McKeen’s NHL Draft Awards
That's right. Our 25 individual awards are here and they put the Oscars to shame. The big winner is Eric Staal with three, but Nikolai Zherdev demands a recount.
Best bet: Eric Staal
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All-around solid. Hard-working, smart, but not overly emotional. A player who knows how to handle himself at either end of the ice with size and enough offensive upside to develop into a top-liner.
Biggest disappointment: Jiri Drtina
Granted, we added this award with our tongues firmly in cheek, yet no one deserved this one more than Jiri. Last year's first overall CHL Import Draft pick struggled to adapt to the OHL games and his defense just plain stunk.
Biggest wildcard: Hugh Jessiman
A hulking kid who can shoot and skate – what else can you ask for? Well, he's also hard-working, intelligent and creative. Now it's time to put that hard work to use and add a defensive dimension.
Unsung hero award: Petr Vrana
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound centerman is just not getting the love. Mobile, hard-working and defensively aware, Vrana would be a lock to make the top 10 if not for his rather unimpressive frame.
Best skater: Shawn Belle
Smoother than silk with a great stride and excellent agility. Although Belle's positioning has suffered this season, his great speed oftentimes alleviates his deficiencies.
Best stickhandler: Nikolai Zherdev
A magician with the rubber with eye-popping dekes, terrific inside-out moves and puck control similar to that of superstar of Alexei Kovalev.
Best playmaker: Eric Staal
He can thread the needle with his well-timed, precise, instinctive feeds. Unselfish and smart, very much like Ron Francis.
Best agitator: Ryan Stone
Never backs down - when he's knocked down he'll get up, when he's hacked he'll persevere. Drives opponents crazy with his relentless physical play and, most importantly, he doesn't take it personally.
Smartest player: Eric Staal
His positioning is splendid. Staal knows when the puck is at all times and is a terrific one-on-one defender. Hand-eye coordination tops in the draft.
Most gentlemanly player: Josh Hennessy
One of the nicest guys in the game, Hennessy is likable, personable and a leader, on and off the ice. An assistant captain in his sophomore season in the QMJHL.
Best two-way forward: Milan Michalek
Not physically intimidating, but smart, responsible and willing to muck in the corners - Michalek is a force on all special teams units. A terrific skater and set-up man as well.
Best power forward potential: Nathan Horton
Power forwards usually take longer to develop and Horton looks to be no exception. When healthy and at the top of his game, Horton uses his speed and muscle to put up big numbers.
Best shot power: Mike Egener
Not at all a goal scorer, but give him time and he can blast a fireball from the point. Needs to work on release and accuracy.
Best release: Andrei Kostitsyn
Capable of scoring with just a flick of the wrist, Kostitsyn can fire a one-timer while barely moving his hands. Quickest and most accurate shot in the draft.
Best acceleration: Nikolai Zherdev
One of Zherdev's most noteworthy traits is his ability to go end-to-end with the puck. Although his selfishness is oftentimes his biggest enemy, he accelerates so fast few guys can catch him.
Best first pass out of the zone: Ryan Suter
A puck handling defender must excel at starting the play and Suter is the best at this among a below-average class of offensive rearguards. He does not rush the play and rarely causes turnovers.
Hardest-working player: Danny Fritsche
Effective because he treats every play like it's his last. Protects the puck very well and drives to the net relentlessly. Doesn't score pretty goals, but scores nonetheless.
Biggest competitor: Marc-Andre Fleury
The best goalie at the Under-20 World Juniors earlier in the year showed he could win games on his own with consistently clutch performances. Thrives when facing a lot of shots.
Best bodychecker: Dion Phaneuf
The rugged and brazen Phaneuf gets a slight edge over Mark Stuart in this category. Phaneuf's intensity and strength are his greatest weapons - his tough-nosed style unnerves opposing forwards and dissolves momenta.
Best hands: Thomas Vanek
Ever wonder how Thomas Vanek make scoring look so easy? As they say, it's all in the hands, baby. A player with a tendency to disappear for long stretches, Vanek excels playing near the net and when the puck finds his stick – poof – it's gone.
Best vision: Corey Locke
Resurrected Matt Foy's career with his instinctive feeds and heads-up plays. Locke has the uncanny ability to anticipate the offensive play before it happens and he rarely overhandles the puck.
Strongest player: Anthony Stewart
Just like the incredible hulk, the 240-pound Anthony Stewart uncovers his own giant self when the going gets tough. Crashes the net, protects the puck well and he knocked Nathan Horton out of action for six weeks with that punch.
Best reach: Kamil Kreps
When it comes to protecting the puck, Kamil Kreps is on his own planet. More than once have seen him put on a stickhandling clinic, which nearly made us forget his inconsistent playoff.
Best Leader: Paul Bissonette
A heart-and-soul player who serves as an example on and off the ice. He is a vocal leader and is always willing to drop the gloves and get dirty, if necessary. A pure character guy.
Best face-off man: Mike Richards
Was superb at the face-off circle for the Memorial Cup-winning Kitchener Rangers. Was a runner-up to Jay McClement for the OHL Face-off award.