BRHL2 Draft Pick: Player (NHL Draft Pick)

#7 OV:  Brayden Schenn (#5 OV) Schenn is somebody that has progressed at a prolific rate in the WHL in 2010-2011 with 22G, 35A in 29 GP for the Saskatoon Blades. He also started the season in the NHL with the LA Kings for an extended 9 game look (2A) and has done well in the AHL with Manchester (7 GP, 3G, 4A).

All of this has him rated as THNs #1 Overall Prospect at the midway point in the 2010-2011 Season. A dynamic point producer, the LA Kings will be very happy to have a Kopitar-Schenn combo up the middle of their lineup for potentially the next 15 years. Drafting at #7 Overall, there wasnt a better prospect on the board when the Flyers were on the clock.

GRADE: A+

#48 OV:  Kyle Clifford  (#35 OV) All this guy did after our draft was go out and make the NHL from the start of training camp (Along with MPS, the only 2 such players to do so in their second season since being drafted in the NHL)

In 2009-2010 with the Barrie Colts he put up 111 PIM in 58GP, with 28G, 29A (57P). And followed that with 17 OHL playoff games and 5G, 9A (14P) in those games; where he was promptly sent to the AHL to play in 7 playoff games with Manchester. In 2010-2011 he has been with the big club from day 1 and has settled into a role as the Kings power-forward of the future. He already has traded punches with several NHLers and is carving his niche there but dont sleep on this big mans offensive potential.

Considering where he was taken in the NHL draft (After a terrible season point-wise in the OHL in his draft-eligible year 60GP, 16G, 12A, 28P, 133PIM, he was STILL taken by the Kings very high [#35 OV and Lombardi can draft]) the Flyers found a 1^st round talent at the midway point in the 2^nd round.

GRADE: A+

#53 OV:  Ethan Werek (#47 OV) A star since Midget age with the Toronto Marlboros Midget AAA (55GP, 59G, 69A, 128P, 72PIM) and a guy with his only 3 OHL seasons at a PPG every year (66GP, 32G, 32A then 57GP, 30G, 34A then 47GP, 24G, 28A).

A star for the Kingston Frontenacs who had an injury this season, I still like him as a prospect a lot. Without many true gritty, powerful forwards in the Rangers organization, I expect to see him as an NHL forward in 2 seasons with his size, faceoffs, and other intangibles keeping him there a long time.

GRADE: C

#70 OV:  Tomas Kubalik (#135 OV 2008) A player that both Czech Republic and Columbus Blue Jackets fans will get to know much better in the coming years; Kubalik scored at a prolific rate in the Czech under-18 and under-20 leagues before getting taken in the 5^th round by the CBJ in the 2008 entry draft. After getting passed by every single team in our league for the 2008 draft class, he was brought over to the QMJHL with Victoriaville and put up 33G, 42A, 75P, 95PIM in 58GP.

I decided to snag him early in the 3^rd round so that I wouldnt have to sweat it out, considering he was ranked #46 OV on my draft board. After playing with the Springfield Falcons for 73 games (22G, 28A, 50P, 43PIM) and leading that team in scoring, he has earned his NHL call-up to finish the season.  I think this was an excellent value for someone who will be playing for the Czech Republic in every major hockey competition in the next 5-10 years, and will be playing on the CBJ top-6 forwards for the future as well.

GRADE: A+

#73 OV:  Linus Klasen (Undrafted) Taking a flyer on someone who had 3 straight excellent seasons in the Swedish Elite League (SEL) with Sodertalje and finished as the Captain there. His seasons were (52 GP, 14G, 20A, 34P) then (53GP, 14G, 15A, 29P) and then (51GP, 19G, 32A, 51P).

After drafting him he was immediately brought over to North America and has dominated offensively at the AHL level, producing 22G, 23A, 45P in 47GP this year which is far and away the best on the team (and 11G more than Blake Geoffrion in the same amount of GP).

In my opinion this guy will be getting top-6 forward minutes with the Predators next season, possibly even in the playoffs if there is an injury. Considering this is still at least a year away from being able to tell for sure, I still think with Nashvilles lack of forwards at the NHL level will make this a good pick for the future.

GRADE: B

#84 OV:  Garrett Wilson (#107 OV) After being drafted in the 4^th round of the NHL draft by Florida with only 17G, 18A, 35P in 53GP for the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL, Garrett followed that season up with a 65GP, 36G, 25A, 61P, 80PIM season in 2009-2010. I decided to draft him a few spots ahead of where he was taken in the NHL... and was kindly rewarded this year with a season that saw Wilson shoot to the top of the OHL leaderboards (66GP, 40G, 46A, 86P, 114PIM).

A 62 205 lbs. behemoth, Wilson gets all the dirty goals, as well as his fair share of the pretty ones too. He will be a forward with the Panthers after showing his talents in the AHL next season. An excellent value based on his progression in the best Junior league on the planet (OHL).

GRADE: B+

#103 OV:  Alex Hutchings (#93 OV) A guy who was voted by OHL coaches as the most underrated guy in the league, and was a dynamic scorer while there. In his NHL draft year, he had 34G, 34A in 63GP but followed that up with a great 2009-2010 season in which Hutchings and teammates Luke Pither (PHI) and Bryan Cameron (CAL) were the dominant scorers for a Barrie team that won the Central division title and lost just nine games in regulation during the season. Hutchings scored 47 goals with 34 assists and was +44 with 58 PIM. Hutchings had 8 power play goals and scored 11 times short-handed.  Hutchings won multiple Player of the Week Awards in the OHL, but missed four games in the playoffs due to a groin injury. He had 2 goals with 8 assists and was +4 with 12 PIM in the playoffs, as the Colts won 12 of 13 games to win the Eastern Conference title before falling to eventual Memorial Cup champion Windsor in the OHL finals.

Hutchings had played this season exclusively in the ECHL this season, bulking up and working on his game in the defensive zone. Someone with a high upside, but with an ETA for the NHL of 2012-2013 season at the earliest, this turned out to be by far my worst pick of the draft.

GRADE: D

#195 OV:  Maxim Noreau (undrafted) All Maxim Noreau has done since being drafted by me is put up another top-5 season in the AHL for defensemen. Now he has been called up to finish the 2010-2011 season with the Minnesota Wild (because they dont need offensive dmen right?)

For one of the final 16 picks in our entire draft, I thought this was great value, especially considering Minnesotas lack of offensive defensemen and Noreaus proximity to actually making the NHL. He proved me right by making the NHL before the season was through, and could be on an NHL PP unit at the start of next year.

GRADE: B

#200 OV:  Roman Cervenka (undrafted) After dominating Czech leagues and being Jaromir Jagrs personal caddy at the previous World Championships and Olympics, Cervenka took his game to the KHL this year and only proceeded to finish 3^rd in the entire league in scoring. A top end passer and finisher, Cervenka will look to get a 1-way contract from an NHL club this offseason and could be playing there starting in the 2011-2012 season.

Again, considering this was one of the very last picks of the draft, I feel it was good value and could potentially yield a top-6 forward, which would be immense value.

GRADE: B+

#204 OV:  Dennis Endras (undrafted) After watching him play unbelievable for Germany in the World Championships last year (6 GP, 1.15 GAA, .961 S%), I decided to add organizational depth in net. Rather than take an established AHL goalie, I decided to take a long-shot on a European goalie and it appeared to be a bit of a dumb move after Endras was still in the DEL for the 2010-2011 season. However, he was signed to a pro contract by the Minnesota Wild and is slated to be with the Houston Aeros to start the 2011-2012 season.

GRADE: C+

OVERALL DRAFT GRADE: A-