After drafting 3 defensemen in a strong defense draft last year, the Bombers focused on centermen and high upside wingers this draft. The majority of these picks are swinging for the fences - for example, the team was well aware (and debated) picking Erne over Rychel. Erne was higher ranked player based on concensus of 12 different rankings (Note Bombers did the same last year picking Dumba over Rielly but concensus bit the Bombers in the ass). Other controversial picks include ignoring the double concussion victim Artturi Lehkonen by picking Compher, Gauthier and Dickinson. Despite a strong pipeline for D, the team picked McCoshen instead of Connor Hurley. Bombers also purposely avoided Buchnevich to gamble on Duclair, and then picked Tambellini over Cammarata. Bombers is documenting these controversial picks so that he can cry over it in 4 years when all the team's picks turn to busts.
Adam Erne (18th pick, W, Hockeys Future Rating: 7.5C): Erne is projected to be a top 6 winger and is often seen as a poor man’s Corey Perry. He is a good skater and plays with skill, grit and physical play. Scouts note that he has a very good hockey sense. Consensus rankings had him ranked at 18th based on 12 different lists. Erne dropped in the NHL due to a suspension, as Erne and teammate Anthony Duclair were both suspended by their junior team for one game in January. Bombers worry is that he was generating his points mainly off of Grigorenko, but concensus scout estimates had him ranked at 18.
JT Compher (38th pick, C, 6.5C): One of the safer picks by the Bombers, Compher is projected to be a 2C upside and has been compared to Jordan Staal. He was the captain and 2nd leading scorer of the silver medal U18 WJC team. He was also the top prospect from the USA development program in this draft (Seth Jones played for that program the year before). He is a gritty two-way forward with a good shot, good hockey sense and ability to create some offense. Compher follows other Sabres center draft picks by the Bombers which includes Tyler Ennis and Daniel Catenacci.
Frederick Gauthier (39th pick, C, 7.5C): Bombers went safe yet again choosing someone who has a high probability of getting into the BFHL. Gauthier has elite defensive vision, and limited offensive upside. His offensive stats are underrated, given that he was placed against other team's top lines for most of his ice time - a more detailed QoC and Corsi review, if it were available in the juniors, would show that he can score if given the right opportunity. He was one of the top skaters during the draft combine skills testing, and was on the QMJHL all-rookie team. He was a finalist for the Guy Carbonneau (Selke-equivalent) as a rookie, is a strong faceoff man and a great backchecker. He has been compared to Martin Hanzal; upside as a top 6 two-way forward, downside as a defensive specialist.
Jason Dickinson (40th pick, W. 7.5C): After two safe picks, Bombers put it all on red. Jason provides the offensive upside missing from Gauthier and Compher. Some draft rankings had him rated as high as a mid-first round pick. He is projected as a top 6 forward, but needs to bulk up and develop more consistency in his game. He is a future teammate of another Bombers prospect, Scott Kosmachuk on the Winnipeg Jets. While he has a high upside, he is a boom or bust pick.
Ian McCoshen (49th pick, D, 7.0C): Despite the backlog of young defensive talent on the Bombers (OEL, Josi, B.Smith, Dumba, Trouba, Pokka), the best talent on the board at that time was another defenseman. McCoshen is a 2-way tough minutes player with a good defensive presence and has been compared to Ryan McDonagh. Potential to play as a 2nd pairing defensemen.
Anthony Duclair (58th pick, LW, 7.0D): Not satisfied with having one draft pick with attitude problems, Bombers selected the other suspended Quebec Rempart so that the two teammates could recreate “Dry Island” like Richards and Carter did in Philly. Duclair dropped in the rankings mainly because he was injured during the year – scouts were concerned about his regression in stats and his perimeter play while recovering from his injury. He is skilled and a strong skater.. He is another boom or bust pick with the potential as a top 6 forward. It is important to note that he did not play with Grigorenko much and his stats are not padded.
Oliver Bjorkstrand (64th pick, RW, 7.0C): Concerns were previously raised by Bomber’s prospect Nicklas Jensen that he didn’t have any Danish speaking teammates, so the Bombers wisely picked the top Danish player available. He is a skilled natural sniper and has good hockey sense. Major concerns relate to his skating and size. Skating can always be developed – Bombers are not afraid of drafting weak skaters so long as there are other strong qualities. Another big gamble.
Jimmy Lodge (72nd Pick, C/RW, 7.0D): On fire after Vince Trocheck was traded mid-season, Lodge is a talented playmaker with high-end puck skills but needs to bulk up. He is yet another long list of risky picks by the Bombers and has the potential to be a 2nd line player. He has been labelled as a poor man’s Patrick Kane.
Adam Tambellini (78th Pick, C, 6.5C): Yet another project, the Bombers bet on Edmonton native Adam Tambellini. He is joining a top NCAA program and will be teammates with Bombers prospect Rocco Grimaldi at North Dakota. He has top 6 potential and again needs to bulk up significantly. The NCAA is a great program for him to build size. Bombers do not expect him in the BFHL for at least 4-5 years.
Marc-Olivier Roy (84th Pick, C/LW, 7.0C): Not the Bomber’s first choice (Cammarata and Saros were the Bomber’s target), Roy was picked simply as an opportunistic and more conservative play after all the boom/bust prospects selected. He’s more skilled than what scouts give him credit for and could be a 2nd/3rd line center/winger.
Ryan Fitzgerald (98th Pick, C, 7.5D): For the Bomber’s final pick, the team selected the son of Tom Fitzgerald. Bombers GM was afraid Adam Tambellini, the son of another crappy ex-NHL player may get lonely, so found another 2nd generation player to keep Adam company. He has the potential to be a 2nd/3rd line center. Hockysfuture has him rated as a 7.5D reflecting the high risk/reward aspect of the pick.