College hockey's playoffs are under way this weekend, with NHL teams getting yet another chance to ogle Jack Eichel, an elite prospect entering the 2015 NHL Draft.
Before you can say "Sabres tank to get the first pick," know this: Nearly every NHL draftnik (yes, they do exist) has the dull Blades taking Connor McDavid, a center from OHL Erie, at No. 1.
And for good reason. McDavid, according to Sportsnet.ca, "is the most heralded player available for the NHL draft since Sidney Crosby." Something about having 120 points in 47 games, leading Canada to a world juniors championship and putting the Otters in position to win the Memorial Cup.
McDavid leads Erie into the OHL playoffs, which began this week. The Western Hockey League playoffs are under way. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs start March 27.
Eichel could be headed for the Coyotes, who hold the expected No. 2 selection. Unless, of course, the fates intervene and the 'Yotes steal the No. 1 pick. Not that that would happen …
The NHL's 14 worst teams, which by no coincidence won't be in the Stanley Cup playoffs, take part in the annual draft lottery. That process will take place April 18. The real selections begin June 26 in the rabid hockey market that is Sunrise, Fla.
Speaking of the Coyotes, hockey write Damien Cox of The Toronto Star presents the early candidate for No. 1 overall in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Get to know Auston Matthews, who hails from the hockey hotbed of … Scottsdale, Ariz.
Now that you've recovered, consider what that means. Gary Bettman's grand plan for world domination via planting the NHL in non-traditional markets, including the sunny desert Southwest, is paying dividends. Cox notes the number of players in Canadian juniors who are from California, Texas and other states where ice is thought to exist only for drinks.
Go figure.