With the shortened NHL season completed (for all teams failing to make the playoffs), it’s time for 14 organizations to turn their attentions to the Entry Draft. But before the selections can be made, each team will channel their Bingo skills, watch the balls bounce, and cross their fingers for the #1 overall pick.

Here are the official percentages for all 14 contenders for the top pick:

Florida Panthers – 25.0%
Colorado Avalanche – 18.8%
Tampa Bay Lightning – 14.2%
Nashville Predators – 10.7%
Carolina Hurricanes – 8.1%
Calgary Flames – 6.2%
Edmonton Oilers – 4.7%
Buffalo Sabres – 3.6%
New Jersey Devils – 2.7%
Dallas Stars – 2.1%
Philadelphia Flyers – 1.5%
Phoenix Coyotes – 1.1%
Winnipeg Jets – 0.8%
Columbus Blue Jackets – 0.5%

Then again, if history tells us anything, the Oilers will win the draft lottery and pick a forward. We’ll find out on Tuesday, April 29 who the lucky team is. Only then can we start the two-month long speculation process before the 2013 Entry Draft in New Jersey on June 30.

I’ll admit, it’s been a while. Been a while since I felt passionate enough to take the time to assemble my thoughts, such as they are, into something I felt was worthy of sharing. I was busy, too busy. Busy with work, busy chirping about the lockout, busy grousing about my team’s absent sense of urgency, busy with the daily annoyances and busy taking things for granted. Then there was Monday, April 15th, Patriots’ Day, the best day. The day that as a kid signaled the official arrival of spring and a day that all of Massachusetts comes together to celebrate. It’s a day that, with the running of the historic Boston Marathon, mirrors the perseverance, courage, resiliency, fortitude and strength of community demonstrated by America’s “rebels with a cause” in the first battle of the American Revolution. America was built with the sweat and bowed but not broken backs of Patriots, determined to have freedom from tyranny and a country of their own governance. On Monday, people from around the world assembled in Boston to test the limits of the human spirit and to be celebrated by the community. Little did we know, we would all be tested.

What is most remarkable to me is for all the talk of a “small world” and the buzzword “global community”, the caring, compassion and support from around the world descended on Boston and the members of its proud community. People reaching out just to say they were there to listen, or writing words of support. The resolve of one city became the mantra of world wide community, Boston Strong. As I have seen firsthand, there truly is not a more generous group than the hockey community. There were moments of silence from heated rivals and a joint stick salute from a heavy-hearted opponent. There were messages from players, fans and teams; and the world watched and wept with us as 17,000 strong sang from the heart, showing what it means to be brave. We watched as our team fought back tears and took the ice to distract us for a moment and in game that transcended sport, endeavored to help us heal. The outcome did not matter, joining together in a singular voice, strong and proud, WE – all of us – had already won before the puck was dropped.

Our job is not done. There is a long and winding road in front of all of us. I am more certain than ever that finding the answer to the “why?” is not nearly as important as it is to remember how connected we all are in this small world. There have been too many reminders of late as to the fragility of life. The hockey community has seen this firsthand and is always quick to rally to the cause, making it a truly unique community of which I am a proud member.

Not so long ago, I challenged my followers, readers and hockey rivals to wager their team against mine with the defeated making a donation to the victor’s charitable foundation. This time I am challenging the entire hockey community to use their own team’s success to help the victims of this tragedy. The One Fund Boston will not erase the deep scars of April 15, 2013, but it will continue to help those most affected by this tragedy. I have made my initial donation to the One Fund Boston, but in my true hockey fandom, I cannot resist bringing my Bruins into the fold…

I pledge to donate $5.00 for every Bruins goal (beginning Wednesday night) until there aren’t any Bruins games left to play in 2013 campaign (including playoffs) and just because the thought of a Bruins Powerplay goal is a bit like a mythical unicorn (especially in the playoffs) I pledge to donate $26.00 for every PPG. Bring this challenge to your office, your classrooms, your favorite bar. Pledge a $0.05 for every goal, or whatever you choose, it is not the amount that is important, it is another way to unite hockey and healing, as has been done so many times before. I read today the LA Kings made a donation to the One Fund Boston and I am certain other organizations will follow.

It was more than fitting that the first sporting event in Boston after this tragedy was a Bruins game. Hockey fans, like runners, understand all too well the inherent need to do what others believe to be impossible. That grit and strength is what brings us to our feet to celebrate them and we know that it is more than a game. Whether we line the streets and stand and cheer, or raise our voices to the rafters, they, in turn, carry us on their shoulders to heights we could not reach alone. We are ALL, Boston Strong.

Now Playing: The Walking Dead (AMC’s Original Soundtrack – Vol. 1)

Hockey, like most sports, is full of traditions. The Chicago Blackhawks, being one of the charter franchises in the National Hockey League, are no exception. Some of these traditions go back decades, such as the crowd cheering for the duration of the national anthem, and are still widely appreciated today. Some are newer, like the annual Jarome Iginla to the Hawks rumors or the asshat that, for some reason, dances like a complete jerkoff during the third period of games (to the tune of Shipping up to Boston, no less) that have been less warmly received by a growing number of Blackhawks faithful.

Then there are conventions such as the “Shoot the Puck” contest during the second intermission, where people try and make a shot from center ice into the goal through three cutouts barely bigger than a hockey puck. I’m not sure when exactly this practice started, but I do remember it being a staple at Blackhawks games all the way back into the early 1990′s. It has been a relatively mindless and entertaining way to pass the time until the third period while most people run to the restroom or load up on a few more beers for the final frame of hockey. It has also historically followed a formula: three contestants, one child, one adult male who gets roundly jeered, and one attractive female (who recently has had to be wearing some type of stiletto boots to be considered) who gets cat-calls and whistles from the meathead contingency.

With the NHL returning in full-swing on Saturday, we felt as though it should also mark the end of our #PuckChat lockout. We took an extra season off, but with mediation we were finally able to come to an agreement. We hope that you will return, as well, and make this as fun and successful as it once was!

So with that, get your hockey minds and hands warmed up and join us tomorrow, and every Thursday, at 11am EST/8am PST and 9pm EST/6pm PST (since some of us can’t follow Twitter at work). We will do our best to come up with the best questions possible to get your voices heard, humor discovered, and allegiances known.

As a refresher, here’s a link to our original rules of engagement that we laid out back in the day.

Help spread the word and let’s talk some puck!

There are plenty of different ways to build a team. The Edmonton Oilers will tell you the best way to build is to be so bad that you acquire three consecutive #1 overall picks, then pick dynamic forwards, and outscore opponents 7-6 for the next decade. The Philadelphia Flyers may tell you that the best way to build a contender is to trade away first round draft picks to acquire veterans (and goaltending is optional). The Detroit Red Wings would tell you the best way to build a contender is to draft well, but more importantly, develop the prospects with time, care, and attention to maximize their potential. The Kings would tell you to draft well, let the team’s core mature together, and add a few important veterans to transform a good team to Stanley Cup champion.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are going a different direction. Unlike the last organizational rebuild when they stocked their team with #1 and #2 overall draft picks, this time they have had to be a little more resourceful. Sure, they couldn’t develop a skilled winger to go with Crosby or Malkin to save their lives—but that may not matter in a few years. Why is that?  Take a look at their depth on their blueline and you shall find all the answers you are looking for.

If things work out the way the Pens hope they will, the team will have more talented defenseman than they know what to do with. A quick look at their defensive corps shows a stable of players that would be the envy of all 29 other teams. If they develop, not only will they have one of the best six man units on any given night; but they’ll also have plenty of talent to trade in order to round out the rest of their lineup. For anyone who has forgotten how valuable Top 4 defensemen can be, the Kings were able to deal a mistake-prone Jack Johnson to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the high scoring forward that they desperately needed. Jeff Carter slid onto the wing with Mike Richards, gave the Kings some secondary scoring, and the rest is history.

Of course, the Kings’ situation would be the best case scenario. But still, the blueprint has been laid out for the Penguins.

So who are these defensemen who hold the Penguins future in their collective hands?

First and foremost, the Penguins should send a gift basket to Carolina GM Jim Rutherford for making all of this possible (maybe they should send it to Jordan Staal, but I digress). At the draft, they were able to turn Staal, their third line center, into Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and Derrick Pouliot. Sutter will fit in nicely, but it’s those two defensemen that will shine bright for the Penguins in the future.

Dumoulin spent three years on Boston College’s blueline, won a pair of national championships, and developed into the best two-way defensive prospect in the Hurricanes’ system. He was a first-team All-American as a sophomore with the Eagles and in the words of his coach, even though he was an elite player, he was “a notch better” during his junior year when he was a Hobey Baker finalist. BC’s captain Tommy Cross had some high praise for Dumoulin:

“He does everything well. He’s our top shutdown guy and he’s our top offensive D-man too. He does so much right and he’s found a way to get better every year. There’s been a physical maturity to his game that he has added.”

Dumoulin wasn’t the only defenseman that the Pens picked up in the Staal trade though. In fact, when all is said and done, he may not even be the best defenseman acquired in the deal. Derrick Pouliot was selected with the 8th overall pick that the Penguins acquired from the Canes. In Pouliot, they acquired a guy who is absolutely oozing offensive talent, which is probably why he was the first pick in the WHL Bantam draft by the Portland Winterhawks back in 2009. Hockey’s Future said he, “remains a long-term project at this point, but has the pedigree and innate understanding of the game to one day be an offensively dynamic top four defenseman in the NHL.”

The Penguins must have a thing for Portland defensemen. In 2011, they used their first round pick on another Winterhawks defenseman when they nabbed Joe Morrow with the 23rd overall selection. Depending on who you talk to, Morrow or Pouliot could be the best prospect in the entire Pens organization—but they are certainly different players. Morrow almost made the Penguins out of training camp last year, while Pouliot has plenty of work to do before he’s ready to make the transition to the NHL.

Portland Winterhawks GM and head coach Mike Johnston described the pair’s differences:

“The Penguins got two very different defensemen in Joe Morrow and Derrick Pouliot… Joe is all about power with his shot and his skating and physical play, and Derrick is about controlling the puck and controlling the tempo of the game.”

Sounds like a pretty good pair of defensemen in consecutive years. Maybe next year, the Penguins can figure out a way to draft Winterhawks’ blueliner Seth Jones?

Going back to the 2012 Draft, the Penguins were able to bolster their blueline in another move that wasn’t related to the Jordan Staal trade. With their own first round pick, they were able to select Olli Maatta with the 22nd overall selection. You just know that GM Ray Shero was doing back flips when he saw that Maatta fell all the way down to the 22nd pick. The big two-way Finnish defenseman was rated as one of the best European born prospects in the draft and even came over to the OHL to help ease the transition to the North American game.

Maatta’s teammate with the London Knights and fellow Pens prospect Scott Harrington had nothing but great things to say about his fellow blueliner:

“He’s a great two way player. He’s very responsible defensively but he has no problem jumping up in the rush. (He is a) quarterback on the power play, which I guess has Penguins defenseman written all over it. He’ll definitely transition well to the Penguins game and pick up on the systems quickly.”

Harrington should know a little something about the Penguins game—he was a 2nd round pick by the team in 2011. But even though he knows something about the team’s drafting strategy, he’s not the same kind of prospect as Maatta, Morrow, Pouliot, or Dumoulin. If Pouliot has the opportunity to develop into a Kris Letang type of player and Maatta can develop into a player in the same mold as Paul Martin, then Harrington could fill Brooks Orpik’s role for the next era of Penguins hockey. He plays with heart and nastiness in his own zone—qualities he’ll need to keep if he wants to grow into a shutdown role in the NHL one day.

The best part about the entire situation is that the Penguins’ brass can afford to take their time with all of the defensive prospects. Their current top 4 consists of Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, and Matt Niskanen—a quartet of players that are all under contract until at least the end of the 2013-14 season. Deryk Engelland and Ben Lovejoy round out the six defensemen (assuming all of the prospects are held back). The blueline is so strong, Shero was able to trade Zbynek Michalek back to the Phoenix Coyotes for three prospects to clear salary cap—the most promising being yet another defenseman in Harrison Ruopp. Shocking, another defenseman.

The Penguins have all of these players lined up in the pipeline, and we haven’t even touched on the most NHL-ready prospect of them all. Simon Despres was the Pens first round pick in 2009 and has steadily grown into a very promising prospect. How often are teams able to find smooth skating, 6’4” defensemen and are able to develop them at their own pace? Despres was even able to play 18 games last season for the Pens and showed that he wasn’t completely overwhelmed by the speed of the NHL game.

The best thing Despres (and the Penguins) having going for them right now is that the young defenseman will be forced to start the season in the AHL during the lockout. A player can be ruined by being rushed, but no prospect has ever failed because they were given too much time to develop. While plenty of Penguins prospects were disappointed that they weren’t able to attend the NHL training camp, guys like Despres will only get better while learning his craft in Wilkes-Barre. That is, if he makes the AHL team.

“My place in the (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) lineup is not locked. I have to work hard. It’s going to push me to work hard. The depth here is incredible. You can’t have a day off. You have to have your A game to make sure you have a spot in the lineup.”

He’ll make the team, but just that he can make that comment speaks to the incredible depth the Penguins have in the AHL during the lockout.

Who knows what will happen with all of these defensemen in the coming years while they learn how to be professionals. It’s safe to say that there will be at least a player or two who fails to live up to his potential. We can also assume one or two of them will be traded to help round out the Penguins roster in the coming years. What will be left will be the foundation for a damn good defense—and if we’ve learned anything, you can never have enough good defensemen when trying to build a contender.

The Pens look like they have that part down pat.