The buzz about the 2008 NHL draft has been building among general managers and talent scouts for two or three years, and Islanders general manager Garth Snow, holding the No. 5 overall pick, is situated right on the edge of the top tier of so-called “can’t miss” prospects. For a team that has committed to rebuilding with youth and the draft, that means Snow is the one who can’t afford to miss at that prime spot when the first round plays out Friday night in Ottawa.
It’s a foregone conclusion Tampa Bay will select center Steve Stamkos with the No. 1 overall pick. But it’s anybody’s guess what Los Angeles, Atlanta, St. Louis and the Islanders will do in the next four spots. A group of three top offensive defensemen, Drew Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo and Zach Bogosian, has generated most of the buzz along with Stamkos, and lightweight Russian sniper Nikita Filatov is regarded as the best European prospect worthy of a top-five selection.
One of those players will be there for the Islanders, but rumors that Filatov could slide either because of his 170-pound weight and lack of strength or because of the risk associated with drafting a Russian player at a time when his country’s federation has no agreement with the NHL might cause Snow to expand his talent search beyond the consensus top-five prospects.
Given a choice between Filatov and one of the top three defensemen, it sounds as though Snow might lean toward picking a cornerstone on the blue line. “I firmly believe that defense wins championships,” Snow said in a recent interview. Not wishing to tip his hand, he said his choice is “going to be the best available player.”
If the top three defensemen are gone, the question is whether Filatov is the best available player at No. 5. “He’s a dynamic player,” Snow said. “He has speed, can make plays and he’s highly skilled. He’s an 18-year-old, but he’s a special player.
“Some scouts say Filatov’s the second-best player in the draft. If he was in North America, I’ve read a few publications that say it would be between him and Stamkos for the No. 1 pick overall.”
Still, Filatov is a different kind of player than top Russian forwards Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk, all of whom have the size and strength to handle NHL defenses. Is his smallish size a drawback? “No, I don’t see it as a problem,” Snow said.
If the Islanders get a crack at one of the top three defensemen, it will be because either the Kings or Thrashers take a chance on Filatov in front of them. The Blues are expected to go for a defenseman. Of the top three, Doughty’s stock slipped a bit last season, but he was strong in the playoffs. Bogosian drew raves with his combination of toughness and a booming slapshot, and Pietrangelo combines 6-4 size with offensive ability and a phenomenal plus-69 rating over his past two junior seasons.
If they’re off the board, the Islanders still could go for defense, but the choice likely would be between Kelowna teammates Luke Schenn and Tyler Myers. Both are stay-at-home defensemen with size. Schenn is 6-3, 209, and Myers has been compared to Zdeno Chara because of his 6-7 height. But the question is whether the Islanders can afford to choose a defensive defenseman that high in the draft.
“Schenn and Myers are stoppers,” Snow said. “It’s fair to say Doughty, Bogosian and Pietrangelo are offensive defensemen, but all three of those players are really good in their own end as well. They’re all great kids. When you look at all those players you see players who either have worn a letter as a captain or alternate captain or they will be if they go back to junior next year. They’re all leaders in their own right.”
As good as all those players are, Snow said, “Any draft is a crapshoot.” That’s why, if the players the Islanders want aren’t available, it could bring other forwards into the picture, such as Mikkel Boedker, Colin Wilson, Cody Hodgson and Kyle Beach, who has the added element of being a big-time enforcer.
It might be difficult to trade out of the top five in such a strong draft, but Columbus general manager Scott Howson is openly shopping the sixth pick in the hope of acquiring veteran help and some of Snow’s scenarios also include trade possibilities.
“Who knows?” Snow said. “We could trade down, we could trade up. If we have the fifth pick, we know what we’ll do in that situation if certain players go 2, 3, 4. If a player isn’t available that we thought would be, maybe we trade down. If we have a couple players we’re really keen on with the fifth pick and they get taken and there’s another group of players where it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other, then, why wouldn’t we trade down and get another asset?”
In that scenario, the idea would be to trade down and add another first-round pick in the process. The danger lies in dropping too far and missing out on quality at the top of the draft for the sake of quantity.
“That’s the trick,” Snow said.
Comments (27)
Draft toughness and talent , not fruits like Hunter and Tamby.
Can't Miss? That means the Isles will miss.
TRADE ALL OUR PICKS TO TAMPA FOR LECAVALIER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome back Greg!!!! All is right with the world now.
Those posts were not from Kevin and 505.... not their style.
Greg nice article to come back with ... I also think the #5 pick is at the edge of the deeper part of the first round. If Filatov is off the table by #5 I think Snow can't help but to take one of the offensive defensemen left.
Personally I've seen Wilson, Hodgson and Boedker as players who can slide up .... they've been at the edge of cracking the top 5 rankings during the season ... and for Wilson's ranking ... playing in the NCAA has not enabled scouts to compare him head to head with the other top prospects. Filatov is just a phenom from his league and I guess the scouts have their own formula for ranking him amongst NA skaters.
If Filatov is on the table at #5 ... I can see the "chance" of the Isles trading down ... but not likely. The question is ... where does Snow see Filatov as a fit with the Isles in comparisson to the other remaining top 3 forwards available at the draft.
Beach ... I think he's a mid 1st rounder.
2nd round and 3rd round .... grabbing some diamonds in the rough HUGE ....
Danny ... either you're a troll ... being sarcastic or just frustrated beyond all sensability ... Lacavalier is a UFA after next season.
I'm going on record as being opposed to Filatov with the Number 1. (whatever that means).
A/Too small
B/Too many issues with the whole Russian thing to risk a high number 1 pick on.
I say grab one the D-men or Wilson.
Wilson's stock has been rising rapidly. He blew everyone away in the combine workouts. The kid is strong, he's a center and a potential immediate impact player.
And I'd get a huge chuckle out of seeing Nick pee his pants on draft night.
And I feel Garth's upcoming pain with this draft. People are gonna second guess EVERYTHING he does.
I was drafting a Little League team one time and after the 7th round, one of the other coaches wondered aloud whether I was drafting the kids or THE MOTHERS.
I looked over my list and smiled to myself as it dawned on me that he might have been correct.
The id is a subconciously powerful thing.
I laughed and reminded the other coach of who my Number One pick was....my WIFE.
We came in 2nd that year.
(But always had higher attendance at our games).
And no, the name of our team was not The Milfs.
Snow's right -- defense wins championships -- IF YOU SCORE MORE THAN ONE GOAL PER GAME! Take the Russian sniper, please.
"Taking the best available player" sounds so reasonable that I cant see the Isles doing it. If Filitov is there... take him... If not then lets get the best remaining player...defensman or not. We are not in a position to start drafting specific positions. Lets just get started rebuilding already.... Pleaasseee don't srew us again Garth... .please!
I'm all for a lot of senerios - the only thing i don't want to see happen is watching the Isles draft Schenn or Myers ...I don't care if the Isles draft "D" or "O" because sadly both are a huge need for the Isles, but don't waste the 5th pick (or any other 1st rounder) on a stay at home "D" man for the love of God
DREW DOUGHTY would look great in orange sleeves!
Just wanted to let everyone know that Tom Liodice of The Tiger Track and myself will be up in Ottawa for the draft!!!
As far as Filatov and the transfer agreement go, he will be a free agent in Russia next season so he is free to play wherever he wants. Had he been under contract (ala Malkin and the mystery surround his mid-night disappearing act) there would be concerns, but he is on record saying he is set on playing in the NHL and has no pressure from Russian teams (other than offers) come the draft.
As much as I would love a big franchise d-man, scoring is priority number 1 in my eyes at this time.
AZS
Good to see you back after so long a hiatus.
Going to the draft show at NVMC?
Send me an e-mail at Islander1955@aol.com, or get a hold of Nick if you know how.
And the comment at 23:26 was, indeed, not me.
I'm fighting this twerp on two blogs now.
I must be okay.
Hey 505,
I'm not sure if I'll be able to go to the draft party due to some prior engagements, but I'm trying to get out of them...
If the Isles choose to go to the route of a forward I've always liked the thought of Beach. He's had concussion issues, which is a turnoff, but he's just the kind of player the isles need ...
Isles 19- For the record, it wasn't I who said DP had Bone spurs, that was another poster. I said he had his hip sockets shaved. There is a difference there. His procedure was primarily to widen the hip sockets. to prevent the constant rubbing.
Isles 19- For the record, it wasn't I who said DP had Bone spurs, that was another poster. I said he had his hip sockets shaved. There is a difference there. His procedure was primarily to widen the hip sockets. to prevent the constant rubbing.
Could the rekindling with Yashin signal that the Isles have targeted Filatov? Let me go on record as saying that I'm not in favor of bringing Yashin back and I'm also not in favor of drafting a stay at home defensemen. This team needs offense. That being said, the Isles have to get value for this pick. Take Filatov, or move back in the draft and take Wilson or Hodgson, but please do not trade this pick for a veteran player like past years.
This will be a make or break year for Snow and the scouting staff. By all accounts this is a very deep draft and the Isles have some picks to work with. This could go a long way toward restocking the organization with quality young players.
They better not sign Yashin if they plan on selling any tickets this year!! I will not be buying any!
Anonymous/Kman...
ummm... "shaving" the hip socket to "widen" them... means that something was closing the space within the hip socket... and most likely those would be bone spurs.
The other possibility is that he's worn the cartilage out (in which case you wouldn't be "shaving" more of it away...) or he had labrum tears repaired... which is what the team announced was done.... - i think.
But hey... it's just semantics right? Either way it's not good.
The Isles can always find a way to miss. They need offense so much, but I hope they don't pass on one of the top four defensemen.
With all the attention on the first round, let's not forget it's the middle and late rounds that separate the really good organizations from the dross.
Look at Detroit: all those great regular seasons and crappy draft positions, yet they snagged Zetterberg in the 7th round, Holmstrom in the 10th, Datsyuk in the 6th.
I'm glad they and Pittsburgh are becoming the standard in this monkey-see-monkey-do league and we're getting away from this grit and character alone wins championships idiocy.
I'm still giddy over thinking that we'll get Yashin back for another year. That'd be Uber Cool.
NOT
Filatov is currently an unsigned free agent in Russia, which means that the Russian hockey federation has no say in whether he can play in the NHL or not.
Pietrangelo I have heard has questionable workethic, and I would be very against having a talented player with little work ethic (Yashin)
Did anyone also notice that Greg Logan's article was mostly filled with quotes from Yashin's agent, not sure then how much the Islanders want Yashin back.
For the 5th pick I'd go with- Filatov, then Doughty because Bogosian's going to be second and the Blues are taking Schenn, then Wilson if somehow Filatov and Doughty are both gone.
Everybody thought Bossy was too small/lightweight too...
just as i was sure a gamebreaking offensive player (darren mcfadden) would be taken before my jets this year, i will bet the ranch that filatov will be scooped up before the isles go on the clock....its just the way my life as a fan goes. my teams all suck balls and cause me pain. in fact, id say he goes the pick before and the isles pick a dman who is a stiff...
just as i was sure a gamebreaking offensive player (darren mcfadden) would be taken before my jets this year, i will bet the ranch that filatov will be scooped up before the isles go on the clock....its just the way my life as a fan goes. my teams all suck balls and cause me pain. in fact, id say he goes the pick before and the isles pick a dman who is a stiff...