Goaltenders in the 1st Round in 2004 (long)

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Gwyddbwyll

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A thorny subject but certainly an ever increasing trend is the drafting of goalies in the first round. Which teams this year will definitely not be considering doing this and which ones are considering it? While all teams mouth the "BPA" mandate, every single one of them will have assessed their goaltending depth and quality and decided if it is something they need to address.

This year we have a clutch of hopeful first rounders. Schwarz, Montoya and Dubnyk are rated by many to be among the best 30 players. There are also four outsiders who may very well rise all the way to the 1st in Ellis, Shantz, Schneider, LaCosta. We may well see a repeat of 2001 when 4 goalies were drafted in the first.

In my opinion there are six NHL teams who will be paying extra close attention:
Los Angeles, Nashville, St.Louis, Montreal, Tampa and Toronto. I dont believe any other team is interested in drafting a goalie in the first round.

Los Angeles have a couple nice 03 prospects in Munce and Zaba. Despite the pressure of the high goaltending standards among the Pacific teams I feel they will bide their time another year. They also have the highest pick of the six teams and are deep everywhere else. Nashville has the history and the depth problems to take a goalie. Vokoun is a workhorse though and I think they will prefer to address offense. Montreal does not have the drafting history to take a goalie early and can also rely heavily on their goalie for another year. So this is how I see it going down:

St.Louis takes Montoya with the 18th pick
Tampa takes Dubnyk with the 20th pick
Toronto takes Schwarz with the 27th pick

Although a goalie may be ranked in the top 10 there is no team that needs a goalie till the 15th pick at the earliest.. then you have a whole clutch of teams from 15th to 20th pick that do (LA, CGY, NAS, STL, MTL, TAM). What that also means is we will probably see the teams after them in the draft order in a great position to make a steal - likely to be Dallas, Boston and San Jose.

I looked at each team and noted their current NHL/AHL pro goalies and who their "goalie of the future" stud prospect was. Drafting positions are taken from league standings as of today. This started as a small curiosity of mine and turned out a bit longer than I expected! Hope you enjoy.
 

Gwyddbwyll

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Western Conference

Chicago: Thibault, Leighton, Passmore, Andersson, Munro ~Drafting: 2nd
Best Goalie Prospect: Crawford (03)
Assessment: Thibault is quality. Munro has not lived up to expections since being drafted 29th in the 2001 draft which means they will be hoping for Crawford to bust out. The stable is fairly deep but there is little star quality compared to most. However they are drafting 2nd so there is no way they are considering a goalie.
Conclusion: Very Unlikely

Columbus: Denis, Brathwaite, Leclaire ~Drafting: 3rd
Best Goalie Prospect: Leclaire (01)
Assessment: A new team, Columbus has not built any depth. However Leclaire is playing well in the AHL after a slow start and Columbus will not panic yet. Nor will they consider a goalie at their draft position. They will wait to see if he can become the franchise goalie they hope for. They cannot wait forever so they may look for a new goaltender of the future in 2005 to complement their impressive collection of young skaters.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

Detroit: Joseph, Hasek, Legace ~Drafting 28th
Best Goalie Prospect: Liv (00)
Assessment: Detroit are lined up for a smooth transition to Liv. They spent their first pick of 2003 on Jim Howard, a strong prospect. They will not be spending their first rounder on a goalie.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

Nashville: Vokoun, Mason, Lasak, Finley ~Drafting 17th
Best Goalie Prospect: Finley (99)
Assessment: Brian Finley doesnt look like a franchise player. Lassila (03) may even be a better prospect at this point. Nashville has incredible depth on defense - now they need to address goaltending and offense. I feel they will opt for offense but lack of depth and quality makes them a shopper.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie

St.Louis: Osgood, Johnson, Divis, Sanford, Szuper ~Drafting 18th
Best Goalie Prospect: Nissinen (01)
Assessment: St.Louis have dug high and low for the goalie they want and acquired a deep stable that also includes Barulin (03). However are any of them good enough to succeed at the very top? The answer looks like no.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie

Calgary: Turek, Kiprusoff, McLennan, Sabourin ~Drafting 16th
Best Goalie Prospect: Krahn (00)
Assessment: A stable full of hot and cold, hit and miss goaltenders including Medvedev (01). They didnt look much at goalies in the last two draft years.. they may well do so halfway down the first round in 2004.
Conclusion: Unlikely

Colorado: Aebischer, Sauve, Budaj, Lawson ~Drafting 30th
Best Goalie Prospect: Budaj (01)
Assessment: Their best prospect is struggling in the AHL and they have not taken any goalie of note since making Budaj their first pick in 2001. However the youth of Aebischer and Sauve means they can afford to give Budaj all the time he needs.
Conclusion: Unlikely

Edmonton: Salo, Conklin, Valiquette, Morrison, Martin ~Drafting 9th
Best Goalie Prospect: Deslauriers (02)
Assessment: Thank god for Deslauriers. Edmonton nearly kept him on the NHL roster and looking at the paucity of talent you can see why. However they will not spend a top 10 pick on a goalie. Still an area of concern and they will be re-assessing this in a year's time no doubt.
Conclusion: Unlikely

Minnesota: Roloson, Fernandez, Kettles, Holmqvist ~Drafting 10th
Best Goalie Prospect: Harding (02)
Assessment: Nothing to see here, move along. Minnesota have no problems and the smart selection of Harding has kept it that way. The only thing is they lack a little depth which they can address with later picks.
Conclusion: Very Unlikely

Vancouver: Cloutier, Hedberg, Auld, McVicar, Moss ~Drafting 29th
Best Goalie Prospect: Auld (99)
Assessment: Fairly strong depth right now, but little beyond those three goalies. However we're talking so far away its not much of a problem.
Conclusion: Unlikely

Anaheim: Giguere, Gerber, Bryzgalov, Fehri ~Drafting 6th
Best Goalie Prospect: Bryzgalov (00)
Assessment: Smooth transition planned here. Anaheim will not even consider spending their high pick on a goalie.
Conclusion: Very unlikely

Dallas: Turco, Tugnutt, Bacashihua, Ellis, Smith ~Drafting 21st
Best Goalie Prospect: Bacashihua
Assessment: Dallas have a mini-masterclass of goalie prospects that also includes Stephan drafted in the first round in 2001. No way.. they dont have the space.
Conclusion: Definitely Not.

Los Angeles: Cechmanek, Huet, Hnilicka, Chouinard, Underhill, Denike ~Drafting 15th
Best Goalie Prospect: Munce (03) Zaba (03)
Assesment: Not the strongest of stables. The search for a goalie is reflected in the numbers above they have turned to. Munce and Zaba are a step in the right direction but they dont have the star quality other teams have.. particularly in the Pacific.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie

Phoenix: Burke, Boucher, Bierk, Pelletier, Leneveu ~Drafting 13th
Best Goalie Prospect: Leneveu (02)
Assessment: Another deep team. They have prepared for life without Burke by acquiring a stable of young talented goalies.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

San Jose: Nabokov, Toskala, Kotyk, Patzold, Schaefer ~Drafting 23rd
Best Goalie Prospect: Patzold (01)
Assessment: Do you realise San Jose have never picked a goalie higher than 55th (Freisen '96)? Nabokov was taken 219th, Kiprusoff 116th, Toskala 90th. The latest group of prospects Patzold (107th) Ehelechner (139th) and Schaefer (166th) look capable of carrying on this tradition.
Conclusion: Definitely Not
 
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Gwyddbwyll

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Eastern Conference

Boston: Raycroft, Potvin, Toivonen, Thomas ~Drafting 22nd
Best Goalie Prospect: Toivonen (02)
Assessment: Toivonen was a surprise in 2002 but he has lived up to it. Add Raycroft and the Bruins have no worries at all.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

Buffalo: Biron, Noronen, Miller, Askey ~Drafting 12th
Best Goalie Prospect: Miller (99)
Assessment: You know.. Miller and Noronen are getting kind of old now. Buffalo wont care though, they'll probably add a mid-round goalie as an afterthought.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

Montreal: Theodore, Garon, Fichaud, Damphousse, Michaud ~Drafting 19th
Best Goalie Prospect: Puurula (00)
Assessment: You know.. this surprised me. But Montreal have paid very little attention to their goaltending stable. Garon isnt that young. As long as they have Theodore they're okay but they really ought to prepare for the future better. Long shots on Puurula and Halak cannot be considered adequate.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie

Ottawa: Lalime, Prusek, Emery, Thompson, Allen ~Drafting 26th
Best Goalie Prospect: Emery (01)
Assessment: Ottawa are pretty solid here. Look for them to re-evaluate in a year's time though whether Emery or Prusek can be their post-Lalime goalie. They do have a strong track record in taking goalies high in the 2nd or 3rd round though.
Conclusion: Very Unlikely

Toronto: Belfour, Kidd, Tellqvist, Centomo, Minard, Racine, Hodson ~Drafting 27th
Best Goalie Prospect: Ford (02)
Assessment: No no no.. this wont do. Belfour and Kidd are getting old and the rest are not good enough for a top team like Toronto. Expect extensive goaltending scouting.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie

New Jersey: Brodeur, Schwab, Ahonen, Clemmenson ~Drafting 24th
Best Goalie Prospect: Ahonen (99)
Assessment: Everybody wants Brodeur. Devils have Ahonen, an underrated but excellent prospect. However both he and Clemmenson arent young prospects.. they could do with a tad more depth.. although its all immaterial when Brodeur plays 70 games a year for you. Next year, expect an assessment of Ahonen's success. If he fails then they'll look for a new goalie of the future.
Conclusion: Unlikely

NY Isles: DiPietro, Snow, Dubielewicz, Kochan ~Drafting 14th
Best Goalie Prospect: DiPietro (00)
Assessment: Say.. its been a while since Mad Mike drafted a franchise goaltender since Luongo and DiPietro. But surely even he will stick with his cards now. Dubie and Kochan were good FA pickups.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

NY Rangers: Dunham, Markkanen, LaBarbera, Blackburn ~Drafting 8th
Best Goalie Prospect: Blackburn (01) Lundqvist (00)
Assessment: High draft position and two stud prospects. Moving on.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

Philadelphia: Esche, Hackett, Nittymaki, Little ~Drafting 25th
Best Goalie Prospect: Nittymaki (98)
Assessment: Old goalie prospects seem to be the Philly trend. Cechmanek, Esche, Nittymaki, Malek.. Would look a lot healthier with Ouellet back.. that loss means you cant rule them out.
Conclusion: Unlikely.

Pittsburgh: Caron, Aubin, Fleury, Brochu, Boucher ~Drafting 1st
Best Goalie Prospect: Fleury (03)
Assessment: They have Fleury and they're gunning for Ovechkin. Nuff said.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

Atlanta: Nurminen, Dafoe, Lehtonen, Cassivi ~Drafting 11th
Best Goalie Prospect: Lehtonen (02)
Assessment: Things are going well in Thrasherland. Lehtonen is their man.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

Carolina: Weekes, Storr, DesRochers ~Drafting 5th
Best Goalie Prospect: Ward (02)
Assessment: A collection of backups from other teams. Cam Ward from the successful Red Deer Rebels is their hope for the future. They could definitely do with more but probably will look in 2005 since they have a high pick.
Conclusion: Very Unlikely

Florida: Luongo, Shields, Lajeunesse, Scott ~Drafting 7th
Best Goalie Prospect: Luongo (97)
Assessment: Made an exception for Luongo. He *is* their goalie of the future so the lack of depth matters little.
Conclusion: Definitely Not

Tampa: Khabibulin, Grahame, Konstantinov ~Drafting 20th
Best Goalie Prospect: Coleman (03)
Assessment: Absolutely no depth beyond the NHL. Trading Khabibulin could be suicide. Coleman was once highly touted but fell all the way to 224th. Boutin is another long shot. Tampa's drafting history is full of them and they need to fix it.. they cant always trade for another Khabibulin.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie

Washington: Kolzig, Stana, Ouellet, Charpentier ~Drafting 4th
Best Goalie Prospect: Ouellet (99)
Assessment: Kolzig may be leaving soon but Capitals have a nice diversity in their stable that includes Daigneault(02). They will be looking for something else with their high pick.
Conclusion: Definitely Not
 

Slats432

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Nice thread. I proposed that the Oilers take a goalie at 29th OV if that is where Philly ends up. At the time, the Oilers were to pick 7th, and I premised that Schwartz would be gone by then. Here is the post.(By the way...Edmonton has Philly's pick.)

If the season ended today, and there seems to be a reasonable likelyhood with our MVP out and possible deadline deals that the Oilers are going to look past CBA and likely finish not much higher than they are now.

Philadelphia will likely stay close to the same, so discussion of our drafting strategy will be a good thing. By the looks of it, 7th and 29th as of this moment.

Let us just say for a moment with Ovechkin, Chipchura, Malkin, Olesz, Wolski, Schwarz go top six and we have a party after selecting Barker at 7.(I don't think he lasts to 7, but you never know.)

Now the pick, the interesting pick....I think that we MUST take a goalie with this pick. Everytime I think about the future of the franchise with all the eggs in one basket, scares the bloody bejeezus out of me. JDD is a good prospect. But his numbers always scare me. His save percentage and GGA are worse than the other goalie for Chicoutimi Alexandre Vincent. So as good a prospect as he is, let's just make sure that we have an alternative in the organization.

With Schwarz off the board early, the attention turns to the next few goalies available.

Dubnyk
Montoya
Peters
Shantz
Ellis
Brown

Now let's look at between us and 29 to see what might be available when we get there.

Florida ---Do not need a goalie until at least 2010.
Buffalo ---Not a chance in hell.
Minnesota ---Harding is solid. Brust is the other option.
NY Rangers ---Blackburn is the future. The hedges are Lundqvist and Labarbera.
Atlanta ---Lehtonen is the future. They won't take a goalie.
Phoenix ---Boucher, Bierk, Leneveu, I think they will go elsewhere.
NY Islanders ---Ricky D and the unknown Dubielewicz, with Topping to top it off.
Los Angeles ---The first team that could take a goalie. If they are really high on Munce and Zaba and don't see something they like, Montoya could go here.
Montreal ---Theodore, Garon, Michaud, Puurua, Halak.
Nashville ---Finley could be heathy. Vokoun is still young. Lasak coming and two goalies drafted last year Sidikov and Lassila.
Tampa Bay ---Wildcard might take a goalie but starters not too old, Konstantinov, Eklund and Boutin in the system. Probably could use a center in the system.
Dallas ---Turco, Ellis, Bacashihua. Safe here.
Calgary ---With Kiprusoff, McLennan and 4 goalies in their top 10 on HF, probably safe.
St. Louis ---Nissinen, Barulin, Sandford, Rudkowsky, Divis, Osaer. Osgood is not too old yet either.
Boston ---Raycroft, Toivonen. No goalie going here.
San Jose ---Nabokov, Toskala, Patzold and Ehelechner. Solid.
New Jersey ---Ahonen is a top prospect. Clemmensen is a decent goalie. I doubt it here.
Ottawa ---Emery and Thompson. No needs here.
Toronto ---Todd Ford, Sebastien Centomo, Michael Tellqvist. Hard to say for sure.
Detroit ---Liv, Howard, MacDonald, Koopmans.
Vancouver ---Don't know how high they are on Mensator and Auld. Another Wildcard.

So, after Schwarz, there are two goalies that are really good left(Possibly more...I am high on Brown, but don't know enough about Ellis, Peters etc.), but there is a possibility that Los Angeles, Tampa and Vancouver all want to see a goalie too. If two out of those three teams decide on a goalie...then I guess we go for another skilled guy? Take David Brown or one of the other available goalies?

I say that if Dubnyk or Montoya are there at 29....it is a no brainer.
 

Gwyddbwyll

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Interesting to see we share many of the same ideas slats. I forgot all about Brown.. you can definitely add him to the list of potential 1sts.

I didnt take into account 1sts that had been traded as I wanted to look at every team regardless. But a major reason I ruled Edmonton out was that I did not believe they would spend a top 10 pick on a goalie. Especially since they dont often get to pick so high. But at 29th, they are definitely a likely candidate.
 

Douggy

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Nice job, but I disagree with your idea that teams will simply skip goaltenders just because they don't need them. There are MANY teams in the league that allways take the best player available at all times. This says to me that Shwartz and Montoya won't last beyond the 20th pick. I don't know enought about Dubnyk to comment on him.

Stevex said:
Toronto: Belfour, Kidd, Tellqvist, Centomo, Minard, Racine, Hodson ~Drafting 27th
Best Goalie Prospect: Ford (02)
Assessment: No no no.. this wont do. Belfour and Kidd are getting old and the rest are not good enough for a top team like Toronto. Expect extensive goaltending scouting.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie
I'm not as sold on Ford as other Leaf fans are, but I think Telqvist is the real deal. Given his performance at the World Championships last year, its a matter of time before he is a premier NHL goalie.
Stevex said:
Tampa: Khabibulin, Grahame, Konstantinov ~Drafting 20th
Best Goalie Prospect: Coleman (03)
Assessment: Absolutely no depth beyond the NHL. Trading Khabibulin could be suicide. Coleman was once highly touted but fell all the way to 224th. Boutin is another long shot. Tampa's drafting history is full of them and they need to fix it.. they cant always trade for another Khabibulin.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie
I think Coleman was a steal. He may have had an 'off' year last year, but this year his team just might set an OHL record for fewest goals against. (Granted, he will have only played half of his teams games by the end)

In the one game I've seen him he was VERY sound positionally, and made everything look easy. Tampa fans shouldn't write him off just because he is a 7th rounder.
 

cagney

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Douggy said:
I think Coleman was a steal. He may have had an 'off' year last year, but this year his team just might set an OHL record for fewest goals against. (Granted, he will have only played half of his teams games by the end)

In the one game I've seen him he was VERY sound positionally, and made everything look easy. Tampa fans shouldn't write him off just because he is a 7th rounder.

Hasn't he lost the starting job to the other goaltender in London?

While on the topic of Tampa Bay goalie prospects, they seem to have a thing for drafting very large goalie prospects. This tendency, coupled with thier need for a top notch goalie prospect really indicates to me that they will take a shot at Dubnyk (just like Steve has suggested above).
 
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Douggy

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cagney said:
Hasn't he lost the starting job to the other goaltender in London?

I don't really think he's lost it. Ryan MacDonald as a goalie as good as, if not better than Coleman and they've been spliting the duties. MacDonald has played 29 games and Coleman has played 23. You be the Judge.
 

Gwyddbwyll

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Douggy said:
Nice job, but I disagree with your idea that teams will simply skip goaltenders just because they don't need them. There are MANY teams in the league that allways take the best player available at all times. This says to me that Shwartz and Montoya won't last beyond the 20th pick. I don't know enought about Dubnyk to comment on him.

Thanks for the comments. :)

Fair point on the BPA. I just feel that teams already strong in goaltending will be too tempted by a forward or a defensemen than to stock up. The market in goalies is poor.. so even if they end up with lots of good goalie prospects they may well not be able to get value in return in trade. Also taking goalies in the first round is still a pretty new trend and I think they would really need to justify it.

I'm not as sold on Ford as other Leaf fans are, but I think Telqvist is the real deal. Given his performance at the World Championships last year, its a matter of time before he is a premier NHL goalie.

Interesting.. hopefully he pans out for you guys. I havent seen him play. Seemed to have struggled a bit at the NHL level from his stats. Anyway he is going on 25? years old (yes I am thinking long term! :) but drafts are always long term). I feel Toronto should have a goalie developing on the farm at the same time ready for if Tellqvist isnt the goalie you need. I dont think Ford really measures up well.. most teams have a better one in the pipeline.
 

rtafts

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Douggy said:
Nice job, but I disagree with your idea that teams will simply skip goaltenders just because they don't need them. There are MANY teams in the league that allways take the best player available at all times. This says to me that Shwartz and Montoya won't last beyond the 20th pick. I don't know enought about Dubnyk to comment on him.


I'm not as sold on Ford as other Leaf fans are, but I think Telqvist is the real deal. Given his performance at the World Championships last year, its a matter of time before he is a premier NHL goalie.

I think Coleman was a steal. He may have had an 'off' year last year, but this year his team just might set an OHL record for fewest goals against. (Granted, he will have only played half of his teams games by the end)

In the one game I've seen him he was VERY sound positionally, and made everything look easy. Tampa fans shouldn't write him off just because he is a 7th rounder.
I agree with everything you've just said in that post. :)
 

Brock

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Douggy said:
I think Coleman was a steal. He may have had an 'off' year last year, but this year his team just might set an OHL record for fewest goals against. (Granted, he will have only played half of his teams games by the end)

In the one game I've seen him he was VERY sound positionally, and made everything look easy. Tampa fans shouldn't write him off just because he is a 7th rounder.

Not to mention that heading into the 2003 Draft season, Gerard Coleman was considered to be a top 15 prospect for the draft. He had a poor season in London and fell because of it.
 

Fish on The Sand

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Stevex said:
Montreal: Theodore, Garon, Fichaud, Damphousse, Michaud ~Drafting 19th
Best Goalie Prospect: Puurula (00)
Assessment: You know.. this surprised me. But Montreal have paid very little attention to their goaltending stable. Garon isnt that young. As long as they have Theodore they're okay but they really ought to prepare for the future better. Long shots on Puurula and Halak cannot be considered adequate.
Conclusion: Looking For A Goalie
This is a piss poor assesment. We are set in goal for at least the next 10 years. Even if Theo does hit the pan, Garon is nhl ready, and capable of starting on most teams. We have two more than capable starters younger than 30. Not many teams can say that. The only help we need is size up front.
 

Fighter

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Stevex said:
Anaheim: Giguere, Gerber, Bryzgalov, Fehri ~Drafting 6th
Best Goalie Prospect: Bryzgalov (00)
Assessment: Smooth transition planned here. Anaheim will not even consider spending their high pick on a goalie.
Conclusion: Very unlikely

I would say Definitely not, since we have one franchise goalie, one of the best back-up in the League and a huge prospect playing strong in the AHL.

About Chicago and Carolina IMO they could be interested in a goalie but maybe Schwarz or Montoya can't go so high.

Montreal looking for a goalie is quite disputable...

Anyway, even I don't agree on all the statements here, a good post and a nice read :handclap:
 

hbk

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good analysis and a good thread. One complicating factor though. The quality (or lackthereof) of this draft. Much like the 2002 draft you could see teams further down the pecking order with late first round picks make that pick for the future.
 

Gwyddbwyll

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Fish on The Sand said:
This is a piss poor assesment. We are set in goal for at least the next 10 years. Even if Theo does hit the pan, Garon is nhl ready, and capable of starting on most teams. We have two more than capable starters younger than 30. Not many teams can say that. The only help we need is size up front.

Thanks for the comments.

Theodore is very expensive and Garon, to me, is a nice prospect but still unproven as a starter. I wouldnt consider him a top 15 goalie which you imply he is if you consider him a starter on most teams. Beyond Theo and Garon however there seem to be mostly old unimpressive prospects. Compared to many NHL teams it doesnt look to me that Montreal has much depth at all.
 

Gwyddbwyll

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Fighter said:
I would say Definitely not, since we have one franchise goalie, one of the best back-up in the League and a huge prospect playing strong in the AHL.

About Chicago and Carolina IMO they could be interested in a goalie but maybe Schwarz or Montoya can't go so high.

Yeah I agree with you on Anaheim I remember I was pretty borderline :) Its not really a significant difference. I think I swayed because I couldnt see anything at all after Bryzgalov who needs to progress. Its irrelevant anyway because its a high pick.

Yeah I see Chicago and Carolina as interested but I dont think there is a goalie like Fleury or Lehtonen in this draft which traditionally is what it takes to get picked so high. Second round goalie picks are definite possibilities
 

Bluenote13

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Edmonton would definitely take the drafts best goalie if available around pick 7-9 .

Deslauriers is not a sure thing, might as well add the drafts top goalie if the situation presents itself.
 

Hoffer

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The Quality of 3

Of the goaltender class this year, only 3 have a legitimate chance I believe of making an impact. Dubnyk, Montoya, Schwarz. You have to take into account the development of a goalie. 3-5 years before they are making noise. Mediocre goalies usually waste away in the AHL, or even the ECHL because they are bumped down by older more experienced goalies. This is happenning to Munro with Chicago. You have to consider this, do you have the depth to grab one of the players, if yes, go for it, if not, don't. Also, what is the draft class like, can you get an impact player where your drafting from? 1st round philosophy is always different for different teams.
 

USC Trojans

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Bluenote13 said:
Edmonton would definitely take the drafts best goalie if available around pick 7-9 .

Deslauriers is not a sure thing, might as well add the drafts top goalie if the situation presents itself.

If Schwarz is still available at that spot, then maybe the Oilers will take him. I think the Oiler's greatest need currently is a sniper. At the 7-9 spot, they can draft a pretty good forward, and a good forward can come in and play in a year or so, but a goalie takes much longer to develop. If the BPA is a forward, take it. If its a goalie, take it. If the Oilers do take a forward with their own pick, then they definitely should get a goalie with Philly's pick.
 

Shane

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Brian Burke always instists that the Canucks draft the best player available, regardless of the player's position or the the team's needs. So, they're probably a wildcard as far as drafting a goalie in the first round goes.
 

DaveG

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Winston-Salem NC
Carolina I would list as a definitely not in this draft. Cam Ward has been putting up some solid numbers on a very consistent basis in the WHL for Red Deer and from everything I've heard the only reason that he isn't in Lowell or even playing as Carolina's backup by now is that the Canes want to give him a chance to develop instead of rushing him through things. Weekes is a good #1 goalie for now and has been the only reason that the team isn't fighting it out with Pittsburgh for last place IMO. If I'm not mistaken Weekes is #2 in the league in shutouts, Patrick DesRochers was a former first rounder (will probably be a decent backup eventually) and Cam Ward has been a force in the WHL so far. If the Canes draft a goalie it will be in the later rounds simply for positional depth.
 

Gwyddbwyll

Registered User
Dec 24, 2002
11,252
469
Epsilon said:
You have Schwarz rated WAY too low. He's going to go in the top 10, and ahead of any other goalie in the draft.

It's not so much a rating of goaltenders as a look at which teams are going to be interested in them. Schwarz may be ranked among the top ten prospects but where he actually goes could be a very different matter. It looks like only one team in the top half (Edmonton) has a need and they have Philly's pick at the end of the first round and they may very well feel they can find a Toivonen-quality goalie there... which would allow them to look for another Hemsky with their top ten pick.

So its more of a scenario than a ranking. I envisage Montoya's stock continuing to rise, making him the first goalie picked. An All-American St.Louis Blue. Dubnyk as a much bigger goalie than Schwarz fits Tampa's drafting strategy. So I have Schwarz falling to the second half. Its just a scenario but I know Im not the only one that thinks Schwarz is not going to go in the top 10-15 picks. Really you could flip flop all three of them and bring in one or two of the outsiders but its more about the teams here.
 

Gwyddbwyll

Registered User
Dec 24, 2002
11,252
469
WVUCanesFan said:
Carolina I would list as a definitely not in this draft. Cam Ward has been putting up some solid numbers on a very consistent basis in the WHL for Red Deer and from everything I've heard the only reason that he isn't in Lowell or even playing as Carolina's backup by now is that the Canes want to give him a chance to develop instead of rushing him through things. Weekes is a good #1 goalie for now and has been the only reason that the team isn't fighting it out with Pittsburgh for last place IMO. If I'm not mistaken Weekes is #2 in the league in shutouts, Patrick DesRochers was a former first rounder (will probably be a decent backup eventually) and Cam Ward has been a force in the WHL so far. If the Canes draft a goalie it will be in the later rounds simply for positional depth.

I agree, Carolina wont be getting a goalie in the first round this year. I think they could use a little depth though.. it does not seem a position of strength to me. Ward is good but he is the only real positive (as a Coyotes fan I think very little of DesRochers' chances of ever making it) so I think Carolina will be looking in the 2005 draft in order to have a contingency.
 
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