NHL Draft: Buyer Beware

It has been one lengthy lockout and now with the labour process behind us, we decided to opt for some therapy. Considering that bickering about Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow would not be on topic our scouts decided instead to take it out on NHL draft eligible players. Hey, we can't be nice all the time.

Oskars Bartulis (Moncton)

I'm wavering on this Latvian .. he is too underwhelming for my tastes; no nasty streak from what I've seen .. some others like his skating, puckmoving and offensive sensibilities since he was raised as a forward and he made solid strides defensively since the start of the season .. I expected more after being so impressed with his body, especially wingspan, in my first viewing .. I also found his backwards skating to be very rough.

Michael Blunden (Erie)

A blot-out-the-sun-kind of winger .. needs to get a quicker startup and acceleration but can resemble an unstoppable cargo-train once he gets up to speed .. must play an aggressive high-energy game to be effective but he failed to maintain an edge in the second half last season .. doesn't have the same level of creativity or skills of teammate O'Marra.

Patrick Davis (Kitchener)

A maddening enigma .. on some shifts he looks like a first rounder, but on others he is one step mentally and physically behind the play .. has gamebreaking speed and skills, yet something seems to be missing .. not always willing to pay the price .. has a growing frame but not enough muscle .. could be a Billy Guerin-type of guy if he can develop a consistent mean edge.

Chris Durand (Seattle)

There is still a lot to like here but it is important to acknowledge that Durand is no longer a first-round candidate .. not likely .. on a lot of nights, never more so than in the playoffs, he was a step late arriving on plays .. often seems to lack passion .. great tool-set but needs the toolbox to exploit them.

Scott Jackson (Seattle)

We've had him solidly in the second round since the opening bell this season and still see the same area though he'll likely go late in the opening round .. his skating still concerns me - it's mushy .. I've seen some players improve in the pros while others didn't .. no doubt he has very good puck skills and sense .. a big hitter but is vulnerable to getting caught flat-footed.

Jean-Philippe Levasseur (Rouyn Noranda)

Still lets out big rebounds and gets burned for weak goals five-hole and stick side .. can win games single-handedly when given a lot of work but sometimes his limbs are too wild for my liking .. I would to see him become more compact, utilize his stick wiser and avoid getting on his knees as often he does.

Denis Istomin (Traktor Chelyabinsk)

Looked like he was on a passenger ferry at the U18s which will most likely cost him a first-round berth .. he's a Colorado Avalanche-type pick; makes you drool with his speed and size as he gets up full throttle with amazing ease and fluidity, complemented by good hands .. but the pilot-light isn't always burning bright .. boom-or-bust pick.

Jakub Kindl (Kitchener)

Has no idea how good he is and can be .. lacks self-confidence and jam .. doesn't go very far with the puck despite good skating skills and a fine pair of hands .. culture shock is very possible; he looks exactly that - culture shocked/dumbfounded - every time he is on the ice .. the scariest thing is that one of the finer coaches in the CHL, Peter DeBoer, has not yet been able to turn him around.

Risto Korhonen (Karpat Oulu)

I find him reactive and clunky .. he needs to get better in his turns, transitions because he is vulnerable to quick diagonal bursts off the rush .. one mean s.o.b. however .. not a great puckhandler .. safe protector of the realm with beef and attitude.

Tomas Kudelka (Zlin)

For split seconds he resembles an NHLer then suddenly make a spectacular blunder to temper the initial feeling .. has to maintain moving his feet, stay in balance and keep things simple.

Teemu Laakso (Helsinki)

Red-light special given fragile disposition .. small body might not stand up to pro rigors however .. like the way he starts the offense with good early outlet passes .. still not as good as initially advertised.

Richard Lelkes (Dukla Trencin)

Big man with finishing potential sounds like win-win - right? Wrong. Lelkes has been an immense disappointment internationally this spring, with body language that basically says "wake me up when we're done". Hockey sense is a major question mark as is his quickness, particularly the first step. Let someone else draft him.

Ilya Zubov (Traktor Chelyabinsk)

Possesses an awesome wrist shot and stickhandling but this guy could be the second coming of Sergei Mozyakin .. too in love with his own talents and gets knocked off the puck more frequently as physical intensity rises.