Sidney Crosby Lottery

[FHSrebel27]

Hopefully my posting about the upcoming draft won't jinx the ratification process...

 

The draft lottery is coming up on the 21st and acording to the fine folks at TSN, here's the lottery formula: Each team begins with three balls. For every playoff appearance in the last three years or No. 1 overall pick over the last four years, a team loses one ball. But each team will still be guaranteed to have one ball in the lottery. The first round will go with teams picking 1 through 30, with the 30th team picking 31st and the draft order 'snaking' back and forth in a seven round draft.

 

 

Teams with 3 balls: Buffalo, Columbus, New York Rangers (shocker...), and Pittsburgh

 

Teams with 2 balls: Anaheim, Atlanta, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, and Phoenix

 

Teams with 1 ball: Boston, Colorado, Dallas, Detriot,

[fromthetop2]

Let me see. . .

 

"With the first pick in the NHL Draft Lottery, the New York Rangers select Patrick Ewing, er Sidney Crosby."

 

Either they, Montreal or Toronto will get him.

 

No way the NHL would let him come to Carolina, Florida, Nashville, or COLUMBUS

[FHSrebel27]

A necessary evil, I reckon. The thing I have against him going to the Rangers is the simple fact that they can't do anything with the talent they have bought, so what makes anyone think they can do something with talent given to then? If Crosby doesn't make it to the playoffs ("well, the Rangers wouldn't make the playoffs normally, so let's give 'em a chance by expanding to 20?") and have an impact, what's the point??? It's tough to market a great player on a sucky team.

[fromthetop2]

It doesn't matter if the Rangers (or Islanders) are good or bad, they are NEW YORK and that means media exposure and Madison Ave-for the league. At least if he went to NY, and they do start getting better, then their fan base will explode. If he goes to Chicago, same thing, but on a smaller scale. If the Kings get him, it will be a media bonanza, but they could go undefeated and the fans wouldn't care.

 

Anywhere else in the US and the needed impact will not happen.

 

I've seen the kid play on some clips and he reminds me of Gretzky.

[FHSrebel27]

The kid is definitely very good. Whoever gets him will benefit for sure. I just don't like the idea of rewarding one of the teams responsible for what we just came through (pending ratification). But again, I guess it's a necessary evil.

 

Not knowing where we are going to pick is killing me! I was reading about TSN's Top 30 prospects while trying to figure out who would be good for us, but had to keep on reminding myself we very well could be picking 2nd or 22nd or somewhere beyond or in between.

[FHSrebel27]

TSN's Top 30 Prospects

 

What do we really need? The needs the Preds have, I'd rather see be filled through free agency. This is obviously a real possibility at first glance, but Poile and Co... I don't know if they'll do anything too drastic. If there's a 1st line center out there we can get, I think we most definitely should. You know I love Legwand, but he's still not better than 2nd line to me.

 

I just really don't see this draft being all that important for us unless we get the first ball. Not in the short term at least... of course, with the way our orginization is, every draft is important! And that's definitely a good thing...

[fromthetop2]

Signing the RIGHT free agents (restricted or unrestricted) is far more important for the Predators in the short term (like this upcoming season). I haven't heard much talk of the talent beyond Crosby,or how the draft pool looks overall.

 

Here is also hoping that David "The Muffin Man" Legwand grows into a player he was supposed to be. "The Muffin Man" moniker is what the coaches call him, because he's so soft.

[FHSrebel27]

And here's how they'll pick:

 

1 Pittsburgh

2 Anaheim

3 Carolina

4 Minnesota

5 Montreal

6 Columbus

7 Chicago

8 Atlanta

9 Ottawa

10 Vancouver

11 Los Angeles

12 San Jose

13 Buffalo

14 Washington

15 NY Islanders

16 NY Rangers

17 Phoenix

18 Nashville

19 Detroit

20 Philadelphia

21 Toronto

22 Boston

23 New Jersey

24 St Louis

25 Edmonton

26 Calgary

27 Colorado

28 Dallas

29 Florida

30 Tampa Bay

 

Getting Crosby will be good for the Penguins. 18th pick for us isn't too bad. The draft apparently is pretty deep. I've gotta head to work, but there's a couple names I'll toss around later as possible draftees I'd like.

[fromthetop2]

Predator's Pick in the 18th slot in the 1st round of the draft (from TSN bio)

 

16. Ryan Parent

 

TEAM: Guelph Storm (OHL)

POSITION: Centre

HEIGHT: 6'1

WEIGHT: 182 lbs.

BORN: 03/17/87 - Sioux Lookout, ON

NOTES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:Helped lead Canada to a silver medal at the 2005 World-18 Championship...Won a gold medal as captain of Team Ontario at the Under-17 Hockey Challenge...Captained Team Canada to a Gold Medal at the World Under-18 Hockey Challenge in 2004. (Photo: Getty Images)

BOB MCKENZIE'S TAKE: The Guelph Storm blueliner is smart and mobile. His supporters, some of whom see him as a top 10 pick, say he'll play in the NHL for a good, long time. His detractors, some of whom, don't see him as a first round pick at all, say he's not dynamic enough to warrant going that high. Not expected to be a huge point producer, Parent is a sound positional player who's smart and mobile.

 

Statistics GP G A PTS

2004-05 66 2 17 19