Lightning draft picks (combined)

LIGHTNING DRAFT PICKS

STEVE STAMKOS

POS: C.

ROUND/OVERALL: 1/1.

HT/WT: 6-1/184.

AGE: 18

HOMETOWN: Unionville, Ontario.

THE SKINNY: The consensus best player in the draft will enter camp as the No. 2 center.

JAMES WRIGHT

POS: C.

ROUND/OVERALL: 4/117.

HT/WT: 6-3/175.

AGE: 18.

HOMETOWN: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

THE SKINNY: Wright was ranked the 35th North American skater by Central Scouting. Why did he fall to the fourth round? "He didn’t have the year," head scout Jake Goertzen said. "And he also had mono, and that hurt him." Wright also admittedly needs to get stronger and contribute more offensively after getting 13 goals and 36 points with 21 penalty minutes in 60 games for WHL Vancouver.

DUSTIN TOKARSKI

POS: G.

ROUND/OVERALL: 5/122.

HT/WT: 5-11, 185.

AGE: 18.

HOMETOWN: Humbolt, Saskatchewan.

THE SKINNY: Tokarski had an exceptional season and led WHL Spokane to the Memorial Cup title and was MVP with a 4-0 record, a 1.72 goals-against average and .953 save percentage. The No. 9 North American goalie had 30 victories in 45 regular-season games, six shutouts and only 10 regulation defeats. He tied for the league lead with a .922 save percentage. "As you know we’re not huge fans of goalies who are under 6-foot," Goertzen said. "But he has the heart of a lion, and his numbers are phenomenal."

KYLE DE COSTE

POS: RW.

ROUND/OVERALL: 5/147.

HT/WT: 6-1, 178.

AGE: 18.

HOMETOWN: London, Ontario.

THE SKINNY: Goertzen sees De Coste as an eventual fourth-line NHL player. "He’s a bit of a project," Goertzen said. "But he’s a big kid, works hard and is honest." De Coste, the 115th ranked North American skater, had 10 goals, 22 points and 48 penalty minutes in 66 games for OHL Brampton.

MARK BARBERIO

POS: D.

ROUND/OVERALL: 6/152.

HT/WT: 6-0/201.

AGE: 18.

HOMETOWN: Montreal.

THE SKINNY: Needs to work on his skating, but Danny Flynn, coach of QMJHL Moncton, called him a "fierce" competitor. Barberio, the No. 134 North American skater, had 11 goals and 46 points with 75 penalty minutes in 70 games last season for the Wildcats.

LUKE WITKOWSKI

POS: D.

ROUND/OVERALL: 6/160.

HT/WT: 6-2, 200.

AGE: 18.

HOMETOWN: Holland, Mich.

THE SKINNY: A tough guy, who had three goals and 13 points with 139 penalty minutes in 58 games for USHL Ohio.

MATIAS SOINTU

POS: RW.

ROUND/OVERALL: 7/182.

HT/WT: 5-10/154.

AGE: 18.

HOMETOWN: Tampere, Finland.

THE SKINNY: And we mean that literally as, given his weight, Sointu must look like a blade of grass. Central scouting downgraded him to 42nd from 27th among European skaters, but he still had 21 goals and 40 points in 40 games for Ilves Jr. Goertzen called him "a finisher."

DAVID CARLE

POS: D.

ROUND/OVERALL: 7/203.

HT/WT: 5-11/180.

AGE: 18.

HOMETOWN: Anchorage.

THE SKINNY: Carle, the No. 60 North American skater, recently was diagnosed with a heart condition and withdrew from the draft. But prospective Lightning owner Oren Koules, whose son attends the same high school, Shattuck St. Mary’s in Minnesota, from which Carle graduated, said, "The kid worked his whole life to be drafted in the NHL, and I didn’t see a reason he shouldn’t be."

Comments

[boltsfan]

Next years draft will be even better I mean 1 1st 2 2nds 2 3rds and 2 4ths and that is now, with some deadline deals or on the day deals we could get even more. I have a feeling that although this years draft my provide star power for the Bolts (Stamkos) next year will give some much needed depth throughout the franchise.

[Don in St. Pete]

Scott, They traded down because the players they thought might still be around at that slot had been drafted and San Jose made them a very generous offer, a 4, a 5 and a 3 next year.

[scott]

why did we trade down?

[dave]

Given what picks we had after round 1, they did well with so few picks. Next years draft we will actually have a lot of picks and hope to make a slash next season.

[Geografer]

Tokarski is a huge steal at 5th round. I never understood why he was ranked so low - I think his height was the issue but it seems they forgot other goalies in the league who are as short (or shorter - Osgood) then he is now. I have seen Pickard (Tri-City)and DeSerres A LOT and really don't see how DeSerres (Seattle) was ranked so high. Tokarski beat Pickard in the WHL Western Conference Finals but that apparently counted for very little. We got a steal!
Oh and Brian - it is Tic not Tiks. He even has it on his mask.

[Bryan]

I think Tiks will be a big, big pick for us. Excellent picks this year, I really think they did well AND for once lined us up for next season with some decent picks.

[Don in St. Pete]

I think The Pillsbury Doughboy and the new owners did quite well. I think think it was a great move to trade the 3rd round pick for a 4, 5 and a 3 next year. The Tokarski kid sounds like a possible steal.

[Leanmean43]

I think Feaster and the Bolts did pretty well in this Draft, last years draft was pretty good too (Fadden and Tyrell). Stamkos obviously made this a big draft for the Bolts, but drafting the goalie Dustin Tokarsky in the 5th round might have been a steal. James Wright was a nice pickup in the 4th round too. It could've been better, but I think they chose well considering what was left in the later rounds.

[boltflasher]

Ryan Kennedy at THN really likes the Bolts and Leafs drafts: http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/16756-THN-at-the-NHL-Draft-Wrapping-up-the-late-rounds.html

Especially, Tokarski whom he calls possibly the best goalie in the draft...