The 2014 NHL draft is many things to many people, but Year of the Defenceman it is not. [url=http://www.ravensrookiestore.com/]Baltimore Ravens Jerseys[/url] . The oddity, of course, is that its a blueliner who is the mid-season favorite to be taken No. 1 overall at the draft in Philadelphia, June 27-

The 2014 NHL draft is many things to many people, but Year of the Defenceman it is not. Baltimore Ravens Jerseys . The oddity, of course, is that its a blueliner who is the mid-season favorite to be taken No. 1 overall at the draft in Philadelphia, June 27-28. Barrie Colt defenceman Aaron Ekblad is No. 1 on TSNs Mid-Season Top 50 Prospects rankings. In a survey of 10 NHL team scouts, Ekblad garnered eight No. 1 votes and was No. 2 on the remaining two ballots. The only other players to get a No. 1 vote, one apiece, were Kootenay Ice centre Sam Reinhart and Kingston Frontenac centre Sam Bennett (who was ranked No. 1 by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau in its mid-term rankings). Ekblad and Reinhart both performed admirably for Canada at the 2014 World Junior Championship but the defenceman clearly made a bigger impact, reversing TSNs pre-season polling that had Reinhart at No. 1, by virtue of five first-place votes, compared to Ekblads three. The truth is, from the Ivan Hlinka Memorial under-18 tournament last August through to the Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects game in mid-January, the 6-foot-4, 216-pound defenceman has been on a strong, steady arc. "In the summer, a lot of the projections for (Ekblad) were he might not be anything more than a (No.) 4 (NHL defenceman), that he was neither a real offensive threat or a true shutdown defenceman," one scout told TSN. "But the way he played at the Hlinka, this season in Barrie, the World Juniors and the Prospect game, hes showing a lot more range in his game." While Ekblad will never be a power play quarterback, he can hammer the puck well enough to project as a power play shooter from the point and score goals. Both at the Hlinka and WJC, Ekblad was consistently used in a shutdown role and performed well. Many scouts believe now he has top-pairing NHL potential, a big body who can skate, move the puck, defend, contribute offensively and play both sides of special teams while munching a lot of minutes. After the WJC, Ekblad scored four goals (including a shorthanded marker) and one assist in one game. "Hes not a superstar by any means," another scout said, "but hes going to be a very good NHL defenceman." Some scouts have taken note of Victor Hedmans emergence, the second overall pick in the 2009 draft, as a top-minute defenceman for Tampa this season and see many similarities in Ekblad. Ekblad is far and away the top defenceman in this draft. Only one other blueliner - Red Deers Haydn Fleury, at No. 6 – cracked TSNs Top 10 prospects. In fact, only five defencemen - Ekblad, Fleury, Kingstons Roland McKeown at No. 17, Swift Currents Julius Honka at No. 18 and Sarnias Anthony DeAngelo at No. 26 – are in TSNs Top 30. The latter three are likely first-round picks, but not by any means guaranteed. Relative to recent years, the death of top-echelon defencemen is striking. Last year, eight of the top 18 picks were defenders. In 2012, eight of the top 10 picks were blueliners. Scouts do not believe this years draft class has the same high-end sizzle and overall depth as last years group that was headed by Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones, Jonathan Drouin and Aleksandr Barkov. And it would be fair to say theres more anticipation for the 2015 draft class, headed by highly-touted Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, amongst others, than this year. But the scouts also cautioned that the top-end prospects this year are still excellent talents, just not necessarily potential stars. TSNs No. 2-ranked Reinhart didnt really do anything to "lose" No. 1 status from the pre-season as much as Ekblad simply elevated his game. Reinhart has played very well in the WHL and logged significant minutes for Canada at the WJC. A centre in junior, some scouts believe hell be best suited to wing in the NHL. Reinharts chief assets are an extremely high hockey I.Q. and skill level as both a goal-scorer and playmaker. Hes not physically overpowering and his skating is not dynamic but a seemingly innate ability to be in the right place at the right time to make plays is his trademark. Kingstons Bennett, the only player other than Ekblad and Reinhart to get a No. 1 vote, is No. 3 on the TSN list. The competitive centre who has some of the same qualities as his Kingston general manager Doug Gilmour can be both a productive offensive force but also does quality work without puck, earning rave reviews for his complete approach to the game. Oshawa General winger Michael Dal Colle checks in at No. 4 on TSNs list. The rangy forward has a pro shot and was a top five prospect on eight of 10 scouts ballots, including one vote as the second-best prospect available in this draft. No. 5 on TSNs list is Prince Albert Raider centre Leon Draisaitl, who is destined to be the highest-drafted German player and, for now, the top European prospect on the TSN list. But Draisaitl seems to be trending in the wrong direction. He played poorly at the WJC and didnt perform particularly well in the CHL Top Prospects game. But hes still a big-body, two-way centre. The second half of the season could mean more to Draisaitls ranking than any prospect in the draft. The balance of TSNs Top 10 is top heavy with wingers. Only two-way defenceman Fleury, at No. 6, interrupted a run on wingers: Peterborough Petes power forward Nick Ritchie is No. 7, followed at No. 8 by Niagara Ice Dog Brendan Perlini, whose assets are size, speed and an NHL shot. The No. 9 slot belongs to Finnish winger Kasperi Kapanen, the son of former NHL winger Sami Kapanen, and the Top 10 is rounded out by Calgary Hitmen power winger Jake Virtanen, a strong skater who drives the net and can play the physical game. There appears to be a lot of volatility in this years mid-season rankings. NHL scouts dont seem as fully sold on this years first-round prospects, especially those ranked from No. 11 through to 30. One of the issues is size. Many of the more skilled prospects - Swedish forward William Nylander at No. 11, the son of former NHLer Mikael Nylander, Denmarks Nikolaj Ehlers, a forward with the Halifax Mooseheads at No. 15, No. 22 Russian Nikolay Goldobin, a forward in Sarnia, No. 23 Czech winger Jakub Vrana , No. 24 Swiss forward Kevin Fiala, Sarnia offensive defenceman DeAngelo at No. 26, No. 29 Windsor winger Josh Ho-Sang and No. 30 forward Rob Fabbri of the Guelph Storm - are all listed as sub-6-footers by NHL Central Scouting. And while scouts dont dispute the individual skill level of prospects like Nylander, Goldobin, Vrana, DeAngelo, Ho-Sang and No. 25 ranked Nick Schmaltz of the USHLs Green Bay Gamblers (headed for University of North Dakota), multiple scouts expressed some reservation about those players trying to do too much with the puck or not showing enough consistency and commitment to the team game. "Nylander is the most skilled player in this draft, bar none," one scout told TSN. "But he likes to play the game on his own." Another scout said: "Some nights you watch Schmaltz and hes a dominant player, best on the ice, but then he doesnt even show up a lot of games." A third scout said: "Ho-Sang played a great game at Prospects and showed an ability to play with others but a lot of nights in Windsor, he wants to do it on his own. There seem to be a lot of guys like that this year." No goalie was ranked in TSNs Top 30, but American Thatcher Demko, who plays at Boston College, fell just outside, at No. 31, and should be considered a potential first-rounder. He was the overwhelming consensus top goalie in a year where theres never been so little consensus beyond the top guy. Demko appeared on eight of 10 ballots, but the next highest ranked goalie, Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers at No. 42, was on only five of 10 ballots. Swedish goalie Jonas Johansson was the only other goalie to crack TSNs Top 50, filling the 50th and final spot. There were, however, three goaltenders getting honorable mention for the Top 50: Finlands Kaapo Kahkonen; Charlottetowns Mason McDonald; and Russian Ivan Nalimov. One note regarding TSNs rankings. The numbers assigned are a projection of when TSN believes a prospect is most likely to be drafted, if the draft were being held now. Its not a subjective analysis - not to be confused with the many scouting services who actually evaluate the prospects - as much as it is a numerical consensus obtained from surveying NHL scouts and where they rank specific players. TSNs next ranking - a revised Top 10 - will be done in April at the same time as the NHL draft lottery. TSNs final rankings come out the week prior to the NHL draft in late June. Kenny Young Ravens Jersey . "Its embarrassing what were doing here," leading scorer Phil Kessel said Wednesday. The most recent failed season came with even more pain than the six that preceded it. There was no hint of an impending implosion when the Leafs came roaring out of the all-star break with back-to-back games against Pittsburgh -- a 5-4 shootout loss followed by a 1-0 win the next night. Willie Snead IV Ravens Jersey . 1 goaltender tonight when they conclude a four-game road trip versus the Winnipeg Jets. http://www.ravensrookiestore.com/Ravens-Lamar-Jackson-Jersey/ .C. -- With a chance to start over and maybe drive in any series he wanted, Juan Pablo Montoya thought long and hard about what mattered most at this stage of his career.Last weekend was a memorable one in the Premier League, but in between Arsenals collapse at Upton Park and Leicesters latest triumph at the Stadium of Light, there was a significant moment elsewhere that went largely unnoticed, writes Nick Wright. With their 2-1 win over Aston Villa, Bournemouth surpassed the 40-point mark with five games to spare. As they approach the end of their maiden season in the top flight, Eddie Howes side are in 11th place and just three points behind defending champions Chelsea. They are closer to the European places than the relegation zone.Perhaps the greatest testament to the achievement is that nobody is talking about it. Bournemouth were supposed to be on their way back to the Championship by now. Instead, a run of nine wins from 18 games since the start of December has given them the air of seasoned Premier League campaigners. Their survival hasnt looked in doubt for months. Howe hails landmark tally Eddie Howe declared himself delighted to reach the 40-point mark with victory at Aston Villa. And yet the circumstances could hardly have been more challenging. In the space of a few weeks between August and September, months of planning went out the window as club-record signing Tyrone Mings, £7m winger Max Gradel and top scorer Callum Wilson were struck down by knee ligament injuries.It was a nightmare scenario equivalent to Leicester losing Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Christian Fuchs, or Spurs having to cope without Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose. But Howe adapted without complaint, and even an eight-game winless run before Christmas wasnt enough to shake Bournemouths spirit. Bournemouths win over Aston Villa took them past the 40-point mark in the Premier League If you look at what theyve done in isolation or compare it to what everybody else has done in this league, it has been quite a remarkable feat, former England striker Luther Blissett, who spent three seasons at Bounemouth between 1988 and 1991, told Sky Sports.When they picked up the injuries they were written off and people were saying they were going to go down. They went through a period where they couldnt buy a victory but they kept plugging away. Youve got to give credit to the manager. He believes in his methods and the players, and they believe in it too.Bournemouths success owes a lot to good coaching and hard work, with Howe demanding maximum dedication and effort from his players at all times. Premier League tracking data shows they cover more distance per game than any other side, while only Liverpool and Tottenham record more high-intensity sprints. Most distance covered - Premier League 2015/16 Team Distance covered per game Bournemouth 117.2km Tottenham 115.9km Liverpool 112.4km West Brom 112.2km Man Utd 111.2km The breathless style is epitomised by midfielder Andrew Surman, who averages 12.1km per game, second only to Liverpools James Milner in the Premier League. All our training is high-intensity, he told the Daily Express in March. The manager has really high standards. He keeps that intensity high, and he expects it in return. If you drop your standards for one day, he is on you.Bournemouth brought in 11 new signings to strengthen their squad over the course of the season, but Howe values togetherness and continuity highly. As such, all seven of their players to have made 30 or more Premier League appearances had a key role in their promotion from the Championship last season, and six of them are British, too. Bournemouths spine The seven Bournemouth players to make 30 or more Premier League appearances are Andrew Surman, Simon Francis, Charlie Daniels, Matt Ritchie, Adam Smith, Dan Gosling and Steve Cook. Hes predominantly got British players there, so for them to be in the position they are is quite a feat, added Blissett. Its become so acceptable to just bring mediocre foreign players in, you forget that we have got very good British-based players here. Hayden Hurst Jersey. Hes given them an opportunity to play in the Premier League and the rewards are obvious.Not every signing that you bring in will be successful. So the more you bring in, the more disharmony you create in the squad, and thats something that never, ever goes away once you have started down that road. He needed to keep that harmony and belief and only bring in players who suited the club, the manager and the style - and hes managed to do that. Hes predominantly got British players there, so for them to be in the position they are is quite a feat. Luther Blissett One of the most impressive aspects of Bournemouths survival is the manner in which they have achieved it. The Cherries won the Championship playing slick, possession-based football, and Howe has stuck to his principles in the top-flight. They rank in the top 10 for passes, possession and chances created, and only Arsenal and Everton have completed more dribbles. Most dribbles completed - Premier League 2015/16 Team Dribbles Arsenal 397 Everton 384 Bournemouth 371 Man City 369 Chelsea 369 Saturdays cleverly worked opener against Aston Villa - where Matt Ritchies drag-back set up Simon Francis from a quickly-taken corner - was an example of Howes ability to innovate, and it is no mean feat to have scored more goals than Manchester United in their first season in the Premier League.You do have to adapt your style a little bit the higher up you go, but I think the ideal behind what youre looking to do should always be the same, says Bissett. If your players are able to cope with continuing what you started, then youve got to let them get on with it. Youve got to show them that belief, and theyve all done that at Bournemouth.They do play decent football and they do knock the ball around, and its good to see that theyve achieved what they have done in that way. Even the games theyve ended up losing have been entertaining. They go out with the intent to attack the opposition and that is a major factor in the success that they have had. Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe gave his post-match thoughts to Sky Sports after beating Aston Villa There have been heavy losses to the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham, but Bournemouth are no pushovers and Howe has shown tactical expertise, too.Along with Arsenal, they are one of only two sides unbeaten in two games against Leicester this season, and with their battling goalless draw at the King Power Stadium in January, they became one of only three sides to stop Claudio Ranieris men from scoring.Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton and Manchester United are among Bournemouths opponents in their final five games of the season, but they can approach the daunting run knowing Premier League status is assured. Their achievements may have passed under the radar, but Howe and his players are exactly where they belong.Luther Blissetts company Bliss8 is powering a new youth academy at non-league side Burnham FC Also See: Howe hails landmark tally Premier League grades NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Wholesale Stitched Jerseys Cheap NFL Black Jerseys China NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Gear Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Womens Jerseys Cheap Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Stitched Jerseys Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys China NFL Gear Cheap Authentic Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '