NHL draft winners
When it comes to the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft, some teams fared better than others. Here are the ‘winners’ of this year’s draft:
Florida Panthers: The Panthers had an immense opportunity in this year’s draft. The struggling team had three first-round picks and ten picks within the top 99. This means that realistically they could be fortunate enough to draft six or seven players that would develop enough to play in the NHL.
The best pick the Panthers made in this draft was 18-year-old Kingston Frontenacs defenseman Erik Gudbranson. The 6ft 3in was the third overall pick in the draft and is already at a level where he seems on track to play at least a decade of NHL-level hockey.
Florida also has a high-risk, high-reward possibility in left wing John McFarland. General manager Dale Tallon has said anyone who plays well in the preseason will be called up to the squad, and the 33rd overall pick certainly has the potential.
All in all, Florida’s draft class is perfect for a team that is attempting to rebuild after a string of poor seasons. If it all pans out, this draft could be remembered as the beginning of a strong franchise.
Boston Bruins: The Bruins’ top pick is destined for success. After a huge improvement in production between 2008-09 and 2009-10, Plymouth Whalers centre Tyler Seguin would have already been the number two pick. Seguin had the talent for NHL success and with a serious bulking up regiment this off-season, he more than has the physique as well.
The Bruins boosted their depth at centre with a few smart second-round selections. They got London Knights centre Jared Knight and Peterborough Petes centre Ryan Spooner. The two may not be as talented as Seguin, but are very smart and intense players who should pan out based on head and heart alone.
Boston’s dark horse pick is Zane Gothberg. The 165th pick goalie out of Thief River Falls High School in Minnesota is a hulking 6ft 1in at 18 and could develop into quite a force in between the pipes.
Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes wisely picked the draft’s best scorer Jeff Skinner at No. 7. Skinner had 50 goals for the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers last season and his scoring instinct could really help revitalize a struggling offence that was the main cause behind the Hurricanes’ inability to make the play-offs.
The Hurricanes also set up their defensive future with four solid blue-line selections. They got Harvard University defenseman Danny Biega, who is a budding two-way defenseman. Although he is a bit undersized for his position at only 6ft, he’s got phenomenal foot speed and acceleration. The Canes also drafted sound blue-line prospects in Justin Faulk and Mark Alt. The Hurricanes also had a very interesting pick in left wing Justin Shugg of the Windsor Spitfires. The fourth-round selection scored 79 points in 67 games in the OHL last season.
Chicago Blackhawks: The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup because of previous drafting and they continued to show their draft savvy in 2010. The best of their selections was Massachusetts high school student Kevin Hayes. The right wing will be attending Boston University and has the potential to turn into a very serious two-way threat.
Chicago also added some potential on the opposite wing with its selection of Ludvig Rensfeldt. The 18-year-old Swedish wing has modelled his game after Vincent Lecavalier and seems to have the size, smarts, and puck handling to do Lecavalier justice.
The Blackhawks also snagged 2009 draftee Jeremy Morin in a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers. The second-round pick has really blossomed while playing for Kitchener and would have been a first-round selection if he were in the draft this year.
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