Red Line Report's Mock Draft

Red Line Report has posted a mock draft that I would love to see come to fruition. Jakub Voracek and Colton Gillies? Yes, please.

Well, Gagner Is French For "To Win"

Both TSN and SI have their mock drafts up and each has the Caps taking Sam Gagner.

While Gagner (who I profiled over at The FanHouse here) is considered by many to be one of the top-playmakers in the draft and in possession of "the highest hockey IQ of anybody in the draft," both TSN and SI have the Caps passing on Jakub Voracek to select Dave Gagner's son.

Crazy? Considering the emphasis GMGM placed on the value of hockey sense (and his mention of familial ties contributing to that end) at last week's chat and the connection the Caps have to the youngster given that Gagner's coach this past year in London was Dale Hunter, it makes sense that the Caps would consider Gagner despite his final rankings according to conventional wisdom (and it's not as if the CW has him slotted around 15 - he's a top 10 prospect in everyone's book and the #5 forward in The Hockey News's).

As with seemingly everything else these days, time will tell.

UPDATE: Add another vote for Gagner, this from Hockey's Future.

Get To Know: Jakub Voracek

If the Caps hold on to the #5 pick, I'm hoping they get the chance to (and do) draft Jakub Voracek. Here's why.

NHL.com Mock Draft: Alzner A Cap

NHL.com has apparently gotten caught up in Mel Kiper fever ('tis the season, y'know?) and has thrown together a mock up of the first fourteen picks of the upcoming Entry Draft. Some of the predictions are head-scratchers (Patrick Kane falls to sixth?), and so is the rationale behind the Caps' pick:

No. 5, Washington -- The Capitals’ love of offensive players in recent drafts is well- documented. This team had 10 picks in last year’s draft and took seven forwards. It also grabbed two goalies among its first three selections. So, the backline is an area that has been ignored recently. No longer. This team gave up 51 more goals than it scored this past year, so the time to address defensive deficiencies is now. And Calgary’s Karl Alzner is as good a place as any to start. Already 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he has the frame to handle NHL duty and he also has the smarts to not get overwhelmed in any situation. He is not as physical as some would like, but that is an area of his game he can develop. He also has the offensive foundation to complement Washington’s raft of skilled forwards.

First of all, if Kane is available at five, he'll be a Cap. Jakub Voracek could be too if he's there and Kane isn't. Then again, if Kane is available at five, that pick will be worth an awful lot in trade.

But I have a bigger gripe with the logic behind the Caps' supposed pick. To say that the Caps have ignored the blueline in recent drafts is flat-out ridiculous, given that in 2005 the Caps' first four picks (including two first rounders) and five of their first eight in 2004 (again, including two first-rounders) were defensemen.

The Caps might take Alzner at five come June 22, but it won't happen under this scenario and it won't be because they've been neglecting a need to fill the position.