Bleacher Report - Articles by Jordan Walsh

2009 NHL Entry Draft Predictions

Jordan Walsh — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:24:30 -0400

With the NHL Entry Draft just three days away, I'm going to give my best attempt at predicting which teams may select which players. Now, I'm sure some will be right, but lots will be incorrect!

Be sure to leave feedback on what you think, thanks!

Team picking	Player Picked	Position selected	Why this team will pick this player
New York Islanders	John Tavares	1st Overall	The best player in the draft goes first overall, despite speculation suggesting otherwise.
Tampa Bay Lightning	Victor Hedman	2nd Overall	Tampa needs defense. What better way to stack up than a 6'6" giant with a great future?
Colorado Avalanche	Matt Duchene	3rd Overall	He has terrific speed, hockey sense and hands—a future 30-goal scorer, already mentored by Cody Hodgson, is too much for Colorado to pass on.
Atlanta Thrashers	Evander Kane	4th Overall	Big, goal-scoring centreman to one day play with Ilya Kovalchuk.
L.A. Kings	Magnus Pijaarvi-Svennson	5th Overall	The Swedish goal-scoring winger compliments L.A.'s already strong core of young players. He's a future NHL sniper.
Phoenix Coyotes	Jared Cowen	6th Overall	Phoenix adds a future top two defenseman to the mold. He should be on the back end in two years.
Toronto Maple Leafs	Brayden Schenn	7th Overall	Yes, Leafs fans, you get your wish. Toronto selects two-way forward from the Brandon Wheat Kings to play along with brother Luke.
Dallas Stars	Oliver Ekman-Larsson	8th Overall	Dallas picks maybe the best offensive minded defensman in draft.
Ottawa Senators	Dmitry Kulikov	9th Overall	Sens need a solid defenseman. Dmitry Kulikov will complement them nicely in the future.
Edmonton Oilers	Scott Glennie	10th Overall	He has decent size, and good goal-scoring capability. He addresses both of Edmonton's needs.
Nashville Predators	Nazem Kadri	11th Overall	Nashville gets London Knights' playmaker Nazem Kadri.
Minnesota Wild	Jordan Schreoder	12th Overall	Schroeder may be small, but the kid has skill and NHL sniper potential.
Buffalo Sabres	Ryan Ellis	13th Overall	Aging blue line gets a little bit younger with the addition of future PP specialist Ryan Ellis.
Florida Panthers	Zack Kassian	14th Overall	Florida adds a power forward to the mix.
Anaheim Ducks	David Rundblad	15th Overall	Anaheim may not need the blue line help immediately, but will in years to come.
Columbus Blue Jackets	John Moore	16th Overall	Future NHL top six defenseman.
St Louis Blues	Peter Holland	17th Overall	Point per game centreman. Best player left.
Montreal Canadiens	Louis Leblanc	18th Overall	The Canadiens select hometown boy Louis Leblanc.
New York Rangers	Simon Despres	19th Overall	NYR adds yet another young defenseman to the pipelines.
Calgary Flames/Phoenix Coyotes	Jacob Josefson	20th Overall	Josefson excelled better in the Swedish Elite league than the International level, but has a bright NHL future.
Philadelphia Flyers	Carter Ashton	21st Overall	Goal scoring forward, and the son of former NHL player Brent Ashton.
Vancouver Canucks	Calvin De Haan	22nd Overall	Canucks need depth on defense more than anything else. Calvin De Haan will provide that in years to come.
New Jersey Devils	Chris Kreider	23rd Overall	Playing for a prep school makes him hard to judge, but doesn’t deceive us of his skating abilities. Could possibly be fastest skater in the draft.
Washington Capitals	Landon Ferraro	24th Overall	Great speed and good goal-scoring ability.
Boston Bruins	Nick Leddy	25th Overall	Another player playing in a high/prep school who also is hard to judge, but Leddy has talent, and will be a top six defenseman for the Boston Bruins one day.
New York Islanders (from SJS/OTT)	Jeremy Morin	26th Overall	Morin is a pure shooter, who may have better instincts around the net than anyone in this draft.
Carolina Hurricanes	Kyle Palmieri	27th Overall	Off-ice issues may effect his value, so the late-round steal goes to Carolina.
Chicago Blackhawks	Tim Erixon	28th Overall	Chicago opts to go for a defenseman.
Detroit Red Wings	Drew Shore	29th Overall	Shore is a great skater with a relentless forecheck. Compliments the Wings well!
Pittsburgh Penguins	Jordan Caron	30th Overall	A power forward with decent offensive ability.

Rebuilding In The Rockies

Jordan Walsh — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:25:13 -0500

As the March 4 trade deadline approaches, Colorado Avalanche fans better buckle up! As this could be one of, if not the most nerve racking trade deadlines this franchise has ever witnessed.

The Avs are guaranteed to wake up March 4 with a record under .500. Although, they could end up with 63 points which, as of right now, would put them only two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. That makes deciding rather to buy or sell extremely difficult.

I am going to review both options, starting with Buying:

Should the Avalanche win all three games from now until March 4 and climb their way back into the playoff race they will most likely be buyers. But if they do decide to go the buying route, don't expect any huge deals or big names coming in.

What would most likely happen is something along the lines of Colorado's first or second round pick and Ian Lappierriere for Manny Legace or a goalie of similar skill.

Another deal that would not surprise me would be something along the lines of Jordan Leopold and a prospect for Vaclav Prospal or even Antoinne Vermette.

The Avs NEED one more 2nd line goalscorer but, as I said earlier, probably will not bring any big names. Vermette is likely as "big" as it gets.

Selling(the most likely option!):

If the Avs loose ANY of the next few games, it pretty much seals their fate as a non-playoff team this season. That would make the Avs for sure sellers for the first time since the organization has moved to Denver.

In this case, names such as Ryan Smyth and even Milan Hedjuk will most likely come up in trade talk. Although, due to their no trade clauses, both would have to agree to being moved before so.

But dont be surprised to see the Avs trade Hejduk or Smyth for something like a first round pick and a few prospects, putting the Avs into a rebuilding mode for the first time in a decade.

Also, I don't doubt the team will trade Ian Lappierriere as well, due to his contract expiring at the end of this season. The team is currently talking to "Lappy" about signing an extension but i wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

Brett Clark could also be in danger of being moved but I'm not sure who would want to take on his $3.5 million per season contract. However, if he was traded, expect something like a third round pick in return.

And it doesn't even end there with players who may very well be departing. I've heard a lot of talk about Marek Svatos heading out the door as well. Chances are, Svatos would go for a second round pick or a decent prospect. Personally, I think the Avs should hold on to Svatos.

This promises to be a stressful deadline for Avalanche fans like myself. But whatever happens, I'm behind my team 100 percent!

Facing The Facts: The Hockey Gods Hate Denver

Jordan Walsh — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:27:07 -0500

Wow, two years in a row this happens to poor old Avs fans like myself. Last year it started with Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny, then Ryan Smyth. This year it's already been Sakic and now Stastny. Do the Hockey Gods just hate Denver!?

The Colorado Avalanche got the news today that their star center in the making, Paul Stastny, would be out indefinitely with a broken fore arm. This news comes just two weeks after hearing that their legend Joe Sakic would be out for three months after a freak snow blower accident. Talk about some bad breaks.

But we can't rewind time or prevent injuries 100 percent, so I am not going to sit here and whine about all the injuries my team has suffered lately. Instead, I am going to break down what the team's options are and what path they may take.

The Avalanche have a few options

They could make a trade and bring in a top center, tank their season, and pray for Jonathan Tavares or rely on Tyler Arnason and T.J. Hensick to get the job done.

Option No. 1

Make a trade. To be honest, I think this is what the Avs should do, but with Francois Giguere as their GM (he isn't really big into the trade market), I doubt they will.

The team could look to bring in centers such as Chris Drury, who I've heard has been shopped around a little these last few weeks, but with Mats Sundin signing in Vancouver, I seriously doubt it.

A more realistic option would be Antoine Vermette. I've actually heard a lot of trade speculation around Vermette and don't doubt that Colorado may try to land him. But lets face it, even if they do get Vermette there's no way he can replace Sakic or Stastny.

Option No. 2

Tank the season. I think this is really a stupid decision and honestly don't know why I've put it on here, but it truthfully is realistic. The Avalanche will start to loose a lot of games (barring a trade or someone putting steroids in Arnason's Corn Flakes) here in these next few months.

In my book, if they come back after Christmas and start dropping games every night, they should go into a rebuilding mode and go after Tavares.

Option No. 3

Relying on Arnason and Hensick to get the job done. This is what the Avalanche, who lately like to rely on people within their own organization (Tony Granato), will most likely do. As much as they should try to make a trade, it will truly shock me if they do.

So if the team does decide to rely on Arnason, who has been pathetic all year, and Hensick (who will be good, but cannot carry his team just yet) chances are the Avalanche will be on the outside looking in come the postseason.

This promises to be an interesting next few weeks in Avalancheville, but rest assured all eyes are on Giguere to see how he handles this one.

Why Hockey is the "Coolest Game on Earth"

Jordan Walsh — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:41:32 -0400

Hockey is by far the best and most entertaining sport on planet Earth. But when people who disagree with the above statement ask why I think this, I'm always stuck for a direct answer.

So, I've decided to write about why I think hockey is the greatest game on Earth.

Hockey means so much to so many people. Take me for example. I play hockey, eat hockey, and sleep hockey. People base their lives around what time the game is on, when their kids play, early morning practices, and not to mention the amount of money parents spend for their kids to play.

I also believe we should recognize the Minor Hockey coaches and Managers—people who volunteer HOURS of time just to see their kids novice team take to the ice. No other sport has this commitment and if you can think of one that does let me know, cause I'd love to hear it!

Hockey also touches tons of lifes. Take dying kids in a hospital for example: Hockey players take time out of their busy schedules to see these kids, sign a few autographs and get some pictures taking. This is 30 minutes of a hockey players life and those 30 minutes last an eternity for these kids. Not to many other proffesional athletes do this.

In Hockey, if you go out, give it your all and put some heart into it, you usualy come out with a win. In other sports like Nascar you can race the best race of your life blow a tire and finish 40th. That doesnt happen in hockey.

But heres the No. 1 reason why I think hockey is the "coolest game on Earth." The Comebacks . When your trailing 3-0 and comeback that is a great feeling. Just knowing that all that hard work has payed off makes you realize that it really is never too late.

I look at the Colorado Avalanche vs. Calgary Flames game on October, 26th, 2007. The Avalanche were traling 4-0 and came back to win in a shootout. That really shows alot in a team and proves again that heart and soul is the most important player in Hockey.

The dedication from parents, coaches and players in this sport is simply amazing and truely unique. Those are the reasons I believe Hockey is the best game on Earth!

Thanks to:

Minor Hockey Coaches

Minor Hockey Parents

Minor hockey volunteers

The Players (they keep this amazing sport going)

Can Ryan Smyth Tap Home This Rebound?

Jordan Walsh — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:47:36 -0400

Last season was a bit trying for Ryan Smyth with the left winger only recording 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists). Although he was injured for most of the season Smyth was still well under a point a game. This leads us to wonder how Smyth will rebound this season.

Well, I will go on record right now and say that Smyth will have a much better season in 08-09 for a number of reasons. He was one of the under-used players when Joel Quennville was in power, but now that Tony Granato has taken the reins look for Smyth's ice time to jump. Also, I do not think Smyth will be injured as much this year.

After such a horrible season it wouldn’t be fair to assume that Smyth is going to get 75-90 points. But what would be a fair assumption is that Smyth will get somewhere around 60 points (30 goals, 32 assists) this season.

At this point in time, it's looking like Smyth will be playing on the front line with Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk. This would obviously be a jump from the line he was on towards the end of last year (Smyth, Arnason, and Jones). It also would not be that big of an assumption to say that Smyth will be on the first PP, where he would more than likely perform splendidly.

With that said, don't be surprised to see Smyth on the second line with Joe Sakic and Marek Svatos. This will happen if the Avalanche signs Peter Forsberg, and I'm guessing they will.

This promises to be a trying season for Ryan Smyth. After all, everyone will be watching him to see how he rebounds. But don’t worry, good ol' “Smyttie” will be back this year.

Colorado Avalanche Ranked 14th in West by The Hockey News?!

Jordan Walsh — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:06:02 -0400

I just got the issue of The Hockey News with all the predictions and, quite frankly, I'm mad. As I was reading through, the first thing I was looking for was how they had ranked the Avalanche in the standings, and was I ever shocked to see the No. 14 beside my team.

Yup, that’s right No. 14 in the West—only St. Louis was worse. Well, forgive me for not noticing that Nashville, Minnesota, Vancouver, Columbus, and L.A. had gotten so much better this offseason. NOT!

When I finally calmed down, I began to wonder how The Hockey News could rank the Avalanche so low?

Then it hit me. There are actually many reasons for this, and to be honest all of them are understandable, making this prediction not as bad as it seemed at first.

The biggest reason I found was that they obviously could not take Joe Sakic into account because he is not yet on their roster and may never be.

Another reason I found was that the issue was actually published before the Avalanche organization came to terms on a contract with right winger Marek Svatos, so he was also left out of the equation.

Last but not least, even though he said he is more than likely coming back to Colorado Peter Forsberg was not included because he is not yet on the roster.

Not to mention the goaltending, which so many people think is going to be inconsistent. But honestly, Petr Budaj can be a starting goalie and do a good job at it. Just give the guy a chance.

Wow! Subtract all of that from the roster and yes, maybe you do get a 13th or 14th place team.

But let me ask you this, with the season still roughly two months away, why wouldn’t the "Bible of Hockey" (The Hockey News) wait another three to four weeks to publish these inaccurate predictions? I mean, it’s only going to make them look bad when the year finishes and the Avalanche are actually quite a bit higher and more successful.

All I'm saying is please do not take this prediction seriously, because if you do you’re in for a serious wake up call!

Mats Sundin, the Mountain Man? Colorado Avalanche Interested in Leafs Captain

Jordan Walsh — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:34:21 -0400

Is Mats Sundin going back to his old team? No, I'm not talking about Toronto—I'm talking about Colorado.

I have recently read some rumours that suggest the Colorado Avalanche are interested in Mats Sundin.

I dont know what to think about this. If the Avs are after Sundin, is it to replace Joe Sakic? Or are the Avs just trying to give the likes of Adam Foote, Peter Forsberg (who I believe is coming back), Sakic, and Sundin one more chance at the cup?

If Sundin is to sign in Colorado, he would have to take a much lower paycheck than he could get in Vancouver, Montreal, or even Toronto. Sakic would be forced to do so as well.

I think both Joe and Mats are coming back this year—Sakic, obviously in Colorado—which I believe is part of the reason Sundin would go there. These two played together in Quebec and are still very good friends. They would probably love to go down sharing a Stanley Cup with each other.

The Avs' first priority is obviously Joe Sakic—but if he takes a pay cut, I can see this happening.

Colorado Avalanche Resign Marek Svatos, Set Sight on Joe Sakic

Jordan Walsh — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:30:50 -0400

The Colorado Avalanche announced the re-signing of Marek Svatos today, canceling all the Svatos trade rumors that have been swirling around the rumor mill, as well as the arbitration hearing scheduled for today.

The deal is said to be two years at a total of $4.1 mil. This is great for the Avalanche, who's offence would not have been much without Marek Svatos.

Personally, I think 2.05 mil a year for Marek Svatos is a steal of a deal. This kid is so underrated and was huge for the Av's all of last year.

This is the same "kid" that scored 32 goals in his rookie season, was injured most of his sophomore year, and rebounded quite nicely in his third season, scoring 26 goals and 11 assists.

He was on pace for about 36 goals on the season, but took an awkward hit into the boards from the King's Jack Johnson and tore his ACL, putting him on the bench for the Av's remaining 14 regular season games.

Now that Marek Svatos is signed, the Avalanche have all their key players under contract except for Joe Sakic. Sakic is expected to make a decision on whether to return to the Avalanche next season or retire, sometime in September.

I believe the Av's season rests on Joe Sakic's shoulders and his decision will impact the Avs significantly. If he does play, I believe they will take the Northwest division title and have a decent chance at winning Lord Stanley's merchandise.

I really hope we get to see another season of good "ol" Joe Sakic. But either way, he has done a tremendous amount for the Avalanche organization and deserves a huge thank you!

Is Marek Svatos As Good As Traded?

Jordan Walsh — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:04:24 -0400

I was just reading some rumours online and saw that the Avalanche are discussing a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Apparently the trade seems to be Marek Svatos and Brett Clark, or even Jordan Leopold for Pavel Kubina.

Another deal that I've heard a lot about is Marek Svatos, Brett Clark a prospect and a draft pick (guessed to be around a 3rd or 4th pick) for Jay Bouwmeester. Apparently the Avalanche are in heavy discussion with the Panthers organization trying to get this done as soon as possible.

I don't know what to think of all this. If the Av's do trade Marek Svatos for Jay Bouwmeester then sure, their defense just went from great to amazing but their offence goes from good to poor.

I like Marek Svatos, but if we can get Jay Bouwmester for him, i think Francois Giguere needs to consider it very carefully and maybe accept the offer.

Although losing Marek Svatos is a huge blow to the Av's offence, it adds a great, promising, franchise defenseman to the organization. Furthermore, if prospects like T.J. Hensick and David Jones truly are NHL ready, that should relieve some pressure from losing Marek Svatos.

I like Marek Svatos, but I think his days in an Avalanche uniform, are numbered.

Colorado Avalanche: A Snowstorm In Net

Jordan Walsh — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:52:42 -0400

As of right now, it is tough to say who will be the starting goalie for the Colorado Avalanche when the puck drops in Denver on October.9th against Boston. But if I was giving a guess, i would take Petr Budaj. Nothing against Andrew Raycroft, but I do not believe he will ever be a starting goaltender again.

Although, with the help of Av's goaltending coach, Jeff Hackett, anything is possible. This is the guy who was credited with the resurection of Jose Theodore's career last year and will more than likely be expected to take a shot at doing the same with Andrew Raycroft.

But who's to say these two will even be tending goal for the Avalanche when the season starts? I've recently read some rumours that the Av's are interested in Nikolai Khabulin. What he'd cost to get in Colorado I don't know, but if they can get him for a 2nd-3rd round pick and a promising prospect, id recommend they take it.

Also, I dont doubt that GM Francois Giguere would like to give Billy Sauer a shot in net. I've heard some good things about him and if he's as good as he sounds, give him a try!

But if the season were to start tomorrow, should we be confident in Petr Budaj starting? I think so. Last time he was considered the starting goalie for Colorado was the end of the 06-07 season.

The Av's were 13 points out of a playoff spot and had 21 games left, Petr Budaj stood on his head and posted a 19-1-1 record. Even though the Av's ended up missing the playoffs Budaj was phenomenal during the stretch, and if that is the Petr Budaj that's going to tend goal for us this year, I'm more than pleased!

The Colorado Avalanche Have Many Questions to Answer

Jordan Walsh — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:54:41 -0400

The Colorado Avalanche has lost many players to free agency and have not done much to compensate. The Avs have lost Jeff Finger, Keith Sauer, and Jose Theodore, but have only signed Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft. These arrivals and departures have raised many questions.

What will the team look like come October when the season kicks off? Will they really have a team that has a fighting chance?

What will Super Joe Sakic do? Retire or Stay?

Marek Svatos is headed to arbitration in these next few weeks and the Avs may very well lose him too. This would really cripple the team's offense.

A huge question to be addressed is Peter Forsberg. We already know he won't be playing until at least December, but even then, will he be able to go?

To be honest, I personally think the Av's NEED Sakic and Svatos (especially Sakic, but Svatos is a must too). Without these two, they will be LUCKY to get into the playoffs. Forsberg is just icing on the cake.

With all these HUGE decisions, can the Avs really make all the right calls to have a title season? To be honest, it's possible. But it's a long shot.

I think the Avs should make some decisions for today and some for the future. This team needs Joe Sakic, so pray to God he comes back.

Sign Svatos long term. He's good, has a promising future, and WILL help their offence significantly. Perhaps they should let Forsberg go and give T.J. Galiardi some more responsibility as a rookie. This will definitely benefit the organization in the future.

I also believe they need to deal Tyler Arnason for whatever they can get and have T.J Hensick take his place. Sure, some say he's a bit questionable at times, but I watched this kid all last season and he was HUGE for the Avs when they were battling all those injuries (Smyth, Sakic, and Stastny were all out for long periods of time).

With these calls made, the Avs should be able to get into the playoffs, make somewhat of a splash in them and have a brighter future. These are all HUGE questions that are all going to impact the team this season.

We haven't even talked about the goaltending. Can Petr Budaj carry a team into the playoffs? I think he can. It is going to be an interesting season for Avalanche fans but no matter what happens, I'm behind my team 100 percent.