Saturday, June 16, 2007

UFHL Draft 2007 team by team picks

To keep the tradition started at the last draft, here is again a list of picks by each of the UFHL teams with a short summary.


TeamPicksComments
#14-Maxim Mayorov
#27-Brett MacLean
The injury on the eve of U-18 championships hurt Mayorov's stock. This pick along with Backlund has the potential to really pay off in the future.
#45-Stefan Legein
#57-Nick Ross
#65-Riley Nash
#73-Brendan Smith
If Legein was a few inches taller, he'd be a top 10 pick this year.
#23-Kevin Shattenkirk
#46-Logan MacMillan
#59-Tony Salmelainen (UFHL)
#74-Oliver Setzinger (UFHL)
#75-Andrew Hutchinson (UFHL)
At the start of the draft it looked like half of it will go to Buffalo. Yet, Randy deftly trimmed down his selection portfolio and we applaud shrewd pickup of Logan MacMillan and boo the Hutchinson selection.
#34-Keven Veilleux
#51-Mike Hoeffel
While the word "enigmatic" is usually reserved for selections from Russia, there is no better word to descrbe the new Flames prospect Keven Veilleux. Figuring out if he is going to be a dominant 1st liner or a bust is harder than spelling his last name.
#18-Colton GilliesSome may scoff at Gillies' offense, but truth is, good things happen to big hard working players that keep their game simple.
#8-Alexei Cherepanov
#30-Alex Plante
#37-Tyson Sexsmith
A forward, a defenseman and a goalie. A bit of everything in this selection bag, with russian sniper Cherepanov being the highlight of the group.
#7-Angelo Esposito
#56-Spencer Machacek
#64-Trevor Cann
Esposito was slipping in many rankings, but we feel that it was a smart selection, Esposito is one of the few players in this draft with a truly elite toolbox.
#86-Patrice BriseboisThe Stars are pulling out all the stops trying to capture the elusive league championship. While they traded away all of their picks, they managed to obtain one to grab this PP specialist.
#13-Lars Eller
#26-Simon Hjalmarsson
#66-Niklas Torp
Swedes, swedes, swedes. Did UFHL Wings hire Hakan Andersson? We feel that Eller and Hjalmarsson have 1st line potential.
#9-Logan Couture
#15-Ryan McDonagh
#53-Jeremy Smith
#68-Juraj Valach
Smith and Valach are great value at where they were picked, and we think we heard sobs from a few tables on the draft floor when McDonagh selection was announced.
#6-James Van Riemsdyk
#35-Colby Cohen
JVR's combination of skill and size is unique among this draft's top prospects.
#21-Tommy Cross
#49-Ian Cole
#77-Maxim Goncharov
Is there such thing as too much defense? Not if it's good, it is not.
#2-Kyle Turris
#50-Sebastien Erixon
#76-Duvie Westcott (UFHL)
#81-Joel Gistedt
Two top players as ranked by CSS here: Turris among North American skaters and Gistedt among European goalies.
#85-Niclas LuceniusMontreal traded away all of its picks before the draft, but could not resist trading for a pick at the end of the draft seeing how many good players are still available.
#17-Keaton Ellerby
#41-Joakim Andersson
#43-Luca Cunti
Three of the biggest wildcards of this draft went to New Jersey.
#4-Karl Alzner
#31-Thomas Hickey
#32-Patrick White
#60-Ed Belfour (UFHL)
#78-Greg deVries (UFHL)
First the Isles took care of the future, then made sure they will compete hard next season by picking vets Belfour and deVries.
#10-Zach Hamill
#39-Maxime Tanguay
#63-Justin Peters (UFHL)
The Rangers werent satisfied with the talent available in this draft's 3rd round and poached Peters from Tampa.
#24-Nick Petrecki
#80-Eric Doyle
A couple of big defensemen for Ottawa's blueline.
#19-Jonathon Blum
#36-Sergei Korostin
#42-Dana Tyrell
None of that off the board crap, "steady as she goes" is the motto in Philly.
#5-Sam Gagner
#38-Antoine LaFleur
#47-Yannick Weber
#48-Mark Owuya
#62-Drayson Bowman
#67-Zack Torquato
#70-Blake Kessel
#79-Nick Spaling
#82-Kevin Weekes (UFHL)
Good value picks throughout, and Gagner is a good selection at #5. But how are the Yotes going to sign all of their nine picks?
#3-Jakub Voracek
#28-Max Pacioretty
#52-T.J. Brennan
#55-Maxim Vorobyev
#72-Jason Ward (UFHL)
Voracek is a special player, and Pacioretty and Brennan are solid picks, but where is Vastom? Wherever it is, it's too close to V A S _ _ T O M _ for our comfort.
#69-Vladimir Ruzicka
#71-Bryan Cameron
Sharks picked a slipping player in Ruzicka, and a darkhorse favorite in Cameron, but it was a low profile draft after trading both first rounders away.
#11-Brandon Sutter
#40-John Negrin
We really like Sutter pick, but not so sure about Negrin.
#22-Jim O'BrienO'Brien is right on the money where he was picked. Tampa got the most of their choice.
#12-Mikael Backlund
#16-Michal Repik
#29-Bill Sweatt
#83-Derek Armstrong (UFHL)
#84-Jonas Hiller (UFHL)
Mikael Backlund could have been fighting for #1 pick status if not for injury setbacks. Could he regain the last years status when he was regarded higher than Backstrom? If so, it's not a steal at #12, it's a coup!
#20-David Perron
#44-Mark Katic
#54-Max Gratchev
#61-Ruslan Bashkirov
3 players from the Q, and one of them from lEEWWWWWWiston? We need some dramamine and a massive cleanup on Robson street!
#1-Patrick Kane
#25-Oscar Moller
#33-Akim Aliu
#58-Kent Patterson
It's rumoured that the Capitals have secured services of one of the best scouts in the business - X-Sharkie. Sharkie's influence is clearly seen in the last pickup of goalie prospect Kent Patterson.