How Would You Rank These Second Overall Picks?

[jigglysquishy]

Both Spezza and Heatley were frustrating players to watch. They both had an elite skill (Heatley: shot, Spezza: vision), but lacked the physical tools to fully implement that skill.

There were times in 2006/2007 where it looked like they could put it all together and become a superstar, but it never really happened.

It's funny. Alfredsson is probably the least skilled of the three, but had by far the best drive/work ethic of that line and ended up with the best career.

 

[Albatros]

1. Staal
2. Spezza
3. Heatley
4. Seguin

Seguin did win a cup with the team that drafted him, but his career there was underwhelming regardless and he was traded for an underwhelming return. Heatley did win the Calder and did bring Hossa to Atlanta despite everything that happened there otherwise. Staal has to be number one for his long and successful career in Carolina, Spezza didn't win that cup but isn't far behind otherwise.

 

[weaponomega]

I think Seguin by far is the worst playoff performer on this list. Taking that into account I'd probably revise my list and put him last.

 

[Nick Hansen]

Regarding lack of (that last little bit) drive/work ethic, that is something I think all of these four players have in common.

I'd rank them:

Staal
Spezza
Heatley
Seguin

I just feel like Staal was all in all a bit more complete, a bit more dependable than Spezza. Staal was more meat and potatoes while Spezza felt like a luxury player to me. For what it's worth Staal was on Team Canada for the 2010 Olympics and did well while Spezza didn't even figure in the discussion as I recall it.

Will we ever see an international tournament like the 2010 Olympics again, by the way? That final was one of the best games of hockey I've ever seen.

 

[HFpapi]

Heatley had the most top 10 point finishes among them, most top 10 goal scoring finishes, highest career PPG, as many 40 goal seasons as the other 3 combined and the only one to score 50 (did it twice). Really confused how so many have him at the bottom.

I think Staal had the best career and Heatley was the best player. Spezza and Seguin are bottom half in that order.

 

[Michael Farkas]

There shouldn't be much confusion - in this very short thread, it's described how limited Heatley is compared to the rest.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Heatley had the most top 10 point finishes among them, most top 10 goal scoring finishes, highest career PPG, as many 40 goal seasons as the other 3 combined and the only one to score 50 (did it twice). Really confused how so many have him at the bottom.

I think Staal had the best career and Heatley was the best player. Spezza and Seguin are bottom half in that order.

Having had season tickets for all of Heatley in Ottawa, Spezza was the better of the 2 by far.
Heater just stood in the slot, waiting for a pass, could he finish, yep, was really good at that.
Heater was always the last guy back, lazy, and not a good skater, that’s why I ranked him near the bottom.

 

[VanIslander]

2nd overall?

I never got over Marleau 2nd overall.
(I was so pissed that draft day. The Bruins could have had a cup-winning piece decades before they did).

Marleau should have been 1st. (I became a Sharks fan 'cuz of him.) I weathered the Joe Thornton great passing. Indeed, but 3-time Jack Adams coach Burns didn't want that guy; Samsonov got the rookie of the year trophy his first year, and Thornton was shipped out of Boston.

Marleau had more skating speed, strength on skates and eye-hand coordination (Joe Nieuwy like) than any of:

Dany Heatley
Jason Spezza
Eric Staal
Tyler Seguin

Hands down. He also had size and leg strength (his ability to skate fast and absorb hits comes from his legendary, recorded cycling in the gym... he Heatley & Spezza guys 15 years younger than him.

He also won the best fan favorite award among season ticket holders.... a record 4 times. Or was it 5? I am Canadian.

Marleau laps these other 2nd overalls.
(Though Staal has a better 1 year - Heatley, Spezza have "character issue; Seguin, too, based on some reports on why he was traded.)

The aforementioned have better stickhandling skills, hands down. But that ain't all it.

 

[Gorskyontario]

Dany Heatley
Jason Spezza
Eric Staal
Tyler Seguin

The only player on that list who is MAYBE worse then Marleau is Seguin. Even then Seguin was/is a better talent then Marleau while being somehow worse in the playoffs. Marleau was a mediocre player who never won anything, who only has a record because he spent 10 years playing to not get hurt. In the 1997 draft(which is a pretty weak draft) I see several players I would build a team around before Marleau.

No Show Joe was also a career loser, but at least had otherworldly playmaking ability(in the regular season at least). He was clearly the best prospect that year, maybe the best 1st overall prospect from 1994 until the early 2000's.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Guys, please dial it back and stop poking each other's buttons.

 

[overpass]

Staal, Spezza, and Seguin all got to play on great teams early in their careers, unlike most high draft picks. Staal and Seguin won the Cup, and Spezza made the finals.

But once they got paid and started making #1C money, they had to lead their teams to success. And none of them were able to do it.

2nd overall?

I never got over Marleau 2nd overall.
(I was so pissed that draft day. The Bruins could have had a cup-winning piece decades before they did).

Marleau should have been 1st. (I became a Sharks fan 'cuz of him.) I weathered the Joe Thornton great passing. Indeed, but 3-time Jack Adams coach Burns didn't want that guy; Samsonov got the rookie of the year trophy his first year, and Thornton was shipped out of Boston.

Marleau had more skating speed, strength on skates and eye-hand coordination (Joe Nieuwy like) than any of:

Dany Heatley
Jason Spezza
Eric Staal
Tyler Seguin

Hands down. He also had size and leg strength (his ability to skate fast and absorb hits comes from his legendary, recorded cycling in the gym... he Heatley & Spezza guys 15 years younger than him.

He also won the best fan favorite award among season ticket holders.... a record 4 times. Or was it 5? I am Canadian.

Marleau laps these other 2nd overalls.
(Though Staal has a better 1 year - Heatley, Spezza have "character issue; Seguin, too, based on some reports on why he was traded.)

The aforementioned have better stickhandling skills, hands down. But that ain't all it.

Marleau was a different type of player. More well rounded but without the creative ability to lead a team offensively. I doubt you could have traded him for any of the four players listed in their primes.

What character issues did Spezza have in his NHL career? Certainly no more than Marleau.

Spezza's negatives were athletic, not character. As a skater he had decent top end speed but lacked quickness and struggled to generate power in his turns. He also couldn't combine his hands and his feet, so he couldn't use his skating to beat opponents, and his shot release was slow because he couldn't get it off in stride. If he was a more fluid athlete, with his size and skills, I could see him reaching the level of Evgeni Malkin.

But even as he is, he's had a very good NHL career and has left every team and fanbase on good terms, as far as I know.

 

[Crosby2010]

Dany Heatley
Jason Spezza
Eric Staal
Tyler Seguin


The bottom three seem comparable to me. I'm not quite sure how Heatley compares to the others.

Staal
Spezza
Heatley
Seguin

Staal had the best career of the lot of them. No one is getting into the Hall of Fame, but I suspect there might be the odd Staal apologist. I still say he is noticeably short though. But he did put up at least decent points for a while in his career. The rest dropped faster than you'd expect them to. Heatley's is the biggest drop. It sort of came from nowhere.

 

[seventieslord]

Having had season tickets for all of Heatley in Ottawa, Spezza was the better of the 2 by far.
Heater just stood in the slot, waiting for a pass, could he finish, yep, was really good at that.
Heater was always the last guy back, lazy, and not a good skater, that’s why I ranked him near the bottom.

Ok, but no one ranks Ovechkin behind Backstrom or Kuznetsov ...

 

[Golden_Jet]

Ok, but no one ranks Ovechkin behind Backstrom or Kuznetsov ...

neither would I, OV is second all time in goals lol, and was a monster to play against for a decade. OV won 8 or 9 rockets, 3 Hart trophies, 3 Ted Lindsey, a Conn Smyrna etc.
Thanks for the laugh.

 

[Thenameless]

Without being able to completely rationalize through numbers or accomplishments, my gut tells me to put Staal at the top. Best combination of peak/prime, longevity, accolades, and "clutchness".

I see Heatley at the bottom of a lot of the lists and I agree with the reasons that you guys are putting him there, but I'll take him second. I am after all, a self proclaimed peak guy and he reached the highest highs.

After that I like Seguin. Gotta be some truth to those sign memes those girls are always holding up.

Puts Spezza last. He went to the Leafs, where else am I gonna put him.