There is no Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin tipping the scales at No. 1 -- and a goalie may not go in the first round. A player ranked 40th by one team may get picked 10th overall by another.

The 2007 NHL entry draft, to be sure, is a different cat this year.

"It's not a real deep draft as far the high-profile guys, or guys that people think are clear-cut, top-half first-rounders," said Jarmo Kekalainen, assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting for the St. Louis Blues.

"I think it's anybody's guess after the first six, seven guys."

The growing feeling heading into tomorrow's first round (TSN, 7 p.m. ) is that the Chicago Blackhawks will select London Knights scoring sensation Patrick Kane with the first pick. But it is not a dead certainty.

The Hawks have been deciding between Kane, Kyle Turris or James vanRiemsdyk -- all forwards -- and, as of yesterday afternoon, were closing in on a final choice.

"We're very close," Hawks GM Dale Tallon said from Columbus, where the hockey world began to gather yesterday.

Defenceman Karl Alzner of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, forward Jakub Voracek of the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads and forward Sam Gagner of the OHL's London Knights are other highly rated prospects.

But there are few sure bets this year.

"There are going to be a lot of players in this year's draft that end up playing in the NHL," said Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford. "It's too early to tell how good they're going to be. Clearly, there will be a difference of opinion throughout the league as to where the guys are rated probably from eight to 28."

Tallon's phone was ringing, with rival GMs wondering whether he'd be willing to move the No. 1 pick.

"Nothing major. People just kicking tires," said Tallon. "I think once everyone gets in here tonight, probably tomorrow it'll heat up."

But it appears Tallon is leaning towards keeping the pick.

Philadelphia has the second overall pick, followed by Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington and Edmonton. But that can change. The swapping of draft positions is a yearly tradition, but the wheeling and dealing may really get going this week.

"I think there will be movement, not because of the quality of the draft, but because of the number of picks that teams have," said Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough.

Edmonton and St. Louis have three first-round picks apiece while Montreal, Washington and Phoenix have a pair of first-round selections. Seven teams don't have a first-round pick at all. The imbalance may create needs.

"I know that's the first time since I started coaching that's ever been the case," said Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter. "That impacts the first round."

And of course, always in the middle of it, will be Brian Burke, the veteran GM of the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.

"I think you'll see a bunch of movement because it's a strange draft," said Burke. "We have the 16th pick. We are perfectly willing to move up and perfectly willing to move down."

Oilers GM Kevin Lowe is ready for action. He owns the sixth, 15th and 30th overall picks, has plenty of salary cap room for next season.

"We're open for business," Lowe said. "I'm making a lot of calls, and if there's a premier player we can get for a draft pick, I'd consider it. We're not trading a first-round draft pick for an older guy with only one year left on his contract, though."

Some of the moves will depend on who goes in the first few selections and who remains available. Teams may want to move up to get their man.

Either Kane, Turris or vanRiemsdyk will go No. 1. Kane, who had 145 points (62-83) in 58 OHL games this past season, was actually ranked second among North American skaters in the NHL's Central Scouting final list behind Turris, the first Canadian tier II player to top the list. VanRiemsdyk was ranked third.

Then there's Russian winger Alexei Cherepanov, the top-rated European skater by NHL Central Scouting.

However, NHL clubs may fear Cherepanov, who broke Pavel Bure's 1988-89 Russian league rookie record with 18 goals this past season, won't cross the Atlantic to play in the NHL after Russia opted out of the NHL-IIHF player transfer agreement.