Wednesday, June 22, 2011
NHL Draft Deep with College Talent
The first hour or so of Friday night’s NHL Entry Draft may pass slowly for college hockey fans. But while no current or future collegians are expected to be taken in the first 10 selections, once the dam breaks a torrent of college picks should follow.
At least 60 college or college-bound players have been taken in each NHL Draft since the NHL lockout of 2004-05, and the 2011 version figures to follow that pattern. Even if no collegian is taken with one of the first 10 selections, up to 20 could go in the next 50 picks.
There are 95 current or future college players among the final rankings issued by NHL Central Scouting. Ten of those played college hockey in 2010-11. Most of those ranked will be freshmen this fall, while others – like undecided recruit Mario Lucia – still have a year of junior hockey to play before joining the college circuit.
In each case, these players will be following a well-worn path to the NHL. Thirty percent of the league in 2010-11 played college hockey, including Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas. Thomas himself was drafted in the ninth round of the 1994 NHL Draft, following his freshman season at Vermont.
The draft is only seven rounds now and begins Friday night with the first-round selections (7 p.m. ET, VERSUS/TSN). Rounds 2-7 are set to begin at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (NHL Network).
The first current college player to be taken could be Northeastern defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, a towering presence (6’7″) on the Husky blueline. Two other Hockey East talents – teammates Matt Nieto and Adam Clendening of Boston University – have been mentioned in the first round of some mock drafts.
Several incoming freshmen could become the first college player taken Friday night as well. Goaltender John Gibson (Michigan), defenseman Connor Murphy (Miami) and forwards Tyler Biggs (Miami), Rocco Grimaldi (North Dakota) and J.T. Miller (North Dakota) were all teammates at the U.S. National Team Development Program and could be in that mix. Future Denver defenseman Scott Mayfield and future Minnesota forward Seth Ambroz are other first-round candidates.
Two players not on Central Scouting’s list made big impacts as college freshmen and are likely to be selected in this, their second year eligible for the draft. T.J. Tynan was the national rookie of the year for Notre Dame, while Western Michigan’s Chase Balisy joined him on the CCHA All-Rookie Team. It’s hard to imagine 30 teams passing on these two for a second year in a row.