to the game are now getting old enough to have kids and introduce them to the game. We don't need to convince the casual fan. We just need to grow it ourselves. Support your local rink, or get one built in your city park. Donate your old equipment to charities. Play in a beer league, or even start one if you want. Make some babies and give 'em hockey sticks. Maybe its not flashy, but its true.

In Lou We Trust shares Devils draft prospective

The Red Wings receive a lot of credit for coming up with great draft picks despite consistently picking in the lower depths of the first round, but the Devils have historically found their fair share of gems. Will the trend of bringing in the Zach Parise-type bargains continue?

To find out, we asked John at In Lou We Trust to share his thoughts on New Jersey's upcoming draft. John's been a steady contributor for quite some time, so make sure to follow his blogging efforts.

Even when the team isn't being betrayed by various siblings.

1. What direction do you expect New Jersey to go in with this year's draft? What's your preference?

I expect and prefer the New Jersey Devils to continue to do what they have been doing - select the best player available regardless of where they are from. That said, they still have their preferences. While the Devils are willing to select a goaltender with their first round pick (Jean-Francois Damphousse, 1997; Ari Ahonen, 1999), considering the Devils haven't drafted a goaltender since Jeff Frazee in 2005, I wouldn't hold my breath for one - definitely not in the first round. They may draft one in the later rounds.

Based on draft history since 1994, I expect to see at least one defender drafted and given that the Devils loaded up on centers in 2008, I expect to see more wingers taken. As far as the source of picks, while the conventional wisdom says that the Devils prefer college players, they've selected more players from major junior than anywhere else since 1994. Of course, if the best player available in each round are all centers or defensemen or goalies from the USHL or SEL or wherever, then the Devils will take them regardless. It is a cliche, but the Devils truly practice it.

2. Looking back, discuss some of the highest and lowest draft moments in Devils history. What are some of the "steals" and groan-inducing moments that New Jersey fans will never forget?

The highest draft moments tend to come in hindsight - trading down to select Martin Brodeur in 1990; but two stick out in memory as being particularly bold.

The first involved a deal with Toronto that eventually got the Devils the third overall pick in 1991. New Jersey knocked that one out of the park, eschewing Aaron Ward, Scott Lachance, Alex Stojanov, Peter Forsberg (OK, he would have been an alright pick!), and Richard Matvichuk by selecting Scott Niedermayer. Yeah, that was a good pick.

The second is more recent, taking place in 2003. The Devils won their third Stanley Cup that year, but as part of the compensation from St. Louis in a player tampering case, the Devils were able to swap first round picks to move up 22nd overall, if I recall correctly. The Devils noticed that Zach Parise was falling - even past his father's team, the Islanders, at #15 (Robert Nilsson) and San Jose at #16 (Steve Bernier). They contacted Edmonton and offered to swap first rounders, with the Oilers getting New Jersey's second round pick to make it work. The Oilers bit and the Devils were able to snag the supremely talented Parise after winning the Stanley Cup!

The lowest draft moments in Devils history? Admittedly, I'm only familiar with the more recent drafts - Devils fans from 1982 and onward I'm sure have a few stories about that. Anyway, you can attribute some of this to hindsight (Lance Ward in 1996); but the selections of J-F Damphousse and then Ahonen 2 years later both made me groan at the time. The decision to select Adrian Foster with 2001's first round pick was also a head-scratcher; I should have known when the draft was delayed because the league had to confirm that he was actually a player! Likewise, the Devils going off the board with their first pick - in the second round, mind you - to pick Anton Kadeykin induced some sighs. I'm not even sure where Kadeykin actually is these days, come to think of it.

Soapbox time: take this opportunity to discuss the Devils and/or NHL in general.

As far as a soapbox is concerned, I would like everyone just to check out In Lou We Trust for consistent thoughts about the Devils and I would like to, once again, congratulate Lou Lamoriello on his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame while still serving as GM, President, and CEO. Lou truly is the best around.

Flyers Goal Scored By helps us determine who might score future Flyers goals

As a longtime Penguins fan, it's no secret that I detest the Philadelphia Flyers. Yet let's admit it: the Flyers aren't quite the bullies they once were being that they employ a guy named Simon Gagne. Sure, they have their fair share of agitators (Mr. Hartnell and village idiot Daniel Carcillo come to mind), but most of the "fear" comes from dealing with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

With little salary cap room left, the draft could be crucial to the Flyers' future. It makes sense, then, to ask one of our favorite Flyers bloggers "Flyers Goal Scored By" to represent the bullies again.

As the hockey blogosphere has shown us time and time again, you don't have to like the team to like the blogger and that's definitely the case with Flyers Goal Scored By.

1. What direction do you expect the Flyers to go in with this year's draft? What's your preference?

There is only one man that the Flyers and their fans want to dance at this weekend's draft semi-formal. And if that one man isn't on our team by Friday at 7PM, I don't even think we should draft anyone. Hell, we can barely field a team as it is without going over the cap, so what is a new young stud going to do except for stretch Ed Snider's dollars out even further? Obviously, I'm talking about trading for Maxim Afinigen...excuse me...Jay Bouwmeester. My blotner(blog partner) Ryan wrote up one helluva post about who the Flyers might try to draft if their pick isn’t involved in the Jay-Bo sweepstakes. To echo his sentiment, all these picks are shots in the dark. Sometimes you get a Lemieux, sometimes you get a Daigle. My opinion is that if they’re going to keep their pick they go for defense and draft a European at that, because the Flyers love European defensemen, especially ones with an affinity for boating. (if the Rangers get a compensatory pick for Cherapanov do we get anything? Just askin’)

But lets get serious - like Zach Morris pause the entire world break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience serious - we effin' want Jay Bouwmeester. And no young hot shot left at #21 is going to satisfy our desire for an All Star, ready to play 30 minutes a night, defenseman. It’s what the Flyers need to compete in the crowded Atlantic right now. We need to shed salary and get Jay-Bo. That may mean having to deal away any combination of our #1 pick and Lupul, Briere, Gagne, or Keith Jones. And I think everyone in Philadelphia is fine with that.

2. Looking back, discuss some of the highest and lowest draft moments in Flyers history. What are some of the "steals" and groan-inducing moments that Philly fans will never forget?

Finally, something we're #1 at. In 1990 we took Mike Ricci over Jaromir Jagr. Enough said.

As for the flipside...eh...I guess we can be happy that the Kings took Terry Sawchuck and left Bernie Parent for us to gobble up at #2 in the 1967 expansion draft? Over the past 20 years our first round picks have usually been pretty solid (Steve Downie, Maxime Ouellet, and Ryan Sittler aside) and any pick after that usually hasn't been. There's no Zetterbergs to be found here. There was a Sharp in the third but we traded him for a dried up Commie and before that there was a young Commie in the 6th once named Dimitri Yuskevich.

But like I said before, the defining moment of the Flyers drafting history was 19 years ago in Vancouver......Wayne's World flashback scene.....

Basically unless the NHL catches on and starts a 3-on-3 post draft day single elimination tournament between draft classes it's really not that exciting if you're team's not choosing in the top three. If you end up hearing "with the 21st pick the Florida Panthers select" that would be plenty exciting for us.

Soapbox:

What we'd really like to see is the Flyers fire all their scouts and donate the money to charity. Actually now that I think about it that's kind of what they're doing already. The Flyers have 15 scouts listed on their website. It's been well-documented in the past couple weeks that in any given year only about 1/2 of the players drafted in the first round will ever even dress for the team that drafted them. After that it's like shooting fish in barrel so big that you rarely hit a fish. Take the case of Flyers scout Mark Greig, for example.

Greig put in five years in the Flyers organization back at the turn of the millennium. The loyal readers of Cycle Like the Sedins actually are probably familiar with the son of High River, Alberta from his two incredible seasons in Lethbridge from 1988-90. So now we have this guy scouting the WHL. Just the WHL. All year long. 22 teams. And now, after reimbursing Greig 35 cents a mile for 6 months and for all the coffee he invariably drank while driving his PT Cruiser back and forth across Route 1, we're flying him out to Montreal to stay in a nice hotel and go to nice meals, all to tell Paul Holmgren that if by some miracle Jared Cowen or Ashton Carter is around at #21 that we should take him? Maybe take Landon Ferraro?

Thanks for the input Mark!

If they let all those guys go they'd save at least, I'm guessing, $2M a year. If they then gave that money to me I could make everyone in the world a happier person by finally creating my dream show where chefs challenge what I call "an Iron Chef" by trying to make meals out of a main secret ingredient on a weekly basis. Look, you're smiling already.

Anaheim Calling signals some Ducks drafting opinions

While I haven't had the privilege to crash at their place like a certain other Ducks blogger, the duo at Anaheim Calling are quickly showing that there's room in the Duck-o-sphere for more than one great Anaheim blog. They first truly drew my attention with a great piece about the Ducks' now-departed goalie coach (still a good read).

Then they outdid themselves alongside Joe in an Anaheim-Detroit mini-blog that exceeded all reasonable expectations. Another bonus: their blog name always gets "The Clash" in my head. Good times.

In case you cannot take the hint already, Anaheim Calling is absolutely a blog that you should keep your eye on. Thanks, guys.

1. What direction do you see the Ducks going with pick #15? Is there any chance that they might get an even better pick by trading Pronger, after all?

ARTHUR:
I think the Ducks know that they SHOULD be looking for a Top Six scorer. Their prospect pool is overflowing with two-way forwards. That being said, though, they could just as easily use an elite defenseman. And this year's Top 14 are deep enough to where even one team playing a hunch could open up a great pick for the Ducks.

There are various mock situations where one of the Top 10 teams picks a kid from the 11-14, or one of the 11-14 teams picks from the Bottom 15, displacing someone like Scott Glennie or John Moore or Jordan Schroeder. Those situations are ideal, and I really think Ryan Ellis, due to his size, is the only elite player the Ducks would pass on at 15. My preferred picks would be Glennie and Moore, but I wouldn't scoff at a situation where one of the 'better' players falls to the Ducks. I just feel Glennie and Moore would be the best fit, though both are 11-14 players on my board.

The most terrifying scenario is one where the Ducks are stuck with the "True" 15th pick. The Hockey's Future draft paints that picture pretty well. In that situation, I think the Ducks move the pick. The risk value for the 15-20 forwards bears a striking resemblance to that of the 20-30 forwards. Anaheim might as well move down and add a 2nd Rounder in that situation.

DANIEL:
As far as moving up, the only trade I can see that makes sense is the Ducks swapping Pronger and their 1st Round choice for the Kings' 5th overall pick and a Top 6 forward, ideally Frolov. The only reason I see that happening is the Kings need a winner. They need a veteran who can dominate and teach their young defensemen how to win 2-1 games. Even if Pronger is a season-long "rental," the potential effect he could have on a young L.A. team that really needs to make the playoffs could be immeasurable. Meanwhile, the Ducks get the Top 6 forward they need and a little payroll flexibility to possibly hold on to Beauchemin. Mix-in a Top 5 pick, and Anaheim can pick a blue chip D-man to replace Pronger. Plus, the Kings are still picking at 15, and will have a chance at drafting another solid forward to replace Frolov.

The question is: How badly do the Kings want to make the playoffs this year? This trade is clearly more beneficial to the Ducks, though perhaps other pieces can be added for a better balance, but I think the key elements of Pronger for the Top 5 pick will work out for everyone. I don't see another scenario where the Ducks can trade up. Other teams in the Top 10 already have a lot of money spent on their blue line, or don't have a forward that would make it worthwhile to part with Pronger.

2. What are some of the most pivotal moments in Ducks drafting history? Talk about some of the biggest "steals" and missed opportunities.

DANIEL:
Obviously, the most important draft in franchise history was the 1993 draft when we selected Paul Kariya with the 4th overall pick. He was our Captain, led us to our first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and was one win away from bringing the Cup to Anaheim. Somewhat forgotten, but equally important to the franchise's early success was Mikhail Shtalenkov. He was a more than capable backup for Guy Hebert, and even put up a great fight in our '99 series with Detroit. That first draft provided two key pieces for the early Ducks teams. I'd also list 2002 and 2004 as pivotal drafts, since we turned Lupul and Smid into Chris Pronger. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have hoisted the Cup if Pronger wasn't in a Ducks sweater.

Then there was the 1996 Draft that yielded Ruslan Salei and Matt Cullen. Salei was a solid blueliner, who was on the 2002-2003 team that made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, and Cullen was a key piece in the trade that brought Ozolinsh to Anaheim for that same run. Of course, the 2003 draft was huge, but Arthur's got that in his list of steals. So, keep reading.

ARTHUR:
On misses, I just have to say that hindsight can be unnecessarily soul crushing.
It's one thing to note that the Top 10 passed on Iginla in '95, but when you point out that LA and Anaheim went 3 and 4 respectively, and Southern California picked Aki Berg and Chad Kilger? I can feel the tears dripping from my heart onto my small intestine.

Generally, though, the Ducks draft with the quality of the class. In a deep draft pool, they do exceptionally well, and in a thin draft class, they miss the superstars along with everyone else. They rarely bust or steal.

I won't officially call 'bust' or 'steal' on the recent picks, though I think Eric Tangradi (who we traded) was a steal, and Logan MacMillan (who we kept) just finished a foreboding season. But what do I know? I wanted them to draft Jim O'Brien that year.

They've had a clear bust with Alexei Smirnov in 2000, but pretty much all of the picks in the middle of that 1st Round flamed-out. There have been some depth-player steals: Shtalenkov early on, Gerber and O'Brien more recently. But the steal that I would note as the greatest in Ducks history was getting the 28th overall pick in 2003 from the Stars. For the pick that Anaheim used to acquire Corey Perry, the Ducks moved San Jose's 2nd Round pick (36th overall) and their own 2nd Round pick (54th overall), which Dallas used to acquire Vojtech Polak and BJ Crombeen, respectively. As deep as that draft was, the Stars really dropped the ball there. They could have had Eriksson AND Perry.

Soapbox: Feel free to take the floor, if you'd like.

DANIEL:
I'd like to take this time to say that the soapbox is a very comfortable place for me. I'm going to use it to tell Anaheim fans to STOP hating on Kariya!!! You don't have to want him back on the team to relive the glory days with Selanne, but respect what the man did for us, and stop booing him when he comes to the Ponda Center.

And if my management could please get me a Top 6 forward who can skate with Selanne, I'd appreciate it. He was my favorite player from the day he first put on a Ducks sweater. Please let him be the old player that Ducks fans fell in love with, and get him a guy who can play the left side and get him the puck; I promise he'll score 40 or more, and it'll be some of the most entertaining hockey that folks have seen in years.

ARTHUR:
I'll second Daniel's sentiments. And then I just want to say to ALL hockey fans: WATCH NCAA HOCKEY! I realize you'll never watch West Coast hockey, and really, I can live with that. 'The 2nd Period starts the same time as Conan? Madness!' But after one of the most exciting seasons/tournaments I've seen in the last 15 years, I implore you: watch NCAA hockey. It just might make this whole Draft thing more enjoyable for you.

This was Anaheim calling to the hockey world. Enjoy your Draft, boys and girls.

Scotty Hockey shares NY Rangers draft thoughts

What's a more dangerous combo: Glen Sather and a check book or John Tortorella and a mic?

You know a team is in good hands when you see that the author South Park-ized himself, which is the case with our New York Rangers blogging buddy Scotty Hockey.

As often as Scotty sings the praises of Henrik Lundqvist, he'll also pump out poetic prose promoting the likes of Petr Prucha. (And like any good Rangers fan, he clearly has a soft spot for Sean Avery)

We've ripped the Rangers for having a buffoon of a GM and, subsequently, a team marred by horrific contracts but it would be a lie if we said there was nothing good about the Blueshirts. Scotty Hockey certainly puts a friendly face on the MSG gang, even if he's kind of mean to Sidney Crosby.

Avery: Dubes, I told you to forward my Vogue subscription to Dallas! Oh well, see you soon ...

1. What direction do you expect the Rangers to go in with this year's draft? What's your preference?

I think that Gordie Clark and the Rangers will continue to pick the best available talent while keeping an eye on character speedsters who can excel in John Tortorella's system. Glen Sather didn't bring Torts in to fill a suit, he is handing him the keys to the castle and will build a team that fits Torts' style - just as he did with Renney. Unfortunately the signings for Renney backfired and the coach couldn't adapt, leading to a ticket out of town. Tortorella came in and thought that last season's team didn't have the size or conditioning to compete in the playoffs so both will certainly be addressed. There will almost certainly be a goaltender added to the organization by the end of Saturday as '97 second rounder Antoine Lafleur turned out to be bust.

Personally, I don't really care who the Rangers get with their top pick, I just hope he has heart, character and is someone who will be capable of playing in the next year or two. It is sick to look at all of the top young talent around the league and remember that last season's Blueshirts had just one rookie play more than five games (Lauri Korpikoski). That will change next season with Anisimov and a defenseman or two likely to make the opening night roster but it needs to be an annual occurrence - especially for the duration of the albatross contracts of Drury, Gomez and Redden.

2. Looking back, discuss some of the highest and lowest draft moments in Rangers history. What are some of the "steals" and groan-inducing moments that NYR fans will never forget?

The highest moment would be the ninth overall pick in 1986, a American defenseman out of high school named Brian Leetch who is now being inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 1989 draft gave up Steve Rice and Loui DeBrusk, who (along with Bernie Nichols) turned into Mark Messier. The lowest, well, probably that came after draft day but the death of Alexei Cherepanov. Cherry was billed as the next Jagr, who happened to be his favourite hero and then teammate. That kid had superstar potential, RIP. Personally I remember being at the 99 draft party talking to Dan Cloutier when he was pulled away by team personnell as he was traded. But more on that day in a bit.

For steals, well I think anyone that makes it to the NHL after being picked beyond the fourth round counts as a great revelation and the Rangers have had some success, especially in the sixth: Tony Granato, Kjell Samuelsson, Darren Turcotte, Mike York, Marek Zidlicky, Tom Laidlaw and Eddie Johnstone were all sixth rounders. As for the biggest late round grab, it was likely the Sarge, Sergei Nemchinov - picked in the 12th round in 1990 and engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1994.

Groan inducing? Where to start? First off, there was the Huge Mistake Hugh Jessiman - the only first rounder of 2003 (one of the best drafts everrrrr) to not make the NHL. Then there is the double disaster of Pavel Brendl and Jamie Lundmark - and they were the only two players we picked in the '99 draft to even play a single game in the NHL. When they announced the Cloutier trade and those picks, I got up, yelled something obscene and walked out. Not a good day. And they weren't the worse of the bunch: how about Lee Falardeau, Jeff Brown or Stefan Cherneski? Or go back a ways and see Al Blanchard, the only first rounder in '72 never to play a NHL game. The Rangers believe they can't rebuild in New York and they are probably right, what with the way they drafted prior to the lockout.

Soapbox time: take this opportunity to discuss the Rangers and/or NHL in general.

The rumour mill has been churning with Dany Heatley announcing his desire to leave Ottawa and he really would look quite nice in a Ranger uniform, until he got bored or annoyed with the boos and wanted to be traded again. The Rangers need something and rumour has it Sather has something big in the works. It will be an interesting (and likely infuriating) week ahead. After the team didn't make it out of the first round and then had the nerve to increase season ticket prices, they have to do something to avoid a major fan revolt next season. If they thought my "Please Sens, Take Redden BACK" sign was bad, just wait until a raucous picket line forms outside, 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, Glen Sather's Got To Go!'

The Pipeline Show bring us a first with its Edmonton Oilers draft coverage

It's been a long time coming. Despite the fact that we've managed to get multiple bloggers for many teams, we've never had an Edmonton Oilers contribution. This was shocking to me, as in its prime the Oilers blogosphere provided much of the inspiration for your humble author (and many others) to write silly things about hockey on the Internet.

Well, we finally got an Edmonton blogger in Dean from The Pipeline Show. For Edmonton people out there, they can be found on TEAM 1260 but for most of our readers, you can find their shows at their Web site and blog. They've been spotlighting different prospects each week and doing Mock Drafts of their own, so make sure to check their work out.

Thanks a bunch, Dean! Keep up the good hockey fight.

1. What do you expect the Oilers to do with 10th pick? Talk about some of the prospects (who might realistically be available around that time) who you have your eyes on. Who would you like to see the Oilers draft?

At number 10 I expect the following 5 players to be options for the Oilers. Nazem Kadri, John Moore, Scott Glennie, David Rundbland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. I think it’s between Moore, Glennie and Rundbland and in our mock draft at http://thepipelineshow.blogspot.com I have them taking Glennie, while my co-host Guy Flaming has them grabbing Moore. Some have Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson falling to 10, if that happens the Oilers will be dancing in the streets, but I don’t see it. Same goes with Dmitry Kulikov.

2. Do you think the Oilers will make any draft day moves? If the Oilers had to move a pick to land, say Heatley, would it be worth it?

If it was my decision I would deal the 10th overall selection in a package for Heatley. We talked on our show last week about this. Would you deal the pick or Jordan Eberle (last year’s first rounder) in a package for Heatley. I would rather deal the pick because you already know what you are getting from Eberle as far as skill, character and the ability to perform in big games. At #10 who knows it could be Steve Kelly.

3. Take us back for some of your favorite Oilers draft memories. Obviously, the Gretzky era probably contains many of those moments. Are there any other steals/bargains/etc that stand out?

Getting Andy Moog in the 7th round of the 1980 draft and then selecting Grant Fuhr the next year in the first round gave them maybe the best 1-1A goaltending tandem ever and set them up for the 80’s. Of course getting Messier, Anderson and Kurri in the 3rd or 4th rounds was incredible considering all 3 are in the HHOF. Fernando Pisani was a great bargain in the 8th round of 1996. The Oilers haven’t drafted in the top ten very often but got it right with Ryan Smyth 6th overall in 1994.

In 2006 the team didn’t have a first round pick after trading for Dwayne Roloson and reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. But they grabbed D-Man Jeff Petry who is currently at Michigan State. He was voted Hockey USA’s top player in 2007 while playing in the USHL.

4. On the other hand, the Oilers have probably had their fair share of blunders. Talk about some of the more head-splitting/"what if?" moments.

No contest. Edmonton hosting the draft in 1995. The entire crowd is chanting Shane Doan’s (from nearby Halkirk, Alberta) name. The Oilers instead draft Steve Kelly who went onto play 27 games for the Oilers and score one goal.

Honourable mention to Jesse Niinimaki in 2002, as he wasn’t on any first round list and didn’t suit up once in the regular season for Edmonton.

Soapbox Time: Feel free to use this as a moment to get something off your chest. Talk about the future of the franchise, the underrated perks of living in Edmonton or whatever else.

The Oilers want to get bigger and need to make #10 count more than ever. They also need someone from the prospect system to take a giant step forward this year. A player doesn’t have to make the team out of camp but has to have a sky rocket type season. Rob Schremp needs to bounce back from a horrible season, and he and the rest of the AHL team should with Rob Daum behind the bench for a full season.

The Forechecker pressures the Nashville Predators into a draft turnover

On the Forecheck is one of the premier blogs when it comes to looking at hockey numbers beyond mere plus/minus and points. The Forechecker is also one of the best sources of information on the Nashville Predators.

For years, I was much like cranky MSM'ers: "numbers don't tell the real story," I'd say. Yet over the last year or so, bloggers like Kent, the Forechecker and Earl Sleek keep swaying my opinion. Now, whenever I see someone use plus/minus I cannot help but sport a cocky smirk.

Follow Dirk at On the Forecheck and you'll probably have the same type of reactions.

1. It might be difficult to predict whom the Predators will end up with at #11, but talk about a few prospects you expect to be available. Is there a guy you're really hoping will still be around?

The guy who really has people salivating around here is Jordan Schroeder from the University of Minnesota. He's a high-end talent, with the only knock on him being his 5'9" height. He's solidly built, however, and draws raves as a two-way threat who would seem to fit in well with the Predators style. I wouldn't be surprised to see David Poile trade up a couple spots if that's what it takes to get him.

2. The defection of Radulov was a pretty big blow to the Predators, particularly since the organization's strengths seem to be in developing defensive players. How likely do you think it might be that the Predators move their first round pick (or one of their better draft picks/prospects) to fill the offensive void?

I don't think you'll see the Preds move that pick to acquire a proven NHL talent, simply because I don't think you'd get a true difference-maker at #11. Maybe if it was a top-five pick you'd get something nice, but if you're up that high, you'd rather take a shot at a top-notch prospect that you can work with for the next several years. Don't rule out the organization using some of that defensive depth that they've developed, however, as a trade chip. That's why taking the best player available, no matter your current need, is generally a good idea. By the time that talent is developed, if you can't use it, you at least have created some value that you use in trade.

3. Nashville seems like a team that's been built largely through strong drafting. Talk about some of the best moves in the organization's history. Are there any picks that stand out to you as "steals"?

You can't do much better than Pekka Rinne as the 258th overall pick in 2004, but Martin Erat at 191st in 1999 looks pretty good as well.

4. Conversely, talk about some of the Predators' "d'oh" moments. Are there any botched picks that really stand out as being ones that the franchise should regret?

It might be a bit early, but you'd probably call Scotty Upshall a disappointment with the 6th overall selection in 2002. While he shows occasional flashes of effectiveness, his career-best numbers this season totaled 15 goals and 19 assists, not exactly dynamite stuff. He's on his 3rd NHL team already, too.

5. Take this opportunity to stand on a soapbox, if you'd like. Feel free to discuss the future of the Predators' franchise or the NHL at a whole. Perhaps you'd like to discuss Nashville as a market, or something of that nature?

Nashville has a pretty bright future as an NHL market, based on the commitment that the city has made in terms of the Sommet Center lease, and the direction that the new ownership group has taken, to aggressively develop the business side of the team. There's been talk of renovating the arena to include a stretch of retail stores to better integrate it into the downtown area, for example. Combine that with the long-term demographic shifts which keep Nashville among the faster-growing cities in North America, and I think over time it should become a well-established, reliable NHL market. If the league as a whole grows at 2-3% a year, for example, I'd expect the Preds to grow by 4-5%. That "slow but steady" development could always take a leap forward if the Preds managed to make a decent playoff run, but people are very positive about the overall direction of the organization.