NHL Draft Running Diary

OK so welcome to the 2009 NHL draft running diary. This draft should be really interesting as there is no clear concise first overall pick and there are many trades that should be happening. The draft has a significant fall off in talent after pick #5 and there are only a few superstars.

Just to set the scene here I am in Bryan "the Hermit" Cruse's basement with NHL Insider Stevie P, Drapes, and Older Cruse.

McDonalds has been eaten and I got the Diet Mug by my side. Just keep hitting refresh to get the hook up:

7:00 - "nice fucking girlfriend" Stevie P on Victor Hedman's girlfriend. Seriously I think he could do better and might kick her to the curb once he gets drafted. I hate these little montage videos in sports before the draft as they get these kids to try and build up some hype. 'Tonight dreams will be realised and a journey begins.' So cheesy.

Group agrees that Hedman should be taken first but that Tavares will more than likely go 1st overall.

7:04 - Darren "I know dick all" Dragger comes on and tells us that Philly has traded for Chris Pronger and that the Kaberle for Kessel trade fell through.

Tavares, Hedman, and Duchene are being interviewed right now. I feel so bad for whoever goes 1st overall as then I would have to go to Long Island and waste away. The only good thing to come out of Long Island was Debra Baron aka Patricia Heaton.

7:09 - Nothing better than hearing all of these "experts" on TSN say that they have no idea who is getting picked 1st overall. Real solid reporting and investigative journalism.

7:13 - some french dudes come out to cheers and the second Bettman steps in front of the mic he boo'd mercilessly. Bettman just tried to speak French and butchered the language like Jason Vorhess butchers virgin teens by the lake. I hate this man and he needs to be fired asap.

7:15 - Islanders on the clock here are the picks in the basement:

Me - Tavares

Stevie P - Tavres

Drapes - Hedman

Cruse - Tavares

Old Cruse - Hedman

7:18 - Islanders management steps up and has their representative speak French. That better not happen all night. All 3 potential picks look like death.

Its Tavares! That smile is so forced I love it. I wish they would show Hedman and Duchene highfiving and fist pumping off screen cause they don't have to go to the Islanders.

7:20 - Pierre McGwire exclaims that this is a great pick. This was a no brainer. Way to not blow it NY. I can't believe the Montreal fans were cheering for him. Showing class for the first time ever.

7:25 - Lightning are on the clock here. Blockbuster deal gets revealed and its Pronger for a shit load. 2 first round picks and some players for an almost 40 year old Pronger. Philly must think its 2005 here paying that kind of price for Pronger.

I wish these douchebag owners and GMs would stop thanking the Montreal fans and congratulating the Penguins. Just say your pick and move on.

7: 27 - Hedman gets picked and so far the Sports Informer is 2 for 2 in my mock draft. Easy pick as Hedman is a beast. He looks like he is about to be in a Huge Boss ad.

7:37 - Wow this is brutal with all this damn french. Colorado takes Matt Duchene to replace Joe Sakic when he leaves. Bob McKenzie is talking about Haliburton like its the greatets place ever. Do me a favor and stick to talking about the players.

These players need to learn to hug the parents and then get to the podium. Both Tavares and Duchene have taken 10 minutes each to get to the podium. This 1st round might take 4 hours at this rate.

7:45 - Thrashers take Evander Kane which is the right pick. 4 for 4 in my draft. So far Atlanta has done the best job of getting up to the front and making their pick. A few pleasantries and then the pick, let's hope this continues.

LA Kings are up next. The Hermit is hoping the Leafs move up here and I think this could happen as the Kings don't really need any more young talent.

7:53 - So much for short announcements. Kings GM has taken it upon himself to talk about Luc Robitaille for 10 minutes. Make the god damn pick!

7:56 - Kings take Brayden Scheen destroying the hearts of Leaf fans everywhere. Loved seeing Luke Schenn in the crowd although it was odd to see him get up and move as usually he is glued to the ice and watching players skate by him

Burke looked oissed when Schenn went. I am sure he tried really hard but no one would bend to his will.

8:05 - The Hamilton Coyotes select Larrson from Sweden. Seems to be a logical pick but this pick breaks my streak of consecutive corrective picks.

Gord Miller says "Larrson is the first european player taken in this years draft." He must have forgotten about Victor Hedman. Great work TSN. Fire this old man and gets the Sports Informer in there.

8:12 - Burke walks up to boos but stands strong and gives the fans the biggest grin ever. Reason #345 why I love Burke: he didn't thank Montreal or congratulate anyone.

Leafs pick Nazim Kadri which is a real screw you to Ottawa. The Hermit is pissed. He wanted Cowan or MSP. Old Cruse is also upset about the pick. Leafs pick up the Arabian Knight.

Both Cruse brothers are disheveled more so the Hermit as his day started off so bright but now not so much. It is revealed Kadri's favorite team growing up was Montreal which elicits a large groan from the Hermit.

8:18 - Dallas goes way off the board and takes Scott Glennie. He is a good player but he would have been there at like 12. I love how no one is tahnking Montreal anymore which is speeding this up.

MPS and Jared Cowan might slide here. I had MPS going to Ottawa which was questioned hard by certain people (Brad Spencer) but I stand by my pick. My mock draft has officially been blown up.

8:26 - Sens take Jared Cowan who is a great defenseman. If he hadn't hurt his knee he would have been a top 3 pick. The Cruse brothers are pissed right now as they are seeing what could have been. "who needs a 6-5 defenseman?"

8:35 - Edmonton takes MPS. Stevie P just lost a bet to the Hermit here as Ryan Ellis was not taken. MPS might be the first Swede I have ever seen that doesn't have blonde hair.

8:40 - Barry Trotz just broke the Hermit's tv with his ugly face. Hopefully we can fix the tv before the next pick gets taken.

8:45 - Nashville takes Ryan Ellis who is a dead ringer for Josh Acheson. Ellis won't be in the NHL for awhile because he needs to get better and also deal with his acne problem.

Interesting note Ryan Ellis has a hot ass sister. Seriously she is hot and blonde and needs more air time.

8:53 - Islanders move up to the 12th spot here. The whole process took about 7 minutes and after all that they take Calvin De hann. This is really off the board as De hann probably would have been there at 24. This just proves that despite what people think and are saying about Garth Snow and the Islanders they are a terrible franchise.

The Islanders have traded all their picks for the rest of the draft. Dumb move by NY. The guy can't even put his hat on properly!

9:02 - TSN is now interviewing Landon Ferraro who is wearing one of the worst suits I have ever seen. He is porjected to go 24th overall but the basement thinks he might have to wait til the 2nd round to go anywhere. His dad is a scrub despite what the Hermit says.

The Cruse brothers have started a heated discussion about the Leafs and their crappy picks. This has become the best part of the draft as the brothers seem dejected no matter who gets taken as tey feel every pick is going to "smash" the Leafs.

9:04 - Buffalo takes Zac Kassian who is a great winger. Drapes is a Sabers fan so he is loving it as he is glad they take a forward rather than a defenseman. Sabres > Leafs in terms of picks.

Buffalo now has taken 2 solid players in a row in the draft and should get better.

9:09 - The Florida Panthers take Dimitri Kulikov who much like Ryan Ellis has a hot ass sister. Pierre McGwire says that he is not afraid to get physical. Nothing funnier than listening to sports announcers make statement that can easily be seen as sexual inuendos.

By the way he is the first Russian taken in the draft. No Americans yet.

9:16 - The Ducks take Peter Holland. Drapes make notes of the all the Puck Bunnies who are in the Holland entourage. McGwire says Holland needs to get a little bit more dirt on him. Don't really know what that means but whatever. Love this exchange as Old Cruse re-enters the room:

OC - any news?

the Hermit - Leafs still fucking suck

9:21 - The Wild who moved down earlier take Nick Leddy who is the first American taken in the draft and is wicked undersized. The Hermit believes that there are a lot of good players left, which is true, but the Leafs don't have a chance at any of them.

The Cruse brothers are currently dividing up the remaining pieces of pizza hut pizza. Forgot to mention that the Running Diary is sponsored by Pizza Hut.

9:27 - The Blues take David Rundblad out of Sweden. Gonna run a little interview with the Hermit:

SI - Thoughts on Kadri?

TH - suck my balls

9:33 - Montreal finally gets to make their pick and the fans are going crazy. The Canadiens pick Louis Leblanc and the place goes crazy. Fans cheering "Louis, Louis, Louis." That must be an amazing feeling having all those people cheering for you.

I hope he can do well but I have to agree with McGwire when he said if he doesn't do well he is screwed. I love how easy it was to call this pick.

9:44 - The Rangers pick Chris Kreider after a little tribute to Alexi Charipanov which was ruined by the Hermit's insensetive comments. If he wasn't already going to hell for being a Leaf fan then he is now.

9:49 - The diary is going to get cut short after the Canucks pick at 22. I am getting pretty tired and we are having some technical problems.

9:54 - The Devils pick Jacob Josefson and bothb the Hermit and Pierre McGwire say in unison "good pick."

Ok so we just had a chat about softcore porn on Cinemax and also I have to mention that currently my Red Sox are beaintg Drapes' Braves 4-0 in the bottom of the 8th.

9:57 - A trade is named here in which Columbus gets the pick of the Ducks. The Cruse brothers thought it was Toronto getting it but no go. John Moore is taken here and he fell a lot. Draper can't stop talking about the Puck Bunnies who are out in full force.

10:04 - Having a conversation where I asked if I offered $100 million to the Columbus Blue Jackets would they make me their 1st round pick. Consensus seems to be that yes they would. I think I should start a fund where I raise money to make that happen. Or if I have any rich readers maybe they could do it.

Canucks pick now and for some reason Luongo is there. Oh god he is on the stage now talking french. God I hate Luongo right now. Then they take Jordan Schroeder who had no business being around still. Great pick and I love it.

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Ok the diary is done. I hope you all enjoyed it. Love the Canucks pick and love the fact Toronto fans didn''t get who they wanted.

From Drapes, Stevie P, Old Cruse, the Hermit, and myself...goodnight.

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NBA Draft Recap

Tonight were the first two rounds of the NBA draft and they gave me a lot to talk about. Lots of interesting picks and a tonne of story lines. Let's get right to it:

Breaking the Rules

OK well he didn't officially break the rules he just worked around them. I am of course talking about Brandon Jennings who instead of spending the mandatory 1 year in college opted to play professional basketball in Italy. Many thought that this would hurt Jennings' stock in the draft as no one got to see him play but he ended up going 10th to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Everyone was watching Jennings to see where he would go because if he fell below 20th then his little experiment would have failed. But he went 10th and now has shown youngsters that they no longer need school and can just go to Europe.

I am alright with this because I feel the minimum in college should be 2 years or not at all. What Jennings did may not be in his best interest for the future but for now it seems to have worked.

On Guard

This year an NBA record was broken as 17 of the first 30 picks were guards. Picks 4-7 were all point guards as were picks 17-21 and in total there were 11 point guards picked in the 1st round. This is pretty telling of the current state of the NBA as it is no longer a leage dominated by big men as it was in the 70s and 80s. Now it is all about guards who can slash into the lane and then kick out for open looks.

In a league where so many teams has shitty centers only 2 were drafted in the 1st round. The most startling thing is how important a good center is. Look at the NBA Finals. Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard, who are two of the best centers in the league, were there and played big roles. I find it odd more teams don't try and get better centers.

NY Fans Show No Class

What is wrong with the people of New York? Do they have any class what so ever? They boo'd when the Knicks picked Jordan Hill because they wanted Stephen Curry. Idiocy. Hill is a great player but because he isn't from NY he gets treated like shit by the fans. Curry won't even be that good of a pro in my opinion as he is way too small and is viciously over hyped by the media. Yes he put up big numbers but that was at Davidson.

The fans aren't like this only at the NBA draft either as every year you can expect Giants and Jets fans to be booing whoever their teams pick no matter what. Jets fans boo'd when they took Nick Mangold and now he is a Pro Bowl player. Smarten up assholes. The Knicks blow and any player you bring in to help you should be praised.

Shaq Not Gonna Do It

I am sorry to all those bandwagon Cavs fans out there but Shaq isn't gonna win you a championship next year. Yes he can still put up his numbers (17.4 ppg 8.2 rpg in 72 games last season) but his defense is lacking.

The reason the Cavs lost to the Magic was because they couldn't defend the pick and roll of Orlando. Now they bring in Shaq who couldn't stop the pick and roll if his life depended on it. Seriously if you are reading this now keep this in mind, the next person you see after reading this and yourself could run the pick and roll on Shaq, it's that bad.

Bringing in Shaq is a good way to make your fans happy but it won't get the job done. It may have worked 4 months ago but now it's just a hope.

International Flavor

The NBA is truly an international game and its reach was expanded tonight as two players, Hasheem Thabeet and Omar Casspi, became the first men to represent their home countries in NBA history. Thabeet for Tanzia and Casspi for Israel. Each year the NBA gets more and more international stars and this year was no different as Thabeet and Ricky Rubio made sure more superstars will be from outside the USA.

Value Picks

A lot of guys fell really far tonight and teams were able to pick players they never dreamed would still be available. Here are just a few of the better value picks that were made:

Jordan Hill at 8

Jrue Holiday at 17

Wayne Ellington at 28

DeJuan Blair at 37

Blair is the biggest, both literally and figuratively, as many experts had him going in the top 20. I am not exactly sure why he fell so hard but the Spurs somehow got him at 37 and that is an absolute steal.

Trades

There were a few trades today and yesterday. Some big names moved and I am sure more trades will be coming soon. Here is a recap:

- The Hawks acquired guard Jamal Crawford from the Golden State Warriors on Thursday for guards Acie Law and Speedy Claxton

- The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to send Darko Milicic to the New York Knicks for Quentin Richardson and cash considerations.

- The Denver Nuggets have traded a future first-round draft pick to Minnesota for the rights to North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson.

- The New Jersey Nets have traded Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to the Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee.

Something That May Interest Only Me

Tonight Ricky Rubio became the first person to ever be selected in the NBA draft that was born in the 90s. He was born in 1990 and is only 18 years old. When I first heard this it made me feel really old even though I am only 22. All these damn punk kids making something out of their lives and having millions of dollars. Its just the worst.

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Don't forget that tomorrow night I will be doing my running diary of the NHL draft starting at 6:45pm EST. Just keep clicking refresh allll night.

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NHL Mock Draft Part 1

So the NHL draft is this Friday at 7pm EST. I will be doing a running diary throughout the first round and in order to get ready for the event I have decided to do a mock draft where I will make my predictions for each pick.

Now I won't see hit here and try and give you some BS about how I know everything about these guys because in all honesty I don't watch a lot of amateur hockey but I have done my research and consulted with my NHL and OHL Insider Stevie P and of course Bryan "the Hermit" Cruse. Both guys follow hockey closely and have intimate knowledge of the players projected to go in the 1st round.

Here are picks 1-10

#1 New York Islanders - John Tavares 6-0 198 POS: C Team: London (OHL)

Tavres is pretty much the consensus number 1 pick. He has been breaking records since he was 16 and is being hyped as the nest Sidney Crosby. He has the ability to put up massive numbers, showcased by his 3 consecutive seasons in the OHL with at least 104 points. He has crazy marketability and is the kind of player the Islanders could rebuild their franchise around. He is by far the best offensive player in the draft and one of the most NHL ready.

#2 Tampa Bay Lightning - Victor Hedman 6-5 212 POS: D Team: Mode (Swe)

I guess it is fair to say that lightning strikes twice as two years in a row now the Tampa Bay Lightning will be getting a legitimate #1 overall pick. Hedman is a great defenseman who will be a franchise player in TBay and will help the team immediately. Tampa needs defense and Hedman will help them sure up that weakness. His immense size makes him a defensive presence but it is his speed and skating that truly make him a threat. A combination like this hasn''t been since in a long time.

#3 Colorado Avalanche - Matt Duchene 5-11 190 POS: C Team: Brampton (OHL)

In Duchene Colorado gets a possible replacement for Joe Sakic who is on his way out. Duchene is the definition of a complete player and there are even some scouts who believe he may go #1. He has the ability dominate a game and his play making ability is tops in the draft bar none. Adding to this impressive resume is Duchene's ability to kill penalties. He is going to be a great NHL player and is a steal at #3.

#4 Altanta Thrashers - Evander Kane 6-1 176 POS: C Team: Vancouver (WHL)

Kane is a true power forward who knows how to put the puck in the net. He made team Canada this year for the WJC at 18 years old and was impressive. What is even more impressive are his 48 goals in the WHL which is no easy feat. He has a big frame and isn't afraid to use it and is a great two way player. Atlanta will need to get a center man to compliment Ilya Kovalchuk and try and convince him to stay with the team rather than demanding to be traded.

#5 LA Kings - Brayden Schenn 6-0 198 POS: C Team: Brandon (WHL)

This is where the draft will get interesting. The Kings are loaded with young talent and are actively shopping this pick around the league. The two most interested teams seem to be Ottawa and Toronto. If Toronto moves up it will be to unite Brayden with his brother Luke. If Ottawa moves up Dany Heatley will most likely be involved in the deal as he has asked for a trade.

Whoever gets the pick Schenn is likely the choice and is a solid one at that. He gives it 100% every night and has already been declared the next Mike Richards. In the words of Bryan Cruse he is a "massive beauty." He has great hands which he uses to not only score 30+ goals but also to rack up the assists.

#6 Phoenix Coyotes - Dmitiri Kulikov 6-1 183 POS: D Team: Drummondville (QMJHL)

Kulikov is the best defenseman in the draft not named Hedman. He can do it all and is a very solid player at both ends of the ice. Phoenix will take a defenseman here and out of Kulikov, Cowen, and Larson scouts believe Kulikov is the most NHL ready. He is a smart player knowing when to join the rush and when to hang back and he has a decent shot as well.

#7 Toronto Maple Leafs - Jared Cowen 6-5 220 POS: D Team: Spokane (WHL)

Lots of questions about Cowen coming into the draft as he is coming off of major knee surgery. If not for the surgery he would be a top 3 pick making him a possible steal at 7. He is a very offensive minded defenseman and faces criticism for not using his size as much as he should but he is still a solid player. He will make a great defense pairing with Luke Schenn provided the Leafs don't move up and take Brayden Schenn.

#8 Dallas Stars - Oliver Ekman-Larsson 6-2 176 POS: D Team: Leksand (Swe)

The Stars are desperately in need of some new blood on defense with the loss of Phillipe Boucher and the aging of Sergi Zubov. Larsson would be a welcomed addition as he is a big hitter and a great skater. His shot is comparable to that of pro level players and TSN has his playing style to be in the likeness of Scott Neidermayer. He has been criticized for taking too long to get his shot off but other than that he is solid.

#9 Ottawa Senators - Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson 6-1 201 POS: LW Team: Timra (Swe)

MPS could be the possible replacement of Dany Heatley if he gets his wish and gets traded. He has speed and size for days and will have instant chemistry with fellow countryman, and last years 1st round pick by the Senators, Erik Karlsson. Top 10 wingers are rare now a days and Ottawa would be foolish to pass up such a great talent.

#10 Edmonton Oilers - Ryan Ellis 5-9 173 POS: D Team Windsor (OHL)

Ellis is a bit of a wild card and could go anywhere from 10th to 24th. Edmonton could use a defenseman to quarterback the powerplay as Lubomir Visnovsky is not really working out. Ellis is young but has great talent and is a serious offensive threat on the powerplay. His best skill however is his ability to keep the puck in the zone. During the WJC he made several plays that made my jaw drop including an unreal stop of a shot with his foot in the air.

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Look for part 2 tomorrow where I cover picks 11-20. Thanks again to Stevie P and Bryan "the Hermit" Cruse for their input and help. Also remember that the running diary will start around 6:45 EST on Friday just 15 minutes before the draft.

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