LOS ANGELES, Ca – The 2010 NHL Entry Draft concluded Saturday and what a ride it provided for any draft junkie. Behind the scenes, the wheeling and dealing failed to drive early changes in the top picks but general managers were firing on all cylinders in the later picks and beyond the first round which ruined many mock drafts.
The Edmonton Oilers spurned many offers to get their number one pick and opted for Taylor Hall as expected by Pro Hockey News. For Hall the selection was welcome news.
“I was so shocked. I was shaking in my seat. I got up to the podium, or whatever it is, and I was shaking so much I couldn’t even put my jersey on. I’m just so happy. My whole family’s so happy. It means a lot to us,” said Hall after his selection.
Asked what it meant to him to be selected by the Oilers Hall said, “Just to join such a great franchise. Hopefully I can make the team next year. That’s my first step. We can really recreate some of the magic they had there. I think when you have a young team, that’s something I’m really looking forward to joining.”
The Boston Bruins were next on the clock and wasted little time in selecting Tyler Seguin. When asked about his work in the defensive zone and its impact on his play and is future with the team Seguin was level in his response. “Especially this year I knew I had to get to the next level and I had to mature as a player and get better…It started working out that when I was doing better in my “D” zone; I was getting more chances in the offensive zone. I think that was just because of maturing as a player here in this past year.”
Destination Boston may be just right for Seguin. One of his role models appears to be the Bruins’ Mark Recchi who has signed a one year extension to stay with the Bruins.
“Actually I just ran into Mark Recchi at the hotel a couple times. We seem to be elevator buddies. That was pretty cool. He’s going to give me a lot of advice, and I’m looking forward to that. And of course, I’ve seen Chara play. He was probably the best player I’ve ever seen on the Bruins this past year, and I think it’s going to be quite tough going one-on-one against him if I get that opportunity,” said Sequin.
More than a few mock drafts went up in flames with the third pick by the Florida Panthers who by-passed everyone’s mock selection of Cam Fowler and went with Eric Gudbranson.
Asked if he thought he could make the Panthers roster next season his response was quick and to the point. “I do. It’s where I want to be, it’s where I’ve set my goal. I’ve got to work on my hands and put on some weight, but I think I can play at the NHL level next year.”
From there the draft went wild with the Columbus Blue Jackets selecting Ryan Johansen in the fourth pick. Johansen was matter of fact and straightforward in response to his elevated status in the draft.
“I just wasn’t rated so high by Central Scouting so it was just in the back of my head that it was a maybe, but I knew they had me highly on their charts like I said. You know, I worked my hardest throughout the year and did what I could. Thankfully they noticed, and now I’m here,” Johansen said.
Johansen is not short on confidence and this may have been seen by Columbus as strength for a young kid looking to make the NHL.
“Well, for me, I’m a play maker with good vision, good hockey sense, and good puck protection. I’m the type of player that likes to play with a goal scorer. Somebody who can put the puck in the back of the net, like Nino Niederreiter, my linemate this year who put up 44 goals if you include World Juniors. So I think those are my best assets and I contribute to the team well.”
The next big surprise was the Carolina Hurricanes picking Jeff Skinner in the seventh position. Skinner was picked in the PHN mock draft going later in the first round to the Sharks in large part due to his CSS ranking which was 34th among North American skaters. But the Kitchener Ranger was at ease at the press conference in dealing with questions about his efforts to become a better skater in his youth. When asked about his time as a figure skater he was less defensive than expected and handled his response with humor and maturity.
“I don’t know if all of them (OHL players) know. I guess they do now, exactly. I know my teammates all know. They enjoy giving me the occasional chirp about it. But a lot of them are pretty good and pretty respectful I guess right now. They used to chirp me more my first year, but it’s just sort of part of me now, I guess,” Skinner said.
In the eighth and ninth picks Pro Hockey News was again dead on with the Atlanta Thrashers and Minnesota Wild respectively. Atlanta selected Alexander Burmistrov in the eighth position and the Wild selected Mikael Granlund. Granlund was certainly excited to be heading to the Wild organization.
“Oh, it’s great to be going to Minnesota. It’s really a hockey place and it’s great to be here. It’s a great organization so it’s pretty exciting right now,” Granlund said.
As for Burmistrov going to the Thrashers he is clearly as excited as Granlund going to the Wild.
“Oh, I know Atlanta is hot. I know nickname Hotlanta, yes? I know this. My first game when I watched in the rink, I watched Toronto Maple Leafs against Atlanta. After the game I talked to Bryan Little, so it’s a good team I know,” said an exuberant Burmistrov.
Rounding out the top ten for stunning picks was the New York Rangers’ pick. In the tenth spot the Rangers selected Dylan McIlrath, a defenseman from Moose Jaw. In pre-draft meetings PHN had seen McIlrath as a top 15 choice but never saw him going in the top ten especially when you consider that Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley were suppose to go higher in the draft. Instead, all three fell into the Rangers lap but in the end the New Yorkers decided on McIlrath who plays a nasty style of game.
Asked his first reaction to the pick, McIlrath said. “Excitement. I’m just thrilled to be picked Top 10 to a great organization like the Rangers. It’s a thrill right now, and I’m just lost in emotions, I guess.”
The Rangers had shown interest in the defenseman for some time as it turns out.
“I had a great meeting with them in the combine, so it was in my head that they were interested. But right before I went to test, one of the guys took me aside and really thought that I was a great player, and I was a great fit for them. It was kind of a nice gesture for him to do that, went out of his way to do that; and it turns out that I go to the Rangers, and I couldn’t be happier,” said McIlrath of the Rangers interactions with him.
Pro Hockey News will review the rest of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in coming days.
Contact Lou.Lafrado@prohockeynews.com
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