On The Clock...and our Stanley Cup Pick

Don't know about you, but I am ready for the draft to happen right now. The waiting is killing me and my copy of The Hockey News draft issue has been read so much that I feel like I can go in and make a pick late in the first round for the Isles. So I think I will.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is another highly-rated defenseman from Sweden. He may not be the sure thing that a guy like Victor Hedman has been touted as, but Ekman-Larsson could be had at 26 in the first round. Is he the big guy who is going to clear the crease? No, but at 6-2 he should be able to add some heft to his frame rather easily through proper training.

Here's what they say in the THN Draft Issue about Oliver Ekman-Larsson:

..."some kids at this age have trouble making a 10-foot stretch pass...but this guy puts them tape-to-tape better than anyone in the draft. He has great lateral mobility and is able to find people."

Read that again: 10-foot stretch pass. Lateral mobility. Find people. Tape-to-Tape. Does any of this NOT READ like a perfect Scott Gordon-type of player? We found out this past season that Mark Streit can do that stuff too--way better than he was ever given credit for in Montreal. If Gordon's style is to push hard on the forecheck and force turnovers while going the other way, does this not sound like Ekman-Larsson would be a great fit and who knows, a potential replacement for Streit down the line? Who better to apprentice with than Mark Streit?

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is rated the #13 prospect by The Hockey News so there is no guarantee that he will be there at 26. But every draft has a yearly trend that the teams seem to mental for and with the need for scoring around the league, my guess that once the highest-rated defenseman are off the board that the GMs will be going for offense offense offense. That means a guy like Oliver Ekman-Larsson could slide down a little further than expected. Happens to kids every year. Maybe this is the year the Isles get lucky and have a chance at getting a top d-man after all--after they select John Tavares with the first pick.

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Tomorrow night, the Penguins and Red Wings face off in a rematch from last year's finals. The Wings are beat up a little bit (Lidstrom will play; Datsyuk not so sure) and seem to be ripe for the Crosbies and their pickin'.

Huge laugh from me when I got home and saw the schedule. I knew that "the media" and fans would be bitching about it starting so soon after the Conference finals. Seriously, people. Why do we complain about something we say that we love?

Seriously, why would you want to wait longer? I like having the games right now. If the league had waited until next week to start the finals, you'd be whining that you had to wait too long for it to start.


What fuels this constant discourse? Is it just a pure anti-Bettman sort of thing? I guess I'll never understand it. I mean, for all of the people killing Gary about the Coyotes to Hamilton thing, they conveniently seem to forget that he helped save the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers years ago when they were in bad shape. He also saved the Penguins and the Sabres from bankruptcy.

Sure he comes off as a condescending clown some time. I don't particularly care for the guy either but to blame him for everything is a bit short-sighted. Just my two cents.

Anyway, Penguins in six. Sidney Crosby for Conn Smythe and good tidings to Billy Guerin.