I watched a handful of OHL games and the World Jr's his draft year and was never really impressed me with his hockey IQ/hands. Was worried he'd end up a Legwand type. But once he made the big club and started feeling comfortable, he was producing really well. Not only that, but his drive carried over to the NHL and it really sets him apart. He dictates the play and has become the heartbeat of the franchise. It's very apparent when he's not in the lineup. He's made me a believer. This kid is a stud.
I did not think Couture's game would translate this well this quickly. Thought he was too small and frail for the size of the NHL and would need to beef up before making a significant impact.
Still does need some more muscle, but the guy has already proven he has an elite shot and is a great goal scorer.
came to say Couture as well.
i never thought he was bad in junior, i just didnt see a top 10 pick in him at the time... even after he was drafted. he proves me wrong almost daily now
i never thought he was bad in junior, i just didnt see a top 10 pick in him at the time... even after he was drafted. he proves me wrong almost daily now
I always thought he would be a better pro then junior player just because of his hockey smarts. He was just sooo much smarter then any one he played with that his points suffered in junior because his line mates rarely could finish his plays.
When Anaheim drafted Bobby Ryan it was way outta left field and I think everyone was skeptical on him, especially given his past. We were all getting our Jack Johnson jerseys ready and I think we were disappointed originally... fortunately he lived up to his draft position IMO.
It wasnt that shocking. Back then, Johnson was almost unanimously #2 and followed by Brule, Pouliot and Ryan in no particular order. However I remember well analysts talking about the possibility of Ryan going #2 because he was a Brian Burke type of player.
This, and Marc-Andre Fleury. I am always wary of teams that select goaltenders very high. Pierre McGuire did blast that choice at the time, but at the time, I would have agreed with him.
Related: don't laugh at this one, but I'm going to say Roberto Luongo (he was rushed to the NHL by the Islanders before he was ready, and it wasn't until he was with Florida that he showed how good he was).
Those saying OEL - I thought so too at first---now I think that he's in the top tier of defensemen.
Price for sure...the funny thing is when he was drafted, Hab fans were pretty upset..I remember that thread here....but lo and behold, it was a brilliant draft for them....
Drew Doughty has been better than I expected. I had some bad vibes around him. In particular it felt like the media was hyping him just to have someone to put on the level of Stamkos and make it seem like there was some doubt about how the draft would go. With that said; he is not near Stamkos and I still can't imagine Stamkos not going top slot. Doughty has been better than I thought, though.
I believe I had some doubts on Nathan Horton; but he has been consistent.
I also was a fan of Kadri; but didn't know if his game would translate to the NHL. He became a two-way player; with no drop in the creativity he showed before the NHL. The guy makes something happen every time he is out there; only limited by his linemates.
And Cue Pierre Mcguire at 1:50:
''Jose Theodore, Cristobal Huet, they traded Mathieu Garon, had Yann Danis,... This is not a fit''
PRICEless.
He said it's not a fit, not that the player/pick is terrible if judged in isolation. Did the Price pick bring Gainey and the Habs success? No. Picking Price that year didn't help the organization. Of course, they could have done worse too. In any case, it's possible Price helps them to win in the Bergevin era, but we're already almost eight years removed from the draft.
He said it's not a fit, not that the player/pick is terrible if judged in isolation. Did the Price pick bring Gainey and the Habs success? No. Picking Price that year didn't help the organization. Of course, they could have done worse too. In any case, it's possible Price helps them to win in the Bergevin era, but we're already almost eight years removed from the draft.
To add to that: the fit (Price in goal) was forced twice since he was drafted. Moving Huet at the deadline (upcoming UFA and signed for big bucks but we still should have kept him for the playoffs) and trading playoff hero Halak. Both moves would not have happened if they didn't put all their eggs in one basket, taking a goalie #5 overall. Thankfully Minnesota took Pouliot.
I thought bogosian kinda sucked for a while, but he turned it around the past couple years. He's still got some room for growth, but he's much better than he had been
This.
I thought Bogosian would turn out to be Eric Brewer 2.0. AT BEST!!
