2004 Bumper Crop - The Preview

Blue chip-quality power forwards, towering all-around defensemen, instinctive speedsters, a pair of standout goalies and one king to rule them all – this is the 2004 NHL entry draft in one neat little package. Here’s an exclusive look at best Raleigh, North Carolina will have to offer come June, 2004.

After an uncharacteristically sub-par draft for European talent in 2003 at Nashville, an onslaught of top-notch talent from overseas is expected to make its mark at the 2004 festivities.

Although Russia, yet again, passed with flying colors at the Nashville event, the likes of Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland showed little in terms of star quality. It was the time to shine for the US College, which registered its best showing ever, highlighted by first-round talents such as Thomas Vanek, Hugh Jessiman, Zach Parise and Jeff Tambellini. The Canadian hockey league, as always, displayed plentiful of drafted players, led by the number one overall pick Marc-Andre Fleury from Cape Breton of the QMJHL.

Expect a return to norm for the hockey superpowers from across the ocean this year – especially the Czech Republic, which will boast arguably the country’s deepest collection of talent in draft history, led by power forward Rostislav Olesz. Not to be outdone, Finland has a budding star in offensive forward Lauri Tukonen, while Sweden’s best appears to be one Johannes Salmonsson, a winger with size and a scorer’s touch.

The early favorites to go 1-2 are a pair named Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, who were a dynamic duo on Russia’s top line at the Under-18 World Juniors in Yaroslavl in April. Their challengers will include the no-nonsense Olesz, Mississauga IceDogs’ American wunderkind Robbie Schremp and this draft’s top rearguard – Medicine Hat’s imposing Cam Barker.

Without further ado, here is the early lowdown on the top guns eligible for the draft…

The Cream of the Crop

Alexander Ovechkin – LW (Moscow Dynamo) – Sometimes one does not always appreciate a player’s endurance and in Ovechkin’s case it must be noted that the 17-year old won the best forward honours at the U-18 WJC in Yaroslavl after playing a full year in the Russian Superleague. Already a regular in quite possibly the best pro hockey league in Europe, Alexander promises to be a mainstay on the club’s top line this year after handling various duties in 2002/2003. Often compared to countryman Ilya Kovalchuk, Ovechkin might be even better – think Kovalchuk, but smarter, gentlemanly, with the willingness to share the puck and an added defensive awareness in his own end. An instinctive scorer, Ovechkin has virtually no weaknesses as a prospect – he has the finest shooting arsenal in the draft – including an uncanny release - with exceptional vision, slick puck skills and explosive speed. He has a leader’s mental makeup and the ability to score clutch goals in tight situations. Already a virtual lock to go first overall, Alex might be the best Russian prospect since Sergei Makarov.

Evgeni Malkin – C (Metallurg Magnitogorsk) – While Ovechkin is the slick goal scorer, Malkin is the pitbull with a nose for the net. A 6-3, 205-pound forward is still fairly lean with some qualities of a budding power forward, but needs to develop a more consistent physical game, although his offensive drive is unquestioned. As a linemate to Ovechkin, Malkin amassed five goals and nine points in six games at the Under-18 tourney in Yaroslavl and recently starred for the Russian silver medal-winning squad this August in Czech Republic with four points in four games. A well-coordinated skater with soft hands, Malkin is expected to go in the top five of the draft.

Rostislav Olesz – RW (HC Vitkovice) – A character guy with an edge, a real nasty side to his game. Able to hold his own offensive and defensively, Olesz likes to get down and dirty by going to the net, giving and receiving punishment. A well-balanced skater with a lethal combination of shots, Rostislav is still developing as a scorer, but projects to be a better finisher than last year’s Czech first-rounder Milan Michalek. A solid defensive player, there is some resemblance in Olesz to Bobby Holik – he’s a weapon on all special team units, but has yet to explode offensively.

Ron Schremp – C (Mississauga) – There is a lot to like about Robbie’s playing style. He came into his first major junior campaign with a reputation as a selfish player – a puckhog, but proved his critics wrong leading his team in assists. Ironically, Schremp’s pure finishing abilities only started to show late in the season, as his confidence grew and his shots-on-goal average increased. A slick, intelligent centerman, he is a crafty set-up man who anticipates on the rush as well as any prospect and is capable of playing the point, but is still raw in the defensive zone. Possesses a phenomenal shooting arsenal.

Cam Barker – D (Medicine Hat) – Here is the kind of guy that the 2003 draft was missing – a defenseman with game-breaking all-around abilities. Barker is a big kid who is a terrific puck-handling rearguard with excellent vision and an accurate outlet pass. Cam is no stranger to the physical game, although his positioning will require further work, as he is not without weaknesses in his own end. A fluid skater with a powerful point shot, Barker has star upside.

Wojtek Wolski – LW (Brampton) – A fluid, penetrating skater, the instinctive winger has soft hands and finish. The native of Zabze, Poland, Wolski (pronounced Vol-skee) is a sniper who spent most of his 2002/2003 season on the line with Jay McClement who guided him through his rookie campaign. Wojtek benefited offensively by playing with the older McClement, but must find his own niche with the club this season, underscored by the need to get more involved physically. Wolski has terrific hands, breathtaking speed and will thrive if he takes control offensively, shooting more rubber at the net. Already a mature defensive player who backchecks relentlessly.

Adam Pineault – RW (Boston College) – A power winger with advanced puck skills, Pineault was one of the leading scorers for the American under-18 national development program (NTDP) (18 goals, 34 points, 85 PIM in 46 games). Now ready for a new challenge in Boston College, Pineault will showcase his offensive drive at a whole new level. A forward with soft hands, a smooth stride and a deft scoring touch, Pineault is a game-breaker - very competitive and very physical. Adam was hampered by abdominal pains at the World U-18 tournament in Yaroslavl (two assists in five games) and played through the semi-final against Canada before being flown to Moscow where he underwent an emergency appendectomy.

Evan McGrath – C (Kitchener) – Along with Olesz, Evan is another true power forward-type in the draft. A spirited, agile player with a penchant for punishing his opposition along the boards with his size, McGrath is a creative playmaker and a bulldog near the crease. A member of the Memorial Cup-winning Kitchener Rangers, Evan is in good hands playing under one of the finest junior hockey coaches in Peter DeBoer – one responsible for developing the likes of Stephen Weiss and Steve Eminger. With Derek Roy’s leave for the pro game, McGrath will undertake a greater offensive responsibility, but defensively he is still raw.

Devan Dubnyk – G (Kamloops) – Although his numbers don’t yet show it, Dubnyk is a blue chip talent and is the top-ranked netminder eligible. With a style similar to that of Sean Burke, Dubnyk plays very square to the shooter, plays his angles well and blocks much of the net due to his 6-foot-5 frame. His technique is near flawless – agility is excellent and he covers the lower part of the net very well. Dubnyk is ultra-confident with great poise and shows the qualities of a big game goalie – Devan has the makings of a franchise player.

Wes O’Neill – D (Notre Dame) – You can only imagine the disappointment of the Kingston Frontenacs’ faithful when the rangy rearguard failed to sign with the team that selected him second overall in the 2002 OHL Priority selection. O’Neil instead opted to sign with Green Bay of the USHL in preparation for his first college campaign, which would follow thereafter. The towering rearguard plays a no-nonsense physical style with an above-average offensive dimension, although he is not a pure quarterback. A smooth, elusive skater, O’Neil is a hard-working player with exceptional vision and good puck skills. A Ryan Whitney-type.

Best of the Rest

Nothing is set in stone and there is still a whole year ahead of us, but here are the guys who will make their case for the top 10:

Joe Barnes – C (Saskatoon) – Has been rehabilitating this off-season after suffering fractured vertebrae at the 2003 Canadian Winter Games in New Brunswick late in the year, but should be healthy and ready to go. Despite posting disappointing numbers in his rookie WHL campaign (54 games, nine goals, 16 points), Barnes has a scorer’s touch and a mean streak. Needs to grow into his 6-3, 190 frame – a project, but one that could pay huge dividends this season.

Mike Card – D (Kelowna) – Our scout says: “Two-way defenseman - very strong for his age and is an above average skater... We will get a better idea of what his offensive upside is this year as he will see some power play duty, as he didn’t get much with Duncan Keith at the point last year… He isn't overly aggressive, but very strong in the corners and effective against bigger forwards in front of the net.”

Mark Fistric – D (Vancouver) – Our scout says: “A strong presence in his own zone and someone who is effective at starting a rush... He needs to round out his game if he wants to climb the charts. While possessing the talent to be a rock-solid blueliner, Fistric at times still suffers from the occasional gaffe in his own zone, something that had put him in trouble from time to time last season… A Brent Seabrook-type.”

John Lammers – RW (Lethbridge) – Our scout says: “Lammers is expected to emerge this season as an elite sniper for the Hurricanes ... Strength is an issue, as is his defensive play. Lammers has also spent time this off-season working with a trainer to improve his strength and conditioning, along with speeding up his first-step quickness...”

Jakub Sindel – RW (HC Sparta Praha) – Offensive forward broke through big time at the U-18’s in Czech Republic in August, amassing eight goals, 9 points in only five games. However, our scout says: “He is great offensively but quite soft and needs to further improve defensively.”

Marek Schwarz – G (HC Sparta Praha) – Immensely skilled, though slightly erratic, netminder who plays an aggressive style – likes to get out of his crease and challenge opposing snipers. Plays his angles very well and does not let out big rebounds. That said he is somewhat prone to giving up the occasional bad goal. Otherwise, his technique is excellent – second only to Dubnyk among netminders in the draft.

Ladislav Smid – D (HC Liberec) – Our scout says: “A possible top 15 pick… A great defenseman who is having a solid preseason with the Liberec Sr, team… Has gotten the best fitness results from Under-18 team players.”

Drew Stafford – F (North Dakota) – The 6-2, 200-pound tower of power was a standout with Shattuck St. Mary’s last season and is moving on to North Dakota this fall. A strong, bulky skater with speed, elite puck skills and scoring touch, Stafford is a hard-working player who battles for the puck well along the boards. A project with all the tools, but still unassembled.

Lauri Tukonen – C (Blues Espoo) – Our scout says: “He was quite good playing for the National team, and had 12 points in 17 games in juniors (2002/2003)... Unfortunately he wasn't as good as everyone though he would be as when he played in Mestis as a very young player. Regardless, he is a fine young talent, though he has not shown why he should be a top-five pick last season… Right now he is in Blues Espoo – he needs to make SM-liiga this season to be selected in the top five, and that is probably not going to happen.”

Don’t Overrate

Viktor Alexandrov – The son of the late (former player and coach) Boris Alexandrov is a fine offensive talent with excellent skating abilities, but he is very skinny and lacks finish. Currently performing for the Lokomotiv system.

Michal Birner – Offensively skilled Czech is an elusive skater and a creative playmaker, but he is skinny and is coming off a sub-par season.

Jan Dusatko – Huge (6-3, 190) - Left winger has been plagued by inconsistency. Hasn’t progressed much over the past two seasons and plays very soft for his size. Was not invited to the World Junior Cup in Czech Republic.

Dmitri Shitikov – The CSKA Moscow RW has performed admirably at several international events, playing on a line with Alex Ovechkin, putting up big numbers. However, there are two key questions with Shitikov – a) How will his 5-9, 170 frame hold up and b) Is he as lethal a scorer without Ovechkin on his line?