Like the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica, I had a plan.  Unlike the Cylons, it didn’t involve wiping out an entire species, but hey, if it happened, then whatever.  I was going to be prepared for the first round of the draft.  I picked up the draft issue of The Hockey News at the airport for my flight home, and was going to read it.  I’ve had it in my bag ever since game seven of the Finals, and that’s where it stayed.  And now, it’s draft day, and I am totally unprepared.

In fact, I may not even watch the draft.  I’m thinking about going to stick and puck time at 3:00PM at the local rink (the draft starts locally at 5:00).  There are gatherings and draft parties hosted by the Avalanche and Mile High Hockey, and I’m not sure I’m going to either one.  I could have gone to the draft in Minnesota (like I did in 2007 and 2010), but decided to save my money this year and stay home.

I know, bad hockey blogger, right?

I went to the 2007 draft in Columbus, and had a great time.  It was my first draft, and it seemed really special.  At least, day one was pretty special.  I got to meet several bloggers face-to-face for the first time, watched Angelo Esposito’s draft position tank, and enjoyed the hell out of the night in general.  Day two dragged on, and took forever to get through.  At least, from the buzz of the first day, it seemed to take forever.  The picks were chosen at a quick pace.  When the Ottawa Senators asked for a time out (who knew you could do this) in a later round, the crowd booed them for holding things up.  I was at a loss with what to do after the draft.  At least half the media hadn’t stuck around, and the crowd in the stands made it feel like and endurance test.  No one was on the streets in downtown Columbus.  You wouldn’t have known there was anything going on that weekend.  It was a huge contrast to the previous day.  Still, for my first draft, it was fun, and completely worth it.

In 2010, I went to the draft in LA.  On my way to the Staples Center for the first round, I saw this sign outside a bar a block from the draft.

So you can see what the priorities are in LA.  Was the evening less magical than in 2007?  A little, but that’s to be expected when you do something for the second time.  I was at the draft to see people I knew from the blogging circles more than anything else.  But most of the people I wanted to see were busy doing media things.  I still had a good time overall, and it was great to meet people I had talked to online or over the phone.  But for the outlay of money, and the dud that is the second day, I just couldn’t justify it this year.

But that doesn’t really excuse why I’m not paying much attention to the draft this year.  And I should pay at least a little attention, because the Avalanche have the 2nd and 11th overall picks. Two years ago, they picked up Matt Duchene with the third overall pick, and I don’t know any Avs fans who have been disappointed with that choice.  This is a huge draft for them.

The reason I can’t get into the draft this time is that nothing I do is going to change anything that happens.  I could study, gnash my teeth, spout off with a few barely educated predictions as to who will get taken, what the Avs strategy should be, and in the end, they are going to pick who they pick, plug him into the system, and see what happens.  I’m excited for the Avs having a high pick (after last season, there isn’t much else to be excited about), but what happens is what happens.  I don’t need to be able to change it, but it’s not much to get worked up about.  I know that isn’t the point; nothing I do would change the outcome of a game either.  But this year doesn’t seem as exciting as the last few.

It’s more interesting to see what trades happen at the draft.  Put the GMs together right before free agency with plenty of bargaining chips (draft picks), and something is bound to happen. When Tomas Vokoun was traded to the Panthers at the 2007 draft, the Panthers contingent stormed past us, looking like a very determined bunch.  Even to someone on the outside like me with no experience in these things, we knew something was up.  It was fun to know something was going on, but even when the trade was announced, all we had was a story to tell.  It was fun, and it was interesting, but the same news could have been had at home watching TV.

So I may watch a little bit of the draft, and undoubtedly laugh as people harumph and get all twitter-pated at the choices made, how a certain choice was wrong, or how a pick doesn’t fit into a team’s system.  But in the end, I’ll let the experts weigh in and inform me.  That’s what this great big internet is for, isn’t it?