To Better Know A Draft Pick

Three names were floating around the Buffalo war room, even before Vancouver chose not to go against the Central Scouting Bureau by picking Robin Fernsworth, the man the CSB deemed the top of the class, and even the picking of Ladislav Strnad by Nashville did little to dampen the good mood. The choice, it seemed, came down to a simple question of offense vs. defense – was the better pick fourth-ranked winger Dmitry Mozgunov of Amur Habarovsk, or hard-hitting defenseman Leon Fooland of the Kelowna Rockets – and yet it seemed nobody could reach a consensus about who the right choice was. Redline Report had Fooland ranked five places higher than the CBS at #16 with Mozgunov stationary at #4, but had little but good things to say about either; they did mention that Fooland’s WHL points were mediocre, eight goals and sixteen assists in 74 games, but also that he could easily grow into the mould of a franchise defenseman with time and patience. Mozgunov had one glaring criticism similar to the one meted out to Enver Lisin before the 2004 Draft, in that unless he had the puck or was at the head of an offensive drive, he was disinterested in the play around him; while Lisin was judged to only have one dimension, Mozgunov at least has two. Sports Illustrated, on the other hand, had Mazgunov as the one donning the blue and gold based heavily on Buffalo’s need for a right winger – Marian Hossa, in addition to being 32, has just one year left on his contract while Martin Havlat will become a restricted free agent if he and the team cannot agree to terms. It was also widely known that the fourth pick was rivalling Rick Nash as the most desired thing on the Sabres roster, with at least four teams interested in moving up; to actually trade it was not considered a smart move unless the reward was of exceptional quality.

Columbus provided that quality.

So eager were the Blue Jackets to move up in the wake of New York’s selection – they chose Rich Castellanos, ranked #42 – that they gave up their own pick, just one spot below Buffalo’s, as well as Atlanta’s first-rounder to land the fourth overall pick; faced with a win/win situation, the deal was quickly accepted and Dmitry Mozgunov became a Blue Jacket, leaving Leon Fooland as the obvious choice for the fifth overall selection. As a primarily-defensive defenseman, it is hoped that Fooland will be able to bring some balance back to the Buffalo blueline corps – offensive defenseman have proliferated since Cam Barker’s arrival – and help lessen the burden on the goaltenders. While free agency may cause problems, with Trevor Daley, Keith Ballard and Barker all out of contract this year, it might also be the opportunity Fooland needs to break into the squad, particularly if Denis Gauthier does leave. Also keeping a keen eye on the draft are prospects Jonas Isberg and Vladimir Sobotka, who both spent the season in Rochester playing with the Americans – Isberg’s chances of cracking the full roster took a hit with the drafting of Fooland, but Sobotka – who lead the Americans in scoring with 81 points – believes he has a shot. Speaking with a Czech newspaper, the winger said “Sure, it will be tough, Buffalo are a good team who are just in some trouble. But I’ve played in the NHL, I know the score and I think I can make it this time.”

The seventeen-year-old Canadian is thought to be one of the top defenseman in this year’s draft class, along with Nashville’s Strnad and Ilkka Heiskanen; all three have been categorised as physical defensemen, in contrast to Jean-Francois Lavoie’s “stay-at-home” and Lukas Vorel’s “offensive” monikers, and at first glance there appears to be little difference between their respective games. However, one of Buffalo’s senior scouts – who was assigned to scout a six-man shortlist as early as February – explained the differences lay in the intangible qualities the three bring. Strnad’s biggest unique skill is his booming slapshot which will undoubtedly lead to him spending some time on the powerplay if (and when, in all likelihood) he breaks into the league, whereas Heiskanen is already a fantastic skater and possibly the most NHL-ready of the three (and arguably all of the prospects on offer). Fooland’s attraction lay in his fists, as he was happy to play the role of enforcer with Kelowna, dealing out hits and checks but being prepared to drop the gloves when it was needed- that said, his 6’4, 226-pound frame was enough to deter plenty of would-be pugilists, albeit not enough to stop him racking up 110 minutes in the penalty box over the 74-game season.

Buffalo still has the twenty-second and thirtieth overall selections in the first round – from Ottawa and Atlanta respectively – along with five second-round picks.