On July 1^st Canada is turning 144.  That same day the NHL opens their doors on the free agent market. No it isn’t the 144^th time they’ll be doing it, but it has the same buzz surrounding it as a 144^th birthday party.

            There’s no hiding the top UFA come July 1^st. Where Brad Richards decides to sign has been discussed, speculated, rumoured and guessed since the minute he remained with the Dallas Stars on trade deadline day. The Murray Harbour, PEI native isn’t the only one out there that will be talked about come Canada Day.

                        Now that the Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed Dwayne Roloson between the pipes, Tomas Vokoun is the most sought after goaltender come July 1^st. Vokoun, like Richards was a name thrown around at the deadline, but hasn’t received the same attention as the big named center. The Czech Republic born netminder will most likely be in the $5.5-$6 million range and could be destined to finally backstop a team that’s in playoff contention.

            Tomas Kaberle has to be high on many GM’s lists to quarterback the power play. His stock may have dropped a little after a mediocre post season with the Cup champion Bruins. The 33-year-old defenceman will still be a hot commodity with his smooth skating and excellent ability to move the puck.

            Simon Gagne is the best available forward on the wing in this year’s free agent market. At 31 Gagne isn’t that old, but will have to prove he’s able to stay healthy and produce offensively again. The Sainte-Foy, QC native scored 17 goals in each of his last two seasons with Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, but has 41 and 47 goal seasons in the past. The team that offers Gagne the big bucks will be banking on him to regain that scoring touch.

            The Phoenix Coyotes have already lost their starting goaltender from last year and now could be saying good bye to one of their top defenceman in Ed Jovanovski. The experienced and tough shutdown blueliner is set to hit the open market and will be in line make around $5 or $6 million. At 35-years-old Jovanovski isn’t going to be getting a long term deal but has over 1,000 games played and a Stanley Cup appearance way back in his early years, so the experience will be needed by a serious cup contender.

            James Wisniewski isn’t at the level of Jovanovski but isn’t far away. The 27-year-old filled in fantastically for Montreal last year on their depleted back end. He’s a tough blueliner that seems to fit in well everywhere he ends up. His asking price will most likely be in the $3 to $4 million range, which makes him a very viable acquisition for many teams looking to upgrade their blueline.

            Michael Ryder is another part of the Stanley Cup winning Bruins roster that will not be returning and looking for a new home. The second player from Newfoundland to rise the cup has been widely criticized over the years for being overpaid. Don’t expect that to change this off season. Ryder had a solid post season and showed the potential so many teams see in him to regain his scoring prowess from his freshman campaign. Don’t be surprised to see Ryder cash in around $4 million a year.

            Some other interesting UFA’s to keep an eye on are Tomas Fleischman, Ville Leino, Scottie Upshall, Max Talbot and Joel Ward. Fleischman has an extremely high skill level and was once a highly touted prospect in the Detroit system before being traded for Robert Lang. Leino is another Red Wing product but made his name known in Philly where he played well in all situations and performed exceptionally well in the playoffs. Scottie Upshall is a great penalty killer with tones of speed and is developing a good scoring touch. Max Talbot has Stanley Cup experience and brings a lot of grit. Joel Ward is a great story that looks like it’s only going to get better. He was one of the top scorers in the playoffs and plays a complete game.

            No one can predict where these players will end up, but we can almost guarantee they’ll be wearing an NHL sweater next season.

All the player profiles provided by Hockeydb.com

By Alessia Cianni

NHL Free Agency is just days away but to say this year’s class of unrestricted player’s lacks depth would be an understatement. Today, Brooks Laich signed a six year, 27 million dollar deal to stay with the Washington Capitals, taking arguably the second best forward off the free agent list. Cue the General Manager’s sighs around the league.

Still, the top dog on Friday will be Dallas Stars centre Brad Richards, but whether or not the appeal is warranted is questionable.

Richards had 77 points in 72 games last season. To put that into perspective a bit, the Leafs leading point getter was Phil Kessel with 64 in 82 games. Richards finished fourth in the league in assists and second in power play production. We all know how Toronto’s special teams units have been the last few season…Needless to say, Brian Burke might have a tiny bit of interest in this guy. But, anytime a player has a concussion on their list of past injuries, there is reason for concern.

Top wingers on the market include Canadian Simon Gagne, and seasoned veteran Teemu Selanne. Okay I know, Selanne is pretty old but he still has amazing hands and managed to rack up 80 points last season. If he still wants to play in this league, Selanne could be a great veteran presence for any team and will steadily contribute on offense. Maybe the Jets will even consider bringing him in, for old time’s sakes! As for Gagne, injury troubles make him unattractive to a lot of teams but you also have to look at the stats. In 30 games after the all star break, Gagne totaled 27 points. He added another 12 points in 15 playoff games this post-season. The potential is there, but it will be a bit of a risk for any team who signs him. One of the youngest forwards available who could fit into the Leafs plans is Max Talbot. He’s 27 years old, doesn’t take a big cap hit and knows how to kill a penalty. Toronto needs all the help they can get on the PK, they just have to pry Talbot away from Pittsburgh first.

The best defenseman still available is Christian Ehrhoff but with the Canucks locking up Kevin Bieksa yesterday, you gotta think Ehrhoff is next on the list. Ehrhoff had 50 points last season plus another 12 during the Canucks playoff run. Vancouver would like to keep their old team in tact but Ehrhoff might be looking for more money. Another fairly young and gritty d-man that could be useful is James Wisniewski. The 27 year old had 51 points last season with the Islanders/Canadiens.  There’s also a pair of former Maple Leaf defensemen on the market in Bryan McCabe and Stanley Cup champion Tomas Kaberle. Both will likely have to take a pay cut if they want to strap on the skates next season.

John-Sebastian Giguere will be a free agent come Friday but Tomas Vokoun is by far the biggest name available in the crease. Even though he spent the last 4 seasons playing behind mediocre Florida Panthers teams, Vokoun still managed to make a name for himself. His numbers aren’t spectacular but he could be a good fit for a few teams with problems in goal, like the Colorado Avalanche.

This year’s free agent class should be classified as elderly, injured, and risky. There’s still plenty of hidden potential left in the group but apart from Richards, none of these guys will have a significant impact, wherever they end up.

 The Toronto Maple Leafs have been criticized over the years for never building their team through the draft, well yesterday the Leafs did exactly that in Minnesota.

Toronto GM Brian Burke has always been known for his prowess of wheeling and dealing at the NHL’s entry draft. Everyone remembers when he managed to swing a deal to select the last two Art Ross recipients, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Yesterday Burke didn’t make a blockbuster move like that, but he did make a fair share of noise in St. Paul.

The former bruising defenceman at Providence College first made headlines by dealing away the Boston Bruins 2^nd round draft pick, which the Leafs acquired in the trade that sent Tomas Kaberle to the Bruins for Joe Colbourne and a 1^st round pick for John-Michael Liles of the Colorado Avalanche. Liles smooth skating and great ability to distribute the puck fills a gapping hole left with the departure of Kaberle.

Burke wasn’t done there. Late in the first round with rumors swirling that the U.S National Development team’s captain Tyler Biggs was in a lot of GM’s minds and could hear his name called next, Burke packaged Toronto’s 30^th overall pick (Originally Boston’s) and 39^th pick and dealt them to Anaheim for the 22^nd pick. It was then that Burke called the 6’2 202lbs Biggs name.

Biggs is a big strong power forward that is exactly the type of player Brian Burke loves to have on his roster. He’ll be attending the University of Miami Ohio next season, the school Burke’s late son Brendan was the team manager at. Biggs will be hard pressed to be in the Leafs line up come next year, but will no doubt be in a Maple Leaf sweater in less than three years. The skilled big man comes from strong hockey bloodlines, his father Don spent some time with the Minnesota North Stars and Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL, he spent the majority of his career in the AHL with Springfield, Nova Scotia, Binghamton, Rochester and Hershey.

Listen to Biggs speak after the selection-[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/Interview_Maple-Leaf-Prospect-Tyler-Biggs-dd-20110626.mp3]

Toronto was back up on the podium just three selections later with the No.25 pick. This time Burke went with a name Mississauga Majors fans are familiar with, Stuart Percy. The 6’0 175lbs defenceman was the 53^rd ranked North American skater, but skyrocketed in many scout’s minds after his very impressive OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup with the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors. The Oakville native is very calm with the puck, skates well, makes good decisions in his own zone and has a strong upside offensively.

Listen to Percy after his selection- [audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/Interview_Stu-Percy-dd-20110626.mp3] 

After dealing away their 2^nd round choice to Anaheim Toronto was on the clock at No.86 in the 3^rd round. The Leafs stayed in the OHL taking 6’1 173lbs forward Josh Leivo from the Sudbury Wolves. Leivo didn’t exactly dominate in his first 30 games, scoring just twice, after that though the all around athlete notched 11 goals to finish out the year. In the post season Leivo collected six goals and seven assists to help the Wolves knock off the Ottawa 67′s in the first round before falling to Mississauga. The Innisfil, Ontario native is still a project but has great potential to become a top six forward one day in the NHL.

At the 100^th overall pick Toronto went outside of North America for first time at the 2011 draft to select defenceman Tom Nilsson from Mora Jr. in Sweden. At 6’0 176lbs Nilsson is the one of the youngest players in the draft and has been compared to Red Wings defenceman Nik Kronwall. Nilsson is a physical blueliner that plays a tough game in his own zone and has that ability to catch players with a big hit in the open ice. He might be a risk but at No.100, but it’s a risk that could pay off big time for the Leafs.

The next sweaty palmed prospect to put on the blue and white was one of the smallest players in the draft Tom Cameranesi of Wayzata High School in Minnesota. Cameranesi stands at just 5’9 178lbs but is considered one of the best skaters in the draft. The Minnesota native played along Mario Lucia who went 6oth overall to the Wild and got most of the attention from scouts, but it was Cameranesi that impressed the Maple Leafs brass with his great work ethic and blazing speed. The speedy playmaker will play for the Waterloo Blackhawks of USHL next season and has committed to Minnesota-Duluth for the year after.

The Leafs continued to go with size at No. 152, taking 6’2 216lbs forward David Broll from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. Broll is an obvious choice for Burke, he dropped the gloves 12 times this season and is a big strong winger. He showed good skill after being traded from Erie and seems to be getting back to good health after a concussion.

Defenceman Dennis Robertson from Brown University became a member of the Maple Leafs at the 173^rd pick. Robertson brings even more size to the Leafs blueline at 6’0 195lbs, he had a solid season at Brown and was named co-top-defenceman in the BCHL before going the NCAA route.

            With their final two selections in the 2011 entry draft Toronto first selected goaltender Garret Sparks from the Guelph Storm 190^th overall. Sparks was a backup this year but will get the chance to play 30-35 games next season. With their last pick the Leafs selected Max Eversion from Edina High School 203rd. The 6’1 184lbs defenceman will be attending one of Brian Burke’s former school’s Harvard. Everison’s still growing and will be another project that could become a steal at 203.

It’s one of the toughest drafts in awhile to predict, so here goes nothing! It’s just the first round today. Tomorrow I’ll have a 2nd round mock draft up in the morning. Join in on the live chat during the draft and live tweeting before and after with Matt Brown, @mbrown590.

 1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Ht/Wt:6.00/170 lbs
Position:C
                           Team: Red Deer (WHL)

2. Gabriel Lankeskog

Ht/Wt:6.00/207 lbs
Position:LW
Team: Kitchener (OHL)

 3. Jonathan Huberdeau

Ht/Wt:6.01/170 lbs
Position:C/LW
Team: Saint John (QMJHL)

4. Adam Larsson

Ht/Wt:6.02/200 lbs
Position:D
Team: Skelleftea AIK (Swe)

5. Dougie Hamilton

Ht/Wt:6.04/193 lbs
Position:D
Team: Niagara (OHL)

6. Sean Couturier

Ht/Wt:6.04/195 lbs
Position:C
Team: Drummondville (QMJHL)

7. Ryan Strome

Ht/Wt:5.11/160 lbs
Position:C
Team: Niagara (OHL)

8. Mika Zibanejad

Ht/Wt:6.01/183 lbs
Position:C
Team: Djurgårdens IF (SWE)

9. Ryan Murphy

Ht/Wt:5.10/160 lbs
Position:D
Team: Kitchener (OHL)

10. Nathan Beaulieu

Ht/Wt:6.03/191 lbs
Position:D
Team: Saint John (QMJHL)

11. Sven Baertschi

Ht/Wt:5.10/185 lbs
Position:W
Team: Portland (WHL)

12. Duncan Siemens

Ht/Wt:6.03/192 lbs
Position:D
Team: Saskatoon (WHL)

13. Mark McNeill

Ht/Wt:6.02/210 lbs
Position:C
Team: Prince Albert (WHL)

14. Joe Morrow

Ht/Wt:6.00/197 lbs
Position:D
Team: Portland (WHL)

15. Mark Scheifele

Ht/Wt:6.02/177 lbs
Position:C
Team: Barrie (OHL)

16. Jamieson Olesiak

Ht/Wt:6.07/244 lbs
Position:D
Team: Northeastern ( H-EAST )

17. Zack Phillips

Ht/Wt:6.00/180 lbs
Position:C
Team: Saint John (QMJHL)

18. Boone Jenner

Ht/Wt:6.01/193 lbs
Position:C
Team: Oshawa (OHL)

19. Jonas Brodin

Ht/Wt:6.01/165 lbs
Position:D
Team: Färjestad (SWE)

20. Joel Armia

Ht/Wt:6.02/183 lbs
Position:RW
Team: Ässät (FIN)

21. Tomas Jurco

Ht/Wt:6.00/175 lbs
Position:RW
Team: Saint John (QMJHL)

22. Jonathan Miller

Ht/Wt:6.01/198 lbs
Position:C
Team: US NTDP

23. Niklas Jansen

Ht/Wt:6.02/187 lbs
Position:LW
Team: Oshawa (OHL)

24. Brandon Saad

Ht/Wt:6.02/200 lbs
Position:LW
Team: Saginaw (OHL)

25. Matt Puempel

Ht/Wt:6.00/190 lbs
Position:LW
Team: Peterborough (OHL)

26. David Musil

Ht/Wt:6.03/191 lbs
Position:D
Team: Vancouver (WHL)

27. Vladislav Namesntikov

Ht/Wt:6.00/163 lbs
Position:RW
Team: London (OHL)

28. Ty Rattie

Ht/Wt:6.00/167 lbs
Position:RW
Team: Portland (WHL)

29. Alexander Khokhlachev

Ht/Wt:5.11/176 lbs
Position:LW
Team: Windsor (OHL)

30. Tyler Biggs

Ht/Wt:6.02/202 lbs
Position:RW
Team: US NTDP

 The Ottawa Senators hold a League-high 12 picks for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, to be held Friday, June 24 (round 1) and Saturday, June 25 (rounds 2-7) at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Minnesota Wild, hosting the Entry Draft for the first time in franchise history, are scheduled to make their first selection in front of a hometown crowd with the 10th overall choice.

Round 1
1. Edmonton
2. Colorado
3. Florida
4. New Jersey
5. NY Islanders
6. Ottawa
7. Winnipeg
8. Columbus
9. Boston (from TOR)
10. Minnesota
11. Colorado (from STL)
12. Carolina
13. Calgary
14. Dallas
15. NY Rangers
16. Buffalo
17. Montreal
18. Chicago
19. Edmonton (from LA)
20. Phoenix
21. Ottawa (from NSH)
22. Anaheim
23. Pittsburgh
24. Detroit
25. Toronto (from PHI)
26. Washington
27. Tampa Bay
28. San Jose
29. Vancouver
30. Toronto (from BOS)

Round 2
31. Edmonton
32. St. Louis (from COL)
33. Florida
34. NY Islanders
35. Ottawa
36. Chicago (from WPG) *
37. Columbus
38. Nashville (from NJ)
39. Toronto
40. Boston (from MIN)
41. St. Louis
42. Carolina
43. Chicago (from CGY-TOR) *
44. Dallas **
45. Calgary (from NYR)
46. St. Louis (from BUF)
47. Florida (from MTL)
48. Chicago *
49. Los Angeles
50. NY Islanders (from MTL)
51. Phoenix
52. Nashville
53. Anaheim
54. Pittsburgh
55. Detroit
56. Phoenix (from PHI)
57. Calgary (from WSH-CAR-NYR)
58. Tampa Bay
59. San Jose
60. Vancouver
61. Ottawa (from BOS)

* Chicago will transfer pick #
36, 43 or 48 to Ottawa
** Dallas will transfer pick #
44 or 75 to New Jersey

Round 3
62. Edmonton
63. NY Islanders (from COL)
64. Florida
65. Anaheim (from NYI)
66. Ottawa
67. Winnipeg
68. Columbus
69. No selection
70. Chicago (from TOR)
71. Minnesota
72. St. Louis
73. Carolina
74. Edmonton (from CGY)
75. Dallas **
76. Florida (from NYR)
77. Buffalo
78. Montreal
79. Chicago
80. Los Angeles
81. Boston (from PHX)
82. Nashville
83. Anaheim
84. Philadelphia (from PIT) ***
85. Detroit
86. Toronto (from PHI)
87. Florida (from WSH)
88. St. Louis (from TB)
89. San Jose
90. Vancouver
91. Florida (from BOS)

*** Pick #84 is conditionally
traded to Phoenix

Round 4
92. Edmonton
93. Colorado
94. Nashville (from FLA)
95. NY Islanders
96. Ottawa
97. Winnipeg
98. Columbus
99. New Jersey
100. Toronto
101. Minnesota
102. St. Louis
103. Carolina
104. Calgary
105. Dallas
106. NY Rangers
107. Buffalo
108. Winnipeg (from MTL)
109. Chicago
110. Los Angeles
111. Phoenix
112. Nashville
113. Montreal (from ANA)
114. Edmonton (from PIT)
115. Detroit
116. Philadelphia
117. Washington
118. Philadelphia (from TB)
119. San Jose
120. Vancouver
121. Boston

Round 5
122. Edmonton
123. Colorado
124. Florida
125. NY Islanders
126. Ottawa
127. NY Islanders (from WPG)
128. Columbus
129. New Jersey
130. Toronto
131. Minnesota
132. St. Louis
133. Winnipeg (from CAR-FLA)
134. NY Rangers (from CGY)
135. Dallas
136. NY Rangers
137. Buffalo
138. Montreal
139. Chicago
140. Los Angeles
141. Phoenix
142. Nashville
143. Anaheim
144. Pittsburgh
145. Detroit
146. Detroit (from PHI)
147. Washington
148. Tampa Bay
149. Winnipeg (from SJ)
150. Vancouver
151. Boston

Round 6
152. Toronto (from EDM)
153. Colorado
154. Florida
155. Phoenix (from NYI)
156. Ottawa
157. Winnipeg
158. Columbus
159. New Jersey
160. Toronto
161. Minnesota
162. St. Louis
163. Carolina
164. Calgary
165. Dallas
166. San Jose (from NYR)
167. Buffalo
168. Montreal
169. Chicago
170. Los Angeles
171. Ottawa (from PHX-ANA)
172. Nashville
173. Toronto (from ANA)
174. Pittsburgh
175. Detroit
176. Philadelphia
177. Washington
178. Tampa Bay
179. San Jose
180. Vancouver
181. Boston

Round 7
182. Edmonton
183. Colorado
184. Florida
185. NY Islanders
186. Ottawa
187. Winnipeg
188. Columbus
189. New Jersey
190. Toronto
191. Minnesota
192. St. Louis
193. Carolina
194. Winnipeg (from CGY)
195. Dallas
196. Phoenix (from NYR)
197. Buffalo
198. Montreal
199. Chicago
200. Los Angeles
201. Phoenix
202. Nashville
203. Toronto (from ANA) *
204. Ottawa (from PIT)
205. Detroit
206. Philadelphia
207. Washington
208. Tampa Bay
209. Pittsburgh (from SJ)
210. Vancouver
211. Chicago (from BOS)
* Pick #203 is conditionally traded back to Anaheim

Adam Clendening- North American Skater  

- Boston University, H-East

Final Ranking- 45              Mid-Term Ranking- 61

Position- Defenceman          Shoots- Right

Height- 5’11                            Weight- 190

Born- October 26^th, 1992

Born in- Niagara Falls, NY, USA

Statistics:

Season             Team                    League          GP    G     A    P   PIM

2010-2011  Boston University Hockey East          39    5   21  26      80

2009-2010    USNDT           USHL                          26    4   13  17        44

Strengths: Smooth skating defenceman, great offensive instincts, makes a solid first pass, has excellent vision for a defenceman and is very dangerous on the man advantage.

Weaknesses: Has to bulk up if he wants to compete in the NHL, needs to improve his defensive zone coverage, isn’t the most physical player, has to become a better well rounded player and play with intensity more consistently.

Scouts thoughts: Has tones of potential offensively, is considered one of the most talented defenceman in the entire draft, would be a gamble to take in the first round but wouldn’t be surprised if a team does. Very easy to fall in love with his first pass, but still has lot’s of work to do in his own zone.

Where he’d fit well: Depending on who Edmonton takes with the top pick, he could easily be a future quarterback of potentially a very lethal power play. Colorado and Florida could also be interested in Clendening early in the second round. With Brian Burke’s draft history it’s fair to say he’s not scared to make a splash. Taking the former Toronto Marlboro AAA player wouldn’t be a huge shock with the 29^th pick, but would raise some eye brows. Burke is known for going the NCAA route and with Tomas Kaberle gone; a puck moving defenceman could be a serious option.

Boone Jenner – North American Skater                                                              - Oshawa- OHL                                 

Final Ranking- 18              Mid-Term Ranking- 18

Position- Center           Shoots- Left                              

Height- 6’1                            Weight- 201

Born- June 15th, 1993           Hometown- Dorchester, ON, CAN

Born in- Dorchester, ON, CAN     

Statistics:                                            Regular Season        Playoffs

Season          Team      League    GP   G  A  P  PIM  GP  G  A  P  PIM

2010-2011    Oshawa    OHL        63   25 41 66   67     10    7   5  12  14

2009-2010    Oshawa    OHL        65   19 30 49   91    

Strengths: Has good size and strength, has a tremendous work ethic, skates well, has a hard accurate shot, plays a complete game and has excellent leadership qualities.

Weaknesses: Isn’t the best scorer, will have to get faster to make an impact at pro the level and polish is offensive game.

Scouts thoughts: There’s no doubt Jenner will be a captain at the next level. He has all the qualities a good leader needs. His work ethic is second to none and makes him extremely hard to play against. The born and raised farm boy wins lots of battles down low and along boards and works at his shot, stickhandling and skating all summer, so there are no questions about his ability to improve his game.

Where he’d fit well: Jenner’s leadership skills make him an attractive prospect and draw many comparisons to players like Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews. His offence isn’t quite at their level though when they were drafted which makes it unlikely he will go as high as them. Montreal will take a very serious look at the big center. His size, skill and team first attitude are a big need in La Belle Province. Buffalo is another northeastern team that will take a close look at the Dorchester native to boost it’s middle of the ice. Ottawa has shown little interest, but Anaheim and the Penguins wouldn’t pass him up if he’s still around when take the podium.

Ty Rattie – North American Skater                                                       – Portland- WHL                                 

Final Ranking- 17              Mid-Term Ranking- 11

Position- Right Wing           Shoots- Right                              

Height- 5’11                            Weight- 163

Born- February 5th, 1993           Hometown- Airdrie, AB, CAN

Born in- Calgary, AB, CAN     

Statistics:                                            Regular Season        Playoffs

Season          Team      League    GP   G  A  P  PIM  GP  G  A  P  PIM

2010-2011    Portland    WHL       67    28  51 79   55     21   9  13 22  22

2009-2010    Portland    WHL       61   1 7  20 37   38     13  2    2   4   12

Strengths: Has great puckhandling skills, a good quick release, great vision, solid hockey sense and the ability to find the score sheet on a regular basis.

Weaknesses: Skating is the biggest weak spot in his game, isn’t the biggest guy on the ice, will have to become a lot faster to keep up in the NHL and get stronger.

Scouts thoughts: He’s skating might be a concern to some teams but his puckhandling, shot and scoring touch are something you can’t teach, where skating is. With his ability to score so consistently with lack of speed and size shows that he’s a pure goal scorer and natural talent that works very hard.

Where he’d fit well: The team that would love take Rattie has to be the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rattie is the type of pure goal scorer the Pens have needed for years to accompany Crosby and Malkin. Don’t be surprised to see the Blackhawks to take him at No.18. Rattie would be a good start to replenish their pool of skilled forward prospects and if the Hawks use the idea of taking the best player available it will be hard to ignore Rattie’s raw talent. Detroit, Anaheim, Toronto and Washington are also good bets to take the skilled winger.

Mark Scheifele – North American Skater

- Barrie- OHL

Final Ranking- 16              Mid-Term Ranking- 21

Position- Center               Shoots- Right

Height- 6’2                            Weight- 182

Born- October 28th, 1992           Hometown- Kitchener, ON, CAN

Born in- Kitchener, ON, CAN

Statistics:                                                        Regular Season                      Playoffs

Season                Team           League          GP      G     A    P   PIM   GP             G   A  P  PIM

2010-2011           Barrie            OHL             66       22    53  75     35

Strengths: Has excellent size, a good shot, skates well for a big man, drives the net very well, dominates in the corners and has a tremendous work ethic

Weaknesses: Needs to develop more finish around the net, has to continue to work on his defence, he works very hard at being a complete player will only get better with practice.

Scouts thoughts: Scheifele might have been one of the best players in OHL in the second half of the season and was only in his first season. There isn’t anyone in junior hockey that battles harder for the puck. By the time he’s ready for the NHL Mark will be an elite power forward that has a lot of skill down the middle.

Where he’d fit well: The former defenceman might be the perfect prospect for the undersized Montreal Canadiens offence. The Habs have tones speed and skill up front but due lack a big center. Scheifele might be a year or two away but will be a solid fit when ready. He can skate, shot, pass and hit, all assets that will make him a Montreal favorite. Phoenix, Buffalo and Anaheim all very interested after the combine.

Listen to L.A Kings Director of amateur scouting Mike Futa’s thoughts on Mark Scheifele.

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/Interview_MikeFuta2-mb-20110622.mp3]

Zack Phillips – North American Skater                                                            - Saint John- QMJHL                                 

Final Ranking- 15              Mid-Term Ranking- 12

Position- Center               Shoots- Right                              

Height- 6’1                            Weight- 178

Born- October 28th, 1992           Hometown- Fredericton, NB, CAN

Born in- Fredericton, NB, CAN

Statistics:                                                        Regular Season                      Playoffs

Season                Team           League          GP      G     A    P   PIM   GP             G   A  P  PIM

2010-2011       Saint John       QMJHL           67       38   57   95     16     17    9  15 24   4   

2009-2010       Saint John       QMJHL           65       16   28   44     31     21    2   4   6    8

Strengths: Has excellent vision, good hockey sense, soft hands, is strong on the puck, very discipline, has good size and plays a very responsible two way game.

Weaknesses: Will have to improve his foot speed and quickness, get tougher away from the puck, get stronger in the face-off circle and fill out physically.

Scouts thoughts: Zack is a very special playmaker that makes everyone on the ice with him better. He plays a smart game both offensively and defensively, has a good quick release on his wrist shot and has drawn comparisons to Adam Oates.

Where he’d fit well: Calgary is a team that needs to address the middle of the ice and Zack Phillips is a great choice to fill the need. He might be better to spend next season in Saint John where the Sea Dogs have a strong chance of going back to the Memorial Cup. The Rangers, Sabres and Canadiens could also be teams that jump at the chance to take the crafty playmaker in the middle of the first round. Montreal would love his size and defence, Buffalo has the depth at center to give him the time he might need to develop into a premier passer in the NHL and New York is in need of player that can really elevate his teammate’s game.