This is asanine. We are built to be a borderline playoff contender. The second American we took wasn't even slated to go top 40 by most teams and will most likely never be a regular nhler. We have enough grit/character. I'm sick and tired of taking the safe picks. Mcdonogh's ceiling is where Komisarek is now, which is 4/5 dman, and Pecowhatever's is 3rd line forward. Koicu and A Kost are our only player projected to be more than second liners, and we don't even have a dman in the system capable of being on a top pair. Basically the future looks like this. Hope Koivu and Kost put up 120 points a year, and hope we can roll 3 other lines that don't go -10 each and then hope Price steals the show. If we win a title in the next 5 years it will be with the weakest group of forwards, and the weakest defence in the nhl's history.
Subban?
Damn.
McKeen's were high on him...had him ranked #33.
This thread brings back memories. My first year working with McKeen's...I published a monthly printed draft guide for them...lots of work. Did everything from layout to writeups to co-rankings, to mail delivery.
Subban's talent was unquestionable from the time he entered the OHL. He could go and to end, and had a howitzer for a shot. Largest concern was with his hockey sense.
We strongly considered ranking him in the first, but he was risky defensively, and there was still lots of maturing for him to do. I wasn't too worried about his height, as he was stronger and thicker than most.
Gotta love looking back on those old threads. Pretty sure I hated the pick at the time. Shows how much I know...
Just yanking your chain boys.
From X-Sharkies draft analysis about PK:
"He is hesitant to involve himself in traffic and will let a guy walk him to the net before he takes a bruise."
"Terrible defensively but pure dynamite offensively."
PK Subban and Olivier Fortier both got Hon Mentions in the TSN top 60
Read carefully: SUBBAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE AWFUL DEFENSIVELY. Which means that I was just going with reports and that I didn't see the guy play. So I have no problem with what I'm saying....just confirms that others, mainly PROFESSIONNALS, were totally wrong about him.
Oh and how about this....It's not like TSN saw PK's progression going the way it did either....Subban wasn't even in their top 60.
Sucks that you didn't pull out the post where I say that McDonagh would be an incredible pick. Pacioretty is a good pick. And I didn't like Weber pick. Though I didn't like PK pick (based on reports) and liked Fortier pick. So I'm 3 out of 5. Also wrote that St.Louis was a big winner....well not really. Yet produced 3 NHL'ers. I really thought Cole would be more than what he is right now. But you can't say that I was an anti-Eller....
We are just fans making fans selections. And I was pretty young at that time....Way more mature now.
Wow the amount of crowd to be eaten with Subban is unreal lol.
How about all the guys you were suggesting for the Habs to draft after the first... Not going to bring them up? That was quite an underwhelming list. LOL!
At the end of the day, PK was never supposed to be anywhere near this good. If he made it, the ceiling was seen as a PP specialist. Good rushes and big shot. He was a train wreck defensively in Belleville. One of the steepest development curves I've seen.
The funniest part is that the same people who bashes fans for going with hindsight are actually using that thread with....hindsight. And most people didn't even voiced their opinions. Easiest job in the world.
In the end, it's all in good fun.
Interesting read.
This was well before I joined hfboards, and at the time I considered the draft an afterthought of sorts.
Personally, I thought it was cool just to see which posters are still around today. Whitesnake was pretty on the money in the first round, congrats.
Won the 1st, lost the 2nd. I love my progression though...I was awful when we picked Price. Worst moment of my "drafting" career. I even was questioning Timmins credentials... Really an awful awful moment....if people want to laugh...pull out THAT thread....The Price reaction was the best of the Habs HF history.
Here is the thread...
Enjoy.
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=156288
And Whitesnake, here it is:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=3166825&postcount=102
It's funny when you think about it...
Our 3 best players: Price, Subban and Pacioretty all received mainly negative comments when they got drafted.
Whitesnake's reaction about Carey Price...hmm, priceless buddy!
While your reaction was....But it's not like I'm hiding from it. I actually asked to see the thread....