1st Annual PVR'ed NHL Entry Draft Running Diary PART THREE: #7-30

OK this is getting tedious so lets skip forward a bit. We're still waiting for some hot girlfriends, and it looks like AE is going to let us down. He and Chereponov are in the spotlight as the two high end skill players tumble down the stairs of the draft, for similar reasons - allegations of lack of heart. Somewhere Don Cherry has a huge grin on his redneck, backward thinking face.

And here we got: Montreal picks Ryan McDonagh....another American born recent high school grad, college bound D-man. AE must be crushed - although it may be the best thing for him hockey wise, and maybe personally. Well I guess Timmons and Gainey though he was more Daigle than Savard, but it'll be interesting to see how AE pans out - this is the kind of thing that 110% is going to absolutely beat to death if AE becomes a star even of the Simon Gagne magnitude (remember Eric Chouinard? Exactly.)

I though if they we going in the American D-man direction Nick Petrecki would be the pick. But Komisarek, Higgins and Fischer all panned out, so why go against success. Drafting these high school players clearly indicated they are willing to be patient with players who need to mature but have a high long-term upside potential. Or at least that is what we need to believe. Dung MacLean keeps calling him the sleeper of the draft, and he did pick Nash 1st overall, and that worked out.

Oh friction between P.Mac and Dung MacLean. I understand the Nicolai Zheredev to Montreal pre-deadline rumours. Dung has been harping on Nicky Zee all through the draft, and P.Mac was taking shots at Dung for over-emphasizing the difficulty in getting Russian players as Cherpanov continues to drop like Lindsay Lohan's skirt the afternoons she successfully auditions for a movie part.

And the Rangers land Cherepanov. First Marc Stall falls into Glen Sather's lap, now Cherepanov? Maybe the Rangers caught another break. Or will Cherpanov follow in the footsteps of Pavel Brendl?

And AE finally lands in Pittsburgh. Somehow I think that his disappointment with not landing with the Habs is tempered by his opportunity to play with Sid the Kid. The Pens have certainly settled on the skilled centre route: Crosby, Malkin, Stall, and now Esposito. With Fleury and big Ryan Whitney, they've got a solid bunch of talent who are not yet breaking the bank. If they can land a couple of big, skilled wingers and some more depth on defence they could be the closest thing to a dynasty in the New NHL. And its not like they'll have problems attracting UFA's to compliment their roster. Hmm, I think I'll end there, I think this could be its own post.

And Montreal completes the Craig Rivet trade by picking up Max Pacioretty Too bad Gainey didn't manage to extract another pick from the Sharks if Rivet resigned, but still a good trade considering we likely would have lost Rivet for nothing, as Komisarek has taken his place. Well obviously I'm happy whenever the Habs add another WOP. Lets hope he earns the recognition that Sergio Momesso never did. Yeah I know he helped win a Cup, but his stature in 80s Habs lore is grace more to his hometown background than to his impact on the ice.

Pacioretty sounds like another player in the Latendresse mould, but they now need to acquire some big centres to complement the size on the wings.

And the first hot girlfriend appears with Brendon Smith at #27. To say I was hoping for better is an understatment.

OK and that completes the 1st Annual PVR'ed NHL Entry Draft Running Diary.

NEXT: More analysis of the Habs picks and any more trades