Express 2008 Draft Review

Now that we're almost through to the end of the regular season, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the guys the Express drafted last May in the Entry Draft. Which ones made the team?? How did they pan out this season?? Where they good picks in general??

In alphabetical order:

- Stephen Carew - Obviously this was a great pick. Captain of the team, and a veteran presence, has scored 48 points through the first 51 games.

- Dan Cecka - Another great pick by the Express. The only downside to this pick is we only had him for the last half of the season. Makes me wonder where the Express would be if he had been on the roster at the beginning of the season.

- Fredrik Csisar - 2nd round pick, never came to Owatonna as far as I know. Looks like he is playing this season back in his native Norway for Furuset Ishockey IF.

- Carson Curran - Made the initial Express roster out of training camp, and if I remember correctly, practiced with the team for the first couple of weeks before leaving town the week before the showcase. He was a guy I was really looking forward to watching this season.

- Marian Fiala - A nice pick. Is just a '90, so he could be a fixture on the blueline for the Express for a couple more years.

- Tom Glomski - Has scored 12 points in 47 games this season as a member of the Albert Lea Thunder.

- Anthony Hayes - The first of a handful of draft picks that played in the USHL this season. Not necessarily a bad pick as the Express have had much success in the past with USHL castoffs. Has scored 28 points in 44 games for the division leading Green bay Gamblers.

- Justin Lee - Played with the Texas Tornado last year, and decided to start his college hockey career this season instead of another year of juniors. Member of the Gustavus Adolphus men's hockey team.

- Tom McCarthy - Scored 7 points in 45 games for the Fargo Force in the USHL.

- Dylan Porter - Nice pick by the Express. Has played in 45 games this season, and has been a fixture on the unheralded but important grinder line.

- Adam Schmidt - Has scored 9 points in 39 games for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL.

- Jake Sloat - Great pick of a USHL guy that paid off for the Express. 20 points in 44 games this season. He is only a '90, but has 2 full years of junior experience under his belt. Let's hope we see him back with the Express for next season.

- Tim Smith - Great pick. Has been a fixture on defense for the Express all season long. He is one of only 5 guys that have played in all 51 games for the Express this year. Has a nice shot, and is phenomenal on the powerplay.

- Cam Stowers - Made the initial roster out of training camp, but was not on the roster when the season started. Played 2 games with the Topeka Roadrunners in October. Last I heard he had decided to play another year with the AAA Russell Stover program.

- Zach Vierling - Yet another great pick by the Express. 34 points in 50 games this season, and he is only a '90

- Mac Williams - Attended tryout camp but did not make the team. I don't know where he ended up this season.

- Scott Winkler - This was a reach pick by the Express, but worth a chance if you ask me. He is a very talented and highly touted kid that would have been a superstar in the NAHL. He has scored 30 points in 45 games for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL this season.

- While all the above guys listed were drafted by the Express, don't forget that the Express sent two draft picks to the Kenai River Brown Bears in exchange for the rights to Tony McDonald.


My take: A total of 18 guys the Express acquired through the draft. 8 of those became solid pieces of this year's team, 4 spent the season in the USHL, 1 is playing in Europe, 1 went straight to college, 1 is with another team in the NAHL, one went back to his AAA team, and 2 are MIA. No doubt this was a very successful draft, and set the table for this year's Express team. The encouraging part is that 6 of the draft picks that are currently on the roster have at least one more year of junior eligibility, so they should play a major role in next year's team as well.

Some of you folks might look at this breakdown and be wondering why less than half of the draft picks ended up on the roster. What that tells me is that Coaches Cullen and Fink are shooting high in the draft. Would you rather have them take a chance on some USHL guys with higher upside (Cecka/Sloat) or draft guys that might not even make the team?? I know what my answer is. Also, don't forget that there was an extremely short time frame for the Express to prepare for the draft. Imagine what Cullen and Fink will do in this year's draft, with a full year of scouting and preparation.

See you at the rink.

--BK