Highest Drafted Defence Lineup in History?

[Juan]

I just noticed from my Red Line Report that Kindl, Lashoff and Heshmatpour are all ranked in the top 10 for the 2005 NHL draft.

Assuming all three are drafted in the first round, and combined with Valabik, would the 2004-05 Kitchener Rangers be the first CHL team in history to have four defensemen drafted in the first round all playing at once?

I can't think of a junior team from the last 20 years that comes close to this, but maybe someone else can shed some light.

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[Aaron Vickers]

I just noticed from my Red Line Report that Kindl, Lashoff and Heshmatpour are all ranked in the top 10 for the 2005 NHL draft.

Assuming all three are drafted in the first round, and combined with Valabik, would the 2004-05 Kitchener Rangers be the first CHL team in history to have four defensemen drafted in the first round all playing at once?

I can't think of a junior team from the last 20 years that comes close to this, but maybe someone else can shed some light.

Closest I can think of is the Calgary Hitmen, who had two defensemen go in the first round in 2004, Schultz and Rogers, and had Egener go 34th (I believe) to Tampa Bay in 2003.

 

[looooob]

the kitchener rangers had 3 top 15 picks on the blueline one year in the early 80s...scott Stevens, Al MacInnis and David Shaw

other high picks on that team included Bellows and John Tucker, I think

but no, that's not 4

and going waaay back the Montreal JR canadiens had some stacked teams in the late 60s....Ian Turnbull, Josh GUevermont, Andre Dupont and Serge Lajeunesse were all first rounders, but I'm not sure they all overlapped at once

 

[CharlieGirl]

I just noticed from my Red Line Report that Kindl, Lashoff and Heshmatpour are all ranked in the top 10 for the 2005 NHL draft.

Assuming all three are drafted in the first round, and combined with Valabik, would the 2004-05 Kitchener Rangers be the first CHL team in history to have four defensemen drafted in the first round all playing at once?

I can't think of a junior team from the last 20 years that comes close to this, but maybe someone else can shed some light.

I hate when that happens..........

Throw Mike Richards into the fray, and this is shaping up to be a fun year!

 

[montreal]

I just noticed from my Red Line Report that Kindl, Lashoff and Heshmatpour are all ranked in the top 10 for the 2005 NHL draft.

Assuming all three are drafted in the first round, and combined with Valabik, would the 2004-05 Kitchener Rangers be the first CHL team in history to have four defensemen drafted in the first round all playing at once?

I can't think of a junior team from the last 20 years that comes close to this, but maybe someone else can shed some light.

I'd bet money Heshmatpour doesn't go top 10, or top 20 and unless he improves a good bit over last year, I don't think he'll be a 1st round pick. With such a deep draft as it's shaping up to be, there will be several guys who could go 1st round but won't go till 2nd or later.

I highly doubt Lashoff goes top 10 either, I liked what I saw from him more then Heshmatpour, but I'd be surprised if he goes top 20 unless he has a great season.

Kindl, Johnson, Anikeyenko, Laakso, Korhonen, Mielonen, Staal, Burdon, Paquet are some very solid defensemen (although I haven't seen half of them, just going off what I've read on the Euro's) so it will take a big season to move get drafted over most of these defensemen, especially the first 4-5 of Kindl to Korhonen.

 

[Juan]

I'd bet money Heshmatpour doesn't go top 10, or top 20 and unless he improves a good bit over last year, I don't think he'll be a 1st round pick. With such a deep draft as it's shaping up to be, there will be several guys who could go 1st round but won't go till 2nd or later.

I highly doubt Lashoff goes top 10 either, I liked what I saw from him more then Heshmatpour, but I'd be surprised if he goes top 20 unless he has a great season.

Kindl, Johnson, Anikeyenko, Laakso, Korhonen, Mielonen, Staal, Burdon, Paquet are some very solid defensemen (although I haven't seen half of them, just going off what I've read on the Euro's) so it will take a big season to move get drafted over most of these defensemen, especially the first 4-5 of Kindl to Korhonen.

I agree that top 10 is probably a stretch for both Heshmatpour and Lashoff. Heshmatpour was very raw and somewhat clueless at the beginning of the year, but when I saw him late in the year he was very solid in his own end. There is no getting around him, and he just tortures guys in the corners and in front of the net.

At 6'6", 230 lbs., with pretty good feet and pretty good hands, and a very mean streak, I wouldn't bet against Heshmatpour going in the first round, regardless of how good the draft is. IMO, he looks to be lighter on his feet and more agile than Valabik, despite outweighing him by at least 20 lbs.

Lashoff is a little soft in his own end, but his skating is incredibly smooth, he has good size and is very smart with the puck on the rush and on the PP. I wouldn't bet against him going in the first round either.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I agree that top 10 is probably a stretch for both Heshmatpour and Lashoff. Heshmatpour was very raw and somewhat clueless at the beginning of the year, but when I saw him late in the year he was very solid in his own end. There is no getting around him, and he just tortures guys in the corners and in front of the net.

At 6'6", 230 lbs., with pretty good feet and pretty good hands, and a very mean streak, I wouldn't bet against Heshmatpour going in the first round, regardless of how good the draft is. IMO, he looks to be lighter on his feet and more agile than Valabik, despite outweighing him by at least 20 lbs.

Lashoff is a little soft in his own end, but his skating is incredibly smooth, he has good size and is very smart with the puck on the rush and on the PP. I wouldn't bet against him going in the first round either.

What's the story with Heshmatpour these days? Is he still trying to attain Canadian citizenship?