TSN, the Canadian television equivalent of ESPN, dedicated hours of air time the first week in July to the onset of the free agent signing season. The coverage was titled “Free Agent Frenzy.”

All of this was on the heels of one of the deepest entry draft fields in recent years. Center Ice Magazine has all the personnel shuffle details in “Inside the Southern Seven.”


TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
The Tampa Bay Lightning selected Steven Stamkos of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting with the first overall pick at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in June in Ottawa.

“We are extemely pleased to have Steven Stamkos in our organization,” executive vice president and general manager Jay Feaster said. “He is the consensus number one pick for a reason -- gifted offensively, committed defensively. Great hockey sense and incredible maturity set him on top of this draft class. He will look very good in a Lightning uniform for many years.”

”This is the ultimate dream come true for me,” Stamkos said. “I’m very excited to join the Tampa Bay Lightning.Stamkos, a 5-foot-11, 176-pound was rated as the consensus No. 1 pick heading into the draft, at Scotiabank Place. Stamkos ranked second in the OHL last season with 58 goals and fifth in points with 197 in 61 games.  

His nine game-winning goals were tied for second in the OHL, his 23 power-play goals were third and his five shorthanded goals ranked tied for fifth. He scored 11 goals, including four in Game 4 of Sarnia’s first-round match-up with the Windsor Spitfires, in nine games during the 2008 OHL Playoffs.The 18-year-old was named the OHL’s Player of the Month for February after recording 13 goals and 22 points in 13 games. He was also recognized as the best stick-handler and as having the best shot in the OHL’s annual coaches poll.

The center was one of two players born in 1990 named to Canada’s 2008 World Junior Championship team. He recorded a goal and six points in his first appearance at the tournament..Stamkos played in 124 games during his two-season OHL career. He recorded 100 goals and 197 points during his time with Sarnia, including 14 goals and 17 points in 13 career playoff games.

In 2006-07 he was the runner-up for the OHL’s Rookie of the Year award behind Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. He was also honored with the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL’s scholastic player of the year. The award is given annually to the player who best combines high standards of play and academic excellence.Before joining the Sting, Stamkos recorded 105 goals and 197 points in 67 games with the Markham Waxers AAA midget team in 2005. Sarnia drafted Stamkos first overall in the 2006 OHL Priority Draft. Stamkos is the third player in franchise history to be chosen first overall.  Tampa Bay took Roman Hamrlik with the first pick in 1992 and Vincent Lecavalier with the top pick in 1998.

Heart Ailment Doesn’t Deter Lightning From Drafting Alaskan
While many other players drafted ahead of him will enjoy NHL careers, David Carle almost certainly will not.

Carle, the younger brother of San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Carle, was a draft pick waiting to happen after piling up 11 goals and 34 assists in 55 games last season with Shattuck-St. Mary’s, which won USA Hockey’s 2008 Tier 1 Junior A championship. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau had him ranked 60th among all U.S. skaters.

But during the NHL Scouting Combine before the draft, medical personnel found abnormalities, and the Anchorage native was referred for further tests. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota determined that Carle has a condition known to cause sudden death in young athletes – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the walls of the heart. His dream of a professional hockey career was probably over.

Still, The Tampa Bay Lightning used its final pick to select Carle, and Denver University has said it will honor its scholarship commitment to him and give him a role in its hockey program.

Of the Lightning’s decision, general manager Jay Feaster gave the credit to new owner Oren Koules. “He did some discussions with some people, but he came and asked us if we would make that pick. He said the young man worked his whole life to be in a position to be drafted today,” Feaster told NHL.com at the conclusion of the draft, in Ottawa. “He wanted us to make the pick and that’s why we did it.”

Prior to his selection, Carle had told the Anchorage Daily News, “It’s (the condition) not the end of the world. I’m really quite fortunate they were able to find it. “I’ve still got a long life ahead of me. I have a lot to look forward to and a lot of opportunities ahead of me.”


NASHVILLE PREDATORS
With two first-round picks for the first time in franchise history, the Nashville Predators selected Boston University forward Colin Wilson (seventh overall) and goaltender Chet Pickard (18th overall) of the Tri-City Americans at the Entry Draft.

The Predators executed a trade prior to each of their first-round picks. The first occurred when Nashville acquired the seventh overall pick from the New York Islanders (via Toronto) for selections No. 9 and 40 – two of the three draft picks Nashville obtained from Florida for goaltender Tomas Vokoun at the 2007 Entry Draft.

Then, prior to the 15th selection, Nashville traded the pick to Ottawa for pick No. 18 and a third rounder in the 2009 Entry Draft.Wilson was the 10th-rated North American skater by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau. A native of Greenwich, Conn., Wilson is coming off his rookie season at Boston University, where he became the fifth player in school history to be named Hockey East Rookie of the Year.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound center posted 35 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 37 games with the Terriers last season, ranking second in conference scoring among freshmen and third among the Terriers.”Colin is a combination of a skilled and power forward,” Central Scouting’s Gary Eggleston said.

“He is very strong, has excellent hands and is a very good passer and playmaker.”Wilson was a teammate of fellow Predator prospects Blake Geoffrion, Ryan Flynn and Jeremy Smith at the 2008 World Junior Championships, where he tied for the overall goal scoring lead with six for Team USA. The power forward also comes from hockey bloodlines – his father, Carey, played 552 NHL games over 12 seasons for Calgary, Hartford and the New York Islanders.At pick No. 18, Pickard became the first goaltender selected in the 2008 Draft and just the second goaltender in Predators franchise history selected in the first round.

A native of Winnipeg, Man., Pickard won the 2008 Del Wilson Trophy as the Western Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Year after posting a league-high 46 wins. He also ranked fourth among WHL goalies in save percentage (.918), and helped lead the Americans to the WHL Western Conference final, compiling an 11-3-2 record with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .937 save-percentage in the playoffs.“He is very strong in his crease and he isn’t predictable,” NHL Central Scouting’s Al Jensen said.

“His net coverage is very good and he reads the play well. I think he presents himself very well in the net and he has very good goalie instincts. He is very consistent, which is a big positive. The first time I saw Pickard, I saw (19-year pro) Olaf Kolzig.’

ATLANTA THRASHERS
Zach Bogosian. Bogosian is to defensemen what Stamkos is to forwards. Some Web sites even suggest Bogosian might have the better upside if he maxes out on his potential. He’s big (6-2, 200) and tough, but it’s his combination of speed and puck-moving ability that marks him as the next big blue-line prospect.

Center Daultan Leveille, the Thrashers second pick, is a great skater who led his team in playoff scoring, Leveille will try to improve his defensive work at Michigan State this fall.  

CAROLINA HURRICANES
With the 14th pick in the first round the Hurricanes selected forward Zach Boychuk of the Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL).Too bad he’s only 5-foot-10. Otherwise, Boychuk’s stock could have been higher. He has no fear of playing in traffic, and he has a nose for the puck near the net and plays a high-tempo style. Defenders must watch out because he can beat them with his speed and moves. He refuses to let size be a detriment.

“He might be the best two-step quickness guy in all of junior hockey,” said NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire. “In two steps he is at top speed and he can hit the brakes and delay the play with the best of them, as well. Zach is an all-around offensive player who sees the ice well and just a treat to watch.”The question is whether or not his average size is enough to get him through the rough periods and the checking.

There are other players in the NHL who have beaten that rap; Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner are two great examples this year. There is no reason why he shouldn’t be a top offensive guy in the NHL.”

WASHINGTON CAPITALS
The Caps selected two players – center Anton Gustafsson and defenseman John Carlson – in the first. Washington acquired the picks in two draft-day trades. Gustafsson, a 6-foot-2, 194-pound native of Karlskoga, Sweden, is the son of former Capitals star Bengt Gustafsson, who ranks fifth all-time in scoring for the club.

Anton, 18, was the fifth-rated European skater in the draft, according to NHL Central Scouting, and has spent two seasons with the Frolunda junior team in Sweden. He recorded 15 goals and 17 assists (32 points) in 33 games of an injury-shortened season in 2007-08. “Anton is a highly skilled player with strong puckhandling skills and playmaking ability,” NHL director of European scouting Goran Stubb said. “He is an effective passer through traffic who also has a good selection of shots. He’s a tall, strong and talented two-way center with good vision and a fine understanding of the game.

He plays a mature game even when playing against opponents who were two or three years older.” Carlson is a 6-foot-2, 212-pound 18-year-old who was born in Natick, Mass., and resides in Colonia, N.J. A rookie in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Indiana Ice in 2007-08, Carlson finished second among league defensemen in scoring with 43 points (12 goals, 31 assists) in 59 games. He played in the 2008 USHL All-Star Game and was an assistant captain on the U.S. team at the 2007 Under-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Carlson was the 17th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. “John Carlson is a big, burly defensemen.

He is a real good skater and a strong skater,” said Jack Barzee of NHL Central Scouting. “He runs the power-play from the top of the umbrella and he has a very heavy shot.  He’s a very self-assured kid and rightfully so – he’s a boy, yet in a man’s body and very physically strong . . .  I knew when I first saw him that he was a first-round pick. He was a guy I had seen before as an under-ager. He had all the tools – size, skill, physical presence and charisma.”

The Capitals acquired the 21st selection, used to take Gustafsson, from New Jersey in exchange for the Capitals’ first-round pick in 2008 (23rd overall) and second-round pick in 2008 (54th overall). Washington acquired the 27th selection, used to take Carlson, from Philadelphia in exchange for defenseman Steve Eminger and the Capitals’ third-round pick in 2008 (84th overall). Washington has now made 15 first-round picks in the last seven years, four more than any other NHL team.

FLORIDA PANTHERS
In Ottawa, the Phoenix Coyotes acquired center Olli Jokinen from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton and a second-round pick (49th overall) in this year’s draft.Jokinen, 29, was 34-37-71 with 67 penalty minutes (PIM) in 82 games with the Panthers last season. He led the team in goals, assists, points, power play goals (18) and shots (341).  

He also ranked third in the NHL in power play goals and shots.Jokinen, who appeared in 567 career games with Florida, is the franchise’s all-time leader in goals (188), assists (231), points (419), game-winning goals (36) and shots (1,841). A native of Kuopio, Finland, Jokinen spent four seasons as captain of the Panthers.  In 2006-07, he registered career-highs in goals (39), assists (52) and points (91) to rank 14th in the NHL in scoring and was one of only three NHL players to record three hat tricks during the season.

Jokinen represented Florida at the 2003 NHL All-Star Game.The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Jokinen was acquired by Florida on June 24, 2000, and was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with the third overall pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.  In 723 career NHL games with the Kings, Islanders and Panthers, Jokinen has recorded 208 goals and 253 assists.Jokinen has represented Finland in international competition numerous times, including the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.Ballard, 25, recorded had 21 points, including six goals, and 85 PIM in 82 games with the Coyotes last season.

In 233 career games with the Coyotes, Ballard registered 19-68-87 and 243 PIM. Ballard was acquired by Phoenix in a trade with Colorado on July 3, 2003.Boynton, 29, had three goals and 12 points and 125 PIM in 79 games with the Coyotes this season.  Boynton was acquired by Phoenix in a trade with Boston on June 26, 2006.  In 437 career NHL games with the Bruins and Coyotes, he has recorded 27-80-107 and 660 PIM.  In two seasons with Phoenix, Boynton collected 5-18-23 and 263 PIM in 138 games.

DALLAS STARS
Without a first-round pick this year (The Los Angeles Kings acquired the pick in exchange for defenseman Mattias Norstrom), the Stars selected five new prospects at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, choosing a goalie, two defensemen and two forwards.

The Stars took some chances on this draft. This was worst positional draft they have had since moving from Minnesota to Dallas, and they had to make a few reaches on players because they were picking deep in each round. But overall, the Stars scouting staff were pleased with their picks.

“We were able to draft some good kids today,” said Tim Berndardt, the Stars’ chief amateur scout. “Our staff works hard every year and it all comes together for the draft in June. We feel good about the players we drafted and look forward to continuing to watch them develop and hopefully one day play for the Dallas Stars.”

Here is a run-down on the new prospects:

Tyler Beskorowany – Goaltender (2nd round, 59th overall)
Height 6-4 -- Weight 203    Born April 28, 1990 -- Sudbury, ONT

Beskorowany was ranked eighth among North American goalies and 11th among all goalies. He was the fifth goalie taken in the draft. He went 12-19-1-2 with a 4.04 goals against average and a .900 save percentage in 35 games last season with the struggling Owen Sound Attack (OHL). The 18-year-old won the team's MVP and Rookie of the Year awards.

He has excellent size at 6’ 4”, 203 pounds. He is technically sound and has a good understanding of his position. He moves well within the crease. He covers a large part of the net and shows good athletic skills, quick reflexes and a sharp glove hand. He is usually in position and plays his angles well, but can get caught out of position now and then. Like many young goalies, he struggles with consistency.

Scott Winkler – Center (3rd round, 89th overall)
Height 6.02 -- Weight 195    Born February 22, 1990 -- Asker, Norway

The 18-year-old Norwegian-born center played for Kansas City based Russell Stover (U.S. Midget), picking up 92 points (40 goals, 52 assists) in 70 games. He had 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) for Norway at the U-18 World Juniors. Winkler is expected to play for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) this season.

Winkler has good size, skates well and has good speed. He plays a two-way game and has some offensive potential. Some scouts say he is a perimeter player, others see him as a player willing to use his size to drive the net and get scoring opportunities.

Philip Larsen – Defenseman (5th round, 149th overall
Height 5.11 -- Weight 185    Born December 7, 1989 -- Esbjerg, Denmark

The Danish-born Larsen has played in the top levels of Swedish hockey for the past two seasons. He had no points in 16 games with Vastra Frolunda HC of the Swedish Elite League and ten points (five goals, five assists) in 24 games with Boras HC in the second level. Played for Denmark at the World Juniors, registering 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) and a tournament worst minus-13 rating in six games.

Larsen is a sharp defenseman and an excellent skater. He moves the puck well with both his passing and skating ability. Makes a great first pass. Handles pressure well and makes good decisions. Some scouts say he is soft in his own end and will shy away from physical play. He doesn't have great size, so he'll need to add some bulk. He is expected to play for Vastra Frolunda HC again this season.

Matt Tassone – Center (6th round, 176th overall)
Height 6.00 -- Weight 200    Born September 28, 1989 -- Edmonton, ALTA

Tassone, 18, has played for the past three seasons the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League. This past season, he scored 36 points (19 goals, 17 assists) in 60 regular season games and 8 points (3 goals, 5 five assists) in 12 playoff games.

Tassone is a talented player with excellent size, good skating ability and has shown he is not afraid to drop his gloves. He has a lot of potential, but is still working on improving hockey sense. He has developed into a responsible defensive player and doesn't always play to his size.

Mike Bergin – Defenseman (7th round, 209th overall)Height 6.03 -- Weight 197    Born June 30, 1988 -- Kanata, ONT

Bergin was the team captain for the Smith Falls Bears of the Canadian Central Junior "A" Hockey League. He scored 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 45 regular season games and 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 15 playoff games. He will attend the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York this fall.

He is a solid two-way defenseman. He skates well, can handle the puck and has a good shot. He is effective on the power play. A Good defender who sometimes displays a bit of a mean streak, Bergin also has an excellent work ethic and good leadership abilities.

Compiled by Robert Keith and Jim Davis