1- Cooley goes to Detroit.  There is certainly no generational talent in this draft.  But the Wings select the consensus number 1, who will certainly be one of the favourites in next season's Calder race.  Skilled and flashy, he may need to bulk up a tad.

 
2- Wright lands in Toronto.  Garrett made the move to drop down on the eve of the draft, and gets to snag a pretty interesting prospect.  Wright has all the tools to be a top two-way forward at the next level.  But there are question marks.  Could wind up being a player who fans are wanting more from, or could be the top player from this draft when it's all said and done.  

3- Nemec heads to Anaheim.  It seemed Nemec was destined to be a Duck.  Devon had been high on him for a while, and the youngster did not disappoint in the AHL last season.  A highly touted all-round D man should bolster the Ducks backend for years. 

4- Jiricek becomes a Stoner.   Another GM who got his guy.  As long as it wasn't the whiskey talking, topless Rex proclaimed Jiricek was his top selection out of this draft.  He may end up being proven right as the Blue Jackets prospect has ALL the tools to be a number 1. 

5- Slaf is heading to Broadway.  The number 1 selection from this draft class slid, as many expected, after starting his professional career a little on the slow side.  He's a big man that can throw his weight around, so if PJ is patient, which we know he is, the reward might be there.  

6- Cutter gets grabbed by the Hawks.  Dave wisely kept this pick as in many people's opinions... at least in the top minds of BRHL brass... there were 6 prospects in the tier 1 section of this draft.  

7- Mintyukov heads to Calgary... at least very temporarily.  We knew Dev loved him, and some of us thought he could go at three, but Dev remained disciplined.  Instead Kev made the pick and quickly flipped the stud D man to Anaheim.  What a nice set of defensemen to build around in him and Nemec. 

8- Kasper gets plucked up by the Sens.  Although Steph probably never heard of the guy before tonight, he wisely took the BPA to kick off his night.  The hard nosed centre has plenty of skill and determination and should become a fan favourite.  

9- Kulich jumps up to Calgary.  A huge riser this past season, Kev didn't want to pass on the supremely skilled centre man who had a great AHL season.  A solid prospect, but surprised to see him go here.  

10- Snuggerud jets into Winnipeg.  One of the best shooters in this draft class, Snugs as I'm sure someone's called him at some point, found his way into Doc's heart on this night.  A big year in college with a bright future ahead.  

11- Kemmell to Buffalo.  Jared liked what he saw overseas and at the world juniors, so he made Kemmell a Sabre at pick 11.  He was extremely highly touted before sliding his draft year, but that seems to only have been a minor bump in the road.  

12- Hutson soars all the way to Jersey.  Only time will tell if Ken was crazy or sneaky smart to take a flier on the 150 pound D man.  He has all the skill in the world, so we'll see what all  translates into the big leagues and the sim too.  

13- Geekie gets lured to Vegas.  A large, hulking athlete with skill in spades.  There's a lot to like here even if he doesn't light up the scoresheets in the big leagues.  

14- Lekkeremaki heads to the coast.  Rob, or Bryce, or whoever runs the Canucks decided to snag the one prospect everyone was trashing on draft night.  There are definite question marks including injuries, but the Canucks went homer on this one.   

15- Savoie bolts to Boston.  After tons of trade chatter for this pick, Greg decided he liked the small, but skilled WHL centreman.  Savoie is oozing with skill, but will take time to make it to the show.  

16- Korchinski blows into Vancouver.  This selection by the Rob/Bryce tandem was met with a much better reaction from the peanut gallery than their first pick.  Korchinski can do it all and will be playing plenty with Connor Bedard one day.  

17- Bystedt brings it all to Seattle.  While I thought the odds of him sliding to me at 21 were low, it still broke my heart when Rex selected the big, skilled centreman.  A great piece who will be big league ready soon for the Stoners.  

18- Ostlund trots to the Flames.  Originally Uncle Rich's pick, Kevin decided to add another intriguing 1st round prospect to the cupboards.  The raw Ostlund is behind several big names on the Sabres depth chart, but is responsible for his age which should help his chances.   

19- McGroarty joins the Pens.  While I thought the two Wild prospects possibly should've gone ahead of him, Toby made sure to land his guy here.  There are questions surrounding his skating, but he his hockey sense is top notch.  

20- Ohgren gets shipped into Buffalo.  Jared makes at minimum a very safe, but strong pick here.  He does a lot of things right and has a pro shot already.  Still some time before he actually makes it and contributes at that level though.  

21- Goyette waddles over to Anaheim.  When Devon wants something, he goes out and gets it.   I had a tough, on the spot decision to make here.  Draft Yurov or Mateychuk, or trade the pick for Evangelista.  While I should've prob taken Mateychuk, I decided that if Dev plays favourites with players, I can too, and traded for Evangelista.  Goyette has a ton of skill and was a big fan favourite in North Bay. 

22- Yurov is yours Minnesota!  The feel good story of the night.  Not only does Yurov slide a little lower than I thought, Big Al gets a hometown boy.  Great spot for him. 

23- Miroshninchenko heads to the Flames.  Another first round pick for Kevin.  A poor man's Ovechkin?  He's Russian and has a lethal shot and was selected by the Caps. If he's half that good, Kev will take it.  

24- Gaucher sails into Seattle.  Rex chose to keep this pick that he had been endlessly shopping.  Nathan Gaucher is all that you'd want in a pro player and whether he ends up being a star or not, he should be an NHL regular for years.  

25- Nazar gets chased down by the Coyotes.  What to say about this pick.  Injuries crippled Nazar's season, so this could wind up being a massive steal should be find his game and stay healthy.  Probably where he should've gone, but Joel is hoping he's onto something big here.  

26- Mateychuk tumbles to the Blues.  Everyone seems to avoid D men like the plague in our drafts, but then have to pay the piper to trade for a top one.  That mentality made for a lucky day for Eric as he hit the jackpot here.  He's actually developed alot in all aspects since being selected 12th. 

27- Brad Lambert heads over to Toronto.  I'm not sure what to think of this prospect. He's got good offensive upside, but not lights out. He's not physically imposing, or small. Had question marks about his defensive game.  I think the next year will really determine if he has what it takes to shine at the big league level, or struggle to stay when he gets his chance.

28- Firkus is nabbed by the Sens.  He's definitely undersized.  So may take a while to get there. But Steph can afford to be patient. He went a bit higher than what I expected, but he can score, and that's the most important thing in hockey.

29- Pickering gets picked by Arizona.  I love this selection for Joel.  This draft is definitely the draft of steals for D-men.  Pickering might not be the best one out there, but has massive potential in so many aspects of the game and has almost zero competition in Pittsburgh for ice time and development.  This could be the draft that turns things around for Joel.  

30- Howard chugs into Long Island.  It wasn't the best start to his collegiate career and certainly not the one he'd hoped for, but the Left Winger is still extremely young and is a fierce competitor.  I see a big jump for him next season, though only time will tell if he'll develop into what Joe hopes he will.  

31- Beck bolts into Seattle.  Selecting a good sized centre from the OHL who excels on both sides of the puck is a major win here for Rex.  Great selection, and should be an NHL regular sooner rather than later.  

32- Bichsel makes his way to Winnipeg.  He's a wildcard that's for sure.  He's a long way from making it to the big league, but is a big young man with lots of talent.  This is the time in the draft where you've gotta start going for it and make high risk/reward picks, and Doc understood the assignment here.