The upcoming S57 VHL Entry Draft could be one of the deepest we have ever seen in recent memory, and the Cologne Express will be blessed with two picks in the first round and another pick in the second round. Although they don't quite stack up to New York or Stockholm with the amount of picks they have, there will still be opportunities to add three pieces to their rebuild. Let's take a look at whose chances of getting picked by Cologne are hot and whose are not.
HOT: Norris Kensington
With a surplus of young goaltenders currently playing in the VHL and more future studs plying their trade in the VHLM now, it is a slight surprise that Norris Kensington could be one of the hottest commodities come time for the entry draft. With Cologne looking likely to finish in the lottery picks, general manager Rudi Ying will both be crossing his fingers that Kensington falls to wherever Cologne ends up picking, and that no general manager will be offering him a package of multiple low-end first round draft picks for the lottery pick. With Cologne missing the opportunity to take Key Perought last year, the Express will need a second goaltender behind, or ahead of, Vernon von Axelberry, especially considering the fact that Edwi Threencarnac has just announced today that he will retire at the end of the season.
COLD: Ko Kane
With Cologne having traded away the opportunity to select two franchise defensemen in the past two years (Felix Savard and Ay Ay Ron), it doesn't seem likely that they will be interested in Ko Kane, a stud blueliner who has made a name for himself on multiple fronts. With the likes of Jabby McFullO'Schmidt, Drahsolav Detlev, Augustus Gloop, and Mathieu Bourdon manning the blue line for the foreseeable future, and Lyle Smallwood looking to return to the back in the near future, there simply is no room for Ko Kane on Cologne's loaded defensive corps.
HOT: Chase Keller
Although his generational talent isn't as hyped up as much as Gabriel McAllister was last year, the Canadian center is the consensus pick to go first overall, and fans could possibly see Ying offer up the kitchen sink to whomever wins the draft lottery at the end of the season. With rumours swirling that Cologne had offered Seattle all of their picks in the next three drafts aside from the second overall pick last year for the first overall pick, it's likely that Cologne can sweeten up the offer this year even more to increase their chances of a deal, as they have five first round draft picks to offer up this time around, having acquired three alone from the Ay Ay Ron trade with Helsinki this past offseason.
For Birkir Holm Gudnason