31. New York Islanders – Toni Rajala – LW
CS: #:11E —– THN: # 49 —– McK: 45
ISS: # 31 (Martin St. Louis) —– RLR: # 34(Martin Straka)
TSN: # 56 (Sami Kapanen)
Rajala’s goal scoring exploits do not come from a Bobby Hull-like shot. Rather, he it comes from his excellent puck skills, hockey sense and shooting accuracy. He broke Alexander Ovechkin’s scoring record with 19 points in the U-18 tournament.

32. Tampa Bay Lightning – Kyle Palmieri – C
CS: # 20NA —– THN: # 26 —– McK: 42
ISS: # 23 (Brian Gionta) —– RLR: # 26 (Tuomo Ruutu)
TSN: # 25 (Chris Drury)
Palmieri is a team player who plays much bigger than his size (5-10/191). He plays a gritty style of hockey and is not afraid to play in traffic and is a strong two-way center.

33. Colorado Avalanche – Calvin de Haan – D
CS: # 25NA —– THN: # 22 —– McK: 28
ISS: # 36 (Brian Campbell) —– RLR: # 20 (Tomas Kaberle)
TSN: # 23 (Tomas Kaberle)
Calvin is a solid puck-moving defenseman who plays an intelligent game and showed this season that he can thrive when given extra ice time. Once he adds some muscle to his wiry frame (6-0/170), de Haan has the chance to become a solid all-around d-man.

34. Atlanta Thrashers – Chris Brown – LW
CS: # 30NA —– THN: # 61 —– McK: # 40
ISS: # 34 (Taylor Pyatt) —– RLR: # 101 (Anthony Stewart)
TSN: # 39 (Jamie Langenbrunner)
Brown’s combination of size (6-2/191) and very good skating ability sets him up to be a power forward in the NHL – which will be an excellent addition to Ilya Kovalchuk and Evander Kane. Brown is also very responsible in his own as well, doing the little things to help defend.

35. Los Angeles Kings – Zach Budish – RW/C
CS: # 22NA —– THN: # 44 —– McK: 50
ISS: # 51 (Keith Tkachuk) —– RLR: # 29(Ryan Getzlaf)
TSN: # 42 (David Backes)
The Kings could look to add to their defense corps, but it is worth their while to reach a bit on Budish. He is former first round projection who suffered an ACL injury while playing football in high school. The injury hurt his draft position, but he is expected to be ready to play at the University of Minnesota. His size (6-4/230), heavy shot and all-around game could make Budish one of the steals of the draft – if he lasts into the second round.

36. Phoenix Coyotes – Tim Erixon – D
CS: # 5E —– THN: # 32 —– McK: 30
ISS: # 55 (Kenny Jonsson) —– RLR: # 23 (Ron Hainsey)
TSN: # 28 (Mattias Ohlund)
The solid two-way defenseman is the son of former Ranger Jan Erixon. While there isn’t any one part of his game that stands out, he is solid in all aspects of the game – as seen by his playing in the Swedish Elite League at the age of 18.

37. New York Islanders – Robin Lehner – G
CS: # 1E Goalie—– THN: # 52 —– McK: 57
ISS: # 6 Goalie (Not Available) —– RLR: # 69 (Mathieu Garon)
TSN: 47 (Henrik Lundqvist)
With Rick DiPietro a perennial injury waiting to happen, GM Garth Snow needs to address his goaltending situation. Lehner draws comparisons to fellow Swedish netminder Henrik Lundqvist. However at 6-3/220, Lehner is bigger than The King and is more willing to cut down the angles and challenges shooters with his butterfly style.

38. Dallas Stars – Dmitry Orlov – D
CS: # 9E —– THN: # 55 —– McK: 33
ISS: # 29 (Dan Hamhuis) —– RLR: # 61 (Patrice Brisebois)
TSN: # 44 (Trevor Daley)
With Sergei Zubov nearing the end of his career, the Stars look to fellow Russian Orlov as a replacement. Dmitry is an offensive d-man who likes to rush the puck as well as join the rush late. While he still needs to polish up his game in the defensive end, Orlov will contribute immediately on the PP because of his shot and hockey sense.

39. Ottawa Senators – Richard Panik – RW
CS: # 13E —– THN: # 31 —– McK: 54
ISS: # 35 (Marian Hossa or P. Stefan) —– RLR: # 60 (M. Hossa or L. Kasper)
TSN: # 38 (Marian Hossa)
As you can see, both ISS and RLR believe Panik can be a boom or bust type player. While his play is inconsistent, he does have the offensive package (scoring touch, puck handling and speed) and size (6-2/202) to be an impact player. He has all the tools, now he needs to find a box to put them in.

40. Edmonton Oilers – Charles-Oliver Roussel – D
CS: # 36NA —– THN: # 35 —– McK: 53
ISS: # 42 (Wade Redden) —– RLR: # 14 (Brad Stuart)
TSN: # 37 (Kris Letang)
Roussel is a solid two-way blueliner who kicked his game up a notch during the post-season. He plays a well-rounded game, and while he doesn’t have one calling card aspect to his game, he does not have any major weaknesses either.

41. Nashville Predators – Ethan Werek – C
CS: # 32NA —– THN: # 34 —– McK: 38
ISS: # 26 (Gary Roberts) —– RLR: # 46 (Nik Antropov)
TSN: # 41 (Alexi Ponikarovsky)
Werek originally wanted to go the NCAA route, but decided to play in the OHL with Kingston. He is the hard-nosed type of player every team wants. He will do the dirty work needed in front of the net to score. Werek made Canada’s 2008 World Junior A Challenge team and their 2009 U-18 team.

42. Nashville Predators – Stefan Elliott – D
CS: # 17NA —– THN: # 27 —– McK: 39
ISS: # 38 (Sergei Gonchar) —– RLR: # 41 (Paul Martin)
TSN: # 35 (Tom Gilbert)
With the back end of their back-to-back picks, Nashville drafts Elliott with an eye towards his offensive contributions. His puck-handling and passing skills make him a valuable weapon on the PP. Elliott likes to join the rush and will work deep in the offensive zone. He is still a work in progress in the defensive zone and he needs to be more physical.

43. San Jose Sharks – Ryan O’Reilly – C
CS: # 39NA —– THN: # 39 —– McK: 26
ISS: # 50 (Shawn Horcoff) —– RLR: # 39 (Sammy Pahlsson)
TSN: # 27 (Maxime Talbot)
The Sharks continue to misfire in the playoffs as the team is just missing that something extra. This is where O’Reilly can fit in. He has excellent hockey sense and is a team leader who very well may be a captain in the NHL. He is solid in his own end, and is one of the best penalty killers and faceoff men in the OHL. His offensive game in the NHL will be more as a playmaker than goal scorer.

44. Florida Panthers – Josh Birkholz – RW/C
CS: # 43NA —– THN: # 57 —– McK: 67
ISS: # 37 (Matt Cullen) —– RLR: # 97 (Torrey Mitchell)
TSN: # 52 (Dan Hinote)
The soon-to-be University of Minnesota freshman is a strong two-way forward who has good quickness and speed. Josh will use his speed to beat defenders wide as he cuts to the net. Birkholz has good size (6-1/182), but he needs to use it more as part of an overall need to be consistently more consistent.

45. Atlanta Thrashers – Brayden McNabb – D
CS: # 51 NA —– THN: # 54 —– McK: 60
ISS: # 43 (Hal Gill) —– RLR: # 66 (Matt Walker)
TSN: # 54 (Sean O’Donnell)
GM Donnie Waddell has the chance to make up for his mistake for trading Brayden Coburn for Alexei Zhitnik. The 6-4/200 McNab is a stay-at-home defenseman who does have the ability to move the puck and see the ice. McNabb plays a physical game, but doesn’t run around to throw hits. He does need to work on defensive positioning because speedy forwards can beat him wide.

46. Ottawa Senators – Edward Pasquale – G
CS: # 3NA Goalie —– THN: # 40 —– McK: 80
ISS: # 1 Goalie (Not Available) —– RLR: # 98 (Dany Sabourin)
TSN: Honorable Mention (Not Available)
Despite the acquisition of Pascal Leclaire and the development Brian Elliott, the Sens still need to address the position. Pasquale has good size (6-3/218) and athletic ability. When he is on his game, he will let the puck come to him rather than trying fight off shots. He is still needs to work on his consistency and stickhandling.

47. New York Rangers – Alex Chiasson – RW
CS: # 34NA —– THN: # 76 —– McK: 47
ISS: # 85 (Not Available) —– RLR: # 67 (Jochen Hecht)
TSN: 46 (Colby Armstrong)
At 6-3/187, Chiasson has the size to be your prototypical power forward. While he needs to work on his skating, Chiasson is a hard worker who goes to the net and does all of the little things you want from a physical forward – including being a strong forechecker. Chiasson will jump from the USHL to Boston University. McK scout Kevin Wey said he has “the most upside of any USHL prospect in the 2009 Draft.”

48. St. Louis Blues – Tomas Vincour – RW
CS: # 42NA —– THN: # 63 —– McK: 98
ISS: # 49 (Nik Antropov) —– RLR: # 83 (Tomas Kopecky)
TSN: # Not Rated (Not Available)
Vincour is still a work in progress, but he is a strong mix of skill and size (6-2/203) and is a hard worker. The Czech native has spent the last two seasons playing in the WHL and is ahead of most European born players when it comes to adapting to North American hockey. He is at his best on offense when he uses his hands and his hockey sense below the faceoff dots.

49. Colorado Avalanche – Olivier Roy – G
CS: # 2NA Goalie —– THN: # 38 —– McK: 68
ISS: # 2 Goalie (Not Available) —– RLR: # 56 (Manny Legace)
TSN: # Honorable mention (Marc-Andre Fleury)
New GM Greg Sherman will look to another Roy (no relation to former Colorado goalie Patrick Roy) to solidify their goaltending position. Roy is looking to follow fellow Cape Breton netminders Marc-Andre Fleury and Ondrej Pavelec. Roy is a butterfly goalie who plays up at the top of the crease.

50. Toronto Maple Leafs – Cody Eakin – C
CS: # 29NA —– THN: # 64 —– McK: 46
ISS: # 46 (Darcy Tucker) —– RLR: # 49 (Mike Comrie)
TSN: # 53 (Darren Helm)
Eakin’s history of injuries probably cost him a shot at the first round (including two concussions). With that said, he is big-time goal scorer whose offense is fed by his speed, quickness and good hockey sense. At 5-11/176, he can’t afford to be overly physical, but he is aggressive and is an effective forechecker.

51. Carolina Hurricanes – Mac Bennett – D
CS: # 40NA —– THN: # N/R in Top 100 —– McK: 52
ISS: # 64 (Not Available) —– RLR: # 73 (Tobias Enstrom)
TSN: # 56 (petr Svoboda)
Bennett is a bit of project because he made a verbal commitment to the University of Michigan for 2010-11. An injury cost him some time this season (as well as scouting exposure), but he is a solid two-way d-man who is a tremendous skater – so much so that ISS says it is reminds them of Paul Coffey.

52. Tampa Bay Lightning – Matthew Hackett – G
CS: # 1NA Goalie —– THN: # Not Rated in Top 100 —– McK: 55
ISS: # 3 Goalie (Not Available) —– RLR: # 174 (Not Available)
TSN: # 43 (Mike Smith)
The Lightning’s goaltending situation is still up in the air so it would be worth it for Brian Lawton to draft the nephew of former NHLer Jeff Hackett. There a lot of GMs who regret passing on the 6-2/170 goalie in last year’s Draft. Hackett’s play during the season forced Plymouth (OHL) to trade Jeremy Smith – a former second round draft pick of the Nashville Predators. Hackett plays his angles well, which allows him to use his size to his advantage.

53. Vancouver Canucks – Tomas Tatar – C
CS: # 14E —– THN: # 51 —– McK: 35
ISS: # 41 (Ales Hemsky) —– RLR: # 35 (Jiri Hudler)
TSN: # 49 (Sergei Samsonov)
Replacing the Sedins continues in to the second round as Vancouver drafts Tatar. The 5-11/176 center is a potential top six forward based on scoring ability, skating and strong puck-handling skills. Tatar saved his best for big games as his 7 goals helped led Slovakia to the semi-finals in the World Juniors and he scored 5 goals in 13 games in Slovak Extraleague play.

54. New Jersey Devils – Jean-Francois Berube – G
CS: # 10NA Goalie —– THN: # 43 —– McK: 109
ISS: # 11 Goalie (Not Available) —– RLR: # 45 (Martin Biron)
TSN: # Honorable Mention (Not Available)
Martin Brodeur’s injury showed that the Devils need to start thinking about life after Brodeur. New Jersey has not had much luck in drafting a successor (see Ari Ahonen). Berube is a bit of a wildcard because he has been stuck behind Jake Allen in Montreal (QMJHL). Berube will be the main benefactor of Steve Mason’s super rookie season because Mason only played 6 games in his draft year. When he is on his game, Berube’s positioning is solid and het lets the puck come to him rather than fighting the puck.

55. Washington Capitals – Eric Gelinas – D
CS: # 38 NA —– THN: # 46 —– McK: 36
ISS: # 82 (Not Available) —– RLR: # 25 (Cam Barker)
TSN: # Honorable mention (Not Available)
Gelinas is an attractive prospect because of his size (6-3/185) and strong skating skills. He is more of an offensive defenseman at this point in his career and is valuable player on the PP. He is still a work in progress in his own end, but he does use his long reach well. One concern is that he only had 2 goals and 4 assists in his final 23 games last season.

56. New York Islanders – Kenny Ryan – RW
CS: # 56NA —– THN: # 66 —– McK: 29
ISS: # 59 (Brooks Laich) —– RLR: # 47 (Andrew Ladd)
TSN: # Honorable Mention (Not Available)
The Isles continue stocking up their organization with the selection of the solid two-way RW. Ryan, who will be attending Boston College, is a very good skater who has speed to beat defenders wide. He uses those assets to be a solid forechecker who has the ability to get back and help out in the defensive zone.

57. San Jose Sharks – Anton Lander – LW
CS: # 19E —– THN: # 50 —– McK: 75
ISS: # 47 (Mikko Koivu) —– RLR: # 64 (Niklas Sundstrom)
TSN: # Honorable Mention (Not Available)
Muck like Ryan O’Reilly, Anton Lander is a hard worker who features very good leadership abilities who plays hard until the final whistle. He has some scoring ability, but he is more of a passer than scorer. His skating and hockey sense make him an effective forechecker and solid contributor on defense.

58. Toronto Maple Leafs – Scott Stajcer – G
CS: # 5NA Goalie —– THN: # N/R in Top 100 —– McK: 34
ISS: # 4 Goalie (Not Available) —– RLR: # 115 (Not Available)
TSN: # Scott Stajcer (Not Available)
While Swedish free agent goalie Jonas Gustavsson is on the Leafs radar, Brian Burke should look to give new goalie coach Francois Allaire another toy to play with. Stajcer has good size (6-2/180) and switches between a stand-up and butterfly style of play. He is a solid athlete who has to pay attention to letting the puck come to him rather than doing too much to fight off the puck.

59. Chicago Blackhawks – Alex Hutchings – RW
CS: # 44NA —– THN: # 48 —– McK: 74
ISS: # 61 (Not Available) —– RLR: # 43 (Chris Kunitz)
TSN: # 58 (Chuck Kobasew)
His speed, skill and hockey sense make up for his lack of size (5-10/173). Despite his slight stature, Hutchings will go into the corners and play in traffic thanks to his skating skills. He has the ability to play in all situations, including both special teams.

60. Detroit Red Wings – Philippe Paradis – LW/C
CS: # 26NA —– THN: # 60 —– McK: 48
ISS: # 88 (Not Available) —– RLR: # 40 (Matt Stajan)
TSN: # 40 (Max Pacioretty)
Paradis uses his size (6-1/196) to be a grinding player who is developing a solid all-around game – after starting in Shawinigan as an offensive player. Paradis has developed into a forward who plays in all situations – including PP and PK. RLR says he is “capable of being a ‘Gordie Howe hat trick’ guy”.

61. Pittsburgh Penguins – Taylor Beck – LW
CS: # 67NA —– THN: # 48 —– McK: 66
ISS: # 53 (Scott Hartnell) —– RLR: # 130 (Not Available)
TSN: # Honorable Mention (Not Available)
Beck is a perfect complimentary player for a team that has the offensive talent the Penguins have. The 6-1/205 Beck isn’t fleet of foot, but he makes up for it with very good puck-handling ability. A McK scout compares Beck’s style to that of Milan Lucic and they believe he will be a better NHL player than junior player.

Often pegged as the odds-on favorite to be the first overall selection for the past few years, the draft landscape has shifted a bit as Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman finished the year as the number one prospect according to McKeen’s (McK) and Red Line Report (RLR). Tavares topped the rankings according to International Scouting Service (ISS), The Hockey News (THN) and the NHL’s Central Scouting (CS). In each service, either Hedman or Tavares finish first or second except for RLR where Tavares is ranked third with Matt Duchene rated second.

GM Garth Snow has a difficult decision to make. The Islanders’ selection comes down to more than just talent alone. With the franchise struggling to get a new building as part of the Lighthouse Project, there is pressure to select Tavares in order to help further that cause because of his “star potential”. Tavares would give the Islanders its version of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin or Alexander Ovechkin.

Conversely, it might be in the Islanders best interest to draft Hedman as the shutdown defenseman Eastern Conference teams will need to battle the likes of Crosby et al.

Past Islanders history lends itself to the Islanders drafting Hedman. The Islanders have had the first overall selection three times in their history. The turning point in the Islanders franchise was in 1973 when they drafted future captain Denis Potvin – who far outpaced their previous first overall selections – Billy Harris (1972) and Rick DiPietro (2000).

With five picks over the first 56 selections (1st, 26th, 31st, 37th and 56th), the Islanders will go a long way in shaping the outcome of the 2009 Draft. Depending on who their selection is they could set into motion a multitude of trade proposals.

It is no secret that Toronto GM Brian Burke covets Tavares. Burke sees the youngster as the cornerstone piece in rebuilding the Maple Leafs. If the Islanders are leaning towards drafting Hedman, Snow needs to speak with Burke and Brian Lawton of Tampa Bay. If the Islanders play their cards right, they could use their excess of draft picks to highlight a three-way deal that could bring back a future round draft pick or two and prospects or veteran players.

The Islanders would move down to the second pick, Toronto would jump up to the first spot and Tampa Bay would move down to the seventh overall selection. Depending on the other pieces, the Islanders could give up their second first round pick this year in exchange for a 2010 first round draft pick in an attempt to position themselves to draft Taylor Hall.

Even if the Islanders don’t upset the apple cart and pull off a deal, you can expect Burke will still try hard to make a deal – even if Tavares is the first player off the board. You have to believe the Maple Leafs GM will look to move up in the draft to pair Brayden Schenn with his brother Luke in TO because odds are the younger Schenn will not be around for Toronto with the seventh overall pick.

While the 2009 Draft is deep, we might see a lot of movement as teams try to move up/down while securing additional draft picks or players. Prospect Insider Shane Malloy explained how deep the Draft is.

“This year’s crop is stronger than in the past, as there is a group of potential elite prospects in the Top 15,” Malloy wrote on TSN.ca. “The remaining 15 draft picks in the first round have array of good skills and teams may find first round-worthy talent in the early second round.”

Ryan Kennedy of THN has an interesting take on a new way to look at the Draft.

“[The] draft is the new trade deadline; names such as Vesa Toskala, Tomas Vokoun and Olli Jokinen have all been dealt during the event in recent years and there’s no reason to think that trend will end soon. Simply put, the draft allows a GM to get a jump-start on his summer several days before free agency opens July 1. Plus, all 30 teams are in the house at the same time, which makes for maximum wheeling and dealing.”

Each player has ratings for the following scouting services: NHL’s Central Scouting (CS), The Hockey News (THN), McKeen’s (McK), International Scouting Service (ISS), Red Line Report (RLR), and Bob McKenzie of TSN.ca (TSN). CS breaks down their ratings by North American skaters, European skaters, North American goaltenders and European goaltenders. ISS, RLR, and TSN all list a prospects’ comparable NHL player. The draft positions used are as of June 23, 2009 and presume that no trades will be made – even though we know better .

1. New York Islanders – John Tavares – C
CS: # 1NA —– THN: # 1—– McK: # 2
ISS: # 1 (Mike Bossy) —– RLR: # 3 (Brett Hull)
TSN: # 1 (Dale Hawerchuk)
If Garth Snow keeps the first pick, he will draft Tavares who gives the rebuilding team a face for the franchise – as well as an electric offensive star who will be counted upon to raise the level of play of the young Islanders.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning – Victor Hedman – D
CS: # 1E —– THN: # 2—– McK: # 1
ISS: # 3 (Jay Bouwmeester) —– RLR: # 1 (Chris Pronger)
TSN: # 2 (Jay Bouwmeester)
With Tavares going first overall, that leaves the Lightning with a great consolation prize. Franchise defensemen are and far between and Hedman gives Tampa Bay a great one-two punch of young stars along with Steven Stamkos.

3. Colorado Avalanche – Matt Duchene – C
CS: # 2NA —– THN: # 3—– McK: # 3
ISS: # 2 (Joe Sakic) —– RLR: # 2 (Joe Sakic)
TSN: # 3 (Steve Yzerman)
The Joe Sakic comparison makes Duchene a natural for the Avalanche. In any other year, Duchene would have been talked up even more as the first overall pick. In addition to playing the same style of play as Sakic, Duchene shares his leadership ability – as seen by his captaining of Canada’s Under-18 team.

4. Atlanta Thrashers – Evander Kane – C
CS: # 3NA —– THN: # 5—– McK: # 5
ISS: # 5 (Devin Setoguchi) —– RLR: # 5 (Tomas Vanek)
TSN: # 4 (Jarome Iginla)
The Thrashers must find a way to keep Ilya Kovalchuk, who is set to be an UFA after next season. Drafting Kane provides the star winger with a potential potent linemate. In addition to having the skills of a finesse player, Kane does the dirty work needed to produce offense.

5. Los Angeles Kings – Brayden Schenn – C
CS: # 4NA —– THN: # 6—– McK: # 6
ISS: # 6 (Doug Gilmour) —– RLR: # 4 (M. Richards/R. Brind’Amour)
TSN: # 5 (Bryan Trottier)
The Kings put an end to Brian Burke’s hope of uniting the Schenn brothers in the NHL. Schenn provides the Kings with a gifted two-way center that will give LA a potent one-two punch at center with Anze Kopitar.

6. Phoenix Coyotes – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
CS: # 4E —– THN: # 13—– McK: # 4
ISS: # 9 (Tomas Kaberle —– RLR: # 7 (Nicklas Lidstrom)
TSN: # 6 (Scott Niedermayer)
The Coyotes are still a team in flux until their ownership problems are settled. Don Maloney could long and hard at Jared Cowen, but Ekman-Larsson’s offensive game will win the day.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs – Jared Cowen – D
CS: # 9NA —– THN: # 4—– McK: # 8
ISS: # 7 (Chris Pronger) —– RLR: # 8 (Braydon Coburn)
TSN: # 7 (Brayden Coburn)
With Tavares and Schenn out of the picture, the Leafs can draft Cowen to build up their blue line. Cowen might have gone even higher, but there are some concerns over a knee injury that limited him to just 48 games. If Toronto goes with a defenseman, look for Burke to bring in the Sedin twins.

8. Dallas Stars – Magnus Svensson-Paarjarvi – LW
CS: # 2E —– THN: # 7—– McK: # 10
ISS: # 4 (Alexander Mogilny) —– RLR: # 6 (Marian Gaborik)
TSN: # 10 (Mike Gartner)
The Stars could use an offensive d-man to eventually replace Sergei Zubov. However, the speedy scoring LW is too much to pass up. Magnus has shown that he can play up to his competition with his fine play in the past two WJC tournaments and his play in the Swedish Elite League.

9. Ottawa Senators – Dmitri Kulikov – D
CS: # 11NA—– THN: # 11—– McK: # 7
ISS: # 10 (Niklas Kronwall) —– RLR: # 9 (Andrei Markov)
TSN: # 9 (Sergei Gonchar)
The Senators are in an unsettled position given Dany Heatley’s request for a trade. Depending on how that situation plays out, Ottawa could trade this pick in a deal or look to replace Heatley through the Draft. If Ekman-Larsson falls to this spot, the Sens will snap him up. If not, Kulikov is a good choice as the Russian blueliner has a year in the QMJHL under his belt.

10. Edmonton Oilers – Nazem Kadri – C
CS: # 15NA—– THN: # 8—– McK: # 9
ISS: # 8 (Kyle Turris) —– RLR: # 17 (Maxim Afinogenov)
TSN: 8 (Andy McDonald)
It is not out of the realm of possibility that the new GM Steve Tambellini drafts a d-man. However, the Oilers have been linked as a possible landing place for Heatley. Faced with the possibility of having to move some of their young forward talent, the Oilers draft Kadri who projects out as a top-six forward who has speed and plays with a chip on his shoulder.

11. Nashville Predators – Jordan Schroeder -RW
CS: # 5NA —– THN: # 9—– McK: # 13
ISS: # 14 (Paul Kariya) —– RLR: # 11 (Daniel Briere)
TSN: # 15 (Steve Yzerman)
If the 5-9 Schroeder were a little bigger, he would have had a great chance at breaking into the top three of the Draft. However, he is a pure goal scorer who will team up with fellow USA WJC teammate Colin Wilson and some bite to the Predators offense.

12. Minnesota Wild – Scott Glennie – RW
CS: # 7NA —– THN: # 14—– McK: # 14
ISS: # 19 (Peter Mueller) —– RLR: # 18 (Patrick Sharp)
TSN: # 11 (Jeff Carter)
The Wild just miss out on selecting the homegrown Schroeder, but Glennie is a fine consolation prize. Glennie’s offense is keyed by his outstanding speed and his goal scoring ability is supplemented by solid ice vision and hockey sense.

13. Buffalo Sabres – Zack Kassian – RW
CS: # 10NA—– THN: # 16—– McK: # 18
ISS: # 20 (Milan Lucic) —– RLR: # 16 (Poor Man’s T. Bertuzzi/B. Shanahan)
TSN: # 14 (Todd Bertuzzi)
The Sabres might be tempted for the goal scoring ability of local boy Jeremy Morin, but the offense and physical package of the 6-3/210 Kassian is too much to pass up. Kassian plays in all situations and is a powerful skater. ISS believes he is “the most physically ready player in this draft to play at higher levels.”

14. Florida Panthers – John Moore – D
CS: # 6NA —– THN: # 18—– McK: # 12
ISS: # 16 (Joe Corvo) —– RLR: # 21 (Ryan Suter)
TSN: # 13 (Ryan Suter)
With Jay Bouwmeester having one skate out the door, the Panthers need to address the hole he leaves. Enter John Moore. The USHL Defenseman of the year combines the size (6-2/189 and growing), skating and speed that a team wants in a top-notch d-man. His physical game is sure to improve as he matures mentally and physically.

15. Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Ellis – D
CS: # 16NA —– THN: # 17—– McK: # 11
ISS: # 13 (Brian Rafalski) —– RLR: # 13 (Sergei Zubov)
TSN: # 12 (Reijo Ruotsalainen)
With Scott Niedermayer’s future uncertain, the Ducks might want to address his possible loss with one of, if not the best, offensive blueliners in the draft. While his size (5-9/173) is a concern, he is a premier PP quarterback thanks to passing ability and big-time shot from the point that he unleashes with a quick release.

16. Columbus Blue Jackets – David Rundblad – D
CS: # 6E —– THN: # 10—– McK: # 23
ISS: # 22 (Mike Green) —– RLR: # 12 (Mike Green or Lars Jonsson)
TSN: # 21 (Mike Green)
Rundblad is a high-risk/high-reward type of player. His offensive game can’t be questioned, but he is still a work in progress as for as the defensive end game goes. However, he was able to compete in the Swedish Elite League at the age of 18 and is worth the risk for a team that needs an offensive leader on defense.

17. St. Louis Blues – Jacob Josefson – C
CS: # 3E —– THN: # 15—– McK: # 16
ISS: # 11 (Daymond Langkow) —– RLR: # 32 (Patrice Bergeron)
TSN: #: 16 (Henrik Zetterberg)
The Blue have done a fine job during the last couple of years in the Draft. Josefson brings a solid two-way game that is powered by his excellent hockey sense. Jacob is more playmaker than scorer, and is another 18-year-old who played in the Swedish Elite League and has the tools to thrive in the NHL.

18. Montreal Canadiens – Chris Kreider C/LW
CS: # 14NA—– THN: # 24—– McK: # 31
ISS: # 24 (Eric Staal) —– RLR: # 27 (Poor Man’s Jeff Carter)
TSN: # 19 (Alexander Mogilny)
The hometown team in the 2009 Draft will be under a lot of pressure to draft a Quebec province native (Louis LeBlanc). However, the Flying Frenchmen have a history of drafting American-born players. While Kreider is not Quebecois, he very well may be the best skater in the Draft. While he is still a work in progress, Kreider is a great blend of skating, size and skill.

19. New York Rangers – Carter Ashton – LW
CS: # 12NA —– THN: # 20 —– McK: # 22
ISS: # 33 (Bill Guerin) —– RLR: # 22 (Dustin Penner)
TSN: # 20 (Bill Guerin)
The tragic death of Alexei Cherepanov left the Rangers short on scoring among the forward prospects. As a result, they need to concentrate on offense – especially in the first couple of rounds. The Rangers should look long and hard at Landon Ferraro lest they repeat their mistake of passing on Zach Parise for Hugh Jessiman. However, Ashton size (6-4/212), skating and scoring ability make him the pick over Ferraro. He also has the ability to drop the gloves when need be. Carter’s father, Brent, is a former NHL player.

20. Calgary Flames – Louis Leblanc – C
CS: # 13NA —– THN: # 29 —– McK: # 15
ISS: # 12 (Mike Richards) —– RLR: # 10 (Derek Roy)
TSN: # 17 (Mike Richards)
Calgary is another team that appears to be in the mix for Dany Heatley. If they keep the pick, LeBlanc is a fiery, two-way player who was voted the USHL’s Rookie of the Year and will play next year at Harvard. At 6-0/178, he still has to mature physically, but he still plays with an edge and competes hard every night.
LeBlanc got better as the season progressed, which is always a positive sign – especially for a rookie.

21. Philadelphia Flyers – Simon Despres – D
CS: # 8NA —– THN: # 12—– McK: # 19
ISS: # 30 (Nigel Williams) —– RLR: # 33 (Brent Seabrook)
TSN: # 18 (Jay Bouwmeester)
Often teams like to draft players who “do more with less”. Unfortunately for Despres, he is a player who “does less with more”. Simon is a talented two-way d-man who was stuck playing for a poor Saint John (QMJHL) team. He has all of the skill sets to succeed and showed them off at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament this summer. McK scout Rick Springhetti said, “I feel that if a team really wants, but can’t get Hedman, they would do well taking Despres….”

22. Vancouver Canucks – Landon Ferraro – RW
CS: # 18NA —– THN: # 28 —– McK: # 32
ISS: # 17 (Patrick Sharp) —– RLR: # 38 (Devin Setoguchi)
TSN: # 26 (Patrick Sharp)
Facing a possible future without the Sedin twins, the Canucks will look to replenish their stock in offensive forwards. That is where the son of former NHLer Ray Ferraro skates in. Ferraro is a natural goal scorer who uses his speed well and projects out to be a top six forward. Landon nearly tripled his goal output (13 to 37) last season. If the Rangers do draft Ferraro, then Vancouver would scoop up Ashton – if the Flyers don’t.

23. New Jersey Devils – Joonas Nattinen – C
CS: # 10E —– THN: # 36 —– McK: # 59
ISS: # 28 (Jordan Staal) —– RLR: # 31 (Bobby Holik/Jordan Staal)
TSN: # 36 (Jordan Staal)
Given the high powered centers playing in the Atlantic Division, Nattinen is a natural selection for Lou Lamoriello and David Conte. Joonas is a hard-nosed two-way center with an excellent sense for the game. Nattinen is very comfortable playing a physical game and does not mind driving to the net. He was most impressive at the WJC, winning 63% of his faceoffs.

24. Washington Capitals – Peter Holland – C/LW
CS: # 19NA —– THN: # 19 —– McK: # 25
ISS: # 15 (Chris Gratton) —– RLR: # 24 (Kristian Huselius)
TSN: # 24 (Patrick Marleau)
The Capitals could go offense or defense with their first round pick. Holland represents the opportunity to surround Alexander Ovechkin with another weapon up front. He plays in all situations for Guelph (OHL) and has been used at the point on the PP at times. He can play center or the wing, but he needs to use his size (6-2/185) more than he does.

25. Boston Bruins – Dylan Olsen – D
CS: # 27NA —– THN: # 41—– McK: # 17
ISS: # 39 (Brent Seabrook) —– RLR: # 28 (Mark Stuart)
TSN: # 32 (Cam Barker)
The Bruins have some free agent decisions to make and face some salary cap implications in regards to Phil Kessel, so they might be tempted to draft a forward. However, Olsen presents a package that is too tempting to pass up. He has size (6-2/205) and strength to be a top four blueliner. While he will not remind anyone of Bobby Orr when it comes to moving the puck, he has a good shot and sees the ice well and contributes on the PP. He was the only Junior A player on Canada’s WJC team and was a first pair d-man with Calvin de Haan.

26. New York Islanders – Nick Leddy – D
CS: # 24NA —– THN: # 25 —– McK: # 24
ISS: # 21 (Alex Goligoski) —– RLR: # 19(Phil Housely/Kris Letang)
TSN: # 29 (Paul Martin)
The Islanders would be very happy to see Olen fall to them at 26. If he doesn’t, they will still draft a d-man, but will go more for the offensive than defensive. Leddy has game changing ability thanks to his outstanding skating, puck handling and ice vision. Voted “Mr. Hockey” as the top senior player in Minnesota, Leddy would have gone higher in the draft if not for his size (5-11/179) and strength – two things that will improve with time.

27. Carolina Hurricanes – Drew Shore – C
CS: # 28NA —– THN: # 23 —– McK: # 20
ISS: # 18 (Rod Brind’Amour) —– RLR: # 65(R.J. Umberger)
TSN: # 30 (Ryan Kesler)
With Rod Brind’Amour playing such a big part for Carolina in the past eight plus seasons, the Hurricanes would love to add a younger model to their organization. Shore is another one of those solid two-way pivots. He bases his game on strong skating ability, smart use of his size (6-2/190) and solid playmaking ability. Shore, who will play Denver University, next year, is a potential top six forward who will play in all situations.

28. Chicago Blackhawks – Jeremy Morin – LW
CS: # 33NA —– THN: # 21 —– McK: # 37
ISS: # 27 (Zach Parise) —– RLR: # 15(Dany Heatley)
TSN: # 31 (Ray Sheppard)
Chicago is another team who has been connected to Dany Heatley. Whether they get involved or not, the offensive ability Morin brings to the table is too hard for Chicago to pass on. His performance in helping the USA win the U-18 championship (6 goals and 4 assists in 7 games) is indicative of what kind of talent Jeremy has. Other players may be better skaters, but few have the shot and offensive ability that Morin unleashes.

29. Detroit Red Wings – Carl Klingberg – LW
CS: # 7E —– THN: # 37 —– McK: # 27
ISS: # 32 (Ryan Getzlaf) —– RLR: # 44 (Mike Fisher)
TSN: 34 (Kirk Maltby)
Ken Holland Jim Nill have become quite adept at retooling the Red wings despite having the best draft positions. Klingberg is the type of player the Red Wings have brought in over the years. He has imposing size (6-3/205), strong skating ability and an ability to play an NHL-style of game prior to coming to North America. Carl played on the same lines as Magnus Svensson-Paarjavi and Jacob Josefson at the U-18 tournament and did more than just hold his own.

30. Pittsburgh Penguins – Jordan Caron – RW/C
CS: # 21NA —– THN: # 33 —– McK: # 21
ISS: # 25 (Jason Arnott) —– RLR: # 30(Wojtech Wolski)
TSN: # 22 (Steve Bernier)
The Penguins have some cap issues to face during the summer – as do most teams. With some age and salary questions among their forwards, Ray Shero should look to add some complimentary players for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Caron brings a solid mix of size (6-2/202) and offensive ability and projects out as a power forward in the NHL. He was one Rimouski’s best players during the playoffs this season.

Alexander Ovechkin has 31 goals this season. (Jim Leary/NYSD)

UNIONDALE, NY- Alex Ovechkin usually makes highlight films thanks to offensive rushes that formulate into memorable plays. Yet the NHL’s reigning MVP and scoring champion is also capable of destroying teams with subtle actions.

Before centerman Nicklas Backstrom takes an offensive zone faceoff, Ovechkin deftly lines up directly behind the circle, waiting to unleash a lightning-fast snapshot off a clean draw. But Ovechkin can also score  any place on the ice, evidenced by his two-goal performance, including the overtime game-winning tally, in Washington’s 2-1 victory over the Islanders earlier in the week.

Ovechkin is just in his fourth season but will likely reach 200 career goals in the next month. The 23-year-old winger has the potential to threaten some of the league’s most heralded scoring record. Against the Isles, he notched goals No. 30 and 31 to move past Philadelphia’s Jeff Carter for the top mark. It was the first time all season the Art Ross winner sat alone atop the leader board, though Ovechkin said he didn’t mind giving the competition a chance 47 games into the season.

“It’s happened,” he deadpanned. “I give a chance to a different guy.”

Ovechkin and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby are the NHL’s two most marketable stars. The Islanders can also take some solace in the fact that the Capitals finished 23-46-10 for a dismal 49 points in 2003-04. Washington won the No. 1 overall pick and selected Ovechkin, and the 6-2, 212-pound forward galvanized the franchise and led the Capitals to the playoffs last season.

His goal totals in the first three seasons: 52, 46 and 65. Ovechkin is on pace to surpass the 50-goal mark at a time when there have been just 10 50-goal seasons after the lockout (including two from Ovechkin). One player can turn a lackluster club with no direction into a must-see event and contender in the conference.

“I don’t want to put myself on top of anybody,” Ovechkin said. “I just try and do the best that I can and try to help the team to win. I play hard all the time. No matter what happens, I just try, try, try and never give up.”

The Islanders have a chance to potentially select a player like that this spring in John Tavares. If the Isles, which enter the All-Star break 13-29-5 and eight points away from the second-worst team, win the draft lottery, the reeling team could finally have an impact scorer to put people in the seats and possibly even keep the Islanders in Uniondale.

While it takes more than adding one great player to morph into a championship contender, Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said a player like Ovechkin makes everyone else better.

“He raises the bar in that he wants everyone else to play as hard as him,” Boudreau said. “You watch how hard he plays, how can you not want to play with that intensity and passion every night when he’s doing that?”

Yann Danis began the season as the top netminder for Bridgeport in the AHL. He then stepped into the starting role following injuries to Rick DiPietro and Joey MacDonald and was burned twice by Ovechkin. The first goal was a laser from the left point and the second was an easy one-timer off Alexander Semin’s centering pass during an overtime power play.

Danis was making just his 14^th career appearance, though more experienced goalies have talked about the need to account for impact players like Ovechkin every second they are on the ice.  That type of dominant player can open up room for other scorers and add a different dimension to the offense.

“You can definitely see why he scores a lot of goals,” Danis said. “He’s got a good shot, quick release and very skilled. You have to steady ready when he’s on the ice, that’s for sure.”

Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore saw the Hart Trophy winner score an overtime goal to beat the Islanders at the Coliseum Dec. 16. When asked if Ovechkin has a comfort level playing a hapless opponent in an old arena, the netminder didn’t hesitate to respond.

“There are a lot of buildings he likes to play in,” said Theodore, who posted 27 saves for his 200th career victory.

Ovechkin is still two years away from being able to rent a car at a reasonable price. Yet he already joined Hall of Famer Mike Gartner and perennial All-Star Peter Bondra as the only Capitals with four-straight 30-goal seasons.

Once timid and unsure of himself as a rookie off the ice, Ovechkin now speaks fluent English. Standing inside the visiting dressing room at Nassau Coliseum, Ovechkin spoke with a gold chain of his uniform No. 8 around his neck. He will play in his third All-Star game this weekend in Montreal and has the Capitals in contention for a second straight Southeast Division crown.

It seems everything is coming easy for Ovechkin, who unlike DiPietro, is living up to his huge contract. Ovechkin signed a 13-year, $124 million contract that is shorter than DiPietro’s 15-year pact but nearly twice the size in salary. Consider he has a whopping 194 goals, 175 points and 369 points in just 291 games, and so far the Capitals seem to be getting a bargain.

“Sometimes I have lucky bounces and luck goals,” Ovechkin said. “But you know, goals are goals. Sometimes my teammates give me great passes.”