It's a big day in the world of the coolest game. Tonight, the 2014 NHL Draft gets underway in Philadelphia with coverage of the first round starting at 6:00 CT on NBC Sports Network. Currently, the draft order is as follows:
1. Florida 11. Nashville 21. St. Louis
2. Buffalo 12. Arizona 22. Pittsburgh
3. Edmonton 13. Washington 23. Colorado
4. Calgary 14. Dallas 24. Vancouver
5. NY Islanders 15. Detroit 25. Boston
6. Vancouver 16. Columbus 26. Montreal
7. Carolina 17. Philadelphia 27. Chicago
8. Toronto 18. Minnesota 28. Tampa Bay
9. Winnipeg 19. Tampa Bay 29. Los Angeles
10. Anaheim 20. San Jose 30. New Jersey
NOTE: The #24 Pick was traded by Anaheim to Vancouver earlier today as part of a package for center Ryan Kesler. Do not be surprised if quite a few more trades go down later today.
Now, most of you are probably not all that familiar with the prospects who are draft eligible. That's alright, as this draft system is much more complex than football or basketball. The majority of those drafted tonight will be playing junior hockey in Canada or in a USA Hockey development program. They are nearly all between the ages of 16 and 18, meaning that most of them will not be ready for the NHL next season (Remember, Valeri Nichushkin was one of the exceptions to the rule last year). In this post, I'm going to give you the inside scoop on some of the players expected to be drafted high as well as a few that the Dallas Stars might be interested in.
Naturally, I'm not going to give you a profile of each possible draftee, as you probably don't want to read a book chapter on this first round. For more information on the following and all draft-eligible prospects, visit http://www.mynhldraft.com/NHL-Mock-Draft/. All stats courtesy of this site.
The Fantastic Four
Aaron Ekblad- Defenseman; 6'3, 216 lbs.; Barrie Colts (Ontario Hockey League)
Ekblad is far and away the best defenseman in this draft and is the favorite to go first overall if Florida decides not to trade the top pick. He put up 53 points in 58 games with Barrie this past season, yet he has the build and skill set of a shutdown defenseman. He is the ideal two-way blue liner and whoever gets him will be very happy.
Sam Reinhart- Center; 6'1, 178 lbs.; Koontenay Ice (Western Hockey League)
The youngest of the Reinhart brothers is reputed as being the best of the bunch. A top line center in the making, he is known for his exceptional hockey IQ and decision-making on the ice. He could possibly challenge for an NHL spot next season, so he will be a coveted man come 6:00.
Sam Bennett- Center/Left Wing; 6'0, 178 lbs.; Kingston Frontenacs (Ontario Hockey League)
Bennett was long considered the most likely to challenge Ekblad as the most coveted player in this year's draft. He remains a very strong candidate to do so as his versatility and work ethic have been on display for a long time. While he put up 91 points this past season, he also added 118 penalty minutes, meaning that any team looking to score more by establishing a physical presence would be smart to select him.
Leon Draisatl- Center; 6'1, 208 lbs.; Prince Albert Raiders (Western Hockey League)
Known as "The Deutschland Dangler," Draisatl stands to be the highest-drafted German player in NHL history. A prototypical power forward, he is a playmaking center with the skills make any pair of line-mates better. He is also not far away from the NHL, so any of the teams picking in the top four of this draft would be wise to take him.
The following players are likely to go in the 5-10 range:
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Nick Ritchie- The Stars already have his brother, Brett, and would love to get him too.
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Michael Dal Colle- Center/Left Wing; 6'2, 179 lbs.; Oshawa Generals (Ontario Hockey League)
Jake Virtanen- Right Wing; Center/Left Wing; 6'1, 190 lbs.; Calgary Hitmen (Western Hockey League)
Nick Ritchie- Left Wing; 6'2, 230 lbs.; Peterborough Petes (Ontario Hockey League)
Ritchie is the one player out of this group that I'd love to see fall to the Stars. Trouble is, he is almost a perfect fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who select 8th overall. He has huge size and the skills to go along with it in every facet of the game.
William Nylander- Right Wing; 5'11; 175 lbs.; Sodertalje (Sweden)
The following players could fall to the Stars' position at 14, so keep an eye out for one of them. Trust me, I'm sure Jim Nill would love to get his hands on one of these guys!
Nikolaj Ehlers- Left Wing; 5'11, 165 lbs.; Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Ehlers might just have the best hands in this draft class, and several mock drafts have him going as high as fourth overall. Most have him landing about 10th-12th. Besides Ritchie, Ehlers is the player that I would most love see falling to los Stars at pick #14.
Brenden Perlini- Center; 6'3, 205 lbs.; Niagara IceDogs (Ontario Hockey League)
Kasperi Kapanen- Right Wing; 6'0, 180 lbs.; KalPa (Finland)
The son of former NHLer, Sami Kapanen, this fast Finn is a bit on the small side, but he makes up for it with his skill set. I figure that he is, of this group of four, the most likely prospect to fall to pick #14.
Haydn Fleury- Defenseman; 6'2, 204 lbs.; Red Deer Rebels (Western Hockey League)
In a draft dominated by forwards, Fleury is the second-best blueliner in the class after Aaron Ekblad. In most mock drafts, he goes at #13, just ahead of the Stars. Now, if he falls to #14, it will be an interesting choice for GM Jim Nill and Co. Dallas already has several big, left-handed defensemen in the system, so this pick might or might not be a smart one. Right-handed and offensive blueliners are in order in Big D.
Lastly, here are the players that the Stars appear most likely to select:
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The man in blue is Mike Heika's pick at #14.
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Robbi Fabbri- Center; 5'10, 166 lbs.; Guelph Storm (Ontario Hockey League)
While playing alongside Stars' prospect Jason Dickinson, Fabbri put up huge numbers (87 points in 58 games) as the Storm won the OHL title and reached the Memorial Cup Final. While he is a tad small, Fabbri has a very high ceiling for whomever decides to select him. I believe him to be the Stars' most likely pick in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft.
Kevin Fiala- Right Wing/Center; 5'10, 194 lbs.; HV71 J20 (Sweden)
My friends over at Defending Big D regard Fiala as the safer option at the center position, meaning that he has a higher floor that Fabbri. That said, Fiala put up good numbers playing against men in the Swedish Hockey League during his limited action in that circuit. Any teen who can skate with the big boys of Sweden is worth looking at, so I would not be surprised to hear the name of this kid from Switzerland come pick #14.
Julius Honka- Defenseman; 5'10, 178 lbs.; Swift Current Broncos (Western Hockey League)
Stars beat writer Mike Heika of Sports Day DFW picked Honka as the Stars' selection in his mock draft. Their are two reasons for his decision. One, Honka is the best offensive defenseman in the draft, a position that the Stars' prospect pool is lacking in beyond John Klingberg, who might be called up next year. Picking Honka at #14 could be a bit of a reach though, so I would expect Jim Nill and his staff to trade down in the order if this is the man they want.
Okay folks, that's all for now. I'll have a recap of all the Stars' draft picks up sometime early next week. Enjoy the draft and Go Stars!
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