All-Time Draft #7, Part IV

[Leaf Lander]

I select leafs play by play man Joe Bowens and for color Harry Neal!

 

[Murphy]

I'll take the NBC guy, Mike Komisarek.

 

[Know Your Enemy]

EDIT: I don't have any info about his heights/weights/jersey/which side he shoots. Any info would be GREATLY appreciated.

5'10-180, shoots right

 

[VanIslander]

Montreal selects as our 13th forward a speedy centre who will work well as an insurance guy on any of our bottom three lines. A little on the small side, and probably a bit of a sentimental pick, but we really wanted him as our 13th forward. Montreal selects C Cliff Ronning.

Insurance for the 2nd, 3rd,4th lines?... He's 1st line or BENCH. (imo, what do others think?)

Love Ronning, I really do, and think he's an EXCELLENT 13th forward as the guy to direct the powerplay, play on offensive possessions, stimulate a come-from-behind drive. But Cliff SERIOUSLY is a liability defensively. I have seen him play live in Vancouver a lot of times and one thing you may not realize if you watch him on t.v. usually is that he cycles without the puck at centre ice waiting for his teammates to get a turnover and send the play the other way, and when that happens, he initiates great 2-on-1 breaks (he makes Pavel Bure and Brett Hull look like Selke candidates). A Ronning on the ice is a tale of two cities: one is the boost he provides offensively, AS IF his team is on the powerplay with his passing skills, the other is the drain he provides defensively, as if his team is at a man-disadvantage playing as if 4-on-5 when the opposition has the puck.

Put Ronning on the top scoring line as a replacement or else make him a pp specialist. IMO.

He automatically adds legitimacy to a team's ability to generate a comeback as well as puts extra strain on other skaters to play more responsibly defensively.

 

[EagleBelfour]

5'10-180, shoots right

Thanks a lot! Where have you found that! I looked all over the internet.

 

[VanIslander]

I whole heartedly object to the choice of Dave Hodge as our play by play guy. He can be the third man in a 3-man booth if Van wants. I want Mike Lang damnit. It's Vegas, he fits Vegas peeerfectly.
HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE shootsandscores

k

 

[God Bless Canada]

Insurance for the 2nd, 3rd,4th lines?... He's 1st line or BENCH. (imo, what do others think?)

Love Ronning, I really do, and think he's an EXCELLENT 13th forward as the guy to direct the powerplay, play on offensive possessions, stimulate a come-from-behind drive. But Cliff SERIOUSLY is a liability defensively. I have seen him play live in Vancouver a lot of times and one thing you may not realize if you watch him on t.v. usually is that he cycles without the puck at centre ice waiting for his teammates to get a turnover and send the play the other way, and when that happens, he initiates great 2-on-1 breaks (he makes Pavel Bure and Brett Hull look like Selke candidates). A Ronning on the ice is a tale of two cities: one is the boost he provides offensively, AS IF his team is on the powerplay with his passing skills, the other is the drain he provides defensively, as if his team is at a man-disadvantage playing as if 4-on-5 when the opposition has the puck.

Put Ronning on the top scoring line as a replacement or else make him a pp specialist. IMO.

He automatically adds legitimacy to a team's ability to generate a comeback as well as puts extra strain on other skaters to play more responsibly defensively.

I'm a big Cliff Ronning fan, too, and if we do a minor league draft, he's a guy I would look at for a top-two line centre role. Vancouver's Life Line with Linden and G. Courtnall might be my favourite of all-time. Great game, solid playmaker, loved the game and likely enjoyed playing for Vancouver more than anyone else in franchise history.

But a third or fourth line role? Not in Trail. Not with the direction we have taken with the team. I wouldn't say he was a liability defensively, but he wasn't a real factor defensively, which takes him out of third line consideration, and while he wasn't soft, he wasn't a physical player, either, which takes him out of fourth line consideration. So he has to play on our first two lines, or he's not going to play at all.

If your fourth line is a hodge podge line, then I could see it, but you're playing with fire if you don't have a direction for your fourth line.

 

[Know Your Enemy]

Thanks a lot! Where have you found that! I looked all over the internet.

https://secure.cstek.com:/idb/hpics/media/web/image/nhl/tsp/player/209103.jpg

http://www.bballsports3.com/hockeydb.exe

 

[raleh]

I'm a big Cliff Ronning fan, too, and if we do a minor league draft, he's a guy I would look at for a top-two line centre role. Vancouver's Life Line with Linden and G. Courtnall might be my favourite of all-time. Great game, solid playmaker, loved the game and likely enjoyed playing for Vancouver more than anyone else in franchise history.

But a third or fourth line role? Not in Trail. Not with the direction we have taken with the team. I wouldn't say he was a liability defensively, but he wasn't a real factor defensively, which takes him out of third line consideration, and while he wasn't soft, he wasn't a physical player, either, which takes him out of fourth line consideration. So he has to play on our first two lines, or he's not going to play at all.

If your fourth line is a hodge podge line, then I could see it, but you're playing with fire if you don't have a direction for your fourth line.

Well then consider him a replacement for Turgeon if need be.

 

[VanIslander]

I wouldn't say he was a liability defensively, but he wasn't a real factor defensively

He just doesn't backcheck, or at least didn't for the three years I had tickets at Pacific Coliseum.

He and Sergio Momesso had some moments together as well.

That early to mid 90s Canucks team didn't know how to protect a lead but they sure knew how to come from behind! They were the opposite of the New Jersey Devils: the Canucks were more likely to win a game if the opposition scored first. Funny, but true.

 

[Leaf Lander]

did murphy leave a list?

 

[Evil Sather]

Thoughts on the draft overall:

People aren't helping their causes taking random HHOF guys and not knowing their vitals or anything they might have contributed other than team accolades (not directed at anyone in particular).

Several really polarizing teams out there: Las Vegas, Vancouver, Trail (you can have your complaints about Bure but good luck with VK-MIA aka Kantplaysky on your second line. Talk about guys you would run over in a heartbeat). Aurora might be its own category here. St. Louis defies description.

Other teams I look at and I go "playoff team" but I'm not totally in love with and don't see deep runs for: Boston, Miami, Nanaimo, Toronto, Seattle

Other teams might be terrors in the playoffs... but they have to GET there: Les A's, Edmonton, Portland, Maroons

Some seem to have a great mix but is it too much of a mix: Detroit, other Detroit, Philly especially, Adler, New Jersey

Others look like "wow, well done" but is that extra ingredient there: Kansas City, Buffalo, Saskatoon

Still others I wonder if it'll be enough: Siberia, Winnipeg, Barrie, Wanderers.

Won't classify my team, they're in their own little world

 

[BM67]

The New Jersey Devils are pleased to select a hard working C/RW who was the Rangers leader in goals and points in both the 80 & 81 playoffs

Ron Duguay

From the moment he took the ice for his first Rangers game in October 1977, right wing Ron Duguay was a player fans couldn't help but notice.

Duguay's striking good looks and flowing brown hair weren't the only things that made him so popular. Rather, it was his intense and determined style of play, rooted in his love of old-time hockey, that drew most of the cheers at Madison Square Garden.

Selected with the Rangers' second of two first-round picks in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft, Duguay entered the NHL after a stellar four-year junior career with his hometown Sudbury Wolves. He quickly made an impression at the NHL level, too, scoring 20 goals as a rookie and boosting his total to 27 and 28 in the next two seasons.

After a subpar, injury-plagued season in 1980-81, Duguay was fortunate to be named to Team Canada for the 1981 Canada Cup tournament. That international experience seemed to boost his confidence, and the following year he fired home a career-high 40 goals and made the 1982 NHL All-Star Game.

- Rangers All-time Roster

With his long flowing hair and natural good looks, Duguay was a smash hit with the young females on Broadway and the men liked him because he was an excellent hockey player. In his rookie season with the Rangers, Duguay netted 20 goals and assisted on 20 others in the 1977-78 season. Just one year later, the team, led by the likes of 37-yeaer-old Phil Esposito, advanced to the Stanley Cup finals where they lost in five games to the powerhouse Montreal Canadiens.

By now Duguay was firmly entrenched as a fan favourite in New York. The love affair lasted six years, and although Duguay had a 40-goal season in 1981-82, the team was never able to reach the heights achieved during that 1979 run to the Cup finals.

- Legends of Hockey Bio

"Doogie might be a little hard to take if it weren't for one thing. On the ice, he delivers the goods. Nobody works harder. He's no fancy dan. He gets down there and sweats." - Unnamed Teammate, NHL Pro Hockey '82-'83

"Ron Duguay was tall, good-looking, soft-spoken, and tried hard on the ice. Ronnie liked the game too much to get in trouble with booze and drugs. Ronnie is sharp as a tack, and today is straight as an arrow and married to model Kim Alexis, a wonderful woman." - Phil Esposito

 

[VanIslander]

Duguay ! I haven't thought of him in years.

Funny to think of him now, as "Duguay" is the exact pronunciation of the Korean expression for "two of them" when ordering something ('hanna'=one of them, 'doogay'=two of them, 'segay'=three of them).

Now I'll think of him every time I order sushi rolls: "Duguay!"

 

[Murphy]

The Edmonton Oilers select: Tom Lysiak

 

[EagleBelfour]

Won't classify my team, they're in their own little world

For me, you definitely go into the category of teams they have playoffs written all over their team, but wonder if they will do any good in them. Crosby on the 2nd lin is killing me, but you do have an awesome goaltender

 

[VanIslander]

HankyFourFingers was around not long ago...

 

[hockeyfan125]

HankyFourFingers was around not long ago...

yup, just finalizing my pick thanks for the PM to remind me.

blah.

 

[Leaf Lander]

just told shawnmullin on msn that he is up

 

[arrbez]

Aurora might be its own category here.

A compliment of the highest order

 

[God Bless Canada]

Thoughts on the draft overall:

People aren't helping their causes taking random HHOF guys and not knowing their vitals or anything they might have contributed other than team accolades (not directed at anyone in particular).

Several really polarizing teams out there: Las Vegas, Vancouver, Trail (you can have your complaints about Bure but good luck with VK-MIA aka Kantplaysky on your second line. Talk about guys you would run over in a heartbeat). Aurora might be its own category here. St. Louis defies description.

Other teams I look at and I go "playoff team" but I'm not totally in love with and don't see deep runs for: Boston, Miami, Nanaimo, Toronto, Seattle

Other teams might be terrors in the playoffs... but they have to GET there: Les A's, Edmonton, Portland, Maroons

Some seem to have a great mix but is it too much of a mix: Detroit, other Detroit, Philly especially, Adler, New Jersey

Others look like "wow, well done" but is that extra ingredient there: Kansas City, Buffalo, Saskatoon

Still others I wonder if it'll be enough: Siberia, Winnipeg, Barrie, Wanderers.

Won't classify my team, they're in their own little world

I think you underrate Kamensky. From about 87 to 91, he was likely one of the top two or three LWs in the world. He was excellent in the playoffs for Colorado in 1996 and 1997. Don't just judge him based on his failure in New York.

At the end of the day, playoffs are about character and versatility. When I look at our team, we're loaded with both attributes. We have 67 Stanley Cup rings on our roster, and plenty of players who sported a captain's C during their careers. Guys like H. Richard, Geoffrion and Keats are well-rounded players for our top two lines. Our bottom two lines have guys who will fill defensive and physical roles well, but they can score, too.

Our defence isn't the powerhouse that it was in our first draft (ah, for the days when I could get Sylvio Mantha as my No. 7 defenceman), but I think our defence is as good as any in the draft. They're also capable of filling multiple roles, they can all move the puck, and they're all reliable defensively. And we have size that we didn't have in our first two drafts.

I haven't had a good chance yet to sit down and evaluate the other teams. That'll come after the draft is complete.

 

[kruezer]

I don't know what to think of your team GBC, I like your D, I do worry about your offensive production, Keats was a fantastic pick though, your games would have to be close and I don't know that Fuhr will be used to low scoring grind-it out games where he can't just shake off his errors and feel that his team can score at anytime.

 

[hockeyfan125]

sorry about the wait.

I complete my third scoring line:

RW - Rick Kehoe

 

[Pwnasaurus]

\Others look like "wow, well done" but is that extra ingredient there: Kansas City, Buffalo, Saskatoon

Thanks I'm pretty happy with the way my team turned out. A defined role for each line, especially the 2 way 3rd line and antagonizing or is that agonizing 4th line that has some offensive punch to it as well. I was also pleased I was able to get 3 LH, 3 RH d-men on my backline that are a good mix of 2 way, off and def d-men and IMO the best goalie to ever lace em up. Looking forward to the matchups.

 

[VanIslander]

The Thunder select as the right wing finisher to play on the Kharlamov-Larionov line: Vladimir Vikulov. He was the guy who scored the GWGs in games 4 and 5 of the 1972 Summit Series in Moscow on Kharlamov's line. In Canada Cup '76 he scored 4 goals and 7 points in 4 games. Twice in his career he has been on a line with Kharlamov and they clicked, so should again. Vikulov has 283 goals in 520 Soviet league games, 109 goals in 190 international games.

Vladimir Vikulov was an extremely skillful and creative forward with slick stick handling, impressive 1-on-1 techniques, rapid and accurate shots on goal and well-catered assists on goals scored by his partners. Many famous players enjoyed the opportunity to play in one line with Vikulov considered one of the best Soviet playmakers in the 1960's and 1970's. The list of his career linemates included such world class individuals as Anatoly Firsov and Victor Polupanov, Valery Kharlamov and Alexander Maltsev, Boris Alexandrov and Victor Zhluktov. Overall, Vikulov was arguably one of the classiest Soviet forwards.

http://www.chidlovski.com/personal/1972/yroster/ru18.htm

USSR Gold (12): 1964-1966, 1968, 1970-1973, 1975, 1977-1979
WC Gold: 1966-1971, 1975
Olympics Gold: 1968, 1972
National Awards:
USSR All Stars 1970-1972
Scoring Leader (G) 1972
Merited Sports Master (USSR ZMS) 1967
International Awards:
IIHF All Stars 1971, 1972

was on a couple of the greatest Soviet lines (mentioned here on four different "great" Soviet lines, two of them with Thunder's Kharlamov):

5. Valery Kharlamov-Anatoly Firsov-Vladimir Vikulov
Team USSR and CSKA
Early 1970s

They didn't play very long together. One of the top offensive lines of the late 1960s, Firsov-Polupanov-Vikulov lost its center. Legendary Tarasov tried various players to replace Polupanov. Finally, he added Kharlamov to the famous linemates. "We didn't have to explain much to Valery," remembered Firsov. "It just clicked." Born out of Tarasov's experiments and attempts to extend hockey career of aging Red Army stars, the line is mostly remembered for its performance at the '72 Olympics. With Tarasov's retirement, Firsov left Team USSR and the Kharlamov-Maltsev-Vikulov line at the '72 Summit Series was a quick fixer-upper for a promising line.

6. Boris Alexandrov-Victor Zhluktov-Vladimir Vikulov
Team USSR and CSKA
Mid 1970s

They were the second line with the Red Army club and, briefly, with Team USSR in the 1970s. Small and speedy, Alexandrov had a promising scoring touch. Never mind his small size - no giant defenseman was an authority to Alexandrov when he was free-wheeling to the net. Vikulov had great soft hands and incredible playmaking talent. Zhluktov was not a magnificent player but served as a very solid and reliable backbone of the line.

http://www.chidlovski.com/personal/1974/liners/index.htm

The Canadians arrived in Moscow one game down on their opponents. After the first game at the Luzhniki Sports Palace, the gap doubled. A mistake by Clarke in the final minutes of the game cost the Canadians a tie. He was trying to control the puck near the boards and shot a pass to his partner, Rod Seiling. But Valeri Kharlamov intercepted the pass and flipped the puck to Vladimir Vikulov, who beat Tony Esposito at the net.

http://www.flyersalumni.org/clarke.htm