(Left) - Rocco Grimaldi in the Bombers alternate jersey.
Baghdad Bombers are proud to present their 2011 draft class, which focused predominantly on pure offensive prowess. With no picks in the first round, the Bombers looked to pick players who may have some deficiencies in other areas, but with elite-level scoring talent.
Rocco Grimaldi is a extremely small forward at 5'6", but is a stacked 160 lbs. Scouts have noted him as more gifted than Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but his size was the only limiting factor. The Bombers are known to gamble on size, having previously taken Tyler Ennis and Matt Calvert and selectively looks for highly talented individuals despite size, so Grimaldi will fit in nicely with the team. Bombers GM is looking forward to one day putting on the midget line, with Grimaldi centering Ennis and Calvert. Grimaldi is one of the few 2011 class players who has made the US World Junior U20 team this year.
With their second pick, Bombers selected Matt Puempel. Matt was hampered by a hip injury during the year - with a resulting drop in the standings because of this issue. The hip injury is not considered a long-term concern, and he is a strong offensive presence. He is also comfortable with another Bombers prosepct, Austin Watson, having played with him on the Peterborough Petes and has "all the makings of a top goal scorer at the NHL level" according to The Hockey Writers. The Bombers are hoping that Puempel is another Brett Connolly - impacted in the draft because of a overblown injury.
With no picks in the 3rd round, Bombers selected Daniel Catenacci in the 4th round. Catennacci is flourishing as a leader for the Greyhounds and is one of the fastest players in the OHL. He was the top pick in the OHL Priority Selection 2 years ago, and was previously rated very high by scouts until the draft. His fall in the ratings is more a symptom of other players moving ahead of him.
With three picks in the 5th round, the team picked Max Friberg, Reid Boucher, and Miikka Salomaki. Friberg was more of a unknown quantity given that he played in a lower league during the season, but he was brought on board for the World Juniors and has succeeded extremely well in practices so far. Reid Boucher has elite puck skills but is not a great skater - a deficiency that can be fixed/coached. He is known as a sniper with well-rounded tools. He was ranked as high as #53 in various scouting reports. Last but not least, the team selected Miikka Salomaki, a checking line center that was expected to go much higher in the draft, but fell to the 77th spot. While his upside is limited, the team really liked his tenacity and gritty play, and decided to forgo upside for a more guaranteed player at this stage of the draft.
About the Bomber Prospects:
The Bombers look forward to developing these players within its strong prospect pool. 4 Bomber prospects have already been named to the US World Junior Evaluation Camp Final Roster (Emerson Etem, Rocco Grimaldi, Austin Watson and Jason Zucker). Reid Boucher was invited but cut getting to the final roster. On the Canadian team, Matt Puempel, Tyler Toffoli have participated in the development camp. Max Friberg and Miikka Salomaki are also at the Swedish and Finnish evaluation camps. Graduates of the Bombers prospect pool into the NHL/AHL include Tyler Ennis, Michael Grabner, Brendan Smith, Derek Stepan, Jacob Josefson, Keaton Ellerby, Matt Calvert, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Spencer Machacek and Patrick Maroon.