So after one year or so..what do you think of the first round of the NHL 2004 draft?

[CH Wizard]

Who were solid picks? Who do you think will bust? What were the steals? Well, we'll know know till' 2,3 years again but hey, it's always good to keep an eye on things.

1 Washington (Alexander Ovechkin L (Had a strong RSL season...was the sure fire#1 overall pick and will join the caps soon)

2 Pittsburgh Evgeny Malkin C (Really solid pick...could become more dominant then AO at the NHL level)
3 Chicago Cam Barker D (Still a solid pick...played just 50 games last year...strong offensive upside)

4 Carolina Andrew Ladd L (Some people wonder if he was a one year wonder...his team struggled alot...I'd say he's a bit of a disapointment)

5 Phoenix Blake Wheeler R (Time will tell, had a decent season in the USHL...I'm sure everyone can't wait to see what he'll do witht the gophers...could become a big bust or a dominant plaer in the NHL...he's boom or bust type of pick)

6 NY Rangers Al Montoya G (Really disapointed in the U-20's...looked really lost...he has showed still that he could be consistent..we'll see)

7 Florida Rostislav Olesz (Played quite good in a men's league, this past season...strong pick)

8 Columbus Alexandre Picard (Had a good year and produced alot with Bourret...he was a safe pick and his downside isn't horrid...)


9 Anaheim Ladislav Smid D (Has nice tools and he played in a men's league...great experience for him)


10 Atlanta Boris Valabik D (Showed zero offensive upside, this past year...I think, he's gonna be a bust but let's not jump into conclusions so fast...)

11 Los Angeles Lauri Tukonen R (Has solid skills and he's decent in the both sides of the ice...what a steal..he was projected to go anywhere from 5-8 at the time)



12 Minnesota A.J. Thelen D (Disapointed a bit...showed big attitude problems...struggled alot but he was tired to be with his team in NCAA and will play in the WHL...next season)

13 Buffalo Drew Stafford R (Showed that he's consistent...good pick)

14 Edmonton Devan Dubnyk (Played for a crappy team...has nice tools though, he has been a disapointment...we'll see)


15 Nashville Alexander Radulov (Had a strong year in the Q...showed good offensive instincts..nice pick)

16 NY Islanders Petteri Nokelainen C (Produced quite well in a men's league...solid pick)

17 St. Louis Marek Schwarz G (Didn't show much consistency in the season nor playoffs...has still a nice potential)

18 Mtl. Canadiens Kyle Chipchura C (He averaged a ppg before his injury..he'll need to get less injured...good steal)


19 NY Rangers Lauri Korpikoski (Did ok in a men's league...has nice skills...)

20 New Jersey Travis Zajac C (Had a very strong freshman year, he's big, skilled and he's fast...one of the biggest steal)

21 Colorado Wojtek Wolski (He scared some scouts because of his attitude...but he's showing consistency)

22 San Jose Lukas Kaspar (Didn't have a good rookie year...and he's old..he's gonna play in the OHL as an overager, I guess...is a bit of a disapointment.)

23 Ottawa Andrej Meszaros (Was a very solid pick...produced alot in the WHL)

24 Calgary Kris Chucko (Had a good freshman year...looking like a steal)


25 Edmonton Rob Schremp (He had a very strong and he'll maybe show that not picking him at the time fo the draft was a mistake)

26 Vancouver Cory Schneider G (Underrated pick...showing alot of consistency)


27 Washington Jeff Schultz D (Was decent in a crappy team...looks solid in how own end...not a bad pick, all I'm saying, is that we were expected him to become a solid d in his own end but he still put up good numbers)


28 Dallas Mark Fistric D (Injuries have disturbed him alot...has good size and tools...we'll see)


29 Washington Mike Green D (Nice pick...showed consistency and good offensive instincts!)

30 Tampa Bay Andy Rogers D (Didn't show much offensive upside...has been a disapointment)

What ya think?

Click to read more...

 

[freakazoid]

IMO Meszaros is the biggest steal of the first round. Not only he has high end potential, but he is almost NHL ready and will join the Sens sooner than later.

 

[chriss_co]

i like ur analysis

good job

 

[X-SHARKIE]

I will break this down into catagories, great picks, good picks, solid picks, and bad picks. 04 was an interesting draft that I liked more then most, well I liked the 1st round but the 2nd round prospects for the most part drove me nuts. It was filled with boom or busts across the board. Lots of home run potential on 04 but lots of bust potential as well.

Great Picks:

1. Evgeni Malkin at 2nd overall. Honestly watching this kid, I won't say he's more advanced then Ovechkin but he has amazing potential to be a dominant playmaking 1st line center with size. To get him at 2nd overall was a blesisng, most drafts can't offer you this good of a player at 2nd overall.

2. Robbie Schremp at 25th. Top 10 hands and scoring potential. His size and skating are concerns but he's so smart and has such good instincts and offensive touch it won't really matter, he'll always get his points. At 25th was a huge steal especially in a draft like 04.

3. Travis Zajac at 20th. Looks like a capable 1st line center in the NHL, has the size, instincts, ability to both score and set up goals, and has a great frame and he's so competitive. Devils showed guts and got a great prospect at 20.

4. Andrej Meszaros at 23rd: Shows the upside to be a 2nd defenseman, a top pairing defenseman who is more NHL ready then most of his counter parts at 23 was a steal. Why he fell? I don't know, but Sens got a steal.

5. Rostislav Olesz at 7th overall: Olesz showed me the tools to be the next Radek Bonk and has shown that he's likely the 3rd best player in the draft class IMO. Mature and should contribute in the NHL soon and will be a perenial all star without being noticed much. Florida may have a franchise center.

Good Picks:

1. Petteri Nokelainen at 16th: Raised my eye brows taking him over Schremp at the draft, but he is working out very well. Was more impressive then any other Fin including Finnish stud Tukonen at the WJC's, and looks to be a honest player who is a sure fire bet to be a 2nd line winger, capable of moving up to the 1st line. Well be a fan favorite for his heart, and teamates will love him. I love his game.

2. Alexander Radulov at 14th: Not a good U-20, I don't like his character, but you can't deny his slipperyness and ability to score. Top 5 in the draft in terms of offensive upside. Excellent at the ADT challenge, very impressive in the Q this year. Good value at 14th.

3. Corey Schneider at 26th overall: Some teams might take him over the Montoya's, Dubnyk's, and Schwarz's of the draft now. Excellent year at BC, very impressive freshman numbers now ready for the heavy load... Did dissapoint vs ND in the biggest game of the year though to damper a very impressive year, as did the game vs Belarus but the defense wasn't really helping.

4. Mike Green at 29th overall: The kid can play, he has good two way upside despite his small frame he will play in the NHL...likely has a 2nd pairing defenseman. Pens got a very good player here and got him late in the 1st. Other teams wish they would've taken him.

5. Alexander Ovechkin at 1st overall: What do you want? Caps had the 1st overall pick in the draft, and a had a gift waiting for them in Ovechkin. The most complete player to come out of Russia in years. They didn't blow it by moving the pick or anything like that so I give them a good rating...no one else really deserved it.

6. Drew Stafford at 13th: This was a solid pick, you're not getting a home run as he won't produce heavy points, 50 tops.... but he's a safe pick, and well compliment your scorers well and will open up ice for them, he does the rough stuff, an unsung hero for any team. With skill like Vanek in Buffalo waiting, a kid like this was the right choice.

7. Wojtek Wolski at 21st: A 6'3 versatile forward with the ability to create and has solid scoring potential wins me over any time. Shows glimpses of a Jeff Carter esque prospect. Insconsistant but when he's on he looks top 10. Schremp would've been better but Wolski was great value at 21.

8. Cam Barker at 3rd: One player deserved this spot more then him (Olesz) but he still showed that he has #1 defenseman upside with an offensive touch.

SOLID PICKS:

1. Ladislav Smid at 9th: I like defenseman who are 6-3 200 and can move the puck. I wish he had more jam to his game but he's a smart, mature defenseman. Didn't jump out at the WJC's, I always had the sense he could even do more. He has all the physical skills, but mentally hasn't completely figured it out yet, but he's not a head case. Solid pick at 9th for a team in need of defenseman...At least they passed up on Thelen huh? but Meszaros would've been nice.

2. Lauri Tukonen at 11th: Everyone was screaming bloody murder when he fell after his U-18's. Turns out the teams in front of him picking may have been right. Tukonen didn't do anything special at the U-20's and numbers didn't take a big bump in Finland. He's furthur then I thought. Still a solid pick if he turns out to be a 2nd tier powerforward in the NHL whcih seems his course.

3. Alexander Picard at 8th: Skating isn't a concern, I love his shot, has an edge, he plays two ways, consistantly gets points, he also has good size, he'll play in the NHL, and will rotate from the 1st and 2nd lines...Solid pick at 8.

4. Devan Dubnyk at 14th: Schwarz was the consensus netminder over him but he out played him all year long IMO. Although he didn't make the U-20 squad and for the most part people around here didn't speek much of him, but he's coming along nicely and has good upside to be a Sean Burke like netminder. Solid pick.

5. Andrew Ladd at 4th: Very similar in his style to Drew Stafford, read above for his attributes to a team ^ but arguably a better in close scorer then Drew...still at 4th overall they reached on him IMO. He'll play in the NHL and probally on the 2nd line but still at 4th overall? Olesz would've been a nice pick.

6. Lauri Korpikoski at 19th: Immense skill and a better skater then I gave him credit for, can really burn, his hands are also good. He needs to fill out and add strength, definitley, and could be more consistant, but his offensive tools were a solid addition to the Rangers at 19th...but not the steal of the draft as they advertised.

7. Blake Wheeler at 5th: I like this pick more then most, well hell, I live in Wisconsin and have seen this kid numerous occasions for the Gamblers. 5th was a reach, probally could've moved down, but wouldn't have lasted past the mid round. I have seen enough of him to convince me he could be the next Eric Daze but he's even a better skater... Scarey upside.

8. Marek Schwarz at 17th: His play at the WJC's was phenominal and saved his status as a top end goaltender prospect. His performance at the Dub, mainly his weeeek goals made you want to scream out bust. Still, unlike Montoya at sixth, Blues got him at 17th overall. Was a well calculated pick, and at the time it looks like he could go either way. I still think he turns out fine.

9. Kyle Chipchura at 18th: Injurey scares me but not as much as you would think, if you're as mature as this kid and his game is relatively complete...i'm not worried about the mist developmental time. He's furthur ahead then most, although his upside isn't as high. He'll play on the 2nd-3rd lines and well be a leader, solid pick at 18th for an already deep talented prospect pool that has alot of skill.

9. Mark Fristric at 28th: Stars got their guy, and aquired an abundance of picks to help them put together an excellent class, so the stradigy along with aquiring Fristric made the Stars look very good on draft day, and Mark has shown us more then we all expected IMO. Should be a fourth defenseman who brings size, brute strength, and an edge... Has a solid prescence offensively.

10. Kris Chucko at 24th: solid pick, not as good as many say, overated IMO when people say he's the next Iginla, bla bla bla, but he'll be a solid 2nd tier powerforward who will crash and bang the corners, cycle down low, and score goals in close. Every team needs a guy like this, especially in the playoffs, he works hard too, good value at 24th, and securing extra picks doesn't hurt.

11. Jeff Schutlz at 27th: I like this pick, a 6'6 defenseman who has this amount of puck poise is very intriguing. With securing Ovechkin, and having Green fall to 29th, taking a chance on Schultz was a smart calculated risk IMO.

12. Andy Rodgers at 30th: he's not a bad pick, his game is that he's a big towering defenseman who can skate. I love his crease clearing style. He's not as offensively gifted as Coburn but his defensive game is similar. He'll play in the NHL and for many years and possibly many teams. You can't teach what he has. Solid pick at 30th.

13. Lukas Kaspar at 22nd: Inconsistant and had sub-par numbers, but his size, skating ability, creativity, shot are all on par with NHL players. If the Sharks get into his head and push him hard and he developes his agility and in traffic play, he could be a heck of a player. At 22nd overall taking a kid with this amount of upside wasn't bad. Won me back over with his memorial cup playoff run in which he was dominating for half of the games.

BAD PICKS:

1. A.J. Thelen at 12th overall: I thought it was a steal on draft day, booy was I wrong, no other defenseman in the NCAA struggled more with the new ubstruction crackdown then Thelen. It showed the wholes in his game and he looked very lossed and unable to handle the level of play in his own zone. His offensive game was also very dissapointing and wasn't finding the seems he did a year ago and wasn't making the plays... Looked awful, then he got kicked out of school for a drinking problem? Going to the Dub may set him back on the right course but for now, an ugly pick.

2. Borris Valabik at 10th: I stand up for ATL on this pick more then most, but you can't deny it was a bad pick. I like the fact that he's 6'7 and is the meanest S.O.B. in the draft, but that won't get you in the NHL, he needs to slow the game down when the puck is on his stick as he just looks lost. Either he will be a special shut down defenseman who teams are scared to play against or he'll be a servicable depth defenseman who will bring size and physical play. We'll see. Bottom line they reached at 10th.

3. Alvaro Montoya at 6th: He was good value the day of the draft, but after this season he doesn't look worthy. He didn't make big saves for either team USA or U-Michigan.... in fact he let in some very soft goals. Needs to regain his confidence if he'll play in the NHL. Remember he'll already be a senior next fall and will be asked for AHL/NHL time sooner then most... With a kid like Schneider being taken 20 spots later, and a kid like Schwarz who also had a horrid year, still finding a way to perform at the U-20's...Montoya was a dissapointment.



2nd rounders who worked out well:

1. Johaness Salmonsson at 31st overall: Only question keeping him away from the 1st round was an injurey plagued season. He showed me this year that he was worth a 1st round draft choice and should be a top six forward for the Pens in the near future.

2. David Bolland at 32nd overall: Great season for London, showed he could've been taken over a handfull of 1st round picks. Arguably the best prospect taken in the 2nd round.

3. Adam Pineault at 46th: A player this good falling this far? Honestly I love his size, and his shot and he's a solid skater.. He is a puck hog though and is inconsistant...has a long way to go but he has the tools to be in the mold of a Bill Guerrin.

4. Carl Soderberg at 49th: Inconsistancy was driving scouts nuts, but he's 6'3 and has a mean scoring touch. Was excellent at the WJC U-20's. Has top end ability and should be a special player who will score for St.Louis. Huge steal IMO.

Those three really stick out but don't sleep on Adam Pineault at 46th, Honestly I love his size, and his shot and he's a solid skater.. But He is a puck hog though and is inconsistant...has a long way to go but he has the tools to be in the mold of a Bill Guerrin....
Dallas walked away with two impressive defenseman prospects, everyone was familiar with Johan Fransson and he came threw strong, Nicklas Grossman was a stud for Sweden and loged lots of minutes. Both have 2nd pairing NHL potential. Grossman providing anchor play and leadership, while Fransson well move the puck and create offense.
Bourque had us all scratching are heads at 33rd but he was excellent at the U-20's, and played well for an offensive starved BU. His play in the AHL for Portalnd wasn't half bad either.
Enver Lisin was impressive for Russia at the U-20 and showed his speed and offensive instincts are good enough for an NHL shot.
Alex Goligoski was great in Minnesota early before hitting a small wall, still has great upside as a offensive defenseman, great value.


And how about Jeff Glass in the 3rd? Ahh good pick. Nastiuk was a good one, and McGrath was an outstanding selection in the 4th.

Lyamin, Voloshenko, Sindel, Smith, Shantz, Karsums Graham,Garlock are all intriguing players whom I like, but were taken at fair value.

 

[Cush]

4. Mike Green at 29th overall: The kid can play, he has good two way upside despite his small frame he will play in the NHL...likely has a 2nd pairing defenseman. Pens got a very good player here and got him late in the 1st. Other teams wish they would've taken him.

That would be the Caps

 

[Seachd]

14 Edmonton Devan Dubnyk (Played for a crappy team...has nice tools though, he has been a disapointment...we'll see)

Don't tell the Oilers this. I think they were pretty pleased with his excellent season.

 

[CH Wizard]

Wow....nice work X-Sharkie...you've made a better review then me.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I'm also disappointed in the Thelen pick...

As for second rounders, Voloshenko didn't look bad in the CHL/Russian games...

 

[turnbuckle*]

Great job guys, although I think it's way too early to judge. The 15 guys who "disappointed" may have solid seasons as 19-20-year-olds. At least you fellas didn't totally trash Ladd - he'll be a solid NHLer IMO. Sometimes that's the most you can expect from a less than stellar draft. Put it this way - I think he'll be better than Volchkov, Berg, Zyuzin, Kilger, Brendl, Bonsignore, etc. All were top four picks in the previous decade.

Montoya looked poor at times last season, but he is a goalie. Garon had a disappointing season or two on his way to being highly sought after by the Kings...Fleury, Dipietro, Giguere,...hell even Patty Roy had a poor season or two in net. Way to early to write him off, not that I'm saying you are.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Hey Zyuzin looked good...except that he isn't consistant LOL

 

[saillias]

Hate to go off-topic, but making it to the second round of the playoffs and going to game 7 against the Wheaties who featured leading WHL scorers Fehr and Stone is far from a crappy, struggling team.

But besides that great analysis.

 

[Le Golie]

There's no link. You think somebody would write about a player's addiction problem? There's just some things you hear from knowing the right people.

Well speaking of knowing the right people, I'm from Winnipeg and skate regularly with a lot of his friends and a teammate of his. I hear a lot of interesting stories around those guys but not once have I heard about his 'drug problem'. I'm not saying it can't be true, but hearing other things I've heard I would imagine it would have come up if was a legitimate problem.

Isn't it against board policy to post about unsubstantiated 'inside knowledge'?

 

[MS]

SOLID PICKS:

12. Andy Rodgers at 30th: he's not a bad pick, his game is that he's a big towering defenseman who can skate. I love his crease clearing style. He's not as offensively gifted as Coburn but his defensive game is similar. He'll play in the NHL and for many years and possibly many teams. You can't teach what he has. Solid pick at 30th.

I agree with most of what you wrote except for this. Unless Rogers' career does a 180 next year, he's going to be on a one-way ticket to the ECHL. He's just not a very good hockey player, and right now is a pretty mediocre defender at the WHL level. Poor puck skills, not good at reading the play defensively, and not terribly physical. Total waste of a pick at #30 overall ... if you re-did that draft today I'd be shocked if he went top-100.