Monthly Archives: April 2009
Please note: The PB Reader Poll on the first overall pick continues in the next thread until noon on Thursday. If you haven’t yet cast your one vote, please do. Thanks to the more than 500 readers who have participated so far.
The Tavheduch Watch was created for a post on January 4, when we started keeping track of the race for the worst record in the league. Ten days earlier we wrote the first Point Blank Draft Preview and ranked Matt Duchene as No. 2, with John Tavares and Victor Hedman as No. 1s (a cop-out, we know). We made our first mention of Duchene being right behind the top 2 in a story all the way back on Dec. 2, 2008.
And yet, some conspiracy theorists thought we invented Duchene’s rise a few weeks ago. To be candid, we’re proud that we had the Brampton center a close third before most media outlets. We’re standing by our man. Shoot, the well-regarded scouting publication Red Line Report has Hedman 1, Duchene 2 and Tavares 3. We’re not that crazy, but it’s nice to see some pub for our man Matt.
Who knows for certain if Matt Duchene will be the third player chosen in the 2009 NHL Draft? All we’re saying – and have for the last four months – is that he’s the third-best player available. We called it Tavheduch, our loyal readers joined in, and in two and a half months we believe Tav, Hed and Duch should and maybe will be the first 3 picks, in order.
As promised, and courtesy of the NHL, presenting your profiles of Hedman, Duchene and Evander Kane.
VICTOR HEDMAN
MODO • Sweden
6’6” 220 lbs. Defense, shoots left
Born: December 18, 1990 in Ornskoldsvik, SWE
Mid-Term Ranking: No. 1 European Skater
QUICK FACTS
• In 2008-09 he was a big presence on the blueline in the Swedish Elite League for Modo, recording 21 points (7-14-21) in 43 games to earn Rookie of the Year honors.
• For the second year in a row, he represented Team Sweden at the World Junior Championships, winning a silver medal each year. In 2008 he was an All-Star selection. Hedman also represented Sweden on the Under-18 team, winning a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament and a bronze at the World Championships.
• He was born in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden; a town of less than 55,000 people known for producing star NHL players, including: Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Niklas Sundstrom.
• A familiar opponent this season was his brother, Oscar, who plays for Frolunda HC. His oldest brother, Johan, plays for Morrum in the Swedish Elite League Division II. Outside of hockey, he has a love for flying and just like his grandfather, who was a pilot in the military, Hedman hopes to get his pilot’s license in the near future.
HE SAID IT
On patterning his game: “(This season) I played with Mattias Timander who is a former NHL player; I really look up to him and try to listen to him. He gives me good advice all the time. That’s a player I look up to and try to play like, but of course young defensemen like Tobias Enstrom and (Alexander) Edler, it’s good to see that young Swedish defensemen are doing well in the NHL. Of course I would like to follow in their footsteps.”
On competing with his older brothers: “It made me tougher because when I was younger I always played in our basement and was always the goaltender. They were always shooting hard and I went up crying all the time, but then the next day I was down doing it again. It really made me tougher. My brothers helped me a lot during all these years so I have a lot of thanks to give them.”
SCOUTING REPORT
Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb
“For being that young, he’s very mature, and he’s big, but moves like a smaller guy. Very mobile, and his puck sense is excellent. Hedman is dominating the game, playing on the first defense pair on MODO. He’s playing around 20 minutes per game.”
STATISTICS
2006-07 Modo Jr. SWE-JR. 34 13 12 25 30
2007-08 Modo SWEDEN 39 2 2 4 44
2008-09 Modo SWEDEN 43 7 14 21 52
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MATT DUCHENE
Brampton Battalion • OHL
5’11” 200 lbs. Center, shoots left
Born: January 16, 1991 in Haliburton, ON
Mid-Term Ranking: No. 2 North American Skater
QUICK FACTS
• Through the first eight games of his 2009 OHL playoffs, Duchene has 11 points (6-5-11) as Brampton takes on Mississauga in the second round.
• In his second year with Brampton, Duchene was third on the team in scoring with 79 points (31-48-79) in 59 games and was voted the Best Playmaker and Best Stickhandler in the OHL Eastern Conference Coaches Poll.
• His 2008-09 season was highlighted by the 2009 OHL All-Star Classic, the CHL Top Prospects Game and a gold medal as captain of Team Canada at the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka tournament. He won three international gold medals in an eight-month span in 2008, also winning gold at the Under-18 World Championships and at the World Under-17 Challenge with Team Ontario.
• Hockey is in his bloodlines; Duchene’s uncle is Anaheim Ducks’ assistant coach Newell Brown – a Stanley Cup champion in 2007 and a member of the 1980 Memorial Cup champion Cornwall Royals and his father Vince backstopped the Ontario juvenile champion Minden Monarchs in 1984-85.
• Duchene played on his very first hockey team with the Haliburton Huskies. His current Brampton Battalion teammate, Cody Hodgson, was also a childhood friend, teammate and backyard rink opponent.
HE SAID IT
On his style of play: “I try to be one of the fastest players on the ice. Usually when I’m playing a good game, I’m keeping my feet moving and playing at top speed. I’d say that’s probably my biggest asset as a player. Things seem to go better if I’m moving my feet than when I am not.”
On his backyard rink: “We have boards. We have fishing line mesh up behind for glass. I made a goalie in shop class a couple years ago out of sheet metal and wood. He stands in there and takes the brunt of Cody (Hodgson) and my shots in the summertime.”
SCOUTING REPORT
NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards
“Duchene has the ability to dominate a game. He is an excellent all-round skater with great speed, his playmaking, ability to see the ice and move the puck through traffic to create offense are outstanding. He has a very good shot, but I see his best asset as his speed and ability to beat defensemen to the middle or outside.”
STATISTICS
2007-08 Brampton OHL 64 30 20 50 22
2008-09 Brampton OHL 57 31 48 79 42
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EVANDER KANE
Vancouver Giants • WHL
6’1” 176 lbs. Center, shoots left
Born: August 2, 1991 in Vancouver, BC
Mid-Term Ranking: No. 3 North American Skater
QUICK FACTS
• Through the first eight games of the 2009 WHL playoffs, Kane has seven points (2-5-7) as his Vancouver Giants take on the Spokane Chiefs in the second round.
• After a successful rookie season of 41 points in 2007-08, including 24 goals in 65 games and a nomination for WHL Rookie of the Year, Kane doubled his goal production (48) and totaled 96 points (48-48-96) in 61 games to rank second in the WHL.
• He won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championships recording six points (2-4-6), including two assists in Canada’s 6-5 semi-final win over Russia. Kane was initially cut from the 2009 roster, but joined the team a few days before the tournament, replacing injured forward Dana Tyrell.
• The World Junior gold medal was his second international gold in six months as he was also a member of Canada’s Under-18 team that captured gold at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament in Piestany, Slovakia.
• He was named after professional boxer Evander Holyfield – a favorite boxer of both his dad
and grandfather.
HE SAID IT
On his style of play: “I’m a goal-scorer. I like to score goals. That’s what I do best. I also like to bring a physical element to my game and try to be a complete player.”
On winning the Memorial Cup with Vancouver as a 15-year-old: “It really helped me a lot going into my 16-year-old year. Being able to play in such a big tournament like that as a 15-year old was obviously a good accomplishment. Playing with players like Milan Lucic and Brett Festerling, you get to learn a lot. It all happened pretty quick, but learning from Don (Hay), getting to know him better, him having more confidence in me was a real key to my success.”
SCOUTING REPORT
NHL Central Scouting’s Blair MacDonald
“He has power forward qualities from the blue line in. He’s the type of player who doesn’t like being denied access to the net. You can almost see when he’s got the puck he’s going to the net and defying people to stop him. He’ll be a 200-pound forward in the National Hockey League. He plays like he’s 6-2, 6-3, bigger than his size. He’s surprised a lot of people with his strength going to the net.”
STATISTICS
2007-08 Vancouver WHL 65 24 17 41 66
2008-09 Vancouver WHL 61 48 48 96 89
Comments. The PB Reader Poll in next thread closes at noon on Thursday. If you haven’t yet cast your vote, please do. Thanks to everyone for participating.
This is very cut-and-dried. I want to make this simple.
The Islanders now have the first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. There will not be a trade. (Even if you think there will be, for the purpose of this poll assume there will not). Brian Burke has nothing to offer, and he knows it. At least he got his name in the media again.
The Islanders will not take Matt Duchene or anyone else at No. 1.
It comes down to John Tavares or Victor Hedman. Your only choice of answers is one or the other, followed by your 100-word (or less) reason for your selection:
Who do you want the NYI to take with the first overall pick?
John Tavares or Victor Hedman.
One comment per reader, please. No exceptions. Let’s see as many fans as possible join in. Tavares or Hedman.
In response to some of the push-back at Point Blank for giving “high marks” to the NYI for resisting the temptation to grab Tavares right away:
I was very clear in saying what I thought the Islanders should do if they got the number 1 pick last night. My opinion will never change. I have no doubt there’s a lot of people in that office (not the hockey side) who are dying for them to get it over with and claim Tavares. They’re probably approaching Garth Snow as I type this.
That said, I give them credit. It would have been so easy for them to start marketing Tavares and begin their courtship with him. For the reasons I listed in my original column, I stand by my recommendation. We’ll learn this summer if they made the right move to hold off. But I like when sports teams stick to a plan, stick to their way of doing things. The Islanders might have been tempted, but they resisted. Although our opinions differed, I have no problem showing them respect for standing by their organizational philosophy. Comments.
The Islanders want to perform their due diligence. Garth Snow will over-see meetings next week, next month and into June with Ryan Jankowski and his scouting staff. There will be follow-up interviews with the top prospects. There will be testing. Scouts will be all over the second round series of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs that feature John Tavares and Matt Duchene. Victor Hedman will be monitored closely by the team’s European scouts.
(It’s unfathomable to me that after four years of junior hockey, JT’s stock could fall if he’s less than stellar in this year’s OHL playoffs. In fact, I completely call horsebleep on that. Could Duchene play so well that he locks in at 3, maybe even makes his case for 2? Sure. But c’mon already with needing more information on Tavares).
That aside, the Islanders want to be thorough. Fine. Every time he comes back from Starbucks in the next two months, Garth Snow will have a bunch of phone messages from Joanne Holewa from opposing GMs wanting to know what he’s doing with the first pick.
When Brian Burke doesn’t even come close to proposing an adequate package, the Leafs boss will tell his fawning media corps how he values Luke Schenn and Tomas Kaberle too much. He’ll say Snow can call him back when he wants to be reasonable. Of course, Burke will be making most of it up for dramatic effect.
Now that tonight is over – and the good karma is back in place – the Islanders want to be methodical in their process. High marks to them for sticking to their guns when it would have been oh-so-easy to start hawking season tickets and Tavares jerseys tonight.
When all is said and done, however, I would be surprised if anything but the following happens.
On Friday night, June 26, Snow and Jankowski will take the podium. Because of the significance of the moment, Charles Wang should go up there with them. Snow will say hi to everyone back at the Islanders Draft Party. And then he will use the first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft to select John Tavares from the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights.
Comments.
9:20 pm - Garth Snow just completed a conference call with the media. Summing up:
- “It put a huge smile on my face. A great day for our franchise, a great day for our fans. It’s going to be a great day in June.”
- “We’re going to get a great player for this team. We have meetings coming up this week, and in May and June. We’ll go through our process diligently and thoroughly.”
- Asked which player he was going to draft, Snow said, “No comment.”
- Asked if he had one of Tavares or Hedman ranked over another, Snow said, “Yeah, and I’m not going to share it.”
- Snow never used the word “trade.”
- Asked about the potential meaning of Tavares to ticket sales, he said, “The mandate from Mr. Wang has been to bring the Stanley Cup to Long Island and to become a consistent contender.”
- Asked for a response to Brian Burke’s bold pronouncement of making a move for the No. 1 pick, Snow said that’s not the way he or the organization does things.
- “Kenny Morrow said it best: we don’t want to be in this position next year. There’s a lot of good things happening with this organization. It’s an exciting time to be an Islanders fan, and an Islander.”
- Snow sent his good luck charms to the lottery: dynasty member and current scout Ken Morrow, and Joanne Holewa – the GM’s assistant going back to Bill Torrey.
I’ll be on 1050 ESPN Radio tonight at around 10:40 pm with Bill Daughtry to talk about the lottery win. If it happens, I’ll link it here. Comments.
The Islanders win. They win.
On the TV show, Islanders scout Ken Morrow said “you can’t go wrong” with either John Tavares or Victor Hedman. Both kids say they’d be proud to join the Islanders. They say they’re ready for the NHL. Hedman says he’s committed to coming to North America next season.
Please discuss passionately and respectfully of the guidelines and your fellow readers. We’ll have a follow-up post in the next hour and plenty more over the next 24. Comments.
(Will it be No. 1 or No. 2 for the NYI and their fans?)
UPDATED, 4:00 pm - NHL Central Scouting has just released its final 2009 Draft prospect list. Tavares is No. 1 North American skater, Hedman is No. 1 European. The rest: 2. Duchene 3. Kane 4. Schenn 5. Schroeder. Paajarvi-Svensson is No. 2 European skater.
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Considering the Islanders’ public stance so far – they will look at 5 or 6 players and consider all trade options – tonight will likely not be the immediate cause for celebration it could have been.
If the Islanders’ 48% comes in and they get the No. 1, it will mean they’re in the driver’s seat – a very, very good thing.
But by all appearances as of this afternoon, the NYI are not interested in proclaiming John Tavares their franchise player, a game-changer, a difference-maker. Instead of setting up a 24-hour 1-800 hotline for season tickets tonight, the team will take calls for the No. 1 pick.
The front office receptionist will also get a lot of calls from fans suggesting what to do – and what not to do – with the No. 1 pick.
From this corner, that’s too bad, a potential missed opportunity. Instead of a celebration, there will only be cautious optimism. Do not rush out to buy anything just yet.
Then again, you have to respect the apparent wishes of the Islanders’ hockey operations department to be methodical about the process. Clearly, if they are going to openly listen to offers from Brian Burke (not sure if he’s got anything worth trading for) and other GMs for the No. 1, they don’t view Tavares as a don’t-think-twice-about-it franchise player. Or at least the player for the Islanders franchise. Should the Islanders draft him more than two months later, Young John will have to deal with knowing he was shopped. He’s a big boy. I’m reasonably sure he will.
All you can ask of the decision-makers of your favorite teams is that they base those decisions solely on what they truly believe in.
In the more likely event the 52% hits and they get the No. 2, we definitely won’t know anything until Friday night, June 26. No matter what happens, the Islanders are sure to give us plenty to talk about.
PRE-LOTTERY READING MATERIAL
Pierre McGuire Q & A and our Top 10 picks
Lottery details and JT profile
Three comments max per thread. Please respect the guidelines and your fellow readers. There will be plenty of threads tonight and tomorrow for everyone to unload their emotions. We’re on NHL Home Ice on XM Radio at 6:00, News 12 Long Island at 8:20 and 9:20 and will blog all night. Thank you so much for all the particpation to this point.
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