Chasing the draft dream

This is what appeared in The Daily News on Tuesday. I am in Edmonton and will blog from the draft on Thursday . . .

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The WHL holds its annual bantam draft on Thursday at the Fantasyland Hotel in Edmonton.
It's doubtful that there is a more aptly named place in which to hold such a function, because you know that management of each of the WHL's 22 teams fantasizes regularly about having star players in their lineups and championship banners hanging from their arena rafters.
The Kamloops Blazers, of course, are no different.
And they will be well represented Thursday morning when proceedings get started at 8:30.
The Prince George Cougars hold the first pick and, while they aren't tipping their hand, no one will be surprised if they open by taking Alex Forsberg, a forward from the Beardy's Blackhawks of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA League. Forsberg, 15, finished third in the scoring race, with 72 points in 44 games. He added seven goals and two assists in six playoff games.
As well, his 16-year-old brother, Jesse, has completed one season with the Cougars. Jesse, a defenceman, was the 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft.
The Blazers, who will make their first pick in the No. 8 slot, will be fairly busy in the early going, what with four selections in the first three rounds, including three in the first 35 picks.
General manager Craig Bonner, Matt Recchi, the Blazers' director of player personnel, head scout Ken Fox and the club's two Alberta-based scouts, Mark Blair and Warren Renden, spent the weekend watching the Alberta Cup in Leduc.
“With the four picks in the first three rounds, I think we can cover our bases with a little bit of everything,” Bonner said. “Position-wise, with that first pick, it's probably going to be the best player available, defenceman or forward.”
Bonner is heading into his third year as the club's general manager, and this will be his third time at the controls during the draft.
In 2008, he selected forward Colin Smith of Edmonton, who had 28 points in 46 games in his freshman season.
Last year, Bonner took defenceman Brady Gaudet of Redvers, Sask., who suffered a knee injury during the Blazers' training camp in August. He went on to total 20 points and 83 penalty minutes in 41 games with the midget AAA Tisdale, Sask., Trojans.
“Gaudet had a real strong second-half,” Recchi said. “That injury at training camp really slowed him at the beginning of the season. Making that transition from bantam AA to midget AAA, moving away - he moved seven hours away from home and was billeting as a 15-year-old. . . . After the Mac's tournament his game really turned on and he was really good down the stretch.”
Gaudet showed enough that the Blazers don't feel any pressure to take a defenceman in the first round.
“I want a variety,” Recchi added. “In the first round, we'll take the best available player. Whether it's a forward or a defenceman, I don't care. We're going to make a list of eight and pick the one we think is the best at the time.
“After that, we'll evaluate the situation. If we get a forward or a defenceman with the first pick, we'll look at different scenarios. We have two second-round picks and they're fairly close. If we get a forward (in the first round), one of our second-round picks will be a defenceman.”
Bonner was a defenceman in his playing days and someone who learned the value of defending during a six-season stint as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Giants. So he can be excused for being a bit partial to defencemen.
“If there is a real high-end defenceman that's there at eight, we definitely will have to look at it,” he said. “I believe it's important to have a lot of good defencemen.”
Bonner also believes there are “a lot of good, quality defencemen in the draft.”
“I don't know how many I would say are in the top 10,” he added, “but there definitely are some in the top 10.”
Still, because of their faith in Gaudet, Bonner doesn't feel pressure to add a defenceman.
“Last year, our No. 1 priority was to get a defenceman and we got Gaudet,” Bonner reiterated. “This year, we're a little bit more flexible as to which direction we go.”
JUST NOTES: G Tyler Fuhr of the Edmonton-Northeast Flyers is one of the top goaltenders eligible for the draft. He isn't related to former NHL G Grant Fuhr. . . . F Ryan Chynoweth of the Lethbridge Golden Hawks could be an early-round selection. His father is Jeff Chynoweth, the president and GM of the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Matt Needham of Penticton is the son of former Kamloops Blazers sniper Mike Needham. Matt had 253 points, including 94 goals, with the bantam AAA Vees. . . . Observers expect a lot of small skaters to be taken in this draft. As Recchi explained: “You watch the Tri-Citys and the Medicine Hats of the world with a bunch of guys 5-foot-10 and under who scored goals and are hard to play against.” Tri-City's roster includes 10 skaters who are 5-foot-10 or shorter.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

Here are a few players who are expected to be selected in the early going of Thursday’s WHL bantam draft:
FORWARDS:
Anthony Ast, Burnaby Winter Club
Alex Forsberg, Beardy’s, Sask., Blackhawks
Morgan Klimchuk, Calgary Bisons
Remi Laurencelle, Winnipeg Warriors
Curtis Lazar, Pursuit of Excellence, Kelowna
Craig Leverton, Warman, Sask., Wildcats
Jon Merkely, Calgary Bisons
Matt Needham, Penticton
Wyatt Noskey, Edmonton K of C Squires
Nic Petan, North Shore Winter Club
Brian Williams, Los Angeles Selects
———
DEFENCEMEN:
Madison Bowey, Winnnipeg Monarchs
Kyle Burroughs, Langley Eagles
Joseph Carvalho, Burnaby Winter Club
Carter Hansen, Lumsden-Bethune, Sask., Lions
Jared Hauf, Calgary Bronks
Tyler King-Cunningham, Notre Dame Hounds
Jesse Lees, Calgary Northstar Sabres
Josh Morrisey, Calgary Royals Gold
Scott Savage, Los Angeles Selects
Joel Topping, Red Deer Rebels Black
———
GOALTENDERS:
Eric Comrie, L.A. Selects
G Tyler Fuhr, Edmonton-Northeast Flyers
Tristan Jarry, North Delta

THE FIRST ROUND:
1. Prince George; 2. Edmonton; 3. Lethbridge; 4. Seattle; 5. Regina; 6. Prince Albert; 7. Chilliwack; 8. Kamloops; 9. Kelowna; 10. Moose Jaw; 11. Swift Current;
12. Red Deer; 13. Vancouver; 14. Medicine Hat; 15. Kootenay; 16. Portland; 17. Spokane; 18. Everett; 19. Tri-City; 20. Saskatoon; 21. Moose Jaw (from Brandon); 22. Calgary.

THE BLAZERS’ PICKS:
First Round
8. Their own pick.
Second Round
30. Their own pick.
35. From Vancouver (Jan. 8, 2009: Kamloops trades D Nick Ross and F Alex Rodgers to Vancouver for D Curtis Kulchar, 2009 third- and fourth-round draft picks and a 2010 second-round pick.)
Third Round
61. From Spokane (Jan. 7, 2009: Kamloops trades F Brady Calla to Spokane for F Seth Compton and a 2010 third-round draft pick.)
Fifth Round
98. from Moose Jaw (Sept. 15, 2008: Kamloops trades 2009 fourth- and fifth-round draft picks to Moose Jaw for D Giffen Nyren and a 2010 fifth-round draft pick.)
Sixth Round
118. Their own pick.
132. From Calgary (Nov.22, 2009: Kamloops trades D Giffen Nyren to Calgary for a 2010 sixth-round draft pick.)
NOTE: Kamloops has all of its own selections for the remainder of the draft.