Home >  Sports >  Penguins

Friday, June 20, 2003

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

THE DETAILS

What: The NHL Entry Draft for players 18 or older worldwide. Thirty teams pick a total of 292 players over two days

When: First three rounds tomorrow, starting at 1 p.m. Final six rounds Sunday, starting at 9 a.m.

Where: Gaylord Entertainment Center, Nashville, Tenn.

TV: ESPN2, 1-4 p.m. tomorrow

Radio: WBGG-AM (970), 1-4:30 p.m. tomorrow, 1-3 p.m. Sunday

Internet:www.pittsburghpenguins.com will simulcast the local radio coverage; www.nhl.com will display picks all weekend

THE ORDER

Where teams are slated to pick in the first round:

1. Florida

2. Carolina

3. Penguins

4. Columbus

5. Buffalo

6. San Jose

7. Nashville

8. Atlanta

9. Calgary

10. Montreal

11. Philadelphia

12. N.Y. Rangers

13. Los Angeles

14. Chicago

15. N.Y. Islanders

16. Boston

17. Edmonton

18. Washington

19. Anaheim

20. Minnesota

21. San Jose

22. New Jersey

23. Vancouver

24. Philadelphia

25. Tampa Bay

26. Los Angeles

27. Los Angeles

28. Dallas

29. Ottawa

30. St. Louis

THE PROSPECTS

The Post-Gazette's projected first five overall picks:

1. Nathan Horton -- C -- 6-2, 201 -- Oshawa (OHL)

Games: 54 -- Goals: 33 -- Assists: 35 -- Points: 68 -- PIM: -- 111

Premier power forward in draft. ... Some compare him to John LeClair, mostly for his passion for crashing net. ... Above-average speed. ... Was slowed in past season by early jaw injury.

2. Marc-Andre Fleury -- G -- 6-1, 172 -- Cape Breton (QMJHL)

Record: 17-24-6 Goals-against: 3.36 Save Percentage: .910

Universally regarded as top goaltender. ... Individual numbers not special because of last-place team. ... Exceptionally quick but stays under control. ... Led Canada to silver at World Juniors.

3. Nikolai Zherdev -- RW -- 6-1, 186 -- CSKA (Russia)

Games: 44 -- Goals: 12 -- Assists: 12 -- Points: 24 -- PIM: -- 34

Most dynamic offensive player can pass almost as well as he finishes. ... Disappointed at World Juniors with one assist in six games. ... Viewed by many as lost, lazy on defense, but few care.

4. Eric Staal -- C -- 6-3, 182 -- Peterborough (OHL)

Games: 66 -- Goals: 39 -- Assists: 59 -- Points: 98 PIM: 36

Seen as safest pick because of offensive consistency, leadership traits. ... Scouts worry about lack of bulk, strength. ... Some call him faster version of Ron Francis. ... Elevated game in playoffs.

5. Thomas Vanek -- LW -- 6-2, 208 -- Minnesota (NCAA)

Games: 45 -- Goals: 31 -- Assists: 31 -- Points: 62 PIM: 60

Could be best pure goal-scorer. ... Led team to NCAA Division I title and scored most of its big goals. ... Seventeen of his 31 goals were in third period or OT. ... Always strong on puck.

And the rest of the projected first round:

6. Ryan Suter -- D -- 6-1, 183 -- U.S. under-18 team

7. Milan Michalek -- LW -- 6-2, 205 -- Budejovice (Czech)

8. Braydon Coburn -- D -- 6-5, 205 -- Portland (WHL)

9. Ryan Getzlaf -- C -- 6-2, 195 -- Calgary (WHL)

10. Marc-Antoine Pouliot -- C -- 6-1, 188 -- Rimouski (QMJHL)

11. Dion Phaneuf -- D -- 6-2, 205 -- Red Deer (WHL)

12. Dustin Brown -- RW -- 6-0, 195 -- Guelph (OHL)

13. Zach Parise -- C -- 5-11, 186 -- North Dakota (NCAA)

14. Konstantin Glazachev -- LW -- 6-0, 186 -- Yaroslavl (Russia)

15. Jeff Carter -- C -- 6-3, 182 -- Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

16. Robert Nilsson -- LW -- 5-11, 183 -- Leksand (Sweden)

17. Ryan Kessler -- C -- 6-1, 195 -- Ohio State (NCAA)

18. Mark Stuart -- D -- 6-1, 209 -- Colorado College (NCAA)

19. Andrei Kastsitsyn -- RW -- 6-0, 189 -- CSKA (Russia)

20. Richard Stehlik -- D -- 6-4, 245 -- Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

21. Anthony Stewart -- RW -- 6-1, 239 -- Kingston (OHL)

22. Jeff Tambellini -- LW -- 5-11, 186 -- Michigan (NCAA)

23. Ryan Munce -- G -- 6-1, 180 -- Sarnia (OHL)

24. Hugh Jessiman -- RW -- 6-4, 200 -- Dartmouth (NCAA)

25. Patrick O'Sullivan -- C -- 5-11, 190 -- Mississauga (OHL)

26. Steve Bernier -- RW -- 6-2, 233 -- Moncton (QMJHL)

27. Brent Seabrook -- D 6-2, 220 -- Lethbridge (WHL)

28. Eric Fehr -- RW -- 6-3, 187 -- Brandon (WHL)

29. Vojtech Polak -- LW -- 6-0, 183 -- Karlovy (Czech)

30. Kevin Klein -- D -- 6-1, 187 -- Kitchener (OHL)

THE SKINNY

Five questions and answers about the draft:

1. Who's No. 1? While many will say Fleury is the best prospect, the Panthers will not spend their first overall pick on a goaltender when they already have Roberto Luongo. At least one Eastern Conference scout is sure that, if Florida is unsuccessful in its bid to trade the pick, Nathan Horton is the man.

2. Will there be trades? Count on it. With the Panthers dangling the top pick, that could set of a chain of deals the way it did last year when the Blue Jackets made the bold move to leap from third to first and take Rick Nash.

3. How is the quality of the draft? It's terrific but strange. A dozen scouts can show you a dozen different top-five lists. And the Penguins' head scout, Greg Malone, is one of many who feel that any of 17 players could end up being the best. No Dany Heatley or Marian Gaborik in this group, but excellent potential.

4. Where do the Penguins pick? Barring trades, they will go third in the first round, then at Nos. 32, 55, 70, 121, 161, 169, 199, 229, 232 and 263 for 11 total picks, most since 1999.

5. Who does their picking? GM Craig Patrick has veto power, but he leaves almost all of the scouting and drafting decisions to Malone. In the later rounds, it's common for Malone to allow regional scouts to take long-shot players they know well.