Projecting out Islanders pick Friday

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/17/2008 02:08:00 PM | |
Hard to say what will happen, it's up to what Garth Snow, Ryan Jankowski and what his staff has targeted as the clubs biggest need.

They could move up or down and have picks to offer along with a few players.

Things could change quickly and there are clubs with more than one first round pick that could move up.

From the fan viewpoint scoring sells and they need a front line franchise scoring talent to go with Okposo but this is a club without a first round franchise defensive prospect so there is urgency to address both.

Isles do have more NHL depth on defense in terms of capable players at this time for what that is worth, but as good as Bruno Gervais, Chris Campoli, Jack Hillen, Dustin Kohn can be along with the other drafted defensive prospects, none of them at this time project out as franchise players. Eric Brewer was the last drafted Islander prospect taken by the club at that franchise player level.

So what will happen?
For one thing there sure is a lack of right wingers in terms of top ten picks or arguably top twenty picks, that's kind of unusual given the history of the draft.

You look at the draft reviews and see Filatov dropping, you see some with him going second to the Kings. This draft class is in a far different league from a year ago and I do not see the transfer agreement being a factor for any European player as it was with Russia last year because now all the countries are in the same boat.

Tampa Bay:
I think it's fair to write Tampa Bay is selecting Stamkos short of him turning into Eric Lindros/Quebec in the next few days. I cannot see the Isles offering their pick and DiPietro to select Stamkos which is what it could take.

Los Angeles:
The Kings have a lot of good young talented forwards, they could go with Filatov and just add to their stock of outstanding players with another left wing but my guess is they will add a franchise prospect on the backline to Jack Johnson in Drew Doughty/Zach Bogosian because they have Mike Cammalleri and Alexander Frolov on left wing already.

Will Rob Blake even be back after several tough seasons in Los Angeles?

Dean Lombardi has a nice problem but he may want to take more scoring and get some buzz going about his team.

Atlanta:
Atlanta at number three is also a very tough call because what folks may not understand is Ilya Kovalchuk is a left winger and so is Filatov. Both cannot play together unless they change positions or Atlanta is already concerned about losing Kovalchuk to free agency. Atlanta (like the Islanders) for a long time has had nothing in terms of a franchise defender which Tobias Enstrom is not (solid player) and have had to hear about moving 1st rounder Braydon Coburn for close to a year now. They are still paying Alexei Zhitnik's contract and their franchise goaltender has not exactly broken through to a point Hedberg just got an extension.

For me I think Mr Waddell will take whoever is left between Drew Doughty and Zach Bogosian. Could be wrong but it seems to make the most sense.

St Louis:
The Blues selected Erik Johnson first overall in 2006, they have two former first rounders on the backline in Barret Jackman and Eric Brewer for what that is worth, they have Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie and Lars Eller in terms of a first round talents on their current roster at forward.

St Louis on June 15th hired Doug Armstrong as director of player personnel who will hold that title for two years before replacing current Blues GM Larry Pleau.

Anything can happen and the Blues could take another defenseman in Luke Schenn or
Alex Pietrangelo for the same reasons Dean Lombardi could draft Filatov and add to his forwards but to me I cannot see the Blues not selecting Filatov if he's available here.

New York:
Based on all this (which could be dead wrong if something changes or a club goes off the board) Stamkos, Doughty, Bogosian and Fliatov are gone.

Right or wrong, that's what I project things will look like when the Isles pick.

That leaves New York with a choice of Alex Pietrangelo or Luke Schenn if they want to go defense or taking players many project slightly lower in Mikkel Boedker, Cody Hodgson, Kyle Beach, Zac Boychuk, Colin Wilson if they feel they must add scoring.

You go best player available here I do not see a senario where the club does not select Pietrangelo or Schenn if they keep the pick. You go best forward available to pair with right wing Okposo moving forward that would be Mikkel Boedker but he's a left winger in an organization with a lot of young left wingers here already and in the prospect base so I'm highly doubtful Boddker is that player based on the depth chart unless they are ready to move a Tambellini, Bergenheim or Comeau within two years.

Tomas Marcinko is also a left wing signed by the club.

We'll know by Friday, feel free to let me know how wrong I am in the chat.

All those left wingers here already, I wonder how many fans will be calling for Snow's head if he passes on Fliatov because he has Bergenheim, Comeau, Tambellini on his depth chart?

Cheer up gang, THN projects in their mock draft the Islanders will trade up with Los Angeles and select Bogosian here while the Kings take Filatov at five.