CFL Drafts of the past

With just over a week to go until the CFL Canadian College Draft, the eight teams around the league are finalizing their draft boards and preparing for the draft itself after months of scouting and evaluating. The video highlights and testing numbers have been looked at, the interviews conducted, and the teams will now be putting together their lists of what they need and who fits into what they’re looking for.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders hold the first overall pick, and the consensus is that they’ll likely select offensive lineman Ben Heenan with the selection. With the retirement of offensive guard Gene Makowsky in the off-season, the Riders might find a good replacement in Heenan. Another positive for the Riders here is that Heenan played his university football in the province, with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

The CFL draft is unique wherein anyone in the draft can make an impact, whether they be a first-round pick or a sixth-round pick. As readers might remember from my column “Ode to the Sleepers and Stinkers” from March, I love a good sleeper pick as well as a good bust, and the CFL draft is always full of them.

Here are lists, going backwards in time, of the best sleeper picks in CFL draft history, followed by some of the biggest draft busts, as well as some of the surprise picks in the last fifteen years of the draft.

Sleepers

What is a sleeper? A sleeper here shall be defined as a player taken in one of the last two rounds of the draft, who earned a regular spot on a roster or made a significant impact with the team who drafted him, or a team he was traded to. Others could be added to this list, but they were released from the team who drafted them, therefore nullifying their status as a sleeper (ex: Mathieu Bertrand).

Luc Brodeur-Jourdain, OL, 6^th round, 48^th pick overall by Montreal in 2008

Brodeur-Jourdain, a prospect from Laval, was 2008’s “Mr. Irrelevant,” the nickname provided to the last person chosen in a draft. He has since proven to be anything but irrelevant, stepping in at centre and filling the void left when longtime Alouette centre Bryan Chiu retired the day before training camp began in 2010. LBJ helped the Alouettes to a Grey Cup victory in his first year as the starter, and has become the anchor in arguably the league’s best offensive line, who produced the league’s leading rusher in Brandon Whitaker in 2011.

Chris Getzlaf, WR, 5^th round, 33^rd pick overall by Hamilton in 2007

The University of Regina receiver has seen his production increase steadily over his four-year career, since arriving in Saskatchewan in an August 2007 trade. Getzlaf helped the Riders to back-to-back Western Division championships, and in 2011 earned his first career 1,000-yard receiving season while also being named his team’s Most Outstanding Canadian. Getzlaf formed ¼ of the Riders’ “Canadian Air Force” with Rob Bagg, Andy Fantuz, and Jason Clermont, but with Fantuz now a Tiger-Cat and Clermont retired, Getzlaf should once again see his production increase in 2012.

Bryan Crawford, RB, 5^th round, 44^th pick overall by Toronto in 2005

While his offensive numbers are nothing spectacular, Crawford’s value was found on special teams, where he played seven seasons for the Argonauts. He was one of the mainstays on an Argo team which has seen massive personnel turnover over the past four or five years, and is one of the reasons why the Argos special teams have been so successful along with the emergence of Chad Owens over the past two seasons. Crawford retired this off-season, but his value to the Argonauts’ franchise is not one to be frowned upon.

Dave Stala, WR, 6^th round, 50^th pick overall by Montreal in 2003

Stala spent six years among a myriad of star receivers in Montreal before signing with Hamilton, where he has spent the last three seasons. During his time in Montreal, Stala played in three Grey Cups, and accumulated 1,037 yards in his third season, while in Hamilton he has become a fan favourite not just for his production on the field, but for his creative touchdown celebrations as well (His hackey sack celebration might be one of the best of all time). In 2010, Stala was the East Division nominee for Most Oustanding Canadian, and led the Ticats in receiving last season. With Andy Fantuz’s signing in the off-season, he will play a more complementary role, but one he will no doubt embrace.

Chris Hardy, DB, 6^th round, 47^th pick overall by Edmonton in 1997

Hardy, like Crawford, was a player who was able to find a niche on special teams in the CFL. A quarterback with University of Manitoba in college, Hardy made the switch to free safety, where he played limited time, but showed his true versatility on special teams. During six-year stints with each Edmonton and Toronto, Hardy played time on the coverage teams, as well as displayed his skill at punting and placekicking at various points in his career. Hardy was a team captain in the later years of his career with the Argonauts, and was an important cog on their special teams wheel while providing veteran leadership in the locker room.

Busts

It should be noted that this list of “busts” does not include draft picks who pursued an NFL career instead, but rather a group who tried the CFL route and became busts. Also, busts have to be someone who had some pre-draft buzz around them, or someone who people might remember. Even the most hardcore CFL fan can look at the first two rounds of the 2005 draft and go “Huh?” at many of the names.

Saleem Borhot, DB, 2^nd round, 12^th pick overall by Edmonton in 2010

This was a pick that surprised many who felt that Borhot’s lack of strength and size would see him at the best being a later-round pick or free agency pickup. Borhot didn’t last too long in Edmonton, as he was put on the injured reserve before the season ended, and had been the recipient of a few highlight-reel hits delivered by the ball carriers in five appearances.

Dylan Barker, DB, 1^st round, 1^st pick overall by Hamilton in 2008

Barker being on this list is in no way a reflection on Barker’s talent level. He was very deserving of the #1-selection, but just ran into too many injury troubles, including a broken leg which ended his rookie season before it started, and a back injury which caused him to miss the entire 2011 season. While he never amounted to being the hard-hitting safety which the Ticats drafted him to be, he did set a record with 37 special teams tackles in 2009. However, the back injury forced him into retirement this January, meaning Barker’s short career puts him on this list.

Chris Bauman, WR, 1^st round, 1^st pick overall by Hamilton in 2007

Is Hamilton cursed with drafting busts? Or is Bauman cursed with being a bust? Bauman, a 6-foot-4 receiver, showed flashes of his potential during four seasons with Hamilton, but only accumulated a total of 1,511 yards for the Ticats before signing a very lucrative contract with Edmonton last off-season. Bauman continued to underachieve, however, with only 11 catches in only seven games as an Eskimo. Bauman has since moved on to his third team, after being signed by Calgary post-release from Edmonton, meaning that not only was Bauman the bust of the draft in 2007, but also the bust of the free agency class in 2011.

Adam Braidwood, DL, 1^st round, 1^st pick overall by Edmonton in 2006

Braidwood would be named the Eskimos’ rookie of the year in 2006, but things quickly went downhill after that. He played only three more years of CFL football before being let go by Edmonton for a variety of reasons. Mixed Martial Arts became a more interesting career to Braidwood, while he also wound up in severe legal troubles after being charged with aggravated assault and forcible confinement, along with several firearm offences. While, like Bauman, showing flashes of his potential, it was the off-field distractions which led Braidwood to being named a bust.

Dave Miller-Johnston, K, 1^st round, 2^nd pick overall by Toronto in 1998

Miller-Johnston is the highest kicker ever selected in the CFL draft, but the Concordia product never attempted a kick in the CFL. How bad is it? Tie Domi has more attempted kicks in the CFL than Miller-Johnston. Also, if you try Googling “Dave Miller-Johnston CFL,” Google says “Did you mean: Dave Miller-Johnson CFL?” Yeah, pretty easy to say this guy was a bust.

Surprise Picks

The surprise picks are players who leapt onto the draft radar essentially at the draft, or who were taken perhaps unexpectedly high.

Akwasi Antwi, LB, 4^th round, 26^th pick overall by Calgary in 2011

Antwi wasn’t on many teams’ radars because a lot of teams might not have known he was draft-eligible. Even Antwi himself didn’t even know he was draft eligible, nor did a lot of people at Mount Allison, who were all pleasantly surprised when Antwi’s name was called at the ’11 draft. After only three years in the CIS, Antwi played in all eighteen games for the Stampeders, mainly on special teams, but Calgary’s draft board was likely the only one he was on due to defensive coordinator Chris Jones’s connections out east.

Marco Brouillette, LB, 3^rd round, 23^rd pick overall by Montreal in 2010

A quarterback at Universite de Montreal, Brouillette was on some people’s draft boards, but not as high as 23^rd overall. The Alouettes snapped him up early because of his freak athletic ability, and versatility on the field. Moved to the defensive side of the ball, Brouillette showed his versatility in an injury-decimated Montreal defence in 2011, appearing at all three linebacker spots as well as halfback and free safety. He also scored his first CFL touchdown on an electrifying fake punt, where he showed off his speed and running ability which made him a successful CIS quarterback and put him on the draft radar to begin with.

Samuel Giguere, WR, 1^st round, 8^th pick overall by Hamilton in 2008

Giguere was on the NFL scene by the time the 2008 CFL draft rolled around, but much like Vaughn Martin (drafted 39^th overall by Montreal in 2011), it was expected that Giguere would fall down to the later rounds because of his NFL potential. Hamilton was quick on the draw however, snatching him up with the hopes that his NFL career wouldn’t work out. Well, unfortunately for Hamilton, it did somewhat work out, and the Sherbrook graduate is still south of the border. Just because he hasn’t yet had a CFL career doesn’t mean he won’t, but it does mean he is one of the surprise picks.

Warren Kean, K, 1^st round, 2^nd pick overall by Edmonton in 2007

With Sean Fleming still the Eskimos’ number one guy (although ironically he would retire after the 2007 season), some found it strange that Edmonton would pick a kicker so high. With little demand for kickers at the time, and only one other kicker drafted (35^th overall), Kean going 2^nd overall surprised some around the league. Consider this too: current CFL regulars JP Bekasiak, Justin Phillips and Jabari Arthur were all first-round selections that year as well, as the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th selections. With Derek Schiavone, Grant Shaw and Burke Dales now Eskimos, Kean’s career was short-lived, although he did sign short-term contracts with Calgary and Saskatchewan over the past couple of seasons. Miller-Johnston is still the biggest bust at kicker, but Kean being selected so early is still one of the all-time surprises.

Philippe Girard, DB, 1^st round, 5^th pick overall by Edmonton in 1998

The second Mount Allison player in this category, Girard is a surprise pick not only because of where he was drafted, but where he played on the field. Girard, an All-Canadian at defensive halfback, played the majority of his CFL career as a defensive end; an abrupt change for sure. Drafted ahead of future superstars Ben Cahoon and Scott Flory, Girard was likely on the draft radars of many teams, but perhaps not as high as 5^th overall; in an NCAA-heavy first three rounds, the focus was clearly south of the border and certainly not on Atlantic Canada. Girard remains the highest-drafted player out of Mount Allison, and was the highest-drafted player out of the AUS until 2003.

Best Draft team-by-team

Keeping in mind that this is only taking into consideration the last fifteen years, here are the best draft years each team has had in that time.

BC Lions: 2010: Shawn Gore (WR), Hamid Mahmoudi (DB), Akeem Foster (WR), Cauchy Muamba (DB)

Calgary Stampeders: 2005: Miguel Robede (DL), Godfrey Ellis (OL), John Comiskey (OL), Brett Ralph (WR)

Edmonton Eskimos: 2008: Greg Wojt (OL), Tim St-Pierre (LB/FB/LS), Justin Cooper (DL)

Saskatchewan Roughriders: 2006: Andy Fantuz (WR), Luca Congi (K)

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 2008: Brendon Labette (OL), Aaron Hargreaves (WR), Don Oramasionwu (DL), Pierre-Luc Labbe (LB/LS)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats: 2003: Julian Radlein (FB), Kevin Scott (LS), Agustin Barrenechea (LB/FB)

Toronto Argonauts: 2008: Mike Bradwell (WR), Mark Dewit (OL), Tyler Scott (WR), Matt Black (DB)

Montreal Alouettes: 2008: Shea Emry (LB), Andrew Woodruff (OL), Paul Woldu (DB), Luc Brodeur-Jourdain (OL)

The 2012 CFL Draft will take place Thursday, May 3^rd in Toronto and will be broadcast on TSN. It is an exciting time for college players around Canada, and is the first sign that training camps are right around the corner. Who will be the next Marco Brouillette, Dava Stala, and Dave Miller-Johnston? Only time will tell, but be sure to tune in to TSN next Thursday to start finding out!

"Playoffs? Playoffs?!" The NHL's now-forgotten teams

With the NHL Playoffs set to begin tonight, the focus of the hockey world shifts onto 16 teams looking to make it to the month of June and emerge victorious with the Stanley Cup. But what about the other 14 teams? Well, for one short half an hour last night, five of the non-playoff teams were in the spotlight, as the NHL Draft Lottery took place, with Edmonton emerging victorious (is it really a victory though?) for the third year in a row with the first overall pick.

Since these 14 other teams will be getting absolutely no love over the next two months, it’s time to pay them a little respect by looking at what went wrong, how they can be improved, and early (really early) expectations.

Here are my thoughts on the 14 non-playoff teams, arranged in order from worst to, well, least-worst.

Columbus Blue Jackets

What went wrong: Their off-season acquisitions didn’t pan out. James Wisniewski wasn’t what they thought he’d be on the blueline, and Jeff Carter was traded at the deadline. And there was that whole thing with Rick Nash asking to be traded, and the GM leaving him out to dry by telling everyone that after the trade deadline. Nash is still a Blue Jacket for the time being, but it is widely expected that he will be traded in the summer months.

How they can be improved: More depth up front. If Nash stays in Columbus, he needs someone else who can score. They improved themselves on the back end by acquiring defenceman Jack Johnson in the Carter trade, but help up front is the big issue.

Expectations for 2012-13: Steve Mason, who struggled in net for the Jackets this season, should have a bounce-back season, but with the imminent departure of Nash, it might be another long season for Columbus. Expect to see them near the bottom of the West once again.

Edmonton Oilers

What went wrong: It’s tough to pinpoint one thing that went wrong, but inconsistency sure cost the Oil kids a bunch. They’re also a really young team, which might lead to some fans calling this year an “experience year” for the Oilers.

How they can be improved: Trading the first pick would be the smart thing to do; every young core needs that veteran piece to the puzzle. Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff can be that, but they still need an established scorer. Jaromir Jagr is one potential free agent to keep in mind.

Expectations for 2012-13: Devan Dubnyk emerged late in the season as a more confident goalie than he’s been in the past. He might unseat Nikolai Khabibulin as the perennial starter, and the Oilers could actually make a run at the playoffs next year instead of find themselves in the draft lottery again.

Montreal Canadiens

What went wrong: Oh boy, where to begin. The fact that Carey Price, in a hugely underachieving season, was their only All-Star, speaks volumes to how bad a season it was in Montreal. A lack of scoring depth for much of the season, and little to no depth on the blueline at times were the weaknesses.

How they can be improved: Scoring depth at forward and a couple of solid blueliners in front of Price would be good to add. Sounds easy, right? Well when the team is looking for a new GM (preferably bilingual) and a new Head Coach (also preferably bilingual) things might be a little tougher than they seem in Montreal. Oh, and ditching Scott Gomez and his ludicrous contract would be a good place to start.

Expectations for 2012-13: Unfortunately, unless Price absolutely stands on his head all season, I anticipate much of the same next season for the Habs.

New York Islanders

What went wrong: Again, like Edmonton, it’s hard to find something that really went wrong with New York; maybe it’s because we’re just so accustomed to seeing them fail that we don’t really watch for anything.

How they can be improved: With some of the best young forwards in the league, John Tavares being the leader, a stronger defensive unit might be in order for the Isles.

Expectations for 2012-13: I think they’ll do better than this year for sure; maybe even a top-ten finish in the East?

Toronto Maple Leafs

What went wrong: They completely collapsed when the calendar turned from 2011 to 2012. Goaltending became a huge problem which was highlighted late in the season when the Leafs were losing games with scores like 6-5 and 7-4.

How they can be improved: Goaltending goaltending goaltending. Brian Burke, the team’s GM, has already said goaltending and team size are the two main issues to be addressed in the off-season, something many thought they’d do at the deadline, but didn’t.

Expectations for 2012-13: Unless they can sign a stud goaltender through free agency, they’re in for another unsuccessful season. Unfortunately for them, the only big-name starting goalie free agent under the age of 35 is their own Jonas Gustavsson. Good luck with the lottery next year, Toronto.

Anaheim Ducks

What went wrong: A really slow start to the season. They basically pulled an anti-Leafs, because as soon as 2012 came around they were on a tear. They were actually in the playoff race briefly before the rest of the Pacific Division took off, but that slow start to the season really set them back.

How they can be improved: Consistency, especially between the pipes from Jonas Hiller, and from their blueline as well. Their top forwards, namely Ryan Getzlaf, need to play to their full potential as well.

Expectations for 2012-13: Their players who had down seasons (Getzlaf, Hiller) will bounce back. If they can reel Teemu Selanne back for another kick at the can, they’ll definitely make a push for the playoffs under Bruce Boudreau.

Minnesota Wild

What went wrong: A collapse of Leaf-like proportions. In November-December 2011, the Wild were on top of the league standings. An injury to goaltender Nicklas Backstrom derailed their season, as their defensive strategy wasn’t as successful.

How they can be improved: Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Devin Setoguchi and Mikko Koivu all had bad seasons, so their bouncing back is huge. Backstrom staying healthy is obviously a big factor too, but the acquisition of defenceman Tom Gilbert shored up their blueline.

Expectations for 2012-13: In an always-competitive Northwest Division, it’s going to be tough for the Wild, especially against young up-and-comers like Edmonton and Colorado. Expect them to be at the basement of the division, but not quite at the conference’s bottom.

Carolina Hurricanes

What went wrong: Their stars weren’t their stars until late in the season. Eric Staal had a nightmarish start, with a plus-minus rating lower than the top five scores at the Masters combined. Cam Ward didn’t find his groove until February, and Jeff Skinner, last year’s Rookie of the Year, was out for about two months with a concussion.

How they can be improved: In all honesty, if the Hurricanes can add one piece on the blueline, and stay healthy, they’ll be more than alright in a lacklustre Southeast Division.

Expectations for 2012-13: The Hurricanes have a great chance of winning their division. Not joking.

Winnipeg Jets

What went wrong: After a surprising start to the season, the Jets faltered. They were in a playoff spot until late February, and a disappointing March led to their demise. Having the 24^th-ranked penalty kill didn’t help very much, and though Ondrej Pavelec played well down the stretch, he did struggle in December and January, and didn’t get a lot of help in front of him at times.

How they can be improved: More consistency from their blueline; picking up someone like Brad Stuart or Dennis Wideman through free agency would be beneficial. Another solid scoring threat like Zach Parise would help, or maybe they’ll do the unthinkable and bring Shane Doan back to the Peg. With around 20 million in spending money at their disposal, the Jets aren’t in a bad position.

Expectations for 2012-13: While Jets fans will look at my comment of their division as “lacklustre” with disgust, they will be happier when I say I think they could challenge for the division title in 2012-13.

Tampa Bay Lightning

What went wrong: Our third Southeast team in a row, and just like the Hurricanes, found their groove too late in the season. Questionable goaltending and anemic defensive play plagued the Lightning for much of the season.

How they can be improved: Easy, they need a goalie and a healthy defence corps. They’ve got the scoring up front with Steven Stamkos scoring 60 times this season, and Teddy Purcell emerging at the season’s end with Ryan Malone. Some support behind these stellar forwards is much-needed.

Expectations for 2012-13: Like the Canes and Jets, they have a shot at winning the division. Which by my math makes five teams who have great chances at winning the Southeast division. The division has five teams. Hmmm

Colorado Avalanche

What went wrong: Another team which found itself in a slow start to the season, but again it’s hard to pinpoint where they really went wrong. The ninth best powerplay was complemented by the twelfth best penalty kill, spearheaded by rookie Gabriel Landeskog. Failure to beat the teams higher in the standings can be credited to their not making the playoffs.

How they can be improved: Experience; the Avalanche are a young team with lots of players who emerged from the woodwork this season. And they still almost made the playoffs.

Expectations for 2012-13: The Avalanche will be fine next season, but in the competitive Western Conference it might be tough for them to crack the top eight again.

Buffalo Sabres

What went wrong: A terrible start to the season set the Sabres way back, and although they staged a late comeback in the season, it was way too late to make up for Ryan Miller’s slow start. Also, paying Ville Leino a lot of money seemed to spook him, as he underachieved big time.

How they can be improved: They just need their scoring forwards to score, and they’ll be fine in a weakening Northeast Division.

Expectations for 2012-13: Ryan Miller will have a bounce-back season for sure; one of the best goalies in the world won’t just curl up and fade away that easily. Watch for the Sabres to be their normal playoff selves again next season.

Dallas Stars

What went wrong: Chalk this one up to being in the best overall division in hockey. Let’s face it, you could be a really good team but it won’t matter if you’re in a division with Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose and Los Angeles.

How they can be improved: They have to be better against their own division. A .500 record against their fellow Pacific Division isn’t going to cut it.

Expectations for 2012-13: This season the Pacific Division title went all the way down to the final day of the regular season; as of a week before the season ended, the Stars still had a shot at the spot before being eliminated during the last week. Next year, they’ll be right back in that mix once again.

Calgary Flames

What went wrong: A lack of real offence hurt the Flames, as Jarome Iginla once again put the team’s scoring on his back and was a major percentage of the team’s offence. Miikka Kiprusoff did his best sieve impression at times as well in goal, not helping the Flames’ cause.

How they can be improved: Secondary offence is going to be crucial if the Flames want to make the playoffs next season.

Expectations for 2012-13: I expect the Flames to make a big splash in free agency, and make a push for that elusive eighth spot. And to be honest, it would be nice to see a Northwest team other than Vancouver make the playoffs…