6.02, 194. Q defender.2007-08: Chosen in the second round (27th overall) by the Victoriaville Tigres in the 2008 QMJHL Draft.
2008-09: In his QMJHL rookie season, Blain played for two clubs, the Victoriaville Tigres and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. In 49 total games, he scored 1 goal and added 6 assists for 7 points. In 5 playoff games for the Titan, Blain picked up 2 assists.
2009-10: It was a breakout year for Blain, who finished as the top-scoring defenseman for Acadie-Bathurst. He scored 4 goals and added 34 assists for 38 points in 64 games. He added 72 penatly minutes to his offensive totals. In 5 playoff games, Blain scored 2 goals and chipped in 2 assists for 4 points.
All of the above courtesy Hockey's Future.
Well, I've looked everywhere and there isn't much on this player. He clearly took a step forward this season; he has size and grit.
I think we'll find out that this was one of the Oilers' "scout picks", a chance to give an area scout a player from his region.
Steve Tambellini: "He's 6.03, they think he'll play around 220. He's a right hand shot, and he plays with the edge, he's a hard guy to play against and he scored 40 points last year. Not a lot of people talked about him, but he (Oiler scout Bill Dandy) was passionate about. We waited a little one extra pick, but we got him. I'm happy about this pick."
Stu MacGregor: "Good size, very strong, competes hard and plays with an edge. A guy we really liked, Billy Dandy really pushed him hard. When I saw him play, the kid played on a terrible team but played hard every shift. We feel we gto some more size there and we got some grit."
There's defencemen in the Q? Since when?
ReplyDeleteI don't get the complaints about Martindale... he has nice numbers, good size, pedigree...
ReplyDeleteWhat, do we not want the team taking anyone big now?
read he was big, physical with scoring potential
ReplyDelete2009-2010Acadie-BathurstQMJHL
ReplyDelete64GP 4G 34A 38P 72PM
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 190
It looks like they're trying to track down anyone and everyone who has 1. size and 2. some indication of skill. Scored 38 points in sixty odd games.
ReplyDeleteI suppose as a late pick, makes sense, but it's almost stunning how strictly Edmonton has stuck to their size mantra. Heck, I'm 6'2", I could probably sneak a draft class photo and nobody would bat an eye. There's so many of them, one extra, nobody would notice.
video (promotional?):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofj7FNA_Vg0
Loving the draft so far. Pettersson-Wentzel would be nice in the 5th.
ReplyDeleteBlah
ReplyDeleteAt this point, if I were the Oilers, I'd take a shot at a goalie or two.
Low risk since the picks aren't worth much. High reward if you find someone who can play, even a backup or solid AHL starter down the road.
Oilers are really sticking close to home. Everyone is either a CHL player or will be.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much Martindale, but the names they left up there to get him. But heck, 3rd round and below is a crapshoot anyway.
ReplyDeleteAt least they didn't trade Cogliano to get him...
do you have crust and jam Paper Designer?
ReplyDeleteOne thing we can say about the scouting staff this year, it's that they're consistent to a fault.
ReplyDeleteEvery player's a big boy.
Oh, and one last important stat about Blain that deserves mention. He prefers blondes. Said so in an interview yesterday.
I'm also hoping for Mark MacMillan.
ReplyDeleteWas close to 2PPG in the last half season of the BCHL and had a better playoffs than Beau Bennett.
Rumored to be coming over to the WHL next year I think he could be this years Jamie Benn.
Can he skate?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteATL just took the kid I wanted late. Ivan Telegin.
ReplyDeleteKuehnhackl is still available
ReplyDeleteThough, he should go soon
Loving this draft so far. Every player seems like my kinda guy. God bless the Magnificent Bastard.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the video Deano!
Think of me as Ryan Stone, only without the skating and offensive ability. :P
ReplyDeleteNah, I'm no hockey player. But at this point, I want them to pick someone small and skilled just for nostalgia's sake.
Did someone allow Rob Ramage to procreate?
ReplyDeleteBecause I think Calgary just selected his son, or another close relation, Jon.
Paper Designer
ReplyDeleteI think they're just addressing an imbalance in their system. They don't have a single forward taller than 6'1 in HF's list of their top 20 prospects.
But unlike the coke machine days, they don't seem to be going off the board to get bigger guys.
I'm liking what I see.
PDO - I think there's such a thing as overkill. Most dynamic forwards in the NHL seem to be 6'0"-6'2" don't they? Shouldn't we be drafting them for the most part?
ReplyDeleteJustin Shugg just went to Carolina. I would have taken him.
ReplyDeletedo you have crust and jam Paper Designer?
ReplyDeleteOTC is gone.
Its now "grit" and "determination"
Avs take the big Finn goalie with the bigger name.
ReplyDeleteKuenhackl goes to Pittsburgh.
ReplyDeleteAnd there goes the last guy I've got any info on. Pulkkinen makes Detroit's scouting staff look like fucking geniuses again.
ReplyDeletewow, the Red Wings have guys just fall into their laps.
ReplyDeleteNot a fan of Pitlick, as I don't think the offensive upside is there. Would've preferred that Ross guy the Leafs took. Take a look at the jump in his counting numbers from 2 seasons ago to this past season. Very impressive.
ReplyDeleteI really like Martindale. Size, skill, and plays both ways. I don't think I'm that concerned about the work ethic issues. Scouts were expressing a similar sentiment towards one Ryan Getzlaf in his WHL days. Not that Martindale is in his class, but often times maturity with respect to work ethic is something that takes time.
And there goes the last guy I've got any info on.
ReplyDeleteI've still got
Cameron Wind - D 6.01 - 194
and the two Germans,
Noebels & Abeltshauser
Plus my dark goalie horse,
Nathan Lieuwen G-L 6-5/192
Haven't the Oilers traditionally addressed imbalance with imbalance? 2007 was the year of forward who were never passed the puck, 2008 was the year of defencemen who had nobody to pass it to. 2009 and 2010 skewed too far apart in age (either too old or too young) and too small. Now, they're loading up the system with a bazillion 6'2 players.
ReplyDeleteNone of these picks are indefensible, but they need balance, and I think that's better done by making a long-term commitment to chasing down players of all-types. They already drafted a big power forward, and big, physical defenceman earlier. Could they not have gone for pure skill with Kabanov in the third round or Pulkinnen in the fourth?
Again, all of these picks are fine, I'm just worried that this might be symptomatic of this organization's tendency to swing to the opposite extreme at first perception of an organizational weakness, creating another one in the process, and a vicious cycle. Have they learned their lesson yet?
A 5'10" speedy winger in round six or seven might do a lot to ease my concerns.
"Everyone is either a CHL player or will be".
ReplyDeleteNo surprise with so many US players going 1st round to US teams.
But a little surprised we didn't get a 2nd round Swede from a thinner pool.
So few trades this year.
ReplyDeleteIs it GM nap-time here?
ReplyDeleteWhy have the picks stopped?
The two Ruskie D-Men (Zaitsev and Marchenko) would be nice here. They both would be gone now if they were named Taylor or Tyler.
ReplyDeletePrediction: Oilers will select a token goon with one of their remaining picks.
ReplyDeleteNHL network is still streaming live but the lists are not updating, someone must be having a pee - break.
ReplyDeleteFrom HF
ReplyDeleteAlexei Marchenko, D
6’0”, 165 lbs, CSKA Moscow, KHL
01/02/1992
CSS Final Rankings: #12 European Skater
Marchenko might be the dark horse of this draft. He didn’t get much attention as he missed the U18 WJC, but he was Team Russia’s No. 1 defenseman in coach Vasiliev’s plans. Marchenko is a very interesting offensive defenseman with well above average technique and skating. He likes to bring up the puck, but he rarely exaggerates. He has good defensive abilities too and he is capable of playing aggressively without getting many PIMs. On the down side, he spent most of the season with CSKA’s junior team and he struggled to get significant ice time with the senior team. He played 10 games, averaging less than four minutes a game. Even if he’s still not ready to cross the pond, he has a big upside and might get some interest on the draft’s second day.
MacMillan to Montreal. Damn
ReplyDeleteBy my count Kitsyn and Grubauer are the only two players on McKenzie's top 75 that are still on the board
ReplyDeleteEDM - some one named Tyler from the WHL.
ReplyDeletePrediction: The Oilers will not select any token goons this draft, an will also not select a single player who is less the 6'0".
ReplyDeleteTyler Bunz
ReplyDeleteWho's T. Bunz?
ReplyDeleteHe's our 5th rounder.
Bunz - anyone...?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=112787
ReplyDeleteMarc:
ReplyDeleteGrubauer's gonzo. went either 22nd or 23rd in the 4th.
I hope it wasn't Tyler Stahl.
ReplyDeleteA goalie? Hrm.
ReplyDeletestarting goalie this year. 33 wins, 2.91svp .898GAA
ReplyDeleteapologies, 31 wins.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, he's not a drinker, or he can't drive.
ReplyDeleteSmart move to take a shot at a goalie.
ReplyDeletei would have taken Brandon Archibald, or Steve Shipley or Andrew Yogan instead with this pick.
ReplyDelete