Johnson Starts at the Bottom in St. Louis

As expected, burgeoning defensive beast Erik Johnson was the first player selected yesterday at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. The St. Louis Blues hope Johnson can step in and anchor their blueline for many years to come (after which, presumably, he will move on to a team with a chance of winning the Stanley Cup).

If the draft had a theme, it will likely turn out to be the introduction of America's new generation. Johnson was one of ten Americans selected in round one, the most ever.

Here's the first-round breakdown. Three or four of these kids will turn into stars, a handful more will be useful NHL players, and the rest will never again be as famous or as popular as they were on Saturday.

Postscript: Draft day also saw a handful of significant trades, with Alex Tanguay, Andrew Raycroft and Pavol Demitra among those on the move.