Blake Wheeler... draft reach?

[TheHudlinator]

The telltale signs of Mark Jankowski?

Not a bad comparison Wheeler didn't join the WCHA until he was 19 and had 23 points in 39 games so far as an 18 year old Jankowski has 10 points in 20 games and Wheeler was on much better team (had Kessel and Goligoski)

 

[Stej]

From the first round I would pick
Smid
Stafford
Radulov
Zajac
Schneider
Green

I think he is behind these players from the first round and I am not convinced Wheeler is getting better.

You obviously haven't watched him much over the past 2 years. He is blossoming into an amazing player as we speak. He put up 64 points in 80 games to lead the Jets last year and that was after a dreadful start. This year he's already off to a point per game pace after 6.

Obviously it depends on needs, but I would take him over most of those players listed. Maybe that's just my homer glasses talking though.

 

[boredmale]

It was a huge reach not a huge bust but there were better players taken after him.

I am fairly sure when you pick 5th, their is a good chance there will be a few players picked after you who are better(just going by law of averages). Simple fact is he ended up better then all the players that were projected to be top 10 picks that were left on the board by time they picked(save maybe Smid, but even that is debatable).

 

[TheHudlinator]

You obviously haven't watched him much over the past 2 years. He is blossoming into an amazing player as we speak. He put up 64 points in 80 games to lead the Jets last year and that was after a dreadful start. This year he's already off to a point per game pace after 6.

Obviously it depends on needs, but I would take him over most of those players listed. Maybe that's just my homer glasses talking though.

I don't think he is getting better just trying more when I watched him in Boston he looked lazy most night.

 

[TheHudlinator]

I am fairly sure when you pick 5th, their is a good chance there will be a few players picked after you who are better(just going by law of averages). Simple fact is he ended up better then all the players that were projected to be top 10 picks that were left on the board by time they picked(save maybe Smid, but even that is debatable).

I never said he didn't end up better but he was a stretch at #5 and looking back is still a stretch at 5 but he did become an effective player.

 

[KingBogo]

I don't get singling out Blake Wheeler as a draft reach. After Ovi and Malkin it was a **** poor draft, that had a top 10 which included Barker, Motoya, and the minor league trio of Olesz, Picard and Valabik. Wheeler on the other hand is the Jets first line right wing, and top point getter last season with 64 points. There are a couple of players after him you can make an argument for being better but for the most part weren't that highly regarded either.

 

[PsychoDad]

Wouldnt pick Smid or Stafford before him. Krejci on the other hand...

 

[Joey Moss]

Wouldnt pick Smid or Stafford before him. Krejci on the other hand...

Smid would easily get picked over Wheeler if there was a re-draft, IMO. Teams want a big, fearless shutdown defenseman rather than streaky scorers.

As for the thread, yes major reach. When Hickey (I think it was Hickey) was drafted they showed a list of reach picks and I think he was the biggest reach for his ranking. Antropov might have been there also.

 

[TS Quint]

From the first round I would pick
Smid
Stafford
Radulov
Zajac
Schneider
Green

I think he is behind these players from the first round and I am not convinced Wheeler is getting better.

Smid? Really? who plays 18:30/game, over a 6'5 man who put up 64 points last year? You gotta see Wheeler play. I would say best forward on the Jets. Kane might be better soon but not yet.

 

[PensFan6687]

Smid would easily get picked over Wheeler if there was a re-draft, IMO. Teams want a big, fearless shutdown defenseman rather than streaky scorers.

As for the thread, yes major reach. When Hickey (I think it was Hickey) was drafted they showed a list of reach picks and I think he was the biggest reach for his ranking. Antropov might have been there also.

Yeah, ummm, no. As a Jets season ticket holder who is neither a big Wheeler fan (nothing against the guy, he is a superb talent) or a Jets first fan, I prefer my Pens... (just showing I have no bias)... I have to laugh at this comment. One is a depth player and another is a primary guy. He's turning into the heart and soul of the team and since his monster second half in 11/12 and this year he has turned into one of the better forwards in the game. Production wise, no way we would move a Wheeler for a Ladislav Smid. And from a marketing perspective, Wheeler is a bigger money maker. Can't exclude "the marketability" factor of a player. Guy sells a ton of jerseys, and I wonder why that would be? He's been good enough to make fans invest hundreds putting a jersey with his name on their back.

btw That is no slight against big fearless shutdown defensemen you speak of, as my all-time favourite defenseman is Vladimir Konstantinov. I should get a jersey with his name.

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

Smid would easily get picked over Wheeler if there was a re-draft, IMO. Teams want a big, fearless shutdown defenseman rather than streaky scorers.

As for the thread, yes major reach. When Hickey (I think it was Hickey) was drafted they showed a list of reach picks and I think he was the biggest reach for his ranking. Antropov might have been there also.

Uh, no. Wow.
Not even close.

 

[PensFan6687]

Uh, no. Wow.
Not even close.

I know! Speaking of the word "reach", that was one mighty fine example of the word reach. I am liking him more than a lot on the aforementioned list that people posted in this thread. But the Smid comment.. especially yowsers. Hasn't seen his tenure with the Jets. This isn't your Boston Wheeler anymore.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

The telltale signs of Mark Jankowski?

Yup. One successful draft reach means all reaches are justified. I wish it was just 7 straight rounds of Jankowski's.

 

[Jormungandr]

As a coyotes fan, it pains me to see the player he has turned into. I love his game.

 

[whlscowt]

As a coyotes fan, it pains me to see the player he has turned into. I love his game.

Do you think he would have developed into the same type of player under the Coyotes system? I often wonder about the role of circumstance in player development and how it all comes down to chance. Turris (another bit of a project pick) is a great example of that I believe. He struggled to find his footing in Phoenix, but seems to be putting things together in Ottawa. A player is only as good as his situation and how well his skillsets serve the style of of play of the team.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I was going through the old tsn top 30 draft archives and saw that Wheeler wasn't even ranked in the top 30 in the 04 draft. For a guy that was picked 5th overall that would have to be considered quite the reach.

I wasn't following hockey in depth back then so my questions are how big of a reach was Wheeler considered and what was the reaction to the pick.

Here's the article if anyone is interested http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=10903

Some places had him ranked low because he had made it clear he was going to uni and some rankings held it against him.

The all said he would be a good two way forward, but would be hurt by going to uni--

 

[Jumptheshark]

btw

they had Robbie friggen shremp at 15--in reality if the oilers did not take him at 25, many teams had him listed in the 3rd round

 

[Jormungandr]

Do you think he would have developed into the same type of player under the Coyotes system? I often wonder about the role of circumstance in player development and how it all comes down to chance. Turris (another bit of a project pick) is a great example of that I believe. He struggled to find his footing in Phoenix, but seems to be putting things together in Ottawa. A player is only as good as his situation and how well his skillsets serve the style of of play of the team.

Probably not. But I'm only basing this on our track record of being able to develop offensive talent. Peter Mueller is the only one I can think of that's had any actual success offensively. And that was only in his rookie year. He fell off a cliff in his second season and there were reports that is was due to him losing his passion for hockey because of his religion, or something to that effect. Can't really remember all the details.

Mikkel Boedker appears to be on the right track but they are different situations with different coaches and systems. (Or lack of a system when talking about the Gretzky coached years.)

 

[KingBogo]

My pet peeve with this debate is just because the talking heads in the media come up with their draft lists doesn't mean this the proper order of how players should be drafted. Teams spend a lot of time and money on scouting, so why shouldn't the GM go by their impressions and lists over some guy with far less knowledge putting together an article for a newspaper/website.

 

[XX]

Do you think he would have developed into the same type of player under the Coyotes system? I often wonder about the role of circumstance in player development and how it all comes down to chance. Turris (another bit of a project pick) is a great example of that I believe. He struggled to find his footing in Phoenix, but seems to be putting things together in Ottawa. A player is only as good as his situation and how well his skillsets serve the style of of play of the team.

Nobody made it out of the Gretzky years alive. Ruined an entire set of prospects. Tippett isn't known for being much better, but he has his reasons. It's not really a coincidence that the two prospects that have had success in Phoenix (of recent picks) are defensively responsible; Boedker and Hanzal.

 

[North Country]

As a coyotes fan, it pains me to see the player he has turned into. I love his game.

This says it all.

 

[kingsfan]

I don't think he is getting better just trying more when I watched him in Boston he looked lazy most night.

Improving your work ethic is getting better as a player.

I never said he didn't end up better but he was a stretch at #5 and looking back is still a stretch at 5 but he did become an effective player.

How is it a stretch in retrospect when he'd still be a likely top 10 pick?

Smid would easily get picked over Wheeler if there was a re-draft, IMO. Teams want a big, fearless shutdown defenseman rather than streaky scorers.

Yeah. I'm a Smid fan as well, and even I wouldn't consider trading Wheeler for Smid. He's a decent 2nd pairing player at this point, while Wheeler is a top line player in Winnipeg and the clubs leading scorer from last year. It's not even close.

 

[TheHudlinator]

Improving your work ethic is getting better as a player.



How is it a stretch in retrospect when he'd still be a likely top 10 pick?



Yeah. I'm a Smid fan as well, and even I wouldn't consider trading Wheeler for Smid. He's a decent 2nd pairing player at this point, while Wheeler is a top line player in Winnipeg and the clubs leading scorer from last year. It's not even close.

Because he wouldn't be?

Malkin
Ovy
Krejci
Radulov
Edler
Schneider
Green
Callahan
Versteeg
Grabovski
Streit
Stafford
Meszaros
Zajac
Ladd
Smid

are all from the same draft, I don't dislike Wheeler but he was a huge reach and he ended out working out rather well but in a redraft he most likely isn't top 10 and would still be a reach at 5. Its not a knock against him to say he was a reach because he was.

 

[BruinsBtn]

This thread shows how underrated Wheeler is.

He's a two-way, puck possession, fast, big winger who plays in the trenches, is great defensively, scores and makes plays.

He's a first-line winger.

 

[inthewings]

Because he wouldn't be?

Malkin
Ovy
Krejci
Radulov
Edler
Schneider
Green
Callahan
Versteeg
Grabovski
Streit
Stafford
Meszaros
Zajac
Ladd
Smid

are all from the same draft, I don't dislike Wheeler but he was a huge reach and he ended out working out rather well but in a redraft he most likely isn't top 10 and would still be a reach at 5. Its not a knock against him to say he was a reach because he was.

I's take Wheeler over Radulov, Versteeg, Grabovski, Streit, Stafford, and Smid.