Prior and up to the BRHL2 2011 Draft Day we entertained some trade discussions involving the #7 pick. Management thought we would roll the dice and maybe still pick up Mikael Grunland by trading down. That would be with a pick sandwiched between #7 and #11 or at even #11. Our scouting staff was strongly against such strategy, needless to say that they won their argument.
#7Mikael Granlund C
Date of Birth: February 26th, 1992
Height: 5.10
Weight: 176lbs.
Shoots: L
Season Statistics:Regular Season | 25GP 39G 34A 73P 38PIM
Playoffs | n/a
TSR Midterm Rank: 9 | Position Rank: 6th Forwards
League Rank: 1st SM-Liiga | Country Rank: 1st Finland
Suffice to say, Granlund is probably one of the biggest wildcards in the draft. Hes a player that could rank among the Top 3 or 4 players when its all said and done, or he could very well be a flop at the NHL level. On that notion, it wouldnt be a surprise at all to see teams having him as high as 5, while other teams might see him as barely being a Top 20 pick. It will be interesting to see if a team is willing to grab him in the Top 10 on draft day, but if he slides past that mark, he probably wont make it past 15.
Pros: Creativity, Playmaking, Passing
Cons: Size/Strength, Skating
Skillset comparison: Saku Koivu
We had thoughts of Johansen, Gromley or Schwartz at #11, when Forbort was still on the board his faith was sealed.
#11Derek ForbortD
Date of Birth: March 4th, 1992
Height: 6.04
Weight: 195lbs.
Shoots: L
Season Statistics:Regular Season | 26GP 4G 10A 14P 26PIM
Playoffs | n/a
TSR Midterm Rank: 11 | Position Rank: 4th Defensemen
League Rank: 1st USHL | Country Rank: 2nd USA
Its difficult to find an aspect of Forborts game that stands out as a weakness. The only question mark at the beginning of the year would have been Forborts ability to adapt and improve to the level of play seen by the USNTDPs opponents in the USHL and NCAA not to mention the international tournaments. Forbort has made the transition from Minnesota High school to the USAs top Jr. program rather easily. . NHL teams who consider Forbort a top 10 player in the draft are betting he can do the same when he steps into the pro ranks. Forborts high ranking can be attributed to the fact that he has become a less risky pick in this regard while still showing the athleticism and potential for an even higher ceiling. Hell have time to season and enhance his strengths at the University of North Dakota before he is deemed ready to make that step.
Pros: Athleticism, skating ability, upside in all facets
Cons: Only 1 season at high level, needs to continue to improve
Skillset comparison: Jay Bouwmeester
We were extremely happy with the value we got at #30, we were not looking at anyone else here.
#30Mark VisentinG
Date of Birth: August 7th, 1992
Height: 6.00
Weight: 176lbs.
Catches: L
Season Statistics:Regular Season | 24-26-0-5 2.99GAA .911SV% 0SO
Playoffs | 1-3-1 3.54GAA .904SV% 0SO
TSR Midterm Rank: NR | Position Rank: 4th Goalies
League Rank: 26th OHL | Country Rank: 41st Canada
Visentin is a good-sized goalie that has a strong technical game. He faced a lot of shots this season on a rebuilding Ice Dogs team, but managed to really pick up his game after limping through his rookie season last year. Consistency is an issue for Visentin and he can be prone to losing position and giving up a soft goal, but with continued development, he could be a quality goaltending prospect long term.
At #37 it came down to between Smith-Pelly or Spooner, scouting staff wanted a center.
#37Ryan SpoonerC/LW
Date of Birth: January 30th, 1992
Height: 5.10
Weight: 175lbs.
Shoots: L
Season Statistics:Regular Season | 47GP 19G 35A 54P 12PIM
Playoffs | 3GP 0G 1A 1P 2PIM
TSR Midterm Rank: 16 | Position Rank: 18th Forwards
League Rank: 8th OHL | Country Rank: 13th Canada
Spooners stock has slipped a bit after a broken collarbone sidelined him for a good chunk of the season. Despite this, Spooner remains as one of the most talented players available in the draft. His skill level, creativity, and ability to make teammates around him better are all tremendous assets. His defensive game needs to continue to improve, but hes a player that has a shot at being a productive offensive forward at the NHL level.
At #38, knowing we had no 3rd round and waiting 59 turns before our next pick, we went deep sea fishing. We like Danny a lot, the 3rd of 4 hockey playing brothers. The younger brother of Flames property Alex Biega. He has tremendous strength and his shot is improving as well as his overall game.
#38Danny BiegaD
Date of Birth: September 29th, 1991
Height: 6.00
Weight: 191lbs.
Shoots: R
Season Statistics:Regular Season | 32GP 5G 4A 9P 47PIM
Playoffs | n/a
TSR Midterm Rank: NR | Position Rank: 27th Defensemen
League Rank: 3rd NCAA | Country Rank: 47th Canada
Solid all around defenseman who has good shut down qualities to his game. He certainly isnt a flashy player, but hes very smart and is an effective puck mover. His season at Harvard was a little lackluster, but he should be a reliable pick in the third or fourth round.
A long wait for us for #98, we kept watching the board and some players kept falling. This fact was in a way disappointing, as we liked Brendan Gallagher here. We decided to go back up the board and today prefer our 2nd choice.
#98Justin HollD
Date of Birth: January 30th, 1992
Height: 6.02
Weight: 170lbs.
Shoots: R
Season Statistics:Regular Season | 25GP 17G 14A 31P 8PIM
Playoffs | n/a
TSR Midterm Rank: NR | Position Rank: 25th Defensemen
League Rank: 5th HS-Minnesota | Country Rank: 23rd USA
A pretty raw player at this point, but certainly not lacking any upside. Holl is a very good skater who has a lot of upside which will hopefully be developed as he embarks on a career at the University of Minnesota. Holl was one of the premier defensemen in Minnesota High School Hockey this season, and his offensive skills should help to ease his transition to the NCAA.
For #105 and #106 we switched gears as with #98 and went back up the board. Their names were stitched on jerseys already.
#105 Max GardinerC
Date of Birth: May 7th, 1992
Height: 6.03
Weight: 176lbs.
Shoots: L
Season Statistics:Regular Season | 17GP 17G 26A 43P 14PIM
Playoffs | n/a
TSR Midterm Rank: 48 | Position Rank: 60th Forwards
League Rank: 9th USHL | Country Rank: 24th USA
The younger brother of Blue Jackets property Jake Gardiner, Max was one of the most prolific scorers in Minnesota High School this season. Hes got good size, but needs to fill out, and will be attending the University of Minnesota where he will see some quality development time.
#106 Max GaedeRW
Forward Born Mar 27 1992 -- Woodbury, MN Height 6.03 -- Weight 190
Gaede is a power forward that can play the wing and is excellent cycling the puck along the boards. He has pretty good vision and passing ability, though his skating could use some improvement. He's also regarded as a very high character kid with an outstanding work ethic.
#113 Zane GothbergG
Date of Birth: August 20th, 1992
Height: 6.01
Weight: 177lbs.
Catches: L
Season Statistics:Regular Season | 25GP 1.84GAA .922SV% 3SO
Playoffs | n/a
TSR Midterm Rank: NR | Position Rank: 7th Goalies
League Rank: 7th HS-Minnesota | Country Rank: 26th USA
Gothberg has a lot of upside and is coming off a very good season with Thief River Falls. He has a commitment to the University of North Dakota. He could spend a year playing with Fargo of the USHL, who holds his rights, but with some time, he could develop into a promising young goaltender.
#158 Keith KinkaidG
Born Jul 4 1989 -- Farmingville, NY Height 6.03 -- Weight 180 -- Shoots L
Kinkaid is a goaltender with good size and great economy of movement. He showed great consistency and poise in Union College's record-setting season in 2010-11. He also possesses great agility, reflexes and his lateral movement is also quite good. One of his best attributes is his puck-handling ability. He moves and plays the puck exceedingly well. Kinkaid's use of his tall, lanky frame in covering the net is excellent. He does a very good job of staying square to shooters and is not afraid to challenge them either. He has good rebound control, which helps him limit the number of second and third chances.
#165 Sami AittokallioG
Birth year: 1992-08-06 Birthplace:Tampere, FIN Age: 19 Nation: Finland Position: G Shoots: L Height: 187 cm / 6'2" Weight: 81 kg / 179 lbs
The Finnish netminder has been blessed with tremendous reflexes. Notably quick and athletic, Aittokallio needs to work on the technical side of his game to ensure more consistent performances.
#169 Matthew Bissonnette C
Birthyear: 1992-01-16 Birthplace: Beaconsfield, QC, CAN Age: 19 Nation: Canada Position: C Shoots: L Height: 191 cm / 6'3" Weight: 79 kg / 174 lbs
A big center with some skill also comes with a little attitude. We feel his scoring touch will hind this attitude.
#171 Trevor ParkesRW
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 183
Shoots:Left
Born: May 13, 1991 (Age 20)
Birthplace: Fort Erie, ON, Canada
Parkes has solid offensive instincts, but scores most of his goals through hard work. He is a physical player, willing to mix it up and play along the boards. Has a tremendous work ethic and has molded himself into a strong all-around player.
#188 Daniel MilanD
Birthyear: 1992-04-14 Birthplace: Detroit, MI, USA Age: 19 Nation: Canada Position: D Shoots: L Height: 191 cm / 6'3" Weight: 86 kg / 190 lbs
Daniel sees the ice very well and makes good decisions. He is a very good skater with excellent footwork. Maintains good gap control and has good defensive stick. Daniels style of play is described as a defensive defenseman. However, He has good offensive and puck handling capabilities and is able to bring the puck up the ice with speed and power.
