On the Mark - Part 3

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Each year The Pipeline Show is excited to bring you entries to our blog written by players in their draft year and 2009-10 is no exception. So far we've heard from Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman Mark Pysyk and Prince George Cougars forward Brett Connolly.

Today we're able to bring you the 3rd chapter in Pysyk's ongoing series that we've called 'On the Mark'. The member of the Edmonton Oil Kings represented the team at the annual CHL Top Prospects Game a couple of weeks ago and its that experience that Pysyk (Photo: Andy Devlin/Edmonton Oil Kings) shares with our readers today.

Prospect Snap Shot Series

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Starting February 1st here at Coming Down the Pipe! we will be presenting a new month-long series. We've been asked several times over the last couple of years to do top 20 rankings for teams or leagues, countries, you name it. We've never done it.

That changes on Monday.

What stage is the Oilers rebuild in?

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When the Chicago Blackhawks rolled through town this week it was written everywhere but in the sky that the Hawks formula for rebuilding is the one Edmonton should be following.

Chicago enjoyed several high end draft positions to get to where they are now, and if the Oilers indeed are in true rebuilding mode they will enjoy at least 2 years of the same thing.

2010 Draft Prospect Cam Fowler

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While much of the focus of the 2010 draft has been spent on Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, whichever team draws the 3rd spot is going to get a terrific defenceman. That player joined Guy and myself Tuesday night.

We started our conversation with Cam Fowler asking him if he had done any gloating in the Windsor dressing room after winning gold at the World Junior Championship with Team USA. Wisely he hadn't as 4 of his Spitfire teammates were on the losing squad in the gold medal game and as smooth as Fowler is on the ice, I don't think he could escape all 4 of them.

Heads Will Roll

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"The fans will need a sacrifice."

That from a caller to Oilers Lunch a week or so ago. Radio host Bob Stauffer was fielding calls from Oiler fans, many who are relishing the thought that the team will end up with a lottery pick this June and some who demand change from the organization.

When a team finishes dead last in a professional league it is reasonable to expect that someone will lose their job as a result. Perhaps more than one. Sometimes it's not who the fans believe deserves to get fired and other times it's actually pretty predictable.

I believe there will be a price to be paid for Edmonton's futility this year and I predict that the person(s) who are let go will (A) not satisfy the fans and (B) is fairly simple to foresee.

One on One: Braden Holtby

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One of the things we like to do on The Pipeline Show is catch up with players who we talked to during their junior years who are now stepping up to the pro level. One such player is netminder Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals.

We first started talking to and about Holtby back in 2006 when he was in his rookie year with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades. In an on-air interview with WHL broadcater Cam Moon, we asked who the next big goalie coming up in the WHL might be and a 16-year-old Holtby was the name that came up. Since then we've seen him backstop the Blades to the top of the WHL's Eastern Conference, get drafted in the 4th round by the Washinton Capitals in 2008 and finish his junir career was one of the most promising goalie prospects coming out of the CHL.

It was time for us to catch up with Holtby and see how he's making out as a rookie in the American Hockey League with the defending champs, the Hershey Bears, and we did so on TPS this past week.

Contest Time!!!!

Just a heads up that we have 2 new contests running on The Pipeline Show. Check out our contest section to find out the details.

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:

Simpson is Sioux Bound

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Over the weekend Dillon Simpson committed to the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. The 16 year old rookie defenceman with the Spruce Grove Saints has 8 goals and 34 points this year in 47 games with the number one ranked Junior A team in the country.

Simpson has heated up recently with 7 points in his past 4 games. He was an 8th round choice of the Kelowna Rockets in the 2008 WHL bantam draft, but would have gone much higher, possibly in the first round had he not been leaning towards the NCAA.

Simpson is the son of former NHLer and current Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Craig Simpson and is following in his father's skate strides, albeit to a different school. Craig attended and played at Michigan State. Like his father, Dillon will graduate high school a year early and could play at UND as a 17 year old next year (he turns 17 on February 10th) but I've been told that that will be up to the Fighting Sioux.

Cormier done, Branch to discuss

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Patrice Cormier was suspended for the rest of the regular season and the playoff, which is over 40 games if Rouyn-Noranda goes 7 games in every series. I haven't heard anyone say it was to long, but a lot that have said it was justified. CHL commish David Branch will appear on The Pipeline Show tomorrow night, and we'll talk with Branch about the lengthy suspensions that have been handed out in junior hockey this year. If you have a question for Branch. pipeup@theteam1260.com.