What remains is the formal part of this production — the hollering of names at the National Hockey League’s entry draft, June 30 in Newark, N.J.
And, by all accounts, this stands to be one honey of a crapshoot.
“The first round? You can use the word ‘deep’ to describe it,” Dan Marr, the NHL’s director of Central Scouting, told reporters. “There is some exceptional talent available at the top end of the draft.
“From 10 to 40 can all be interspersed. Teams picking at the top end of the second round will still get first-round quality.”
So, yes, very deep.
Deeper than even 2003’s? That remains to be seen, of course.
The Calgary Flames — holding Nos. 6, 22, 28 overall — are not looking for an instant fix.
“I don’t put any stock at all into somebody playing here next year,” John Weisbrod, assistant general manager of the Flames, said. “If we’re thinking that the way to make next year’s team better is through this draft, then we’re in big trouble, right? Even when guys do play in their first year, they very rarely are ready to create winning for an NHL team. They’re 18-, 19-year-old kids. If we choose a guy that’s able to play, that’s great. If we choose guys that are going to take more time, that’s fine, too.
“One thing we know, we’re not going to be sitting here at the end of next year and saying, ‘Oh, thank gosh, we drafted so-and-so because that made our season productive, our team better.’ If you look at it like that — that short-term response — then that causes trouble. That’s the wrong way to look at it.
“If one guy can step in next year, but another guy is going to take two years . . . and he’s going to be a better player, it’s foolish to take the short-term solution.”
But no one dares to doubt the top handful of skaters — Seth Jones, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, Aleksander Barkov — and their pro potential.
1. COLORADO — Franchise defencemen are hard to pass up, and the Avs don’t, grabbing D Seth Jones, six-four and 208 pounds . . . 56 points in 61 games for WHL Portland.
Central Scouting Service: No. 1 North American skater; International Scouting Service: No. 1; The Hockey News: No. 1
2. FLORIDA — Of the QMJHL’s gems, C Nathan MacKinnon goes first . . . Six feet, 182 pounds . . . A well-rounded 75 points in 44 games for Halifax.
CSS: No. 2; ISS: No. 3; THN: No. 3
3. TAMPA BAY — Flashier than his Halifax pal, LW Jonathan Drouin is taken by Bolts . . . Five-11, 185 pounds . . . 105 points, including 41 goals, in 49 games.
CSS: No. 3; ISS: No. 4; THN: No. 2
4. NASHVILLE — C Aleksander Barkov appears to be NHL ready . . . Six-three, 209 pounds . . . With Tappara of the Finnish league, 48 points in 53 games.
CSS: No. 1 international skater; ISS: No. 6; THN: No. 6
5. CAROLINA — C Elias Lindholm is a solid two-way performer . . . Gritty at five foot 11, 192 pounds . . . 30 points in 48 games with Brynas of the Swedish league.
CSS: No. 3 international skater; ISS: No. 8; THN: No. 4
6. CALGARY — In the market for, well, nearly everything, Flames snap up C Sean Monahan . . . Six-two, 186 pounds, with character . . . 78 points in each of the past two seasons for OHL Ottawa.
CSS: No. 5; ISS: No. 9; THN: No. 7
7. EDMONTON — Oilers cannot resist D Darnell Nurse, six-five and 192 pounds . . . Comparisons to Chris Pronger . . . 41 points (and 116 penalty minutes) for OHL Sault Ste. Marie.
CSS: No. 4; ISS: No. 5; THN: No. 8
8. BUFFALO — Offensive charms of Russian LW Valeri Nichushkin, six-four and 196 pounds, are tantalizing . . . Projected producer at the NHL level.
CSS: No. 2 international skater; ISS: No. 2; THN: No. 5
9. NEW JERSEY — Captain of WHL Brandon, D Ryan Pulock is an offensive presence, 147 points in three seasons . . . Six-feet, 211 pounds . . . Ripper of a slapshot.
CSS: No. 12; ISS: No. 12; THN: No. 10
10. DALLAS — Well-seasoned already — two winters in Finland’s elite league — D Rasmus Ristolainen is a two-way defender . . . Six-four, 207 pounds . . . 15 points in 52 games for TPS.
CSS: No. 4 international skater; ISS: No. 10; THN: No. 22
11. PHILADELPHIA — Heady rookie season in North America for D Mirco Mueller . . . Size (six-three, 184 pounds) and quality (31 points in 63 games for WHL Everett) . . . Native of Winterthur, Switzerland.
CSS: No. 9; ISS: No. 46; THN: No. 18
12. PHOENIX — C Max Domi isn’t Tie Domi — he’s way better . . . Competitive despite size, five-10 and 194 pounds . . . And talented (87 points in 64 games for OHL London)
CSS: No. 19; ISS: No. 28; THN: No. 15
13. WINNIPEG — LW Hunter Shinkaruk is loaded with talent . . . 91 and 86 points in last two seasons with WHL Medicine Hat . . . Calgary kid is five-11, 180 pounds.
CSS: No. 6; ISS: No. 13; THN: 23
14. COLUMBUS — Character C Curtis Lazar goes to Blue Jackets . . . Five-11, 193 pounds . . . 61 points, including 38 goals, in 72 games for WHL Edmonton.
CSS: No. 20; ISS: No. 11; THN: No. 9
15. NEW YORK ISLANDERS — LW Anthony Mantha is big (six-four, 190 pounds) and can score (50 goals for QMJHL Val-d’Or) . . . Some scouts question his drive.
CSS: No. 10; ISS: No. 27; THN: 24
16. BUFFALO — Russian RW Valentin Zykov thrived in North America this past season, QMJHL’s top rookie scorer with 75 points in 67 games for Baie-Comeau . . . Six feet, 210 pounds.
CSS: No. 7; ISS: No. 15; THN: No. 31
17. OTTAWA — LW Kerby Rychel, son of former NHLer Warren, can do it all. Fights, scores (40 goals in each of past two seasons with OHL Windsor) . . . Six-one, 200 pounds.
CSS: No. 17; ISS: No. 16; THN: No. 21
18. DETROIT — C Alexander Wennberg is all about creativity . . . 32 points in 46 games for Djurgarden (Sweden’s second tier) . . . Six-two, 183 pounds.
CSS: No. 5 international skater; ISS: No. 18; THN: No. 11
19. COLUMBUS — A checking forward, C Frederik Gauthier still produced in his first season in the QMJHL, 60 points in 62 games for Rimouski . . . Six-five, 210 pounds.
CSS: No. 8; ISS: No. 20; THN: No. 30
20. SAN JOSE — Already NHL-sized, D Robert Hagg, six-two and 204 pounds, is well-rounded . . . 27 games with Modo (Swedish elite league), 28 games with Modo juniors.
CSS: No. 8 international skater; ISS: No. 23; THN: No. 12
21. TORONTO — D Shea Theodore is a tempo-setting defender . . . Six-two, 182 pounds . . . Lots of upside . . . 50 points in 71 games for WHL Seattle.
CSS: No. 11; ISS: No. 32; THN: No. 46
22. CALGARY — LW Adam Erne is sturdy — in size (six-one, 195 pounds) and in game (72 points in 68 games for QMJHL Quebec) . . . Native of North Branford, Conn.
CSS: No. 26; ISS: No. 34; THN: No. 13
23. WASHINGTON — G Zachary Fucale, along with his talented teammates, is well-scouted . . . With QMJHL, 45-5-3, 2.35 GAA . . . Six-one, 181 pounds . . . Native of Rosemere, Que.
CSS: No. 1 North American goalie; ISS: No. 1 goalie; THN: No. 25
24. VANCOUVER — Defence-first (and raw) D Nikita Zadorov may be a worthwhile gamble . . . Six-five, 230 pounds . . . 25 points in 63 games for OHL London.
CSS: No. 22; ISS: No. 7; THN: No. 14
25. MONTREAL — D Josh Morrissey is not big — five-11, 182 pounds — but he’s got grit . . . Plus, Calgary kid owns plenty of skill . . . 47 points for WHL Prince Albert.
CSS: No. 27; ISS: No. 19; THN: No. 19
26. ANAHEIM — RW Ryan Hartman is a disturber, in a good way . . . Five-11, 187 pounds . . . 60 points in 57 games for OHL Plymouth . . . Native of West Dundee, Ill.
CSS: No. 16; ISS: No. 26; THN: No. 28
27. COLUMBUS — A versatile character forward, C Bo Horvat is low on flash . . . But he gets involved . . . 60 points in 67 games for OHL London . . . Six-feet, 200 pounds.
CSS: No. 15; ISS: No. 24; THN: No. 16
28. CALGARY — The book on LW Morgan Klimchuk — smarts . . . Five-11, 180 pounds . . . Doubled production this past winter for WHL Regina, from 18 goals, 36 points, to 36 goals, 76 points.
CSS: No. 25; ISS: No. 37; THN: No. 38
29. BOSTON — LW Artturi Lehkonen is small (five-11, 159 pounds), but unafraid . . . Oodles of talent . . . 30 points in 45 games for KalPa in his native Finland.
CSS: No. 9 international skater; ISS: No. 36; THN: No. 36
30. CHICAGO — D Ian McCoshen, six-two and 207, is an ace defender . . . 36 points in 46 games for USHL Waterloo . . . Native of Faribault, Minn., is bound for Boston College.
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