Draft Has No Clear-Cut Path

When the Tampa Bay Lightning chose Vincent Lecavalier first overall in the 1998 entry draft, owner Art Williams declared the 18-year-old center would become the Michael Jordan of hockey.

Williams has since sold the club, and Lecavalier, though progressing, hardly is a star. But it’s easy to see why Williams got caught up in the euphoria of the draft, a process in which scouts and general managers risk their jobs on projections of how a teenager will develop.

The first three rounds of this year’s draft will be held today in Calgary, with the fourth through ninth rounds on Sunday. The New York Islanders won the draft lottery and will pick first.

The top-rated prospect is University of Wisconsin left wing Dany Heatley, but he’s not a unanimous pick. Boston University goaltender Rick DiPietro, who has been compared to Martin Brodeur of the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils, and Czech defenseman Rostislav Klesla, who has spent the last two seasons in North America unleashing teeth-rattling hits, also have supporters.

Centers and defensemen have monopolized the top spot since 1991. The last winger chosen first was right wing Owen Nolan, taken by Quebec in 1990.

“It’s easy to go in there and take the first pick, but I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do,” said Islander General Manager Mike Milbury, whose team has missed the playoffs six consecutive seasons and may need the quick boost of trading the pick for an established player. “There’s a side of me that says, ‘Stay patient,’ and another side that says, ‘How much more [losing] can I take?’ ”

Atlanta, expansion entries Minnesota and Columbus, Tampa Bay, Nashville, Boston, Tampa Bay again, with a pick acquired from the Islanders, Calgary and Chicago round out the top 10. The Mighty Ducks have the 12th pick, and the Kings pick 20th.

Heatley, 19, was born in Germany but grew up in Calgary. He’s a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder who doesn’t have much speed but has great instincts around the net. Klesla, 6-2 and 198 pounds, is considered a two-way defenseman who reads the ice well and has a good shot from the point. DiPietro, a native of Lewiston, Maine, was voted best goaltender while playing for the U.S. in the world junior championships this year.

Europeans are expected to have a strong presence, with Klesla, Slovakian left wing Marian Gaborik, Russian center Mikhail Yakubov, Russian right wing Pavel Vorobiev and Russian left wing Alexei Smirnov projected as potential top-10 picks. Last year, when Czech native Patrik Stefan was chosen first by Atlanta, a record 94 European players were chosen, accounting for 34.6% of all players drafted.

“I think it’s a decent crop,” Minnesota General Manager Doug Risebrough said. “I wouldn’t say it’s star-studded at the top end like maybe last year’s draft, but I don’t think that’s an inhibiting factor. I think that might be a positive for an expansion team, that we will be able to pick a good player who won’t be tagged with a star stigma and [will] maybe get a chance to develop to his full potential.”

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KINGS

Top picks in last 10 drafts (first-round choices*)

Year: 1999

Player: Andrei Shefer

Pick: 44th

Position: Left Wing

1999-00 Team: Halifax(QMJHL)

1999-00 Statistics: 34-42-76 in 72 games

Comments: Promising power forward

*

Year: 1998

Player: Mathieu Biron*

Pick: 21st

Position: Defense

1999-00 Team: N.Y. Islanders

1999-00 Statistics: 4-4-8 in 60 games

Comments: Traded to NYI in Palffy, Smolinski deal

*

Year: 1997

Player: Olli Jokinen*

Pick: 3rd

Position: Center

1999-00 Team: N.Y. Islanders

1999-00 Statistics: 10-11-21 in 82 games

Comments: Traded to NYI in Palffy, Smolinski deal

*

Year: 1996

Player: Josh Green

Pick: 30th

Position: Left Wing

1999-00 Team: N.Y. Islanders

1999-00 Statistics: 12-14-26 in 49 games

Comments: Traded to NYI in Palffy, Smolinski deal

*

Year: 1995

Player: Aki Berg*

Pick: 3rd

Position: Defense

1999-00 Team: Kings

1999-00 Statistics: 3-13-16 in 70 games

Comments: Finally starting to fulfill his vast potential

*

Year: 1994

Player: Jamie Storr*

Pick: 7th

Position: Goalie

1999-00 Team: Kings

1999-00 Statistics: 18-15-5, 2.53GAA

Comments: Waiting for him to become an elite goalie

*

Year: 1993

Player: Shayne Toporowski

Pick: 42nd

Position: Right Wing

1999-00 Team: Springfield (AHL)

1999-00 Statistics: 27-28-55 in 80 games

Comments: Career minor leaguer, 3 NHL games

*

Year: 1992

Player: Justin Hocking

Pick: 39th

Position: Defense

1999-00 Team: St. Johns (AHL)

1999-00 Statistics: 4-9-13 in 68 games

Comments: Career minor leaguer, 1 NHL game

*

Year: 1991

Player: Guy Leveque

Pick: 42nd

Position: Center

1999-00 Team: London (UK)

1999-00 Statistics: Injured

Comments: Career minor leaguer, 17 NHL games

*

Year: 1990

Player: Darryl Sydor*

Pick: 7th

Position: Defense

1999-00 Team: Dallas Stars

1999-00 Statistics: 8-26-34 in 76 games

Comments: Developed into a top flight NHL blueliner

*

MIGHTY DUCKS

Top picks in team history (first-round choices*)

Year: 1999

Player: Jordan Leopold

Pick: 44th

Position: Defense

1999-00 Team: U. of Minnesota

1999-00 Statistics: 6-18-24 in 39 games

Comments: Good power-play quarterback

*

Year: 1998

Player: Vitaly Vishnevski*

Pick: 5th

Position: Defense

1999-00 Team: Mighty Ducks

1999-00 Statistics: 1-1-2 in 31 games

Comments: Hitter in the Vladimir Konstantinov mold

*

Year: 1997

Player: Mikael Holmqvist*

Pick: 18th

Position: Center

1999-00 Team: TPS Turku (Fin)

1999-00 Statistics: 12-3-15 in 52 games

Comments: Needs to grow into his 6-3 frame

*

Year: 1996

Player: Ruslan Salei*

Pick: 9th

Position: Defense

1999-00 Team: Mighty Ducks

1999-00 Statistics: 5-5-10 in 71 games

Comments: Dangerous, inconsistent, talented

*

Year: 1995

Player: Chad Kilger*

Pick: 4th

Position: Center

1999-00 Team: Edmonton Oilers

1999-00 Statistics: 3-2-5 in 40 games

Comments: Still looking for his NHL niche

*

Year: 1994

Player: Oleg Tverdovsky*

Pick: 2nd

Position: Defense

1999-00 Team: Mighty Ducks

1999-00 Statistics: 15-36-51 in 82 games

Comments: Talented offensively, improving on defense

*

Year: 1993

Player: Paul Kariya*

Pick: 4th

Position: Left Wing

1999-00 Team: Mighty Ducks

1999-00 Statistics: 42-44-86 in 74 games

Comments: Superstar, one of the NHL’s top forwards

--Researched by Roy Jurgens