The "Blake Wheeler" of 2007

[Garp]

Who do you think will be drafted a lot higher than expected this year?

I could see one of Anderson or Backlund in the top 10.

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[MojoJojo]

Agelo #1

 

[GKJ]

In a draft where it is so wide open so far down the draft board, I'd bet a lot of teams go off the board

 

[Human Megaphone]

Especially with some teams having multiple 1st. They ususally go crazy with the 2nd one.

 

[The Fuhr*]

Wheeler is 6'5, 235lbs and has awesome speed. Has loads of untapped potential. I would draft him in the same postion again if the draft was re done.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Wheeler is 6'5, 235lbs and has awesome speed. Has loads of untapped potential. I would draft him in the same postion again if the draft was re done.

Then you would be nuts. The Oilers drafted a similar type player in 1994, Jason something, yeah, he didn't pan out so well.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Then you would be nuts. The Oilers drafted a similar type player in 1994, Jason something, yeah, he didn't pan out so well.

One differance between Wheeler and Jason Bonsignore-Wheeler actually cares. He's made progress every year and has a good head on his shoulders.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I think a few guys that could go higher than expected: Sweatt, Shattenkirk, and Cross.

 

[The Fuhr*]

Then you would be nuts. The Oilers drafted a similar type player in 1994, Jason something, yeah, he didn't pan out so well.

He's 20 years old.
He has put on an inch and 50lbs since being drafted.
It takes time to adapt to such size.

His next stage of development will be huge. He could be a dominant two-way player in three/four years when he is 24 yrs old. He has good speed and with his size the NHL is made for a player like him.

A draft pick is not about who can get to the NHL the fastest but who will be the better player 6+ years down the road. Wheeler has the potential to be excellent.

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

Who do you think will be drafted a lot higher than expected this year?

I could see one of Anderson or Backlund in the top 10.

Backlund will be the complete opposite of Blake Wheeler. Backlund was considered a potential #1 candidate and a better prospect than Backstrom over a year ago. Due to injuries and not great strides he may fall quite far. Whoever picks Backlund will be very happy IMO but i don't see him going top 10.

 

[Jeffrey]

Colton Gillies ??

 

[La Grosse Tendresse]

...who will be the better player 6+ years down the road. .

The year before they become UFA?

 

[OHLArenaGuide]

Wheeler is 6'5, 235lbs and has awesome speed. Has loads of untapped potential. I would draft him in the same postion again if the draft was re done.

I'd take Wolski or Radulov myself, but hey, to each his own.

 

[The Fuhr*]

The year before they become UFA?

UFA age is 27 yrs old. No need to have players begin there pro careers at 18.

 

[Garp]

BTW I didn't mean to offense anyone, in fact I really think that Wheeler isa a good prospect. I only used his name in my title to explain what I was looking for. I you want I could rename this thread who is th Carey Price of 2007

 

[nags]

I'd take Wolski or Radulov myself, but hey, to each his own.

So in reality he is 6' 3" and 215 ibs. right?

Wheeler is a slug. You can keep him with Gophs as long as you want.

 

[The Viking Fury]

Wheeler is 6'5, 235lbs and has awesome speed. Has loads of untapped potential. I would draft him in the same postion again if the draft was re done.

I think you're probably crazy with homerism then. There are plenty of guys drafted after him who are already contributing at the NHL level right now. You think Phoenix coudln't have used Smid, radulov, Wolski, schremp, or meszaros this season?

Ultimately time will tell, but as of right now, theres no way he should go that high again (if should even have gone that high in the first place)

 

[The Fuhr*]

I think you're probably crazy with homerism then. There are plenty of guys drafted after him who are already contributing at the NHL level right now. You think Phoenix coudln't have used Smid, radulov, Wolski, schremp, or meszaros this season?

Ultimately time will tell, but as of right now, theres no way he should go that high again (if should even have gone that high in the first place)

Its not about how fast you can make it to the NHL, its about how good of a player you will ultimately become.

If the draft was done over, of the players in the first round that were taken after Wheeler I would only put Meszaros,Wolski,Radulov and Zajac in front of him. He would still be a top 10 pick if the draft were to happen again.

 

[The Viking Fury]

Touche. I should also admit, that I don't remember where Wheeler was originally projected to go, since I didn't follow prospects as closely as I do now.

 

[IlyaAlexanderMalkin]

I think you're probably crazy with homerism then. There are plenty of guys drafted after him who are already contributing at the NHL level right now. You think Phoenix coudln't have used Smid, radulov, Wolski, schremp, or meszaros this season?

Ultimately time will tell, but as of right now, theres no way he should go that high again (if should even have gone that high in the first place)

I give you all of those guys except Schremp....Wheeler = Schremp as of right now.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

I think you're probably crazy with homerism then. There are plenty of guys drafted after him who are already contributing at the NHL level right now. You think Phoenix coudln't have used Smid, radulov, Wolski, schremp, or meszaros this season?

Ultimately time will tell, but as of right now, theres no way he should go that high again (if should even have gone that high in the first place)

Crazy with homerism? Fuhr isnt a Coyotes fan.

The reason the Coyotes picked him, instead of the more obvious & popular guys like Olesz and Tukonen were two-fold. Firstly, they desperately needed a game-breaker type of player.. not yet another safe and average player. Secondly Olesz's concussion issues that year scared them off (they had recently lost two star prospects to concussions). They were willing to gamble rather than play it safe in a bad draft year which I give them credit for.

As for where Wheeler was projected, he was a very late and fast riser. On HF he'd reached picks 30-35. HF is somewhat behind the times though and it emerged after the draft, other teams were looking at him in the top 15, even top 10. Still an amusing pick, remembering people's reaction at the time.

 

[Dominator13]

Still an amusing pick, remembering people's reaction at the time.

i wished we could see something like a live thread of the 2004 draft again, would be nice to read those .

 

[mazmin]

Jason Gregoire who plays for Lincoln in the USHL could be a surprise first rounder.

Lars Eller could push a better known player out of the top 10.

Along with Sweatt and O'Brien I can see Dion Knelsen as another NCAA player that could crack the top 30. There is also TJ Galiardi who could be an overage pickup similar to Trevor Lewis or Travis Zajac in recent drafts.

 

[Bryzga lol*]

Lars Eller could push a better known player out of the top 10.

Eller was the player I was thinking of

 

[rt]

My guess is that someone will grab Nick Petrecki way earlier than most around here expect. Wheeler was expected to go late first or early second, though, so the comparison doesn't really hold water. Sweatt, Mayorov, or Hoeffel perahps?