If the Senators do wind up flat on their face at the NHL finish line, they'll at least have a shot at drafting Erik Karlsson's national team blue-line partner next June.
Of course, suggest that to any Senator scout or manager, and he'll smile weakly and tell you it won't do him any good, that such a flop will likely cost him his job.
How short-sighted that would be of Eugene Melnyk.
Another Senator owner might whisper (in a bar, say) that his team is ready to take a dive to improve its chances of selecting Alexandre, ahh, umm, Victor Hedman. It might get him in trouble, but really, could you blame him?
Not after watching Hedman last night.
The highly rated Swedish defenceman made his Ottawa debut at the world junior championship alongside Karlsson -- the Senators' first-round pick six months ago -- and Hedman arrived as advertised.
Neither Hedman nor Karlsson picked up a point in Sweden's 3-1 win over the Fins at the Civic Centre, but both showed at least flashes as to why the trained eyes are predicting NHL superstardom for them.
"I feel I played really good. I made one mistake, maybe, behind the (Swedish) net (in the second)," said Karlsson. "Otherwise, it was a solid game, both offensively and defensively. Unfortunately I didn't score."
Hedman, the 6-foot-6, 221-pounder, is a graceful skater, has a big shot, is exceptional defensively and hits like a truck.
Don't believe me, ask Joonas Rask, the Finnish centre Hedman crushed along the right-wing boards in the first period. (Karlsson took a run at Rask along the left-wing boards on the same shift, and just missed.)
Hedman, who must have logged close to 30 minutes, finished with a plus-1 rating and had the puck on his stick for 15 or 20 seconds while Finland had its goalie pulled for an extra attacker.
"Two guys were in front ... maybe I should have shot, but it's easy to say after the game," said Hedman, on his rush with the Finnish goal empty. "I thought it would be better to go around (the defenceman). It wasn't."
That he didn't score was the only blemish in his game.
Most fans in the building must have thought Hedman looked great -- and that he'd look even better alongside Karlsson on the Senators' blue line.
STARTS AND STOPS
After Day 1 of the WJC, it's a tie between John Tavares over Hedman. They were both phenomenal ... About Senators' fourth-round pick Andre Petersson, Swedish coach Par Marts says: "I don't know how many know him because almost every good guy (back home) plays senior (while the 5-foot-11, 177-lb. winger has yet to make the leap from junior). But he's really good offensively, quick in his head, does all the things on the ice, a really good skater and has a tremendous shot. You will know about him after the tournament, I hope." In high gear last night, Petersson had one assist and about four or five good scoring chances ... Very disappointed I didn't see any OC Transpo people picketing at the Civic Centre. Was looking forward to sharing with them my opinion of their strike (that coulda turned stupid), then pleading that they continue to stay out forever. "I'm willing to get up early and drive my kids to school every day for the rest of their high school lives," sports editor Tim Baines said earlier in the evening. Might have kept him out of my hair, anyway .... The 9,658 at the Civic Centre erupted (mildly) when it was announced that Tavares had just scored his second at SBP to give Canada a 2-0 lead. I tell you that only as a fancy way of giving you the attendance figure for the Sweden-Finland game.
BETWEEN PERIODS
One of Tomas Vokoun or Craig Anderson should have a different work address soon enough. Swedish goalie Jacob Markstrom looks NHL-ready now. The second-round (31st overall) pick of the Florida Panthers stands out for more than just his 6-foot-4, 183-lb. frame. He's so good it's hard to see the Swedes not winning gold with him between the pipes. The Senators coveted Markstrom heading into last spring's draft. Too bad they weren't able to trade up and get him ... Beaming these days is Gord Miller, the TSN play-by-play constant at the world juniors. "First time in 16 years I've spent Christmas at home," Miller said. "I forgot what that was like." .... Don't like the international hockey trait of having the PA guy announce when a team is back at full strength. That kind of stuff is only going to kill the time-honoured tradition of young goalies slamming their $300 sticks on the ice to warn teammates an opponent is stepping out of the box ... Any Detroit Red Wings officials in attendance might have cringed watching Germany's first goal yesterday. U.S. goalie Thomas McCollum, their first-round pick last spring, did not look good on the low, stick-side shot by Toni (no relation to Jack) Ritter.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM...
Uh, oh. Don Cherry is not going to like this. The host team has just showed up at Scotiabank Place and one of the players -- it appears to be Ryan Ellis -- is wearing a toque as he walks along the corridor to the dressing room. Thug. Wonder if it makes a difference to Grapes that the hat is adorned by a Team Canada logo? ... A volunteer working near the Civic Centre press box claims he taught Bruce Garrioch at Cairine Wilson Secondary School. The gentleman wouldn't divulge his name, but did say that Bruce was "an A-1 student." At that point he coughed repeatedly, put his head down and walked away quickly, like he didn't want to get caught in a lie .... School sure has changed since we were kids, eh? A classes-cancelling "snow day" because buses can't manoeuvre through a few flurries? Please. And then there's U.S. forward Mitch Wahl, a Calgary Flames draft pick who earned a high-school credit for surfing while growing up in Long Beach, Calif. You'd skip to do what? Go sit in a stuffy room and try to stay awake? ... If Markstrom keeps the same number when he plays for the Panthers, he'll probably be the first NHL goalie to ever wear a 25 on his back.
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