Pre-Vacation Ponderings

To readers of this blog and those of you who landed here thanks to searching Google for "Mike Comrie boinked Salo's Wife", I'll be on vacation in sunny Tofino for the next 10 days. Don't be alarmed that I am MIA. I need the break from you :)

Sure, I'll miss the free agency frenzy, but maybe it's better that I don't see how badly Gillis screws this franchise, or fails to deliver anything but scrubs like Kyle Softwood.

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As an aside, I am looking for a co-blogger to add to Hockey Rants. As you may have noticed, Greg hasn’t posted here since Scott Lachance last scored an NHL goal. His work has kept him very busy, so we need a replacement.

Do you have a blog that you've struggled with? Have the itch to blog about hockey and rant your head off? Think Pavol Demitra should be in the Hall of Fame?

If so, click the contact links on the left side and give me a shout. This site could use another good voice.

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Some thoughts from our Southern Correspondent, Wayne:

WTF was Don Waddell (hockey killer) doing drafting a 6'1" 158 lbs. project center at the end of the first round? We need a center who can step in right away and feed Ilya the puck, along with getting garbage goals...

This guy (Levielle...isn't that what they play in the Army to wake you up in the morning?) is expected to go on to college and play at least 3 years...Great; by the time he suits up and plays for the Thrashers (after college and the minors), John McCain will be running for re-election...

Now, I'll have to disagree strongly with Wayne on this topic.

1. The only SAFE pick is a Crosby/Ovechkin type. Every other pick has an element of risk, and only the true superstars will deliver value. With 18 and 19-year old kids, you can never truly project how they'll develop.

2. When I hear SAFE pick, I always think of 'low ceiling'. Just because a guy is defensively responsible and has a good work ethic doesn't mean he is a safe pick.

Remember who was a safe pick? Nathan Smith. Yeah, look how that turned out.

Give me the guy with the highest ceiling any day, unless his attitude is complete rotten (Alexander Volchkov).

3. Never draft by positional need, unless you have a glut of 15 goaltenders.

Look, kids can rarely ever step in and make a positive impact in the lineup. How many draft picks step in right away? How many of those who do make a positive contribution? Hell, even Joe Thornton and Vinny Lecavalier sucked the big one in their rookie seasons.

By the time a draftee develops, which can be 1-5 years, the organizations positional needs will likely have changed. By the time your #1 centerman prospect develops, you may very well already have a good 1-2 centerman punch.

Simply put, you should follow the cliché and draft the best talent available. If you get a glut later on, then you make deals.

4. If you want to fill a need, then you need to sign and/or trade to fill that hole. Mr. 18-year old is not going to fill that #3 checking winger spot you need filled, is he?

5. They play the "Reveille" in the army :), and I play Reveillark in MTG. Booya!