Thursday, April 9, 2015

Sea Dogs To Pick First Overall Again

For the second straight year and fifth time in franchise history, the Saint John Sea Dogs will select first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs were involved in a draw with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this afternoon to determine who would select first overall. This was the fifth time in team history that Saint John had been involved in the draw and they have won it each time.

Saint John acquired the pick from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles – which originally belonged to the Drummondville Voltigeurs – in the Oliver LeBlanc deal a few months ago.

Each previous time the Sea Dogs have picked first overall they have chosen a defenseman, drafting Alex Grant (2005), Yann Sauve (2006), Simon Despres (2007) and Luke Green (2014). Grant, Sauve and Despres all went on to be drafted into the NHL and have appeared in at least one game in The Show.

Given the state of Saint John’s promising defense core and this year’s draft rankings, there is a good chance the Dogs could be taking a forward this time around. HockeyProspect.com’s March rankings features four forwards in the top five. That includes 2000-born forward Joseph Veleno, ranked first, who is seeking exceptional player status to be eligible for this year’s draft.

Along with the first overall pick, Saint John also owns picks nine and 10 in the first round.

"It's very exciting for us as an organization to have the first overall pick again this year," said Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young in a press release. "There are several players with high-end talent available. With the number-one pick, and three choices in the top ten, we've got flexibility to improve our club significantly."

The 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place on Saturday, June 6 in Sherbrooke.
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