Jan 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) skates with the puck during a shootout period against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. The Avalanche won 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Friday night kicks off the NHL All-Star break with the third All-Star game draft. This is where team captains are appointed, flip a coin to see who chooses first and then pick the remaining players of their team. Official rules state that goaltenders have to be picked by the 10th round of the draft and all defensemen gone by the 15th. Each team will result in 12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 3 goaltenders at the conclusion of the draft.
This year, team captains are Nick Foligno (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks), appointed by the NHL Hockey Operations. They were also appointed alternate captains, Foligno being assigned Patrick Kane and Drew Doughty and Toews with Rick Nash and Ryan Getzlaf.
NHL staff writers Dan Rosen and Corey Masisak performed a mock draft and have Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron being named 31st overall in the 16th round to Team Toews with Phil Kessel getting a nod just before him. Mind you, this was before the announcement of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin missing out on the activities due to injuries, but still, Kessel over Bergeron, that stings.
Puck Prose
Sure, he hasn’t had a stellar year, especially being the reigning Selke Award winner, but he’s the best in Boston, leading the team in points (32) and assists (21) along with posting 11 goals on the season. Sure, 11 goals may not be as extravagant as Tyler Seguin‘s league-leading 28, but at least he can play solid two-way hockey and be a team player. The question is, what team will draft Bergeron and could he really be at the bottom of the barrel?
Naturally, players like Steven Stamkos and Alex Ovechkin are going to be picked off the list first, being some of the best scoring forwards and all-around players in the NHL to-date. Keeping in mind that goaltenders must be selected by the 10th round and defensemen must be selected by the 15th, 31st overall is an adequate placement for Bergeron. It slates him as the 6th forward selected on the team. However, knowing that Crosby and Malkin are out of commission, I’m going to go on a limb here and say that he’ll be picked in the 6th round, 11/12th overall(depending on who gets the flip of the coin).
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Now the question is, who will draft him? I’m going to say that Jonathan Toews will be the one to pick Bergeron. Let’s think about this, both have played against each other through a 6-game series at the most grueling point of the season and most important, the Stanley Cup Final. Toews knows what Bergeron played through (punctured lung, broken rib and torn cartilage) and what his compete level is, even at his worst. In addition, Toews was also on the Gold Medal winning team alongside Bergeron during the 2014 Winter Olympics. The two have a history of winning together and know how each other plays, making this choice (for this writer), a no-brainer.
While the All-Star Game is just fun and games, it’s fun to speculate who may pick Bergeron and why. So, do you agree with this assessment or do you think he’ll go earlier or later in the draft or to Team Foligno instead? We want to hear your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook and Twitter pages.