Red Line Report Believes Pens Can Draft Solid Prospect

[SteelCityMan786]

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?se...ticleid=318181

Red Line Report Believes Pens Can Draft Solid Prospect
Joe Sager | pittsburghpenguins.com

Each year, Kyle Woodlief and his scouting staff travel the globe.

Their destinations aren?t always historic landmarks or scenic places. Rather, they head to hockey rinks.

Their many visitations and on-site reports help comprise Red Line Report, one of the top independent scouting reviews in the hockey world.

So, how does the 2007 NHL Entry Draft field compare to last year?s?

?It?s weaker than last year?s, for sure,? said Woodlief, the Chief Scout and Publisher of Red Line Report. ?Certainly, in the goaltending department, it?s not as good. There is no Erik Johnson-type on defense, either. It was a fairly pedestrian crop after Johnson on defense last year, so since there is no Johnson this year, it?s a fairly similar crop. It?s comparable as far as the forwards are concerned, especially the top four at the top. They are the equivalent pretty much to anything in draft last year.?

It?s likely the Pittsburgh Penguins won?t select one of the draft?s big names. For the first time in five seasons, the team does not own a top-five selection in the first round.

?It?s just a little more difficult to set up your draft board. If you?re setting up your draft board when you?re drafting in the top three our four all the time, you only have to look at five guys,? Woodlief said. ?If you?re drafting at 20, you have to make a lot of projections and try to figure out what other teams are doing. There are a lot more variables in the equation when you?re drafting at 20.