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OTTAWA — Any nerves that top prospect Steven Stamkos would have been grappling with in the fervour leading up to the unveiling of which teenager will be selected first overall at the NHL entry draft were alleviated last weekend.
Stamkos and his family had dinner near his home in Unionville, Ont., north of Toronto, with Hollywood producer Oren Koules, and the new Tampa Bay Lightning owner assured Stamkos he will be taken first overall by the Lightning at Scotiabank Place tonight.
But Koules's words couldn't smother Stamkos's excitement. He knows that being drafted is only part of the task that lies ahead. He wants to play for the Lightning in 2008-09, and Tampa Bay general manager Jay Feaster predicts that will indeed be what happens.
“Steve's hockey sense and his awareness of the need to play away from the puck are outstanding,” Feaster said. “He has the offensive abilities to score and make plays in today's game, as many younger players have demonstrated recently. However, what sets him apart, in my mind, is his commitment to two-way hockey. Combine all of that with his skating ability, and we are confident he can make our roster this season.
Number one-ranked NHL draft prospect Steven Stamkos takes part in a relay racel during the Top Prospects Clinic at the Bell Sensplex in Ottawa on Thursday. (The Canadian Press)
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“He does so many things incredibly well. He can skate, he can shoot the puck, he can make plays that others don't see. He can play without the puck. He is committed to the defensive side of the game. He's incredibly smart and has great hockey sense. Those are things you simply can't teach. … We in the Tampa Bay organization have been watching the same things.”
Feaster could also add confidence to Stamkos's list of attributes. He's not cocky or conceited, but the relaxed Sarnia Sting forward, who scored 100 goals and 203 points in 124 games in the OHL, is comfortable he will be skating alongside talents such as Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle in the fall.
“I'm ready to play,” six-foot, 176-pound Stamkos said. “There, obviously, is still a lot of hard work between now and training camp, but I'm ready.”
In his rookie season with the Sting, Stamkos often lined up against the London Knights' high-flying line of Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner and Sergei Kostitsyn. All three made a smooth transition to the NHL last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens.
“With the rules in the NHL now, it allows for the smarter and skilled players like us to step right in,” Stamkos said.
Another factor is that even though the Lightning have a Seen Stamkos marketing campaign under way in Tampa, he doesn't have the pressure of being the face of the franchise, which was heaped on Lecavalier when he was the first draft pick 10 years ago.
“It helps having Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis already there,” Stamkos said.
The Canadian junior gold medalist was raised as a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, and his family is close to Leafs play-by-play man Joe Bowen. Stamkos will have between 50 and 60 family members and friends in the stands tonight to share the experience, including his former Markhan Waxers midget coach, Paul Titanic.
Stamkos appeared just as excited for his former Waxers teammates, Cody Hodgson and Mike Del Zotto. All three are rated among the top 15 North American prospects.
“It would be something if we all went in the top 15,” said Stamkos, who went to his high-school prom last Friday and finished his exams last week so nothing was hanging over his head at the draft.
After Stamkos's name is called, the Los Angeles Kings are expected to select Guelph Storm defenceman Drew Doughty and the Atlanta Thrashers would settle for Peterborough Petes blueliner Zach Bogosian. The St. Louis Blues are believed to have their eye on Kelowna Rockets defenceman Luke Schenn, leaving Russian forward Nikita Filatov for the New York Islanders in the fifth slot.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have the sixth selection and there has been plenty of speculation this week they will trade their pick as part of a package to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for centre Patrick Marleau.
As for the Canadian clubs' first-round selections, the Leafs pick seventh tonight, followed by the Vancouver Canucks 10th, Calgary Flames 17th, Ottawa Senators 18th, Edmonton Oilers 22nd and the Montreal Canadiens 25th.
