Peter Thome

After a stellar, but in the end disappointing year, Athens will have to remodel a little to stay near the top of the league and they weren’t going to get any immediate help picking 23rd in the draft. But they did pick up a good asset for the future in goalie Peter Thome, a 21-year-old American. Thome played for three teams in three years in the USHL and is now at the University of North Dakota, putting together a 91.0 save percentage early in his career at the NCAA Div. I level.

Over the years, Athens has evolved into a team built for today, but in Greece, tomorrow is fast approaching. As far as young talent is concerned, the Gods are very thin. Defenseman Esa Lindell is the best young player on the roster with an 83 PO rating and wingers Artturi Lehkonen (81) and Tanner Pearson (77) are the best Gods up front. After those three and Thome are players who will probably never earn top minutes.

Tim Bozon

One pick later, the champion Hussars selected the best defensive forward available in American-born Frenchman Tom Bozon, whose father Phillippe played in the NHL and whose brother Kevin could also be drafted this season.

The oldest Bozon brother is also one of the oldest men in the draft and while he is already way down the depth chart at LW, he could play immediately for Minsk, depending on how the salary cap tree shakes out. Bozon will help with the cap as much as he will penalty killing. His agent negotiated a 5-year at-$875,000 deal, meaning GM Igor Kirunov will have some salary cap breathing room for a long time. Bozon is a good skater who will be a solid defensive forward and penalty killer. Don’t expect more than that out of him.