Who to draft now?

hey guys, quick question on who you think I should be taking with my 2 picks in the next 5. 2008 draftees only, 10 team H2H (G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SOG, W, SV%, SO, GAA). My team is pretty evenly balance, so I just want the best guy available.

Here are some of the guys I think are the best available (we are in the low 40s). btw, I am also a little gun shy about Russian players now too. Thanks guys!

Evgeny Grachev
Kirill Petrov
Maxime Sauve
Derek Stepan
Justin Azevedo
Maxim Trunev
Kelsey Tessier
Jared Staal
Danny Kristo
Dmitri Kugryshev
Justin Jokinen
Colby Robak
Vyacheslav Voinov
Jyri Niemi
Michael Hutchinson
Harri Sateri

Sateri or Sauve if you are scared of Russians

My two choices would be Trunev and Robak..

Petrov and Azevedo

thanks guys. looks like quite a mix of opinions, but that is understandable. Still like to hear what other people think too. Also, are there any guys listed you would definitely stay away from, for fear they may never make it to North America, or any other reason. Appreciate it!

Because I like to see how other people drafts are going too, here is ours so far:

Round 1:
1. St. Louis Blues (via SJ) Steven Stamkos
2. Montreal Canadiens (via STL)(via PHI) Nikita Filatov
3. Edmonton Oilers Zach Bogosian
4. Chicago Blackhawks Drew Doughty
5. New York Rangers Alex Pietrangelo
6. St. Louis Blues (via MON) Mikkel Boedker
7. Toronto Maple Leafs Cody Hodgson
8. Colorado Avalanche Colin Wilson
9. Vancouver Canucks Josh Bailey
10. New York Rangers (via SJS)(via STL) Kyle Beach

Round 2:
11. Philadelphia Flyers (via STL) Zach Boychuk
12. Vancouver Canucks Mattias Tedenby
13. Colorado Avalanche Erik Karlsson
14. Toronto Maple Leafs Michael Del Zotto
15. St. Louis Blues (via MON) Chet Pickard
16. New York Rangers Luke Schenn
17. Chicago Blackhawks (via PHI)(via CHI) Joe Colborne
18. Edmonton Oilers Jordan Eberle
19. Vancouver Canucks (via STL)(via PHI) Thomas McCollum
20. Edmonton Oilers (via SJ) Viktor Tikhonov

Round 3:
21. San Jose Sharks Greg Nemisz
22. Philadelphia Flyers Jake Gardiner
23. San Jose Sharks (via EDM) Nicolas Deschamps
24. Chicago Blackhawks Jake Allen
25. New York Rangers Jacob Markstrom
26. Montreal Canadiens Tyler Ennis
27. Toronto Maple Leafs Aaron Ness
28. Colorado Avalanche Anton Gustafsson
29. Vancouver Canucks Corey Trivino
30. St. Louis Blues Mitch Wahl

Round 4:
31. St. Louis Blues Tyler Myers
32. Vancouver Canucks Zac Dalpe
33. Colorado Avalanche Dustin Tokarski
34. Toronto Maple Leafs Tyler Cuma
35. Montreal Canadiens Mikhail Stefanovich
36. New York Rangers Peter Delmas
37. Chicago Blackhawks Luca Sbisa
38. Toronto Maple Leafs (via EDM) Daultan Leveille
39. Chicago Blackhawks (via PHI)
40. San Jose Sharks

Round 5:
41. Edmonton Oilers (via SJ)
42. Philadelphia Flyers
43. Edmonton Oilers
44. Chicago Blackhawks
45. New York Rangers
46. Montreal Canadiens
47. San Jose Sharks (via EDM)(via TOR)
48. Colorado Avalanche
49. St. Louis Blues (via VAN)
50. St. Louis Blues

I am the Oilers, see guys I should consider but didn't list in the first post? Thanks.

I think Grachev is way above most of the others on the list. I agree with the concern about the Russians. This isn't the Tier I grouping, so they're not going to get monster dollars. This should make the KHL more appealing for the Russian/European kids.

Since you pick 2 out of the next 4 picks, I will rank the top 4 at that lot so you can at least 2 of these guys...

If you want to take a risk...

1)Petrov - he is probably the most talented player on this list and could have been a 1st round selection if it wasn't for the fact he is so comfortable in Russia. At 18, he is already a regular in the KHL (47GP-4G-6A-54PIM) and had a strong U18 tourney (6GP-5G-2A-7P). He has the size and the talent to play a top 6 role in the NHL but the KHL may be his home.

2)Trunev - a steal for Montreal in the 5th round, Trunev has all the speed, acceleration, stick handling and finishing skills to be an offensive threat in the NHL. The problem here is he is under contract to Severstal (KHL) for the next 2 years and he wants to play there. If he breaks out in the KHL we may never see him in a Habs uniform.

3)Staal - he didn't have the same hype as his older siblings coming into the draft and ended up being a 2nd rounder. But landing in PHO is no curse, playing for Gretz with all the talent in the Desert may be just what this pedigree needs.

4)Niemi - good offensive instincts with a hard shot (recorded the hardest shot at 97 mph at the Top Prospects Game). He has had a few injuries (foot, wrist, hip) but if he stays healthy and continues his development he will be a steal for the Isles.

or play it safe...

1)Azevedo - dominated the OHL and for that matter the CHL over the regular season and playoffs winning all major awards along the way (OHLMOP, CHLPOY and Playoff MVP). He is a small, stocky forward (5'7", 183 lbs) with a big heart and good leadership qualities. The question is: can he find enough open ice to display his offensive talents without getting hit off the puck. IMO, he proved that last year in the OHL where he played against the top 3 defensemen drafted this year (Doughty, Bagosian, Pietrangelo). He reminds me of Corey Locke (MIN), also a small forward (5'9", 168 lbs) who a few years ago dominated the OHL but took a few years of AHL seasoning to develop. Locke may get a shot this year in Minny. Look for Azevedo to follow a similar path.

2)Tessier - a Moncton, NB native who outscored 2007 1st rounder Esposito last year in Quebec. He's a tad small in staure (5'9", 168 lbs) but plays an energetic game with soft hands and a scoring touch. He'll look good alongside Stastny or Hensick in the future.

3)Grachev - if you are going to draft a safe russian, Grachev is your man. The big fella plays a similar style to Malkin but definitely not as skilled or talented. He is committed to play in NA this season even if that means playing Junior. The Rangers are hoping they can help groom this project into a future power forward.

4)Robak - initiates the rush well from his own end and makes few mistakes. He has untapped offensive potential which he should improve upon next year in the WHL. He projects to be a top 4 defenseman

great insight gmoney! thanks. I am thinking I will likely take a risky pick and a safer pick...that way I have my bases covered. My gut was telling me Petrov and then Azevedo. Looks like I was thinking alright!

In the 5th Round, I'd say Petrov and Azevedo are great picks!

gmoney wrote:
In the 5th Round, I'd say Petrov and Azevedo are great picks!

Well, they are the two I got, so hopefully they will pan out for me!

no pick for me in the 6th round, but I may have to revive this thread when my 7th round pick rolls around. Thanks all!