Unlike last year, the anticipation for the Bruins' 2011 draft was tempered by both their Stanley Cup victory as well as not having to pick a franchise player.
When the Oilers took Taylor Hall last June, the Bruins had to take Tyler Seguin by default and that seemed to work out just fine.
This June, the Bruins completed their raid of Toronto draft picks that were acquired in the Phil Kessel trade, selecting defenseman Dougie Hamilton with the ninth overall pick in the draft.
Many mock drafts had the B's taking either Hamilton or fellow defenseman Ryan Murphy, who was also available when it came time for the Bruins to pick.
Ranked as high as 3rd in the OHL, the 6-foot-4, 193 pound Hamilton will join a steady blue line corps where he will have to fight to earn a spot. Tomas Kaberle is the only Bruins blueliner who is not under contract next year and if he doesn't re-sign, I expect Hamilton to challenge for a spot on the roster during training camp. The Bruins have other defensemen waiting in the wings, such as Steve Kampfer, who will also try to earn a spot with the big club.
Headed into the draft, most Bruins fans were expecting the team to select a D man, mostly due to the depth on the forward lines and Hamilton seems to be a solid pick. In 67 games for the Niagara IceDogs (best team name ever?), the 18-year-old Hamilton scored 12 goals and had a stunning 46 assists, proving he can, get ready for it.........move the puck!
According to many scouting reports, Hamilton has a big shot and does a great job quarterbacking the power play, something that all Bruins fans would like to see more of heading into 2011-12.
However, other scouting reports criticize his physicality, saying that he is inconsistent and shows up defensively only against weaker teams. His decision making is also a red flag, but at the same time, he is only 18.
Realistically, is he the defenseman of the future? Who knows. But Bruins fans should be thrilled that we got yet another top-10 pick who will contribute relatively soon.
Thank you Kess-el *clap clap clapclapclap*
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