BOSTON, Mass – There were discussions between the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins about dealing the top pick and other discussions about giving the Oilers both the top two picks. Yet after cell phone call after cell phone call the pattern fit the form and the clubs drafted in their proper order.
As is the story in hockey there was more smoke than there was fire and both the Oilers and Bruins made their selections in order. However, the Oilers did buck the system to bypass the Central Scouting Bureau’s top choice Tyler Seguin.
After the Oilers took Taylor Hall with the first choice overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft the top-ranked player was there for the Bruins to select. Without delay the Bruins snapped up Seguin and now will look toward his NHL development.
Many believe that Hall may have peaked already and Seguin is tabbed as the player who might be the better of the two in five year’s time. Accordingly while there is no question Hall will don an Oilers sweater next season, Seguin’s road is not as clear as Hall’s.
As of draft night 2010 the Bruins are loaded down the middle with Marc Savard, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. It would make absolutely no sense to play Seguin as the fourth center and it would make more sense to return him to junior. That being said, Seguin does have the ability to play on the wing, and the Bruins might put him in that role to ease him into the league.
“I’ve always been a natural centerman my whole life. I’ve always played center. But when I came into my OHL career as a rookie I had to adjust to wing because I was playing with better players, and I was more of a play maker that year,” said Seguin.
“This past year the better players ended up leaving the team, they were older, so I got moved to center, and turned out to be more of a goal scorer. I’m a pretty diverse player, and I want to step into a team or organization like the Bruins and play any role.”
Seguin, a 6’1”, 172-pound forward has spent the past two seasons playing with the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). While Hall is known as the more “explosive” of the two Seguin won the OHL scoring title because he scored 48 goals to Hall’s 40. In 63 games Seguin racked up 106 points providing a large portion of the Whalers’ totals. Seguin’s scoring touch stayed intact for the playoffs picking up 10 points in nine post-season contests.
Seguin won the Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player in the OHL this year and was named as the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award.
Contact Tom.Schettino@prohockeynews.com
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