Saturday, June 25, 2011

Tampa Bay Lightning 2011 draft pick biographies

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 25, 2011

Lightning draft choices

Vladislav Namestnikov

Round: 1 (27 overall)Pos.: CAge: 18Ht./Wt.: 6 feet, 166

Skinny: Ranked by NHL Central Scouting as No. 11 North American skater. Has playmaking ability and is responsible defensively. Needs to improve strength and heighten compete level, but Lightning sees a solid two-way player. Had 30 goals, 68 points in 68 games last season for OHL London.

Nikita Kucherov

Round: 2 (58)Pos.: WAge: 18Ht./Wt.: 5-10, 163

Skinny: No. 17-ranked European skater. Highly skilled. Blossomed at this year's under-18 world championship with 11 goals, record 21 points in seven games as Russia won bronze. Can be soft. Had 27 goals, 58 points and 81 penalty minutes in 41 games last season for Russian CSKA junior team.

Nikita Nesterov

Round: 5 (148)Pos.: DAge: 18Ht./Wt.: 6 feet, 183

Skinny: No. 32-ranked European skater. Best at moving the puck. Al Murray, Tampa Bay head of amateur scouting: "He can skate the puck out of trouble and be a one-man breakout if he needs to be, but if somebody is head, he gets the puck." Had five goals, 19 points and 71 penalty minutes last season for Chelyabinsk (Russia) junior team.

Adam Wilcox

Round: 6 (178)Pos.: GAge: 18Ht./Wt.: 6 feet, 171

Skinny: Delaying a commitment to University of Minnesota to play again for USHL Green Bay so he can play regularly instead of sitting behind the Gophers' No. 1. Was 16-6-1 in 24 games with Green Bay last season with 2.20 GAA, .922 save percentage. Quick. Good rebound control. Was 28th-ranked North American goalie. Says he fell in love with goaltending at age 4 when cousin Alex Stalock, Sharks goalie prospect, one day for three hours shot rubber pucks at him while playing in a mini-stick rink in his basement.

Matthew Peca

Round: 7 (201)Pos.: CAge: 18Ht./Wt.: 5-8, 155

Skinny: Lightning thinks so much of Peca (no direct relation to former NHLer Michael Peca), it traded negotiating rights to Marc-Andre Pouliot to Phoenix for 201st pick to take him. Peca, who is unranked, is committed to Quinnipiac University. Is highly skilled and a fast skater. Had 26 goals, 72 points in 50 games last season for CCHL Pembroke.

Ondrej Palat

Round: 7 (208)Pos.: WAge: 20Ht./Wt.: 6 feet, 174

Skinny: Unranked. Had 39 goals, 96 points in 61 games last season for QMJHL Drummondville. Al Murray, the Lightning director of amateur scouting: "We think he has the talent to seriously challenge for a spot maybe in the American Hockey League. He falls through the cracks because he is (20) years old. The draft tends to be an 18-year-old draft. ... But when we got the extra pick (the Peca pick), it was a very easy decision to bring him in."

Damian Cristodero, Times staff writer

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/hockey/lightning/tampa-bay-lightning-2011-draft-pick-biographies/1177404

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