By JIMMY D / Yankee Dipsy Doodle Dandy could go No. 1 | Jimmy's archive

In what shapes up a solid, yet unspectacular draft, Americans had seemed like good bets to earn the Top 2 positions in Saturday’s NHL entry draft.
Keeper poolies, take note.

Small-but-speedy Patrick Kane had a sensational season in London for the OHL Knights. Power forward James Van Riemsdyk has dominated US Under-18 games.

But in what would be a first for players from the Tier II ranks, New Westminster’s Kyle Turris could be the guy grabbed by Chicago on Saturday.

“Those are the three guys we are looking at,” Hawks GM Dale Tallon confirmed recently to the Canadian Press.

And Turris, considered by some to have the most offensive upside in a forward-heavy first round, earned his stripes and Central Scouting’s top rank in end-of-season voting.

Red Line Report and International Scouting Services (which is headquartered down the 104 in Antigonish by the way) both have the Burnaby Express center at No. 3.

Both organizations peg dwarfy American Kane, generously listed at 5 foot 9 and 160 pounds, as their top pick.

He led the OHL and the entire country in scoring as a rookie with London, where he paired with fellow first-round prospect Sam Gagner to form a dynamite line.

Five years ago, someone so Yvan Cournoyer-like in size would be shunned in the first round in the ‘old’ NHL. Nowadays, speed and skill – regardless of the size that comes along with the package – is rewarded.

Super-dwarfs like Daniel Briere have seen to that.

Jimmy was a little worried that Kane idolized Eric Lindros in wearing No. 88, but that choice is for his birth year, not his admiration for the shoulda-been-Hall-of-Famer.

The Flyers, on the heels of the worst season in their 40-year history, have that second pick. GM Paul Holmgren had praised Van Riemsdyk earlier in the season, but also mentioned Kane and Rusky speed demon Alexei Cherepanov, who set Russian Super League rookie scoring records this year.

But do not rule a trade in Philly. The Flyers have lots of cap room and, despite their abysmal season, have plenty of good young talent. Using this pick to harvest an established young player to fit into their rebound plan for 2007-2008 makes a lot of sense.

Halifax Moosehead Jakub Voracek was No. 2 in Red Line, No. 5 at ISS and No. 7 at Central Scouting. Hard to imagine the Marian Hossa-ish Voracek not being a dominant NHLer, but it may take a few season to fill out his lanky frame and be a force with the big boys.

Angelo Esposito, the No. 1 mid-season player, is still a Top 10-range pick.
The first round will also see some top-rated blueliners snapped up. Karl Alzner of the Calgary Hitmen leads the defencemen, while fellow WHLer Keaton Ellerby of the Kamloops Blazers is next.

The draft is always the kick-start to the summer deal-making season. Free agency starts the week after, changing the ice-scape for the coming season.

Baseball waiver wire action

Jimmy burned himself with some fantasy baseball roster tinkering last week. Homer Bailey did not sparkle in his second start, but the player Jimmy ditched to the bench (Chris Capuano) was yanked from his start anyway. And Matt Morris was good in one start and awful the next (got bombed Sunday by Boston).

Undaunted, Jimmy returns to the find-a-two-start-pitcher theory that has him atop his league. This week, it’s Cardinal Adam Wainwright. The lanky righty who was the team’s closer in the World Series gets the Royals and Phillies this week. He has pitched well the past month.

Jimmy also keeps Tiger 2B Placido Polanco in the lineup over DBack 2B Orlando Hudson (who plays six games at home this week, but his road split stats are superior). File this one under the embarrassment-of-riches category.

As for roster pickups, the most picked-up player in Yahoo! leagues in rookie righty Yovani Gallardo, who was slated to start Monday night. The 22-year-old gets a chance to start due to the aforementioned Capuano DL stint. He has dominated Triple A hitters all year.

And Chipper Jones, freshly off the DL, was a prime waiver pickup. Hint: GMs should have been benching Chipper, not waiving him.

Duck escapes the Tiger

OK, hands up everyone who had a golfer nicknamed The Duck in their US Open pool? Didn’t think so.

Argentine Angel Cabrera was smoking (literally and figuratively) at Oakmont and did get his feathers ruffled when Tiger Woods stalked him on the final day.
Cabrera said some players spend money on psychologists and ‘sportologists’ to help them cope with stress and pressure. He spends his money on cigs, which harks back to the days of chain-smoking Arnold Palmer.

Which is not an endorsement of smoking by Jimmy D, just a comment.

Stay busy, stay lucky.

Jimmy D