To say that Colin Wilson was excited when he was selected seventh overall in Friday’s opening round of the NHL Entry Draft is probably an understatement. But it was possible that it was later in the first round when Wilson really<\/i> got excited.<\/p>\n
Nashville selected Wilson with the seventh pick but also had a second opening-round selection to make, the 17th overall pick after trading the 15th pick with host city Ottawa. The Predators decided to take goaltender Chet Pickard from Tri-City in the WHL.<\/p>\n
Pickard just happens to be Wilson’s best friend from his childhood growing up in Winnipeg; the pair have played together since they were nine years old, competed against one another at rival high schools and even were there to console one another when both were cut from a travel team at age 14 (any chance that coach is scratching his head after cutting two first-round draft picks?)<\/p>\n
“I’m so excited,” said Wilson about heading to Nashville with Pickard. “We both have the same personalities. We were sitting at an NHLPA meeting this morning and things that no one else was laughing at, we were dying laughing. We just were feeding off of one another. So right now, when I heard his name was called, I ran out [to the draft floor] to give him a hug.”<\/p>\n
Before the first pick was ever made on Friday evening, there were plenty of trade rumors going around Scotiabank Place. By the time the opening round ended, the trade winds had turned to a full-scale tropical storm.<\/p>\n
A total of 13 trades were made during Friday’s first round, many by teams jockeying for the exact slot needed to obtain the player they most desired in a talent-heavy field. Four trades involved actual players and two will impact the careers of two college hockey standouts.<\/p>\n
Former Michigan Wolverine Mike Cammalleri was part of a of a three-way trade deal that opened the Draft as he was shipped to Calgary. The Flames gave their first-round selection (17th overall) to the Los Angeles Kings, who then sent that pick and the 28th overall pick to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the 12th pick overall.<\/p>\n
Former Ohio State Buckeye R.J. Umberger will be heading back to Columbus as the Blue Jackets picked him up in deal that sent Umberger and a late-round draft choice to Philadelphia in exchange for the Blue Jackets’ first- and third-round picks (19th and 67th overall).<\/p>\n
It took little time for the Blue Jackets to play up Umberger’s OSU connections. Within hours of the deal, the Blue Jackets’ website opened to a page announcing Umberger’s return to Columbus, accompanying an ad for ticket sales.<\/p>\n
If anyone has concerns as to how well Wilson will fit into Nashville’s scene, he answered that question emphatically on Friday.<\/p>\n
“I love country music, actually,” said Wilson, demonstrating that he’ll adjust just fine to the home of country music and the Grand Ole Opry. “I listen to a variety of music, but I generally still go with Johnny Cash, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks. Maybe that will help out the fans liking me a bit.”<\/p>\n
After winning the NHL Draft Lottery and retaining the top overall selection, the marketing gurus of the Tampa Bay Lightning launched a brilliant campaign to promote consensus number-one Steven Stamkos.<\/p>\n
The campaign pasted bulletin boards, print ads and bumper stickers around town with a simple question: “Seen Stamkos?”<\/p>\n