So it’s that time of year again, the playoffs are getting close to finishing, and fans of teams that are out of it are getting excited for the upcoming draft on June 26th. Each team must evaluate where they need immediate help, where they are lacking in depth, and what they can do to fix each issue. The draft is a great way to fix many of those problems. One good draft can turn a franchise around, especially if you have a top five pick. Almost every single player in the league today was drafted, so I can’t help but wonder who the next superstar might be that comes from this draft (aside from Tavares).
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:
Tags: 2009, avalanche, cowen, draft, duchene, hedman, islanders, kings, lightning, NHL, paajarvi-svensson, tavares, thrashers