HF's 2005 Staff Mock Draft

[Jason MacIsaac]

Matt, first-line players normally have to be able to skate -he can't even skate at the NHL level at this point, let alone be looked at as a future first line NHLer. Perhaps he is like a bus, and if he is it's a Hippie bus going 10 miles an hour. With all due respect Matt, you are not a professional scout, and I am basing most of my thoughts on Latendresse based on scout's opinions, not my own.

I saw many a junior player in my younger days that I naively thought would be good NHLers because they were big, and at times dominant at the major junior level. Steve Maltais is a prime example when he played for the Cornwall Royals. He simply dominated other players physically, and he was a pretty good scorer as well. I thought he'd end up being a better NHLer than Matt Schneider, whom the Habs (my team) had drafted. I was wrong. Why? His skating.

Well, scouts are telling me the same thing about Latendresse, and having had the opportunity to see him play on at least a half dozen occasions last season, I agree with them. IMO Bourrett will be a solid second liner some day, while Latendresse will struggle to make the NHL. If he can dramatically improve his skating, he will be a decent second liner someday, a physical presence that can chip in 25-30 goals - but a player on the same level as a Nash, Kovalev, Kovalchuk, Heatley, Hejduk, Tkachuk, Kariya, Samsonov, Palffy, Ovechkin,Lemieux, Gagne, etc. - in other words, a first line winger? I'm extremely skeptical. Those are lofty standards.

Latendresse's skating is not at the NHL level yet, you are correct, but when you draft a player at the age of 18 do you expect them to be up to par with other NHL'ers skating. I hope not. Latendresse has work to do on his game but there are other elements to his game that you just can't teach like size, mean streak and soft hands. Latendresse reminds me of a younger Aaron Voros with much more potential.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Matt, first-line players normally have to be able to skate -he can't even skate at the NHL level at this point, let alone be looked at as a future first line NHLer. Perhaps he is like a bus, and if he is it's a Hippie bus going 10 miles an hour. With all due respect Matt, you are not a professional scout, and I am basing most of my thoughts on Latendresse based on scout's opinions, not my own.

I saw many a junior player in my younger days that I naively thought would be good NHLers because they were big, and at times dominant at the major junior level. Steve Maltais is a prime example when he played for the Cornwall Royals. He simply dominated other players physically, and he was a pretty good scorer as well. I thought he'd end up being a better NHLer than Matt Schneider, whom the Habs (my team) had drafted. I was wrong. Why? His skating.

Well, scouts are telling me the same thing about Latendresse, and having had the opportunity to see him play on at least a half dozen occasions last season, I agree with them. IMO Bourrett will be a solid second liner some day, while Latendresse will struggle to make the NHL. If he can dramatically improve his skating, he will be a decent second liner someday, a physical presence that can chip in 25-30 goals - but a player on the same level as a Nash, Kovalev, Kovalchuk, Heatley, Hejduk, Tkachuk, Kariya, Samsonov, Palffy, Ovechkin,Lemieux, Gagne, etc. - in other words, a first line winger? I'm extremely skeptical. Those are lofty standards.

They also said that Luc Robitaille couldn't skate...

 

[David A. Rainer]

You do realize how long goaltenders take to develop right? Take Ryan Miller for example. He's been highly touted, at one point the number one ranked prospect by HF, and he's 25 now. So with the UFA age being lowered to 27 are you really going to waste all of that time developing a guy so he can walk after two years of being with your club? I think not. Goalie's in the first are going to be a dying breed unless they are exceptional talents ala Lehtonen.

Exactly! There is no way the Kings will be taking a goalie at #11. It's just too high and way too much of a financial risk, something the Kings have always stayed clear of and have (since Storr) subscribed to the theory that you draft as many goalies as you can in later rounds and develop them. That way, if they don't pan out or walk, there is little lost.

This is ESPECIALLY true in the case of Rask whom, as a euro, will need to be signed after 2 years. No way in hell the Kings would ever want to invest in that much risk at the #11 spot.

One way the provisions of the new CBA are going to affect future drafts is to move the selection of goaltenders down 10-15 spots (with, as you said, perhaps the exception of the Fleurys of the world). So, if in the past a goaltender was likely to be taken with the 10th overall pick, in this new situation he will be looking at 20-25. It's all about value for your pick and high up in the draft, there is too much risk. But as you get to the bottom of the first round and better forwards and defensemen are off the board, it might be better to go ahead a take the risk of a goalie - in affect, pushing goalies down the board. People have to stop thinking under the old CBA and see what financial incentives are going to influence picking under the new CBA.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

I am basing most of my thoughts on Latendresse based on scout's opinions, not my own.

Hope they aren't the same guys who sold you Kostytsin as a future two-way power forward.

Do you have any thoughts of your own concerning Latendresse? Or do you always agree with the supposed scouts you talk to and keep it at that?

 

[SneakerPimp82]

Hope they aren't the same guys who sold you Kostytsin as a future two-way power forward.

Do you have any thoughts of your own concerning Latendresse? Or do you always agree with the supposed scouts you talk to and keep it at that?

damn, i feel emasculated and i'm not even the guy in question.

 

[turnbuckle*]

Hope they aren't the same guys who sold you Kostytsin as a future two-way power forward.

Do you have any thoughts of your own concerning Latendresse? Or do you always agree with the supposed scouts you talk to and keep it at that?

What part of MANY are you not understanding? Your memory is long and short at the same time. Long about my Kostitsyn comments, short about what was exactly said. I noted more than once to you that I saw Kostitsyn play many times last season, something that you obviously did not given that you don't think he came anywhere defensively.

Unlike you, when I discuss a player I haven't seen on very many occasions (I saw Latendresse about five or six times), it's usually with the aid of information I gathered from my scouting contacts. You are the only one that this apparently bothers, likely because you prefer to rely on one or two viewings to tell us just exactly how a player will turn out in the NHL. Life goes on.

But since you're so interested in MY thoughts on GL; I'll repeat ones I've made over the past few months, comments you've chosen to ignore while further ingraining that horribly silly "Kosty can be a two-way player" comment I made once upon a time into your teensy weensy brain. I have stated that I'm not impressed with Latendresse's skating, that he gets knocked on his ass more often from what I've seen than people such as Kyle Woodlief care to admit, that his hands weren't very impressive at the under 18's when he missed countless chances in the slot.

Are you thinking of adding anythiong of use to this thread, (such as discussing what YOU think of Latendresse) or are you just going to stick your usual arrogant antagonism?

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Latendresse reminds me of a younger Aaron Voros

If thats the case, I'll pass...

 

[ZombieMatt]

Latendresse reminds me of a younger Aaron Voros with much more potential.

I find he is similar to Steve Bernier, as he was described, in 2003, although with less dangle.

That's just my take.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Your memory is long and short at the same time. Long about my Kostitsyn comments, short about what was exactly said. I noted more than once to you that I saw Kostitsyn play many times last season, something that you obviously did not given that you don't think he came anywhere defensively.

You're mistaken. I've never said he didn't improve his defense. I said he didn't project as the two-way physical force you are erroneously advertising as his likely future.

Unlike you, when I discuss a player I haven't seen on very many occasions (I saw Latendresse about five or six times), it's usually with the aid of information I gathered from my scouting contacts. You are the only one that this apparently bothers, likely because you prefer to rely on one or two viewings to tell us just exactly how a player will turn out in the NHL. Life goes on.

You must be talking about someone else. This certainly is not what I do.

Are you thinking of adding anythiong of use to this thread, (such as discussing what YOU think of Latendresse) or are you just going to stick your usual arrogant antagonism?

Says the guy who usually excels at doing just that.

But since you asked: Perhaps you are weighting too much on the U18 because I do not feel you give his hands enough credit. It's pretty good. He can create very nice offense and protects the puck really well. And while he came flat, there are other times in the season where he was a ball of intensity, creative and showed much promises.

He does have consistency issues, which will knock him down (and for good reason) on draft day. However, I think I've read somewhere you saw him as a second rounder and I would absolutely take him first round.

As for the physical side, he can dish them very well. The skating issue is legitimate. I just don't see why you would have him all the way down and consider this a glaring issue when there are other players with skating issues you have much higher.

I don't know if you really have connections or not, and to what extent. But if you are absolutely putting a lot of weight in people just because they are pro scouts, it seems strange to me that you diss on scouting services. Kyle Woodlief is after all a pro scout. He does it for a living, did it with the Preds too.

What if someone just said: this turnbuckle character is a joke. Kyle Woodlief is a pro scout, Redline has ranked Latendresse over Ryan so it HAS to be the truth?

 

[nikebauer]

I hate to see Gilbert Brule play in a Wild uniform

 

[Habs Icing]

I haven't spoken to any scouts but i have seen both Bourret and Latendresse play. And i agree with turnbuckle. Bourret is and will be a better player than Latendresse.

 

[Legionnaire]

I hate to see Gilbert Brule play in a Wild uniform

Haha. I wondered why and then I saw your location.

 

[Legionnaire]

Exactly! There is no way the Kings will be taking a goalie at #11. It's just too high and way too much of a financial risk, something the Kings have always stayed clear of and have (since Storr) subscribed to the theory that you draft as many goalies as you can in later rounds and develop them. That way, if they don't pan out or walk, there is little lost.

This is ESPECIALLY true in the case of Rask whom, as a euro, will need to be signed after 2 years. No way in hell the Kings would ever want to invest in that much risk at the #11 spot.

One way the provisions of the new CBA are going to affect future drafts is to move the selection of goaltenders down 10-15 spots (with, as you said, perhaps the exception of the Fleurys of the world). So, if in the past a goaltender was likely to be taken with the 10th overall pick, in this new situation he will be looking at 20-25. It's all about value for your pick and high up in the draft, there is too much risk. But as you get to the bottom of the first round and better forwards and defensemen are off the board, it might be better to go ahead a take the risk of a goalie - in affect, pushing goalies down the board. People have to stop thinking under the old CBA and see what financial incentives are going to influence picking under the new CBA.

Hey Dave, are you going to be the first Moneypuck GM I bet so.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I hate to see Gilbert Brule play in a Wild uniform

We got Courchaine

 

[David A. Rainer]

Hey Dave, are you going to be the first Moneypuck GM I bet so.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

If thats the case, I'll pass...

Funny you cut out the part about much more potential.

 

[Pwnasaurus]

If thats the case, I'll pass...

LOL