NHL Draft Runs Deep in Stars of Tomorrow

By many accounts, the 2001 NHL entry draft will be the finest in several years, featuring at least five “Can’t Miss’ 18-year-olds whose scouting profiles have surely been highlighted by wishful general managers.

The names Ilya Kovalchuk, Jason Spezza, Stanislav Chistov, Alexander Svitov and Stephen Weiss--expected to be the top players selected--might mean nothing to you today. But they could be the marquee names in the NHL within a few seasons.

“It’s one of the best drafts in the last 10 years, that’s for sure,” said Pierre Gauthier, team president and general manager of the Mighty Ducks. “This might be as good as the 1993 draft with [Paul] Kariya, [Chris] Gratton, [Chris] Pronger and [Alexandre] Daigle.”

Rounds 1-3 will be held today at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Fla. Rounds 4-9 will be conducted Sunday.

The Kings, coming off their most successful season since reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 1992-93, probably won’t trade this weekend for a high-priced superstar like Eric Lindros or Jaromir Jagr. But they do have six picks in the first four rounds of the draft.

The Ducks, coming off their least successful season in their eight-year history, also are expected to steer clear of any big-name deals. They, too, have six picks in the first four rounds.

Gauthier and his counterpart with the Kings, Dave Taylor, might just make their selections and return to the Southland happier for not making deals. There have been questions raised about the depth in each organization, and a quality draft could benefit both franchises down the road.

After dealing an extra second-round pick Tuesday to the Phoenix Coyotes to acquire defenseman Keith Carney, Gauthier said he doubted he would trade his first-round pick, the fifth overall.

Taylor also sounded reluctant to get mixed up in the Lindros melodrama when he said, “We have some empty seats at Staples, and we always reserve the right to change our minds, but in all my years in L.A., the only player I’ve seen fill seats is Wayne Gretzky.

“We feel the way to do it is to build a consistent winner. I don’t think you can have overnight success in this league. You can’t build a Stanley Cup champion by going out and signing 31-year-olds.”

The free-agent signing period opens July 1, and there’s no shortage of available big-name unrestricted players. The trouble is all unrestricted free agents are 31 and older and, in many cases, aren’t worth the money.

“Look at the two teams who played in the Stanley Cup finals,” Taylor said, referring to the champion Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils. “They’ve won because they drafted well.”

Taylor gets no argument from Gauthier, a longtime proponent of building through the draft. Despite a 21% drop in attendance over the past four seasons at the Arrowhead Pond, Gauthier has no interest in acquiring Lindros.

“With Eric, you just don’t know,” said Gauthier, speaking of Lindros’ history of serious concussions. “There’s a risk.”

The Kings have two selections in the first round--18th and 30th--two in the second--49th and 51st--and one in the third--83rd, which should make for a busy opening day.

The Ducks have the fifth overall pick, then have one selection in each of the next two rounds--35th and 69th, respectively.

Don’t expect either the Kings or the Ducks to trade up to get the top overall pick from the Atlanta Thrashers, who are expected to select Kovalchuk. Gauthier, in particular, sounded content to wait his turn.

“The top five or six guys in this draft are going to be front-line players some day in the league,” Gauthier said. “Whoever we draft is going to be a front-line player for us. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a forward.”

However, the drafting of tomorrow’s superstars could be overshadowed by any number of blockbuster trades.

The Philadelphia Flyers seem more determined than ever to move Lindros, an unsigned free agent who sat out the 2000-01 season rather than play for General Manager Bob Clarke.

Today also could be the day the Buffalo Sabres finally dispatch Mike Peca, another unsigned free agent who did not play last season.

And would anybody be shocked to see the Pittsburgh Penguins deal Jagr or the Ottawa Senators trade Alexei Yashin to trim their respective payrolls?

Some, all or none of the above deals could happen before the end of Sunday as one of the more intriguing off-seasons in recent memory begins in earnest.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NHL Entry Draft

When--Today (rounds 1-3) and Sunday (rounds 4-9)

Where--National Car Rental Center, Sunrise, Fla.

TV--ESPN2, 9 a.m. PDT, today (first round only)

FIRST-ROUND ORDER

1. Atlanta Thrashers

2. N.Y. Islanders

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

4. Florida Panthers

5. Mighty Ducks

6. Minnesota Wild

7. Montreal Canadiens

8. Columbus Blue Jackets

9. Chicago Blackhawks

10. N.Y. Rangers

11. Calgary Flames

12. Nashville Predators

13. Boston Bruins*

14. Phoenix Coyotes

15. Carolina Hurricanes

16. Vancouver Canucks

17. Toronto Maple Leafs

18. Kings

19. Edmonton Oilers*

20. San Jose Sharks

21. Pittsburgh Penguins

22. Buffalo Sabres

23. Philadelphia Flyers

24. New Jersey Devils (from St. Louis Blues)

25. Montreal Canadiens (from Washington Capitals)

26. Dallas Stars

27. Ottawa Senators

28. New Jersey Devils

29. Chicago Blackhawks (from Detroit Red Wings)

30. Kings (from Colorado)

* Picks 13 and 19--Edmonton has the option to swap first-round picks with Boston in either this draft or the 2002 draft.

*

OTHER DUCK PICKS

Second round--No. 35

Third round--69

Fourth round--102, 105 (from Columbus), 118 (from Edmonton)

Fifth round--137

Sixth round--170

Seventh round--224 (from New Jersey)

Eighth round--232

Ninth round--264

*

OTHER KING PICKS

Second round--No. 49 (from Toronto), 51

Third round--83

Fourth round--116

Fifth round--153

Sixth round--184, 188 (from Buffalo)

Seventh round--214

Eighth round--237 (from Chicago)

Ninth round--277