Draft nuggets

Saw this via HFBoards:

Well, I don’t want to speak for (Blue Jackets GM) Scott Howson. I know what he’s told me is that they are not moving that pick until they see who’s there. They have a guy in mind. They won’t share who it is with me. They have a player in mind and if he’s there, they’re picking. If not, they’ll try and move the pick. If they move the pick, we’ll likely be on the phone.

Link from Anaheim's web sit.

I'm sure Howson and his staff do have an eye on a player -- I've give it a 100% chance its a defensemen -- and he would probably be more willing to deal it if all 4 fall like dominos right before they pick.

As long as he's entertaining offers and has deals on the table ready to go if their man isn't there it sounds like a reasonable plan to me.

If Burke wants that pick he better be willing to deal a player the Jackets can use. Bobby Ryan perhaps? I don't see the Ducks parting with him and quite frankly I don't see much that would interest the Jackets that the Ducks would part with -- Getzlaf and Perry certainly aren't going anywhere.

Mark it down though -- if Doughty/Bogosian/Pietrangelo/Schenn are on the board at 6, the Jackets will make the pick.

Also TSN released their mock draft....and to no one's surprise they have the Jackets taking Luke Schenn (or the human erase as Pierre McGuire calls him) at #6 and Michael Del Zotto at #19.

Their top 10:

1. TB Steven Stamkos, C, Sarnia
2. LA Drew Doughty, D, Guelph
3. ATL Zach Bogosian, D, Peterborough
4. STL Alex Pietrangelo, D, Niagara
5. NYI Nikita Filatov, LW, CSKA
6. CLB Luke Schenn, D, Kelowna
7. TOR Mikkel Boedker, RW, Kitchener
8. PHX Colin Wilson, C, Boston U.
9. NAS Cody Hodgson, C, Brampton
10. VAN Kyle Beach, C, Everett

Full mock here. Also some good videos on that site about pre-draft speculation from picks to trades and everything inbetween.

Also check out Sportsnet.ca's mock here. Guess who they have going to the Jackest at 6? Yep - the "human eraser". At 19 though they have the Jackets selecting a goaltender...guess they didn't get the memo on that kid Steve Mason. The first mock I've read (and I've read a lot) that have the Jackets taking a goaltender.

Finally TheFourthPeriod.com has their (with ISS) mock up here. No "human eraser" this time but they do have Alex Pietrangelo falling to the Jackets at 6 - they compare him to Jay Bouwmeester. They have another D in John Carlson going to them at 19 and compare him to Bryan McCabe.

Under 24 hours to go now!!

-LTL