Any additions to the below as speculation of the top 12?
L: Zetterberg
C: Lecavalier, Spezza, Briere, Datsyuk, Savard
R: Alfredsson, St.Louis, Gaborik
D: Gonchar, Whitney
G: Kiprusoff
In the running to replace any of above... Giguere-G? Kariya-L? McCabe-D? Jokinen-C?
11 comments:
I think that you have probably nailed down the top end of the draft.
Personally I think that Jokinen is more important than Savard, and that Lundqvist may make an appearance in the first (especially as an FP replacement), but for the most part, you got it.
The only quibble I have is that we may see some dropped FP's showing up in the first.
These could include; Naslund, Hejduk, Forsberg, Sundin, etc., some of whom would look like pretty decent options to consider towards the end of the first round.
Hi Brian,
Think you have my top 12. The trick is to see if you can get them in order - even better if you can get the first two rounds in order.
When does Cam draft? He has made a lot of noise about Nash as potential FP material. Enough noise that if he drafts later than 4th, he might have to defend him in the 1st.
I also have a keen enough interest in getting good Ds early that if Whitney and Gonchar are gone before I draft (8th?) or not possible for me to draft it might be worth considering adding a third to your list.
Finally, do called RFAs, who are kept and default to second (or later) round status count as 1st round drafts? They should, even though they aren't recorded that way. Your list could be much longer in those circumstances.
Richard
For the record, I pick 12th. As for having to protect Nash in the first, I guess I doubt that anyone will take Nash as an FP without him having at least one FP caliber season stats-wise.
My FP Predictor Thesis states that Nash has a 75% chance of being an FP caliber winger based on where he was drafted by the NHL, but FUNHL GMs tend to be a bit more conservative, and prefer to have players as FPS whose value is proven rather than speculated.
Actually Cam picks 11th.
As for Nash, he may be a first-rounder some day - but not this year, IMHO.
Doug's fearless first round prediction (version 752):
1- Knights Templar, G M.Kipprusoff 113pts
2- Highlanders, C V.Lecavalier 108pts
3- Bladerunners, RW M.St.Louis 102pts
4- Edge C J.Spezza 87pts, FP replacement
5- Personal Vendetta C D.Briere 95pts
6- Shadowmen LW H.Zetterberg 68pts, FP replacement
7- Ramapithicines D S.Gonchar 67pts
8- Lost Boys C M.Savard 96pts
9- Scourge C P.Datsyuk 87pts, FP replacement
10- Wolves RW D.Alfredsson 87pts
11- Severed Heads RW M.Gaborik 57pts
12- Great Whites C O.Jokinen 91pts
Aside from having Gaborik ahead of Jokinen (based on my needs I'll be hunting for a pivot to compliment Malkin before I'll be looking for a winger to compliment Jagr) - but otherwise, I see only a few question marks;
- Brian passes on Spezza to take St Louis? Really?
- Picking Corey to select Gonchar is like picking it to rain in Vancouver. It's a gimme.
- Marc Savard at #8 overall? I guess I just don't see it. I have him going in the 2nd rnd.
- Only one goaltender in the 1st rnd? I predict that there is a 50/50 chance ether Giguere or Lundqvist will also be selected (and in my lists this displaces Savard...)
Here's my own prediction:
1. Kipper
2. Lecavalier (though on my lists he is #3).
3. Spezza
4. Briere - FP replacement for Elias
5. Zetterberg
6. Jokinen - FP replacement
7. Gonchar
8. Datsyuk
9. Giguere
10. Alfreddson
11. St Louis
12. Savard
As with all predictions, this is more or less a guesstimate.
Everyone will have some interestign choices in the first round... which is much better than having no choices. The additional challenge is for those GMs make FP changes. What to do, what to do.
As for #3 pick - any of Kipper, Lecavalier, Spezza, St.Louis, Zetterberg, Gonchar are in my sights right now.
I think Nash is due... I will take him in the first and see if he is available.
Do it man, do it!
Richard - I did mention McCabe as a 'possible' 3rd d-man to be drafted in the first round. I guess technically that bid on players that are matched in the first round cound as potential first round picks so the first round could actually be a list of 15 or so players.
The 22nd rnd is also looking pretty good with the following 5 likely to be drafted as RFAs in the last round:
E.Staal-C, Parise-L, Cammalerri-R, Lehtonen-G and Crosby-C.
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