Draft day: Lecavalier vs. Thornton

[Big Phil]

Let's say somehow both players were drafted the same year and with their last respective years of junior which was would you have taken?

Lecavalier - 58games-44g-71a-115 points
Thornton - 51games-41g-81a-122 points

Both represented Canada at the WJC those years. Thornton won Gold while Lecavalier was part of the worst Canadian team in history. I can remember the talk of Lecavalier leading up to 1998, he was clearly head and shoulders above the rest although Legwand pushed him a bit at the end. Thornton was drawing Ron Francis comparisons and was a sure bet to be a superstar. Who was more valuable during their last years of junior?

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[Sens Rule]

But who was to be the Micahel Jordan of Hockey?

I can remember most draft hype going back to about 1987. But I certainly was not following it really closely.. nor am I some kind of expert. But I think Lecavalier would have gone before Thronton did. But it would have been close. Both had huge size... both were clearly, I think, better prospects than their junior numbers suggested.

Reflecting on that Lecavalier draft.... their are still likely many teams kicking themselves for not taking a Flyers on Brad Richards in the second round. He had pretty much as good a draft year as his linemate Lecavalier but he didn't have the size or ooze talent in the same way..... To me Tampa drafting Vinnie's linemate was a great, great decision....

 

[Big Phil]

Yeah that shocked me back then. He wasnt picked until what 64th overall? That's insane. And Nik Antropov was picked 10th, wow!