NHL DRAFTSTRAVAGANZA 2008

Ok, so the graphic sucks, but it's ok, because the blog is sure to live up to the quality of the graphic, and none higher, and that's a promise!

So without further ado, LIVEBLOGGING DRAFTSTRAVAGANZA 2008.

3:22pm: I'm in my war room, better known as my couch. I got my computer, my clicker, my dog, and a soda. It's about 96 degrees outside today, perfect weather to be discussing hockey. The Sharks don't have a pick until the fourth round (#117, to be exact), so if the Sharks pick tonight, something big is gonna happen first.

3:36pm: I'm not the best with NHL drafts because the coverage is poor down here, but I'm learning this draft is pretty much Steven Stamkos and a bunch of defensemen (Doughty, Bogosian, Myers, and Schenn). It's kinda funny to think I'm gonna be watching an event with a bunch of kids who are significantly younger than me, however the pain is lessened when I laugh at their ridiculous amounts of acne.

3:55pm: Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Senators, is on the stage, touting Ottawa as the best hockey city in the world. I assume that's why they're hosting the Draft, and not the Stanley Cup Finals. Nice work, Eug. Give me Bettman to boo, please. Thanks. Oh and trot that spartan out again. That's the sign of a true hockey city.

4:02pm: I've made the switch to Versus, er, TSN South. Right away James Duthie tells me a three-way huskerdoo has taken place. Mike Cammalleri to Calgary, #12 pick to LA (from Anaheim), and the #17 (from Calgary) and #28 (from LA) to the Ducks. Bring on more trades.

4:14pm: Blah blah blah Stamkos blah blah blah. I hear booing in the background, which can only mean... da da da daaaaa, Gary Bettman. The commish begins with a classic line amidst the booing. "I love your passion". Bettman, you sir, are king. Nother trade to announce, Olli Jokinen is now a Phoenix Coyote for Keith Ballard, Nick Boynton, and the 49th overall pick.
FIRST PICK...Steven Stamkos. Shocker. Dean "Finnish lover" Lombardi and the LA Kings are on the clock.

4:27pm. TSN points out the Kings will make 9 picks before both the Sharks and Penguins get to pick. Mike Futa of the Kings says Kings fans will be happy cause they'll have 100 picks this weekend. Nice joke, Mike, but you only have 93.
KINGS PICK...Drew Doughty. Seems like a good pick, if you're a Kings fan. Atlanta is #3.

4:36pm. ATLANTA PICKS... Steve Bedrosian er, Zach Bogosian. Mentions in the interview with Duthie that he hates losing. Good thing he's going to Atlanta, they'll turn him around real quick. Another trade. Alex Tanguay to Montreal with #138 for the 25th pick and a 2nd rounder in 09. Tanguay has been a shade of his former self since leaving the Avs. Jarmo Kekalainen makes the announcement Alex Pietrangelo PICKED BY THE BLUES AT 4. Islanders up next.

5:01pm. Toronto trades up to #5, giving NYI the 7 pick, and some strange cocktail of two picks that Gary Bettman had entirely too much fun saying twice. LEAFS PICK...Luke Schenn, Ottawa fans boo. Welcome to the rivalry, kid. Columbus up next at 6.

5:08pm. Bettman makes a trade announcement, the 19th and the 67th to... not the Sharks. Thank god, I think I peed a bit there. Columbus sends that stuff to Philly for RJ Umberger and 118. JACKETS THEN PICK Nikita Filatov. Islanders up next, again.

5:18pm. Isles just don't want to pick, trading 7 to Nashville for 9 and 40. NASHVILLE PICKS... Colin Wilson. Phoenix up now.

5:24pm. Wayne up to make the pick, getting a standing o. COYOTES PICK... Mikkel Boedker. Gretz shouts out to the "nine-ten fans watching in Phoenix". Canadian fans everywhere miss the obvious sarcasm and scream for the Yotes to be moved because Gretz said "nine-ten fans". Islanders up next, maybe, finally.

5:30pm. Garth Snow announces that the ISLES PICK... JOSH BAILEY. Some dude I've never heard of, which is no big deal cause i don't know this stuff very well. Vancouver up next at 10.

5:37pm. VANCOUVER PICKS CODY HODGSON. Hodgson played at Brampton, owners of the coolest jerseys in the CHL. 100 minutes in, we've now seen 1/3 of the first round. Hooray. Blackhawks hold #11.

5:44pm. CHICAGO PICKS KYLE BEACH. Beach is a pissed off kind of hockey player. Beats people up, has a great shot, scores goals. Could be a Jarome Iginla, could be a Scott Parker (the Sheriff was indeed a first round selection of the Avalanche, heh.) Kings up next at 12, from the Cammalleri three way deal earlier.

5:52pm. LA trades 12 to Buffalo for 13 and a 3rd rounder next year. Buffalo is up now.

5:54pm. BUFFALO GETS TYLER MYERS. Myers is a giant defenseman, 6'7 to be exact. This guy can skate like Pierre McGuire can't believe. Kings up now again at 13.

5:58pm. COLTEN TEUBERT SELECTED BY LA. Rough n tough defenseman TSN tells me. Lovely. Carolina selects next at 14.

6:05pm. CAROLINA PICKS ZACH BOYCHUK. His sister is a built athlete apparently, maybe she'll get picked next round. Nashville sits at 15.

6:12pm. Nashville makes a trade that "the people in Ottawa are gonna like". Preds trade 15 to Ottawa for 18 and a 3rd rounder in 09. Senators to pick now. Chris Kelly of Ottawa extended for 4 more years. Daniel Alfredsson to make the pick for the Sens. OTTAWA PICKS...Erik "Killer" Karlsson of Sveeeeeden. Kid is 167 pounds, and won't be coming over this year. Hmm, drafing a guy who won't come over from Europe right away, sounds like the Dean Lombardi special. We're no halfway through the first round, and I've only been bored for most of it. Go me. Boston to pick at 16.

6:22pm. BRUINS SELECT JOE COLBOURNE. Apparently this guy is a Joe Thornton clone. Hmm, Joe Thornton in Boston, yeah... that'll work out well. Anaheim up at 17.

6:29pm. Brian Burke gets booed like mad, is "happy to be back in Ottawa". Not a Burke fan, but that was good. DUCKS PICK JAKE GARDINER. Bob McKenzie said speed like 83 times, so this kid is apparently a drug addict. He'll fit in perfectly in Orange County. Nashville up next at 18.

6:36pm. PREDS PICK CHET PICKARD. A goalie. That's it, got nothin for you. He stops pucks. Philly up next at 19.

6:41pm. FLYERS CHOOSE LUCA SBISA. Puck moving defenseman from Switzerland. Was good in the WHL. He's got a cool name, that's always a plus. Seeing that flying P reminds me, Tony Luke's, best cheesesteaks in Philly. Rangers choose 20th.

6:48pm. RANGERS PICK MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO. He has all the tools, but unfortunately no tool box to put them in. Sad story. New Jersey has 21.

6:53pm. NJ trades 21 to Washington for 23 and 54. Caps on zee clock.

6:55pm. CAPS SELECT ANTON GUSTAFSSON. Could be the second in his family to play for the Caps, has back problems though. As long as he doesn't sneeze (Sammy Sosa) or try to pick up a cracker (Brent Sopel) he should be ok. Oilers up next at 22.

7:03pm. EDMONTON PICKS JORDAN EBERLE. For some reason, I'm seeing Eberle hilites from when he was 8. They really scout 'em young now. This round needs to end soon, I'm running out of humor, if I had any to begin with. New Jersey at 23 is next.

7:15pm. Minnesota trades for 23 to New Jersey for 24 and a 3rd rounder in 09. MINNESOTA PICKS TYLER CUMA. Doug Wilson weeps, as this kid is from Ottawa of the OHL. NEW JERSEY PICKS MATTIAS TEDENBY, who is like 3 feet tall or something. Tedenby is the first player drafted to the NHL from the Lollipop Guild hockey club. Calgary up next at 25.

7:24pm. CALGARY PICKS GREG NEMISZ. Big guy, gonna be a goal scorer, Darryl Sutter kinda guy. James Duthie asks Sutter for insider info, Sutter says Duthie will get nothing and like it. Buffalo picks next with the Sharks pick at 26.

7:30pm. BUFFALO PICKS TYLER ENNIS. Ennis is tiny, 5'8. Speedy, one dimensional, goal scorer. Buffalo now has a huge guy (6'7) and a tiny guy (5'8). Man I want to see that picture. Philly next at 27.

7:35pm. Oh god, another trade. Mercifully let this end. Washington gets 27 for Eminger and 84.

7:38pm. CAPS SELECT JOHN "KILLER" CARLSON. Big bruising defenseman, he's big, and he's bruising, and he's a defenseman. I think the TSN panel said this about 20 times. Wheee. Ducks have 28.

7:40pm. Anaheim trades 28 to Phoenix for 35 and 39. Yotes up now.

7:45pm. PHOENIX SELECTS VIKTOR TIKHONOV. Los Gatos resident Tikhonov is a friend of mine, glad to see he'll be in the division. Congrats to him. Nice to see the whole family in Ottawa, can only hope for the best for him.

ATLANTA PICKS DAULTAN LEVEILLE. Guy with big potential, has never worked out before. Interesting. Last pick upcoming, owned by the Red Wings.

7:53pm. DETROIT PICKS TOM MCCOLLUM. Good American goalie, best glove hand in the draft, and he hugs his grandma.

And with that, the first round is over. 13 trades, 30 picks, and 83 beers consumed. Let's do this again next year, shall we? The draft continues tomorrow at 6:30 in the freaking morning Pacific time on the NHL Network. I won't be up for it, and probably won't miss anything.

Not sure what to make of Doug Wilson not getting a first rounder in what is considered a deep draft, not sure what his plans are from here on out. Lot of guys I would have liked to have seen in teal, obviously that won't happen, at least right away. Oh well. I'll recap the late rounds tomorrow as it is completed.

So ends NHL DRAFTSTRAVAGANZA 2008, thanks for tuning in to my blog. Tip your waitstaff, and watch out for Pierre McGuire.

GO SHARKS (good luck in Phoenix, Vik)