[Gotham Dark Knight]

MacLean content with No. 6 pick
Jackets feel good about their selection prospects
Friday, April 21, 2006
Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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The NHL had its draft-lottery drawing yesterday and form held.

The Blue Jackets will choose No. 6. It’s not the best first-round pick the Jackets have had, but it’s not the worst, either.
"I’m comfortable there," Blue Jackets president and general manager Doug MacLean said.

The Blue Jackets’ first-round selection history: defenseman Rostislav Klesla No. 4 in 2000, left winger Rick Nash No. 1 in 2002; winger Nikolai Zherdev No. 4 in 2003, left winger Alexandre Picard No. 8 in 2004 and center Gilbert Brule No. 6 in 2005.

The Blue Jackets traded up to get the top pick and take Nash. They’ll probably eschew any kind of movement this year.

"I wouldn’t expect we’d trade up, and I’d say there’s a limited chance we’d trade down," MacLean said. "I called Don Boyd (the team’s director of amateur scouting) and asked him for his top seven picks (Wednesday) night. Then I slept like a baby."

Blue Jackets scouts have described the 2006 draft as well stocked at the top but lacking in a transcendent prospect such as Sidney Crosby.

It wasn’t long ago that University of Minnesota forward Phil Kessel, a fleet skater with dazzling skills, was the consensus choice to go No. 1 overall. That thinking has changed.

Erik Johnson, a defenseman in the U.S. Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., is now pegged as the probable No. 1 overall pick.
The rest of the top four probably will include center Jonathan Toews, a solid two-way player from the University of North Dakota, center Jordan Staal, a prototypical power forward for Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League, and Kessel.
From there, it’ll be a game of preference and need. The emphasis will be on quality forwards such as Sweden’s Niklas Backstrom, Czech Tomas Frolic, American Peter Mueller and Canadian Derick Brassard.

6th overall is not all that bad..We will take it!...

[Lefty Noob]

Who should they be looking for with that pick, O Wise One?

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Who should they be looking for with that pick, O Wise One?

Here is a link to the rankings of the top prospects...http://mckeenshockey.rivals.com/... Ia m actually hoping that Peter Kessel slides from the 3rd slot to 6th...right now rated sixth is Mueller ...both Centers...which would be nice to get and slide in between Nash and the Nikolai on the top line...as Fedorov winds it down...

[ThePundit]

Look who's right behind your Jackets, Gotham....I hope that the Islanders hire a GM before the draft and don't let Milbury make the pick. Without Milbury, there's a chance that the pick might actually be good.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

Look who's right behind your Jackets, Gotham....I hope that the Islanders hire a GM before the draft and don't let Milbury make the pick. Without Milbury, there's a chance that the pick might actually be good.

Who do you want t osee them take with the 7th pick Pundit?

[ThePundit]

They need a goal scorer in the absolute worst way. I don't really follow the minors closely but someone who can put the puck in the net without a doubt is their major need. They had one for the taking in Dany Heatley 3 years ago but Milbury decided to trade Luongo, draft DiPietro and pass on Heatley- It's a good thing Milbury has such funny quotes or I would really hate him.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

They need a goal scorer in the absolute worst way. I don't really follow the minors closely but someone who can put the puck in the net without a doubt is their major need. They had one for the taking in Dany Heatley 3 years ago but Milbury decided to trade Luongo, draft DiPietro and pass on Heatley- It's a good thing Milbury has such funny quotes or I would really hate him.

Yeah in hindsight that one looks bad ...but at the time DiPetro's stock was pretty high...I am not so sure they faulted him then ...its not like passing up on Michael Jordan...

Besides, Milbury is an old bruin...which is cool...

[ThePundit]

I can't say we knew anything about Heatley but actually, everybody thought Milbury was nuts to trade Luongo who was finally ready to play and leave them with no real starting goalie since DiPietro was definitely not ready to play. Then it turned out that Milbury never even saw DiPietro in person. Whatever.. I guess I have to let it go already. It's just every time I see Luongo get another shutout and Heatley score his 48th goal, it causes me a twinge of agida.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

I can't say we knew anything about Heatley but actually, everybody thought Milbury was nuts to trade Luongo who was finally ready to play and leave them with no real starting goalie since DiPietro was definitely not ready to play. Then it turned out that Milbury never even saw DiPietro in person. Whatever.. I guess I have to let it go already. It's just every time I see Luongo get another shutout and Heatley score his 48th goal, it causes me a twinge of agida.

Hindsight makes for the perfect GM....don't it...