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With the 2008 NHL Entry draft wrapped up, we can begin to speculate on how productive Cliff Fletcher and his scouting staff were in building the team for the future. When Fletcher was brought in to run the club on January 22nd of this year, his mandate was to rebuild this team. The draft is where team’s rebuild their franchises. Just take a look at the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals for proof. We won’t exactly know how productive this draft was for many years to come as these young men develop into hockey players, but this is a move in the right direction if the team is serious about rebuilding.

Here’s a look at the players the Leafs selected:

5th overall:

LUKE SCHENN

Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Defense.
Shoots Right. 6′2″, 216 lbs.
Born: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, November 2, 1989.
Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
07-08 Regular Seaon: 57 GP - 7 G - 21 A - 28 PTS - 100 PIM
08 Playoffs: 7 GP - 2 G - 2 A - 4 PTS - 6 PIM

Schenn is a solid as a rock defenceman. He isn’t very flashy and will never put up a ton of points, but he is projected to be a shutdown defenceman whom opposing forwards will hate to play against. Schenn is an intense competitor. He never takes a shift off and will bring a tireless work ethic to the NHL someday. Some scouts say he can be over aggressive sometimes which leads to him getting into a bit of trouble, but that’s an area that can be controlled as he gets older and more mature. By all accounts he is the best defensive defenceman in this draft. He doesn’t have the offensive potential that Doughty, Bogosian or Pietrangelo possess, but that’s not to say he has stone hands. He can move the puck out of his own end very effectively and efficiently. Ultimately, Schenn was the man the Leafs wanted all along and they were able to move up two spots without giving up anyone on their roster. We got a taste of Schenn’s enthusiasm the night of the draft as he seemed ecstatic to be wearing the Blue & White. Leaf fans will appreciate that enthusiasm and for their sake they can only hope that he will turn into the shutdown defenceman the team has needed for a number of years. Teams always say you build a team from the goalie out. With Vesa Toskala in goal and Schenn on the blueline, the team has the pieces in place to follow such mandate.

60th overall:

JIMMY HAYES

Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Right wing.
Shoots Right.
6′4″, 210 lbs.
Born: Boston, Massachusetts, USA, November 21, 1989.
Hometown: Dorchester, Massachusettes
07-08 Regular Seaon: 21 GP - 4 G - 11 A - 15 PTS - 18 PIM
08 Playoffs: 8 GP - 4 G - 5 A - 9 PTS - 8 PIM

Hayes is the second cousin of Blues’ winger Keith Tkachuk and former Leaf Tom Fitzgerald. After playing in the United States Hockey League this past season, Hayes will attend Boston College in the fall of 2008. He won a silver medal at the 2007 under-18 World Championships with Team USA where he played on a line with 2007 first rounder James vanRiemsdyk and 2008 first rounder Colin Wilson. He has size and a long reach with an impressive shot. He tries to pattern his game after Ducks’ forward Ryan Getzlaf. Hayes certainly possesses the size of Getzlaf, but he may need time to develop the skill and hockey sense of a player like that. He won’t play professional hockey for another number of years as he enters college after this summer. He has speed and agility for his size, but will develop those skills playing at B.C. for a few years.

98th overall:

MIKHAIL STEFANOVICH

Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
Center.
Shoots Right.
6′2″, 202 lbs.
Born: Minsk, Belarus, November 27, 1989.
07-08 Regular Seaon: 62 GP - 32 G - 34 A - 66 PTS - 32 PIM
08 Playoffs: 11 GP - 4 G - 4 A - 8 PTS - 10 PIM

A native of Belarus, Stefanovich plays for Patrick Roy’s Quebec Remparts. At Central Scouting’s mid-term prospect ratings, he was listed as the 16th best North American based player. His stock fell all the way to 57th in the final rankings and he wasn’t selected until the 4th round by the Leafs. He fell due to questions about his work ethic. He is a skilled player with a great shot and solid skating ability, but that’s only present when he’s on his game. He is victim of falling out of the game mentally and needs to involve himself on a more consistent basis. He led all QMJHL rookies with 32 goals (a league where offense isn’t hard to come by) but if he finds the desire to play to the best of his abilities, he could become a steal someday.

128th overall:

GREG PATERYN

Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (USHL)
Defense.
Shoots Right.
6′2″, 212 lbs.
Born: Royal Oak, Michigan, June 20, 1990.
Hometown: Sterling Heights, Michigan
07-08 Regular Seaon: 60 GP - 3 G - 24 A - 27 PTS - 145 PIM
08 Playoffs: — GP - — G - — A - — PTS - — PIM

The Leafs selected their second defenceman and second American born player of the day in taking Pateryn, also the first of three consecutive picks. Pateryn has signed on to play at the University of Michigan for his collegiate career and isn’t expected to make it anywhere near the pro game any time soon. His 145 PIM led his USHL team as he isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. He doesn’t appear to have much offensive upside as he’s regarded more as a stay at home defenceman.

129th overall:

JOEL CHAMPAGNE

Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)
Centre.
Shoots Left.
6′4″, 210 lbs.
Born: Chateauguay, Quebec, January 24, 1990.
Hometown: Chateauguay, Quebec
07-08 Regular Seaon: 70 GP - 18 G - 22 A - 40 PTS - 45 PIM
08 Playoffs: 6 GP - 1 G - 1 A - 2 PTS - 6 PIM

The team selected their first centreman of the day and first Quebec born player since 2002. Champagne is by no means expected to become an elite scorer, but rather an effective checking pivot. He’s excellent on faceoffs and is generally counted on to take draws in late games for his team. He is better off the puck, shadowing team’s opposing scorers. He will need to improve on his skating to make it to the pros someday. He’s a big man at 6′4 and already has the body of an NHL player. There’s no question that someone taken at this stage of the draft is a project.

130th overall:

JEROME FLAAKE

Cologne (Germany)
Left wing.
Shoots Left.
6′2″, 187 lbs.
Born: Guben, East Germany, March 2, 1990.
07-08 Regular Seaon: 30 GP - 0 G - 1 A - 1 PTS - 4 PIM
08 Playoffs: — GP - — G - — A - — PTS - — PIM

Flaake split his 2007-08 between Germany’s top junior league and it’s first division men’s league. In only 36 games, he led the junior league with 80 points before making the jump to Germany’s top league. He didn’t score a goal in his 30 games, but it was seen as a learning experience for the young winger. Flaake has a very good sense around the net and his strengths lie within his intelligence and skating. He needs to add some weight to his tall frame and should do so playing a full season in a professional men’s league. Again, don’t expect a player drafted at this stage to make it to the NHL any time soon.

158th overall:

GRANT ROLLHEISER

Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)
Goaltender
Shoots Left.
6′4″, 195 lbs.
Born: Chilliwack, British Columbia, July 24, 1989
07-08 Regular Seaon: 46 GP - 19 W - 26 L - 3.19 GAA - .910 SV%
08 Playoffs: 3 GP - 0 W - 3 L - 4.90 GAA - .873 SV%

The only goaltending prospect in this year’s draft taken by the Leafs was the British Columbia native. He has committed to Boston University and will have the opportunity to become the team’s starting goaltender as a freshman. Whether he becomes the team’s number one goaltender next season or not, Rollheiser will have a number of years at B.U. to work out the kinks in his game and build his composure.

188th overall:

ANDREW MACWILLIAM

Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
Defense.
Shoots Left.
6′2″, 214 lbs.
Born: Calgary, Alberta, March 25, 1990.
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
07-08 Regular Seaon: 54 GP - 0 G - 13 A - 13 PTS - 130 PIM
08 Playoffs: — GP - — G - — A - — PTS - — PIM

MacWilliam will attend the University of North Dakota next fall. He was a gold medal winning member of Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge last November. He doesn’t have much offensive upside at all, but adds more depth to the Leafs’ system on the back end.

12:37 am ET

The 2008 draft was certainly an eventful one. 

Here’s a complete list of the first round:

1. Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay 
2. Drew Doughty - Los Angeles 
3. Zach Bogosian - Atlanta 
4. Alex Pietrangelo - St. Louis 
5. Luke Schenn - Toronto (from NY Islanders) 
6. Nikita Filatov - Columbus 
7. Colin Wilson - Nashville (from Toronto via NY Islanders) 
8. Mikkel Boedker - Phoenix 
9. Joshua Bailey - NY Islanders (from Florida via Nashville) 
10. Cody Hodgson - Vancouver 
11. Kyle Beach - Chicago 
12. Tyler Myers - Buffalo (from Edmonton via Anaheim, Los Angeles) 
13. Colten Teubert - Los Angeles (from Buffalo) 
14. Zach Boychuk - Carolina 
15. Erik Karlsson - Ottawa (from Nashville) 
16. Joe Colborne - Boston 
17. Jake Gardiner - Anaheim (from Calgary via Los Angeles) 
18. Chet Pickard - Nashville (from Ottawa) 
19. Luca Sbisa - Philadelphia (from Colorado via Columbus) 
20. Michael Del Zotto - NY Rangers 
21. Anton Gustafsson - Washington (from New Jersey) 
22. Jordan Eberle - Edmonton (from Anaheim) 
23. Tyler Cuma - Minnesota (from Washington via New Jersey) 
24. Mattias Tedenby - New Jersey (from Minnesota) 
25. Greg Nemisz - Calgary (from Montreal) 
26. Tyler Ennis - Buffalo (from San Jose) 
27. John Carlson - Washington (from Philadelphia) 
28. Viktor Tikhonov - Phoenix (from Dallas via Los Angeles, Anaheim) 
29. Daultan Leveille - Atlanta (from Pittsburgh) 
30. Thomas McCollum - Detroit

The Leafs get their man in Kelowna Rockets defenceman Luke Schenn.  Schenn is a rugged, hard hitting defenceman who should patrol the blueline for the Blue & White for many years to come.  He’s not very flasy, but he is by all accounts the best defensive defenceman in this draft.  Many have compared him to long time Colorado Avalanche blueliner Adam Foote,  a player that the Leafs have been without for many years.  Schenn plays the body the way Foote does, but he’s also very efficient and smooth with the puck.  He won’t put up a ton of points, but he won’t hurt the team when it comes to playing with the puck in his own end.  At this point, it’s unclear whether Schenn will make the big club next season but as Cliff Fletcher is quick to point out, this team is building for the future. 

As for the rest of the draft, there weren’t any real surprise picks this time around.  The LA Kings didn’t go way off the board as they did last year when selecting Thomas Hickey 4th overall.

Maybe the most puzzling team throughout the night was the New York Islanders.  They traded down twice without receiving any active players.  They received second and third round picks in return and then took Josh Bailey earlier than expected.  It’s unclear what they didn’t like about Nikita Filatov, Luke Schenn and Colin Wilson but they seem to value the later picks more than the 5th overall spot. 

Maybe the biggest mover and shaker of the day was the Phoenix Coyotes.  Though they gave up two quality defenceman in Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton, they acquired a premier centre in Olli Jokinen.  Phoenix needs a strong, goal scoring centreman that emphasizes the team’s strength on the forecheck, which is exactly what they get in Jokinen. They selected Mikkel Boedker with the 8th overall pick and someday he will line up with Jokinen, team captain Shane Doan and emerging star Peter Mueller (another 8th overall pick from Phoenix). 

With two picks in the first round, the Nashville Predators addressed two needs by taking an excellent two-way forward in Colin Wilson and the top goaltending prospect in this year’s draft in Chet Pickard.  Wilson isn’t a flashy player, but he is an excellent leader and does all of the little things well.  After dealing Chris Mason to the Blues, signing Dan Ellis to a contract extension and drafting Chet Pickard, the Predators have solidified their goaltending situation. 

We may not know who the true winners and losers are from this year’s NHL draft for about a decade, but we can begin to question and speculate right away.  Steven Stamkos will be in the NHL next year and should be considered the Calder Cup favourite, but it always seems like there are a few first round picks that make an unexpected jump to the NHL right out of the draft.  Who will that player be?  We’ll have to wait and see.  The 2008-09 season is only 3 months away.

10:53 pm ET

Thomas McCollum
Guelph Storm (OHL)
Goaltender.
Catches Left.
6′2″, 205 lbs.
Born: Amherst, New York, USA, December 7, 1989.
Hometown: Amherst, New York 

The Red Wings went ahead and chose the second goaltender in this year’s entry draft.  Chris Osgood is 35, Dominik Hasek has retired and Jimmy Howard is the team’s only other goaltending prospect, so the Red Wings addressed a position of need this time around.  Some believed that Swedish netminder Jacob Markstrom would be taken ahead of McCollum, but the Red Wings selected a goaltender who is expected to take some time to develop into a future starter.  McCollum is a positionally sound goalie, but had a rough second half in Guelph and it hurt his stock.

10:49 pm ET

Daultan Leveille
St. Catharines (GHL)
Centre.
Shoots Left.
5′11″, 163 lbs.
Born: St. Catharines, Ontario, August 10, 1990.

The Thrashers take a small, speedy forward in Leveille and like many other selections in the second half of the first round, his size is an issue when it comes to a player of his stature.  He is off to Michigan State University this fall and will need some time to develop and mature into the player the Thrashers need him to be to compete at the NHL level. 

10:43 pm ET

Viktor Tikhonov
Cherepovets (Russia)
Winger.
Shoots Right.
6′2″, 187 lbs.
Born: Riga, Latvia, May 12, 1988. 

The Coyotes selected the grandson of former Soviet coaching legend, Viktor Tikhonov.  It’s Tikhonov third time around in the draft and as they say, the third time’s the charm. He is described as one of the most improved young players in the Russian League in 2007-08.

Another trade from the Ducks:

To PHX 28th overall pick and 39th overall pick
To ANA 35th overall

10:39 pm ET

John Carlsson
Indiana (USHL)
Defense.
Shoots Right.
6′2″, 212 lbs.
Born: Natick, Massachusetts, USA, January 10, 1990.
Hometown: Colonia, New Jersey

Carlsson is a strong and hard-shooting defenceman who will be playing with the London Knights next season.  He is physical and adds some size to a developing blueline in Washington.

10:37 pm ET 

To WSH 27th overall pick
To PHI Steve Eminger and 84th overall pick

10:30 pm ET

Tyler Ennis
Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Centre.
Shoots Left.
5′9″, 146 lbs.
Born: Edmonton, Alberta, October 6, 1989.
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta 

That is no typo, Ennis weighs in at just 146 pounds.  Translation: he is small. He has plenty of speed and skating ability.  Ennis is a ‘water-bug’-type player.  Central Scouting describes Ennis as one of the best pure offensive players in the entire draft.  The Sabres have a history of drafting small, speedy players and Ennis certainly fits that bill.

10:24 pm ET

Greg Nemisz
Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Center.
Shoots Right.
6′3″, 197 lbs. Born: Oshawa, Ontario, June 5, 1990.
Hometown: Courtice, Ontario 

The Flames tragically lost Micky Renaud this season and selected one of his junior teammates this season in Nemisz.  Nemisz plays tough in front of the net and is very tough to move when he establishes his position.  He is a power forward and as most power forwards go, Nemisz will take some time to develop into the kind of player the Flames need him to grow into.  He needs to use his strength to the best of it’s ability on every shift.