With names like Ryan Smyth and Brent Burns getting moved on draft weekend, the NHL Draft went off without much to-do. Everyone was drafted where they were expected to be until the management in Ottawa and Winnipeg made some typically inane choices, allowing the Bruins and Avalanche, among others, to get guys they probably had no business getting.
But hey, who's complaining? Without further ado, the morning links:
Hockey Prospectus analyzed their top 100 draft prospects, and it's tough not to be shocked when you see where Alex Khokhlachev and Dougie Hamilton were ranked. Down Goes Brown offers a glimpse into what some of the high picks will bring to their teams. Jeff Klein and Stu Hackel of NYTimes.com discuss how the origin of talent in the draft is quickly relocating, while Michael Schuckers of St. Lawrence University discusses just how much picks in the draft are actuall worth (Stats Prof Analyzes NHL Draft).
Bruins Assistant GM Jim Benning sat down with Bruins 2011 Draft Watch to recap the Bruins' haul, which was viewed pretty favorably, as Kirk Luedeke writes in the New England Hockey Journal.
Meanwhile, SBNation Sharks' blog Fear The Fin offers their thoughts on the Brent Burns - Devin Setoguchi, et al trade, while Matchsticks and Gasoline learns just who Chris Butler really is and why Robyn Regehr was moved for him. Spectors Hockey recaps trade and transaction rumors in the wake of the draft, including the fact that Joni Pitkanen may indeed be returning to Carolina. FoxNews.com describes just how Dale Tallon convinced Brian Campbell to come play hockey in Miami (hint: it has nothing to do with playing hockey in Miami). Hockey Journal discusses how Michael Paliotta, the first New Englander to go in the draft, is signaling a shift in the geography of hockey talent as well.
Trades weren't the only big non-name calling news of the weekend; according to ProHockeyTalk and, well, everyone else, sweeping changes are coming in the divisional alignment department.
Puck Daddy has the 10 most awkward draft photos, and of course the Bruins won that, too. Speaking of the Bruins winning, the guys at Days of Y'Orr spent a day with the Stanley Cup, and documented their antics (they also have a link to a google calendar version of the Bruins schedule, so that's pretty awesome). They also posted something involving Kate Upton doing the Dougie, but God knows there are better videos of her to watch than that.
In non-draft news, ESPN Boston sat down with Mark Recchi to discuss his career and his plans for his future. Meanwhile, in Toronto, Rick Dudley was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs and The Globe and Mail discusses. Somebody other than the Pensblog guys wanted to talk about Jagr returning to the NHL, so The Hockey News let them, for better or worse.
Finally, because it'd be terrible of us to overlook it, learn a little bit more - and we mean a little bit more - about Johan Mattsson, the NHL's Mister Irrelevant: NHL Entry Draft Prospect Profiles.