The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 18

4C Monday, June 23, 2003 THE TENNESSEAN www.tennessean.com 3 nhl draft 2003 edators load ud on goalies on draft's fina Pr Iday Looking for depth behind Vokoun, Lasak, Finley He earned Central Scouting Service's No. 2 ranking among European goalies. "Our scouts think he's one of the best young goalies in Finland," Predators General Manager David Poile said. "A lot of time in juniors, he didn't get much recognition because he was playing behind Kari Lehtonen, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft last year.

So it's really just a lack of exposure that he hasn't gone higher to this point." Sidikov was rated the 12th-best European goalie by the CSS. He totaled impressive numbers at the recent under-18 world champi onship, notching a 5-1 record, 2.10 goals against average and .917 save percentage for Russia Hanuljak is described as more of a long shot by the Predators, who chose him with the second of two seventh-round selections. The team's other two draft picks yesterday were Russian defense-man Andrei Mukhachev (seventh round, 210th overall) and Latvian forward Lauris Darzins (ninth, 268th). Interestingly, the Predators feel the 22-year-old Mukhachev may be the closest of all the selections to playing in the NHL right now. The 6-foot-4, 196-pounder played 50 games for a Russian elite league team last season, compiling three goals, seven assists and 30 penalty minutes.

The Predators hope he might pan out like defenseman Karlis Skrastins, who was also an older European player selected later in the draft. Nashville will have to sign him before mid-July if it hopes to bring him to North America for the coming seasoa Darzins, the Predators' final selection of the day, earned a surprising amount of praise. "He can skate, he's 6-2 and he scores," Fenton said. "Not a lot of teams have seen him, so maybe he'll eventually come over and play for us in the future." It was the first draft presided over by Fentoa who was assigned the role by Poile at midseason, when former chief amateur scout Craig Channell was assigned to pro scouting. "We're going to still talk about my role, but I enjoy doing both," said Fenton, who remained the director of player personneL "It was a lot of work.

But as you saw from today, it was worth it." John Glennon covers the Predators for The Tennessean. He can be reached at jg1 sportaol.com or 259-8262. now and the future," said Paul Fen-toa director of player personnel for the Predators. "Hopefully these guys will develop and become stars." All three goalies were European Finland's Teemu Lassila (fourth round, 117th overall), Russia's Rus-tam Sidikov (fourth, 133rd) and the Czech Republic's Miroslav Hanul-jak (seventh, 213th). The 20-year-old Lassila wasn't nearly as well known even halfway through this season, but saw his stock rise after excelling for TPS Turku of the Finnish elite league.

camp next for Suten others -J Predators selections lQ vV i 3 1J 1 I. W'irt3 1- -J Paul Fenton left, ttie Predators' director of player personnel, speaks with Greg Royce, the team's assistant director of amateur scouting, at the By JOHN GLENNON Stuff Writer The theme for the Predators' second day at the NHL entry draft was as easy to spot as the premise of the first day. Nashville chose goaltenders with three of its five picks yesterday, a day after picking five defensemen in eight picks. The organization was looking to develop depth in goal, as there are few prospects behind Tomas Vokoun, Jan Lasak and Brian Finley. "With the quality we got, we think we've solidified things for Predators notebook By JOHN GLENNON and CHIP CIRILL0 Staff Writers Ryan Suter, the Predators' first-round draft pick on Saturday, is expected to attend the team's conditioning camp this week, along with five more of the team's selections over the weekend.

Because the 18-year-old Suter already has signed a scholarship to play at the Univer sity of Wisconsin in the fall, pro hockey rules require him to pay for his own room and board at the camp. But Predators General Manager David Poile said POILE yesterday that Suter is planning to do just that, as well as skip his family's vacation to Florida "He's giving up a chance at a Florida vacation for a chance to play in the NHL," Poile said. "I like that" Suter, chosen seventh overall, said Saturday he's planning on attending college this fall, but added that the potential of an NHL roster spot might change his mind. "Generally, we'd rather take the approach that he would not play in the NHL this season because of his age and physical development," Poile said. "But I saw that he might entertain the option of playing in the pros, so thaf something we'll have to discuss with him." The other draft picks from Saturday expected to be at conditioning camp this week include defensemen Kevin Klein, Shea Weber, Richard Stehlik and Alexander Sulzer, as well as forward Paul Brown.

Uncle's advice: Suter's uncle, Gary, who played 17 years in the NHL, said he thinks Ryan should spend a year or two in college before moving on to the pro ranks. Gary chose that route himself, playing two years at G. SUTER Wisconsin before taking the leap into the pros. 'It's just like climbing the stairs you go step by step," Gary Suter said. 'It's quite a jump to the NHL" Ola buddies: Speaking of Brown, he's well-acquainted with Scottie Upshall, the Predators' first-round pick last seasoa as the two were linemates at Kelowna of the West-em Hockey League.

Browa a 6-foot-2, 184-pound forward, provided some offense (56 points) and grit (229 penalty minutes) in 67 games last seasoa "Me and Scottie are best friends, and we've had a really good relationship the last couple of years," Brown said. "He knows me about as good as anybody." AMar meeting: Butch Spyridoa the executive vice president of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, met with NHL executives in the Gaylord Entertainment Center yesterday in a push to get the league's All-Star Game in Nashville. The ear SPYRIDON liest open date for the game is 2008. "Butch is a very proactive promoter of Nashville as a destinatioa and we're all ears to find out what Nashville has to offer," said Frank Supovitz, an executive with NHL Events and Entertainment "We had about nine teams that were interested in 2004-2006, so that gives you a little bit of an understanding of package obtained in the trade of Mike Dunham to the New York Rangers. The offensive-minded defease-man is considered to be a player in the same general mold as Predators defenseman Kimmo Timonea but he and the team have not been able to reach a financial agreement Conditioning Tl iff 3 2003 NHL entry draft Rnd Pick Player Hometown Pos Hgt Wgt Last season ,1 7 RyanSuter Madison, Wis.

6-1 183 U.S. National Under-18 2 35 Konstantin Glazachev Arkhangelsk, Russia LW 6-0 186 Yaroslavl (Russia) 2" 37 Kevin Klein Kitchener, Ontario 6-1 187 Toronto St. Michael's (OHL) 2 49 Shea Weber Sicamous, B.C. 6-3 190 Kelowna (WHL) 3 76 Richard Stehlik Skalica, Slovakia 6-4 245 Sherbrooke (QMJHL) 3 89 Paul Brawn Prince George, B.C. RW 6-2 185 Kamloops (WHL) 3 92 Alexander Sulzer Kaufbeuren, Germany 6-2 213 Hamburg (Germany) 3 98 Grigory Shafigulin Chelyabinsk, Russia 6-2 185 Yaroslavl (Russia) 4 117 Teemu Lassila Helsinki, Finland 6-0 202 TPS (Finland) 4 133 Rustam Sidikov Moscow 6-1 158 HC CSKA (Russia) 7 210 Andrei Mukhachev Ekaterinburg, Russia 6-3 210 HC CSKA (Russia) 7 213 Miroslav Hanuljak Lttvinov, Czech Republic 5-11 165 Litvinov (Czech Republic) 9 268 LaurisDarzins Riga, Latvia 6-2, 176 Lukko (Finland) Predators capsules Teemu Lassila Hometown: Helsinki, Finland.

Pick: Fourth round, 1 1 7th overall. Position: Goaltender. Height, weight 6-0, 202. Age: 20. Last year's team: TPS in the SM Liiga League in Finland.

Notable: Lassila was 12-6-1 with a 1 .92 goals against average, the second-best GAA in the SM Liiga League. Plays angles well, smart with positioning. Good glove, technically sound. Lassila's coach, Urpo Vlonen, coached NHL goalies Jani Hurme and Miikka Kiprusoff. Rustam Sidikov Hometown: Moscow.

Pick: Fourth round, 133rd overall. Position: Goaltender. Height, weight 6-1, 158. Age: 17. Last year's team: HC CSKA in Russian League.

Notable: He had a 2.41 goals against average last season. Andrei Mukhachev Hometown: Ekaterinburg, Russia Pick: Seventh round, 210th overall. Position: Defenseman. Height weight 6-3, 210. Age: 18.

Last year's team: HC CSKA in the Russian League. Notable: Had three goals, seven assists and 28 penalty minutes last season. Miroslav Hanuljak Hometown: Litvinov, Czech Republic. Pick: Seventh round, 213th overall. Position: Goaltender.

Height, weight 5-1 1,165. Age: 18. Last year's team: Litvinov in the Czech Junior League. Notable: He had a 3.22 goals against average last season. Lauris Darzins Hometown: Riga, Latvia Pick: Ninth round, 268th overall.

Position: Forward. Height weight 6-2, 176. Age: 18. Last year's team: Lukko in the Finnish Junior League. Notable: He had six goals and four assists in 13 games.

-CHIPCIRILLO Sulers vs. Suiters The Predators' first-round draft pick, Ryan Suter, has quite a family background, but It shouldn't be confused with that of one of the most famous hockey names the Sutters. Ryan Suter is the nephew of Gary Suter, who played 17 seasons In the NHL before retiring in 2002. Ryan's father, Bob, played on the 1980 U.S. Oyrnpic team and later for the Nashville South Stars of the Central Hockey League.

But the Suters are in no way related to the six Sutter broth'' era Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Ron and Rich who each played in the NHL All six of those Sutters remain active in hockey. Brian coaches the Chicago Blackhawks, Darryl serves as the Calgary Flames' coach and general manager, Duane is the Florida Panthers' player personnel director, Brent is the owner and coach of a Canadian junior team (Red Deer Rebels), Ron is a pro scout for Calgary and Rich Is a scout for the Minnesota Wild. -JOHN GLENNON a skatine school this summer That goes for the discipline of the coaches running the camp also. I think we've all done a good job, but we can do better. Til challenge the coaching staff and I want that passed dowa We all have to take advantage of our opportunities." John Glennon covers the Predators far Pie Tennessean.

He can be reached at jg1 sportaol.com or 259-8262. Yesterday's transactions: 11 Nashville fwrtti-round selection (No. 119) in 2003. 2003 from Los Angeles for a sixth-round 2) Nashville acquired two seventh-round selections (Nos. 210 and 213) in selection (No.

1 74) in 2003. how competitive the field can be." The Nashville Convention Center isn't big enough for the All-Star Game support events, but Supovitz said there might be ways around that problem "It does put Nashville at a little bit of a disadvantage, but with some creative thinking there are always ways around things," Supovitz said. "We'll have a continuing relationship with the city and the Predators about the possibility of bringing All-Stars or even other things here." Supovitz said he couldn't be specific about what "other things" means. The next bid specifications for the 2008 All-Star Game will come out in 18 months. Yesterday's trades: Nashville's seventh-round selections (Andrei Mukhachev, Miroslav Hanuljak) came after a trade with Los Angeles for Nashville's sixth-round spot The Predators traded their 119th pick in the fourth round to Anaheim for fourth- and fifth-round selections in next year's draft at Carolina "We had so many draft picks and a lot of players, so it was actually a situation where you could have too many players," Poile said.

"We just thought with the three fourth-round picks, why not get a little preparation for next year?" Poile said he made the deal with the Kings because he felt the Predators would get the same players if Nashville moved back one round. Big defenseman: Mukhachev, one of the Predators' seventh-round selections, was born in Ekaterinburg, Russia That's also the birthplace of New York Islanders star Alexei Yashia Mukhachev, an 18-year-old defensemaa played for HC CSKA in the Russian League last seasoa "He's a player who responds to all our needs right now," Predators scout Alex Dementiev said. "He's about 6-3. He's strong, about 210 pounds. "I would like to see him come in next year for training camp and see if he makes our team.

The only problem is he doesn't speak English, but he definitely wants to come over." I I 1 I ALAN POIZNER ureencv will extend through every aspect of the organization this seasoa "We'd like to start speeding up the clock on these kids' development" Poile said. "If a kid needs to put on 20 pounds of weight or muscle, it might be impossible to do that in one year, but let's do it in two years instead of three. If a kid needs more speed, lef have him at 'v, if The at' first-round draft pick, defenseman Ryan Suter, answers questions for onlinefOTS shcSy'S becoming the first defenseman picked in the 2003 NHL entry draft Saturday. Signing Zidlicky, re "We've talked to him and we've prospects the Predators have prospects the Predators have signing others on to-do list and Timonen. arh.w; and Timonea have arbitration increased he hnn expressed interest in bringing to North America this season inrlnHp forward Libor Pivko, a 2000 draftee, and forward Serge Soia obtained from Colorado in Friday's trade of defeasive prospect Tomas Slovak.

Several Predator players, such as Andy Delmore, Mark Eatoa Andreas Johanssoa Rem Murray rights this offseasoa The deadline to file for arbitration is Tulv IS. hut the Predators will try to re-sign some of those players to avoid arbitratioa "We've started negotiating with Timonea" Poile said. "We said we'd speak further after the draft As for the conditioning camp, Poile hopes to set a sense of made him a contract offer Poile said, "but we haven't been able to come to terms." If believed that Zidlicky is seeking a one-way contract which would pay him the same amount of money whether he made the Nashville roster or played part of the season in Milwaukee Some of the other European.