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Friday, June 23, 2000 By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
The projected first five overall picks:
1. Dany Heatley, LW, 6-1, 200, Wisconsin (NCAA)
2. Marian Gaborik, LW, 6-1, 183, Dukla Trencin (Slovakia)
3. Rick DiPietro, G, 5-11, 180, Boston University (NCAA)
4. Rostislav Klesla, D, 6-2, 198, Brampton (OHL)
5. Brooks Orpik, D, 6-2, 217, Boston College (NCAA)
And the rest of the projected first round:
6. Scott Harnell, RW, 6-2, 192, Prince Albert (WHL), 62 games, 27-55--82
7. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, 6-0, 183, Yaroslavl (Russia), 8 games, 2-0--2
8. Raffi Torres, LW, 5-11, 207, Brampton (OHL), 68 games, 43-48--91
9. Mikhail Yakubov, C, 6-3, 185, Lada Togliatti (Russia), No statistics
10. Alexei Smirnov, LW, 6-3, 211, Moscow Dynamo (Russia), 1 game, 0-0--0
11. Vaclav Nedorost, C, 6-1, 187, Ceske Budejovice (Czech), 41 games, 8-6--14
12. Brent Krahn, G, 6-4, 200, Calgary (WHL), 33-6, 2.38 GAA, .912 save pct.
13. Alexander Frolov, LW, 6-3, 191, Yaroslavl (Russia), No statistics
14. Ilya Nikulin, D, 6-3, 211, Tver (Russia), No statistics
15. Martin Samuelsson, LW, 6-2, 189, MoDo (Sweden), 19 games, 9-8--17
16. Brad Boyes, C, 6-0, 181, Erie (OHL), 68 games, 36-46--82
17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, 6-5, 215, Erie (OHL), 64 games, 24-29--53
18. Anton Volchenkov, D, 6-0, 209, Central Army (Russia), No statistics
19. Jarret Stoll, C, 6-0, 199, Kootenay (WHL), 71 games, 37-38--75
20. Marcel Hossa, C, 6-1, 200, Portland (WHL), 60 games, 24-29--53
21. Justin Williams, RW, 6-0, 176, Plymouth (OHL), 68 games, 37-46--83
22. Alexei Mikhonov, LW, 6-5, 194, Yaroslavl (Russia), No statistics
23. Lars Jonsson, D, 6-1, 198, Leksand (Sweden), 34 games, 16-22--38
24. Ron Hainsey, D, 6-2, 187, Mass-Lowell (NCAA), 30 games, 3-8--11
25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, 6-2, 202, Kazan (Russia), 14 games, 1-1--2
26. Brian Sutherby, C, 6-2, 180, Moose Jaw (WHL), 47 games, 18-17--35
27. Krys Kolanos, C, 6-2, 196, Boston College (NCAA), 42 games, 16-17--33
28. Jeff Taffe, C, 6-1, 180, Minnesota (NCAA), 39 games, 10-10--20
29. Tomas Kurka, LW, 5-11, 190, Plymouth (OHL), 64 games, 36-28--64
30. Tero Maata, D, 6-1, 205, Jokerit (Finland), 31 games, 4-4--8
Five questions and answers about the draft:
1. Who's No. 1? Many scouts believe it's a toss-up between Heatley and Gaborik, but those who have spent the most time at the rinks have noticed the Islanders following Heatley around for much of the past year. Heatley didn't test well at a recent scouting combine, showing up with a bit too much body fat, but that shouldn't deter GM Mike Milbury from picking him.
2. Will there be trades? There almost always are trades on draft day, but don't expect there to be as many as the dozen or so which took place last year in Boston. The Islanders are openly shopping the No. 1 pick but won't relinquish it unless somebody gives them a sensational offer. And the Thrashers, who last year traded up to get Patrik Stefan at No. 1 overall, have said they won't be doing likewise this weekend.
3. How is the quality of the draft? Not good at all, perhaps one of the worst in years. After Heatley, Gaborik and a couple of the big, rugged defensemen, there isn't much at all that won't involve plenty of development. The 2001 draft, by contrast, is expected to be loaded with top prospects from all corners of the globe.
4. Where do the Penguins pick? They will go 18th in the first round, marking the 10th consecutive year they have not had a selection in the top 15. Of course, that's a nice problem to have, because it also underscores that the Penguins haven't had a losing season since 1989-90, after which they chose Jaromir Jagr with the fifth overall pick. The Penguins also will pick at 52, 83, 113, 184, 215, 247, 272 and 279. They have no pick in the fifth round, and they have two in the ninth, the second courtesy of the Jan. 29 trade which sent left winger Kip Miller to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
5. Who does their picking? GM Craig Patrick has veto power over all choices, but for the most part he leaves it up to his scouts, who work all year to prepare for this event. Head scout Greg Malone runs the table and makes most of the picks, then usually delegates the later rounds for members of his staff to choose little-known players they think might develop.
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What: The NHL Entry Draft for 18-year-olds worldwide. Thirty teams, including expansion Columbus and Minnesota, pick a total of 292 players over two days.