Atlanta/ Valabik?????

[trahans99]

London deserves to host the memorial cup this year, their a great team, with probably the best junior arena in the all of the CHL. You make is seem like London completly choked last year, they did set the OHL record for most points in a season, swept their first two rounds of the playoffs and lost in the semi's againt the Guelph Storm in 7 games, Guelph did only finish a few points behind the Knights in the regular and had a much more veteran squad but when the playoffs started last year, everyone knew it would be a battle between London and Guelph and it was.

Now as for London only getting into a the memorial cup by hosting it, you shouldn't really talk, being from Ottawa I assume your a 67's fan and wasn't it just like 4 or 5 years ago that Ottawa won the memorial cup despite losing in the 2nd round of the OHL playoffs. Luckily they were the host city so they were still able to play for the memorial cup and eventually won it, I'm sure you were cheering than so no need to be bitter.

DIDO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Captain Conservative]

DIDO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wha?

 

[whitesox_2000_22*]

All i have to say is that the kid is garbage...he is big slow and dumb he is lucky that he actually got drafted i would be embarrsed to have him on my team...the kid can not even pass let alone shoot. For a big guy his shot is insanely garbage, no speed or accuracy what so ever the guy is a goof all together i feel sorry for anyone that thinks he is actually going to be somebody :lol :lol :lol

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Wha?

I think he forgot a "L"

 

[Flames Draft Watcher]

All i have to say is that the kid is garbage...he is big slow and dumb he is lucky that he actually got drafted i would be embarrsed to have him on my team...the kid can not even pass let alone shoot. For a big guy his shot is insanely garbage, no speed or accuracy what so ever the guy is a goof all together i feel sorry for anyone that thinks he is actually going to be somebody :lol :lol :lol

You don't appear to be much better than your opinion of Valabik...

 

[puckstopper101]

He can still grow..

lol good point. he's only eighteen

 

[puckstopper101]

He was talking about Chara, /QUOTE]
sorry, i got confused.

 

[AgentNaslund*]

Atlanta draft players according to what they need. Not taking the best players available aproach. Taking Jay Boumeester over Lethonen was a no brainer. But at that time, they wanted a goalie. Its pretty obvious how Atlanta does their draft, they have 2 wingers, Heatly, Stefan, Coburn, Vlabik, Lethonen. You can tell by the pattern they draft what they need. Personally, I take Stafford or the Finnish guy over Vlabik any day.

 

[trahans99]

Atlanta draft players according to what they need. Not taking the best players available aproach. Taking Jay Boumeester over Lethonen was a no brainer. But at that time, they wanted a goalie. Its pretty obvious how Atlanta does their draft, they have 2 wingers, Heatly, Stefan, Coburn, Vlabik, Lethonen. You can tell by the pattern they draft what they need. Personally, I take Stafford or the Finnish guy over Vlabik any day.

I thought they would have taken Schremp at centre, Savard isn't going to stay there long term unless they wanna pay him big bucks that he isn't worth.

 

[Holly Gunning]

Savard isn't going to stay there long term unless they wanna pay him big bucks that he isn't worth.

Actually, no. Savard can barely stand to be away from Atlanta because of his golf game. I think the team would part with him before he'd part with it. But he has fit in well so far, so we'll see.

 

[stardog]

Can anyone tell me why Atlanta would waste there #10 pick on this big, tall baboon. I've already posted a few other messages on this guy last year telling everyone this guy shouldn't be picked in the first round. Atlanta had done a good job in the prior drafts so I was shocked that they were the team dumb enough to think Valabik will become Zdeno Chara.

Has anyone seen this kid play recently? Once again the London Knights exposed him as being nothing but a big and slow!!!! Corey Perry put a move on him that made him look like a 12 year old boy!! Yes thats right, Perry deked him out of his pants just 1:23 into the OHL season and roofed it past the KW goalie.

I'm also guessing that Valabik was happy to see referee Steve Webb save his a*s by giving Prust a game misconduct for slew footing (when he did not slew foot the guy, replays prove that). I'm sure others know what Prust did to that giant, he knocked him flat on his back in a fight (prust is 5'10)!!!!

All I can say is I look forward to the Knights continuing dominating the OHL and escpecially Valabik, they expose him for what is truly is NOTHING!!!

This comes across as a post from a bitter London fan with a bunch of holes in the argument.
At 18 did anybody know Chara would be that good. NO WAY!
How many people have been undressed by a more experienced Perry? Yet it is fair to criticize and single out Valabik for this?
At 18, I am glad that you know that he will amount to nothing and you decided to share your London Lovefest with us at the expense of Valabik.
You want him to be perfect yet Prust is one of the best junior fighters there s and you compare Boris to him. Perry is an unusual talent and rip Valabik for getting beat on a move which happens to many other layers (yes even Knights players once or twice).
I have nothing against Valabik nor do I care either way but your argument is totally weak and without substance. You are basically pointing out that the kid has flaws he needs to work on (an amazing grasp of the obvious) and citing examples against players that got the better of him in a situation and because of that he is a wasted pick.
Im sorry, he may or may nt turn out but based on your reasoning you leave much to be desired. Give him a break cuz he is STILL learning. Is it personal?

 

[Kaiped Krusader]

Atlanta draft players according to what they need. Not taking the best players available aproach.

Not true.

Taking Jay Boumeester over Lethonen was a no brainer. But at that time, they wanted a goalie.

I hate rehashing this two years after the fact but drafting Bouwmeester was not an option for the Thrashers. If you don't know why, search the archives for explanation of the deals that went down.

Its pretty obvious how Atlanta does their draft, they have 2 wingers, Heatly, Stefan, Coburn, Vlabik, Lethonen. You can tell by the pattern they draft what they need.

The players they've drafted have been the players Atlanta felt were best available at that given time. What winger, defenseman, or goalie was considered a better pick than Stefan at the time? What center, defenseman, or goalie was considered a better pick than Heatley at the time? What center, defenseman, or goalie was considered a better pick than Kovalchuk at the time? What center, defenseman, or winger was considered a better pick than Lehtonen at the time? In '99, '00, '01, there was strong consensus on the players Atlanta took. In 2002, a few people felt Pitkanen might be better than Lehtonen, but not many.

It wasn't until '03 that you could make a strong case for someone other than Coburn eighth overall. His strongest competition was Phaneuf, another defenseman, anyways. Only in '04 can you make an argument that the Thrashers went out of their way to take a player they needed and not the best one available.

 

[Taxman]

Atlanta draft players according to what they need. Not taking the best players available aproach. Taking Jay Boumeester over Lethonen was a no brainer.

How is that a no brainer? Very few people think that Boumeester will be the player that Lehtonen will be. Do you honestly think most people think Boumeester will have a better NHL career than Lehtonen?

 

[Lessy]

Bouwmeester and Lehtonen will likely become two superstar players. Atlanta's drafting has been superb over the past few years. Taking Phaneuf over Coburn would have made there young prospects incredible. They have so many good young guns in their organization: Heatley, Kovalchuk, Coburn, Valabik, Lehtonen. Throw in Stefan and Savard, this is a team that could become very good in the next 5 years or so.

 

[leafaholix*]

Bouwmeester and Lehtonen will likely become two superstar players. Atlanta's drafting has been superb over the past few years. Taking Phaneuf over Coburn would have made there young prospects incredible. They have so many good young guns in their organization: Heatley, Kovalchuk, Coburn, Valabik, Lehtonen. Throw in Stefan and Savard, this is a team that could become very good in the next 5 years or so.

Coburn and Valabik aren't young guns... they're question marks.