trojan4 said:What happened to Kristian Kudroc (6'7 255lbs)?
RandomCanuckFan said:Kudroc is not 6'7, 255. I've seen 6'6, 230, maybe 6'6, 240, but never 6'7, 255.
Birko19 said:Let's give the kid a break, I mean he just got drafted last year.
In my opinion I also agree with those who think that the Thrashers saw a Chara kind of thing in him, a long project as we speak, if he booms then Atlanta hits the jackpot, and if he busts then oh well, it's not like Atlanta missed out on the next best thing, besides, draft mistakes happen often and like I said, it's not like there was a Crosby or an Ovechkin avalivble for them to pick, the draft itself was not that deep to begin with and Atlanta felt a little gamble would'nt hurt at all, they already cashed in with the likes of Kovalchuk, Heatley, and Lehtonen, so you gotta take a gamble sometimes, specially gambles that could reward you highly.
bert said:This is a great post.
Birko19 said:Let's give the kid a break, I mean he just got drafted last year.
In my opinion I also agree with those who think that the Thrashers saw a Chara kind of thing in him, a long project as we speak, if he booms then Atlanta hits the jackpot, and if he busts then oh well, it's not like Atlanta missed out on the next best thing, besides, draft mistakes happen often and like I said, it's not like there was a Crosby or an Ovechkin avalivble for them to pick, the draft itself was not that deep to begin with and Atlanta felt a little gamble would'nt hurt at all, they already cashed in with the likes of Kovalchuk, Heatley, and Lehtonen, so you gotta take a gamble sometimes, specially gambles that could reward you highly.
All of the above mentioned players had question marks attached to them just like Valabik. So it wasn't like any of them were better alternatives...just different. Plus, I don't see many teams selecting offensive d-men like Meszaros early in the 1st round...mostly they get selected in the late 1st or early 2nd, historically (plus he was listed at 6' at the draft so his size is a question mark for him). Atlanta addressed the offensive d-man role by selecting Grant Lewis in the 2nd round (and he's got good size at 6'3"). I personally don't like Wolski, Radulov or Stafford anymore than Valabik at that spot. So in your list that leaves Tukonen and Schremp. Both adequate choices but just a matter of preference really (and both had good upside but also had bust potential as well). Also I think Atlanta could use a LW just as much as a RW in their organizational depth chart. But again, you don't really draft based on organizational needs. If that was the case, teams like Florida who had several potential and/or current top 2 line centers wouldn't draft a center like Rotislav Olesz.dunwoody_joe said:Great post and true enough!
But while there were no sure superstars out there, there were some nice alternatives. Let's look at who else the Thrashers could have picked:
1. Lauri Tukonen: not a bad choice considering the organization's lack of RW prospects.
2. Drew Stafford: see above. This would be my favorite RW choice. It would have been (at least on paper) a perfect organizational fit.
3. Alexander Radulov: ditto
4. Wojtek Wolski
5. Andrej Meszaros: my favorite offensive defenseman choice
6. Rob Schremp: my favorite centerman choice. Center is also another glaring weakness in the prospect pool.
So, let's see who develops into the better NHL players: Valabik or any of Stafford, Tukonen, Meszaros, or Schremp
Coolburn said:The player that you didn't mention that I'd prefer more than all of them is Travis Zajac and he could've resolved the weakness of centers in the organization. I really like what I saw in the Frozen Four tournament from Zajac. He looks like he'll be the perfect 2nd line center and would've been a good scoring threat other than Kovalchuk & Heatley. He's still a bit of a project but his downside doesn't seem that big to me.
Still, the potential of Valabik is extremely intriguing. I'd say that he'll be a #3 d-man in his prime but it will take him probably another 4-5 yrs to develop into that kinda of d-man. Atlanta is going to need to be patient with him to see some real returns from the pick. Even if they don't have the patience, I'm sure you could find some teams willing to trade value to acquire Valabik.
Coolburn said:All of the above mentioned players had question marks attached to them just like Valabik. So it wasn't like any of them were better alternatives...just different. Plus, I don't see many teams selecting offensive d-men like Meszaros early in the 1st round...mostly they get selected in the late 1st or early 2nd, historically (plus he was listed at 6' at the draft so his size is a question mark for him). Atlanta addressed the offensive d-man role by selecting Grant Lewis in the 2nd round (and he's got good size at 6'3"). I personally don't like Wolski, Radulov or Stafford anymore than Valabik at that spot. So in your list that leaves Tukonen and Schremp. Both adequate choices but just a matter of preference really (and both had good upside but also had bust potential as well). Also I think Atlanta could use a LW just as much as a RW in their organizational depth chart. But again, you don't really draft based on organizational needs. If that was the case, teams like Florida who had several potential and/or current top 2 line centers wouldn't draft a center like Rotislav Olesz.
The player that you didn't mention that I'd prefer more than all of them is Travis Zajac and he could've resolved the weakness of centers in the organization. I really like what I saw in the Frozen Four tournament from Zajac. He looks like he'll be the perfect 2nd line center and would've been a good scoring threat other than Kovalchuk & Heatley. He's still a bit of a project but his downside doesn't seem that big to me.
Still, the potential of Valabik is extremely intriguing. I'd say that he'll be a #3 d-man in his prime but it will take him probably another 4-5 yrs to develop into that kinda of d-man. Atlanta is going to need to be patient with him to see some real returns from the pick. Even if they don't have the patience, I'm sure you could find some teams willing to trade value to acquire Valabik.
Patty Ice XXX said:Well, hindsight is always 20/20 now isn't so that aint a ballsy statement right there. I like the move...shows some nuts on Waddell's part. As per HF gang, he's being written off prematurely.
DeuceUNO said:valabik = hal gill
That settles it. The experts of HFBoards have spoken.PecaFan said:It's not hindsight. Valabik was pretty much the concensus guy to bust around here last year. Just one thread of many:
http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=84485&highlight=valabik
Legionnaire said:In the 20's he was a good strategic pick, but not at number 10.
Anaheim would concur on the Smid pick. At least the old regime would anyways. Who knows who Brian Burke would've picked for the Ducks last year?Raven25 said:I would have taken Smid or Meszaros over Valabik as d-picks that year.