[UPDATED] Lombardi’s first pick this year is #49 — will he trade up?

[UPDATE: Rich Hammond’s post on 6/13 indicates that the Kings picks from the 3rd round on are #80, #110, #140, #170 and #200. While I certainly trust Rich and have to consider the possibility that I’m missing something, I am pretty sure I’m right about the numbers below. I assume Rich’s numbers are based on the fact that the Canadiens were awarded a compensatory 2nd round pick because they were not able to sign their 1st round 2006 draftee; compensatory picks are added to the round in addition to the 30 usual picks, which bumps all the picks after it down one. However, as far as I can tell, the New jersey Devils lost their 3rd round pick as part of their circumvention penalty back in the Summer of Kovalchuk. As a result, it appears — to me, anyway — that the added MTL pick and the subtracted NJD pick cancel each other out, at least as far as the Kings’ picks are concerned.]

The draft is two weeks away, and these are the Kings‘ picks:

• #49 (2nd round)
• #79 (3rd round)
• #109 (4th round)
• #139 (5th round)
• #169 (6th round)
• #199 (7th round)

Dean Lombardi has had a first round pick in his every draft as a GM, except one year — 2000, in San Jose, when he dealt his 1st round pick in the Vincent Damphousse trade. Interestingly, that year Lombardi’s first pick would have been #49, same as this year, but he traded up to #41. Forty-one is the lowest first pick Lombardi has ever had. Second-lowest, 27, then 20.

I will be really interested to see if he sets a new low this year, at #49.

Lombardi has never left a draft having only used his team’s original picks, without at least a couple of picks acquired from others.

Last draft, Lombardi consolidated his picks and ended up selecting five players, which was a record low quantity for him. His previous four Kings drafts he had 10, 9, 10 and 9 picks.

What will he do this time?

Before or during this year’s draft, Dean Lombardi will…