Jun 21, 2008 - 4:13 PM
1 shoutOTTAWA (Ticker) -- After taking nearly four hours Friday night to polish off the first round of the 2008 draft, the NHL on Saturday cruised through the final six rounds at Scotiabank Place with relative ease and little excitement.
The main reason the opening round took as long as it did was the fact a whopping 13 trades were made, with several established veterans changing addresses and a number of teams jockeying for better draft position.
But after Swedish goaltender Jacob Markstrom - the top-ranked European goaltender - was taken by Florida with the first pick of the second round, the Panthers and the other 29 teams raced through the final 180 selections, exceeding the length of the first round by only about 20 minutes despite completing another 14 trades.
Canada led the way in this year's draft as 119 of its natives were selected, more than the 11 other countries represented in the event combined.
After selecting Markstrom 31st overall, Florida was up again with the 46th pick and grabbed defenseman Colby Robak of the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings. The 18-year-old, who registered six goals and 24 assists in 71 games last season, was the top-ranked North American skater remaining on the board following the completion of the first round at No. 13.
"We had to move up a few picks to get him, but we felt it was too good an opportunity," Panthers director of amateur scouting Scott Luce said. "We feel he could be a top-four defenseman in the National Hockey League. His upside is very high,"
The 18-year-old Markstrom led Sweden to its first-ever gold medal at the 2007 Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament and posted a 2.57 goals-against average and .924 save percentage for his country's national Under-17 team.
"Before we left the draft floor (Friday night), the trade offers were coming in," Luce said. "We met last night after we got back to our hotel and discussed as a staff and said we'd make Jacob our pick. We got a guy we love. He's a big, athletic goaltender who's a real competitor. He was a leader on the national team - that speaks volumes for his character."
The New York Islanders made a league-high 13 selections in the draft, with 12 taking place Saturday. They took the second-ranked European skater - Russian right wing Kirill Petrov - in the third round, 73rd overall, and chose one of the many prospects with NHL bloodlines in David Toews just seven picks earlier.
Petrov notched four goals and six assists in 47 games for Kazan in 2007-08, while Toews scored 44 tallies and 100 points in 51 contests for Shattuck-St Mary's - a high school in Minnesota.
Toews' brother Jonathan of the Chicago Blackhawks was a finalist for the Calder Trophy this past season.
The St. Louis Blues began the run on players with relatives who either have played or currently are in the NHL, selecting Basil McRae's son Philip 33rd overall. An 18-year-old center, Philip McRae collected 18 goals and 28 assists in 66 games with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights last campaign.
Following suit were the Boston Bruins, who chose J.F. Sauve's son Maxime with the 47th overall pick. The 18-year-old center, whose uncle Bob tended goal in the league, recorded 33 points in 32 games for Val d'Or of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2007-08.
"We think he has the right stuff," Bruins scout Scott Bradley said. "I was impressed with his confidence. He basically didn't have a time frame on it, but he thinks he's going to be an NHL player for a long time."
Two spots later, the Phoenix Coyotes claimed the last of the Staal clan, selecting right wing Jared of the OHL's Sudbury Wolves. The 17-year-old, whose brothers Eric (Carolina Hurricanes), Jordan (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Marc (New York Rangers) already have enjoyed some success in their brief NHL careers, recorded 21 goals and 28 assists in 60 games last season after registering a mere three points in 63 contests in 2006-07.
In the sixth round, Phoenix took a chance on 20-year-old forward Brett Hextall of the British Columbia Hockey League's Penticton Bees. Brett is the son of former NHL netminder and current Los Angeles Kings assistant general manager Ron Hextall.
Boston again dipped into the hockey genes pool in the fourth round, selecting center Jamie Arniel of the OHL's Sarnia Sting with the 97th overall pick. The nephew of Scott Arniel, who spent 11 seasons it the NHL, the 18-year-old Jamie notched 18 goals and 16 assists in 40 games with Sarnia in 2007-08.
The Tampa Bay Lightning was hoping David Carle has at least as much talent as his brother Matt of the San Jose Sharks when they took the younger sibling with the 203rd pick. An 18-year-old defenseman, Carle registered 10 goals and 45 points in 55 games with Shattuck-St. Mary's.
The Eastern Conference champion Penguins made their first selection late in the fourth round, taking center Nathan Moon of the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs with the 120th overall pick.
From the Bleachers
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scooter
David Carle will never play int he NHL, he was diagnosed with a heart problem and withdrew from the draft, the pick was a sympathy pick
Jun 21 8:23 PM
