Playoff Pool Picks & 10 Facts About Jason Spezza

(Apologies for the hiatus -- new job, family stuff...)

Due to a variety of travel commitments five buddies and I had no option but to do our 2008 NHL playoff pool last night.  This added an element of risk to the selections since several playoff spots are still up for grabs and the round 1 matchups are far from clear.  Nonetheless, we made our picks. 

Joe Thornton went first overall & one brave prognosticator took Ovechkin with his first pick.  In the East, anyone wearing a Ranger jersey was much sought after.  Several Habs and Pens were also selected.  The competition for players from the Western conference was much hotter.  The picks went deep into the Red Wing, Shark, Duck and Avalanche rosters.  No Dallas Stars were selected, and Jerome Iginla was treated like the chubby kid in the schoolyard, selected at the end of the draft. 

Jason Spezza was about the 30th player selected.  Prompting some of the participants to launch into the sort of Spezza-bashing routinely heard here in Ottawa.  Being somewhat offended and perplexed by the lack of love for Spezza I took a closer look at his season and his career.  Turns out Spezza's a pretty fair young player.  Here are 10 facts supporting the argument that Spezza is among the league's elite young players.