Even at the tender age of 17, Simon Despres is realistic about what it would mean to suit up for the Montreal Canadiens.

"I already know what it would be like playing for them,'' the Saint John Sea Dogs defenceman said. "When they win, they're Gods. But when they lose, you want to hide.''

Despres didn't hide when the Habs came calling recently. The Canadiens invited him and Sea Dogs teammate Steven Anthony to a combine that gauged physical strength, body fat, flexibility and quickness. There were also interviews and Despres met general manager Bob Gainey.

The Canadiens' combine was all part of preparing for the NHL Entry Draft, which begins tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Bell Centre in Montreal. As a native of Laval, Que., Despres feels the pleasure would outweigh the pressure of playing for the Habs.

"It would be great to play in Montreal,'' he said. "I'm not going (to the draft) with pressure. I want to have fun and see where I go.''

That's a good approach considering the mixed opinions as to when Despres will be selected. Most prognosticators project him as a first-round pick, but that's about where the agreements end.

NHL Central Scouting ranks Despres eighth on the list of North American skaters. John Moore of the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel is the only defenceman ranked higher on the list.

"I think for a potential pro player, he's got the size and mobility,'' Central Scouting's Chris Bordeleau wrote in his report about Despres. "I've seen him many games, and he never seems to make a bad play.

"He's never going to get 100 points, but definitely, when you want a guy to play defense, he's your guy. He does it all, he'll block shots and he moves the puck at the right time."

Bordeleau's report compares Despres' style to that of Florida Panthers blueliner Jay Bouwmeester. At 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, Despres is already as tall as Bouwmeester, who's expected to leave Florida via unrestricted free agency this summer.

Incidentally, Adam Kimelman's mock draft on NHL.com projects Despres to be selected by the Panthers 14th overall and asks if the Sea Dog could be the "eventual Bouwmeester replacement?''

But according to The Hockey News Draft Preview, Florida's first focus will be finding more forwards due to decent blueline depth in the system. The draft preview ranks Despres 12th, the slot occupied by the Minnesota Wild, whose GM Tommy Thompson has identified the need for a player "who can excite the fans and play up-tempo hockey.''

No one knows whether Despres can do that. What's certain is that he was a first overall draft pick in the 2007 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, and he played 64 games for Saint John as a 16-year-old. He appeared in 66 contests last season as a 17-year-old, tallying two goals and 32 points.

After Saint John was ousted in the first round of the playoffs by Cape Breton, Despres played for Canada at the world under-18 championship in the Czech Republic/Slovakia, where he received a glowing review from head coach Mike Johnston. A former NHL assistant coach, Johnston chose Despres as one of Team Canada's assistant captains. The Canadians lost to Finland for the bronze medal.

"He has leadership qualities and he's an intense competitor,'' Johnston said about Despres, who'll turn 18 on July 27.

Two other NHL.com mock drafts have some distance between where they project Despres to be picked. Shawn P. Roarke has Despres pegged at 13th overall, which is Buffalo's pick. Brad Holland has Despres going 25th overall to Boston. Either way, both clubs are looking to build their blueline.

The projections on TSN.ca differ on Despres' position as well. Bob MacKenzie slots Despres 18th, a pick that currently belongs to Montreal. Pierre McGuire's list has Despres going 30th overall to the Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

"He's been an underachiever in junior, but his size and speed have much potential," McGuire comments on the web site.

Despres isn't predicted to be a first-round pick by former NHL GM Craig Button, whose rankings also appear on TSN.ca. Like McGuire, the International Scouting Service's list has Despres slotted 30th.

All those opinions aren't necessarily easy to ignore. And while Despres is trying to be patient, he admits he'll have to catch up on sleep next week.

"I was doing all right, but this week I haven't been sleeping as well,'' he said.

Despres plans to attend the draft with his father, Sylvain, his mother, Jessica, and his 15-year-old sister, Sarah. The player has also put aside about 40 tickets for friends and relatives.



source : http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com