Top 5 Tuesday: Rookie Decisions

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Yesterday it was reported that the Colorado Avalanche had informed the Brampton Battalion of the OHL that forward Matt Duchene was not going back to junior. That got me thinking of other players who teams are having to make a similar decision on as Game 10 closes in on them.

Here are 5 that came to mind:

5. Tyler Myers Buffalo Sabres / Kelowna Rockets

The gigantic 19-year-old dual citizen defenceman probably isn't going anywhere but considering there were some before the season who doubted Myers' ability to make the team, he's on my list. It was my feeling after the WHL playoffs and Memorial Cup that Myers had played his last WHL game but I heard the opposite from enough people that I wasn't sure this fall if I'd be right or not. Not only has Myers cracked the Buffalo roster but he's apparently been one of their better performers this season earning 4 points in 6 games with a healthy plus-5 rating to go with them. NHL.com's Dan Rosen wrote a terrific article recently about Myers and his situation in Buffalo. In that story, GM Darcy Regier is quoted as saying:

"It's tough to evaluate over nine games, but when you decide to keep a 19 year old, if that is the decision, then you have to know you're going to have to keep working with them and they will have more inconsistencies and ups and downs than the older players and you have to live with that," Regier said. "We still have some games before we have to make a final decision, but he certainly has gotten off to a good start."

4. Jamie Benn - Dallas Stars / Kelowna Rockets

Here's another Rocket that I don't expect to see landing back in Kelowna anytime soon. Benn scored 82 points in 56 WHL games last season and was a big contributor at the WJC in Ottawa too. I think most people felt that he'd be turning pro this year but I don't know how many believed he'd become an impact player n Dallas already. After 8 games Benn is second in NHL rookie scoring with 7 points while playing with captain Brendan Morrow and Mike Ribeiro. Mike Heika from teh Dallas Morning News had a nice write up about Benn just last week. With Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen going on the IR list, I'd be shocked if Benn was sent anywhere.

3. James Wright - Tampa Bay Lightning / Vancouver Giants

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward James Wright to a contract after "a strong training camp" that saw him post a few points and impress with his physical play. Thus far after 7 games Wright has yet to hit the score sheet although Raw Charge suggests line juggling in Tampa might see him promoted to the top line. I haven't seen a second of hockey in from Tampa Bay this year but with zero production so far you have to think that the brass is at least discussing their option of sending Wright back to the Giants. In Vancouver he'd play a big role on a good team - hardly a negative to be found in going back this year especially in terms of contract management. I won't be surprised if Wright returns to Vancouver but like I said, I am coming at this one from an uninformed position so you Tampa fans tell me... should he stay with the Lightning or not? By the way, that's wright in the picture getting smushed by Edmonton's Ladislav Smid.

2. Evander Kane - Atlanta Thrashers / Vancouver Giants

According to Guy Spurrier of the National Post, Evander Kane might be something of a lucky rabbit's foot for the Thrashers who are off to a 4-1 start this year. For his part, Kane has contributed 3 points and has a plus-3 rating while averaging 13:35 of ice time per night. Like Jamie Benn, Kane scored at will in the WHL last season picking up 96 points with the Vancouver Giants. He was a late addition to Team Canada at the WJC in Ottawa when Dana Tyrell (TBY) went down to injury. Kane played a smaller role at that event because he was one of the younger players on the team but now the Thrashers will have to decide if his junior career is behind him. Tough call in my opinion but considering the team's early season success, why mess with it?

1. Ryan O'Reilly - Colorado Avalanche / Erie Otters

Well I was going to say that Colorado's decision to keep Duchene without mentioning Ryan O'Reilly was interesting and then, while I was writing this top 5, this happened.

O'Reilly appears to be another terrific 2nd round steal for the Avalanche much the same way Paul Stastny was in back in 2005 although he did not begin playing in the NHL three months later. O'Reilly and Stastny have identical stats, 1G-5A-6Pts, and are both listed as being 6' and 205 lbs. If the former Erie Otter can carve out as impressive a start to his NHL career as Stastny has, than Colorado will indeed be smiling.

Director of Player Personel David Oliver is one of our guests tonight on The Pipeline Show heard between 9-11 PM Eastern Time.

(Photo credits: Yahoo Sports, Associated Press, Reuters, Portland Pirates)

Top 5 Tuesday: Canadians In 2014

Last week I threw out 5 guys that might be helping Team USA go for gold in the 2014 games. That was during the countries summer orientation camp. With everybody dissecting and predicting the 2010 team at Canada's 4 day event this week in Calgary, TPS will gaze down the road to the next Olympic games with 5 players who could be wearing the Maple Leaf in Russia.

5. Steve Mason-Columbus Blue Jackets
Most think Steve Mason is at Canada's summer skate to be groomed for the 2014 games, but you can bet he's not ruling out grabbing the 3rd spot for the 2010 event in Vancouver. It wouldn't be the first time Mason has exceeded expectations. In 2008 he started the WJC as Jonathan Bernier's back up before outshining the LA King prospect and leading Canada to a thrilling Gold Medal win over Sweden. He was named the tournament's top pipeman and it's MVP with a sparkling 1.19 goals against average in 5 games. This past year Mason saved the Columbus Blue Jackets playoff hopes by standing on his head when Pascal Leclaire went down with an injury. He won the Calder trophy this year and his 10 shuts outs made him a Vezina finalist.

4. Cody Hodgson-Vancouver Canucks
Hodgson was widely considered the best all around player in junior hockey last season. Before and after a terrific world junior tournament - where he led everyone in scoring - the 10th overall pick from 2008 scored 43 goals and set up 49 others in 59 games with Brampton. Whe his season was over, the CHL's Player of the Year lit the lamp twice and added 4 assists in 11 games with the Manitoba Moose as they reached the Calder Cup final in the AHL. Hodgson came close to making the Canucks last year and many think he'll do it this year, as well as challenge to get his name engraved on the Calder trophy as NHL rookie of the year.

3. Drew Doughty-L.A. Kings
There were some that thought Doughty could have went first overall in 2008. They weren't far off as the Kings snapped him up with the second pick, and he made an immediate impact in Hollywood. He tied for the rookie scoring lead among defenceman and his 6 goals and 27 points were second best among rearguards with the Kings. Doughty showed poise and skill in his 81 games with a Kings team that is on the rise but struggled last season.


2. Steven Stamkos-Tampa Bay Lightning
He was close to getting in invite from Hockey Canada, and could get a phone call in December if he comes flying out of the gate. Canada left of players like Sidney Crosby in 2006 because of his age, despite a terrific start to the season, and it won't happen again. After a slow start to his rookie campaign, Stamkos heated up down the stretch. He notched his first career hattrick on February 17th, and never looked back, putting up 16 goals and 8 assists in his final 26 games. The run was enough to get him on Canada's World Championship team where he produced 11 points in 9 games. He was also plus 9 in the tournament where Canada came up short in the Gold Medal game against Russia.

1. John Tavares-New York Islanders
Like fellow first overall pick Steven Stamkos, John Tavares should be ready to don the Team Canada jersey for the 2014 games in Russia. If Tavares lives up to the lofty expectations set before him, he should be scoring between 40-50 goals by the tim his 4th NHL season rolls around. A player I've compared Tavares to, Dale Hawerchuk had 53 in his 4th season, although it was a more free flowing offensive time. Still Tavares is a goal scorer and with 215 lamp lighters in junior he'll be counted on for some big time offence. Until the Olympics Tavares should get a couple of chances to suit up in the World Championship as the Islanders aren't expected to go deep in or even make the playoffs in the next few years.

A few honourable mentions go to Luke Schenn of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, Evander Kane of the Atlanta Thrashers, Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues, Tyler Ennis of the Buffalo Sabres, Karl Alzner of the Washington Capitals and David Perron of the St. Louis Blues. Have I missed someone on your list? Do I have someone that you don't? Pipe up with a comment below.

A Top Ten Pick, At Least

So the Oilers finish 21st in the league, leaving them picking atleast 10th barring Tuesday's draft lottery, which for some reason is on TV.

The Oilers can move up to as high as 6th overall and here are some players that might be available in the 6-10 spots where they could be drafting this June in Montreal.

Jacob Josefson is a centre who plays in Sweden. He's 6.0 - 187 pounds and is a well rounded player, which is probably code for good but not great offensively. He did have 5 points at the 5 nations in February, but none were goals. Josefson is pretty fast and is playing for his country at the U-18's right now. So far he has a goal and 3 assists in 2 games. Josefson is ranked 10 by ISS.

Dmitri Kulikov is a Russian defenceman who plays for Drummondville of the QMJHL. Kulikov's club has cruised to the Q league semi-final after back to back sweeps and now take on Memorial Cup hosts Rimouski. So far the 6.0 190 pound left shooting rearguard leads all blueliners in playoff scoring with 2 goals and 12 assists in 8 games. This after a 61 point regular season effort in just 54 games. He missed time this season while playing for Russia at the World Juniors where he notched 4 assists, and was plus 4 in 7 games. Kulikov is a potential power play qb who loves eying up forwards with their head down in the neutral zone. He's ranked 9th by ISS.

Nazem Kadri is hoping to play in a second straight Memorial Cup this year after helping Kitchener put on a great show as hosts last year. Kadri was part of the Steve Mason trade that sent this year's NHL rookie of the year hopeful to the Rangers from London. The odd part of the deal was that Kadri stayed in Kitchener until the start of this year and played in the tournament last year. Now he's the Knights second leading playoff scorer with 14 points in 9 games as London gets set to face Windsor in the OHL's semi-final. Kadri was hurt at Canada's World Junior camp and thus didn't make the squad, but he's had a terrific season with 25 goals and 76 points in just 55 games. He's only a shade over 5.11 and tips the Toledos at 180 pounds and while his skating won't wow you he is able to pull away from defenders with an extra gear when he has to. Kadri also isn't afraid to drive to the net. ISS has him slotted at 8.

Jared Cowen at one point was a consensus top 5 pick, with some people slotting him in at #3, but the old saying "out of sight, out of mind" rings true with the Spokane Chief defenceman. Cowen suffered a season ending knee injury in January and since then has fallen in the rankings. Luckily scouts saw him quite a bit last year as Spokane won the Memorial Cup. The skinny on Cowen is anything but. He's over 6.04 and weighs in at 220, and is the prototypical shut down D-man.

Evander Kane, nicknamed after Evander Holyfield is also the real deal. His grandfather was a big boxing fan and scouts are liking what they see from this World Junior champ. Kane who skates with Vancouver of the WHL was originally cut from Canada's squad, but joined the team after Dana Tyrell was injured in pre tournament action. He played a nice enery role for Canada. With the Giants he's Mr. Offence with 47 goals and 95 points in just 60 games, the second best totals of any draft eligible player in the CHL behind only London's John Tavares. Kane is tough, smart and has terrific hands. He's right now ranked 6th by ISS.

Here a two other guys that the Oilers could be looking at, one would have to slip a little, the other the Oilers might be taking earlier than he's ranked or trading down for.

Brayden Schenn is 5th by ISS. He plays for Brandon and can score, hit and and play defence. Jordan Schroeder is 11th by ISS. He plays for Minnesota and has a wicked shot, but is a little on the small side. There are some questions about Schroeder's competitiveness as he put up big points against weaker teams in the WJC while he was less visible in the big games for team U.S.A.

If the Oilers want to trade down even later, guys like Scott Glennie, Zach Kassian and Carter Ashton are big forwards with some pretty nice skill that might fit the bill. And here's a second round pick for you to watch for. Tomas Vincour. The Edmonton Oil King has a lot of what the Oilers are either looking for or has worked for them in the past:

1. He's from the Czech Republic.
2. Has nice size-6.02, 200 pounds.
3. He's a LW with a good shot.
4. He doesn't shy away from tough areas.
5. They will never get a more honest scouting report, as the Oilers own the OK kids.

One final note, I've been reading here or there that Kevin Prendergast should take the fall for the Oilers struggles. I don't understand why some regular media members and some bloggers think this. I can't speak for the Oilers but I do think KP and his staff have done a nice job. Guy might have more on this soon, so I don't want to steal his thunder, but I will point out the following players that Prendergast has been responsible for.

-Sam Gagner-drafted 6th overall 2007
-Andrew Cogliano-drafted 25th overall 2005
-Tom Gilbert-acquired for Tomi Salo
-Denis Grebeshkov-acquired for Marc-Andre Bergeron

Time will only tell whether Taylor Chorney(2nd), Jeff Petry (2nd) or Theo Peckham (3rd) will pan out, but in the last 4 years Prendergast and his staff have done a pretty nice job, with players like Jordan Eberle and Phillipe Cornet enjoying good junior seasons this year.

2009 Draft Performers of the Week - Jan 11/09

Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW) / International Scouting Services (ISS) 2009 Draft Prospect Performers of the Week presented by The Pipeline Show & Hockey Now ending Sunday, January 11, 2009.

Each week, International Scouting Services (ISS), Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW), Hockey Now, and The Pipeline Show recognize the Top Draft Eligible player from each of the WHL, OHL, QMJHL, & USHL leagues for the upcoming 2009 NHL Entry Draft based on their play over the course of the week. Players are nominated and the selected by graduates of the SMWW Hockey GM & Scouting with each of the winners receiving a gift acknowledging their selection.

OHL – Nazem Kadri, London Knights

Nazem Kadri earns his third draft performer of the week award after posting a goal and 6 assists in 3 games for the Knights who currently sit first in their division and second in the OHL’s Western Conference. Kadri is amongst the top scorers in the OHL with 16 goals and 47 points in 30 games. Kadri is a London native and known for his creative playmaking and is currently ranked among the top ten draft prospects by ISS.

WHL – Evander Kane, Vancouver Giants

Evander Kane returned from the World Junior Hockey Championship with a bang recording 4 goals and adding 2 assists in 2 games and earning another draft performer of the week award. Kane, who is currently ranked 7th by ISS amongst NHL draft prospects has 26 goals, 54 points and a plus- 31 rating in 30 games for Vancouver. Kane is a player with great speed and who works hard despite his small stature.

QMJHL – Steven Anthony, Saint John Sea Dogs

Steven Anthony earns his first nomination as draft performer of the week after posting 3 goals and 5 assists in 2 games including a 6 point night in an 8-1 win over Gatineau. Anthony, a native of Halifax, NS and Saint John’s 1st Round pick in 2007 has 23 points in 37 games this season and is known for his smooth skating ability.

USHL – David Gerths, Lincoln Stars

David Gerths earns his first draft performer of the week nomination after posting 2 goals and 2 assists in two wins for the first place Stars. Gerths has 8 goals and 23 points in 26 games for Lincoln this season and was a member of Team USA at the World Jr A Challenge held in Camrose, AB this past November.

Is Dana Done?

Friday in team Canada's pre tournament game against Sweden, forward Dana Tyrell smoked Victor Hedman in the first minute of the contest. That's a 5.9.5" skater taking down a 6.7" giant with a clean hit. But it may also have taken Tyrell out of the tournament. Tyrell was getting an MRI this morning, and according to a Pipeline Show source, one Canadian teammate of Tyrell's said his knee "did not look good" yesterday.

This would be a big blow for team Canada, but in a way it would be a blessing that it happened now as they can still add a player to the roster before December 24th.

This would also be bad news for Tyrell's WHL club in Prince George. Despite sitting in the 8th and final playoff spot right now, they will have a hard resisting the bountiful offers they will get for Tyrell at the deadline. If his injury is serious it could set back their development plan for years.

TPS will continue to follow this story and give an update as soon as it's available.

Update: Vancouver Giants forward Evander Kane has been added to Canada's roster. The power forward has 22 goals and 26 assists in 28 games for the Giants this year. Canada hopes to have Kane in action Sunday in their 2nd pre tournament game against Finland.

2009 Draft Performers of the Week - Oct. 12/08

Each week International Scouting Services (ISS), Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW), Hockey Now, and The Pipeline Show recognize the Top Draft Eligible player from each of the WHL, OHL, QMJHL, & USHL leagues for the upcoming 2009 NHL Entry Draft based on their play over the course of the week.

One of the 4 weekly winners will then appear on The Pipeline Show with Dean and I the following week. So far this year we’ve talked to John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals and Evander Kane from the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. Here now are this week’s winners:

Ontario Hockey League – Matthew Sisca, Niagara Ice Dogs

Centre Matthew Sisca had an outstanding week in the Ontario Hockey League for the Niagara Ice Dogs. The 17 year old from Woodbridge, ON registered 5 assists and was a plus-2 in two games this week versus Guelph and Kitchener. Sisca, a 5’ 9” Centre has 1 goal and 10 points in 9 games this season, and has almost already matched his 07-08 point total of 11 pts.


Western Hockey League – Evander Kane, Vancouver Giants

Evander Kane continued his stellar play this week for the Vancouver Giants. The 6’ 1” Vancouver native had 3 goals and 3 assists in two games this weekend. Kane’s excellent performance thus far in the 08-09 season has him at the top of the Western Hockey League’s scoring race as the slick skating centre has 9 goals and 10 assists in 9 games. This is the second consecutive week that Kane has been the WHL winner of this award.

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – Jordan Caron, Rimouski Oceanic

Jordan Caron of the Rimouski Oceanic is the QMJHL draft performer of the week. The 6’ 2” 200 lb Right Winger from Sayabec, PQ fired 17 shots and scored 5 goals in 3 wins this week versus Montreal, Cape Breton and Gatineau. Caron has 7 goals and 2 assists in 8 games this season and is known for playing hard between whistles.

United States Hockey League – Brett Chartier, Lincoln Stars

Brett Chartier had a strong showing this past week for the Lincoln Stars. The 5’ 9” forward had 3 goals and 2 assists and was a plus-1 in wins against Sioux City and Sioux Falls. Chartier, a native of Winnipeg, MAN is in his first season in the USHL after playing the 07-08 season for the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Chartier has yet to commit to a NCAA program.


Olivier Roy, netminder for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, will appear on The Pipeline Show tonight.

2009 Draft Performers of the Week - Sept. 28/08

Each week SMWW, ISS, The Pipeline Show and Hockey Now recognize the top 2009 draft eligible player from the QMJHL, OHL, WHL and USHL based on their play over the course of the previous week. Here are the four winners for the week that was...

OHL - John Tavares (Oshawa Generals)

Second week in a row for Tavares who now has 10 points in 4 games with the Generals. Tavares will appear on The Pipeline Show on Tuesday night (Sept 30th) which can be heard live between 7-9 PM mountain time on the TEAM 1260 or via the archived audio files afterwards at The Pipeline Show.

WHL - Evander Kane (Vancouver Giants)

The Giants played 4 games in 5 nights and their 2006 1st round Bantam draft pick came away with 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points. Kane is projected by many as a player who could go in the top 10 of the 2009 NHL draft.

QMJHL - Gabriel Lemieux (Shawinigan Cataractes)

Born September 28th, Lemieux was barely too young for the 2008 draft. Now in his 3rd QMJHL season he is currently tied for the league lead in scoring by a defenceman. He had 3 points in 3 games last week.

USHL - John Moore (Chicago Steele)

4 points, a +6 rating and 14 PIM... those were John Moore's stats during the USHL preseason tournament that was played last week. He's an Illinois native and at 6'0 and 180 lbs, the blueliner has decent size and speed.