By Dave Pollard, Guelphstorm.com Exclusive

Even though the Guelph Storm's most pressing need heading into the Ontario Hockey League draft is a defenceman, Jason Brooks isn't about to stray from the game plan just to accomplish that.

No, the Storm's head coach and general manager will stick to the draft mantra followed almost from Day 1 of the team's existence in Guelph -- take the best player available, regardless of position.

If the best player happens to be a defenceman, so be it. But if the player the Storm's scouting staff, led by head scout Chris McCleary, has rated the highest still on the board is a forward, no problem.

"We'll make the best selection," Brooks said of the Storm's first-round pick, which will come 12th when proceedings get under way Saturday. "We have a game plan going in but it's subject to change. We know areas we'd like to strengthen. If somebody is sitting on the board you like, you might alter your plan.

"The first round plays itself out more than it ever has. It's pretty wide open. From Round 2 you have to be more on your toes. Parity might be the best word to use (this year)."

The Storm hasn't selected a defenceman with their first-round pick since 2005, when Drew Doughty was taken fifth overall. Since then it's been a run of forwards -- Anthony Nigro (2006), Peter Holland (2007), Cody McNaughton (2008) and Carter Sandlak (2009) -- and it's created a glut of talent up front.

Still, Brooks knows he needs to take the best player in the 12th spot, and that might not be a blueliner.

"If there's a defenceman we like, we'll take him," Brooks said. "I think we're just looking for the best player."

The Storm drafted three defencemen in the first six rounds last year, including highly-touted Julian Ciocco and Luke Juha, but none of them played in Guelph this season. Ciocco went home to New Jersey after training camp while Juha didn't report and is expected to accept an NCAA scholarship.

The graduation of overagers Corey Syvret and Ryan Gottschalk, plus the signing with the Florida Panthers of Adam Comrie, has left the Storm with some holes on the back end heading into the 2010-11 season. Who will tend goal is another question mark, with 19-year-old Brandon Foote the only sure thing for next year.

Garrett Sparks, an eighth-round pick last year, and Joel Vienneau, a seventh-rounder in 2008, are still in the system but that doesn't mean Brooks won't pick a goalie this time around. It's just a matter of when.

"I'm not saying we have goalie depth in our organization," Brooks admitted, adding that it's never been a Storm philosophy to use a high draft pick on a goalie, although there has been some discussion about possibly changing the thought process. "But it's always a priority every draft to select a goalie ... or two."


Some of the Storm's best goalies in recent memory have been late-round picks or free agents. Adam Dennis was a 14th-round pick in 2001 and Thomas McCollum went undrafted and signed as a walk-on.

Brooks has spent time with McCleary to talk about what prospects they want to focus on and will meet with all the scouts later this week in an effort to fine-tune their thinking. They will identify three or four players they are interested in drafting then cross their fingers and wait.

After that, specific needs can be addressed. The Storm has single picks in the second to sixth rounds and another in the eighth but no seventh or ninth-round picks.
Rounds 2 through 5 or 6 will offer up players who have a good chance of playing in the OHL but for the remainder of the draft you're almost rolling the dice. That's the nature of the draft, despite the amount of time and effort teams put into scouting players these days.

"I think (it's a bit of a crapshoot)," Brooks said. "You're drafting kids who are 15 years old. With the exception of the (early-round draftees), it's going to be two years before you see them. There are so many things that can change. You're projecting so much development over two years. You just never know.

"You don't want to take a whole whack of small, skilled guys, you want a mix. You want to piece them together. I think we got a good combination (last year). Once you get into the mid-rounds, you're looking more at the intangibles."

Adding uncertainty to this year's draft is the crop of eligible Americans. Who is willing to report -- a college scholarship is still a real enticement to many young U.S.-born players -- becomes the biggest question for the Storm.

"There are a lot of good American players who are committing to the (U.S. National Development Team program) this year," Brooks said. "There could still be a guy you have ranked in the first round still there but (do you gamble)? There's always talk of the flyer (pick). You have to look at them anyway. It comes down to circumstances at the draft."

The Storm should actually be picking 11th on Saturday but the Niagara IceDogs have two first-rounders this year -- sixth and eighth -- because their top pick in 2009, forward Lucas Lessio, bolted after 48 hours in training camp and his rights were dealt to the Oshawa Generals. Lessio didn't play for the Generals, either.

The Sarnia Sting will pick first when the draft gets under way at 9 a.m. on Saturday, followed by Belleville, Oshawa, Owen Sound and Sudbury. Sarnia is expected to take forward Alexander Galchenyuk of the Chicago Young Americans with the first overall pick.