With the 16th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the Boston Bruins selected LW/C Joe Colborne of the Camrose Kodiaks. The 2008 RBC Canadian Junior A Hockey league Player of the Year finished second in league scoring with 90 points (his 57 assists left him tied for the league lead) after posting just 48 points the previous year. The playmaking winger, whose team won the AJHL championship, was the AJHL playoff MVP with 8 goals and 8 assists. Colborne checked in at 16th overall according to the Hockey's Future ISS Top 30 and 28th overall among North American skaters on the NHL.com Central Scouting Rankings. Colborne, who shares the nickname "Jumbo" with former Bruin Joe Thornton, claims to base his game on the playing styles of Thornton, Vinny Lecavalier and Jason Spezza. At 6-5 and 190 pounds, Colborne compares favorably to Thornton according to Rotoworld. Hopefully this bold comparison holds true as Colborne progresses in his development and eventually joins the B's at the NHL level. The Bruins' top pick will head to the University of Denver to play for the Pioneers next season; he should be a top two line player on what has recently been one of the top ten teams in the country.

This is a great pick for the Bruins at 16th overall as Colborne had the highest potential at that spot. He could eventually turn into a top line center or winger. His size and reach suggest he could become an offensive dynamo. A year after taking Zach Hammil, the safest pick at that point, the Bruins rolled the dice a little bit by taking a guy who could either end up a stud or never really have an impact in the NHL. Even if his skill level does not progress as expected, he could mature into his body and become a checking line winger capable of scoring 15-20 per season. The Bruins' great track record with developing prospects this season allows them to take this risk. - You A Bad Mang