Dallas Stars Draft Review
This draft was all about risk reward for me. I fully intended to take players that had some questions marks about them (for one reason or another) if I believed they had a shot to outperform their respective draft position
#3 – Alex Galchenyuk
Galchenyuk was the player I wanted; behind Yakapov he was my clear cut #2. While not really playing last year makes him a very risky player, I am still very impressed with his overall game which certainly slants more towards being a top-tier offensive player. In addition to his on ice skill, I have been really impressed with his off-ice demeanor and attitude in interviews (very excited, confident but humble). I was pleased to see that he performed so physically well at the combine as he clearly has been working hard despite being injured. Really excited to add him to the Dallas organization – now I just hope he ends up in a NHL system that can develop him properly.
#26 – Mark Jankowski
Jankowski is not the player I wanted at 26 despite making a last minute trade to acquire the pick. I had Hartl and Koekkoek in mind (both still available) when I made the trade with LA to get #26. Funny enough, LA scooped both these players up right in front of me. HA! So I defaulted back to my risk/reward stance with Jankowski. Has really impressive numbers and an attractive size and overall skillset, however, his competition was pretty weak so it’s hard to get a good read. All the same, I took the gamble and hope he can develop into the player some (button…ugh!) seem to think he can be while attending Providence College. I would not be shocked for this pick to turn into a total bust!
#93 Josh Anderson
I’ll steal a write-up on him…
A big power winger with some very underrated hands and speed. He skates with a nice powerful stride and has some good agility in his feet, allowing him to gain speed and power by defenders. He shows a willingness to play a physical game, battle for pucks and use his strength to his advantage. He has very quick hands and a hard shot that make him dangerous once he gains possession. He pushes hard on the forecheck and finishes all of his checks. He thinks the game well, has decent vision and has a good understanding of what he needs to do on the ice. He is at his best when he grabs the puck, lowers his shoulder and bowls over defenders on the way to the net. He has a bull-like attitude but lacks the strength to play that style effectively as he is very thin. Once this kid adds more muscle to his still-growing frame, he could be one of this draft’s top hidden talents. The projectable upside is huge with Anderson as he has been buried on a strong Knights squad this year.
Overall it was a fun day. I got Galchenyuk which was all I was really looking for. Thanks again to all the other GMs that made the day go so smoothly.
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All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity - Gordie Howe
Last edited by TurdFerguson; 06-18-2012 at 01:38 PM.
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