Habs77

We have 6 picks left. Tomorrow starts at 9 am, and we have the 8th pick (starts at 101st, we pick 109th) The blues picked last and took a guy I wanted us to get, Zakahrov who was a linemate of Kastitsyn's on Team Belarus, but it still should be interesting to see who we pick up. We have 109th, 113th, 177th, 188th, 241st, and 271st left. (8th, 12th, 76th, 87th, 140th, 170th in terms of total number of picks tomorrow) What we got today. Andrei Kostitsyn-RW 10th overall Corey Urquhart-C 40th overall Maxim Lapierre-C 61st overall Ryan O'bryen-RD 79th overall An high scoring RW that is a good skater and has speed to burn. A gamble somewhat, but pegged to be a gamebreaker. Back problems should be of a concern. Another high scoring center that has good size but doesn't seem to use it. Can score goals, and the Habs have ex coach AV to keep an eye on him (hopefully Savard or Gainey remained friends with AV since he's got 3 of our prospects on his team now) A 3rd line checking center that also skates well. And a RD that is going to the NCAA next year. (new rule this year, or else he would have been an '04 pick) A very big kid on the blueline, hopefully he can skate. Komisarek, Archer, O'bryen? Thats some big boys on the right side. A good job getting team needs, a first line scorer, a RD, and 2 centers.

From ISS, Good skater with mobility Strong on his skates A good checking forward Gives and receives passes well Competes hard for the puck Plays well away from the puck But lacks offensive abilities, shot puckhandling and vision. Overall game, A very well rounded player that comes to play every night A very strong skater with a powerful stride combinded with excellent balance Is comitted to a 2 way game, plays responsible at both ends, and is very disciplined player. Not afraid of contact, he finishes his checks. Maxim is a skilled defensive forward that needs to develop his offensive game and he could be a good 2 way foward. They had him ranked 55th. 72-22-21-43 55 pims 6'1.5 185

Talent Analysis Urquhart is still raw, but the upside is definitely there. The Halifax native enjoys coming down the right wing to create some offense. He usually brings the puck to his backhand, and will follow up with a dangerous pass or impressive move. His stickhandling and skating skills aren't smooth, but they should round out with development, and once they do, Cory will be an even more dangerous offensive threat. Statiscally, his numbers are down from his rookie season, but before conclusions are made, there are a few things to be considered. First of all, Urquhart plays on a third line with players who aren't necesarily all that skilled. Let's face it, playing with forwards such as Mike Bray and Peter Polcik will do nothing for numbers. The second thing, and most important, is how he has been getting better as the year has been going forward. In the final weeks of the season, he has been picking up on average three points each four games. His line with Danick Jasmin-Riel and Fabien Laniel has been above reproach. In 2002-03, Urquhart has been rounding out his raw skill. While he still isn't smooth, his game is improving and so is his role. He has pretty much ceased making those plays off the right wing, but he does center the 2nd line and win, on average, every other face-off. Future The good news is that Urquhart already has the size and weight, which puts him ahead of a lot of prospects. He will need to develop his skills in hope to go high in the draft, but he should get the icetime to do so. Next season will mark his third in the "Q", and he will be looked upon to play a major role for the Rocket. - http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect.php?pid=2807

‘Cory is a hard worker’ “It could be easily 25 of the 30 teams called myself personally to talk about Cory and (fellow Rocket Maxim) Lapierre. I don’t lie. I just tell them what I’ve seen. Cory is a hard worker.” Most notably, Urquhart is a goal-scorer. He scored 35 goals and 78 points in 71 games during his third season in the Quebec league. In the playoffs, he fired nine goals and 15 points in seven games as the Rocket lost to the Sherbrooke Castors. His draft stock climbed considerably — 23 spots higher — in the final Central Scouting rankings. “The scouts base a lot on playoffs, where it’s a tougher competition, and the games mean the most, and the real players come to play,” said Urquhart, a former Dartmouth midget. “And that was maybe one of my knocks before — that I wasn’t intense enough or I wasn’t consistent enough. But, after a strong playoff, I think some people are going to remember my name come Nashville. It’s definitely going to be a fun time.” Vigneault believes Urquhart has the potential to be an offensive player in the NHL, despite the tendency nowadays for tighter-checking and lower-scoring games. “If Cory is ever going to play in the NHL, in my books, it’s going to have to be on one of those top two offensive lines,” Vigneault said. “He won’t be a third- or fourth-line player, because the grittiness is not part of the package that you’re buying. You’re buying a player that when he has the puck, you better be aware that things might happen. ‘He’ll outsmart you’ “Cory understands the game. He’s not a liability defensively, but he won’t outmuscle you. He’ll outsmart you. That’s his game and there’s nothing wrong with that. Some great players have played that style — like Jacques Lemaire.” When he was a child, Urquhart cheered for the Pittsburgh Penguins because of offensive stars Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. These days, he likes the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks. “They score a lot of goals, and they’re fun to watch, which resembles my style of play,” he said. Urquhart’s style doesn’t include fighting. He had just 28 penalty minutes this past season. “I never got in a fight in my life,” he said. “I always say I don’t take penalties because I can’t score from the penalty box.” Urquhart, who turns 19 this October, is expected to play in Charlottetown next season as the Rocket move to the P.E.I. capital. He broke into the Quebec league in 2000 and scored 25 goals in 60 games as a rookie with the Quebec Remparts. [Edited on 22-6-03 by Habs77]

Good skater with mobility Good stride sees the ice well Creates scoring chances Creative with the puck Has a good scoring touch. Needs to improve his physical game Needs to use his size to his advantage. Overall game, A big skilled center with a great stride and excellent agility He's a very good stickhandler with a variety of shots under coach Alain Vigneault he has begun to use his size was very impressive in the playoffs 15pts (9-6-15) in 7 games. He has a number of good offensive skills but he needs to learn to use his teamates more. Corey is a wild card, a make it or break it kind of player Too much offensive potential to make it past the 2nd round. ----------------------------------------------------------------- He's got a magnificent shot...... probably the best in the draft; lethal from anywhere inside the blue line. Heavy, accurate, and a great release. Has a quick stick and great hands. Very streaky. Doesn't show much passion in the regular season,but for the second straight year he stepped it up big time in the playoffs, erupting for 15 points in 7 games.Earns marks for coming to play when it counts. However, he doesn't have the speed, first step quickness or elusiveness to beat defensemen off the rush. Below average skater and we're still gun shy about his lack of intensity below the circles. Though he has good size and uses his body well to shield puck from defenders, he doesn't really get involved in the traffic areas. Can be lazy in his own zone at times. Projection: 2nd/3rd line wing who helps on the PP. Style compares to: Brian Savage (poor skating version) [Edited on 22-6-03 by Habs77]

It was 2 games on 3 days rest... or 2 games in 5 days. Still, it's the first time a team wins their 2nd game when playing twice in the same week... I think having it in week 1 is an advantage. You're not as tired since you're just starting the year, plus the other team will take time shaking off the rust of the off-season while you alredy have one game under your belt. Remember how we took 3 quarters to get going against Calgary?.. Edmonton needed the same time to get going tonight. Only difference is we didn't let them off the hook like Calgary last week. 2-0 in week 1 on the road against 2 good teams... more than I expected. And how about Greene on the return game... interesting to see what the Als do when Stokes potentially comes back. Pringle is done, Mills is far superior... and gave us much more trouble just like he did last year in the Grey Cup game. That's what happens when you field guys based on reputation instead of actual performance... you lose. Defense solid as always, offense finally had the ball moving... which hadn't happened since mid-season last year. Good punting by Kellett btw.

I have him turning 19 in July... he's not 17 from what I can see.

He turns 19 in a month... so 2-4 maybe more you have him waiting 'til he's 25. 2-3 is more like it... if he'll ever make that is. With Archer, Korneev, and now O'Bryne we now have a little more balance in our RD prospect depth. On LD we have Hainsey, Beauchemin, Linhart.

From Redline: "Other sleepers to watch for: Ryan O'Byrne, Bruno Gervais and Philippe Sydoux. O'Byrne played for Tier II Nanaimo, which is tough to get to even for BCHL scouts. But he's gigantic at 6-5/210 pounds, has decent footwork, and a nice mean streak. "

Maxim Lapierre Team: Montreal Rocket League: QMJHL Position: Center Shoots: Right Height: 6'1½" Weight: 174 Born: March 29, 1985 in St. Leonard, Quebec 2002-03 Season Is rated 23rd among North American prospects on Central Scouting's final ranking, was 22nd at mid-season ... performed at the 2003 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kitchener for Team Orr ... completed his first season in Montreal ... named a runner-up for QMJHL Rookie of the Month honors for November ... recorded a season-best four-point game on Nov. 22 (1-3-4 vs. Val d'Or) ... recorded a hat trick on Feb. 21 (3-0-3 vs. Rimouski) ... finished eighth in team scoring ... ranked among the QMJHL rookie leaders in goals (5th), assists (8th) and points (7th). Personal Profile Selected 25th overall by Montreal in the 2001 QMJHL midget draft ... split the 2001-02 season between Montreal and the Cap-de-la-Madelaine midget AAA team (16-26-42 in 35GP). Central Scouting Report A very good skater with a good stride and excellent balance ... a confident puck carrier with good passing skills ... has excellent on-ice vision and good anticipation of the play ... an intelligent, heads-up player ... possesses an accurate wrist shot ... is a fixture on the power play and penalty killing units ... a solid competitor who pursues the puck with tenacity ... effectively capitalizes on the transition of play ... is solid along the boards and in the corners ... effectively finishes his checks and will not back down in a physical game. Statistics Season Team League GP G A TP PIM 2002-03 Montreal QMJHL 72 22 21 43 55 2001-02 Montreal QMJHL 9 2 0 2 2

If you missed Woodlief's June 18th chat, (part of) the transcript follows: ken, from michigan: Hi, Whats your take Andrei Kastsaitsyn? At the time of the WJC he was a "who, what, huh" player and now he's getting a lot of hype. Where do you think he'll be drafted? thanks! Kyle Woodlief: I really have no idea what the hell you're talking about since Andrei Kastsitsyn was in Red Line Report's first round in our pre-season report last August, had already moved into our top 15 by November, and was among our top five after the World Jrs. in Halifax. Maybe you didn't know who he was, but everybody else certainly did. Frankly, if you take away the concerns over his epilepsy and potential back problem, he's clearly the best player in this year's draft -- period. Roselle PK: If you had the No. 1 pick, who would you pick as the best player available? Kyle Woodlief: At Red Line we believe that Andrei Kastsitsyn is the clear cut choice as No. 1 overall, if you are absolutely 100% convinced that his epilepsy/back issues won't be a longterm problem in his career.

"Ryan O'Byrne is our biggest as far as high is concerned. He's skates extremely well for his size. I think he'll remind a lot of people of Brian McMeekin ['02]," Big, skates well.... ok. Tough to find info on the guy. "O’Byrne accepts Scholarship to Cornell February 26, 2003 Defenseman Ryan O’Byrne acquired during the season from the Victoria Salsa for Tyler Cherwinski has made his decision on where he will be attending school and playing next season. O’Byrne will join team-mate Byron Bitz and suit up for the Cornell Big Red in the ECAC Conference. Cornell currently sports a 22-4-1 record and are led by former Nanaimo Clippers Greg Hornby, Shane Hynes and David LeNeveu. [Edited on 21-6-03 by Habs77]

Ryan O'Byrne # 8 - Defence Hometown: Victoria, BC Birthdate: July 19, 1984 Shoots: Right Height: 6' 5" Weight: 192 lbs. Year Team Level/League GP G A TP PIM 01-02 Victoria Salsa BCHL 53 2 9 11 91 Year Team Level/League GP G A TP PIM Playoffs Victoria Salsa BCHL 3 0 0 0 9 O'Byrne is in his first year as a Salsa and is the tallest on the team. This Victoria Racquet Club product is currently in Grade 12. His sister plays basketball for the University of Victoria. "OB" enjoys golfing, fishing, weightlifting, and water skiing.

he had him 49th: 49/ Lapierre - "I like him. He wants to be a player - he's strong, he works out; he's committed to being a player. He has third-line upside. I don't think he a real gritty, edgy guy but he plays hurt he's in your face all the time, and he's got some abilty. I can see him being a player." Second rounder.

Ryan O'Byrne Montreal's fourth pick Defenseman Ryan O'Byrne, who had played with Nanaimo of the BCHL this past season, was the Canadiens' fourth pick on Saturday afternoon, going 79th overall in the third round. O'Byrne, a towering 6-foot-5, 210-pounder, notched 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 41 games with his club, and was listed as the 116th North American skater by the CSB. "We're extremely pleased with the way the first three rounds developed and with the players who we were able to select," revealed Trevor Timmins, the Canadiens' Director of Player Personnel, following Saturday's events. "There's no doubt Kastsitsyn is an extremely gifted player, who in our opinion was the finest European available. We're also extremely high on both members of the Rocket who we drafted, Cory Urquhart and Maxim Lapierre." As for O'Byrne, Timmins explained that in his estimation, a player shouldn't be discounted simply because he hasn't any junior hockey experience. "It's a question of rules," said Timmins. "He's planning on playing college hockey for Cornell, and a player with major junior experience is no longer eligible to play for a U.S. university. The important thing is that he didn't get away from us." [Edited on 22-6-03 by Habs77]

Maxim Lapierre Canadiens' third selection Selected 61st overall after being sent to the Canadiens from the Flyers as part of the Eric Chouinard deal, center Maxim Lapierre -- a teammate of Urquhart's on the Rocket this past season -- was Montreal's third selection Saturday afternoon, and their second player selected in the second round. Measuring 6-foot-1 and weighing in at 174 pounds, the native of St. Leonard, QC, notched 43 points (22 goals, 21 assists) with the Rocket this past season. Entering the draft, the 18-year-old was listed as the No. 23 North American skater by the CSB and was ranked 63rd overall by THN. "I grew up in St. Leonard and Repentigny, so I don't need to tell you I've been a Canadiens' fan since I was eight years old," enthused Lapierre after learning he was Montreal-bound. "I was expecting to go in the second round, so I'm very happy. But to be chosen by the Canadiens, that's just a real honor for me." An admirer of the style and intensity of the Devils' John Madden, Lapierre is described by scouts as an exceptional skater with a strong shot who is equally adept at passing backward and forward. He is a versatile two-way player who also excels on special teams, both on the power play and on the penalty killing units. .............................. Maxim Lapierre C Hometown/ville d'origine: Saint Leonard, PQ Birthdate/Naissance: 03/29/85 HT/T: 6.02 WT/P: 180 Shoots/Lance: R/D NHL Central Scouting - North American Ranking: 22nd Season Team GP G A PTS PIM Saison Equipe PJ B A PTS MP 2001-02 Montreal Rocket 9 2 0 2 2 2002-03 Montreal Rocket 50 16 18 34 45 CHL Totals 59 18 18 36 47 Scouting Report: - Very good on faceoffs - Strong passer - Strong at reading a play even without the puck [Edited on 21-6-03 by Habs77] [Edited on 22-6-03 by Habs77]

"Scoring for Belarus were Mikhail Grabovski and Vadim Karaga. Karaga also picked up an assist for a two-point outing. Andrei Kastsitsyn dazzled the crowd with some outstanding stickhandling and individual play for the Belarus team."

And there's a little something for everyone with talented players of all styles and sizes available. If it's pure gamebreaking ability you're after, nobody beats Belarussia's Andrei Kastsitsyn. The fiery winger has a rare mix of skill and desire. Plenty of snipers know what to do with the puck once you get it to them in scoring territory. What sets Kastsitsyn apart is that he'll do all the hard work to go get the puck, then he'll steam his way through traffic into scoring position and finish off his own play.

Sports Illustrated predicted we'd take him: 10 RW Andrei Kastsitsyn Central Army (Russia) 6' 0" 189 2/3/85 The Canadiens have enough depth in their organization that they could afford to take a bit of a risk drafting Kastsitsyn this high. Kastsitsyn, an epileptic, is this year's high-risk, high-reward selection. If his medical concerns check out, he may emerge as one of the top forwards from this draft class. Or he could wash out without much of a whimper. But the Habs are set on defense for the future with Ron Hainsey and Mike Komisarek, so taking a gamble on a potential superstar like Kastsitsyn would be a bold stroke by new general manager Bob Gainey.

The Hockey News: Andrei Kastsitsyn could be the sleeper of this year's draft. An epileptic, his ranking and status on draft day could be determined by the willingness of an NHL team to look past the condition's stigma. Kastsityn, from Belarus, will be checked out by doctors in June; what they say will carry weight in the selection process. He played with Moscow's Red Army this season, which speaks volumes about his promise. "He is very smart. To be an '85 (born) and play in the Russian league is very good," said a European scout. "I saw him play a couple of very average games and he stilled scored. He has great skills and is a thinking-man's player." Kastsitsyn made an impression at the WJC in Halifax. He was the dominant player on Belarus and went hard every shift. He did not have much of a supporting cast, but carried on despite being on the receiving end of constant mugging by his opponents. He's not huge, but he's smart with the puck. "He does not have the size, but I say he has the smarts and could be great," said a scout.

Here's a good article on him: Good article click here (french) A few points: - they call him one of the best prospects from the Q league - despite his good numbers, he says he's never satisfied with his game - was dominating during the playoffs - has the A on his sweater for the first time this year, he's a leader in the room - good defensive game, impressive on the PK Doesn't sound too bad

55 URQUHART, CORY QMJHL MONTREAL 10/1/1984 6' 2" 195 C L 71GP 35G 43A 78PTS 28PIM One scout said: "Uhrquhart - not overly fond of him. "He's not real brave, but he's around the puck all the time. I think he's a third rounder." Only 28PIM in 71GP... so no grit. Decent point totals though but I'm not too impressed with this pick. At least he's 6'2''...195lbs... so at worst he has size. Looks like a "local" kinda pick, Rockets connection and all. Maybe our scouts while following the progress of Lambert got to liking this kid on the same team. We'll see. [Edited on 21-6-03 by Habs77]

Posted on another board... "Norm Marshall called in on Sportrage on The Team990. He being a former employee of The Team, a CHUM company, I would believe it to be true. They wouldn't put him on if it weren't." Hope this is true, he apparently said both were to be bought out. I guess even if it's already been worked out, it's prudent to wait 'til after the draft to make it official... just in case you get really lucky and find some way to dump them to another team during the all the dealing talk that goes on on draft day. I'm a little surprised about Dykhuis, don't get me wrong he's awful, but since he has 2 years left at 1.6/1.7M and a standard buyout is 2/3 so that means over 2M to buy him out. I would have thought it would be cheaper to pick up 500k per year of his salary and trade him for a low pick, so it'd cost us 1M instead of 2M. I gotta believe at least one team would take a chance on him rediscovering his 2001 form for 1M per. Or maybe Dykhuis accepted less than 2/3rds... even by taking less than half he'd make up the difference by making 900k/1M per with his new team... what the hell do I know.

We'd finally have a true sniper on LW... but what will it cost us in assets, and then salary. The very fact that we're talking tells me we are NOT in payroll slashing mode in Montreal. GG probably promised BG the payroll would not be cut, to lure him here. You don't bring in a new GM only to force him to water down the product and make him look bad. That's just a theory of mine...

Now this is getting ridiculous... the Journal de Montréal is about to come out with that headline in Friday's paper. Apparently he's been chumy with some bikers over the years, and had alredy been warned by some NHL officials that he might want to sever those ties. When the police raided some biker strongholds in '99 some picture were found with Theo posing with the bikers. The police has apparently seized a bank account he and his father co-owned.... this thing is just starting boys, the montreal press just hit the jackpot. If they somehow manage to tie him into this fiasco financially speaking (shared accounts used... etc) the question might no longer be should we trade him, but can we trade him... if he's in jail that is I'm exagerating... but this thing has gotten bigger than I thought it would. Mikes also pulled the "theo" commercials they were running. And this is what... day 2? P.S. One guy who must be happy is Breezer, he must be saying "how bad does that trip to Paris sound now MoFos!!"... lol And Souray busting his hand punching a car while his wife chases the robbers away in her thong?... The Habs' PR department must be thinking, why us Exclusive footage of Souray's wife, Angelica Bridges, putting her thong on before commencing her pursuit of the luckiest car thieves in history