Dbostrom/Flickr

Recent reports from Darren Dreger say that New York Rangers coach John Tortorella could be out of a job if the Rangers fail to advance in the playoffs. It’s entirely possible with Glen Sather picking up Rick Nash and shipping Marian Gaborik to Columbus that Tortorella may not be the coach Sather is looking for.

If Sather gives Tortorella the ol’ heave-ho, might I suggest one thing? How about Tortorella returns to his old roots and head back up to his old stomping grounds of the University of Maine? The Black Bears desperately need a new head coach after the Tim Whitehead disaster and Tortorella is the coach this program needs.

Black Bears History Lesson

A little back story on Tortorella’s UMaine past, he and his brother, Jim, both played for the Black Bears with John was a winger and Jim a goaltender. John Tortorella is on the school’s athletic Hall of Fame wall, along with Jim, and graduated from the Orono, Maine school in 1981. So, there is a lot of history there.

The program that legendary Shawn Walsh had built up came crashing down during the tenure of Tim Whitehead. Sure, Whitehead led the team to a couple of National Championship appearances, one that should have been a victory in 2002 if it weren’t for a questionable tripping call in overtime, but the team had regressed under Whitehead. The firing of Whitehead was long overdue and brought much jubilation to Black Bear fans across the Pine Tree State.

This Black Bears program is a very proud one making eleven Frozen Fours since 1988, but haven’t made a trip since 2007. The five year NCAA Tournament drought between 2007-2012 was the longest since before Shawn Walsh came to Orono. So, to put it lightly, Tim Whitehead has seriously damaged this program and they need a savior.

Chances Tortorella Comes to Maine

John Tortorella (James Guillory-US PRESSWIRE)

It’s a long shot, at best, for Tortorella to take the job at Maine. Firstly, we don’t even know if he’ll be let go by the Rangers. The reports by Dreger are just speculation and the Rangers are still in the playoffs, they can still make a run and win the Stanley Cup. I’m not an NHL executive, but I’m pretty sure a Stanley Cup title gets you off the hot seat.

Secondly, even if Tortorella is let go, he still has a great resume and I’m sure other NHL clubs would be very interested in him. He’s already won a Stanley Cup with the one time hapless Tampa Bay Lightning and has a perennial contender in the New York Rangers. It would seem unlikely that he would want to take a step down into the NCAA ranks, but anything can happen.

What Tortorella Would Bring to the Black Bears

Tortorella is the kind of coach that UMaine needs right now. Tortorella is a very fiery coach and expects more out of every single one of his players. The Black Bears have a talented squad that, at times, have shown brilliance last season, but could never stay consistent. Tortorella would have never accepted the play the Black Bears produced last season and would have challenged them to play up to their potential and not embarrass the program.

If former coach Tim Whitehead was able to recruit Gustav Nyquist, just think of what John Tortorella could do for the program. (Dennis Pause/Flickr)

Also, just think of the recruiting job Torts would do for Maine. Tim Whitehead was able to recruit some pretty good players to Maine, like Jimmy Howard, Gustav Nyquist, and Dustin Penner to name a few. Tortorella could bring in great talent and make sure that they would play to the potential they should be. He has a great NHL resume and is familiar with what the university can give to a student-athlete. It’s really a perfect fit and if all else fails when trying to land that top talent, he could always flash him that 2004 Stanley Cup ring. That should help reel in some players.

It’s possible that John could bring in his brother, Jim, who is an assistant coach with rival New Hampshire. Maine is a team that has always taken pride in its goaltending, pumping out future NHLers like Ben Bishop, Mike Dunham, Jimmy Howard, and Garth Snow. Jim, a former goaltender for the Black Bears, can help bring some of that old goaltender magic back to Orono. Maine has struggled in recent years with a position that they were so strong on for so many years and maybe a new goaltending coach is necessary.

Who Else is in Line

Let’s just say that John Tortorella stays in New York or is fired and doesn’t want to come to UMaine. Then what’s next for the Black Bears?

There has been a groundswell for UMaine to bring in former captain Jim Montgomery as coach, but the University of Denver beat the Black Bears to the punch. Montgomery was the captain of the greatest team that Maine produced and one of the greatest teams in college history. The 1992-93 Maine Black Bears lost just one game and tied another two en route to the program’s first National Championship. Montgomery’s hire would have been very popular, but they can only just wonder now on what could have been.

So, now that Montgomery is off the board and say Tortorella doesn’t come to Maine, who do they target next? If I were the AD of UMaine, the first name I’d look at after Tortorella is another NHL coach.

Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Greg Cronin could be a name to look out for. He already was an interim coach at Maine while Shawn Walsh was suspended for rules infractions and performed pretty well. Cronin was able to lead the Black Bears to the Hockey East championship game before losing to the Providence Friars.

Cronin also has experience at the college level coaching Northeastern for six seasons. Although the Huskies didn’t do a whole lot during his six seasons there, his NHL coaching experience could loom large. The Leafs had a pretty good run this season and Cronin had something to do with that. He can instill his NHL knowledge into the young players and make them play smarter than others.

Of course though, my top choice would be John Tortorella. It’s a long shot, but something that the folks at the University of Maine should look at if the Rangers part ways with Tortorella.

Author information

Mark Wallace Graham

Mark Wallace Graham has been an Edmonton Oilers writer for TheHockeyWriters.com since March 2013. Lifelong hockey fan and perhaps the only Oiler fan in all of New England. Follow me on Twitter, @MarkWGraham

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Less than three years ago Ryan Johansen was drafted to be the playmaking center that had eluded the Jackets since their inception. Last week Johansen, the fourth overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, was a healthy scratch for the AHL Springfield Falcons. A new low point in what has been a roller coaster of a career to say the least.

Falcons coach Brad Larsen revealed John Davidson and company were on board with the scratch. Were they trying to motivate the 20-year-old or did he truly not play well enough to warrant an AHL roster spot? Regardless, the latest unfortunate development in the Ryan Johansen saga begs the question: is the former Winterhawks star on thin ice in Columbus?

Flashes of Talent

Back in February, Johansen was demoted to Springfield after a rough start with the big club. He shortly earned his way back and eventually became a key player in the Blue Jackets playoff run scoring the go-ahead goal in final minute of the club’s crucial April victory over the Sharks.

Ryan Johansen (Courtesy of the Columbus Blue Jackets)

The demotion seemed to inspire Johansen, who ended the season with 12 points. It’s an improvement, but 12 points is far from living up to the expectations for a top five pick three years into his professional career. Johansen never fully recovered from -8 plus/minus that contributed to his return to the AHL, ending the NHL season at -7, but his two way game improved a great deal following his February stint with the Falcons.

There were moments where Johansen looked like a bonafide top six player, but not often enough to be considered a consistent threat in the offensive zone. When he’s on Johansen shows elite vision and finesse, but inconsistency and a habit of disappearing for shifts at a time has to concern the Jackets revamped front office who, by the way, had nothing to do with Johansen’s selection.

Earning His Place

Johansen is far from a lock to make the Blue Jackets in October. The Springfield Falcons were one of the best teams in the AHL in 2012-13 finishing second in the Eastern Conference. The Falcons season came to a disappointing end at the hands of the Jackets’ former affiliate the Syracuse Crunch. In the final game of the series, the Falcons facing a sweep and desperate for a win, coach Larsen opted to make Johansen a healthy scratch. Failing to make the AHL squad in their time of need does not bode well for Johansen’s future at the next level.

Ignoring obvious variables, Johansen ending the season as a scratch for Springfield means that of the 50 or so guys in the system trying to make Columbus’ roster more than 40 of them are ahead of Johansen going into the offseason. And that’s before you factor in the Blue Jackets’ three first round selections, potential free agents, and impending arrival of Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray.

Victim of Change

The culture is changing in Columbus. The NHL’s perennial bottomfeeder is suddenly brimming with potential led by some of the most respected decision makers in the game. The Blue Jackets rise was due mostly to the emergence of unexpected contributors, like Dalton Prout and Mark Letestu, who bought into Coach Todd Richards’ system and earned their ice time.

New CBJ President of Hockey Operations, John Davidson

Meanwhile, prospects of (supposedly) higher pedigrees were fighting for playing time. Derick Brassard, another first round forward, and John Moore, the Jackets’ first pick the year before Johansen, were shipped to New York in favor of 31-year-old Marian Gaborik. Steve Mason, once a Calder Trophy winner, failed to keep up with Sergei Bobrovsky and was moved to the Flyers at the deadline.

John Davidson’s philosophy is a stark change from the Scott Howson regime. The new Jackets brass emphasizes earning your spot and has shown no hesitation to demote players that aren’t producing. It doesn’t matter how high you were drafted or how many zeros are on your paycheck, if you don’t perform you aren’t getting ice time.

Ryan Johansen’s potential is vast, but the results thus far are unacceptable for a franchise as desperate for scoring as Columbus. In his defense, the Jackets have been a mess since Johansen’s arrival and he’s yet to spend a full season in Columbus. Excuses, justified or not, will not help his case. Make no mistake, the time for Ryan Johansen to prove his play can live up to the hype is running short.

The investment the Jackets made in Johansen less than three years ago coupled with flashes of brilliance should be enough to keep him on the roster in 2013-14. It’s unlikely another team would give Columbus the value they’d demand to trade the erratic forward. At 20-years-old it would be absurd to give up on Johansen, but he’s got a long way to go to prove himself to a new regime that doesn’t owe him anything.

The 2013-14 season will be a crossroads for Johansen. If he fails to earn significant playing time or again falls to Springfield it may well be his last season in the Blue Jackets organization. On the other hand, Johansen could also be heading for a breakout season in 2013-14 that would solidify him a cornerstone for the young franchise to build on. The Jackets have the cap room, prospects, and draft picks to put surround him with the best talent he’s ever played with. That is, of course, if he can make the team.

Author information

Roarke Boes

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

It left a void in the captaincy of the Buffalo Sabres.

The team, in what many feel was the right decision so late in the season, decided against naming a captain, instead naming three alternates: Thomas Vanek, Drew Stafford, and Steve Ott.

For quite some time, there has been a noticeable void in the leadership department for the Sabres.  There has been a lack of a clearcut leader going all the way back to the 2003-04 season: that year, Lindy Ruff (then coach), began using rotating captains. The closest he’d come to a true leader was having Daniel Briere and Chris Drury split the duties as co-captains from 2005-2007.

Since then, it was back to rotating captains.  The team thought it found stability enough to name a single captain for good but the problem was that it was new-comer Craig Rivet. What does it say about the team when the guy who just walked through the door is supposed to be the leader.

After Rivet’s departure in 2011, the team captaincy belonged to Pominville until his trade at the deadline this past season.

Avoiding the naming of a captain was the right decision; it avoids naming a defacto captain just to name one and allows the players and coaching staff to make a proper selection heading into next season.

With that in mind, who exactly is there and what do they have to offer? The sad part is that there are few candidates. This is due in part to the transition into a rebuild; younger players drive them so veteran leadership is at a premium. So who are the prime candidates to succeed Pominville and adorn the “C” on their chest?

Thomas Vanek

Why he should be captain: The 29-year-old Austrian is the Sabres best skater and arguably it’s best overall player (Ryan Miller is certainly in that conversation). Many subscribe to the theme that your best player and your captain are often one in the same.

Thomas Vanek has been all over the net this season (clydeorama/Flickr)

Vanek’s role as captain would be to not only lead his team, both vocally and on the ice, but to guide the young players that the Sabres hope will become the foundation of the team. With a proven star like Vanek guiding them, his influence could run deep and help fuel the next level of success in Buffalo.

Not only that but, as many know, Vanek has made it known that he doesn’t plan to be apart of a long rebuild and might want out of town should that be the case. He will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2013/14 season and could walk away should Buffalo not deal him before then.

Would the captaincy (and a truckload of cash) be incentive for him to stay? Buffalo fans feel that he’s the face of the franchise and many would like to see him stay a Sabre for the remainder of his career. The captaincy would not only show him that this is his team but would add to his legacy in Buffalo.

Why he shouldn’t be captain: If he was a leader, wouldn’t he have been named captain back in 2011 after Craig Rivet left? Most considered him to be the superior player in comparison with Pominville, yet it was the latter who was named captain.

While it’s easy for us, the fan, to make assumptions about leadership of a hockey team, it is true that we don’t know what goes on inside the dressing room.  And perhaps Pominville made his presence known there — giving the necessary speeches, saying the necessary things, being that driving motivational force — that made it easy to put the “C” on his chest. Given his demeanor on the ice, it’s hard to understand but without being there, we don’t know that.

But for Vanek to be the better player, the traditionally more productive player, and the more visible face of this franchise, it said a great deal that he wasn’t put in that position.

Steve Ott

Why he should be captain: Coming over from Dallas during the off-season in a trade for center Derek Roy, Ott brought exactly what the Sabres were looking for: sandpaper, sandpaper, and more sandpaper. He knows his reputation and he knows his role: get under the skin of the opposition without crossing that line.

Steve Ott (Andy Martin Jr.)

For the most part, “Otter” did that: jawing with opponents, mucking it up with them after the whistle, and unleashing an array of big hits throughout the season. Matter of fact, he threw so many of them, he finished tied for third in the league with 187 total.

While Ott doesn’t contribute offensively the way Vanek does, it’s clear that Ott’s motivational tactics are more vocal. He’s always talking, always making his presence felt on the ice even in ways that go unseen by many fans, and always trying to pump up his team.

Why he shouldn’t be the captain: Remember when we talked about not crossing that line? Ott struggles with that aspect sometimes. He can jaw too much, fly around just a bit too much, and give a little extra English after the play that can cost him.

To some, this isn’t the way to represent your franchise and lead the troops. Ott sometimes engages in theatrics — hand gestures, over-the-top faces — that some feel aren’t befitting of a captain.

It’s also something to point out that he wasn’t captain in Dallas but when you’re playing behind Mike Modano and Brendan Morrow, it’s not exactly a huge detriment that you couldn’t unseat one of them as captain.

So Who’s The Captain?

I’ll address that after I tell you who will be captain, not who should be captain.

Thomas Vanek will be the next captain of the Buffalo Sabres and I can’t really hate that decision. He’s the star, he’s the face of the franchise, and he’s now one of the most veteran of veterans on a very young team. Not only that, but being given the captaincy could be one of the incentives offered by the Sabres in return for re-signing in Buffalo.

Who should be the captain? Ott and here’s why: pushing aside the point that, if Vanek were the leader the Sabres wanted, he would’ve been named captain long ago, Steve Ott oozes leadership.

Certainly, he has his questionable moments and gets a little over zealous when trying to get under the skin of the opposition but it’s easy to see his impact on this team and I’m not speaking of the stat sheet.

Sure, his detractors will point to some of his antics and ask “is this how we want to be viewed? With this guy as our captain?” The fact of the matter is that it doesn’t matter a lick what the league thinks of our choice as captain. If he’s the best fit for this team then to hell with everybody else.

He’s not Steve Yzerman, he’s not Jonathan Toews, and he’s not Mark Messier, but Steve Ott leads this team vocally and emotionally and there really isn’t anyone else like him on this team.

So with all due respect to Thomas Vanek, Steve Ott should be named captain because leading isn’t just about making the most money or scoring the most goals.

Follow me on Twitter: @RWTFC

Author information

Ryan Womeldorf

I'm a lifelong Buffalo sports fan who writes for The Farm Club, The Hockey Writers, and Get Real Hockey. I'm also known to babble about pro wrestling and, no, I have no mental difficiencies. That I'm aware of. Seriously.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Shane Doan

Shane Doan committed to the Phoenix Coyotes last summer and now it’s time for him to be rewarded.  One off-season removed from his UFA experience, Phoenix Coyotes Captain Shane Doan must be wondering what he got himself into?  Last summer, Doan’s biggest concern was whether the Coyotes would be able to find an owner that was going to keep the team in Arizona.  If you remember, he postponed his self-imposed signing deadlines more than once to give prospective buyer Greg Jamison time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on his purchase of the team.  Well, it’s almost one year later and he will probably have to make a new list of concerns.  Let’s have some fun and see if we can guess what would be on that list.

The Captains Concerns:

1. Ownership? 

Huh? Wasn’t that addressed last summer? Answer — No!!  He though it was. By now, everybody has heard over and over and over, about the on again, off again, on again bid to buy the Phoenix Coyotes.  I am not going to dwell on this topic for too long because everybody in the “Free World” is sick of it.

I truly believe that this deal will get done sooner rather than later by one of the following:

A. Renaissance Sports and Entertainment (RSE)

B. Darin Pastor

C. Greg Jamison

D. ???? ?????

2. General Manager?

Coyotes GM, Don Maloney, has a contract that will be expiring at the end of June.  It’s pretty hard for the GM to plan for the future when he doesn’t know where he will be working.   Now in saying this, I’m sure that the first things on Don Maloney’s wish list would be a new owner, to sign a nice long-term contract and to start getting ready for the 2013-14 season.  He has a lot of work to do.

3. Coach?

Coyotes Head Coach, Dave Tippett, also has a contract that expires at the end of June.  Much like his GM, I’m sure his wish list is very similar.  Tippett would love to see the Coyotes get a  new owner, sign a nice long-term contract and start getting ready for the 2013-14 season.  He has a lot of work to do also.  If Tippett does hit the open market, he will be candidate #1 for teams looking for a Head Coach.

4. Starting Goalie?

Mike Smith (Ric Tapia/Icon SMI)

Phoenix Coyotes goaltender, Mike Smith, will become an Unrestricted Free Agent this summer on July 5th.  Smith is the prized UFA in this summers free agent market.  He is coming off a solid performance in the World Championships playing for Team Canada and now is being mentioned as a candidate for Canada’s Olympic Hockey Team.  Not bad negotiating leverage!  Now in saying this, I’m sure that Mike Smith also has a similar wish list as his GM and Head Coach.  I’m sure he would love to see a new owner, sign a nice long-term contract and to start getting ready for the 2013-14 season.  He has a lot to prove.

Recurring Theme Here?

Of course, there is a recurring theme here.  Everything about this organisation is at the mercy of Gary Bettman and the NHL getting a deal done with one of the above mentioned ownership groups and this team staying put.  Phoenix is a terrific place to play hockey.  If it wasn’t, it would be an easy decision for the above mentioned personnel  to play out their contracts and move on to greener pastures.  Why do you think Shane Doan decided to re-signed with the Coyotes?  Is it too simplistic to put all the blame on the ownership saga?  Not at all !!

My Final Word

As captain of the Phoenix Coyotes, I’m sure Shane Doan would love to play out his contract in Arizona with the knowledge that the franchise is in good hands and all he has to do is concentrate on playing hockey.  I believe he deserves it.  I’m sure his team-mates would also share that sentiment.

I think that the fans that have remained loyal to this team deserve this too.  As a fan myself, I enjoy going to the games. I enjoy writing about the Coyotes and I hope to continue doing so for a long time.

Author information

Mitch Kasprick

My name is Mitch and like most Canadian kids I was introduced to hockey at a very young age and fell in love with the game. I have played, I have coached, I even scouted in WHL for 15 years. I spend half my time in Winnipeg, MB and the other half in San Tan Valley, AZ. I am a season ticket holder for The Winnipeg Jets and my wife and I attend the Phoenix Coyotes games. I am involved in 3 or 4 fantasy leagues, I enjoy hockey shows on radio or TV, TSN or Sportsnet, ESPN or NBC Sports and Fox Sports Arizona. You get the picture, hockey is a big part of my life. Admin/Writer at http://phoenixhockeytalk.com

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

The 2013 NHL Draft

The 2013 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 28th and 29th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

Consider this your live home page for information for the 2013 NHL entry draft. Bookmark and check back often as it will be constantly updated leading up to hockey’s version of Christmas. THW’s 2013 NHL Entry Draft Guide – The Next Ones is your quintessential draft resource featuring:

• Detailed unique prospect profiles in The Next Ones format
• Mock Drafts
• Exclusive rankings
• Fantasy based rankings
• Team Previews
• Looking ahead to the 2014 draft and beyond

This year the 2013 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 30th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. For prior year’s detailed draft previews:

• 2012 NHL Entry Draft Preview
• 2011 NHL Entry Draft Preview
• 2010 NHL Entry Draft Preview
• 2009 NHL Entry Draft Preview

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Highlights:

• 2013 NHL Draft Prospect Index: Close to 60 prospects profiled with much more to come.
• Draft Day Sleepers: THW does not let sleeping dogs lie, when it comes to the draft.
• 2013 NHL Draft Spotlight: The Masked Men
• 2013 NHL Draft Rankings War Room: Combining Central Scouting’s Final Rankings
• NHL Draft Lottery Odds,  Results and How It Works

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Notes Up Front: 

*For the various sections highlighted in our exclusive The Next Ones prospect profiles.

• Draft rankings are based on the BPA (Best Player Available). This is not an attempt at predicting who will be drafted at a certain position. Mock drafts are constructed by various THW writers.
• Check back to this article often. A series of prospect profiles, in The Next Ones format, will be released regularly, leading up to the June NHL entry draft in New Jersey.
• The rankings will be updated below simultaneously as the prospect profiles are released, with links to the respective profile. .
• “THW Close-Up” heading is meant to be a synopsis of each prospect.
• Scout’s Honour highlights what the hockey scouting world (and occasionally coaches) have to say about the prospect.
• “NHL Player Comparisons” are simply intended to give the reader a feel for the player’s style and ultimately likely equal the player’s ceiling potential being reached. It is often an exercise in futility, but does offer up some value. If you see the suffix “-lite” or “Jr.” after a NHL player comparison, it simply refers to the fact the prospect likely has no chance to reach that high a potential, but rather resembles or plays a style reminiscent of the respective NHLer.
• “Scouting Combine Performance”: included where available to give the reader some insight on the prospects fitness levels. This is definitely not a sole basis for drafting a prospect, but might be a deciding factor when considering too closely rated players. It is also a good resource when a prospect is coming back from an injury as guidance to what his health level is.
• “Risk/Reward Analysis”: Both “Risk” and “Reward” rated out of “5”. For the risk rating, the higher the rating out of five, the higher the risk of the prospect not turning out as projected. For the reward rating, also out of five, the higher the rating, the higher the potential the prospect has. For the latter, of course, the prospect has to still reach that potential.
• “Fantasy Hockey Potential”: Offensive and defensive ratings out of 10 are given for forwards and defenseman based on perceived potential in each area. Offensive potential is obviously the key factor in most fantasy hockey leagues, but defensive potential should prove useful for those armchair hockey simulator GMs.
• Legend: ETA = Estimated Time of Arrival to NHL

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Rankings:

Sean Monahan could ultimately end up being one of the best players to come out of the 2013 NHL Draft class (Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

• 2013 NHL Draft Rankings War Room: Combining Central Scouting’s Final Rankings
• 2013 NHL Draft Rankings – War Room May Edition
  (Top 120 in 4 article series)
• 2013 NHL Draft Top 100: The Next Ones Midterm Rankings (Chris Ralph; final rankings to be released early June)
• NHL 2013 Draft War Room: Combination of NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings
• The Next Ones 2013 NHL Draft Preliminary Rankings (Chris Ralph)

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2012 NHL Draft Flashback: to get an idea of what to expect for 2013 draft coverage:

• 2012 NHL Draft: The Next Ones Final Rankings (Top 150)
• 2012 NHL Entry Draft Fantasy-Based Top 100 Prospect Ranking
• 2012 NHL Mock Draft: The Next Ones – 2 Rounds

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Mock Drafts:

•  2013 NHL Mock Draft Database (DC Pro Sports Report)

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The Next Ones: Prospect Profiles:

(Alphabetical order by surname: click on name/link for detailed prospect profiles)

• Justin Bailey
• John Baiocco
• Nick Baptiste
• Madison Bowey
• Matt Buckles
• William Carrier
• Greg Chase
• JT Compher
• Eric Comrie
• Cody Corbett
• Laurent Dauphin
• Jason Dickinson
• Max Domi
• Jonathan Drouin
• Anthony Duclair
• Adam Erne
• Kurt Etchegary
• Zach Fucale
• Frederik Gauthier
• Stephen Harper
• Ryan Hartman
• John Hayden
• Bo Horvat
• Jusso Ikonen
• Tristan Jarry
• Seth Jones
• Troy Josephs
• Morgan Klimchuk
• Jan Kostalek
• Curtis Lazar
• Artturi Lehkonen
• JC Lipon
• Jimmy Lodge
• Austin Lotz
• Nathan MacKinnon
• Anthony Mantha
• Michael McCarron
• Ian McCoshen
• Dakota Mermis
• Sean Monahan
• Mirco Mueller
• Darnell Nurse
• Scott Oke
• Nic Petan
• Ryan Pulock
• Rasmus Ristolainen
• Kerby Rychel
• Hunter Shinkaruk
• Anton Slepyshev (from 2012)
• Nick Sörensen
• Shea Theodore
• Cole Ully
• Lucas Wallmark
• Matthew Weis
• Bogdan Yakimov
• Nikita Zadorov
• Valentin Zykov

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THW Overtime – Draft Feature Articles:

• Divining A Solution: The Quest of the NHL Draft
• The NHL Entry Draft: Investment or Gamble?

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THW Prospect Features:

• Jonathan Drouin: The Human Hockey Highlight Film
• Seth Jones Ready to Take the NHL By Storm
• Nathan MacKinnon Screams Star Material
• Hunter Shinkaruk 2013 NHL Draft Prospect - Interview
• Sean Monahan Suspended: Are His Days in Ottawa Over?
• Jonathan Drouin Storming His Way Through the Draft Rankings
• Darnell Nurse Towers Among OHL Draft-Eligibles
• London Knights’ Nikita Zadorov Defies European Stereotype
• NHL Draft Prospect Shea Theodore is Slinging it in Seattle
• NHL Draft: Max Domi’s Skill Overpowers Small Stature
• NHL Draft: Why Ian McCoshen’s First-Round Worthy
• NHL Draft: Justin Bailey’s Carving A Unique Path
• Zach Fucale and Drafting A Goaltender in the First Round
• Tri-City’s Eric Comrie May be First Goalie Taken in 2013 NHL Draft
• 2013 NHL Draft Prospect Austin Lotz Will be a Later Round Steal
• Matt Buckles Leads Among OJHL Prospects
• Troy Josephs Buzzes as OJHL Prospect

Other 2013 Draft Feature Articles:

International Tournaments Prospects Coverage:

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Fantasy-Based Draft Coverage:

• 2012 NHL Entry Draft Fantasy-Based Top 100 Prospect Rankings

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Team Specific Prospect Articles:

• Anaheim Ducks:

  • Nic Kerdiles A Catalyst For Wisconsin
  • Emerson Etem Showing He Belongs in the NHL

• Boston Bruins:

• Buffalo Sabres:

• Calgary Flames

• Carolina Hurricanes

• Chicago Blackhawks

• Colorado Avalanche

• Colorado, NHL Soon To Become Jones’ Towns
• Colorado Avalanche: Looking Ahead to the Draft

• Columbus Blue Jackets

• Dallas Stars

• Detroit Red Wings:

• Edmonton Oilers:

• Florida Panthers

• Los Angeles Kings:

• Minnesota Wild:

• Montreal Canadiens

• Nashville Predators:

• New Jersey Devils:

• New York Islanders:

• 2012 NHL Entry Draft: Eyes On The Islanders

• New York Rangers:

• Ottawa Senators:

• Philadelphia Flyers:

The Philadelphia Flyers have used just one primary logo – THIS logo, in fact – in franchise history.

• NHL Draft Rewind: Looking Back at Past No. 11 Selections
• Who Is the Best Draft Prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers

• Phoenix Coyotes:

• Pittsburgh Penguins

• San Jose Sharks:

• St. Louis Blues:

• Tampa Bay Lightning:

• Why Steve Yzerman Was Right: Cory Conacher for Ben Bishop

• Toronto Maple Leafs: 

• Vancouver Canucks:

• Vancouver Canucks NHL Draft Picks 2012: The Owners Manual

• Washington Capitals:

• 2013 Washington Capitals Player Rankings: Prospects On Cusp Of NHL

• Winnipeg Jets:

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Post-Draft Analysis:

• Top 10 NHL 2012 Draft Team Performances

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The Next, Next Ones – Beyond the 2013 Draft:

Connor McDavid: Exceptionally talented prospect eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft (Aaron Bell/OHL Images)

• The Next Ones NHL 2014 Draft Rankings – An Early Look
• Erie Otters’ Dylan Strome Next in Elite Hockey Family
• Connor McDavid Impresses Early: What Makes Him Exceptional?
• Aaron Ekblad: Barrie’s “Exceptional” Talent
• Sean Day – Exceptional Status Granted: A Truly Special ‘Day’
• 2012 OHL Priority Selection Draft Results
• WHL 2012 Bantam Draft Top 30

Eric Cornel (right): selected 3rd overall in 2012 OHL Priority Draft by Peterborough Petes

***

Extra Reading:

• Book Review: The Art of Scouting by Shane Malloy
• Essential Hockey Read: Behind The Moves
• Late Round Larceny: THW’s Shawn Reznik looks at the dubious task of drafting goalies.
• Draft Day: The Curse of the Sixth Pick
• NHL Draft: The History of the 5th Overall Pick
• The Age Old Question: CHL vs. NCAA?
• The Russian Non-Factor – NHL Theory May Become Obsolete
• What’s the best round to draft a goalie? by Ryan Pike
• The Best Late Round Gems Of The NHL Entry Draft Since 2000 (Part I – ’00-’02 Drafts)
• The magical fourth year: 10 players you want to draft for next season! by Fred Poulin
• The 170 Men Drafted Before Pavel Datsyuk
• Translating AHL Success To The NHL
• 2007 NHL Entry Draft: Was it the Gift or the Curse?
• NHL Draft: Top-10 All-Time Best Selections with 5th Overall Pick

John Tavares enters into his 4th NHL season in 2012-13 (Icon SMI)

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Undrafted Prospects:

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Resource(s):

• The Next Ones website is your online hockey prospect eNewspaper featuring the greatest prospect resources on the web. If there’s a website covering hockey prospects worth following, it should be linked on The Next Ones (TN1), from the files of The Hockey Spy.

***

THW Combine Draft War Room Prospect Profiles:

This series is a new feature by Eldon MacDonald and edited by Chris Ralph.

• Nathan MacKinnon
• Jonathan Drouin
• Adam Erne
• Anthony Duclair
• William Carrier
• Frédérik Gauthier
• Jan Košťálek
• Nick Sorensen
• Scott Oke

***

Special thanks to fellow THW  writers and integral contributors:

• Andy Eide
• Shawn Reznik  
• Ryan Pike
• Anatoliy Metter
• Ross Bonander
• Ian C McLaren
• Carl Maloney
• Chris Wassel
• Sebastian Egerton-Read
• Eldon MacDonald
• David O’Connor

***

THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph Christopher Ralph is THW’s senior prospect and draft analyst & a Managing Editor at THW.

Follow ChrisRalphTHW on Twitter as he infiltrates, dissects and analyzes all happenings of hockey prospects & the NHL entry draft.

This document is the intellectual property of Christopher Ralph and cannot be used or duplicated in any way without expressed written consent. Any use of this document without the expressed written consent of Christopher Ralph will result in public exposure and legal prosecution.

Author information

Christopher Ralph

Chris is THW's senior draft/prospect analyst and a Managing Editor. Watch for Chris' regular column "The Next Ones" Prospect Profile series as well as the annual THW NHL Entry Draft Guide. Follow @ChrisRalphTHW on Twitter as he infiltrates, dissects and analyzes all happenings of hockey prospects and the NHL entry draft. Email: cralph[at]thehockeywriters[dot]com

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Bobrovsky posted a 21-11-6 record this season (Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports)

The NHL video game series has already proven to be one of the best sports gameplay simulations in history, but they have added a twist within the past two years to get fans even more involved.  Last year, the NHL 13 Cover Vote captured the attention of NHL media, players and fans, even though it was going on throughout the playoffs.  It even sparked a video from Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller, who started an onslaught of campaigning from NHL players.

This year, the bracket was set.  Your usual suspects were there: Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin and Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar to name a few.  Some fresh faces emerged as well, with Nashville’s Mike Fisher, Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul and Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds making an appearance.  But there was a fresh face that stood out from the rest of them: the 2013 Vezina Trophy finalist and Columbus Blue Jackets MVP Sergei Bobrovsky.

Despite my campaign for Bobrovsky to get Hart Trophy recognition, Bobrovsky was overshadowed by Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares for the three slots of candidates.  He has not been overlooked by the fans for the NHL 14 Cover Vote, as he has fought his way up the ladder to the Semifinals.  Bobrovsky has defeated Blackhawks sniper Patrick Sharp and the Oilers’ young gun Taylor Hall to get to the Final 4 of the voting rounds.  He now meets John Tavares in the Semifinals; the victor of the current matchup, which will take its final vote on Sunday, March 26, will faceoff with the winner of the Pavel Datsyuk – Martin Brodeur match.

Bobrovsky was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2012 Draft (Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports)

Don’t just take my word for it, though.  Bobrovsky’s numbers speak for themselves.  He recorded a dazzling 2.00 GAA (tied for 5th in NHL) with a .932 save percentage (2nd in NHL).  He also had four shutouts (tied for 6th in NHL).

Bobrovsky was the answer for the Blue Jackets.  After the young team started the season with a dismal 5-12-3 record for a league-worst 13 points, Bobrovsky picked the team up on his shoulders and went on an amazing run.  He went 8-0-2 from March 3 through March 22, propelling the Blue Jackets to 10th in the Western Conference.

He didn’t give up there, as he finished the season as one of the strongest goaltenders.  In his last nine games played, Bobrovsky had an 8-1-0 record, stopping 258 of 273 shots against him (.945 save percentage).

Bobrovsky, who went 21-11-6 on the season, saw the 10th most shots against in the league (1,084).  The Blue Jackets, as a team, allowed 29.9 shots against per game, which was 12th worst in the entire NHL.  They finished the season in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference, but fell to ninth since the tie-breaker, regulation or overtime wins (ROW), favored the Minnesota Wild (22 ROW compared to Columbus’ 19 ROW).

Bobrovsky was the reason for the Blue Jackets’ amazing run in 2013.  The struggling franchise went from the earliest stage of a team rebuild to playoff contenders who were completely justified in being one of the league’s biggest buyers at the trade deadline.

I don’t need to tell you anymore.  You have made up your decision.  Go to NHL.com/CoverVote to keep Bobrovsky alive.  On Thursday, make sure to vote on Twitter with the hashtag #NHL14Bobrovsky between 12:00 am and 11:59 pm EST for your vote to count twice.

You can use the #NHL14CoverVote hashtag on Twitter or Instagram up until May 26 to sway others’ minds or to just keep the discussion going.  Voting is unlimited, so don’t stop at one vote!

Besides, wouldn’t it to be something to see a Blue Jacket on the cover of next year’s marquee hockey game?

Author information

Jeff Ponder

I was a member of St. Louis Blues media during the 2011-12 season. Currently, I am the Blues Team Editor for TheHockeyWriters.com, while also being the host of Lets Go Blues Radio, the only St. Louis Blues podcast on iTunes. I can also be found at my personal website, StormTheCrease.com

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.