I'll Give You a 'Chris Draft' For a 'Chris Trade' ?

The New York Rangers drafted a 'Chris' and the Philadelphia Flyers traded a 'Chris' tonight during the NHL draft. One will make a huge difference in the short term. The other remains to be seen.

Few trade deals were made during the first round of the NHL draft in Montreal tonight. There were brief encounters between our very-own-cigar-stub-sucking-general-manager Herr Glen 'Slats' Sather and Ottawa's Brian Murray in getting Dany Heatley to New York (apparently, Brian Murray was seen sitting down at the Senators table after speaking with Slats and screaming, "No, no, no..."), but one trade overshadowed the draft for those of us living in the Atlantic Division of the NHL; a massive trade between Philadelphia and Anaheim that brings the Duck's blueline-monster Chris Pronger to the City of Brotherly Love, in exchange for Jeffrey Lupul and 2 first round picks. Tonight, Philadelphia established themselves again as a major contender, one of the strongest defensive teams on paper in the Eastern Conference. Ouch.

And then there's our new 'Chris'....

The New York Rangers, with the 19th pick in the first round, drafted an unexpected choice, yet again, defying anyone's pre-draft picks. Chris Kreider was the lucky draftee for the Blueshirts, born of Massachusetts - I wondered if there was a slight disappointment he hadn't been passed over for his home-state Boston Bruins. "HEY KID, MAYBE YOU SHOULD SMILE A LITTLE MORE WHEN YOU PUT ON THAT Rangers JERSEY....?"

I don't know much about Chris, but he seems to be lauded in the few scouting reports I've been able to dig up. He's big (6'2", 201lbs), and described by some scouts as the best skater in the draft. One anonymous scout quoted by THN said that he's "not sure there are many guys in the NHL now who skate better than this guy". Eyes on the Prize and Matchsticks and Gasoline have both done previews of Kreider; the former being rather complimentary and the latter being far less so.

The expected number one pick for the Islanders was (and was always going to be) John Tavares, the 'wonder kid' scouts have been drooling over for the last four years (look out Sid). Tavares was immediately flown by jet to the Loooooong Island (compliments of Waaaaang) to meet the thousands of desperate Islanders fans hoping for a spark. With the top pick and trading up for more of them, the Islanders look to be a contender once again.

Two of our rivals improved dramatically in one evening. Hey guys in Rangerland...! We are ready. Make the changes promised in the season-ticket letter. You got us into this mess. Now get us out and surprise us. Heatley would look good in Blue. Redden would look good in Leaf.

You know what to do.

tdr