NHL.com Mock Draft: Alzner A Cap

NHL.com has apparently gotten caught up in Mel Kiper fever ('tis the season, y'know?) and has thrown together a mock up of the first fourteen picks of the upcoming Entry Draft. Some of the predictions are head-scratchers (Patrick Kane falls to sixth?), and so is the rationale behind the Caps' pick:

No. 5, Washington -- The Capitals’ love of offensive players in recent drafts is well- documented. This team had 10 picks in last year’s draft and took seven forwards. It also grabbed two goalies among its first three selections. So, the backline is an area that has been ignored recently. No longer. This team gave up 51 more goals than it scored this past year, so the time to address defensive deficiencies is now. And Calgary’s Karl Alzner is as good a place as any to start. Already 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he has the frame to handle NHL duty and he also has the smarts to not get overwhelmed in any situation. He is not as physical as some would like, but that is an area of his game he can develop. He also has the offensive foundation to complement Washington’s raft of skilled forwards.

First of all, if Kane is available at five, he'll be a Cap. Jakub Voracek could be too if he's there and Kane isn't. Then again, if Kane is available at five, that pick will be worth an awful lot in trade.

But I have a bigger gripe with the logic behind the Caps' supposed pick. To say that the Caps have ignored the blueline in recent drafts is flat-out ridiculous, given that in 2005 the Caps' first four picks (including two first rounders) and five of their first eight in 2004 (again, including two first-rounders) were defensemen.

The Caps might take Alzner at five come June 22, but it won't happen under this scenario and it won't be because they've been neglecting a need to fill the position.