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Who's No. 1?
The battle between Team Canada centre John Tavares and Team Sweden defenceman Victor Hedman will heat up in Ottawa, but the final decision won't be made until the GM with the top pick in the NHL entry draft steps to the microphone in late June at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
While the world junior championship will go a long way in determining whether Tavares or Hedman deserves top billing, their performance during the two-week tournament isn't going the only factor taken into account when teams hold their scouting meetings at the end of the year.
"You have to look at the whole year," said Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray before yesterday's Russia-Finland game at the Civic Centre.
"The tournament is a good place for these guys to play and get experience, but when it comes down to No. 1, it might be the fact that a team wants to take a centreman or a defenceman.
"I can't see this (tournament) deciding it all. Look, they're both quality and very good players. These are both impact players. You have a choice between a skilled centre like Tavares, who is having a great year, or a defenceman like Hedman, who is making a big impact. They're both good players. I wouldn't want to have to predict who is going to go No. 1."
If Murray had the top pick, he admitted he'd likely take Tavares because the Ducks have taken blueliners in the past and need to bolster the forward position down the road. That might be the line of thinking for a lot of organizations when it comes to either Hedman or Tavares.
But Boston GM Peter Chiarelli, who is at the junior tournament, insists that wouldn't be his philosophy if he had top pick. Naturally, with the Bruins sitting atop the Eastern Conference, Chiarelli won't have much of a shot at either player unless he's trying to move up in the draft.
"To me, it's the best player available. That's what you have to stick with," said Chiarelli, the former Senators assistant GM. "That's what it is going to be for whatever team has the pick. Sure, if there's a need, then you might see some jockeying at the top. It's too early to tell who is going to be No. 1, so it's hard to say it's going to be a need."
There is a school of thought that teams might lean towards Hedman because top notch blueliners are hard to find. Many scouts believe in that theory, but others point to last year's draft when Tampa took centre Steve Stamkos ahead of defencemen Zach Bogosian (Atlanta) and Drew Doughty (Los Angeles). Doughty is off to an excellent start in the NHL.
"At the end of the day, it's going to depend on which player has the greatest potential to be an impact player," said Vancouver Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman. "Historically, both defencemen and forwards are picked No. 1 overall, but what it's going to come down to is the assessment of the team with the first pick and who has better upside.
"I don't want to speak for everybody, but I would think the assessment would be made on which guy has the greatest impact."
Gilman said the tournament will only play a small role.
"Yes, this is a showcase, but a little knowledge is a dangerous thing especially in today's hockey," said Gilman. "The decision is going to be based on a number of viewings of these kids. At the end, the decisions rendered are going to be based on dozens of reports filed by multiple scouts who have seen them time and time again."
OFF THE GLASS
Former Toronto C Mats Sundin will arrive in Vancouver today and be introduced at a press conference tomorrow. If all goes well, the possibility exists the 37-year-old former Leafs captain could make his debut against the Oilers on Jan. 7 in Edmonton. "Anytime you can add a top six impact player it spreads out your level of contribution," said Gilman ... Murray doesn't expect the NHL's trade market to heat up just because the roster freeze has been lifted. "There aren't many teams with a lot of money to spend," said Murray.