Your Guide To The 2008 NHL Entry Draft

Tomorrow night, young prospects from all over the world will convene at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The first round will be shown in prime-time on Versus. Look no further than The Rivalry for your one-stop shop for information about the Draft. We're not going to do a mock draft or anything like that; after all, the one thing in common about all the draftees is that we don't know anything about any of them. That said, we'll still be watching, as we think all hockey fans should.

And away we go!

When and where is the draft taking place?
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft will be at the ScotiaBank Place in Ottawa. The Draft will be split up into two parts. The first round will take place Friday night at 7 PM. The Draft resumes Saturday morning at 10 AM, when the remaining six rounds will take place.

How can I watch the Draft?
For the second straight year, the first round is airing in prime-time on Versus. Saturday's portion of the draft will be broadcast on the NHL Network.

What can we expect to see?
We have yet to see even one second of footage of any of the top prospects at the Draft. So we have no idea of who will be picked where, which teams are likely to take what players, or any of the actual "draft" stuff. However, there are a couple of picks we're willing to take to the bank. And, since it's hard to get excited about a player we might not even see for five years, these items provide the most entertaining part about the draft.

• At least thirty mentions that this is "the deepest NHL Entry Draft in years".
• An awkward introduction by Gary Bettman where he thanks the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins for great TV ratings... err, a great Stanley Cup Final.
• Steven Stamkos showing up to the Draft with his parents, wearing a suit that combines the colors black, blue, and silver.
• Only one team will provide its' first-round pick with a jersey with the player's actual number on it - the Tampa Bay Lightning (Stamkos, #91).
• Each team will send a gaggle of executives and one alumni member to the Draft. The group will make a 5-minute speech, congratulating the Red Wings on their Stanley Cup win and thank the Ottawa Senators and city of Ottawa for their hospitality. Then, the pick will be announced, and the last name of the player will definitely be mispronounced.
• Lots of footage of the draftees, accompanied by lots of awful jerseys and lots of corporate sponsors all over those jerseys.
• Lots of bad interviews with players who are either nervous wrecks or are overly relieved to be chosen (or both). The phrases "happy to be here", "the organization", and "looking forward to training camp" will be said approximately ten thousand times. Each.
• Versus will air that Dockers commercial they showed a million times during the playoffs another fifty times on Friday night alone.
• Live cut-ins to Draft Parties around the country, where at least one team's fanbase will boo the pick of a player that they've never even seen play.
• Plenty of lagged interviews with GMs who will state that they got who they wanted, even if it's a blatant lie.

What will the local teams be doing for the Draft?
The Islanders, no strangers to high draft picks, will be hosting a Draft Party at the Coliseum. John Buccigross gets the night off from the Boston sports circlejerk that is SportsCenter and is slated to be the MC. Jack Hillen and Robin Figren, with a combined two games of NHL experience between them, will be there to greet fans. The event will feature interviews with Garth Snow, Ted Nolan, and whomever the Islanders pick.

The Rangers... um... don't get to have a Draft Party anymore now that the NHL hates them and wants to kick Charles Dolan out of the league.

As for the actual Draft?
Well, the Islanders' draft promotion says it all. "2000: Rick DiPietro. 2006: Kyle Okposo. Who's next?" I guess they'd like us to forget about Raffi Torres (traded for Janne Niinimaa), Jason Spezza (traded for Alexei Yashin), Robert Nilsson (traded for Ryan Smyth) Petteri Nokelainen (traded for the immortal Ben Walter), and Ryan O'Marra (also traded for Smyth). In other words, Isles fans, don't get your hopes up.

The Rangers have recovered from the era of Pavel Brendl and Jamie Lundmark to have a very impressive draft record in recent years, particularly in the later rounds. If they don't wow you early on, just be patient - they'll get at least one or two solid NHL players in this draft, which is more than can be said for a lot of teams out there.

Will there be any trades?
Tough to say. We have all heard for months about how deep this Draft is and how nobody wants to trade their picks. Is this true, or was all that talk simply posturing for a bigger deal later on? We'll find out this weekend. The truth is, the sure thing of a quality player now means more to GMs than a player who might be good down the line, especially with a lot of teams feeling like they're just one or two players away. This year's free agent crop is pretty weak, which might force a few hands this weekend, so don't be shocked if there's a good amount of trade activity. However, don't be surprised if teams opt to simply take the best players they can with the picks they already have.

Anything else?
Nope. We hope you enjoy the Draft; after all, Versus could use good ratings so that they can bring us more quality NHL action next season. Seriously, even though these prospects are all mysteries to us, we still watch the Draft each year and are entertained by it. Hey, why not? It's hockey.

Oh, and if you actually care about who's good in the Draft, here's TSN's Top 60 Prospects. Enjoy!