2002 draft

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Nystrom at #10 was a terrible, terrible pick by Craig Button.

That was a terribly, terribly premature assessment.

 

[looooob]

I meant in relation to some of the talent that was still available. Sure, Nystrom would make a good 3rd liner, but you cant deny that Button could have made a better pick there.

Similar argument could be made for Kesler this year by Vancouver I suppose

 

[Mothra]

i would say boyd gordon selected by washington 17th overall

maybe so....but you should factor in that they had 2 picks before they selected Gordon.....and he seems to be a safe bet for being a NHL regular at some point

 

[perin]

Babchuck is going to be good, big mobile and has an absolute cannon of a shot

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Similar argument could be made for Kesler this year by Vancouver I suppose

Yup, that was a bad pick by Burke with Richards and Stewart still available.

 

[BlackJack21]

1. Kari Lehtonen
2. Rick Nash
3. Joni Pitkanen
4. Jay Bouwmeester
5. Ryan Whitney
6. Steve Eminger
7. Alexander Semin
8. Hannu Toivonen
9. Denis Grebeshkov
10. Alexander Steen

The top 4 are all pretty close and interchangable. This might end up being the strongest all-around top 4 in years, possibly ever.

Pretty well done IMO but Rick Nash should have keep his place.

I also placed Lethonen (and Jay-BO) in front of Nash in my FHL league but the fact he already have a Maurice Richard Trophy at 20 years old should make him a no brainer 1st overall pick. I have to chance my opinion...

BJ21

 

[Ejh18]

Pretty well done IMO but Rick Nash should have keep his place.

I also placed Lethonen (and Jay-BO) in front of Nash in my FHL league but the fact he already have a Maurice Richard Trophy at 20 years old should make him a no brainer 1st overall pick. I have to chance my opinion...

BJ21

But he isnt 20. He is 19.

 

[Captain Conservative]

I think the 2002 draft was awesome. Its not even two years later, and so many of those guys have made an impact, or look to be impact players very soon.

 

[SwOOsh*]

I don't see Steve Eminger in the top 10 at all. You could put Higgins(he had the best PPG average in the AHL for a rookie) and Math Stajan(did well in the NHL) instead of Eminger. He wasen't pretty good in the NHL and wasen't better in the AHL...

Actually Eminger played quite well in the NHL, but they sent him down as he was injured (and strengthening Portland), but he didn't play too well once he got into the AHL, that you have right.

 

[db23]

upshall has been nothing short of incredible in the AHL, though he's had some problems with his knee. before he got hurt,he was scoring at some ridiculous clip, something like 1.8 gpg. he came back in time for the playoffs, and had a hat trick in the second game for the Admirals. he should be given a long, LONG look by the preds next year.

Upshall averaged less than a point per game in the AHL. His PPG average is the same as Chris Higgins. Both have a goal a game in limited playoff action. There isn't anything to choose between those two. Higgins is a little bigger and better defensively, Upshall plays a more physical game. Overall, I think that Higgins is a more useful player.

 

[nomorekids]

Upshall averaged less than a point per game in the AHL. His PPG average is the same as Chris Higgins. Both have a goal a game in limited playoff action. There isn't anything to choose between those two. Higgins is a little bigger and better defensively, Upshall plays a more physical game. Overall, I think that Higgins is a more useful player.

as i said..before he got injured...that was average. it's hard to tell now, because he missed most of the season.

 

[db23]

as i said..before he got injured...that was average. it's hard to tell now, because he missed most of the season.

You just spelled out the reason that Upshall is a more questionable pick. He has to play all out all the time to be successful. That leads to injuries.

 

[nomorekids]

You just spelled out the reason that Upshall is a more questionable pick. He has to play all out all the time to be successful. That leads to injuries.

i think you're not quite aware of upshall's situation, though. it's not been..a string of injuries. it's been one recurring injury..that's been aggravated by the fact that he repeatedly tries to come back too soon. i think that if he spends the summer rehabbing it...he'll be fine.

 

[db23]

Overall, I think the top 4 picks were right. Nash is an
All Star and he is the youngest of the four. Lehtonen has been brilliant in North America and will be a franchise goaltender. Bouwmeester has been very good as a 19 and 20 year old defenceman in the league. Pitkanen has been almost as good.

Whitney is the first major disappointment. He spent 3 years in the NCAA and never made an All Star team of any sort. BU fans despised him. Lupul, Upshall, Bouchard have all done reasonably well. Taticek and Nystrom are obvious mistakes. Nystrom wasn't even one of the better forwards at the U of M as a junior. He had the worst +- on the team and scored most of his very few points on the PP. Red Berenson has given him every opportunity, but he just doesn't have the skill. Taticek has never displayed much offensive ability at any level.

Keith Ballard has had some good years on a great collegiate team. Eminger and Semin have both played in the NHL, although Semin is clearly the superior talent. Higgins is solid. Ninnymaki has to play a full season to be graded, but it does not look like he will be anything special. Grebeshkov is overrated, I think that Babchuk will be much better. Toivonen looks like an excellant goaltending prospect.

 

[HuskyFlames]

Taticek and Nystrom are obvious mistakes. Nystrom wasn't even one of the better forwards at the U of M as a junior. He had the worst +- on the team and scored most of his very few points on the PP.

Once again it is funny how people can brand a guy a "mistake" as you did before even given him a chance at a training camp or any NHL games. There are tons of guys that had great numbers in the minors but their game goes to crap in the NHL. Like it has been stated SEVERAL times in other threads. Sutter has said many times that Nystrom game is MUCH MORE SUITED for the NHL and Sutter seems to know what he is talking about. Sometimes it just isn't all about minor league numbers as having great numbers down there doesn't mean jack when coming into the NHL.

 

[db23]

Once again it is funny how people can brand a guy a "mistake" as you did before even given him a chance at a training camp or any NHL games. There are tons of guys that had great numbers in the minors but their game goes to crap in the NHL. Like it has been stated SEVERAL times in other threads. Sutter has said many times that Nystrom game is MUCH MORE SUITED for the NHL and Sutter seems to know what he is talking about. Sometimes it just isn't all about minor league numbers as having great numbers down there doesn't mean jack when coming into the NHL.

He just doesn't have the hands. It is one thing to take a sheer energy guy in the later rounds, but at 10th overall it has to go down as a mistake. It will take Nystrom awhile to get to the NHL and he isn't going to leave much of an impression.

 

[AEKaki]

Whitney is the first major disappointment. He spent 3 years in the NCAA and never made an All Star team of any sort. BU fans despised him. Lupul, Upshall, Bouchard have all done reasonably well. Taticek and Nystrom are obvious mistakes. Nystrom wasn't even one of the better forwards at the U of M as a junior. He had the worst +- on the team and scored most of his very few points on the PP. Red Berenson has given him every opportunity, but he just doesn't have the skill. Taticek has never displayed much offensive ability at any level.

BU fans didn't despise him this season.
He played his best season this year and now that he's signed, he's our best (top2) defenceman in the Baby Pens, even after a 3-4 weeks that he had off.

Point is that Pittsburgh did NOT want him out of college, as they did with Malone. Not only Whitney will graduate but he'll mature. He will be the 5th best of this draft.

 

[db23]

BU fans didn't despise him this season.
He played his best season this year and now that he's signed, he's our best (top2) defenceman in the Baby Pens, even after a 3-4 weeks that he had off.

Point is that Pittsburgh did NOT want him out of college, as they did with Malone. Not only Whitney will graduate but he'll mature. He will be the 5th best of this draft.

He and Orpik were getting lit up like tea lights in the last AHL playoff game. I think they were both something like -4 in the game.

 

[HuskyFlames]

He just doesn't have the hands. It is one thing to take a sheer energy guy in the later rounds, but at 10th overall it has to go down as a mistake. It will take Nystrom awhile to get to the NHL and he isn't going to leave much of an impression.

And what are you basing your opinion that it will take him a while to get into the NHL? And how are his hands for the NHL a well? Like i said, people are cutting him down and he hasn't even shown what he is capable in an NHL game. I take Sutter's opinion of "his game is better suited for the NHL" then a poster who has no NHL experience at coaching or playing.

 

[db23]

And what are you basing your opinion that it will take him a while to get into the NHL? And how are his hands for the NHL a well? Like i said, people are cutting him down and he hasn't even shown what he is capable in an NHL game. I take Sutter's opinion of "his game is better suited for the NHL" then a poster who has no NHL experience at coaching or playing.

Do you think that Sutter is going to say "Oh God, we sure blew it with this guy, he is going to make Kristof Oliwa look like Mario Lemieux."?

Obviously your mind is set, but if I was you, I would temper your expectations considerably. Stranger things have happened, but at this point it doesn't look like Nystrom will make it to the NHL in a significant way. He is 21 years old and half the Michigan team had more points than he did last year. T.J. Hensick, who started the season as a 17 year old freshman had twice as many points as Nystrom. A.J. Thelen, a 17 year old defenceman for Michigan State scored more points than Eric. Thelen is 2 inches taller and 25 pounds heavier as well.

 

[Captain Conservative]

I'll do my top 20:

1 Nash
2 Lehtonen
3 Pitkanen
4 Bouwmeester
5 Toivonen
6 Semin
7 Lupul
8 Leneveu
9 Steen
10 Bouchard
11 Stajan
12 Whitney
13 Higgins
14 Babchuk
15 Hudler
16 Stoll
17 Eminger
18 Daley
19 Ward
20 Ballard


Edit-Tks for reminding me about Whitney Jaded-fan

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I'll do my top 20:

1 Nash
2 Lehtonen
3 Pitkanen
4 Bouwmeester
5 Toivonen
6 Semin
7 Lupul
8 Leneveu
9 Steen
10 Bouchard
11 Stajan
12 Higgins
13 Babchuk
14 Hudler
15 Stoll
16 Eminger
17 Daley
18 Ward
19 Ballard
20 Koltsov

Ryan Whitney does not even make your top 20?

 

[Lowetide]

He might be a late bloomer, lord knows his dad was. Bob Nystrom was a poor skater the summer he was drafted by the Islanders, but they sent him to a power skating teacher and he improved his foot speed. If he has any of the grit and desire of his old man, I wouldn't bet against him.

 

[nomorekids]

Ryan Whitney does not even make your top 20?

nor upshall. oh well.

 

[HuskyFlames]

Do you think that Sutter is going to say "Oh God, we sure blew it with this guy, he is going to make Kristof Oliwa look like Mario Lemieux."?

Obviously your mind is set, but if I was you, I would temper your expectations considerably. Stranger things have happened, but at this point it doesn't look like Nystrom will make it to the NHL in a significant way. He is 21 years old and half the Michigan team had more points than he did last year. T.J. Hensick, who started the season as a 17 year old freshman had twice as many points as Nystrom. A.J. Thelen, a 17 year old defenceman for Michigan State scored more points than Eric. Thelen is 2 inches taller and 25 pounds heavier as well.

I never said he was looking to being a star but I do not think judgement can be passed on him this early. Who cares if he had a bad year this year. The kid is ONLY 21. When NHL have a bad year does that make them a lost cause?