Talk Today
06/11/2003 - Updated 02:58 PM ET

NHL draft: Kyle Woodlief

Tuesday, June 17, noon ET

The NHL holds its annual draft Saturday and Sunday in Nashville. Last year's top pick, Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets, was nominated for the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL's top rookie.

Kyle Woodlief is a former NHL scout and is now the publisher of Red Line Report, an independent scouting newsletter subscribed to by 29 of 30 NHL teams and nearly 70% of all U.S. college teams. He is one of the world's leading authorities on NHL draft prospects. Kyle has been filing scouting reports to for the past four years and will be here Tuesday to answer questions on the draft.

Duneeden Iowa: Kyle, If you had to choose one player from the 2003 draft to build a team around who would it be? Why? Thanks in advance.

Kyle Woodlief: If I were the GM of an NHL team and I was absolutely and thoroughly convinced that Andrei Kastsitsyn's medical condition (epilepsy) was permanently under control through medication, he would be my choice. For me, the way he plays the game is just full of intensity and desire. It's one thing to have skills (and Kastsitsyn has an excellent skill level), but when you combine that with some real fire and commitment, then you have, in my opinion, the best real gamebreaker in the draft.

Fairfax, Va.: How many guys do you see who could skip the minors and jump straight into the NHL next season?

Kyle Woodlief: Hardly any from this year's draft. Nathan Horton might be the most ready from a strictly physical standpoint, but I'd have to say Milan Michalek from an overall standpoint because he's got size and strength, but more importantly he's been playing in the Czech ExtraLeague for two years against men, so he's a bit more emotionally mature and his game is well rounded defensively as well.

Toronto, Canada: Who's the more exciting player, Zherdev or Kastsitsyn? Is Kastsitsyn's epilesy gonna affect his hockey career?

Kyle Woodlief: Excellent question. In terms of pure dazzling, crowd pleasing moves, Zherdev is the most magical stickhandler in this year's draft, and he'll do things with the puck that will make fans in the stands go "Ooooohh" and "Aaaaahhh." So in that sense, Zherdev is the most offensively exciting player in the draft. But the combination of Kastsitsyn's skills, production, fire, and intensity make him the guy that I personally most like to watch; I admire his passion and playing style so much that I can't take my eyes off him when he steps on the ice.
As for the other part of your question, I don't know if the epilepsy will affect Kastsitsyn's career in the longterm, but I do think it's going to affect is draft status in the short term. He will go lower than he ordinarily would out of NHL teams' (understandable) fear.

Montreal, Quebec: What is Hugh Jessiman's upside? Can he be a top 10 pick?

Kyle Woodlief: Hugh Jessiman (aka Huge Specimen) is already a top 10 pick in Red Line's opinion. This guy has as much upside as anyone in the draft. If you saw the incredibly low calibre of competition he was playing against in a Division II prep school in Connecticut the past couple of years, you would understand how far he had to elevate his game in a very short period of time to do what he did as a true freshman at Dartmouth this season. Guys that big and with the hands and vision he possesses don't come along every day. And the last half of the season, he even started asserting himself and showing a mean streak -- if he starts doing that consistently, he's just scary. The one major problem is that he's never had to play a lick of defence in his entire life, so right now he's a basket case in his own end. But it's not because he's not willing to try or work hard. He's a very intelligent and coachable kid who just needs to be taught.

Monroeville, PA: In your opinion, which player has a better chance of producing at the NHL level, Milan Michalek or Nathan Horton?

Kyle Woodlief: Depends on what you mean by produce; they'll both produce, just in different ways. I think eventually Horton may score a few more points per year than Michalek.

Butler PA: Every other scouting source I've seen has Eric Staal a lot higher than where you ranked him. Are you that scared off by a few non-physical performances?

Kyle Woodlief: We're not scared or nervous about Staal at all. If we were, he wouldn't be ranked as high as #8 on Red Line's list. We are just looking at the fact that this is Staal's third full season of Major Junior. He may not get a lot better (which is okay, since he's a pretty terrific two-way player right now), while other guys have much less experience and are just beginning to scratch the surface of where they might be 2-3 years from now.

Ashland, VA: One possibilites for the Penguins at the 3rd pick is Eric Staal. However, from reading his scouting reports he sounds almost like Kris Beech all over again, doesn't he? Wouldn't the Pens be better off getting a tough center (like Horton) or a potential star winger in Zherdev than get another setup man that strays from physical contact?

Kyle Woodlief: Well, at Red Line we never really cared that much for Beech and thought he was a bit soft, both physically and mentally. We have no such concern about Staal. He's never going to be a big banger, but that's not going to prevent him from being a real character player. Having said that, we do have Horton and Zherdev rated ahead of Staal, but with so little to choose from among this year's top tier of eight guys, it's really more about what style of player you're looking for within your team's system.

Cary, NC: While it is understandable that scouting reports vary a bit and will a the lower levels, how can there be such a descrepencies on a pick near the top such as Dustin Brown being ranked second overall by Central Scouting and not even on the top 10 radar of others?

Kyle Woodlief: I can't speak for Central Scouting. They have their opinion, we have ours. Dustin Brown WILL score goals at the NHL level, but we think there are other guys out there in the top 10 who could potentially do more things to help a club down the road.

bob in ct: Kyle: While others are obviously moving up the boards, has Zach Parise moved down? If so, why? Is his height and weight accurate?

Kyle Woodlief: I don't think Zach Parise is moving down the charts. I think everybody is pretty much sold on him being somewhere in the 12-20 range. I believe his ht./wt. are 5-10/172.

Comment from Host: Attn. Finland: Your question is in the queue -- no need to keep sending it in.

Dallas, TX: Tell me what you think about Darmouth's Hugh Jessiman? Seems he's been gaining in the rankings quite quickly, but will his lack of pro/jr experience (played div2 prep school) or the fact that he didn't go to a more revered hockey college than Darmouth going to cause too much doubt for him to go in the first 2 rounds?

Kyle Woodlief: He hasn't gained all that much in our rankings. At Red Line, we had him pegged as a potential first rounder as far back as our pre-season rankings last August, and he was already at No. 14 by December for us. So in the last six months, he's only moved up about four spots.
As for whether he'll go in the top two rounds, I'd be absolutely shocked if he's still left on the board by pick No. 15. The four teams drafting 10-13 all love him, and rightfully so.

Pittsburgh, Pensylvania: In your opinion, is Kastsitsyn the player with the best offensive upside in this year's draft?

Kyle Woodlief: In my own personal opinion, Kastsitsyn is the best player in this draft, if you take the epilepsy and potential back problem out of the equation.

Grey,Maine: What is the major difference between major junior hockey and NCAA and could the new major junior team here in Lewiston beat UMAINE if they were ever allowed to play ?

Kyle Woodlief: The major difference is that the NCAA is run by a bunch of antiquated dinosaurs and fossils whose main interest is in short-sighted and narrow-minded protectionism of their own little fief-doms.
Major Junior hockey is faster and more physical, and there's a lot more depth in quality, skilled players.
The other problem in scouting college hockey is that nowadays, most U.S. kids don't enter college until they are 20 or 21 years old and have played a couple of years in junior leagues in the U.S. (usually at the request of the college coaches who are recruiting them). Therefore, most college kids are no longer eligible for the draft. True freshmen such as Vanek, Parise, Jessiman, Stuart, Kessler, and Eaves are the exceptions today, rather than the rule. It's much more common to watch 24 and 25-year-old seniors than it is to watch an 18 year-old freshman.

Dave - Sydney, Nova Scotia: Who do you see moving up in the draft to get someone like Fleury, since Fla. and Carolina don't really need a goalie. Do you see any big names moving for draft picks?

Kyle Woodlief: There's so many teams in the Fleury derby at this point that it's pointless to even speculate. It won't start really heating up until Friday. And by the way, despite the fact that Carolina selected a goalie in the first round last year, I wouldn't be too shocked if they moved up to No. 1 to pick Fleury.

Edison, NJ: As we saw with Mike Rupp's winning goal in game 7 of the finals, a big guy in front of the net is needed in the playoffs, something Anaheim lacked. Do you think Anthony Stewart will be available when Anaheim picks 19th?

Kyle Woodlief: All I can tell you is that if I were a GM in the NHL, there's no way Stewart would still be around at Pick No. 19.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Kyle, I enjoy my subscription; can you tell me which way you believe the Canes to be leaning with the #2 pick? Does it depend on what Florida does with #1? Thanks, Gary

Kyle Woodlief: Since Carolina is getting a bit long in the tooth at the centre position with Francis and Brind'Amour, it wouldn't surprise me to see them select a guy like Staal, whom Red Line has compared to Francis in playing style, character, and temperament, in order to have an eventual replacement for Francis.

Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Kyle, we know that Marc-Andre Fleury is the best goaltending prospect in this draft. Where does he rank in the history of the NHL draft? Do you think he is the best goaltending prospect to enter an NHL draft, and if not, who do you think was a better prospect in his draft year?

Kyle Woodlief: Rather than make it the entire history of the NHL draft, let's just stick to the last 10 years. In the last decade, the two goalies I have given the top grades to were Roberto Luongo and Kari Lehtonen. I have Fleury a bit behind them, but right at the top of the second tier.

Rochester, NY: I know you are high on Andrei Kastsitsyn, but given his health concerns where do you see him falling? And with the off the ice issues with Patrick O'Sullivan is there a chance he could have a Jiri Hudler-esque fall on draft day?

Kyle Woodlief: I think some team that has more than one first round pick will overcome their fear and pick him somewhere around the middle of the first round.
And yes, I do think it's possible that O'Sullivan could drop out of the first round due to the outside concerns -- certainly he wouldn't drop based solely on his skills, which are absolutely of first round calibre.

New York, NY: Kyle, Over the past couple of years we have been seeing more and more goalies being drafted out of U.S. Colleges. (Dipietro and Ryan Miller, to name a few)I can't help but notice that James Howard of Maine did not make your list of top nine goalies. Is there a reason for this? Thanks in advance.

Kyle Woodlief: Howard is the 10th ranked goaltender on our list, but to be honest we're just not that high on him, which is why we have ranked as a fourth rounder.

Ft. Benning, GA: Kyle- Loved the draft guide. You've taken a big stand on goalie Dave Brown, having him 34th on your list, when he isn't even ranked by Central Scouting, THN or even the ISS. What is it about his game and upside that you like so much that he's the no. 2 goalie behind Fleury in the Red Line rankings?

Kyle Woodlief: Glad you asked. The question I have about why Dave Brown is not ranked by Central is whether or not he opted-in. Since nobody outside the NHL has seen an official opt-in list this year (I don't know why), it's possible he did not make himself available for this year's draft. Even if he is available, I don't expect him to be taken anywhere near as high as we have him at Red Line. He's one of our real sleeper picks. I just love his aggression and confidence, willingness to challenge shooters, and his flexibility and leg quickness. I think he's a really competitive kid with a good temperament for a goalie.
On the subject of opt-ins, late word comes that the paperwork for Euros Jaroslav Markovic and Ruslan Khasanshin got fouled up, so they won't be available. But Konstantin Pushkarov (who Red Line had ranked at No. 46 prior to removing him from our list) somehow managed to get into the draft late, so he is going to be a huge wildcard come Saturday. Some team will look to steal him late in the first round.

Ft. Benning, GA: If you could pick one sleeper in the '03 draft class who you feel is not yet the sum of his parts and could really be a real impact player in the near future, who would it be and why?

Kyle Woodlief: Perhaps I'd pick someone like Sweden's big winger Linus Videll, who tantalizes with potential greatness on those rare shifts when he's not playing as if comatose. The glimpses he shows on those few shifts when he plays inspired hockey are enough to make you salivate over what he could become. Another player in that category might be Mischa Joukov, a Russian forward who has been playing in Sweden the past two years and has great offensive tools.

Atlanta, GA: It seems likely that at #8, Atlanta will miss out on both Coburn and Suter. Still, they need a long-term top blueliner. Do you believe that Phaneuf is that type of player, or is taking him at #8 too much of a reach?

Kyle Woodlief: I don't necessarily believe that taking Phaneuf at No. 8 would be a reach, but I also don't necessarily think it's a given that both Coburn and Suter will be off the board by No. 8.

Pittsburgh, PA: Suter or Coburn and why?

Kyle Woodlief: Coburn. 6-5/208 pounds, and joins Bouwmeester as the best skating defencemen to come out in the past five years (along with Shawn Belle, who is not in their category as far as hockey sense and consistency).
I just never see Coburn make a mistake in his own zone or get out of position. He's always got his shoulders squared up to the puckhandler and is just so fundamentally sound.

Valley Stream, NY: Why do power forwards seem to take so long to find their game in the NHL? I would think with their size it would be easy for them to step right in and contribute.

Kyle Woodlief: Sometimes the coordination hasn't quite caught up to the body yet, and sometimes they aren't used to no longer being the biggest, strongest kid on the block when they're going up against 230-pounders along the blue line in the NHL every night.

Shortsville, NY: I have serious reservations about two top-10 prospects, Braydon Coburn and Milan Michalek, both for the same reason... Decreased production in their draft year from the standard they set as 17 year-olds... Isn't this typically a serious red flag?

Kyle Woodlief: No I don't necessarily think that's the case. If a real good NHL player has an off year for whatever reason in the middle of their career, nobody thinks too much about it, and they usually rebound the next season. It's unfortunate for an 18-year-old kid when an off year happens to come in his draft year. Nathan Horton falls into that category this season. For the record, I don't consider Coburn's season to have been a down year.

Seattle, WA: Did Nate Thompson (Seattle Thunderbirds) hurt his draft position this season? I think he is getting ready to have his breakout year, any thoughts on where he might end up?

Kyle Woodlief: We are really scratching our collective heads at Red Line over what took place with Nate Thompson this year. We had him in our pre-season first round after he had what we felt was a terrific World Jrs. evaluation camp in Lake Placid last August, but he showed none of that spirit during the regular campaign in the WHL, so he has dropped all the way to the fifth round in our final rankings. It's a real puzzlement to us.

Westport, Connecticut: Some newspaper reports have referred to this draft as "deep." Is this year an anomaly or is it part of a trend? From a player talent perspective only, could the NHL expand?

Kyle Woodlief: In my opinion, there's not nearly enough talent to feed the current 30-team NHL. I would love to see the NHL contract by 4-5 teams. If you're looking for an answer as to why scoring has dropped so dramatically in the last 10 years, the answer is: 30 teams.

Washington, DC: Nathan Horton is regarded as a very talented player. However, I've heard rumblings that he is a boom or bust type of player and about his lack of production and commitment. Do you think he will be a star or is he another Chris Gratton waiting to happen?

Kyle Woodlief: I think he's going to be a real stud who can beat you with a big goal, a big pass, or a big hit.

Nashville, TN: What do you make the Predators' recent emphasis on WHL players early in the draft (Hartnell, Upshall)? Has the WHL been better overall recently, or are they seeing something that others aren't (e.g., underappreciated talent, a willingness to sign for less money)?

Kyle Woodlief: Some of it may have had to do with the leanings/personal philosophies of the Predators' former director of amateur scouting, who is no longer a part of the organisation, so there may be fewer WHL players selected this year by Nashville, although if Braydon Coburn is still around for them at No. 7, don't be surprised if they go the WHL route again.

Hamburg, Germany: Hi there Kyle, I know German defenseman Alex Sulzer is on the charts for most if not all NHL teams (I'm assuming as a possible choice as of the 2nd round) but I'm curious if you've heard anything about any teams taking a flyer in the late rounds on a kid by the name of Kai Hospelt? Thanks for any reply in advance!

Kyle Woodlief: Kai Hospelt is actually the very last player listed in Red Line's Draft Guide at No. 281, so it's possible he may be selected real late in the draft.

Shortsville, NY: What is keeping Evgeny Yunik and Steve Bernier behind guys like Pouliot, Getzlaf, Jessiman, Stewart and Stone?

Kyle Woodlief: Tunik and Bernier are both ahead of Pouliot and Stone on Red Line's list, so I don't know if I can answer that question.

Pittsburgh, Pa: Kyle, How would top players like Fleury and Zherdev have fared in last years draft class? Are they as highly rated as the top 4 from 2002?

Kyle Woodlief: Fleury would have joined the top four last year to make it a top five. Zherdev would have been the top player in the second tier had he been available last year.

Shortsville, NY: HAsn't Andrei Kastsitsyn come a little far, a little fast? Six games (no points) in the Superleague, and a hot World under-18 don't scream 'Top 10 Prospect' at me...

Kyle Woodlief: In April of 2002, 14 months ago, Kastsitsyn was one of the best players in the entire World Under-18 Championships in Slovakia as an underager. He was in Red Line's first round long before this season ever started, was tremendous at the World Jrs. in Halifax to move comfortably into the top 10, and continued to cement his place at the top of the class in Yaroslavl at this year's World Under-18s. That's not exactly coming out of nowhere -- everyone in the scouting community has known about him for a long time.

mississauga, ontario: Based on pure ability and discounting his off-ice issues, where does Patrick O'Sullivan rank among this year's draft eligible prospects?

Kyle Woodlief: Based on talent alone O'Sullivan would probably be in the top 10.

Reading, MA: Do you see Staal as being a Peca type player?

Kyle Woodlief: No, he's not that nasty, physical, agitator type that Peca is. But he does play a very sound two-way game and has the character of a captain, like Peca.

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