Wacky Predictor of Futureness: 2012 UEC Semifinal

Portugal VS Spain 1 - 2

Ronaldo sad..

These teams are both heavily oriented to the offensive.  Both have fairly porous defense, and very skilled offensive players.  Portugal has the more talented scorers (Ronaldo, come on) and Spain has the FAR superior midfield.  Portugal maybe has a more cohesive defense, but not enough to make a big difference.  As a result, though Ronaldo puts Portugal up a goal in the 1st half, Spain's possession game simply wears them down and, eventually, the Spaniards pot 2 goals in the 2nd half, from Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas, and Spain heads to the final.

Germany VS Italy 2 - 0

Though he didn't score a goal, Mesut Ozil is happy with his 2 assists.

Italy employs a strong defensive game from the back 4 out (which was utilized to great effect against Spain's possession game).  However, relying on that alone will be Italy's undoing, as Germany is the deeper, more talented team, and possesses both better fullbacks and (slightly) better goaltending than Spain had.  Therefore, Germany's patient, relentless game eventually wears down Italy's defense, and scores 2 goals in the 2nd half, courtesy of Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Calgary Flames 2012 Draft Report Card

Day 1


Things couldn't have been going better for the Flames.  In a sharp departure from normal draft tendencies, defenseman after defenseman was drafted in the top 10.  Only 2--TWO--forwards.  Just 2.  Granted, they were Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk (related, the Habs had a GREAT draft).  But Filip Forsberg, who was a consensus top 5 pick, went ELEVENTH!!

Anyway, with 10 selections finished, things were looking pretty good.  Forsberg, Faksa, Teravainen, and Grigorenko were ALL still available.  "Great!" we thought. "This is fantastic!"

Pick 11 came.  Forsberg went.
Pick 12 arrived.  Grigorenko's plummet ends at Buffalo.
Pick 13 passes.  Faksa is gone.

And now, the Flames will take Teravainen.

Oh, wait... what's Feaster doing on the phone?
He traded the pick.  To Buffalo, for the 21st and 42nd picks.  There have been grumbles that they could have gotten more for the pick, and that's likely true... if only it hadn't been the Flames who placed the call.  If you initiate contact, you're dealing from a position of weakness.

But, done is done.  And now Buffalo takes Teravainen.

Oh, wait, Girgensons.  Okay, we're still alive.
The next 3 picks pass without a hitch.  Ceci?  Didn't want a dman anyway.  Wilson?  Ha!  Hertl? Good, but Teravainen's better.  Apparently, Chicago liked him too. Teravainen goes 18th.

Okay, well, there's still Sebastian Collberg. And Olli Maatta. We can still come out okay.

A couple picks later, and they're still on the board. (Laughton. Ha!).

Feaster approaches the podium. And my head explodes.


Mark Jankowski C, Stanstead College; 21st overall

Now that I've had a chance to cool down (Could've had Teravainen.... *sniffle*) this isn't a terrible pick.  Jankowski isn't a player I'm particularly familiar with, but he was on my radar... in the 2nd round, in case the Flames managed to acquire a 2nd round pick.  But, Feaster, Weisbrod, Button, and Goulet apparently really REALLY liked him.  I get the sense that, if they had stayed at 14th, they'd have taken him anyway.  So, good thing they traded down, I guess.  Imagine if they had gone up with Teravainen and Girgensons still on the board and taken this guy.  Jankowski is bound for Providence College (NCAA) which is a good sign for a project.  There have been mentions of him going to the Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) first, though, which allows him to ease in to the great level of play that is NCAA hockey.
Pros: For such a universally panned pick, there is a lot to say in the pros section.  The most obvious is that he's the youngest player in the draft (almost a full year younger than one Pontus Aberg).  Very advanced for his age.  He's big (well, tall--he carries less muscle than I do, having grown ~6.5 inches in the last year).  He's got above-average hockey sense according to many scouts.  He's got great hands and playmaking ability, a good shot, and excellent compete level.  And he's also got a great personality.  Seems like a great kid.  He also scored 53 goals and 94 points in just 57 games.  Granted in a weak league, but that's damn impressive.
Cons: Did you know there was a team called Stanstead College?  In short, the guy was a man among boys. A wolf among chihuahuas.  A tiger among squirrels.  You get the idea.  The level of competition he played against was... extremely low.  Of course, that means his team mates were (relatively) lousy too (I don't mean to insult highschool players, but really--how many NHL players were drafted from this league?  I think 0).  I once described Zemgus Girgensons as "thin as a pencil" (granted, I was operating on dated listings and pictures/videos etc.).  At least that guy was ripped like a UFC fighter.  Jankowski looks like if someone stretched me out 8 inches taller without adding any (okay, much) muscle.  And if I had shoulder-length helmet-hair.  So yeah--he needs to "grow into" his frame.  Better start eating, kid.
Comparisons: Weisbrod says Joe Nieuwendyk.  I laugh, but what do I know?  I'd have taken Collberg.  And Nieuwendyk was drafted 27th overall (which, at the time, was the early 2nd round).
Random: His name makes me think of Trevor Letowski, which, in turn, makes me think of the Coyotes.  I hope he becomes a better player than that.  And with the Flames.
Grade: C.  I didn't feel comfortable giving it an F, considering the upside he possesses.  But at the same time, the bust factor is so significant that it makes me think that "C" is even a bit high.  I might change that later.

Day 2


Day 2 was pretty disappointing.  They took a goalie in the 3rd round (inexcusable) and took 3 dmen--none of whom have a RHS.  Missed out on Nick Ebert (last overall) Dalton Thrower (taken in the late 2nd) Anton Slepyshev (not drafted!!!) and others (including Seth Griffith, 5th round)

Patrick Sieloff D, USNTDP; 42nd overall


Physical defenseman, similar to (but smaller than) 2011 2nd rounder Tyler Wotherspoon.  Apparently hits everything that moves, and has okay mobility, but that's about all that can be said for him.  Didn't put up many points, and had a ton of penalty minutes.
Grade: C+.  Not really a fan, especially since Dalton Thrower went 9 spots down.  Sieloff does have a may birthday though.

Jonathan Gillies G, Indiana; 75th overall


Big goalie.  3rd round.  Scouting report reads like a description of Henrik Karlsson.  Bound for the same NCAA team as Jankowski.
Grade: F.  There's no excuse for taking a goalie this high.

Brett Kulak D, Vancouver; 105th overall


I actually like this pick.  Kulak is a silky smooth defenseman with untapped offensive potential, and good all-around skill.  He's a bit on the small side, though.  His scouting report on The Hockey Writers is absolutely glowing, saying things like "Duncan Keith" and "ridiculous upside".  I'm not sure I'd go that far, but he's alright, especially in the 4th round for a team that really has nothing at all on D.  My comparison is Marc-Edouard Vlasic of the San Jose Sharks, though he has a long way to go to reach that lofty comparison.
Grade: A.

Ryan Culkin D, Quebec; 124th overall


Another OKAY pick.  Culkin is a smart, no-frills defenseman.  He's described as being fairly mobile, with good offensive instincts... on the powerplay.  He doesn't contribute much offensively at even strength, though.  Definitely a project.  He's also, paradoxically, the biggest defender the Flames got in this draft.
Grade: C.

Coda Gordon LW, Swift Current; 165th overall


Many expected Gordon to go higher than this.  He was ranked 2nd on the Broncos in points (with 53) and goals (with 30).  He also boasted a +2 rating, which, on a poor team, isn't bad.  He has a great shot, and a great physical game, but dreadful skating.  Still, not bad for a 6th rounder.
Grade: B+.

Matt DeBlouw C, Muskegon; 186th overall


It's hard to get incensed about a 7th rounder, but this was the time to go far a home run! er, another home run.  Nick Ebert and Anton Slepyshev were still on the board, and the Flames go for this guy for some reason.  DeBlouw scored 33 points in 58 games, good for 3rd on his team (USHL).  He was also a -18, though Muskegon appears to have been a terrible team.
Grade: F. Mostly because they should have taken Nick Ebert.  Upside.  RHS.  Yeah.  Didn't.


OVERALL GRADE:  C

Wacky Predictor of Futureness: The UEFA Euro 2012 Final 8

Given how awesomely well my Stanley Cup prediction went (I'd have had to work hard to do worse ;P) and how much fun I had doing it (the detail was RIDICULOUS!) I thought it would be fun to do it again.  Hooray.  This time for the Euro Cup.  Hooray.  And for 4 games.

Czech Republic VS Portugal  1-4

The Czechs, after winning their dubious group, were, no doubt, hoping Denmark would find a way to qualify in the "Group of Death".  Well... they didn't.  And Portugal (particularly chief striker/Captain Christiano Ronaldo, pictured giving his personal thumbs up) has found their game.  As a result... the result isn't pretty.  After a 1-1 first half (goals by defender Michal Kadlec in the 29th minute, and by forward Helder Postiga in the 33rd), Ronaldo comes alive in the second, scoring goals at the 50th, 61st, and 73rd minutes to seal the relatively easy 4-1 win for Portugal.  The Portuguese enjoy 63% of the possession in their win.

Germany VS Greece 2-0

The beleaguered Greeks, without Captain Giorgos Karagounis due to a stupid yellow card in the game against Russia, do what they always do: work for a win.  Unfortunately (and not for lack of trying, with several great scoring chances by Giorgos Samaras and Fanis Gekas, all foiled by Manuel Neuer) the Greeks don't get that win.  After some tight(ish) play, with the Germans getting the majority of the shots and chances (though not to a dominating extent) the ice is finally broken when, at the 33rd minute, Thomas Muller makes up for a largely lackadaisical group stage by potting his 1st goal of the tournament on a feed from star defender Jerome Boateng.  The 1-0 advantage continues into the 2nd half, until Mario Gomez pots his 4th goal in the 55th minute off a feed from Bastian Schweinsteiger off a Mesut Ozil free kick, which pretty much ends any excitement in the game, as the Germans go into shell mode for the rest of the contest.


Spain VS France 1-0

Both teams bounce back from dismal performances in their respective final group matches with a tightly contested game.  Spain enjoys the majority of the shots and chances, though not to the extent maybe expected.  A few lapses by Spain's young defensive line lead to prime scoring chances for French forwards, though 'keeper Iker Casillas is up to the task.  Most of Spain's chances are created by Andres Iniesta passes to Fernando Torres, who invariably fires either 10 feet wide or 10 feet high.  Eventually, in the 73rd minute, Torres is substituted for Cesc Fabregas, and 2 minutes later, Fabregas heads home a goal from a Xavi Hernandez corner to get the win for the Spaniards.


England VS Italy 2-1

After a strangely lethargic group stage, Italy was looking to take the bull by the horns against the English.  A very small bull, they thought.  The Italians drill the English for almost 70% of the ball possession, with multiple scoring chances, shots, posts, blocked shots, and near misses.  They finally score at the 40th minute on a mid-range shot by Antonio Cassano that eludes goalkeeper Joe Hart, giving the Italians their well-deserved lead.  However, in the 56th minute, a cross by Theo Walcott bends its way to striker Wayne Rooney, who slams home a header for the tying goal.  The rest of the half is played much like the first, with Italy tossing chance after chance at the English goal, all of which fail for one reason or another.  Then, in the dying seconds of stoppage time, Theo Walcott slides into the open with a burst of speed to take a Steven Gerrard pass and roofs an absolute laser to give the plucky Britts the improbable 2-1 lead... and the win.










heh.  That was fun.


and now, this.

2012 NHL Mock Draft: Post SC

 1. Edmonton Oilers - Nail Yakupov RW
First pick.  Best player in draft.  Moving on.
 2. Columbus Blue Jackets - Ryan Murray D
The Jackets are in serious need of defenders.  I was tempted to give them Forsberg, but Murray can play right away.
 3. Montreal Canadiens - Mikhail Grigorenko C
Like him or not, he's too skilled to pass up.  Also, the Habs have enough legendaryness on their side that he'll probably stay.
 4. New York Islanders - Filip Forsberg RW
The big, mobile winger has unreal hands and a great shot.
 5. Toronto Maple Leafs - Alex Galchenyuk C
The Leafs, after years of dreadful choices and ill-advised pick trading, finally get it right.  Galchenyuk could end up the best player in the draft.
 6. Anaheim Ducks - Mathew Dumba D
Mobile, physical, and competitive.  What's not to like?  His defence is a work-in-progress, but his ceiling is arguably higher than Murray's.  He also has an absolute canon of a shot.
 7. Minnesota Wild - Griffin Reinhart D
Big, all-around defenseman.  The Wild have practically nothing left on the blueline after trading away most of their top4 and bringing in only Tom Gilbert.  Jonas Brodin is a great prospect, but he can't do it all alone.
 8. Carolina Hurricanes - Teuvo Teravainen RW
The Hurricanes supposedly don't like taking defensemen in round 1, though they did it last year.  This year, they get an ultra-talented Finnish winger who can already play with men.
 9. Winnipeg Jets - Jacob Trouba D
The Jets get possibly the most underrated of the top dmen in the class.  No big deal.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning - Morgan Rielly D
Bolts have an aging corps and an antique goalie.  Rielly gives them an exiting talent on the blueline, and another playmaker to feed Stamkos' one-timers.  You know, like if St. Louis doesn't last forever or something.
11. Washington Capitals - Radek Faksa C
The Caps take the do-it-all Czech power forward from the OHL off the table.
12. Buffalo Sabres - Cody Ceci D
Ceci sort of came out of nowhere last season.  On the other hand, he almost made team Canada.
13. Dallas Stars - Sebastian Collberg RW
Lightning-quick Swedish sniper gives the Stars someone to compliment Jamie Benn or Louie Eriksson.
14. Calgary Flames - Zemgus Girgensons C
Big, strong, physical, skilled, mobile, defensively responsible, Latvian... there's nothing to dislike about him.  Except the inconsistency part.  He also has the third best name in the draft (behind Roberts Lipsbergs and Teodors Blugers, also Latvian).
15. Ottawa Senators - Pontus Aberg LW
Swedish sniper/speed demon is a perfect fit for the Sens.  He even plays for the same team as top prospect Mika Zibanejad, Djurgarden of the Elitserien (now Allsvenskan).
16. Washington Capitals - Olli Maatta D
Super-smart all-around defensemen with good size don't grow on trees.  Possibly the only downside to Maatta is he has to return to Finland for no less than one season after the draft.
17. San Jose Sharks - Hampus Lindholm D
Big, physical, fast offensive defenseman rocketed up draft rankings over the course of the season, and the Sharks can't afford to shy away from his potential downside in the defensive zone.
18. Chicago Blackhawks - Brendan Gaunce C
The 'Hawks add to their stable of big, strong forwards.  Gaunce is the least skilled of the bunch, but also the best shooter and thinker.
19. Tampa Bay Lightning - Tomas Hertl C
Czech forward had a great season in the Czech Extraliiga.  His skills may be enough to offset his poor skating when he comes to North America.
20. Philadelphia Flyers - Matt Finn D
The 2-way defenseman is not flashy--almost boring, really--but he can do it all.  The Flyers are, apparently, under the influence of a goaltending curse of some kind, so defensemen make sense.
21. Buffalo Sabres - Tom Wilson RW
The Sabres figure there is more Milan Lucic than Tim Jackman in Wilson, and also figure that he could be a good compliment to some of their smaller scoring forwards like Tyler Ennis or Nathan Gerbe; or, failing that,  a bigger one like Joel Armia.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins - Derrick Pouliot D
One of the more naturally talented offensive defensemen in the draft, Pouliot could end up being a steal this low... if he learns how to play defense.
23. Florida Panthers - Slater Koekkoek D
A 2-way defenseman with good size, Koekkoek might have reached the top 10 if he hadn't been injured so often.
24. Boston Bruins - Andrei Vasilevski G
The Bruins figure, with Tim Thomas taking a year off and a year closer to turning 40, they should have another goalie in the system other than Tuukka Rask.  Vasilevski is as good as they get.
25. St. Louis Blues - Brady Skjei D
Underrated 2-way defender plays a complete game and has good size and skating.  There are questions about his physical game and offense, but the Blues have plenty of talented forwards.
26. Vancouver Canucks - Henrik Samuelsson RW
The Canucks like Samuelsson's combination of size, strength, and skill.  His skating needs a lot of work, though.
27. Phoenix Coyotes - Martin Frk RW
The Coyotes want a forward, and Frk is actually one of the more talented players in the draft--he's a potential gamebreaker.  Unfortunately, he's also a dreadful skater, though it's nothing a few hundred power-skating lessons won't fix.
28. New York Rangers - Nicolas Kerdiles C/LW
A good, physical, 2-way forward for a good, physical, 2-way team.
29. New Jersey Devils - Malcolm Subban G
Martin Brodeur can't play forever--though it certainly seems like he's been around forever already--and the Devils don't have an heir apparent, though their system is suitably deep at the position.  Subban would make a good eventual starter.
30. Los Angeles Kings - Dalton Thrower D
I'm not completely derisive of the Blue Jackets, and I can't think they're dumb enough to take the Kings' pick for this season when they have the choice of next season--and the Kings are unlikely to repeat as champions.  Thus, a robust, physical defenseman makes sense.  He would fit nicely in the Kings' system, an eventual replacement for either Rob Scuderi or Willie Mitchell and, possibly, a partner for Slava Voynov.

1000 Words: That's Not Ur Couch, Bro

So, on the C-train coming home from work.  This asshole gets on, and starts motioning for people to give him space (I, with my headphones in, don't understand what's going on.  Kind of assume he's just talking to somebody.)  Luckily (up 'till this point) I am across the train from him.  After everyone has (presumably) moved far enough away, Mr. Moron unzips--his pants!!--and lies down.  Across no less than 5 (FIVE!!!!!!!!!!) seats. He puts his baseball cap on over his face, and proceeds to fall asleep.  And snore loudly enough for me to hear him through Smoke on the Water.

In honour of this dubious occurrence and truly astounding display of casual 14A rated napping, we shall now pay homage to other Morons who share this blatant disregard for... you know, the generally accepted belief that there are OTHER PEOPLE!

This guy looks like the bloody pope compared to the one I encountered.

What is "National Sleep in Public Day"?

I'm glad to say I've never seen this.

Poor whino.

Narcoleptic X-ing

Oops..

That looks comfy.. Not.

If only...

2012 Calgary Flames Draft Targets

The Unlikelies:

Alex Galchenyuk

Hey, stranger things have happened.  Galchenyuk is a highly-skilled, well-rounded American center with great hands, skating, hockey sense, shooting ability, vision, and even some grit.  The only reason he could possibly fall to the Flames would be either: the Flames trade up (which they've pretty much never, ever done) or if too many teams are concerned about Galchenyuk's injury.  Honestly, I don't see that happening.


Teuvo Teravainen

a super-skilled, super-sneaky Finn, Teravainen wouldn't have been an Unlikely as recent as 2 months ago.  Things do change, however; mostly people just abruptly caught on to the fact that he's one of the best forwards in a draft thin on forwards.  That, in itself, isn't really an encouraging thing to say, but Teravainen is probably a top 10 selection in just about any draft ever.  He's small, but proved he could put up points in a men's league last season.


The Realistic(ish)s:

Sebastian Collberg

Fast and skilled, Collberg is pretty much a pure sniper.  He has great hands and is a quick, explosive skater, but the biggest thing about him is his elite, elite shot and lightning-quick release.  In spite of his size (or, rather, lack thereof) he is adept at going to the dirty areas to score goals (though he'll need to gain a ton of strength to be even marginally effective as a pro).  Scored well in international play, but laid an egg in 41 Elitserien games this season.


Pontus Aberg

Aberg was a complementary piece on a Djurgarden team that got relegated to the Allsvenskan at the end of the season.  Pontus is a nearly identical player to Collberg, except for being faster with a not-as-good shot.  Otherwise, they're very similar.  Aberg is also a late(ish) 1993 birthdate--in fact, he is only 14 days younger than Alex Khokhlachev, who was drafted in 2011.  The extra development time has to be counted against him to some extent when comparing him to Collberg.  Oddly though, I like him better.


Olli Maatta

A smart, all-around defenseman from Finland playing in the OHL.  His skillset is mostly oriented to defense, though he does show some offensive ability, especially in the back-door play and on the rush.  He's fairly mobile in all 4 directions, though oddly his skating stride could use some work.  His physical game is very good.  Though he's an early August birthdate (making him one of the youngest players in the draft) he is a very advanced prospect.  This has led to some speculation about how much more development he has and, thus, to questions about his ultimate upside.  Still, a good building-block prospect for a system that needs them.


Zemgus Girgensons

A former linemate of current Flames prospect Johnny Gaudreau, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the Latvian forward playing in the USHL.  Some scouts are convinced he has the skill to be a top 10 pick.  Others doubt he'll even be a 3rd line forward in the NHL.  He is very skilled, though his offensive game tends to take short vacations.  His work ethic is always at 100% however, and he's always throwing his wire-thin body around.  With some added muscle (seriously, he's thin as a pencil) he could be even more dominant.  Or much, much slower.  Time to toss the dice.


Cody Ceci

An all-around defenseman who surprised with a nearly point-per-game season with the Ottawa 67's.  There are questions about his mobility and the projectability of his offensive game, but he's a big, well-rounded defenseman who manages to be fairly mobile and effective at moving the puck.  There have been complaints that he doesn't use his size as much as one would expect as well.  He's not likely to fall to 14th, but then again, few would have thought Nathan Beaulieu, Ryan Murphy (2011), Cam Fowler, and Brandon Gormley (2010) would fall out of the top 10 (in some cases top 5) in their respective drafts, but they ALL did.  Defensemen routinely slip through the cracks, and Ceci is one the Flames have to keep an eye out for.


Griffin Reinhart

Younger brother of Flames prospect Max and older brother to top 2014 eligible Sam, Griffin is a big stay-at-home defenseman who also possesses some puck possession skill.  His first pass is pretty good, and his hands are better than one would expect from a big defenseman.  He's not the best skater--far from it--but he's at least decent for a player his size.  He isn't as physical as most defenseman his size, but he isn't gentle either.  He has some ability at clearing the front of the net due to his size.  Like Ceci, he's unlikely to fall to 14th, but defenseman do fall.


Matt Finn

An average-sized all-around defenseman who's known for being almost completely without flash.  He is never going to wow anyone in any of the three zones--with or without the puck--but he can do just about anything.  In spite of a bit of a lack of size and strength, he plays a decent enough physical game, and even fights on occasion.  There are some issues with his skating, but he has made notable improvements in that area.  He's unlikely to be the most intriguing prospect available at 14th, but he's definitely one to keep an eye on, especially if the Flames decide to trade down (like they did almost every season under Darryl Sutter).


Radek Faksa

In a draft thin on forwards, Faksa is almost certainly going to be overdrafted.  However, there is a chance, at least, that he'll be available when it comes time for the Flames to make their pick.  Faksa is a mobile, skilled power forward who sometimes plays downright nasty.  He plays both center and the wing, and seems equally adept at both (at least in Junior).  There have been comparisons to Eric Staal, but that might imply more offensive potential than Faksa actually has.  Still Faksa is an intriguing prospect, and if he manages to still be on the board at 14th, it's unlikely the Flames take anyone else.


Derrick Pouliot

The offensive defenseman from Portland Winterhawks has plummeted in draft rankings, but mostly due to other players like Cody Ceci, Radek Faksa, Teuvo Teravainen, and Matt Finn surpassing expectations.  Pouliot remains a smart, mobile defenseman who moves the puck with crisp, tape to tape passes and labels an accurate shot on net.  the jury is still out on his defensive game, where some scouts think he's quite good (underrated would be a better word) while others think he's so bad he needs to be converted to forward.


Hampus Lindholm

The Swede has shot up draft rankings in north america with a strong season with Rogle of the Allsvenskan (Elitserien as of next season, since Djurgarden got relegated and Rogle advanced).  Lindholm is what's known as a "toolsy" defenseman, as he possesses many desireable qualities--speed, smarts, puck moving, shooting, vision, even grit--but has yet to truly put it all together.  His defensive game, in particular, is a work in progress, as he needs to learn to read the play better.  His hands, in contrast to the rest of his tools, are only average as well.


The Darkhorses:

Nick Ebert

Once upon a time, Ebert was considered a top 10 prospect in this draft.  However, once the season started, he was so universally underwhelming that he's absolutely plummeted, appearing in the 3rd round in most rankings.  Reportedly he still has all the potential he once did (he was believed to be a potential top pair defenseman), but questions about his desire and decision making have caused scouts to question whether he will ever come close to reaching his lofty potential.  Personally, I think scouts have been a little overly harsh on him, but I guess they know better than me.


Andreas Athanasiou

Athanasiou is another faller.  His decision making and overall hockey sense has been questioned ever since he was ranked as high as 15th previously.  He remains a speedy (eye-poppingly so) and flashy goal scoring winger who can play either side.  He also shows good vision and above-average shooting, but only some of the time.  He has a lot of potential, but whether he reaches it or not is no better than a crap-shoot.  Athanasiou is also one of the younger players in the draft with an early August birthdate.


Dalton Thrower

Thrower is a small-ish (the largest I've ever seen him listed is 6'0") but extremely physical defenseman who put up flabbergasting numbers last season (scored almost as many points as Derrick Pouliot).  In spite of that production, his projections remain as a physical second-pair defenseman, but scouts are beginning to consider that there might be a fair bit more upside here than they originally thought.


Seth Griffith

Griffith is an odd case, a 2011 eligible who somehow fell through the cracks in spite of a nearly point-per-game season (he was only 6 points back of 1st round pick Vladislav Namestnikov).  Even more mystifying, he was somehow left off CSS's final North American rankings for this draft.  Griffith is a sneaky, opportunistic winger who can put up points as a complementary piece to more skilled players.  Certainly not 1st round material--or even 2nd round--but he's a player who should be on the Flames' radar in the mid and late rounds (the Flames aren't shy about drafting players passed up in their first year of eligibility, such as John Ramage and Gaelan Patterson, though they were both Sutter picks).

BECAUSE I'M BORED: NHL Mock Draft

 1. Edmonton Oilers - Nail Yakupov RW
The Oilers take the best player in the draft. Needs be damned.
 2. Columbus Blue Jackets - Ryan Murray D
The BJ's, with a pretty much completely horrible team, take the top defenseman.
 3. Montreal Canadiens - Mikhail Grigorenko C
Despite reservations and cries of "Wah! Kovalev! Wah!", the Habs take the best center in the draft.
 4. New York Islanders - Matthew Dumba D
The Islanders need good... well anything.  Dumba reminds them of a young Mark Streit.
 5. Toronto Maple Leafs - Alex Galchenyuk C/LW
Injuries?  Who cares?  He's substantially better than any center in the system.  Including the NHL team.
 6. Anaheim Ducks - Filip Forsberg W
The Ducks look to the future and take a direct replacement for Teemu Selanne.
 7. Minnesota Wild - Jacob Trouba D
The Wild, perhaps the only team worse than Columbus, finally realize trading Burns was a mistake.
 8. Carolina Hurricanes - Radek Faksa C/RW
The 'Canes hate taking defensemen.  They did it last year, so they take a forward this year.
 9. Winnipeg Jets - Teuvo Teravainen RW
The Jets get the uber-talented and intelligent Teravainen out of the SM-Liiga.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning - Griffin Reinhart D
The Bolts need a big, commanding defenseman.  Apparently.
11. Washington Capitals - Morgan Rielly D
The Caps are surprised when injury-riddled Rielly falls into their lap.  They're happy to take him.
12. Buffalo Sabres - Zemgus Girgensons C
The Sabres go off the board for some name swag from Latvia.  Also, he's a big centerman.
13. Dallas Stars - Cody Ceci D
The Stars are fortunate to get Ceci here.  The big, mobile defenseman is a good fit.
14. Calgary Flames - Olli Määttä D
Maatta plays a very advanced defensive game. A system thin on defensemen gets a good one.
15. Ottawa Senators - Sebastian Collberg RW
A lot of mock drafts think the Sens are a good fit for sniper Collberg.  I agree.
16. Florida Panthers - Pontus Aberg W
The Panthers, in need of... you know... good players, take the speed demon from Sweden.
17. San Jose Sharks - Brendan Gaunce C
A sysem in need of, quite literally, everything, takes a big, solid defensive forward.
18. Chicago Blackhawks - Malcolm Subban G
Questions about Campbell are addressed with the addition of the "best" goalie in the draft.
19. Tampa Bay Lightning - Andrei Vasilevski G
The Lightning look for a quick fix in the nets.
20. Boston Bruins - Brady Skjei D
The reeling Bruins take the best player available, the underrated Skjei (pronounced "Shay")
21. Pittsburgh Penguins - Slater Koekkoek D
The Pens groan because they had their eye on Skjei.  Injured Koekkoek is the next best.
22. Vancouver Canucks - Derrick Pouliot D
The Canucks apparently miss Christian Ehrhoff.
23. Washington Capitals - Phillip Di Giuseppe C
The Caps go off the board a tad and take the top college draftee.
24. Philadelphia Flyers - Dalton Thrower D
The Flyers add the nasty Thrower. He's not big, but put up surprising numbers this season.
25. Buffalo Sabres - Hampus Lindholm D
The Sabres take a chance on a late riser out of Sweden.
26. St. Louis Blues - Tomas Hertl C
Hertl has been scoring in the Czech league.  The Blues hope he does the same in NA.
27. New Jersey Devils - Jordan Schmaltz D
The Devils like Schmaltz's mobility and offense.  Like a young Scott Niedermayer.
28. Phoenix Coyotes - Matt Finn D
The Coyotes like the well-rounded, flashless game of the Guelph Storm defender.
29. New York Rangers - Nicolas Kerdiles C/LW
The Rangers like physical forwards.  It was Miller last year, now they take Kerdiles.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets - Ludvig Byström D
Another riser out of Sweden, the Jackets seem to make the Los Angeles pick count.