For example, the Bruins’ Development Camp is underway in Wilmington and there is a certain buzz around a certain youngster who was taken 2nd overall in last month’s entry draft. Matt Kalman at the The Bruins Blog has been down there and is doing an excellent job of covering the proceedings. Click over for his notes and some great photos of what’s going on. Apparently, Tyler Seguin has not failed to impress.

Meanwhile, Doug Flynn has a nice piece on Joe Colborne’s development, reminding us there won’t be just one first round pick setting his sights on making the Bruins in 2010-11. How many centers can one team have? That remains the burning question on the horizon for the Beantown hockey faithful.

Up in Edmonton, it’s much the same as all eyes are on Taylor Hall.

In the Yawn Dept., the Ilya Kovalchuk saga continues. Word is the Kings have dropped out of the race and the Devils are the leading contender for his services once again. Someone wake me when it’s over. Or when the one hour live special on Versus where he announces his decision is going to air.

Looks like Nikolai Zherdev is on his way back to the NHL with the Flyers. Will they have any better luck getting him interested in playing hockey for a living? We’ll see, I guess.

Team most active in free agency so far: Calgary Flames. Five signings, none of which were re-ups. Alex Tanguay, Olli Jokinen, Raitis Ivanans, Tim Jackman and Ryan Stone. Jokinen and Tanguay have played for Calgary in the past, however.

Bob Probert will be laid to rest tomorrow morning in Windsor. One of the toughest of the tough, a warrior on the ice who inspired both fear and the ultimate respect from his enemies, his passing at age 45 is a sad, difficult reminder of our mortality and the fragility of this life we share. No matter how big and strong you are, how famous or how honorable or how decent, it can all end in the blink of an eye, without reason or sense.

Spend time with the ones you love. Treat them right and make sure they know how you feel about them. You just never know when that embrace you share might be the last.

‘Nuff said.

What’s there to say that isn’t being said on tons of other web pages and news sites? Not much. Probert was a feared commodity in his day and so many wanted to be him. As former Blue Jacket and current Flyer toughie Jody Shelley said, “He played the game like a man.” I think he meant Superman because death shouldn’t ever happen to the pugilists. There’s something about the NHL tough guy that gives them a sense of immortality, like each punch they receive simply increases their inability to succumb to earthly existence.

So it is, with great sadness, to report that even tough guys are susceptible.

I’m tired of all the talk about Ilya Kovalchuk. Frankly, I don’t care where he ends up. A decent enough goal scorer but yet to show he’s the sort of impact player that is going to inspire/carry a team to the Promised Land.

I don’t expect a lot from the Bruins as the room on their roster and under their salary cap is extremely limited until they can trim some fat and the chances of that happening this off-season seem more and more remote as time goes on. Even if Savard or Thomas can be moved, they’ll be eating equivalent contracts in return I think.

We’ll see when the Feeding Frenzy starts at noontime.

That Chiarelli would consider such a situation [trading Marc Savard] at all paints a fairly bleak picture of just how dire the Bruins’ salary cap situation really is, and perhaps of their pessimism for Savard’s health going forward. It’s possible the team is trying to roll the goodwill it has garnered from local fans in the last few months into coloring Tyler Seguin as an acceptable replacement both now and for the future, but it should be clear to everyone with an even passing interest in hockey what this really is: Damage control.

Meanwhile, Matt Kalman points us to a radio interview with Brian Burke stating that Marc Savard is not on their immediate radar even though Toronto is rumored to be one of the two teams Savard waived his no-trade clause for.

Chiarelli’s options are going to become very limited here and, with it fully out in the open that the B’s need to move these two guys, the trade market for them isn’t getting any easier. Teams are going to want to either steal them away or unload bad contracts for them in return.

Sounds like a painted corner to me.

Meanwhile, a few tidbits:

Vladimir Sobotaka was traded to the St. Louis Blues for Boston University defenseman David Warsofsky. Warsofsky already has some decent College and Team USA credentials and reportedly has some of the puck moving skills the B’s are constantly in search of.

David Warsofsky, Boston University

The Draft finished up yesterday. The Bruins filled out their card as follows.

Oh, and in case you hadn’t noticed, Tyler Seguin with the number two overall pick. Three centers with the first three picks. Couple wingers a goalie and two d-men taken late. The B’s strength down the middle gets even stronger.

Rumours continued to swirl around Marc Savard and Tim Thomas, who has reportedly waived his no-trade clause, but no movement as of yet.

With the second overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft the Boston Bruins select, from the Plymouth Whalers, Tyler Seguin. It’s finally done and, to no one’s real surprise, Taylor Hall was picked by the Edmonton Oilers at number one. The team’s have their boys.

More draft coverage to come.

Meanwhile, news that the Bruins have also re-signed Mark Recchi today to a one year, $1 million dollar contract.

There you have it. One 18 year old and one 42 year old.

Both hockey players.

On September 19th, 2009, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded two first round picks and a second rounder to the Boston Bruins for young, sniping center Phil Kessel. The first of those picks has turned out to be the 2nd Overall pick here in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. A pick that will surely turn into one of two extremely highly regarded prospects, either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin.

So the question presents itself. Just what is the value of that high a pick in this day and age? All draft classes are not equal but we can take a quick look at recent history to see that, more and more, such high picks are turning into readily available, elite NHL talent at a more consistent rate.

The factors that you’ve got to consider in order to evaluate: What percentage of the current elite level players in the NHL are coming from such high draft picks? Conversely, what percentage of those type of draft picks become high impact players?

Let’s look at the top twelve scorers in the NHL for 2009-10 and where they were drafted:

1. Henrik Sedin, Van, 112 pts. 3rd Overall, 1999.

2. Sidney Crosby, Pit, 109 pts. 1st Overall, 2005

3. Alex Ovechkin, Was, 109 pts. 1st Overall, 2004.

4. Nicklas Backstrom, Was, 101 pts. 4th Overall, 2006.

5. Steven Stamkos, TB, 95 pts. 1st Overall, 2008

6. Martin St. Louis, TB, 91 pts, Undrafted Free Agent

7. Brad Richards, Dal, 91 pts. 64th Overall, 1998

8. Joe Thornton, SJ, 89 pts. 1st Overall, 1997

9. Patrick Kane, Chi, 88 pts. 1st Overall, 2007

10. Marian Gaborik, NYR, 86 pts. 3rd Overall, 2000.

11. Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL/NJ, 85 pts. 1st Overall, 2001

12. Daniel Sedin, Van, 85 pts., 2nd Overall, 1999

So that’s some pretty plain evidence there that, in the last decade or so, those elite picks have produced some serious talent. Six Number One Overalls. Only Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis stand out as guys falling outside the 1-4 slots in the draft. If you look further down on the scoring list into the Top 20, there is even more proof of what a top pick can produce (Patrick Marleau, 2nd Overall; Dany Heatley, 2nd Overall; Evgeni Malkin, 2nd Overall; Vincent Lecavalier, 1st Overall).

Now, this isn’t the whole story by a long shot. Top scoring doesn’t account for the defense or goaltending positions which need be evaluated in a different manner. For the sake of this particular post, however, I’m going to focus mainly on the forward position, given that the two highest rated prospects we’re all talking about are forwards. Also, a list of the top scorers doesn’t tell us how many of those top few picks in recent years have failed to develop. Meaning, you certainly can get an elite, game changing forward at a pick like that, but is there any guarantee that you will?

It appears that, in this day and age, the answer just might be Yes. Or, at least, that the odds are pretty damn good.

Let’s look at the past 10 year’s draft classes, first three selections.

2009

1. John Tavares
2. Victor Hedman
3. Matt Duchene

2008

1. Steven Stamkos
2. Drew Doughty
3. Zach Bogosian

2007

1. Patrick Kane
2. James van Riemsdyk
3. Kyle Turris

2006

1. Erik Johnson
2. Jordan Staal
3. Jonthan Toews

2005

1. Sydney Crosby
2. Bobby Ryan
3. Jack Johnson

2004

1. Alex Ovechkin
2. Evgeni Malkin
3. Cam Barker

2003

1. Marc-Andre Fleury
2. Eric Staal
3. Nathan Horton

2002

1. Rick Nash
2. Kari Lehtonen
3. Jay Bouwmeester

2001

1. Ilya Kovalchuk
2. Jason Spezza
3. Alexander Svitov

2000

1. Rick Dipietro
2. Dany Heatley
3. Marian Gaborik

Again, only focusing on the forwards for the purposes of this discussion, you’d be hard pressed to find too many disappointments in the above list. Granted, every draft is different, but only Kyle Turris and the illustrious Patrik Stefan jump out as players who have not had much impact on their team. Even though it’s early to judge Tavares and Duchene, they have both jumped into the NHL and contributed right away.

Meanwhile, the clear majority of the others have become elite level, high impact players and, often outrights superstars. Look at how many Scoring Leaders, Hart Trophy winners, Calder Trophy winners, 50 goal-scorers and, yes, Stanley Cup winners are on that list. There’s a lot folks.

Here’s a little math. Averaged out based on an 82 game season, the point production of forwards taken at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the draft in the last 10 years.

Pick # 1: 40.86 goals, 46.02 assists, 86.88 points.

Pick # 2: 33.15 goals, 43.04 assists, 76.19 points.

Pretty impressive numbers, I must say. Not perfect indicators, as the more raw rookies and a defensive specialist like Jordan Staal bring the averages down a pinch but a decent overview of what the numbers can tell you. You’re probably to get one hell of a player with a pick that high. Add in that Hall and Seguin can essentially be flip-flopped into either draft position, as many scouts think, and you have to consider the very real possibility that you’ll be getting a 40 goal, 90 point, franchise type player.

Good news for the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins.

Times have changed, in that the NHL draft is not quite the crap shoot it once was. The technology of scouting and the technology of building a professional athlete have have not only made it easier to profile and predict who the stars are going to be but it’s made those stars ready to jump to the big leagues at younger ages. An 18 year old coming out of the CHL these days is already a finely tuned athlete with years of physical and mental preparation. They’ve played a professional style schedule, they’ve dealt with the media, they’ve honed their specific skills with the latest and best equipment available to the industry.

These are kids on a fast track and, for good or ill, it’s the way things are now.

It took Steven Stamkos two seasons to score 50 goals. Ovechkin one. Crosby won the Hart within two years and the Cup within four. Patrick Kane did it in three. These are players that can dramatically affect the course of your franchise.

So will Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin be those types of players? A lot of people think they will be. There are no guarantees but, like I said, the odds are on your side given recent history. That’s the reason Peter Chiarelli wouldn’t listen to any trade proposals that included that pick this season. It’s the reason the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins and their respective fans are looking forward to the Draft on Friday with such anticipation.

So the value of a pick that high? Huge. Monsterously huge. Franchise changing huge.

And a hell of a lot more than Phil Kessel, I’d say. Especially when you throw in a first and second rounder next year, too.

So do you think the Toronto representatives will all be sporting black armbands in L.A. tomorrow, or what?

Joe Haggerty is reporting confirmation that Johnny Boychuk has signed a two-year contract extension with the B’s for $3.75 million. The signing was seemingly made possible, and one could argue necessary, by the trade of Dennis Wideman this week and it avoids letting the blossoming 26 year old defenseman go to unrestricted free agency on July 1st.

Boychuk showed marked improvement all season and, when paired with Zdeno Chara when Dennis Seidenberg went down late in the year and into the playoffs, became an ongoing physical and offensive force. With a salary cap hit of only $1.8 per season and that sort of potential upside, it becomes a key, smart signing for the Bruins. It’s also evident that the team was a very attractive spot for Boychuk, perhaps something we can attribute to the agressive approach the new regime is showing this off-season.

All good signs leading up to tomorrow’s crucial Entry Draft and the free agency period beginning next week.

Elsewhere, the Sharks kept another talented potential free agent out of the market when they re-signed Patrick Marleau to a four year extension. Teammate Joe Pavelski, a restricted free agent, was also re-signed.

This week has not been disappointing in term of action, has it? Chicago’s wheeling and dealing as they battle the salary cap. Coaches coming and going, signings, trades, Awards and, of course, a monster of a draft coming up to close out the week.

I’m having fun, in case you haven’t noticed.

Without further ado, the 2010 HGW Awards:

The Stan Jonathan Trophy – Or, as some call it, Fight of the Year. Technically, I’ve already awarded this one but it’s so frickin’ good it needs mentioning again. It was an easy choice for me this year. This marathon bout between Cam Janssen of the Blues and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond of the Devils on March 20th is just a test of will and stamina unlike any you’ve seen since Darren Langdon left the league. Hockeyfights.com has another bout featuring Janssen, this time vs. Rick Rypien, as their highest rated but I think it’s a close runner up to the one with PL3.

The Heimlich Award – Boston Bruins. We give this to them now in the hopes that, should they ever be up 3-0 in a playoff series or up 3-0 in a game seven again, they can put the explicit instruction manual that comes with this award to good use. Sometimes a balled up fist in the right spot can help avoid a lot of pain, misery and embarrassment. Nuff said.

Freakiest Playoff Beard – Ville Leino. That thing was just odd, wasn’t it? Sort of jutted out at a right angle from his jaw like Jay Leno had injected steroids directly into his own face then had beaver fur grafted onto his chin. Okay, so that description is a bit needlessly visceral, but you look that the thing and be the judge.

Blog Rip of the Year Award – This one is a tie, simply because both are a) exquisite and b) tear down the snobbery of certain north of the border fans better than I could on by best effin’ day. I give you:

Down Goes Brown’s (via Puck Daddy) Eulogy for the Montreal Canadiens.

Derek Zona on From The Rink with The Worst Hockey Fans In Canada.

Both worth re-reading when you need a proper chuckle.

The Jamie Huscroft Humanitarian Award – The Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Here’s to Brian Burke and the Leafs not only sacrificing the entire future of the organization to give a home to troubled youngster Phil Kessel but, in the process, giving the abused fans of the Boston Bruins a little something called Hope with that 2nd overall pick in the 2010 draft. I don’t care what everybody says about you guys, you’re good people and your heart is in the right place. Can’t speak for the head, of course.

Greg Lougainis Memorial Trophy – Maxim Lapierre. For the fifth year running, good old “Diver Down” Lappy gets his name inscribed on this one. To save money we’ve gone and ordered the next nine in bulk, done with his name on them, too, as well as the future Lifetime Achievement in Diving Award we’ll be handing out in 2021. The guy has it fucking sewn up.

And, of course, the most coveted of all the HGW honors. It’s the…

Hero of HGW Award

This year’s winner…

Evander Kane.

You all know why.

All winners will receive a Golden Statue of a man in a Fur Hat and Sunglasses as well as an all expenses paid (well, beer and bait, anyway) trip to Hooksett, New Hampshire for a weekend of fishing and late night Scene It. Wives or girlfriends not allowed unless it’s Henrik Zetterberg territory.

By the way, I’m wide open for any suggestions if any of you might have for an HGW Award winner or category I may have forgotten. Send ‘em to me or post ‘em in the comments and I’ll make sure they find their way into the mix.

Wait.

Did I just type that the Bruins traded Dennis Wideman? And got some serious, genuine NHL talent in return that will fill their most glaring need, size and scoring at right wing, in return?

Someone pinch me. Someone not named Chippy, that is. She uses vice grips.

Seriously, this looks like one hell of a deal for the Boston Bruins at first glance. Horton’s contract status might be the only thing that could take the shine off of it and I’ll do my homework on that as soon as I have some free time but, for now, a confident thumbs up on Chiarelli’s first big move of the 2010 off-season. And that’s just the beginning, likely.

The juicy bonus to all of this, of course, is the Bruins now have Colin Campbell’s son on the team, too.

Tell me we can’t have a little fun with that, eh?

UPDATE: Apparently, Horton has three years left on his current deal at an even $4 million per. After that, he would be an unrestricted free agent. You might as well call the Bruins the $4 Million Dollar Club because that money is nearly identical to the pay of a number of other top forwards. Marc Savard, Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Michael Ryder and now Horton all fall right around that same exact number. Marco Sturm at $3.5 and Patrice Bergeron at $4.75 are the exceptions amongst that group but even those numbers are pretty close.

Elsewhere, in a busy day around the NHL: