First of all, where were all of you bashers during the past few seasons when Pogge was, for the lack of a better term, less than stellar in the minors. His struggles were well documented (by both Leaf haters and Leaf fans) but the majority of Leaf fans seemed to think, “Oh he’ll turn it around” or “You’ll see, he’s still our goalie for the future.” As soon of news of the trade broke, these same people seem to have flipped their position entirely, and now his is magically considered a bust, because they say so. Yes, a goals against average hovering close to 3, and a save percentage barely over .900 in the minors is weak, maybe even bad, but as much as it pains me to say this, the statistics don’t tell the whole story.

Over the course of his 3 years with the Marlies, I watched him. Although many nights he was off, he DID show improvement. For some reason he had the immense pressure of a high first round draft pick, even though he was a late 3rd rounder. There is a reason why he was drafted in the 3rd round, folks. He is still currently improving his game, and adjusting to the professional game. Yes it has been 3 seasons, but he still needs more time. People seem to forget that he is barely 23 years old. Goaltenders take a lot of time to reach their full potential. His potential is still there, which leads me to my second point.

HE IS NOT A BUST. Justin Pogge is still fully capable of being a starting goaltender in the NHL. I stick with the position I took in a scouting report I did on him a year ago. He was traded because he does not fit into the Leafs’ plans anymore. With Toskala and Gustavsson there for the time being, and Brian Burke very high on the other young Leaf netminder James Reimer, it was Pogge’s time to go. He was not traded because he is a bust (despite what people seem to think all of a sudden) he was traded because he wanted to get a fair crack at a starting NHL job, which he wasn’t going to get in Toronto.

Unfortunately for him, he isn’t going to get that crack in Anaheim either. Anaheim is absolutely loaded with depth at the goaltender position. Giguere and Hiller are going to be around long term, and according to HockeysFuture, there are at least 4 other goaltenders in Anaheim’s system that are ahead of Pogge in the depth charts.

Another small problem? Anaheim has no AHL affiliate. The Iowa Chops and the Ducks cut ties, and it has left the Ducks affiliate-less. That means Pogge will have to settle for playing maybe 20 games with some random AHL team that will take him aboard (seriously, who wants some other team’s goalie starting all the games for their AHL affiliate?) or accept a job playing in the ECHL for the Ducks affiliate in Idaho. It will be a trying year for Pogge.

If you can take one thing away from this article, it’s that Pogge is definitely not a bust, and he was traded because of the situation he was in didn’t allow for him to move up the depth chart.  Anaheim isn’t exactly the greatest situation for him either, though.

“We are thrilled and excited to be entering into this new partnership with Martin Brodeur,” said Ralph Trott, President and CEO of Sher-Wood Hockey
Inc. “Martin is a legend in the sport of hockey, and Sher-Wood has a great tradition with the sport. We think it is the perfect team.”Martin Brodeur said, “When I picked up the Sher-Wood stick it just felt right. I started out as a kid playing hockey in St. Leonard with a Sher-Wood stick. This feels like coming home. Not only is the Sher-Wood equipment superbly engineered for play at my level, but at the same time I feel like I am doing something to help re-energize a brand that has its roots right here in Ma Belle Province. “

I don’t really like the idea of switching equipment companies entirely. Goaltenders are very picky with how their equipment feels. I’m sure Martin put a lot of thought into the decision, and is comfortable with it. Note the fact that the new pads have the entire word “Sher-Wood” on them. They were going with the shortened version “SWD” the past couple of years, but seem to have switched back. Very weird, considering Reebok (or “RBK”) have done the exact same thing.

But there you have it, next season don’t look for Marty to be in his familiar equipment, instead he will be wearing all-new Sher-Wood pads. It is also likely that he will not have these pads in the new game, NHL 10. Sure it takes away from the realism a bit, but there’s not a lot that can be done about it. There is no word on how long the contract is for, all that has been said is that it is “long-term.”

Janus, a  Slovakian-born goaltender who wears the number 2, does not have size on his side. I’ve seen some places report him as 6 feet tall, but that may be a tad generous. I’d be surprised if he was even the slightest bit over 5′11. Even if he is actually 6 feet, that’s still small enough for me to be concerned. He plays junior hockey in the OHL for the Erie Otters. In his first year, he held his own on a terrible Erie team. The 13-29-3 record, 4.40 GAA, and .892 SV% do look terrible on paper, but he showed an improvement in his second year, and that’s all that matters. Not only did his stats improve, he posted a 25-20-4 record, 3.24 GAA, and .908 SV% his second year, but the team improved as well. The Otters went from 40 points to 73 points in only one year, and Janus’ play had a lot to do with that.

My main concern is still his lack of size. His small frame makes him very susceptible to getting beaten high. Although he does have tremendous reflexes to compensate, it’s simply not enough. He does like to flop a bit as well. Although this may work some nights, it leads to inconsistency, and it could be his downfall in the pro game. If his floppy style of play “stops working” so to say, when he turns pro, he probably won’t last long. I’d like to see him control himself a bit more. He likes to venture sometimes, and although that it can be a good thing in certain situations, it may also work against him. I want to see him work on staying true to his butterfly style a bit more, and just stay a tad more conservative when it comes to playing scramble-type situations in front of the net.

Like I said before, his reactions and reflexes are very good. He reads plays well, and although he does get a tad overly aggressive at times, he’s usually in a good position to make a save. Although he tends to lose site of the puck, his positioning and excellent recovery help him make the save. His recovery is actually really good, you barely ever see the guy down and out completely. He’s usually up and ready to make another save, which I like to see. He’s not the strongest when moving laterally, and can get caught behind the play. That’s not a good sign when that’s happening in Junior, because the speed only gets faster and faster as you make your way to the pro game. His butterfly style does help him compensate, though. He is usually very good at taking away the bottom portion of the net. Janus is also very flexible. That not only helps him when trying to come across laterally, but also in scrambling situations. Being flexible comes in handy often, and is a very underrated skill when evaluating goaltenders, in my opinion.

How will Janus end up? Well, if I had to make a prediction, I would say he should end up as one of those “bubble” players for the early part of his career. He may take quite some time to develop, so there’s no rushing him to the NHL. I could see him as a starter for maybe a few years, in his prime of course. It just wouldn’t be for very long, or for a very good team for that matter. Best case scenario? He becomes a reliable back-up, or on-the-verge starter for most of his career. Think of a smaller Antero Nittymaki, or a less talented version of Jaroslav Halak.

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed, and learned a thing or two about goaltending prospect Jaroslav Janus in the process. As always, I’d love to hear your feedback, so please leave a comment if you have anything to say!

First number is how I ranked them, second number is where they actually ended up.

1. NYI – John Tavares – 1
2. TB – Victor Hedman – 2
3. COL – Matt Duchene – 3
4. ATL – Jared Cowan – 9
5. LA – Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson – 10
6. PHX – Brayden Schenn – 5
7. TOR – Evander Kane – 4
8. DAL – Oliver Ekman-Larsson – 6
9. OTT – Nazem Kadri – 7
10. EDM – Jacob Josefson – 20
11. NSH – Jordan Schroeder – 22
12. MIN – Simon Despres – 30
13. BUF – Scott Glennie – 8
14. FLA – John Moore – 21
15. ANA – David Rundblad – 17
16. CLB – Zack Kassian – 13
17. STL – Carl Klingberg – 34
18. MTL – Ryan Ellis – 11
19. NYR – Carter Ashton – 29
20. CGY – Olivier Roy – 133
21. PHI – Peter Holland – 15
22. VAN – Dmitry Kulikov – 14
23. NJ – Louis Leblanc – 18
24. WSH – Nick Leddy – 16
25. BOS – Kyle Palmieri – 26
26. NYI(From SJ) – Calvin De Haan – 12
27. CAR – Chris Kreider – 19
28. CHI – Marcus Johansson – 24
29. DET – Stefan Elliott – 49
30. PIT – Tim Erixon – 23

My first installment is on Swedish netminder Jonas Gustavsson. He’s been highly touted as the “best goaltender outside of the NHL” and has been rumoured to be coming over to the NHL to play next season. The 24 year-old has apparently been in contact with the Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Sharks, and Stars. We still don’t know where he’s going to end up, and it’s almost July 1st. Now, I’ve watched as much tape as I could possibly scrounge up on the internet on this guy, and I think I’m ready to give you the facts about Jonas Gustavsson. Is he the real deal? Read on to find out…

First thing that gets noticed about Gustavsson is obviously his size. The guy is huge. He has a 6 foot 4 frame, and knows how to use it. He has been given the nickname “the monster” for good reason. He has a strict butterfly style, and rarely ventures away from it. He doesn’t get caught out of position very often, but when he does, he scrambles well. He has a knack for always knowing where the puck is, even on tips, and in fast-paced scenarios. That’s not something you can teach, and I’m very happy to see that from the guy. His awareness is honestly better than a lot of current NHL starters.

His butterfly style allows him to cover the bottom half of the net very easily. His legs are so long, and take up so much net, shooters shouldn’t even try to score down low on the guy. What if they try to shoot high? He has solid reflexes to fall back on. Reflexes + Size is always a good combo in my books. Another thing I noticed is the fact that he doesn’t challenge a whole lot. He can get away with it, though, because of his size and reflexes. He definitely likes to stay back in his net, more so than most butterfly goaltenders.

He is very good at reading plays. I’ve seen him get out of some very tough situations, because he knew exactly what the other player was going to do. I don’t know if that’s just ability on his part, or if he studies shooters a lot, but it definitely shows. That ability to read plays also shows in his puckhandling. He doesn’t look like the greatest puckhandling goalie ever, but he is able to pass the puck up to his teammates in opportunistic situations. He has a good temper as well, I saw him get hacked at after the whistle a few times, but he just let his defenceman take care of the situation, and skated away.

Now that’s the good. But like every goalie, not every part of his game is that great. Some things I noticed:

He has good, not great rebound control. Same goes for shot recovery. I’d even venture to say that his rebound control is below average for a butterfly goaltender such as himself. His shot recovery could also use some work. Sure he’s able to scramble and make some magnificent saves, but it takes him a very long time to get back up, set, and ready to go.

Maybe I’m just expecting too much because of his great size. I expect him to be able to push across a lot better than most smaller goalies, but the fact is, he’s very average in that department. He doesn’t look exceptionally strong when pushing across. Sure, he’s big and flexible which helps him get by, but his lateral movement could really use some work.

My last point is very important, probably the biggest thing that stood out to me. He is very, very patient. He never makes the first move ever. This bodes well for most situations when it’s, say, and odd man rush, a breakaway, or a penalty kill, but it could backfire on him in the NHL. The main thing that worries me is that he will take a long time to adjust to the speed of the NHL. Sure, he plays with men right now, so it’s not like some kid coming out of junior, but there still is that period of adjustment. If he’s overly patient in the NHL, he could be caught watching plays happen around him, and become very ineffective.

He may never adjust to the NHL, and that worries me. The raw talent, and sheer size is there. If he’ll be as effective in the NHL remains to be seen. Any team that takes him is taking a gamble, of course, but he has a very high ceiling. I’m talking Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist kind of ceiling. Only time will tell, though. I just can’t wait to see what he can do against NHL shooters, and I’m eager to watch him play.

1. NYI – John Tavares
2. TB – Victor Hedman
3. COL – Matt Duchene
4. ATL – Jared Cowan
5. LA – Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson
6. PHX – Brayden Schenn
7. TOR – Evander Kane
8. DAL – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
9. OTT – Nazem Kadri
10. EDM – Jacob Josefson
11. NSH – Jordan Schroeder
12. MIN – Simon Despres
13. BUF – Scott Glennie
14. FLA – John Moore
15. ANA – David Rundblad
16. CLB – Zack Kassian
17. STL – Carl Klingberg
18. MTL – Ryan Ellis
19. NYR – Carter Ashton
20. PHX(From CGY Conditionally) – Olivier Roy
21. PHI – Peter Holland
22. VAN – Dmitry Kulikov
23. NJ – Louis Leblanc
24. WSH – Nick Leddy
25. BOS – Kyle Palmieri
26. NYI(From SJ) – Calvin De Haan
27. CAR – Chris Kreider
28. CHI – Marcus Johansson
29. DET – Stefan Elliott
30. PIT – Tim Erixon

A few notes of interest, the number 20 pick is conditional. Phoenix can either choose to use Calgary’s first round pick this year, or next year, and will wait until the pick comes up to decide. I have a strong feeling that they will choose to use it this year, based on Calgary’s poor playoff performance (they now have a somewhat lower pick) so they may think that this is the best pick they can get. Also, they are desparate for a goaltending prospect, so I think the time would be right to select Olivier Roy. He’s not neccesarily first round talent, but he’s my #1 ranked goalie, and I think they would be willing to take a stab at him, especially since they also have the #6 pick.

Now while Pittsburgh soaks up the next few days, you can guess what the other 29 teams will be thinking about. Next season, starting with the Draft, then the opening day of free agency. You can tell that’s what they’re thinking about just by looking at some of the stories that have been reported in the past few days.

Lets start with the Flyers and their goaltending situation. Earlier this week the Flyers announced the signing of Ray Emery to a one-year $1.5 million contract. Many see it as a low-risk, high-reward kind of deal. I think any time you deal with Ray Emery, the situation is high risk. I’m not saying he’s a bad guy, but he has the capability of bringing down a team from the inside. What’s the best scenario? He has a stellar year, the Flyers go far in the playoffs riding his play, and he asks for major bucks in the off season, or leaves the team. That being said, this is Emery’s second chance at an NHL career, so to speak. He blew his first chance in Ottawa, so you can bet he won’t want to screw up his second chance in Philly. I really hope he stays on his best behaviour and succeeds, I really do. Then today we are hit with another shocker. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Flyers are interested in bringing Robert Esche back! He had a stellar year playing in the KHL, posting a 1.87 goals against average and .912 save percentage. If that report turns out to be true, you can kiss Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki’s butts goodbye.

But then we’re forced to wonder, is a Emery-Esche tandem that much of an upgrade over a Biron-Niittymaki tandem? Is it even an upgrade at all? Sure they save a few bucks under the cap, but is it really worth taking such a risk with your goaltending situation? Only time will tell.

Then there was the Score’s report of Pronger being traded to LA for Jack Johnson and the 5th overall pick in this year’s draft. I saw that as soon as I turned on my TV and sat back, thought about it for a second, then muttered “What the hell is Los Angeles thinking??” Sure, lets trade away the 5th overall pick (Who I have as Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson in the Everything Hockey mock draft) and Jack Johnson, a former 3rd overall pick, for an older Chris Pronger, who has 1 year left on his contract and makes just over 4 million dollars more than Johnson. I really really hope LA has some kind of plan for this, like signing him to an extension and naming him captain or something. Seems to me like they could have just kept Rob Blake, a much cheaper leader.

I said that 29 teams will be thinking of next season already, but one team has a very unique situation. The Phoenix Coyotes aren’t just worried about their product on the ice, they are also worried about where the ice they will skate on will be located. Let me begin by saying I am a completely biased Hamiltonian. I have refrained from writing about the deal because of my bias. I would thouroughly enjoy having an NHL team in this city, as would hundreds of other people I know, but especially me seeing as how it would open all sorts of doors for jobs, especially in the media. So when you make the argument about how moving the team out of Phoenix will take away hundreds of jobs, think of all the jobs it would open up, especially to people like me! We all know what’s happening in terms of the court preceedings and so-on, so I won’t bore you with that. I just want you to know that the fan support for an NHL team in Hamilton is very real. The team will be immensly popular, and the area is a hockey gold mine. Oh…and Jim Balsillie for Prime Minister!

Now, without further ado, here are picks #6-#10 in the Everything Hockey Mock Draft 09:

#6 overall – Phoenix Coyotes select: Centre – Brayden Schenn – Brandon Wheat Kings

Schenn will be added to the quickly growing crop of young stars in Phoenix. With ownership stability up in the air, and a couple rebuilding years looming, Phoenix will be looking to add the best player available. Schenn is as much of a sure bet as they come. I’m not sure if he’ll make as quick of an impact as his brother Luke did, but we’ll see. With many scouts comparing him to the Flyers’ Mike Richards, you can expect him to turn out to be a gritty, 2-way, hard working forward. Phoenix would probably like to add a legit goaltending prospect, especially with rumours of Ilya Bryzgalov being traded, but like I said before, this year’s crop is way to weak to justify a top ten pick.

#7 overall – Toronto Maple Leafs select: Centre – Evander Kane – Vancouver Giants

The Leafs would be thrilled to see Kane drop to #7 and would gladly “settle for him.” Even if the reports of an attitude problem are true, GM Brian Burke would be sure to set him straight. The Leafs are not an organization that takes a lot of crap from people (except on the ice, of course). If the Leafs do end up setting him straight, they will have made a great selection at pick #7. This is assuming, of course, that Burke fails in his attempt to move up. If he reaches his potential, he could easily carry an entire team’s offense. Brian Burke has also stated that he does not look at position when drafting, it’s all about who the best player available is.

#8 overall – Dallas Stars select: Defenceman – Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Leksands IF

Dallas needs help in a lot of places. Their list of bona fide prospects isn’t all that big, most of them are on the team already. They’ll be happy to take anyone, really. I think Ekman-Larsson just fits in nicely with the Stars’ system. A big stud on defence may help turn the tide for them. The season was very up and down for the Stars, and some solid defence may add some stability to their lineup.

#9 overall – Ottawa Senators select: Centre – Nazem Kadri – London Knights

The Ottawa Senators have a ton of firepower. Heatley, Spezza, Alfredsson and the gang sure know how to put the puck in the back of the net, but generating scoring chances was a problem for them this season. A big playmaking Centre like Kadri would be a welcome addition to their offence, and if he’s still around at #9, they’ll definitely take him. When I say “big playmaking centre” I don’t mean it in a physical sense, at 5′11 – 175 he certainly won’t be intimidating many players. I say it in a game-breaking sense. Kadri’s speed and grit can generate a ton of offense for a team.

#10 overall – Edmonton Oilers select: Centre – Jacob Josefson – Djurgardens IF

Jacob Josefson didn’t impress very many scouts at the World Juniors, but in his defense, he was very sick. He was held pointless, and was a minus 1 in the tournament. He speed is something to behold, and he put up very solid numbers in the Swedish league, especially since he was playing on the fourth line, and against grown men. He’s a bit of a project pick, but he certainly has a bright future. he is sometimes described as a “typical Swedish forward,”  and you can expect him to develop in Sweden for a few more years before heading over to North America.

That concludes the top ten picks in the Everything Hockey mock draft. Here is #1-5 in detail, and here it all is in list form:

1. NYI – John Tavares
2. TB – Victor Hedman
3. COL – Matt Duchene
4. ATL – Jared Cowan
5. LA – Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson
6. PHX – Brayden Schenn
7. TOR – Evander Kane
8. DAL – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
9. OTT – Nazem Kadri
10. EDM – Jacob Josefson

I hope you have enjoyed my preview so far. Once the Stanley Cup final has concluded I will put up the rest of the results. Let me know what you think, if you agree or disagree with one of my picks. Drop a comment and see you next time!

“I’ve watched more hockey in the last two months than my whole life, combined,” said Rodriguez. “I never knew anything about hockey before, but I think I have a new appreciation for Canadians and the passion they have for hockey. It’s been awesome. I can’t get enough of it.”

Well, I can’t say that it makes me a fan of his, especially since the heat is still on because of his admission of taking steroids, but it is a small victory in the fight to earn my respect. Maybe he can get some of the other Yankees interested as well. Could we see him in the stands of the Madison Square Garden next season, taking in a Rangers game? Who knows. Rodriguez went on to say:

“I like that Alex guy, No. 8 (Ovechkin) and I love (Sidney) Crosby and I like the Rangers. So many of the (Canadian) baseball players were former hockey players. I like talking to them about it now.”

He’ll learn the names eventually, I guess. That got me thinking, though. What if A-Rod tries to become the next multi-sport athlete? He’ll likely stay in New York, so…

I have evaluated each team, and have a pretty good idea of who they plan on going after in this draft. Some teams need desperate help in a certain area, others will just draft who they think is the best available player at the time. Of course, all of this is barring any kind of trade where a team moves up, which is very possible. I can only go up to the first 14 picks, because the playoffs decide where all of the other teams pick. Here are the first 5 picks in this years’ draft, including a detailed explanation:

#1 overall – New York Islanders select: Centre - John Tavares - London Knights

Lets face it, there is no way the Islanders will pass on this guy. Unless someone approaches the Islanders with a hugely one-sided deal, I think this pick is a lock. Even if someone does offer up a huge trade for the first overall pick, GM Garth Snow will have to think long and hard about it. Tavares is the game-breaker that the Islanders desperately need. I really don’t think they will pass that up.

#2 overall – Tampa Bay Lightning select: Defenceman – Victor Hedman – Modo Hockey

If Tavares goes first like we all expect him to go, the Lightning will snatch up Victor Hedman. Hedman is no small consolation prize either, every team wishes they could get their hands on the 6′6 220 pounder. The Lightning have always struggled with defence, and Hedman should fit in nicely. Mike Smith will love having this guy play in front of him. Hedman’s not known for his offense, but he should contribute.

#3 overall – Colorado Avalanche select: Centre – Matt Duchene – Brampton Battalion

Colorado would love to add a top prospect goalie into their mix of prospects, but with the #3 pick, Duchene is too good to pass up. A little on the small side, but his speed and skill should provide Colorado with strength down the middle for years to come. He’s a very low risk pick, one scout even was quoted saying that the worst possible outcome of drafting Duchene would be that he would become a steady #2 centre. The Avalanche will snatch him up with the #3 pick if they get the chance.

#4 overall – Atlanta Thrashers select: Defenceman – Jared Cowen – Spokane Chiefs

The Thrashers are in need of a big-time game changing defenceman, and while they’d love to get Hedman, they’ll have to settle with the #2 rated defenceman in this year’s draft, Jared Cowan. He’s smaller than Hedman, at 6′5 218 pounds, but size is all you can compare the two with. Where Hedman is a strong two-way defenceman, Cowen is very much a defensive-minded defenceman. He is very steady in his own end, and could have been in the running for the top pick this year if he didn’t end up getting injured. He may take a few years in the minors to refine his game, but taking Cowen with the #4 selection isn’t a bad deal at all.

#5 overall – Los Angeles Kings select: Left Winger – Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson – Timra IK

The Kings have drafted a number of defenceman in the past two drafts, Thomas Hickey 4th overall in 2007, Drew Doughty 3rd overall in 2008, Colten Teubert 13th overall in 2008, and Vyacheslav Voinov 32nd overall in 2008 just to name a few. With Jonathan Bernier well on his way to becoming their #1, they have their back-end set up nicely. That’s why I think the Kings will go out and take the skilled playmaking forward Paajarvi-Svensson (or Svensson-Paajarvi, whatever floats your boat) with the 5th pick if he’s available when they make their selection. Alexander Frolov, Anze Kopitar, and Jarret Stoll are already established scorers at the NHL level, and the playmaking of Paajarvi-Svensson should compliment them nicely. I really think he’s a perfect fit for the Kings’ system, and they should enjoy what he has to bring to the table.

That’s all for now, I will slowly be releasing the rest of the draft as the playoffs finish up, and we work our way towards the big day. I hope you enjoyed, and I would love to hear who you think teams will draft and why.