2013 Draft Eligibles: Could Medicine Hat Tiger Hunter Shinkaruk be on the Flyers radar?

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 05/22/2013 at 9:00 am

Since losing defenseman Chris Pronger to a devastating eye injury back on October 24, 2011, the Flyers defensive corps has been downright dismal and unimpressive for the most part. Jared Abbott and I believe the Flyers will draft a defenseman with the 11th overall pick such as Rasmus Ristolainen, Ryan Pulock, Nikita Zadorov, or Mirco Mueller. However, we’re just guessing based on organizational need. Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren does have a tendency of taking forwards in the first round and I would not be shocked if the orange and black go after a forward with their first selection. I …

2013 Draft Eligibles: Domi, Horvat, and Zadorov continue the tradition of excellence in London

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 05/13/2013 at 9:00 am

The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League have had a rich history when it comes to graduating players into the NHL/WHA. Since 1973, a total of 175 players have been drafted by NHL/WHA clubs. The Knights have produced Hockey Hall of Famers Dino Ciccarelli and Darryl Sittler, along with current NHL superstars Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Rick Nash, and Corey Perry. (Note: Future Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan laced up for London as well). The Knights have had more number one overall draft picks, five, than any other club in the world. (Rick Green, WSH, ’76, Rob Ramage, COL …

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2013 NHL Entry Draft: Mock Draft One

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 05/08/2013 at 9:00 am

With the NHL Draft lottery completed, Jared Abbott and I wanted to put out our first mock drafts of the first round . Here is his mock. Leading up to the draft we’ll be putting out several iterations of a first round mock. As the draft order becomes finalized and teams’ rosters begin to take shape it will surely effect the projected picks. Of course, there is always the possibility of trades as well, which could dramatically alter the mock. 1. Colorado- Seth Jones (D) Portland Winterhawks (WHL) What else is there to say? Jones is the best overall prospect in …

2013 Draft Eligibles: Buyers beware of the Crosby comparison for Nathan MacKinnon

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 04/30/2013 at 1:00 pm

The argument over the top prospect in this year’s draft has been going on for over a year now and will continue up until draft day most likely. As hockey fans know it centers on Halifax Mooseheads center Nathan MacKinnon, Portland Winterhawks defenseman Seth Jones and MacKinnon’s teammate in Halifax, Jonathan Drouin. Seth Jones is my number one overall prospect followed by Drouin and then MacKinnon. Some people may call me crazy for having MacKinnon at number three. Everyone knows that he’s a potential franchise player in the NHL with all the tools to succeed at the next level. However, …

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2013 Draft Eligibles: Sweden well represented once again; Lindholm, Wennberg, Burakovsky, de la Rose, Haag

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 04/29/2013 at 1:00 pm

Since the year 2000, there have been 29 Swedish born-and-bred players selected in the first round of the NHL draft — the highest number of those coming in 2009 with seven players selected overall. (Victor Hedman, TB, #2 overall, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, PHX, #6, Magnus Paajarvi, EDM, #10, David Rundblad, STL, #17, Jacob Josefson, NJ, #20, Tim Erxion, CGY, #23 and Marcus Johansson, WSH, #24). Last year, only two players were selected in the first round. If you recall, the Anaheim Ducks plucked defenseman Hampus Lindholm fourth overall from Rögle Bandyklubb and the Washington Capitals selected Filip Forsberg 13th overall from …

2013 Draft Eligibles: Sean Monahan is the year’s Sean Couturier

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 04/24/2013 at 9:00 am

For Ottawa 67’s center Sean Monahan, playing alongside Tyler Toffoli (47th overall, LA, ’10) Shane Prince (61st overall, OTT, ’11), and Cody Ceci (15th overall, OTT, ’12) for his first two seasons in the OHL proved to be valuable for the top OHL forward prospect in this year’s NHL draft. In 127 games playing with the trio of Ceci, Prince, and Toffoli, Monahan registered 53 goals and 125 points. These are impressive numbers for the 6’2 193 pound center from Brampton, Ontario but questions lingered about Monahan prior to the start of the 2012-13 OHL season. Can he do produce …

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Draft Eligibles 2013: Rasmus Ristolainen, the European Seth Jones?

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 04/16/2013 at 1:00 pm

Big, mean and Physical. Normally these are words one uses when describing a player from either Canada or the United States. However, for Finnish defensive prospect Rasmus Ristolainen these are the qualities that make him one of the best defensive prospect in the upcoming draft. In fact, many are comparing the game of Ristolainen to the consensus number one overall Seth Jones. I don’t think that’s a fair comparison at all, but I do see similarities in playmaking and skating ability. Seth Jones is a much better two-way player than Ristolainen in my opinion. At 6’3 210 pounds, scouts are …

College Hockey Roundup: Frozen Four Preview and Predictions; Whitehead ousted at Maine

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 04/10/2013 at 9:00 am

This week I’m taking a look at each match up and make my prediction for each. (Full disclosure I had two of the Frozen Four teams in my original predictions here. UMass-Lowell and St. Cloud State). For any of the four teams involved in the tournament, a win on Saturday night would clinch a first ever-national championship. Yale is the only team ever to advance this far and that was back in 1952. This tournament marks the first time the national semifinals do not feature at least one of Boston College, Boston University, Denver, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota or Wisconsin. No. 3 …

Draft Eligibles 2013: Is Quebec Remparts winger Adam Erne the next great Connecticut born player?

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 04/02/2013 at 1:00 pm

Like many elite hockey players across North America, living away from home is nothing new. In fact it’s the norm. For New Haven, Connecticut native and Quebec Remparts winger Adam Erne, being on the road is something he has grown accustomed too. So how does a kid from Connecticut wind up playing in one of the premier junior hockey leagues in the world? When Erne was 13 years old he moved from New England to California to play with the elite Los Angeles Kings Selects program. In fact, he actually billeted with the family of Tri-City Americans goalie Eric Comrie …

College Hockey Roundup: Avs assistant David Quinn named BU head coach; NCAA hockey predictions and more

By Tom Zulewski
Posted on 03/27/2013 at 9:00 am

Well that didn’t take too long did it? Less than 72 hours after Jack Parker’s final game guiding the Boston University men’s ice hockey program, the school found his replacement — and they decided to keep in the family. At a Tuesday morning press conference former Terrier defenseman and current Colorado Avalanche assistant coach, David Quinn was introduced as the man who will succeed Parker. Quinn, a native a Cranston, RI, was a first-round pick (13th overall) of the Minnesota North Stars back in 1984 out of Kent High School in Connecticut. Interestingly enough, Quinn was one of four American players taken …

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