In the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, five of the Nashville Predators first seven selections were used on defensemen. Four of those five: Ryan Suter, Kevin Klein, Shea Weber, and Alexander Sulzer are expected to be on the blue line this season for the Predators. The other defenseman drafted by Nashville that year was Richard Stehlik, who doesn’t appear headed for the NHL anytime soon.
I decided to pull out the Media Guide from the 2003 Draft held at the then-Gaylord Entertainment, and now Sommet Center, to see what NHL’s Central Scouting had to say about these five prospects. They have a way of making every defenseman sound like the next coming of Bobby Orr, don’t they?
I’ll post the Central Scouting report for each – see if you can match the scouting report with the player. I will post the correct matches tomorrow.
Player 1
A very strong skater both forward and backward… smooth powerful stride… very good agility and mobility… confident in his skating ability and plays a very tight gap… solid defensive player who seldom joins the rush… hard and accurate first pass… sees the ice well… very poised and doesn’t panic with the puck… has a quick accurate wrist shot from the point along with a heavy slap shot… used on the penalty kill and effective when given the opportunity on the power play… an aggressive hard-nosed player who excels in a physical contest… competes hard and wins most battles for loose pucks in the defensive zone… makes opposing forwards pay a price for standing in front of his net.
Player 2
A very good skater… fine positional player… good shot from the blue line… strong player, effective in the corners and in front of the net… a good passer and playmaker with fine hockey sense… plays a simple but effective game in the defensive zone… a good competitor… strong and can use his size and strength especially close to his own net… has a good attitude, works hard… a mature player with physical dominance on the ice.
Player 3
A very good skater with a smooth, powerful stride… a good backward skater with excellent lateral movement… extremely difficult to beat one-on-one… has excellent vision… an outstanding passer who makes the appropriate passes for the situation at hand… makes good decisions in deciding whether to pass the puck or carry it himself… hard shot from the point… very good at running the power play… pinches well to create scoring opportunities… plays in all game situations… uses his stick well to check opponent and deflect passes… a very focused competitor… has a physical presence on the ice and takes advantage of his ability on a consistent basis… plays a very physical game with a mean and abrasive streak… finishes his checks with authority… does not take foolish penalties… is an effective and timely shot blocker… very durable and well-conditioned player.
Player 4
A very good skater with a long, powerful stride… had good agility and is a good backward skater who is very hard to knock off his skates… uses the long pass from deep in defensive zone very effectively creating open ice for teammates… can also make the soft pass both forehand and backhand… his first pass from own end is usually safe… does not panic with the puck, carries it with confidence and can go end-to-end… possesses a great slap shot from the point and has a very accurate wrist shot… plays in all game situations… a good competitor… very strong, impressive presence in front of net – clears opponents with the brush of an arm… angles opposing players well to the boards and in the corners… is able to retrieve the puck for transition of play… uses stick very well to poke-check… a disciplined player, does not take unnecessary penalties.
Player 5
A very good skater, possessing good speed, power, balance, and agility… likes to join the rush as well as lead the offense by carrying the puck himself… good passer with excellent vision of the ice… good hockey sense with and without the puck… hard, accurate shot from the point… effective in both power play and penalty-killing situations… sound positional play in his own end both in the corners and in front of his own net… very good strength and stamina… logs a lot of ice time… anticipates the play well in all areas of the ice… finishes his checks with authority… a complete defenseman, possessing durability, speed, hockey sense, puck skills, and toughness… a rugged and honest competitor… a clean but punishing open-ice hitter that opponents are always aware of in the neutral zone… makes forwards pay the price in front of his net and in the corners… courageous and very unselfish… never hesitates to go into the corner first on dump-ins and take a hit to protect the puck.
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