Three Blades Taken

[Scout]

3 Blades Picked in 08 NHL Entry Draft


The Saskatoon Blades wish to congratulate Jyri Niemi, Braden Holtby, and Teigan Zahn. The three Blades players were drafted in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds respectively in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Niemi, the 6’3”, 190 lbs. defenseman was picked up by the New York Islanders in the 3rd Round, 72nd overall. Thanks to his booming 97 mile per hour slap shot and continual improvement throughout the season, Niemi was the highest Blade selected in this year’s NHL Entry Draft.

Holtby, the Blades starting goaltender for the past two seasons, was taken by the Washington Capitals in the 4th Round, 93rd overall. The 6’1”, 198 lbs. tender has become well known around the Western Hockey League for his quick glove and overall speed between the pipes.

Zahn, a product of Bethune, SK, evolved into one of the Blades top defenseman during the 2007/08 campaign where he was eventually awarded when named as an Assistant Captain with the club. The 6’1”, 217 lbs. defenseman didn’t shy away from the physical play last year as he recorded a 104 penalty minutes in 69 games played.

This year’s draft is the second consecutive year that 3 Blades have been chosen in an NHL Entry Draft and the first time since 1999 that 2 defenseman have been selected.

Jyri Niemi and Braden Holtby’s game worn jerseys from 2007/08 are currently up for auction on Ebay.




Scout

[Scout]

Three Blades picked in middle rounds at NHL draft

TheStarPhoenix.com

Three Saskatoon Blades were taken in the middle rounds of the NHL draft on Saturday.

Defenceman Jyri Niemi, projected as a possible first-round sleeper, was the 11th pick in the third round, 72nd overall, by the New York Islanders. Goaltender Braden Holtby, meanwhile, was the second pick in the fourth round, 93rd overall, by the Washington Capitals. Niemi's defenceman partner, Teigan Zahn, went in the fifth round, 132nd overall to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Reached at his home in Hameenkyro, Finland, Niemi said he felt "relief and happiness."


"I started watching at 7 (p.m.) my time when the draft started (Saturday morning). I was waiting, waiting, waiting. The second round was gone and the third round was almost gone. Then I saw my name on the list. It was just a huge relief and I was happy."

At 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, the Finnish blueliner may have the hardest slap shot of any draft-eligible player in 2008; he won the hardest shot competition prior to the 2008 CHL Top Prospects Game skills competition.

He led the Blades defencemen with 14 goals and placed second among their blueliners with 34 points in 49 games. According to his Central Scouting report, Niemi "has good size and sound instincts, though he's better offensively than defensively at this stage of his development . . . (he) needs to learn how to utilize his 6-2 frame better in order to maximize his NHL potential."



Meanwhile, Holtby went 25-29-8 with a 2.84 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 2007-08.


"It's a great situation," Holtby said via cellphone from Ottawa. "(Washington's) forward and defence depth is unbelieveable with their young guys, but their goaltending depth isn't as good. It works out perfectly for me. They just built a new facility and I can't be happier."

After Cristobal Huet, the Capitals' goaltending depth chart includes two 20-year-old prospects: Russian Semen Varlamov and Czech Michal Neuvirth.


According to Holtby's scouting report, the 6-1, 205-pounder "has good size and a lot of late-blooming potential . . . (Holtby) was rated fourth among North American goaltenders in Central Scouting's final rankings (and) has already proven capable of logging a lot of minutes between the pipes at the junior level, but must show the same ability once he turns pro . . . (he) is considered a draft-day sleeper at the goaltending position."


Zahn was watching the draft ticker from the family farm near Bethune, Sask., when he got a call from Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken.

"I'm pretty pumped," said Zahn. "Lorne phoned me before it even happened. He called and said I got drafted by them."

Molleken, a one-time head coach of the Blackhawks, was sitting with Chicago GM Dale Tallon on the draft floor at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.




- Bridge City product James Wright, a centre with the Vancouver Giants, went in the fourth round, 117th overall, to the Tampa Bay Lightning

- Spokane Chiefs G Dustin Tokarski, a Watson native and the Memorial Cup MVP, was selected in the fifth round, 122nd overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

- G Grant Rollheisser, a one-time member of the Blades' system, was drafted by Toronto in the sixth round, 158th overall. Rollheisser plays with Trail of the BCHL.







© The StarPhoenix 2008

[Trav]

that Toomey didn't get picked but this will make him more determined this upcoming season. If he has a full strong season, there'll be no question next year whether or not he'll get picked.

Molleken sitting with the Blackhawks? hmm lol, did they pick any Finns? lol. Do believe though they'll pick a 91 born player in Thursday's import draft. Just a hunch.

[GBG BLEED BLUE]

that Toomey didn't get picked but this will make him more determined this upcoming season. If he has a full strong season, there'll be no question next year whether or not he'll get picked.

Molleken sitting with the Blackhawks? hmm lol, did they pick any Finns? lol. Do believe though they'll pick a 91 born player in Thursday's import draft. Just a hunch.
Congrats to all 3 guys that were selected,(although not by the team(s) I was hoping would pick them) haha

No Trav they did not pick any Finns LOL I am also surprised that Toomey did not get picked but he always have next year like you said. I think that the new player selected in the import draft may be a Finnish forward.

[Trav]

might even see more Finns picked now by other teams. After seeing what Niemi and Pusstinen as well as Metsola have done, teams will realise that there may be more Finns willing to come over now.

[wango tango]

holtby to washington is a great fit for braden. the caps don't have a lot of depth in goal. great for braden, unfortunately it also means he'll probably be in the ahl as a 20.

niemi to the isles. overall looks like a pretty good draft for the long islanders. a lot of scouts didn't see the finn as much as they would have liked due to injuries. i've read concerns about his skating, but i just don't see it. i see a lot of improvement coming from jyri.

zahn to the hawks. drafting beech and zahn in the same draft guarantees a certain amount of nastiness in the lineup for chicago. i didn't realize it until he was drafted, but zahn reminds me a little of former blackhawk chris chelios. solid in his own end, a little nastiness, calm with the puck, and capable of some pp time.