The parent Blue Jackets recently completed their fifth National Hockey League Entry Draft and they kicked things off by trading their first round pick, number 4 overall, to the Carolina Hurricanes for their first round pick, number 8 overall, and a second round selection, No. 59 overall.
Trading down was always a possibility for Columbus, and it became reality when defenseman Cam Barker was tabbed by Chicago one pick prior to the Jackets selection. While this may have not been a popular move with the Jacket faithful, give the Columbus brass some credit. They targeted one player and they were able to trade down, acquire another pick, and still get their man.
That man is Lewiston MAINEiacs left wing Alexandre Picard. Central Scouting's third ranked North American skater, Picard registered 39 goals and 42 assists with Lewiston of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey league. He is characterized as a natural goal scorer with a sniper's touch by the Red Line Report and has also been compared to a young Ryan Smyth of the Edmonton Oilers by The Hockey News.
Like all of the Jackets first round selections, excluding current Crunch netminder Pascal Leclaire, Picard may be on the fast track to the NHL. President and General Manager Doug MacLean has already made comments to that fact to the Columbus Dispatch and it seems the Quebec native will be given every opportunity to make the big club out of camp. Picard may follow 2003 second round selection Dan Fritsche's route and start the season in Columbus before being returned to Lewiston to finish out his junior season.
With the second round selection acquired from Carolina, Columbus took a flier on former Boston College winger Adam Pineault. Highly touted prior to enrolling at BC, Pineault struggled mightily with the Eagles and left school after playing only 29 games for the school.
The Jackets are hoping for another high risk, high reward situation with Pineault, very similar to what they did when they selected the previously mention Dan Fritsche. Many clubs were scared off by the shoulder injuries that Fritsche suffered prior to the draft and as a result he slid down to the second round.
Many scouts believe that if Pineault had been eligible last season he would have been a certain first round selection. Look for Pineault to surface in Moncton of the QMJHL, the team that holds his rights in juniors.
New Player Spotlight: Tyler Kolarik
Crunch fans have seen this type of resume before. Four-year starter for an east coast college team. A gritty tough player who plays beyond his 5'10" frame. Does the name Blake Bellefeuille ring a bell?
Tyler Kolarik, Columbus' fifth round selection from 2000 and recent signee may ease the loss triggered by Bellefeuille's departure following the 2002-03 season. Like Bellefeuille, who at times served as alternate captain for the Crunch, Kolarik wore the "A" at Harvard and is considered a natural leader.
"He is just a great individual, a character, leader type who has the all the intangibles in the locker room," stated former Crunch defenseman and Harvard assistant coach Sean McCann. "He has meant so much to the Harvard program and you just don't replace someone like Tyler."
McCann, who coached Kolarik the past two seasons, stated that he believes the 23-year old forward is ready to make the jump from the college ranks to the professional game and that fans will have a hard time not appreciating what Kolarik brings to the table.
"He is very coachable and is constantly working on improving his game," stated McCann. "He also is a good skater who gets around well and excels at taking the body." McCann also believes that despite his smaller stature (5'10", 185 lbs.), size will not deter Kolarik from being successful. "Tyler is a thick, strong kid who never backs down in the corners."
Another aspect Kolarik cultivated during his tenure at Harvard was his ability to come up big when it counted the most. In his four-year stay Kolarik led the Crimson to a 16-2 record in tournament play and that includes two titles. He also leaves as the ECAC's scoring leader in points in ECAC tournament games.
One area that McCann, a long-time veteran of minor league hockey, feels that Kolarik may have to work on is finding some pace to his all-out style of play. "Tyler is going to have to adjust on the offensive side because he is such a high-tempo type of player," stated McCann. "Sometimes in leagues like the AHL a player has to be able to pick his spots. That will come with experience."
'Round the AHL:
Short Shifts:
The Jackets 12th and final selection on draft day was defenseman Grant Clitsome. The 5'11", 208 Clitsome is headed to Clarkson University in the fall where he will team will Jeff Genovy, who was selected by Columbus in the third round of the 2002 Entry Draft. Genovy struggled in his sophomore season (9 points in 36 games) after a promising freshman campaign and will look to rebound in 2004......Three familiar faces to the Crunch and the Syracuse area will be attending the 2004 United States National Junior Evaluation Camp to be held August 9-14. Dan Fritsche, along with his younger brother Tom, will be among the 42 players invited. Another player slated to participate is goaltender Mike Brown. Currently a member of the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL, Brown played a few years back at the high school level for Baldwinsville.......The Crunch recently held their annual golf outing and one of the players who participated was Brandon Sugden. Armed with a new contract, Sugden looked to be in great shape, a direct result of his arduous offseason regime. He has added a few pounds to his already imposing frame and most importantly declared his right hand ready for the season. Speaking of the Crunch's golf outing it was a first class event held by a first class organization. Props to the Crunch for a job well done.