Day 2 Draft Roundup

While many of us (myself certainly included) were getting our hearts broken with the World Cup, it was all business for Ray Shero and the crew at day 2 of the NHL Draft. He continued the trend of taking wingers, as his first 3 picks of the day (5 total) were wingers. The other trend that continued was the selection of Americans. Along with Bennett, 3 more Americans were taken today. Shero is clearly rather satisfied with the young nucleus of d-men in the system (Lovejoy, Strait, Despres, etc) and felt he needed to build up the wings. Here is a rundown of the picks of the day.

3rd round. (80)- Bryan Rust
Pos: RW
Team: USA U-18 Team
H/W: 6'1, 191 lbs
Rust, a USA Junior prospect, is a strong offensive factor with the puck. He is a good scorer, and was one of the main offensive leaders with the U-18 squad. He is neither small nor huge, so he brings his balanced attack to the floor with the potential to eventually work his way up to the NHL. Next season, he will be attending the University of Notre Dame.

4th round. (110)- Tom Kuehnhackl
Pos: RW
Team: Landshut (Germany)
H/W: 6'2, 192 lbs
Kuehnhackl comes from a good hockey bloodline, as his father was widely celebrated as one of the top players in Germany. He is no slouch himself, rated overall as the #8 European skater. He, like Rust, brings a balanced attack to the team. Next season, he will be moving to North America to play for Windsor of the OHL.

5th round. (140)- Kenneth Agostino
Pos: LW
Team: Delbarton HS, NJ
H/W: 5'10, 190 lbs
Agostino ripped up the NJ high school system, putting up MASSIVE stats in a small number of games. Yes, the competition was not near as fierce as in small pro leagues, but he still shows much promise. He will have plenty of time to develop in the system, as he will be attending Yale University next year.

6th round. (152)- Joe Rogalski
Pos: D
Team: Sarnia (OHL)
H/W: 6'1, 195 lbs
Rogalski is a technical defenseman. He is not incredibly big nor is he all that speedy, but he has been respectable with Sarnia of the OHL and perhaps he could be a depth player sometime in the future.

6th round. (170)- Reid McNeill

Pos: D

Team: London Knights (OHL)

McNeill is a 6'3 defenseman who has developed a bit of a reputation as a scrapper. These qualities mean he may one day be effective at the AHL level, but maybe not necessarily the big leagues.

The Pens traded their 7th round pick away to San Jose for San Jose's 7th rounder next year.

And Maybe Our D-Man too?

Yes, Ray Shero must fancy the idea of stealing people's thunder. Just after the festivities of the first round concluded Friday night, he struck a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers (yes, THE FLYERS) that brings the RIGHTS to defenseman Dan Hamhuis under the Pens control. In return, he gave the Flyers a third round pick for next year. I am not going to start a detailed report on Hamhuis right now, because it is important to note that he is NOT a Penguin right now. The Penguins simply acquired the rights to sign him before all free agents unlock on July 1. The rights to Hamhuis are starting to seem like the holy grail of the offseason, as they have now changed hands twice in the last week. The Flyers quickly realized they had no chance of affording Hamhuis, as he asked for more than they could give in their current salary cap. I fear the same may happen in Pittsburgh, as Hamhuis was extremely adamant with Philadelphia that he would not take a pay cut. But, all that aside, lets just assume the deal does get done. It would mean that the Pens may have fixed a major problem back on their blue line. It would also mean the final goodbye to Sergei Gonchar and likely at least one of the duo of Mark Eaton and Jordan Leopold. This is something we will have to follow over the next few days.

We Got Our Winger

Despite rumors that they may trade it to a team like the Flyers, the Pens went on and selected RW Beau Bennett with their 20th overall pick. Bennett was the product of heavy discussion that the Pens were looking for a winger, though he may not have been specifically the one everyone expected. Bennett is rather large at around 6'1 175 lbs, but plays more like a small agile forward. Bennett, born in southern California, spent last season in the BCHL hockey league. His stats were excellent, though the level of competition in the BCHL has been questioned a bit. He is sometimes referred as a "big fish in a small pond." Despite this, there is plenty of upside to this kid. He is a great skater and brings a goal scoring touch unseen in many of the gritty players the Pens currently have in the system. He has great vision on the ice and has been extremely effective on the powerplay. His physicality needs some work, as does his backchecking, but there is plenty of time to work on that in the minors. He will be playing college hockey next season in Denver, and I probably wouldn't expect him to be considered for the NHL roster for at least 2 years. Still, it was a good pick by Shero in the idea of a long term investment.

Possible Pens Picks and First Round Draft

First off, let me say thanks to everyone here at TiGO for letting me post. In this, we will take a look at a handful of potential picks that the Penguins could make with the 20th pick in the first round and also take a look at my first round mock draft.
So lets get this started with the potential picks for the Pens. For this, I only included players that were available in my mock draft when it was the Pens pick. Therefore, there won't be any profiles for players picked #1-19 even though some could be possible if they were to drop in the actual draft.

STANISLAV GALIEV (RW)
Scout's Take: "A high-end player, intelligent and responsible at both ends of the ice. He's got good moves and backchecks hard, an all around player. Maybe similar to Pavel Datsyuk in the way he chips in for a highly skilled team."
My Take: The Pens lack depth at the Wings, so adding one in the first round might not be a bad move, let alone a two-way winger such as Galiev.

EVGENY KUZNETSOV (C)
Scout's Take: "He is fast, skillful and talented. He is also a leader on the ice, he was captain of the Russian Under-18 team and he had an excellent tournament. He is very skilled."
My Take: Being a captain at a young age mean that you lead well when amongst your peers. How this leadership would transfer to the North American game or an NHL club would remain to be seen. Drafting another center in the first round could spell the beginning of the end for Malkin at that position or on the Pens roster.

JONATHON MERRILL (D)
Scout's Take: "He plays the game a lot like Jordan Leopold. He plays weaving and diving, sneaking and thinking, gaining the zone and moving the puck ahead right on the tape to a guy. He's skilled and he's really come a long way in his development."
My Take: ...A lot like Jordan Leopold. As a Pens fan, the book is still out on whether the Leopold trade was good for the Pens, and with the system pretty filled at D, this pick could be suprising to some, or a sfe pick in case Goligoski or Letang doesn't pan out within the duration of their contract.

BROCK NELSON (C)
Scout's Take: "Big, strapping center in the Minnesota High School league. Going to North Dakota next year and destined to be an NHL'er with a 6-2 frame, 205 pound build. Guaranteed, hard-skating power forward."
My Take: Taking a player right out of high school can be a big risk, especially in the first round. Seeing them make the jump right to the NCAA instead of Junior's can also be a shock to the system. The Pens tend to stay away from high school and international players in the early rounds, so a pick like this would be considered a suprise to some.

CALVIN PICKARD (G)
Scout's Take: "He's a solid goalie, he's not really a huge goalie, but he plays big. His positional play is excellent; he reads the play very well. He's a very confident goalie that plays calm and relaxed. He always seems to give himself a chance to stop the puck and always seems to know where to be.:
My Take: Do the Penguins really need a goalie? The answer is probabily not, but with the years it takes to come through the ranks to the NHL as any pick outside the top 5 or 10 it might turn out to be a wise pick. Within that time, Fleury's contract might be up and not extended, so to have a possible top level goalie in the system would be a trick Shero could have up his sleeve.

TYLER PITLICK (C)
Scout's Take: "Dominates faceoffs and in freshman year, is an excellent young prospect, a really good young skater and his ability to dominate a game at his level is truly impressive."
My Take: You don't see many college prospects in a draft, so to fine one of Pitlick's level is rare. With that said, the organization has depth down the middle, but by the time most of these players are ready, the contracts of "The Core" will be expired or expiring.

VLADIMIR TARASENKO (RW)
Scout's Take: "Vladimir is very effective around the net with his excellent overall skill level and vision. He is a strong, mobile skater with a quick shot. He is not only a sniper, but also a good passer and playmaker. There are no real weaknesses in his overall game and he will be one of the most interesting prospects at the draft."
My Take: He would be the prospect most likely to have an impact right away on the team, but the NHL/KHL turmoil could possibly hold up and chance of him coming over in the near future.


Alright, so there is your quick look at some of the possible players the Pens could take when they are on the clock. Now, lets get to the mock draft and see who I have them selecting.

1) Edmonton Oilers: Taylor Hall, C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
2) Boston Bruins (TOR): Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
3) Florida Panthers: Cam Fowler, D, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
4) Columbus Blue Jackets: Erik Gudbranson, D, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
5) New York Islanders: Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
6) Tampa Bay Lightning: Nino Niederreiter, LW, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
7) Carolina Hurricanes: Brett Connolly, LW, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
8) Atlanta Thrashers: Ryan Johansen, C, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
9) Minnesota Wild: Mikael Granlund, C, HIFK Helsinki (FIN)
10) New York Rangers: Derek Forbort, D, National Under-18 (USA)
11) Dallas Stars: Jack Campbell, G, National Under-18 (USA)
12) Anaheim Ducks: Emerson Etem, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
13) Phoenix Coyotes (CGY): Jeff Skinner. C, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
14) St. Louis Blues: Alex Burmistrov, C, Barrie Colts (OHL)
15) Florida Panthers (BOS): Austin Watson, RW, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
16) Ottawa Senators: Nick Bjugstad, C, Blaine High School (MIN)
17) Colorado Avalanche: Dylan McIlrath, D, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
18) Nashville Predators: Mark Pysyk, D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
19) Los Angeles Kings: Quinton Howden, LW, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
20) Pittsburgh Penguins: Jonathan Merrill, D, National Under-18 (USA)
21) Detroit Red Wings: Riley Sheahan, C, Notre Dame (NCAA)
22) Phoenix Coyotes: Brock Nelson, C, Warroad High School (MIN)
23) Buffalo Sabres: Jarred Tinordi, D, National Under-18 (USA)
24) Chicago Blackhawks (ATL via NJ): Calvin Pickard, G, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
25) Vancouver Canucks: Tyler Pitlick, C, Minnesota State (NCAA)
26) Washington Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, Chelyabinsk Traktor (KHL)
27) Montreal Canadiens: Stanislav Galiev, RW, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
28) San Jose Sharks: Beau Bennett, RW, Penticton Vees (BCHL)
29) Anaheim Ducks (PHI): Jaden Schwartz, C, Tri-City Storm (USHL)
30) Chicago Blackhawks: John McFarland, C, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)


So there you have it, feel free to debate this all you want, cause I know just as well as you that the draft is a crapshoot and that most of these will probabily be wrong.

With the 20th pick, the Pittsburgh Penguins select....

With the 2010 NHL draft quickly approaching (tomorrow), there are few sure things and a whole lot of question marks. Here's what we know. Both the Oilers and the Bruins will be receiving very special players tomorrow afternoon in Hall and Seguin. The order is not known, but most experts are predicting Hall to go first. We also know the Pens will need to make this first rounder count due to the fact they do not have a 2nd round pick. (traded away this season for Jordan Leopold). Beyond that it is a very wide open draft. It is very likely that the Panthers and Blue Jackets each take one of the top rated defensemen with the next two picks. There is the gritty and tough Erik Grudbranson and the smaller but more agile Cam Fowler. Again, the order is unknown as is pretty much everything afterwards. Now, rather than spend hours and hours toiling over each team's individual needs and spend hours writing it all up, I will focus in on the one question you all want answered. "Who will the Pens draft?" Picking right in the middle of the first round (20), you can ask this question to 10 people and get as many different answers. Ray Shero has made it unclear as to whether he is looking for a future investment in forward, or a young blueliner to join the corps he has already been building for a few years, so I will name a few of both. Personally, I would prefer a forward, but a strong case can be made either way.

IF WE'RE LUCKY
Here are a few players the Pens may like to take, but possibly will not be available.

Austin Watson- (RW, Peterbourough) Though the Ponikarovsky experiment was a failure, Shero has been looking for a large winger for a few years. The big forward of the future is currently considered to be Eric Tangradi, but it never hurts to have a backup plan.

Jeff Skinner- (C, Kitchener) Yes, I know he is a center, but if Bylsma continues to fancy Geno as a winger, than perhaps he could be a potential second liner (assuming Staal stays on checking line). He is a great shooter, and doesn't seem far off of development. I wouldn't get too worked up about it, as he will probably be gone anyways.

WITHIN GRASP
These guys are more likely to be around when pick #20 rolls around tomorrow afternoon.

Quinton Howden- (LW, MooseJaw) Howden has a little way to go in his development process, but Shero can do a very nice job of keeping the farm stocked by picking Howden. Howden possesses a well balanced array of offensive skill. I wouldn't mind seeing Shero take him one bit.

Dylan McIlrath- (D, MooseJaw) This 215 lb bulldozer provides exactly what the Pens need on their blue line. Aside from Brooks Orpik, the Pens current defense consists of smaller, agile and technical d-men (Letang, Goligoski, Eaton, Lovejoy, Gonchar). Yes, some of them are scrappy but don't provide the presence that a man like Orpik does. One Orpik is a huge presence, 2 makes it an intimidating force.

BIT OF A STRETCH
Some dark horse picks that will probably be there at #20 if Shero wants to take a chance.

John McFarland- (LW, Sudbury) Picked #1 in the 2008 OHL draft (above Seguin, etc), the potential is clearly there for McFarland. He is oozing with raw talent, though his development has hit a few rough patches. If the Pens are willing to put in the time to turn him back on the right track, this can be a risk/reward move that pays huge dividends.

Tyler Toffoli- (RW, Ottawa67s) Another "long term" type of player, Toffoli reminds me of a Sykora type shooter. Since the departure of Sykora and Satan, the Pens have been without pure goal scorers not named Sid or Geno. Toffoli can solve this problem, though it will take some time.

Here are the rest of the Pens picks:
Rd 3 Pick 20 (80)
Rd 4 Pick 20 (110)
Rd 5 Pick 20 (140)
Rd 6 Pick 2 (156)
Rd 6 Pick 20 (170)
Rd 7 Pick 20 (200)

The first round can be seen tomorrow on versus, starting at 7 ET.

Pirates stun the world, trade for Eveland pt. 2

Today the Pirates announced they were DFA'ing recent acquisition Dana Eveland. This comes a mere three weeks after acquiring him for 40 man roster player, and possible closer candidate Ronald Uviedo. This is another in a series of odd moves that the Pirates have made, including trading for rental Akinori Iwamura, and seem like desperation moves. This really doesn't surprise me because I never liked the deal in the first place, and Eveland has literally sucked out loud for most of his career.

So there you have it. We essentially gave the BlueJays Uviedo. They must really like trading with us. We gave them Uviedo, and Jose Bautista. Neil Huntington really needs to sit down and evaluate who he has judging this major league talent because he flat out sucks at acquiring ML guys.

Pens Schedule Released

The NHL released their official schedules today for all of the teams. Some highlights from the Pens schedule are:

18 games against Western Conference opponents.

6 games vs Flyers including opener: (Oct 7, Oct 16, Oct 29, Dec 14, Mar 24, Mar 29)

4 games vs Caps including Winter Classic: (Dec 23, Jan 1, Feb 6, Feb 21)

6 games against division rival Devils: (Oct 11, Dec 6, Jan 20, Mar 4, Mar 25, April 5)

2 games against rival Red Wings: (Jan 18, Mar 24)

1 game against defending champion Blackhawks on Feb 20.

Pens get their first shot at revenge against Montreal in just their second game of the season on Oct 9.

The Pens end their season on the road on April 10 vs the Thrashers.

(full schedule can be found on Pens website)

C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me

Word out of Pittsburgh is that the Penguins have re-signed Matt Cooke to a three year deal worth less than $2 million dollars. It is now being reported on mainstream sites like the Trib, but props should go to Pens Universe because they scooped EVERYONE on this.

This is a really good signing. Cooke has emerged as a leader on this team, and has been very successful on the ice. He is a Blysma type player, and it shows. Cooke responded very well to the responsibility Blysma put on his lap and this deal shows how happy he is here. Shero acquiesced on the years and I'm assuming Cooke in turn went down on yearly dollars. Cooke gets a raise, we keep an important role player and an important member of our locker room.

Pens Sign Ben Lovejoy

The Penguins have signed Ben Lovejoy to a three year 2-way contract. Lovejoy will make $525,000 a year at the NHL level. This is great news. I, as well as many Pens fans, think Lovejoy will see his majority of playing time in Pittsburgh.