Lucas Lessio Fence-Sitting Time
Highly touted Michigan hockey recruit Lucas Lessio is scheduled to be the centerpiece of the 2011 recruiting class. Usually after the OHL draft passes and the player has spurned advances from a team that took you seventh overall the window of danger has passed, but Oshawa traded for Lessio and has made enough of a push that he made an appearance at their rookie camp:
The fact he showed up to orientation camp is a positive sign at this point in the game, says Generals coach/GM Chris DePiero.
"I think the fact he came to rookie camp was step one," DePiero said on Tuesday. "My conversations with him over the last three months have been pretty positive in terms of him giving us at least a full shot and chance."
Lessio can attend the camp and maintain his eligibility; still, showing up is an obvious sign the OHL door is not closed.
On the other hand, the USHL's Waterloo franchise just took him eighth overall in their futures draft. That indicates they're confident he'll be with them next year, especially because Lessio would be a one-year player in the USHL. All of this appears to indicate a desire to get away from the CCHL, where Lessio obliterated the competition to the tune of a 30-42-72 line in just 41 games. The USHL is a major step up in competition; hopefully it will be attractive enough to keep him committed.
Please, please Mr. Lessio, I cannot continue to absorb hockey recruiting dong punches.
So from following the links, it looks to me like Lessio was taken in the USHL entry draft, as opposed to the futures draft as Brian states. I don't claim to really understand the difference, but perhaps someone can comment on that and whether being selected in one versus the other changes his likelihood of matriculating.
But I think the difference is the futures draft is for, well, the future. As in, those drafted in the regular draft can go immediately to the USHL next season. Those taken in the futures draft won't enter the league for a bit, but when they enter they are bound to the team that drafted them (unless traded or wahtnot). Like I said, that's pretty much a pure guess, but it makes sense to me, as Lessio would be for next season and the Michigan commits/targets taken in the futures draft would be for 2012 (http://michiganhockey.net/ first and second articles). I would think that being selected in the regular draft would be better, as he can go right away and there is a little less drafting based on potential, a little more drafting on skill. Being drafted high in the regular draft means the team wants him and wants him badly and NOW. I would think that would be an excellent thing and would help out chances with him not going OHL much more than as a futures draft pick.
But then, he could always go USHL first and then change his mind, or even get to Michigan and then change his mind, so chance is a pretty good word for it... X_X
Futures draft is for 1994 born players only. They may or may not join the league next season. There's only like five rounds in that draft. I think they consider them the Top 90 kids of that draft year, though obviously some top talent who are more likely major junior bound aren't picked.
The Entry draft is for all players born in 1990-94 (I'm assuming '94 since this is the first year those kids could be drafted).
EDIT: Here's the link to the Entry and Futures Draft FAQs...
It's correct that Lessio was taken in the Entry Draft, and not the Futures Draft.
The big difference between the two drafts is that players drafted in the Futures Draft can be put on a team's affiliate list--meaning the team retains their rights without having them on the actual roster--for up to three years. Teams can add them to the actual roster whenever they want though. A pretty good handful of kids taken Tuesday in the Futures Draft will be playing in the USHL next year. Boo Nieves was picked in the Futures Draft and is going to play a year of prep school and then probably go to the USHL the year after.
The Entry Draft is more of a one year thing. If a player doesn't make the roster after being taken in the USHL Draft one year, they go back into the pool the following year.
Lessio being taken in the first round would seem to indicate that Waterloo is pretty sure he's going to play for them as of right now. But then again, there's been kids in the past in similar situations that have had 'changes of heart' and ended up going the other direction.
There now seems to be a third option for Lucas, going back to the St. Michaels Buzzers.
They have apparently hired a new head coach and gm, new but old. Reports have Rich Ricci, former Buzzer coach and gm returning. he spent last few years as associate hc and ass't gm in oshawa ohl. Apparently was an important factor in lessio"s rights being traded there from st catherines/ohl.
This may become interesting based on his past with the buzzers. He was running the ship that sent caporusso and burlon to us. Was there with cogliano as well.
Lets see what happens.Lets hope Lucas comes to Yost.
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