9 Games In; Who Stays and Who Goes?

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are the first team in the NHL to hit the nine game point of the season. The Pens are the only team as a matter of fact but the rest of the league will have caught up to them in the next couple of days. And that's when it gets interesting for a number of rookies around the NHL.

By my count there are 15 players left who could theoretically be sent to the CHL. Many of the 15 are definitely not headed that way as they have come from Europe or NCAA and so would either be assigned to the AHL or simply return overseas.

Still, here's a quick rundown of the 15 players to watch and whether I think they get the red tag in their locker or not.

Rookie Watch: Philadelphia Flyers

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For the past 15 days TPS has taken a look at one team from the Eastern conference and one club from the West, spotlighting a rookie or two to watch for this season. This afternoon we wrap up the series as we explore the freshmen candidates of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Head To Head: Couturier Vs. Huberdeau

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The NHL draft is fast approaching and we’ve put together some head to head match ups featuring 20 different prospects. We’ve consulted 10 scouts from 10 different organizations to get their opinions in 5 different categories and ultimately, who they would take if they had the final say.

Enjoy these and tune into The Pipeline Show on Saturday June 25th from 10-Noon MST for a complete, in-depth recap of round one and coverage of day 2.

For now here’s H2H: Sean Couturier vs. Jonathan Huberdeau

The Class of 2011 on TPS

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This is the time of year where every hockey-related media outlet from the national 24-sports TV networks through the NHL beat writers and even most blogs start focusing on the NHL Draft. Topics on the radio these days are either about the Stanley Cup Finals or about the draft now just 3 weeks away.

I guess you can say we're just slightly ahead of the curve on TPS. And by slightly I mean by months.

No Rush to NHL for 1st Overall

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2006 was the last time that the first player selected in the NHL Entry Draft did not step into the NHL 3 months later. Erik Johnson played a single season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers before moving up to St. Louis in the Fall of 2007. Might 2011 see a repeat of that story? I think that there's a pretty good chance of that happening and it isn't even dependent on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins going 1st overall.

Tuesday Night Recap

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Tonight on TPS we doubled dipped our 2011 draft segment, went across the CHL and tried to get to the bottom of the Rick Comley fan incident that took place in Alaska over the weekend.

Tuesday Night Recap - Hockey Canada & the Big Chill

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This time of year The Pipeline Show spends a lot of time looking ahead to the World Junior Championship, one of our four "Majors" on our annual calendar. That said, we certainly didn't forget the massive spectacle that the NCAA put on last weekend and we also looked to the AHL for an update on some key prospects at that level.

First Impression of Sean Couturier

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Drummondville center Sean Couturier was a one man wrecking crew before leaving for Canada's World Junior team camp. He racked up 17 points in his last 6 games and had back to back 4 point outings. The surge has vaulted the potential first overall pick to 2nd in Q scoring.

Last year he led the QMJHL in scoring with 96 points, 41 of them goals in 68 games. Even as a rookie he was pretty special and gained some valuable championship experience going to the Memorial Cup. But don't take my word for it, hear it from his first junior coach. I chatted with Guy Boucher after Tampa Bay's game against Edmonton on Friday and we'll bring you that conversation Tuesday night on The Pipeline Show.

Boucher coached Couturier for just one season but saw something special right away, and is certain he'll be an NHL star one day.

If you're in the Edmonton area you can catch the conversation on the TEAM 1260, or you can listen on line and get the whole guest list at www.thepipelineshow.com where the interview will be archived later that evening. As usual show time is from 7-9 pm mst.

This n' That - August 2010

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With the Iva Hlinka Memorial Tournament now in the books, the 2010-11 hockey season is officially underway. There are a plethora of items to discuss these days and this as good a time and place to do it as any other. With that said, here are some things kicking around the cranium right now...

Seguin & Hall: How they compare to the past and future

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Tyler Seguin or Taylor Hall? Ask that question to an even number of scouts and you'll likely end up with a split, they're that even right now.

So I asked a number of scouts three questions about the top two picks for this year's draft. Some answered all of them while some are too close to picking one of them and didn't want to take part for fear of tipping their hand, and some chose to answer only one or 2 of my questions.

Here now, as the top two prospects get set to face each other in a 7 game series, are the questions and answers. All scouts involved requested anonymity and I will provide that.

Top 5 Tuesday: 2011 Draft Watch

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I know what you're thinking: The 2010 draft is still 6 months away... why bother with a 2011 list? But if you know anything about what we do here at Coming Down the Pipe! and on The Pipeline Show, you shouldn't be too surprised. We always have our eyes on the future.

I keep hearing about how bad the 2011 NHL Draft is supposed to be and yet I find that to be a little misleading. Afterall, the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft was one of the strongest in recent memory and there is a blueliner available who some have told me might be the best player in his position to come out of Europe in a very long time.

It might be a bit of a down year for the OHL, compared to recent years, but does that make 2001 a weak draft class all on its own? Of course not but still I am told that the overall depth won't be the same as we've had with 2008, 2009 and the group available in June of 2010.

I still think the top end of 2011 looks pretty darn good. Here's why: