Who is the "steal" of the draft?

[Draftman]

For all of you who think your team got a steal in the 8th or 9th rounds, DREAM ON!! This was a weak draft with limited depth. You should consider yourself lucky if your team's third or fourth round picks have any success in the NHL. This year's "steal" will definitely come from somewhere between rounds 2 and 4.

 

[Paxon]

For all of you who think your team got a steal in the 8th or 9th rounds, DREAM ON!! This was a weak draft with limited depth. You should consider yourself lucky if your team's third or fourth round picks have any success in the NHL. This year's "steal" will definitely come from somewhere between rounds 2 and 4.

I can understand a draft being weak when it comes to the first 3 or so rounds, but how likely is it that one draft's 9th round compares with another's 4th round? We're talking about a difference of well over 100 slots. I just don't see how one year everything is fine and then all of a sudden there are over 100 less worthy players. It just isn't mathematically likely. The 9th round is always a crapshoot but there's going to be someone from those 7th-9th rounds who becomes a worthwhile player and therefore a steal at his draft position.

But I agree with you in that everyone seems to think one of their late-round picks is a steal. Even in a great draft that isn't going to happen. The whole thread is about 5 years premature. At this time I think it only makes sense to talk about some of the high-quality talent that fell for various reasons, like Schwarz, Schremp, etc, as being, if not steals at this point, great picks at their position.

But who am I bickering with the Draftman

 

[stardog]

For all of you who think your team got a steal in the 8th or 9th rounds, DREAM ON!! This was a weak draft with limited depth. You should consider yourself lucky if your team's third or fourth round picks have any success in the NHL. This year's "steal" will definitely come from somewhere between rounds 2 and 4.

While this is possible and perhaps even plausible, I think you should probably not be so definitive and speculative in your assesment and opinions.
Simply put, there is absolutley no way which you can make the above statement with any sort of accuracy whatsoever.
Especially not now.
I have a feeling that there will be a late rounder or two this year. Yet I am stating this as an opinion, not a fact or an absolute, realizing full well I could be wrong.

None of us have a crystal ball (although I have been told I have 2 brass ones ).

 

[Epsilon]

For all of you who think your team got a steal in the 8th or 9th rounds, DREAM ON!! This was a weak draft with limited depth. You should consider yourself lucky if your team's third or fourth round picks have any success in the NHL. This year's "steal" will definitely come from somewhere between rounds 2 and 4.

People can yammer on all they want about weak drafts and whatnot. The fact remains in pretty much every draft from 1999 to 1991 (I don't feel like looking back any further) there is at least one steal/good player in both rounds 8 and later:

1999: 8th - Garnet Exelby ; 9th - Mikko Eloranta
1998: 8th - Michael Ryder ; 9th - Karlis Skrastins
1997: 8th - Antti Laaksonen ; 9th - Karel Rachunek
1996: 8th - Tomas Kaberle ; 9th - Sami Salo
1995: 8th - Filip Kuba ; 9th - Danil Markov
1994: 9th - Steve Sullivan ; 10th - Richard Zednik ; 11th - Kim Johnsson
1993: 8th - Manny Legace ; 9th - Pavol Demitra ; 10th - Kimmo Timonen
1992: 8th - Stephane Yelle ; 9th - Nikolai Khabibulin ; 10th - Anson Carter
1991: 8th - Brian Savage ; 10th - Igor Ulanov

 

[SenatorPhil]

This may sound a little homerish (which it probably is) but I feel that the Senators had an AMAZING draft. Meszaros and Lyamin were obvious steals but players like Peter Regin and Roman Wick, the top rated Swiss and Danish prospects may pay off later. I could mention a few others that the Sens chose that were pleasing but on the whole, I was only disappointed with one pick, Joe Cooper. This guy was drafted 217th overall although he only had ONE point playing at Miami University as a RW.

 

[DaMick]

..these things become homer infested...

Too late ...its become HomerFest 04

 

[Draftman]

People can yammer on all they want about weak drafts and whatnot.

I never yammer! B-itch and moan yes, yammer, no.

 

[Pantokrator]

Tyler Haskins and Liam Reddox were the two winners. Haskins should be a solid third liner, which is always helpful to have, especially in a weak draft. Can any Toronto St Mike's folk give more input on him?

 

[X-SHARKIE]

People can yammer on all they want about weak drafts and whatnot. The fact remains in pretty much every draft from 1999 to 1991 (I don't feel like looking back any further) there is at least one steal/good player in both rounds 8 and later:

1999: 8th - Garnet Exelby ; 9th - Mikko Eloranta
1998: 8th - Michael Ryder ; 9th - Karlis Skrastins
1997: 8th - Antti Laaksonen ; 9th - Karel Rachunek
1996: 8th - Tomas Kaberle ; 9th - Sami Salo
1995: 8th - Filip Kuba ; 9th - Danil Markov
1994: 9th - Steve Sullivan ; 10th - Richard Zednik ; 11th - Kim Johnsson
1993: 8th - Manny Legace ; 9th - Pavol Demitra ; 10th - Kimmo Timonen
1992: 8th - Stephane Yelle ; 9th - Nikolai Khabibulin ; 10th - Anson Carter
1991: 8th - Brian Savage ; 10th - Igor Ulanov

Good point, but I have to say I think Evgeni Nabokov is a pretty good player for a 9th round pick Although this may be a homer coment because i'm a Sharks fan.

lol WOOOOO

 

[Ajacied]

Mark Fishtick :lol

 

[Kafka]

Who here said last year that Bergeron was a steal in second round a few days after being drafted?

.....


.....


.....

So how come do you think you can predict a name now?

 

[ShyCheetah]

The most likely steal for the Nucks would probably be David Schulz in the 8th round (254). The hockey news had him as a second round talent at (56).

Jannik Hansen is also intreguing at 9 (287). RLR had this to say about him.

Rising: Jannik Hansen — Has the kind of speed and moves that force defenders to back off the blue line. Perhaps he'll allow Wes O'Neill to keep his jock strap on the next time he breezes past him...

(Norway's Mattias Olimb is so much fun to watch that you forget he's only 5-foot-9, 154 pounds. A magician with the puck, he was one of the top two or three pure stickhandlers in the whole tourney, and he continued to compete hard even after taking a pounding as a marked man.)

The same could be said for Denmark's Jannik Hansen, who several times turned huge Canadian prospect Wes O'Neill into a human turnstile.

Shy.

edit: typo.

 

[#2]

Marek Schwarz - 17 - St.Louis Blues
Robbie Schremp - 25 - Edmonton Oilers
Sami Lepisto - 63 - Washington
Victor Alexandrov - 83 - St.Louis Blues


Dumbest Pick Of The Draft goes to the Phoenix Coyotes picking Blake
Wheeler at #5. Blake Wheeler was an off the charts pick at the 5th slot, why did phoenix not trade the pick down to draft wheeler and get some other assets. (just had to point that out)

 

[Epsilon]

Good point, but I have to say I think Evgeni Nabokov is a pretty good player for a 9th round pick Although this may be a homer coment because i'm a Sharks fan.

lol WOOOOO

I was only putting one per round otherwise it would have taken forever to list all the good players.

I chose Sullivan marginally over Nabokov and Vokoun. The two goalies are better players, but Sillivan has had the longest, most productive career so far. Pretty much a toss-uo.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Dumbest Pick Of The Draft goes to the Phoenix Coyotes picking Blake
Wheeler at #5. Blake Wheeler was an off the charts pick at the 5th slot, why did phoenix not trade the pick down to draft wheeler and get some other assets. (just had to point that out)

Lots of people say he might have been picked soon after so it's a gamble if you trade down. In fact, it is possible a team moving up might have drafted Blake Wheeler. It was a really wild draft and if they were sold on the kid, that was the only decision to take under the circumstances.

It is how Blake Wheeler will pan out that will determine whether Gretzky and his bunch continue to be complete morons as usual or if they have wisen up and actually made a good hockey decision.

They say there's a first for everything so it's possible.