NHL Draft... tonight!

For those who think it seems odd that the NHL Draft is starting on a Friday, yeah, it's new.

Tonight at 7:00 PM, the 2007 NHL Entry Draft will get under way in Columbus. Round 1 will be tonight (LIVE coverage on Versus!), and rounds 2-7 will happen tomorrow morning.

The Sabres don't have a 1st round pick as of now (traded to Washington in Dainius Zubrus trade), so there's a good chance there won't be much to discuss tonight.

That means the headliner is the local boy who could go #1. Patrick Kane (pictured, center) is the odds-on favorite to go in the top spot to the Chicago Blackhawks. There has been discussion of the Hawks trading that pick, but word is the two serious offers are from teams in the West.

There has been some movement already today on the trade front:

• Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell to Toronto
• Tomas Vokoun to Florida
• Adrian Aucoin to Calgary

Here's to a night in front of the TV. I'll be updating live, so keep checking back for the latest news and info.

UPDATES

6:51 PM: Eric Duhatschek is saying the Coyotes have traded for the top pick. Nothing confirmed yet.

7:13 PM: Doesn't look like that's happening. We're waiting for Gary B. to come to the podium now to open the draft.

7:25 PM: Chicago takes Buffalo native Patrick Kane 1st overall. Two consecutive years that an American has gone #1. Suck on that, Canada.

7:36 PM: Philly takes James van Riemsdyk 2nd. Top two picks from U.S. and A. VERY NICE!

7:44 PM: Los Angeles goes off the board to get Thomas Hickey from Seattle of the OHL. It's about damn time something interesting happened.

7:57 PM: Sam Gagner goes 6th to Edmonton. By the way, the Caps new unis look pretty slick. Not sure, but the number font looks really similiar to the Sabres.

8:13 PM: Damn, those new Bruins jerseys are nice.

8:19 PM: San Jose moves up to #9. They take Logan Couture, the son of Chet Couture, who is one of the top refs in the National Lacrosse League.

8:37 PM: The Habs pass on Angelo Esposito to take a high schooler from Minnesota. Why does Montreal always take Americans?

8:46 PM: Colorado takes Kevin Shattenkirk 14th overall. How the hell is Cherepanov still on the board?

8:57 PM: Minnesota trades up to get Colton Gillies at #16. It seems to me that they could have gotten him at #19, which they dealt to Anaheim for the pick. Riiight.

9:04 PM: Cherepanov to the Rangers. Glad to see him finally picked. Sad to see him go to the Rangers.

9:30 PM: Edmonton takes Riley Nash at the 21 spot. This draft is pretty much impossible to handicap.

9:50 PM: Vancouver takes Patrick White. Trying not to jinx it, but I'm hoping Nick Petrecki drops to 31.

10:01 PM: TSN crew wonders why Columbus fans were booing Yzerman. The Red Wings are probably the biggest rival they have in C-bus.

10:07 PM: San Jose trades up and snags Petrecki. Stupid Sharks.

10:17 PM: Wayne Gretzky & the 'Yotes take Nick Ross with the final pick of the 1st round. That does it for tonight... The Buffalo Sabres are on the clock!

See you all tomorrow...