WARNING: This is not going to be your standard fare draft review.
I confess. When I saw the Penguins had selected defenseman Owen Pickering of Swift Current with their first-round pick my initial thought was, ”Oh no (Eddie Spaghetti)…just what we need…another beanpole defenseman.” After all, the 18-year-old goes 6’4” and tips the scales at 178 pounds. Marcus Pettersson dimensions.
Toss in willowy prospect Pierre-Olivier Joseph? We seem to be cornering the market on rearguards boasting Ichabod Crane physiques.
When I watched Edmonton select Reid Schaefer, a physically mature 6’3” 213-pound power forward with the 32nd pick, the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” popped into my head.