What can I say...it's raining and gloomy outside in Lloydminster today. The British Open and Calgary/Ottawa CFL football game (although decently exciting so far as it's on in the background) are not overly intriguing to me and so I've devoted a lot of my day to HFboards.
I am not trying to criticize other GMs, more so announce what I would do in their shoes and if they do something I feel is dumb I'm going to say so and try to back it up with reasoning. It adds to the "fun" level of mock drafts, a little constructive criticism and/or joking around never hurt anyone...feel free to criticize what the Panthers do in this draft.
Now that you sort of called me out, I feel compelled to comment on the Skille pick...although I was probably going to regardless.
Drafting Skille at #4 is not dumb. Trading down to #7-#10 and still getting a crack at Skille would have been smarter, but if there's no takers, there's no takers.
Skille does fill Tampa's future power forward need and if you're drafting by need rather than BPA or pure skill then I guess he's your guy at #4.
A top line power forward is something Tampa has never really had as Modin and Andreychuk are not elite power forwards.
However, Skille is the third best powerforward in this draft behind Bobby Ryan and Benoit Pouliot and for him to go at #4, three power forwards in the top 4, is highly unlikely IMO.
If I'm Tampa I'm still drafting Johnson at #4. Boyle, Kubina, Sydor and Sarich represent a decent top 4, but none of them are elite players. However, you guys should have some extra cap room to add another Top 2 or Top 4 guy, so the blueline will be "average" in the near future.
But as far as prospects go, none of those six you mentioned will ever be Top 2 guys and Egener is the only guy I would be even partially optimistic about. Rogers is big, but needs work in almost every part of his game other than size. The other four guys are future plugs, AHLers and ECHLers...nothing to hold your breath about.
Johnson's intentions are to go to Michigan, but his fate lies in the hands of the NHL team who picks him (most definitely in the Top 4). He is one of the most polished young defensemen in years and I've heard many scouts and draft agencies suggest he could step right in and contribute this year. If Tampa takes him at #4 and he has a good showing in camp, you can bet he'd be there on opening day and probably paired with Kubina or Sydor on the top unit.
You're right in saying you guys don't have many sure fire prospects up front either, but it is easier to acquire franchise forwards than frachise defensemen. A blue chipper like Jack Johnson comes along once every three or four years, but there is a solid power forward like Skille in every entry draft.
And seriously you're pretty set up front with Richards, Lecavalier and St. Louis all entering the prime of their career...that in itself is more than most, if not all, teams can boast in offensive firepower.
As for you looking to draft a goaltender, I was simply saying that might be the direction Tampa's real GM takes this year for the reasons I mentioned. Grahame is a good backup and could maybe share NHL duties when play resumes, but he wouldn't be one of the Top 20 starters in the league.
Gerald Coleman is decent, but he wasn't even the starter for the London Knights at the Memorial Cup and I personally don't see a future starter among your goaltending prospects.
This year's draft is deep with forwards and as a result a pair of talented goalies may drop out of the Top 10 and open the door for a team like Tampa to steal their future starter. A smart GM faced with Tampa's current goaltending situation, providing Khabibulin is going to test the market and not return, would definitely use this year's draft as an opportunity to snag one of the two top goaltenders in Price and Rask.