Last Updated:  2010 Jan 23
Each player is projected on making it to
the NHA on a grading scale of 1-10.
PLAYER LEGEND - (HIGHLIGHT COLOUR DEFINES LEAGUE PLAYING IN)

Playing in the N.H.A.
Playing in the N.H.A. Farm League
Playing in N.A. Development League (Prospect)
Playing in the NCAA or other Amateur League (Prospect)
Playing in Europe (Prospect)
Ottawa Vampyres

Organization Ranking  (1)
              Change (n/c)
Top Prospects
Other Notables
Graduated
Summary Strength Even Weakness
       
Goaltending XX    
Defense XX    
Centers   X  
Wingers XX    
Drafting X    
Draft Picks X    
Left Wing Center Right Wing
1) Andrew Ladd  7.5 B 1)  Torrey Mitchell  6.5 A 1)  Claude Giroux  8.0 B
2)  Patrick O'Sullivan  7.5 B 2) Darren Helm  6.5 A 2)  Jamie Benn  7.5 C
3)  Kevin Porter  7.0 B 3) Andrew Ebbett  7.0 C 3)  Troy Brouwer  7.5 C
4)  Nathan Gerbe  7.0 B 4)  Mike Santorelli  7.0 C 4)  Eric Fehr  7.5 C
5)  Tim Kennedy  7.0 B 5) Nick Spaling  7.0 C 5)  Brad Marchand  7.5 C
6)  Ryan Jones  7.0 B 6)  Cory Emmerton  7.0 C 6)  David Jones  6.5 B
7)  Sergei Shirokov  7.0 C 7)  Chris DiDomenico  7.5 D 7)  Chad Kolarik  6.5 B
8)  Matt Beleskey  7.0 C 8)  Nathan Davis  6.5 C 8)  Andrew Gordon  6.5 B
9)  Darrol Powe  5.5 B 9)  Riley Holzapfel  7.0 D 9)  Francois Bouchard  7.0 D
10)  P-L Letourneau-Leblond  5.5 B 10)  Jon Kalinski  5.5 B 10)  Jeremy Williams  7.0 D
11)  Scott Parse  6.0 C 11)  Tim Brent  6.0 C 11)  Stefan Legein  6.0 C
12)  Ryan Duncan  6.5 D 12)  Steven Zalewski  6.5 D 12)  Tyler Ruegsegger  6.5 D
13)  Brett Hemingway  5.5 C 13)  Brock Bradford  6.5 D 13)  J.T. Wyman  6.5 D
14)  John Vigilante  6.0 D 14)  Chad Rau  7.0 F 14)  Jonathan Filewich  6.0 D
  15)  Geoff Platt  7.0 F 15)  Bill Thomas  6.0 D
     
Defense (L) Defense (R) Goaltenders
1)  Karl Alzner  8.0 B 1)  Matt Corrente  7.0 B 1)  Tuukka Rask 8.0 B
2)  Matt Carle  7.5 B 2)  Matt Niskanen  7.5 C 2)  Jonathan Quick  7.5 C
3)  Ryan Parent  7.0 B 3)  Kyle Lawson  6.5 B 3)  Kevin Regan  6.5 C
4)  Mike Weber  7.0 B 4)  Logan Pyett  6.0 C 4)  Chad Johnson  7.0 D
5)  Anssi Salmela  6.5 B 5)  Mike Card  6.0 D 5)  John Curry  6.0 C
6) Arturs Kulda  6.5 B 6)  Michael Vannelli  6.0 F 6)  David Brown  6.0 D
7)  Kevin Marshall 7.0 C   7)  Jonathan Boutin  6.5 F
8)  Ilkka Heikkinen  7.0 C    
9) Andrew Bodnarchuk  6.5 C    
10) Dennis Bodrov 7.0 D    
11)  Davis Drewiske  5.5 B    
12)  Brett Skinner  6.0 C    
     
     
London
Fledglings
Draft Review  -  Ottawa Vampyres                                                                                                              by Mark Stefenelli

Transactions (leading up to and throughout the draft):

     OUT:  Todd Marchant (C); Brian Elliott (G); Andy Greene (D); Mark Mitera (D); Richard Bachman (G); Jack Hillen (D);
                Harrison Reed (RW); 1st Round Selection (10th OV); 2nd Round Selection (29th OV); 4th Round Selection in 2008 (from Vampyres)

     IN:      1st Round Selection (8th OV); 1st Round Selection in 2008 (from Roadrunners); 3rd Round Selection (73rd OV);
                4th Round Selection (101st OV); 5th Round Selection (125th OV); 5th Round Selection (129th OV); 5th Round Selection (135th OV)

The Vampyres were involved in a number of transactions prior to and throughout the draft.  The apparent theme of these deals was to sling out a few young talents for fresh new draft picks to replace them; and for a team that has so much depth at the amateur level, who can fault them for looking to continue the trend.  The most stand-out asset acquired would have to be the 8th overall pick, acquired just before the draft.

Organizational Weaknesses (prior to Draft):
     Offensive defensemen

NHA Draft Preview Prediction:     Thomas Hickey to VAMPYRES at #8 overall
Actual Result:                                 VAMPYRES select Karl Alzner at #8 overall

2007 NHA Entry Draft Selections
     Karl Alzner, D                         (WHL)         [1st Round (8th Overall)]
     Jamie Benn, LW                      (BCHL)        [1st Round (24th Overall)]
     Kevin Marshall, D                   (QMJHL)      [2nd Round (52nd Overall)]
     Nick Spaling, C                        (OHL)          [3rd Round (64th Overall)]
     Stefan Legein, RW                   (OHL)          [3rd Round (73rd Overall)]
     Christopher DiDomenico, C     (QMJHL)     [3rd Round (75th Overall)]
     Jon Kalinski, LW                     (NCAA)       [3rd Round (80th Overall)]
     Anssi Salmela, D                                           [4th Round (92nd Overall)]
     Darroll Powe, RW                                        [4th Round (101st Overall)]
     Chad Johnson, G                                           [4th Round (108th Overall)]
     Sergei Shirokov, LW                                     [5th Round (125th Overall)]
     Ilkka Heikkinen, D                                       [5th Round (129th Overall)]
     Davis Drewiske, D                                        [5th Round (135th Overall)]
     Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, LW            [5th Round (136th Overall)]

Ottawa had another impressive draft day, as per the usual.  They attacked the 1st round with guns ablazing and managed to ultimately add an amazing 14 new prospects to their organization.  At the head of the draft class for the Vampyres were Karl Alzner and Jamie Benn, two youngsters who are sure to make an impact for the pro team in the near future.  Alzner is a very mobile defender with excellent skill in his own zone; he's certainly a fantastic addition to an already impressive depth chart, as he is yet another projected top 4 defender to add to the likes of Paul Ranger and Shea Weber.  Jamie Benn is not the best skater in the world, but he more than makes up for that fact with his great hands and uncanny awareness in the offensive zone; he has a knack for being in the right place all the time and is a pure sniper with the puck.  These two add so much to an already very deep organization and it is just flat out scary to think about how good this team is going to be down the road.  The Northeast division is easily a head taller than the rest of the NHA when it comes to solid young talent, and the Ottawa franchise stands above their division rivals.  GM Lonnee knows how to manage his picks just as well as he knows how to acquire top-end selections.  The Ottawa scouts have gotten a workout over the years but the fruits of their labours are sure to show in the near future as all these kids start to mature.  Did they address their needs this draft?  What needs?  This team is so deep GM Lonnee can afford to take a few drafts off and focus on veteran talent.  This organization is sure to be a threat for many many years to come.

Possible draft-day steals:     Anssi Salmela (D) taken in the 4th Round at 92nd Overall
                                                Davis Drewiske (D) taken in the 5th Round at 135th Overall
     Matt Beleskey, LW
     Andrew Bodnarchuk, D
     Dennis Bodrov, D
     Francois Bouchard, RW
     Jonathan Boutin, G
     Brock Bradford, C
     Tim Brent, C
     David Brown, G
     Mike Card, D
     Matt Corrente, D
     John Curry, G
     Nathan Davis, C
     Chris DiDomenico, C
     Davis Drewiske, D
     Ryan Duncan, LW
     Andrew Ebbett, C
     Cory Emmerton, C/LW
     Jonathan Filewich, RW
     Andrew Gordon, RW
     Ilkka Heikkinen, D
     Brett Hemingway, RW/LW
     Riley Holzapfel, C
     Chad Johnson, G
     David Jones, RW
     Jon Kalinski, LW/C
     Chad Kolarik, RW/C
     Arturs Kulda, D
     Kyle Lawson, D
     Stefan Legein, RW
     Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, LW
     Brad Marchand, RW/LW
     Kevin Marshall, D
     Scott Parse, LW/RW
     Geoff Platt, C
     Darrol Powe, W/C
     Logan Pyett, D
     Chad Rau, C
     Kevin Regan, G
     Tyler Ruegsegger, RW/C
     Anssi Salmela, D
     Michael Santorelli, RW
     Sergei Shirokov, LW/RW
     Brett Skinner, D
     Nick Spaling, C/LW
     Bill Thomas, RW/C
     Michael Vannelli, D
     John Vigilante, LW/C
     Jeremy Williams, RW
     J.T. Wyman, RW
     Steven Zalewski, C
   1)  Claude Giroux, RW/C
        Acquired:  8th OV, '06 Draft
   2)  Karl Alzner, D
        Acquired:  8th OV, '07 Draft
   3)  Tuukka Rask, G
        Acquired:  9th OV, '05 Draft
   4)  Patrick O'Sullivan, LW/RW
        Acquired:  from Canucks
   5)  Andrew Ladd, LW
        Acquired:  10th OV, '04 Draft
   6)  Matt Carle, D
        Acquired:  from Bulldogs
   7)  Torrey Mitchell, C/RW
        Acquired:  122nd OV, '04 Draft
   8)  Darren Helm, C/LW
        Acquired:  from Canucks
   9)  Ryan Parent, D
        Acquired:  29th OV, '05 Draft
10)  Kevin Porter, LW/RW/C
        Acquired:  99th OV, '04 Draft
11)  Nathan Gerbe, C
        Acquired:  65th OV, '05 Draft
12)  Tim Kennedy, LW/C
        Acquired:  77th OV, '05 Draft
13)  Ryan Jones, LW/RW
        Acquired:  from Barracudas
14)  Matt Corrente, D
        Acquired:  42nd OV, '06 Draft
15)  Mike Weber, D
        Acquired:  28th OV, '06 Draft
16)  Jamie Benn, LW/RW
        Acquired:  24th OV, '07 Draft
17)  Jonathan Quick, G
        Acquired:  46th OV, '05 Draft
18)  Matt Niskanen, D
        Acquired:  from Whalers
19)  Troy Brouwer, RW/LW
        Acquired:  46th OV, '04 Draft
20)  Eric Fehr, RW
        Acquired:  NHA Dispersal Draft
     Steve Bernier, RW
     Paul Ranger, D
     Mike Richards, C
     Shea Weber, D
2009/06/01  Ottawa Vampyres - Facing the Future
Although the Ottawa Vampyres have missed the playoffs for 3 consecutive seasons, they have managed to assemble one of the deepest casts of young players within the National Hockey Association. With all of the up-and-coming talent that Ottawa possesses, there is no reason to believe this organization cannot be a playoff contender year-in and year-out from this point forward. The most obvious strength of the Ottawa organization is it's depth throughout the system. Thanks to some astute drafting and intelligent trading by GM Lonnee, the Vampyres are sure to have a steady flow of young players coming up through the ranks. With the likes of Mike Richards, Thomas Vanek, Andrew Ladd, Patrice Bergeron, Claude Giroux, Shea Weber, Matt Carle, Ryan Parent, Matt Niskanen, Ryan Miller and Tuuka Rask, the Vampyres are sure be contenders for the NHA Championship within a few short years. Although Ottawa does not have any glaring weakness that could hurt the overall performance of the club, there are minor holes in the system which many need to be addressed down the road. Other then twenty-one year old Shea Weber, who has the makings of an All-Star defenseman, the rearguards in the organization have been slow to develop and may not live up to their potential; Ottawa has plenty of top-six and top-four defenders learning their trade, but could use a top-two defender to compliment Weber.

Left Wing - Thomas Vanek headlines a strong cast of left wingers in the Ottawa organization. Vanek is a natural goal scorer with extraordinary hands and vision who could one day find himself among the goal scoring leaders in the NHA, especially with center Joe Thornton feeding him the puck for the immediate future.  Add to that, players such as Patrick O'Sullivan, Andrew Ladd and Mason Raymond and the Vampyres will have some formidable talent on the port side for years to come.

Center - Ottawa has their pivot positions locked up for the forseeable future, as Mike Richards is developing into an excellent all-around centerman who will compliment franchise centrepiece, Joe Thornton, very nicely. There are several prospects that may line up behind these two players in the coming seasons, though the speedster, Torrey Mitchell, appears to be the one closest to making an impact.

Right Wing - Ottawa has many NHA caliber players with the ability to play right wing, such as Patrice Bergeron, Steve Bernier, Jarret Stoll, and Claude Giroux to name but a few.  The Vampyres are actually in the fortunate position of
having too many players at this position, which may force Lonnee to make a move at some point down the road.

Defense - The Vampyres are extremely deep on the blueline, with as many as nine defensemen with the potential to be key players for the organization in the near future.  Shea Weber, Matt Niskanen, Paul Ranger, Matt Carle and Ryan Parent will most certainly be able to make a strong impact at the NHA level, with others such as Andy Greene, Mark Mitera, Mike Weber and Greg Zanon not far behind on the team's depth chart.  The organization is so deep with young defensemen, that Lonnee may in fact need to move a few of them because of a lack of space on the Vampyres roster in the near future.

Goaltending - With 26-year old Ryan Miller, the Vampyres find themselves in the lucky position of having a top ten goalie who may remain with the organization for the rest of his career.  Miller has all of the qualities that Lonnee looks for in his players: leadership, heart, aggressiveness, determination and competitive spirit.  Along with Miller, the organization is developing another possible franchise-type goaltender in Tuukka Rask, not to mention Brian Elliot, and Jonathan Quick who are also very capable netminders with good upsides.
Vampyres 2006 Draft Review

Vampyres 2005 Draft Review

Vampyres 2004 Draft Review