[Poll] Who do you think the Sens will draft?

There are 3 days until the draft, so we might as well make our final guess on who the Sens will draft!

Please vote in the poll, but you can also type it in a post as well for bragging rights later on .

My vote: Alex Burmistrov.

Whoever is right gets rep from everybody (if they all comply, haha).

Sens trade down to take McFarland/Bennett.

Skinner.

By the way, I think you can change your vote if you change your mind.

Any of Johansen, Niederreiter, Tarasenko, Granlund or Skinner would be a dream but I'm pretty sure they'll all be gone before 16.

I'd rather not take a defenceman (btw it's Forbort ), and I don't want Howden, Watson, or Etem.

Bennett and Bjugstad I don't know enough about but like marakh stated there is some a lot of speculation out there that there's a good chance they trade down and take Bennett or perhaps McFarland if they don't like what's there at 16.

I'll take Burmistrov. A lot of mock drafts have us taking him and I'd be really happy with the selection. Murray doesn't have a great history (or long history) selecting Russians, though, and deep down I'm pretty sure he'll be gone before we pick.

Here's hoping, though.

Burmistrov at 16 would be a dream. Cherepanov 2.0

Oh Dung, I would love Burmistrov. I doubt Murray does it, but it would be a great pick.

I took Burmistrov. The Sens need to go for a potential star, and this guy has it. He's got a little bit of a cocky attitude which is not a horrible thing, and he's got some compliments in his game that remind me of Matt Duchene, and I love that guy.

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Alex Burmistrov
Ht/Wt: 6.00/170 lbs
Position: C
Drafted From: Barrie (OHL)



Alex Burmistrov's Player Profile

Alexander Burmistrov’s transition to the North-American game this year was quite impressive. In 62 games with the Barrie Colts Burmistrov put up 65 points. He followed this performance up by posting 16 points in 17 playoffs games. While some argue that these numbers are due to the fact he played on a star-studded Barrie Colts squad, you could easily make the case Burmistrov was a large reason as to why the Barrie Colts were such a dangerous team.

Offensively Burmistrov is the type of player who loves to have the puck on his stick. He has the ability to speed play up or slow it down when necessary. He has an extremely high hockey IQ and often sees the play before it develops. He has great hands and can make opposing defenders just look silly with some of the moves he pulls with the puck. He also has the ability to deliver tape-to-tape passes to his teammates from almost anywhere on the ice. Burmistrov’s creativity is really something worth the price of admission, he uses his skillset to his fullest ability and is the type of player who can really do it all.

When watching Burmistrov play you’ll very rarely notice his speed, as he is a slightly above average skater. However, he uses his skating ability very deceivingly creating space for himself when needed. Burmistrov is a very evasive skater, he excels and cutting in and out of traffic, and keeping space between himself and opposing players. Down low and on the cycle he can stop on a dime and lose defenders quite easily.

Defense is likely the most underrated aspect of Burmistrov’s game. He excels defensively at stealing the puck off of opponents sticks, as well creating turnovers with his skating ability. Burmistrov also shows a bit of grit in his game when necessary and is definitely not afraid to go in to any areas of the ice. At times he was also used on Barrie’s penalty kill unit, never looking out of place.

While Burmistrov is no doubt a great hockey player, there are a few concerns about his game. One of the largest is likely the fact that he weighed in at 157lbs at the draft combine. Burmistrov will likely have to add at least 20lbs to his current frame to compete in the NHL. At times this season Burmistrov has also shown consistency issues being seemingly invisible some nights. While Burmistrov is considered an elite offensive talent he likely needs to work on his shot as he does not have a lot of power behind it, this will likely improve as he adds more muscle over the coming years.

While rumors, which look to be true, have Burmistrov heading back to Russia for the 2010-2011 hockey season, he has definitely demonstrated that he plays a game that can easily translate to the North-American ice surface. However there is no doubt that this will hurt his draft status to a certain extent.

Pros: Creative, great hands, high hockey IQ, elite offensive talent, defensively aware
Cons: Size and Weight, consistency, shot could use improvement
Skillset comparison: Pavel Datsuyk
Submitted by: Scott Boulet of TheScoutingReport.org

Alex is a kid who adapted well over in the OHL. He does not have the size a NHL is looking for, but he is a fast skater and has a nose for the net. He is an excellent passer and is not afraid to get his nose dirty when it needs to.
Submitted by: Larry Bernier

He's got the most important thing, which is hockey sense. You can't teach that. I had read a different scouting report I thought on him that praised his speed. He obviously needs to bulk up, hopefully doesn't change his game for the worse.

I also don't believe that Russia is an option for him.

My prediction is that Murray finds a way to get both Bennett and MacFarland. I say Bennett would be his first choice.

Probably someone who is rated as a 40th pick.

Ill say MacFarland like I have been for the last month or so. Not sure if Murray can snag up anyone else. Best case scenario is there is a run of D man late and there are some good forward prospects up front going into the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

RobbyJ wrote:My prediction is that Murray finds a way to get both Bennett and MacFarland. I say Bennett would be his first choice.

Id be thrilled, but it sounds too good to be true

If Murray really wants to swing for the fences, he should go with Kabanov. I think the safer pick is Burm, if he is available of course, and he is more of a North American type player, so I'll stick with him.

McFarland leading the way, with Burmistrov right behind.

BUMP