Habs Should Package Kids For Impact Player

The Canadiens 2008-09 training camp is at it's midway point, and other than a dismal first game showing against Boston, the team's performance has been excellent. Without once yet having iced a squad remotely reminiscent of last season's lineup, the Habs have fared well enough that one could envision them starting the season with either of the rookie laden groups they have dressed in the past three games.

I mean really, what are they to do with all of these kids coming through the woodwork?

It's a beauty of a problem to have if you happen to be Bob Gainey.

So far in exhibition games, it is clear that if this were any other season in which the Canadiens weren't so set and stacked, a good four or five rookies and prospects would be termed as NHL ready.

Matt D' Agnostini looks as though he could be a 15 to 20 goal scorer on about 15 NHL clubs starting this season.

Max Pacioretty is both physically and mentally at a big league level despite only being 19 years of age.

The performances of defensemen P.K. Subban and Yannick Weber tell of great futures so far.

The potential of center Ben Maxwell has shown itself greatly, especially when his talents are combined with those of solid NHL'ers.

And they have only been the best of the best thus far.






















There are also players with last names like Desharnais, Beauregard, Carle, Desjardins, Trotter and Stewart who have made strong impressions in a short time.

All could one day be in the NHL.

The 11 players named here, are primarily just the sharper tip of the iceberg for the Canadiens, and the reality is that they cannot all fit into the club's future plans.

The problem for a smiling Gainey is that the inner competition amongst these one day Habs is that it will bring out the best in them. Open spots on the club currently are more rare than Beatles reunion rumours.

The downside is that many of these players will walk from the team in time, returning little in terms of value. They will be flipped for draft picks down the line at best.

An interesting solution might have presented itself in the sheer numbers of these cumulative talents, as individually their worth would tend to be less than their combined value as a whole.

The Canadiens should make some decisions, perhaps premature, and roll the dice, in order to acquire a player that could not only take them to a higher level, but keep them there for a good long haul.

I bring this up because I see a pair of clubs - Pittsburgh and Detroit - screening the Canadiens Stanley Cup visions.

To ask why, is to understand that the Habs have no players in the Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, Zetterberg, and Datsyuk class within their ranks.

Adding a player of that high calibre, would go a long way towards ensuring that the club maintains annual Stanley Cup aspirations.

Mind you, I think this current team is capable right this season, with its current configuration, to go all the way.

But I'm a Habs fan, and I can only think in terms of dynasties. One Cup, only brings a thirst for more, hence my long term view that gaining a markee player suits that need best.

As I see it, in the short or long term, the Canadiens will need a player of absolute character, force, and value. A player that might well define the team identity, beyond the current Koivu and Kovalev regime.

















I envision the idea of such a player as being capable of producing between 85 and 100 points annually for the next decade, or close to it. Someone to measure up against the likes of Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, Zetterberg, and Datsyuk.

The Canadiens can only gain such a player via three methods.

1 - Drafting a prospect in the top three spots over the next two seasons.

2 - Making a trade for such a high pick.

3 - Acquiring via the trade route, an already established player who could fill this need.

For option number 1 to happen, the Canadiens would need to be the Islanders, Maple Leafs, Thrashers or Kings. File that scenario under "Not Gonna Happen".

Option two is more likely, in that the Habs could package a group of a half dozen bodies of promise, and gain a lottery pick in the draft that could turn out to be more than the sum of it's parts.

The most immediate route is obviously the most salacious. Acquire a bona fide NHL star - rising or established.

Names - you want: Kovalchuk, Gaborik, Morrow, Kopitar, or Getzlaf. (There are others, but I digress!)

Placed in the Canadiens shoes, I would not part with Pacioretty, McDonough, Yemelin or Maxwell. Other prospects are negotiable.

The bait offered- an alluring bevy of Habs prospects with a pinch of current regulars tossed in.

























Here's the card I would play if I were Gainey:

2006 first round pick, defenseman David Fischer.

Jaroslav Halak.

The rights to Alexandre Perezhogin.

A choice between center Ryan White and winger Matt D' Agnostini.

A choice between Subban and Weber.

A choice between centers Lapierre and Chipchura.

A choice between Mathieu Dandeneault and Tom Kostopoulos.

The possible flip flop of draft choices in 2009 or 2010.

Depending on the trading partner, I'd want Gainey to consider adding an alternative, in the name of a roster player or second round pick.


You might ask why I would be willing to see the club part with so many assets to gain but one player.

My answer involves calculated risk, but I always see it in the sense that the club gaining the best player in a deal is usually the winner.

Of the options available above, if I were to be another clubs GM, I'd grab the following.

White as he is a centerman, over D' Agnostini, because he is a better skater and shows more two way responsability.

Subban over Weber, for reasons incurring grit, charisma, and nationality.

Lapierre over Chipachura in regards to experience, skating skills, and attitude.

Kostopoulos, for his age over Dandy, and his willingness to go to no end for team mates.

I'd also say "NO" to the flip of choices, or at best retain the option.

In the final tally, a deal for the likes of Kovalchuk, Gaborik, Morrow, Kopitar, or Getzlaf would boil down to Fischer, Halak, Perezhogin, White, Subban, Lapierre, and Kostopoulos.

All told, seven bodies for a franchise player.

Which trigger would you pull?

.

Badger's Coach Describes McDonagh As A Komisarek Clone

Robert L Note: I read this article authored by La Presse's Mathias Brunet when it was posted at Habs World two days ago. Even with the Habs great win last night, I could not get McDonagh out of my head today. I just had to share it so here is the transcription for all the non francophone speaking readers. Sounds like the kid has a ton of promise.

The Canadiens first choice in the 2007 Entry Draft, defeneseman Ryan McDonagh, is said to be a Mike Komisarek clone, of sorts.

It's a stunning statement to make given that Komisarek is right handed and McDonagh left handed and presently 30 pounds lighter.

Since the statement comes from someone who ought to know, University of Wisconsin Badgers coach Mike Eaves, a man who followed Komisarek's progress throughout the American National Junior ranks, it must be taken seriously.

"I'm often asked if he compares to Ryan Suter (Nashville Predators first rounder in 2003), but I'd actually say that he reminds me more of a player you know well in Montreal, Mike Komisarek", eaves admitted during a phone interview with La Presse.


















McDonagh isn't the type of player who rushes rink length with the puck. He's not a typical offensive defenseman. But the way in which he defends in his own end, his positioning, his dedication, his strength, his first pass from his zone and especially his ability to throw out a punishing bodycheck all remind me of Komisarek. I know that Komisarek is more imposing physically, but McDonagh, at 205 pounds, is already mature physically and you'd be surprised how solid he is on his skates. He loves to hit, you're going to see."

Eaves, a former NHL forward with the North Stars and Flames wasn't born yesterday. He's led the American National Junior team to it's one and only gold medal in 2004. Two years later he won the NCAA Championship with Wisconsin. Since he accepted the head coaching job with the Badgers in 2002, nine of his players have made it to the NHL, including Suter, Joe Pavelski, Jack Skille, Rene Bourque and Tom Gilbert - all rising stars.

Even though he is still only 18, McDonagh is a rock on defense for the Badgers. He has amassed 12 points, including five goals, in 26 games, with a plus 8 ranking, which is third best on the team and just behind defensive partner Jamie McBain, a second round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes two seasons ago.

"Ryan has been good, in fact very good for us since the start of the year", says the coach. "the difference in calibre between high school and the collegiate ranks is enormous, but he has been able to make the adjustment while correcting his mistakes thanks to his great mobility. It's not often that we give a large amount of responsabilities to rookies, especially defenseman, but Ryan is very mature for his age and we do not hesitate to employ him on both the power play and the penalty kill, and he is among our top four defenseman. We never worry when he is on the ice, even against the oppositions best players."

Mike Eaves found himself in an uncomfortable position when McDonagh wasn't chosen for the U.S. World Junior team this past Christmas. The U.S. team's head coach John Hynes was Eaves assistant when he started his career in Wisconsin in 2002, and also when Eaves coached the World Juniors in 2004.

"I was a bit surprised they chose not to take McDonagh since they scouted him so closely before deciding, but I never discussed him with Hynes", Eaves said.

"I understand what position he was in, having occupied it myself. He had his own ideas and he felt the defenseman he chose could respond to the task. It would have been a great experience for Ryan, but I loved his reaction when he learned he didn't make it. He looked me right in the eyes and said that the disappointment would only make him a better player and that he would show them why he should have been there. Since then he's played even better. I find he's even more confident with the puck now. He'll be there next year, no doubt about it."

Unless, of course, he joins the Canadiens before then, as Suter did after only one year of NCAA play.

"I'd like to keep him here another year, obviously, but I'm not aware of the Canadiens intentions. We do know that their scouts are watching him closely and that they speak regularly with Mark Osiecki, who coaches our defensemen. Physically, he's ready for the pro's, but here he can develop at his own pace. The little errors he'll make won't have the big consequences attached as it would in the NHL. In Suter's case, he came and discussed it with me, saying that he just could not turn down such a sum of money. In hindsight, an extra year with us would have helped him. The canadiens will make the right decision in the best interest of those concerned."

Here is a piece that the Montreal Gazette ran on McDonagh back on July 12, 2007, and the Hockey Future feature interview with him before being drated by the Canadiens that ran on June 3, 2007. Don't miss Matt Godbout's Habs World Interview with McDonagh.

Expect Turnover In Big Numbers For Habs

Listening to, reading about, and watching the Canadiens training camp progress, I was struck with an odd notion upon realizing the potential that this stockpile of youth has to offer the Habs in terms of future options.

Like, what to heck are we going to do with all these players?

How on Earth does Bob Gainey plan to juggle all this talent without letting any of it slip away?

What would be the masterplan that is most beneficial to team prosperity?

I've no doubt that the Canadiens are laying the groundwork foundation for a Stanley Cup win within a reasonable number of years. In fact I'm almost at the point of thinking such is inevitable.

What is also inevitable is that large chunks of veteran players will be pawned and sacrificed in order to make room for all the rising stars the team has on the way.



I count at least 10 future bona fide NHL'ers that will make their way to Hamilton, or other destinations, for now, that should all be part of the team within 2 to 3 years. Four years max.

Names, you ask? Here goes!

Carey Price, Kyle Chipchura, Sergei Kostitsyn, Ryan O'Byrne, Matt D'Agnostini, Ryan White, Mathieu Carle, Pavel Valentenko, Mikhail Grabovski, and Ben Maxwell.

Presently AWOL but hardly forgotten, is Russian defenseman Alexei Emelin.

I did not mention Max Lapierre or Andrei Kostitsyn, as I consider them to be full time Habs until proven otherwise. I also did not check Janna Lahti in with the youth as he is an older FA signing who is an odds on bet to latch onto his NHL chance this season.




Add to those ten names, the likes of David Fischer, Ryan McDonagh, Max Pacioretty, and P.K. Subban within another year, and you can see that Gainey will need to be quite the manager of talent to see them all through to fruition.

All totalled, we are speaking of 15 fresh talents that will push out players who are currently veterans on the Canadiens, by the time the 2010-11 season gets underway.

The group consists of one goalie, seven defensemen, and seven forwards that could represent more than half of the team's lineup come that fateful season.

That is an incredible amount of influx and turnover on what would still be considered a young Canadiens teams come that season.

Current roster players that should survive this movement are the current young core of Higgins, Plekanec, Latendresse, Komisarek, Lapierre, Andrei Kostitsyn, and perhaps goalie Jaroslav Halak.



They would make up a core of experiencd vets by then.

Other current veteran players from the Habs roster that may last until the 2010-11 season are Andrei Markov and Roman Hamrlik, as impending free agents by that point, Saku Koivu should he resign beyond his current contract, and possibly Michael Ryder and Mark Streit as longshot wildcards to still be around.

Of course, during the interim, names we've yet to crystal ball into the Habs future will also make their way onto the team, one signing or trade at a time.

Now if you add it all up for the 2010-11 season, there are the 15 fresh faces that I've named first, the 7 current young guns that should stick around until then, and a possibility of 5 veterans that could hang onto their Habs jerseys for another four years should their individual stocks dictate they are worth keeping.

That is a total of 27 players the Canadiens will have an interest in hanging onto for another 4 years, and I wouldn't bet the house on Ryder, Hamrlik, Streit, and saddest of all, Koivu.

In order to clear space for these talents, players will be shed from the team on by one over the coming seasons. It's not difficult to imagine to order of their departure, starting with players who are merely passing the current season, soon to be dealt to the highest bidder or Mike Johnsonsed into the hockey ozone.



So in order, start saying goodbye to:

Garth Murray
Patrice Brisebois
Mathieu Dandeneault
Steve Begin
Bryan Smolinski
Alex Kovalev
Josh Georges
Tom Kostopoulos
Francis Bouillon
Cristobal Huet

Not weeping?

Neither am I!

What these players fetch in terms of returns for Gainey will go a long way towards determining how quickly the Canadiens contend for Lord Stanley's mug. He will be tasked with turning over experienced players for much of the same, given the Habs young lineup.

The best news is that Gainey will have the talent and numbers to load a deal sufficiently, making it alluring enough to get exactly what he is going after.



While many fans are clammoring for Cup contention in the Canadiens 100th anniversary year, the goal Gainey may be aiming at is just beyond that season. It should be obvious by now that Gainey is not trying to win but one Cup. He is actually working to build a team that will not only win it, but contend for it for several seasons.

Gainey's greatest virtue as Habs GM up until now has been patience. His next tasks in management will be judgement and timing.

Going over the Canadiens lineup and prospect evaluations will be a kind of W5 proposition for Gainey.



What - The Stanley Cup as a goal.

When - At what point does the team shed current roster players.

Where - Judging the upcoming talent and deciding its readiness.

Who - Players that the team brings in, in the interim.

Why - Upside of potential of players, the decline of current player values, and what is available to help the team via free agency.

It is unfortunate that players we have grown to appreciate will sadly not be among us come Cup hoisting time. Speaking only for myself, it will break my heart if I don't see Saku Koivu win one in his Canadiens lifetime.

But I'll get over it!

A Fork In The Road To Montreal

By Elliot Olshansky, CSTV.com, August 23, 2007

(Robert L Note: A very interesting piece on two future pillars of the Habs defense. Definitely worth archiving for later reference.)

When the Montreal Canadiens drafted Ryan McDonagh with the 12th pick of the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Canadiens director of player recruitment and development Trevor Timmins told the assembled media that Minnesota's 2006-07 "Mr. Hockey" winner could see time alongside another Minnesota "Mr. Hockey" once both reach the pros: Minnesota rearguard David Fischer, the Canadiens' first-round pick in 2006.

Of course, as Timmins hastens to point out, he's not a coach, and he wasn't envisioning any particular chemistry between the two blueliners.

"That's all up to the coaching staff at the time," Timmins said. "I just think they're two players who are going to play in our top four down the road. I'm not looking at anything like matching one up with the other. That's totally up to the coaching staff."

Kevin Patrick, however, is a coach. More specifically, he's an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin, where McDonagh will be a freshman this season, and having seen plenty of both McDonagh and Fischer, it's not hard for him to understand the possible pairing.

"They're two prospects with a lot of talent," Patrick said. "A good physical presence as far as their ability to move on the ice, good size, and I think their games will complement each other.

They're both guys that like to be involved and are responsible defensively. I think they both complement each other well that way. Ryan being a left shot, and David being a right shot, some teams like to make sure they have right and left shots together so they don't have guys playing the offside."

Neither McDonagh nor Fischer particularly minds the talk of a potential pairing. The two displayed a good rapport off the ice at the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., a friendship developed while moving in many of the same circles growing up just outside the Twin Cities.

"My junior year and his senior year [of high school], in the fall, we played in the Midwest Elite League together," said McDonagh. "We were actually D partners in the end-of-year tournament together. That's when we first got accustomed to each other's style of play."

Of course, that's all well and good in 2007, but when January 2008 rolls around, the past in high school and the future in Montreal go out the window. Once McDonagh puts on the Cardinal and White of the Badgers, Fischer will have a much different opinion, as his once and future teammate will stand on the opposite side of one of the fiercest rivalries in college hockey, and in all of college sports.

"We'll be seeing Ryan in a few months," Fischer said with a smile. "Hopefully, he'll be laying down on the ice, and I'll be standing over him and laughing at him."











If Fischer wants the Gophers to stand tall and laugh against the Badgers and the rest of the WCHA this season, he's going to need to stand tall individually as well. Between the graduation of Mike Vannelli and the early departures of Alex Goligoski and Erik Johnson, the Gophers lost a total of 102 points from the blueline, to say nothing of the defection to major junior by Jim O'Brien, who was projected to move to defense in 2007-08.

"Lot of big shoes to fill," Fischer said, "not only for me, but for the rest of our defensive corps.

We only lost one or two forwards, so we've got a great core nucleus coming back, but everybody's going to be questioning our D corps. So it's going to be up to me and Pelts [Derek Peltier] and [Brian] Schack and R.J. [Anderson], and obviously [Cade] Fairchild and [Kevin] Wehrs and the other guys we've got coming in. We've got to be there for our squad."

Still, as a first-round draft pick with high expectations down the load, Fischer can expect much of the burden to fall on him.

McDonagh, meanwhile, arrives at Wisconsin with high expectations, one of three Badgers drafted in the first round in June. The Badgers also have holes to fill on defense with the graduation of Jeff Likens and the pro signing of Joe Piskula, and like any first-round pick, McDonagh will feel the pressure to perform early.

"I'm going to be in a new group of players," McDonagh said, "trying to fit in there and continue to play my style and help the team win as much as possible. That's the most important thing: trying to help the team get to the national tournament and succeeding there."

The two defensemen's individual aspirations will first come into conflict in January, when the Gophers travel to Madison, and then again in February, when the Badgers come to Mariucci Arena.

"It's a healthy rivalry," Fischer said. "Each team has a lot of respect for the other, and it's always a blast when the two squads get together."

It's not hard to imagine that rivalry helping to deepen the bond between the two defensemen when they do eventually begin their pro careers.

"I think anytime you have a rivalry like the Border Battle," Patrick said, "you've got heated battles that are going to go down to the last play of the game, late in the game, most times. It's going to be heated, it's going to be at times for championship. While they're playing against each other, those games are going to be a great training ground for experiences at the next level."

But those concerns are further off. For the time being, the feelings will be as cold as the winter weather in Madison and Minneapolis.

"It's a couple of years down the line," Fischer said, "so for the next year or two here, it's going to be a bitter war to the end."

Getting To Know McDonagh and Pacioretty

Every year when draft day arrives, all I ask is that the players chosen somehow excite me. That their given potential sets hope in motion. Unlike many, I was not hoping to see Angelo Esposito in the CH. I was convinced that the Habs would go for size and character, and they did not let me down.

No need to reinforce the notion that this was one strange draft round. While every player selected surely has talent to boast and a fair amount of upside, i got the impression I was watching a junior entry draft, rather than a crop of mostly 18 year olds.

Damn, weren't some of these kids small! The Vanriemsdyk kid the Flyers grabbed, looked like a freckled face 13 year old, awkward smile and goofy gaze. Logan Couture, while larger seemingly, had that schoolyard brat / bully face that anyone would want to punch out. I'm looking at him, and listening to a TSN commentator mention leadership and captaincy in his profile, and I want to die laughing. Patrick Kane and Kyle Turris have alot of growing to do before they can play with NHL men.

I'm sure all will become solid NHLer's soon enough, but I didn't see one kid I would rush.

That might explain why I was content upon seeing the Habs pick. The Anaheim Ducks won the Cup with a big, tough team. This was not lost on Gainey and company. Both Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty, at 18, have the size of grown men. Talent aside, their largeness will assist their developement greatly, perhaps shaving a year or two off their progression. I know little other than what I have read today on these players, but I get the feeling that if they are to grow any more, and they should, their stature will serve them well in the big man NHL.

As I knew only small details on the players, I went searching for whatever info was available concerning them and their careers thus far. After rapidly reading a bunch, I am conforted in their upsides.

I've posted intro's to some articles here, that after reading them, you will certainly like these two much more. Enjoy!

RYAN MCDONAGH

Montreal was 12th in line at the NHL Entry Draft and picked Minnesota high school defenceman Ryan McDonagh.

The six-foot-one, 200-pounder was considered a sleeper in the draft, and there were a lot of surprised onlookers when the Canadiens passed on Montreal-born Angelo Esposito, one of the most gifted forwards available. His dream of being a Hab was shattered and the dejected look on his face as he sat in the stands said it all.

''Angelo was on our list but he wasn't on our list at the 12th spot,'' Canadiens GM Bob Gainey told TSN.

Canadiens Draft Pair Of Americans

The Montreal Canadiens? The Montreal Americans is more like it.

The Habs drafted a pair of U.S.-born skaters in Friday night's first round of the NHL entry draft - defenceman Ryan McDonagh at No. 12 and winger Max Pacioeretty at No. 22.

On a team that already has two young American players that are key to their success, forward Chris Higgins and defenceman Mike Komisarek, the newcomers will feel right at home in a few years when they make the big club.

''Seems like the Canadiens have a lot of confidence in U.S.-born players,'' said Pacioretty. ''That's a great feeling.''

Habs fans hoping their team would take Quebec scoring star Angelo Esposito were no doubt disappointed when McDonagh's name was called, but scouts drool over the American blue-liner's game.

Canadiens Choose McDonagh With 12th Pick

With the 12th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft on Friday, the Montreal Canadiens selected defenseman Ryan McDonagh of Cretin-Derham High School in Minnesota.

McDonagh has a sensational season as a senior at Cretin-Derham High in 2006-07, recording 14 goals and 40 points in 26 games. He won the "Mr. Hockey" Award as the top high-school player in the state after being named the Most Valuable Player of the Minnesota State Championship Tournament in 2006, when he helped his team to the title.

The 18-year-old native of St. Paul also represented the United States at this year's Under-18 World Championship, notching three assists in seven games. He was offered scholarships by three colleges, including St. Cloud State and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, but decided on the University of Wisconsin, where he will play this fall.

McDonagh is impressive at both ends of the ice, possessing the talent to rush the puck and complete passes while also being able to outmuscle opponents along the boards and in the corners. The 6-1, 200-pounder, who was the 11th-ranked North American skater by the Central Scouting Service, can quietly dominate a game but occasionally makes decisions that backfire.

Duhatschek: Canadiens Pass On Esposito

There was a theory that the Montreal Canadiens might trade up in the draft in order to select Angelo Esposito, the No. 8 ranked skater from Quebec, who won a Memorial Cup in 2006 with the Remparts of Patrick Roy and was the top-ranked player in Central Scouting's mid-season rankings.

Central Scouting obviously saw something they didn't like in Esposito's game and apparently so did the Canadiens. They stayed put at No. 12 in the first round and then selected the No. 11th ranked player instead - Ryan McDonagh, from Cretin-Derham high school in Minnesota.

McDonagh was named Minnesota's Mr. Hockey of 2007 and is bound for the University of Wisconsin next year.

The knock against Esposito, according to one amateur scout, is his inconsistency; and his unwillingness to play physically or to play in traffic.

USA Deep On Defense

"In terms of offensive upside and ability to change the game and be a big influence offensively, Kevin Shattenkirk, with his vision, is probably the cream of the crop," U.S. coach Ron Rolston said.

McDonagh is slightly ahead of Shattenkirk in most rankings and might squeeze into the top 10.

He joined Team USA for the world under-18 championships.

"What I enjoyed about him was his competitive nature, and he was extremely tough to play against in the defensive end," Rolston said.

UW Recruits Feeling The Draft

It's a small world, after all, and Ryan McDonagh is about to give you the latest tale of confirmation.

Later this week, McDonagh and fellow teenage University of Wisconsin men's hockey recruit Kyle Turris are projected to be first-round picks in the NHL Entry Draft.

Later this summer, McDonagh and Turris will share living quarters on the UW campus and begin their highly anticipated college careers.

But well before the kid from New Westminster, British Columbia (Turris) and the kid from suburban St. Paul, Minn. (McDonagh) decided to attend the same college - before they began making phone calls to determine how to best accessorize a tech-savvy dorm room - their paths crossed.

"Funny story," McDonagh began, recalling when he was on the verge of a decorated prep career at Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) High School. "We played in a tournament together. (Turris) actually played on a Minnesota team."

Turris said he was 13 or 14, visiting a family friend in Minnesota, when he was asked to tag along and play in a tournament in Chicago.

















Ryan McDonagh was a designated hitter and first baseman for the Cretin-Derham Hall, but his future appears to be in hockey, where he is a talented two-way defenseman.

The two-sport star just celebrated a state baseball title and is expected to be taken high in the NHL draft.

NHL Draft: It's The Best Of Times For Cretin Defenseman

Those familiar with Ryan McDonagh's athletic prowess will say they would like to have a piece of the young man's future. But the Cretin-Derham Hall senior would have a hard time doubting there is no time like the present.

McDonagh celebrated his 18th birthday last Wednesday. Over the weekend the designated hitter/first baseman helped lead Cretin-Derham Hall to the Class 3A baseball championship.

Today he and his family will leave for Columbus, Ohio, where on Friday he will be among the first names called in the NHL draft.

McDonagh, a talented two-way defenseman, will be one of the first defensemen taken. And if we are to believe the recent scuttlebutt, his stock is on the rise.

Cretin-Derham Hall coach Jim O'Neill said his information points to McDonagh being selected anywhere from fifth to 20th.

"The first four players are said to be rated apart from the others," O'Neill said. "After that it can come down to needs and who likes you."

McDonagh, this year's Mr. Hockey in Minnesota, said he interviewed with all but two NHL teams when he was in Toronto for the pre-draft combine earlier this month. St. Louis [ninth overall] and Columbus [seventh] then had him visit for an individual workout.

The TSN Insider's Forecast:

The nephew of former NFL quarterback Steve Walsh is considered a fine athletic specimen and the winner of the prestigious Mr. Hockey award as Minnesota's top high school player has a chance to be a top 10 pick. It would be a surprise if he falls below the middle of the first round. Some teams think he's as good a defenceman as there is available, a solid two-way threat with edge who played well before and after his high school season with the U.S. Under-18 team. He is off to the University of Wisconsin next season.

From NHL Central Scouting:

A skilled offensive defenseman with the ability to rush the puck. Has good first step quickness and makes quick accurate passes in the defensive zone. Has a good shot from the point. Strong along the boards as well as one-on-one in the corners. Has the ability to dominate a game, but needs to play to his level every night. His offensive style sometimes leads to risky decisions.

From ISS:

Plays a steady game. Continues to make the smart play with the puck, moves the puck up ice well. Has good feet, contains his man well off the rush. Made a big move up ISS rankings late in the year, jumping from #58 in April to #19 in May.

MAX PACIORETTY

The Canadiens selected left winger Max Pacioretty with the 22nd overall pick in Friday's NHL entry draft.The six foot, one inch, 203 pound Pacioretty projects as a prototypical power forward. Pacioretty is a long-term project and he will hone his skills at the University of Michigan next season. He has a wicked shot and takes it often. However, don’t look for him in an NHL uniform for at least three years.
























Pacioretty Leads UM's NHL Draft Hopefuls

Since committing to play hockey for the University of Michigan in January 2006, forward Max Pacioretty has done nothing but blossom.

He went from Taft Prep School to the United States Hockey League this season, earning rookie of the year accolades and setting himself up for another honor.

Pacioretty, who arrives at Michigan this fall, could join the growing list of Wolverines who have been first round picks when the NHL Entry Draft gets underway Friday in Columbus, Ohio. He'll be the first of what could be seven future Michigan players drafted this year.

"I'm trying not to think about it too much," Pacioretty said before leaving his New Canaan, Conn., home to head to the draft. "Whatever happens, happens. If I don't go as high as I'm projected then that's something that motivates you. It could help you in the long run."























Hockey Future's 2007 Max Pacioretty Profile

When Max Pacioretty's name gets called next weekend in Columbus, it’s going to be another defining moment for the rising hockey star and his career. But it won't be an end for Pacioretty, because he’s humble enough to admit he’s still got a ways to go. Given his background, it might not have never happened altogether.

Pacioretty was born and raised in Connecticut, but he was not born into the hockey culture. His parents were not native New Englanders, they moved to Connecticut from California. They even missed Wayne Gretzky and hockey’s California mini-explosion. Before Max, not a sole Pacioretty had even played the game. But his parents gave young Max the freedom to choose something he wanted to do and to let him have something he could call his own.

"When I was four years old my parents brought me to the rink for public skate," Pacioretty recalled. "I kept going back and ended up registering for hockey. It just happened from there."

His interest grew and he continued to play without the pressure to excel from his parents.

Before he knew it, he was playing up with older kids because he got to the point where his game was a bit more advanced than other kids his age. "My parents never pressured me growing up," he explained. "I just found hockey. It turned out to be the thing I love."

NHL Draft Likely To Hit Region Again

When the NHL completes the first round of its annual entry draft tonight, Southern Connecticut's credentials in pro hockey should grow again.

New Canaan's Max Pacioretty, a left winger, is expected to be picked sometime tonight. The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau ranks him No. 16 among North American skaters, and several hockey media mock drafts had him picked late in the 30-pick first round. Pacioretty, 18, played at New Canaan High, Taft School, and in the junior United States Hockey League over the past five seasons. He plans to play next season at the University of Michigan. Versus will televise the first round tonight, beginning at 7.

Pacioretty will join a growing contingent of pro hockey players from Fairfield and New Haven counties, a group that includes Buffalo's Chris Drury, of Trumbull, and Bridgeport Sound Tigers forward Eric Boguniecki, of West Haven. The New York Rangers selected Darien's Hugh Jessiman 12th overall in 2003; Jessiman struggled through his first pro season and a half but showed signs of improvement in the second half of this past season.

The TSN Insider's Forecast:

There is no real mystery to Max Pacioretty's game with Sioux Falls of the USHL. He is an up and down winger who goes hard to the net, provides some physical play and is not without some offensive ability. He doesn't necessarily excel in any one area of the game but does a lot of things well enough to get first-round consideration, although a number of teams view him as more second-round material. He will attend the University of Michigan in the fall.

From NHL Central Scouting:

A competitive power forward with a good physical presence. Has a very good wrist shot with a quick release. Is a good skater with excellent first step quickness. Strong in the face-off circle and does what it takes to help his team win. Needs to improve his consistency around the net. Effective on the penalty kill, but needs to improve his defensive anticipation.