Today, the final CSS rankings were published on NHL.com. As it stands today, the CBJ are looking to pick in the middle of the pack. The only things that could move the CBJ out of the 13-17 range are:
- CBJ miss the playoffs (please God no) and win the draft lottery (I mean, that’d be kinda cool..)
- Jarmo and JD decide to trade up or down (which doesn’t seem likely).
- CBJ make a deep run in the playoffs and make it to at least the ECF, placing them in the 26-29 zone (remember, the Devils have the 30th pick this year).
So, since these things are unpredictable, I’ll be taking a look at who Columbus may draft in the middle of the first round. First off, let’s take a look at the needs of the organization:
- Scoring wingers that can play well alongside our plethora of young centers.
Yeah. That’s about it. Columbus has pretty insane depth at the center, defenseman, and goalie positions. Now, that’s not to say we have a plethora of blue chip prospects, but it does mean that drafting a player at one of those positions in the 1st round of the 2014 draft is essentially going to cause a severe logjam. So what that leaves Jarmo with is a prime opportunity to load up on a big, scoring winger. The Left Wing would be a good place to start, seeing as it’s pretty slim aside from Kerby Rychel.
The contestants are as follows:
- Brendan Perlini of Niagara in the OHL. Brendan is pretty big for his age (turns 18 on April 27th). He’s listed by the CSS as 6’2.75″ and 205 pounds. Ranked as the 8th best North American skater, Perlini may be a bit of a reach here, but he’s a can’t miss if he falls at the draft. Brendan plays with great speed and hockey sense. He reminds me of a much bigger Matt Calvert, as his level of effort is pretty darn high. Perlini scored 34 goals and 71 points in 58 games this season.
