Wow - didn't realize how many of our 2003 draftees already busted. Other than Stewart, who's on the cusp of bust, Meyer who's still listed as a prospect, and Horton, Kreps, and Glass who are considered NHLers already, everyone else is a bust.
Still, that's a pretty good draft to have 3 NHLers and 2 guys still with a shot after 5 years.
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"...and ultimately it doesn't matter."
Drafting 4 guys who still have pretty good potential in the NHL is pretty good, considering some previous draft years for this team.
If you look at the 1999 and 2000 drafts for this team, you can see really bad years. Hagman and Auld are the only players still around from both drafts. We all remember the great Denis Shvidki, but who the hell is Vladi Sapozhnikov?
Drafting 4 guys who still have pretty good potential in the NHL is pretty good, considering some previous draft years for this team.
If you look at the 1999 and 2000 drafts for this team, you can see really bad years. Hagman and Auld are the only players still around from both drafts. We all remember the great Denis Shvidki, but who the hell is Vladi Sapozhnikov?
"A mammoth defensman, who was mean and as wide as a tree trunk" blah blah blah, was supposed to be some beast out of Siberia but he couldn't handle living away from home.
"A mammoth defensman, who was mean and as wide as a tree trunk" blah blah blah, was supposed to be some beast out of Siberia but he couldn't handle living away from home.
Spot on. He was our top pick that year as we didn't have a first. Never even played a game in North America, if I'm not mistaken.
Spot on. He was our top pick that year as we didn't have a first. Never even played a game in North America, if I'm not mistaken.
Played a bit for the North Bay Centennials in the OHL and then played 4 games in the AHL or something like that and jetted back to Russia. I hope that's correct as it was off memory.
Played a bit for the North Bay Centennials in the OHL and then played 4 games in the AHL or something like that and jetted back to Russia. I hope that's correct as it was off memory.
Yeah, it's good. Checked it out on Hockeydb. Played 4 games for Utah one year and 4 games the next and was never heard from again. He seemed to have some decent potential too, but his head turned out to not be in it.
But the 2003 draft has been good to the Panthers. I wonder how much better Horton would have been had he not gotten injured so much in his first couple of years. Other than that, we got two NHL players besides Horton in Glass and Kreps (who I think will have a breakout year next year) and who knows if Meyer or Stewart will ever make the NHL full time, but there's a chance. Good draft for all intents and purposes.
Other than that, we got two NHL players besides Horton in Glass and Kreps (who I think will have a breakout year next year)
Kreps has all the tools to have a real good year next year. I'm not saying he's going to put up 50 points or anything, but he was just a very good player for us last year IMO. A good steal in the draft.
I wouldn't exactly call him a steal by any means since he's a 2nd round pick that was decently highly regarded before the draft. He's not going to be a star or a top 2 line player probably, but I still think he may have 2nd line upside. At worse he'll end up playing 3rd line for some team, but I like what he brings. As a beginning-mid second round pick, he's slightly exceeding expectations. Second rounders generally make teams and play a bit, although lots of our second rounders seem to bust.
I wouldn't exactly call him a steal by any means since he's a 2nd round pick that was decently highly regarded before the draft. He's not going to be a star or a top 2 line player probably, but I still think he may have 2nd line upside. At worse he'll end up playing 3rd line for some team, but I like what he brings. As a beginning-mid second round pick, he's slightly exceeding expectations. Second rounders generally make teams and play a bit, although lots of our second rounders seem to bust.
That's why I'd call him a steal, especially with our poor drafting history. It's been a pleasant suprise to have a 2nd rounder play solidly and still showing signs of improvement. 20 picks from the 2nd round that year have yet to register a point in the NHL.
That's why I'd call him a steal, especially with our poor drafting history.
The Panthers don't have a poor drafting history - at least not in the context you're discussing. They've seen a rate of over 20% of their picks reach the NHL, which is comparable to the rest of the league.
Where they're deficient is picking star-caliber players. Very few in their 15-year history. Mostly they pick 3rd and 4th liners or back pair dmen. Although I'd suggest scouting has improved the last 3-5 years.
The Panthers don't have a poor drafting history - at least not in the context you're discussing. They've seen a rate of over 20% of their picks reach the NHL, which is comparable to the rest of the league.
Where they're deficient is picking star-caliber players. Very few in their 15-year history. Mostly they pick 3rd and 4th liners or back pair dmen. Although I'd suggest scouting has improved the last 3-5 years.
Well said. I guess we do draft NHL players, just not really good ones.
The Panthers don't have a poor drafting history - at least not in the context you're discussing. They've seen a rate of over 20% of their picks reach the NHL, which is comparable to the rest of the league.
Where they're deficient is picking star-caliber players. Very few in their 15-year history. Mostly they pick 3rd and 4th liners or back pair dmen. Although I'd suggest scouting has improved the last 3-5 years.
Along this same train of thought, would anyone consider 2004 to be our best draft year? Looking back on our drafts, not counting 2004 and beyond cause it's too soon to tell, I can only find a couple of drafts that yielded three consistent NHL players:
1994: Ed Jovanovski, Rhett Warrener, Ryan Johnson
1995: Radek Dvorak, Peter Worrell, Filip Kuba
2003: Nathan Horton, Kamil Kreps, Tanner Glass (with Meyer and Stewart still possibilities.
I mean, if one more of those guys makes it, it has to be our best draft right? The only other year I considered counting was 2002 with Bouwmeester and Campbell with Globke seeing some time in the NHL, but he hasn't solidified a spot.
Along this same train of thought, would anyone consider 2004 to be our best draft year? Looking back on our drafts, not counting 2004 and beyond cause it's too soon to tell, I can only find a couple of drafts that yielded three consistent NHL players:
1994: Ed Jovanovski, Rhett Warrener, Ryan Johnson
1995: Radek Dvorak, Peter Worrell, Filip Kuba
2003: Nathan Horton, Kamil Kreps, Tanner Glass (with Meyer and Stewart still possibilities.
I mean, if one more of those guys makes it, it has to be our best draft right? The only other year I considered counting was 2002 with Bouwmeester and Campbell with Globke seeing some time in the NHL, but he hasn't solidified a spot.
Just food for thought and argument.
2004? Lets look at those picks:
1st round: Olesz (great pick but there were 3 much better picks in Zajac, Wolski, Meszaros, and Mike Green)
2nd round: Shantz (not an NHLer and bright side isn't very high), and Booth (great pick)
4th round: Schafer (didn't play hockey last year)
5th round: Nasby (4 points in 31 games in the ECHL this season)
9th round: Dillon (never did good in the CHL nor in the NCAA), and Beaverson (maybe? most likely not.)
2 NHLers, 1 AHL/ECHL goalie, 1 Prospect. Not the greatest draft.
2004? Lets look at those picks:
1st round: Olesz (great pick but there were 3 much better picks in Zajac, Wolski, Meszaros, and Mike Green)
2nd round: Shantz (not an NHLer and bright side isn't very high), and Booth (great pick)
4th round: Schafer (didn't play hockey last year)
5th round: Nasby (4 points in 31 games in the ECHL this season)
9th round: Dillon (never did good in the CHL nor in the NCAA), and Beaverson (maybe? most likely not.)
2 NHLers, 1 AHL/ECHL goalie, 1 Prospect. Not the greatest draft.
Oops, my bad. I was thinking 2003. Don't know why I wrote 2004.
The Panthers don't have a poor drafting history - at least not in the context you're discussing. They've seen a rate of over 20% of their picks reach the NHL, which is comparable to the rest of the league.
Where they're deficient is picking star-caliber players. Very few in their 15-year history. Mostly they pick 3rd and 4th liners or back pair dmen. Although I'd suggest scouting has improved the last 3-5 years.
The rate of 20% may be comparable to other teams, but it is not really a reliable stat to use to prove that Panthers drafting is as good as the rest. I mean, drafted players usually come into the league playing for the team that drafted them. Panthers has been one of the consistently worst teams in the league in the last 10 years, and also a team that seems to be rushing their young players into the league which ofcourse creates opportunities for the draftees. Also Panthers have been injury prone for years, which has the same effect.
I would see poor drafting as THE reason for our poor performance. If our drafting was good, we would be a good team. Looking into our depth chart and all the posts above, that clearly isn't the case.
