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It’s time once again to come up with a list of
potential sleepers for our poolies’ drafts. You know the guys; the diamonds
in the rough, the long-shots, the rookies with a shot, the shots in the
dark, the out-on-a-limb guys, etc., etc., etc. Here is a list of guys that
when you select them come draft day will elicit the inevitable, “Ah crap….!”
responses from your fellow poolies – or the “Whozzat guy…” from the lesser
competition. They are in no particular order, but could be the type of guys
that could make or break your season come trading time, or in pools that
allow you to stash away talented young guys.
Petr Cajanek (C) – St. Louis Blues
Tell us if you’ve heard this one before: “He’s the best talent not playing
in the NHL.” That moniker has been hung on guys like
Jiri Dopita,
Kristian Huselius, and
Patric Kjellberg. He’s not a young gun by any stretch as he enters the
league at 27, but the thing is the Blues are desperate for a legitimate 2nd
line center (or maybe even a 3rd line guy), and Cajanek has that spot
solidified – unless he falls flat on his face. Most think he’ll play with
fellow Euro
Pavol Demitra – and that can only be a good thing. Watch the Blues’ camp
carefully; like we said, he has a spot to lose. His ability to generate
offense and solid “own zone” presence will be welcomed. It’s the grind of
the NHL regular season that will prove to be the challenge….
Henrik Zetterberg (C) – Detroit Red Wings
The last two seasons have seen Zetterberg improve more than any other Red
Wing prospect. He has decent size and very good skills. He has managed to
develop in the late bloomer mode. He’s not a physical specimen by any
measure but what an opportunity for the 22 year old by being able to break
in with the Stanley Cup champs. With Yzerman out until December, Zetterberg
looks to stand a great chance to land a 3rd or 4th line spot with the Wings
right out of camp. He’ll take a season to get used to the league, but next
year…you won’t get him in the last few rounds of your draft.
Dan Hamhuis (D) – Nashville Predators
Slowly but surely the Predators are making strides with a young, if not
unremarkable team. Seemingly killing that mold is
Dan Hamhuis. A WHL All-Star, Hamhuis is the type of defenseman that may
not do one thing amazingly well, but does so many things very, very well,
that he is destined to make an impact in the NHL. He is a very solid 6’, 230
lbs, a good skater and can handle the point on the PP. Couple all that
offensive skill with his reputation for being an excellent body-checker, and
you have quite the package. Perhaps best of all though, is Hamhuis’
leadership ability. He reminds many of a young
Ray Bourque – heady praise indeed.
Ales Hemsky (RW ) – Edmonton Oilers
We guess it was only a matter of time before there was a hockey player in
the league named Ales (pronounced Alice), but what’s in a name anyway?
Hemsky possesses a great set of hands, is an excellent stick-handler and has
an under-rated shot. His most impressive skill, is that he is able to do all
of the above at full speed. Like most young players, he is not exactly
Jere Lehtinen in his own zone, but then again – you wouldn’t ask
Michelangelo to paint your house would you? He is the Oilers most dangerous
offensive prospect and the one the Oilers are pinning their hopes on to make
the jump to the big club and provide some much needed scoring.
Petr Schastlivy (LW/RW) – Ottawa Senators
It’s a conspiracy…or at least that’s what Mama Schastlivy will be thinking
if her son Petr doesn’t make the Sens this season. What looked to be a lock
on the left side for the Sens, may have gotten that much tougher with the
Sens acquisition of
Peter Schaefer from the Canucks mid-way through training camp. That
said, Schastlivy has got nothing to prove in the minors and needs an
opportunity to show that he can be an excellent two-way player. He is a good
skater and plays a semi-physical game. The knock on Schastlivy has been his
consistency. If he gets a chance to play in the top 9 forwards, Petr is
going to make an impact.
Brian Gionta (RW) – New Jersey Devils
Let’s face it – if
Brian Gionta was 4 inches taller, he’d be well on his way to being a
perennial NHL All-Star. At an official 5’7” and 165 lbs (only with his
skates on and in his gear), there is no denying Gionta’s offensive ability –
the guy can score as he proved at Boston College. Last year he had a cup of
coffee with the Devils and did not look out of place. This year, the Devils
are desperately hoping that Gionta and
Scott Gomez can discover some magic – the only question is what
“space-making” winger can the Devils put with these two smurfs to make it
realistic. He’ll be 24 in January and looks poised for a break out season.
Gionta has #1 line skill, but his size may prevent him from seeing anything
more than the third line…for this year.
Jamie Lundmark (C/LW/RW) – New York Rangers
Was a big-time player in junior that has not had the immediate impact that
he had hoped he would in his first three tries at trying to crack the
Rangers line-up. Last year, he had a solid 27 tallies in almost 80 games for
Hartford, but this year, Lundmark has been showcasing his grit, speed and
smarts on either wing – with positive results. He’s a very intelligent
player and a very good passer. It’s likely that Lundmark will begin the year
with the Rangers and likely on the third line. If things go well, you never
know – you might see him patrolling the left side along-side Lindros and
Bure.
Trent Hunter (RW) – New York Islanders
If history is any indicator, Hunter could make a big splash if he makes the
big club this season. He is a huge young man, at 6’4” and 210, and he is
still filling out his large frame. Hunter has great hands, plays a tough,
gritty game along the wall and is more than just good in the defensive end
of the rink. In junior it took a few years before he found his scoring
touch, and it may be the same pattern as a pro. This season, it looks to be
at least a 3rd line spot (at least) to lose. His skating isn’t the greatest,
but then again neither is
John LeClair's,
Dave Andreychuk's and
Rick Tocchet's (players that Hunter is compared too).
Ron Hainsey (D) – Montreal Canadiens
At 6’3” and 200 lbs, Hainsey looks to be on his way to anchoring the Habs
blue-line for the next 15 years. Hainsey improved by leaps and bounds last
season and would have likely been a late call-up to Montreal had it not been
for an injury. He is an excellent passer, has a hard, low shot and seems to
remain unrattled in pressure situations. Bear in mind d-men take a few years
longer to reach their potential, but Hainsey may be on the fast-track to
getting there early. He’ll be spotted early in the season, but he is just
too good not to be given a chance to develop taking a regular shift.
Jordan Leopold (D) – Calgary Flames
It’s not often that a rookie defencemen makes such an impact in camp, that
he allows his organization to move their best defencemen – but that’s just
what Leopold allowed the Flames to do. Leopold was an awesome offensive
weapon in US college and many pundits have compared him to a young
Phil Housley – who can play the physical game. He is not the
prototypical 18-19 year old rookie; as Leopold will be 22 at the start of
the season. He’s likely to be given a short leash at the start, to try and
build his confidence, but the offensively starved Flames will flog him as
much as they can on the PP. Grab this guy early, because you won’t get a
chance for him to slip by next year.
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