New York Islanders All-Star and possibly 26th-best NHL player under 25 John Tavares was selected in the 16th round (of 19) in last night's All-Star draft. Logan Couture was your last man standing.
There were rules that mandated goalies going by a certain round and defensemen too, so I'm not sure if you interpret any strategy beyond that.
Read a link to those rules in Keith and Mark's fun fantasy draft piece from yesterday, which also served as a draft thread of sorts as well as a chance to banter with the source of the "Tavares isn't in the top 25?" angst of the past week.
There are more breakdowns at nhl.com and Puck Daddy, where they also have goofy stories like Carey Price being selected while in mid-drink, and something about Scott Hartnell and Joffrey Lupul jockeying for bathroom position during a commercial break. No word whether Corey Perry took the opportunity to crosscheck them.
A few Islanders and assorted links follow:
Top Less Than 25 Links of the Day
- Video with John Tavares after the draft, which he almost missed because of travel trouble.
- The Sound Tigers winning streak finally ended Wednesday, though they made it all the way to the shootout. Mark Katic is bag skating but still a ways away. Perhaps three weeks or so, which is way ahead of schedule.
- Interesting look at how top scorers are used that makes one think maybe Tavares is better than 26th best.
- But Buccigross has him ... well somewhere in the top 50. (Mark Streit is in the 90s on his list.)
- A look at the Islanders defense at the break from The Checking Line.
- Isles State of the Season address at IPB.
- Al Montoya's mask featured at theScore.
- Another evisceration of the officiating the other night versus Toronto by Eyes on the Isles.
- More All-Star musing: The 2012 NHL Defensive All-Star Roster: What if it wasn’t all about scoring? | Puck Daddy
- Here is the TV schedule of All-Star events all through the weekend.
- Strange but cool: A time capsule from Maple Leaf Gardens ca. 1931.
- Trade-gazing: Is Brendan Morrow available?
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Phoenix update: Gary Bettman says there are "probably" three serious suitors to keep the Coyotes in Glendale, and if you bet on that then I've got a case that explains how two average goalies are better than John Tavares.
- Food for Thought Part 1: Americans consider ban on fighting in junior ranks, hope Canada follows suit - The Globe and Mail
- Food for Thought Part 2: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke speaks: On the perils of NHL trading | Sports | National Post
- Have the Oilers progressed this season? And hasn't the GM already done too much?
For more serious mid-season talk, we'll have our midseason roundtable up a little later.