Ari Ahonen - What a disapointment

Chainshot

Give 'em Enough Rope
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Feb 28, 2002
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I love looking at stuff like that :) it really makes you take a look at the current top 50 and wonder how we'll look at it in 5 years.

Very true. Thus the helpings of prospect conversation can always be taken with a liberal dash of salt.

I remember thinking Jason Doyle would amount to something, Sean Haggerty was going to be an excellent scorer at the next level, and Jason Ward would never make the NHL on those weak, wobble legs of his... :biglaugh:

Everyone is wrong at some point. It's simply part of it all.
 

Roger's Pancreas*

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Well, as the guy who wrote most of the scouting reports listed in that article (although the actual order of the list was a group effort), I'm not afraid to admit a lot of them turned out to be pretty wrong. But hey, hindsight is always 20/20. This was made five years ago. Five years ago, all those players were the cream of the crop. Some didn't turn out for various reasons, while others did. Prospects are a crap shoot. Always have been, always will be.

At least you were right about Brendl.
 

IdiotsPickedMyName*

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Except, Heatley wasn't drafted by the Sens.

I know that :help:

I was just saying the sens have 3 of those players and drafted another that weren't busts, so that top 50 list was kind to them.
 

Vagrant

The Czech Condor
Feb 27, 2002
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:biglaugh: dont forget Igor Knyazev at 35 spot .. now they gave him a grade of 4.0 :bow:

Perhaps the most underscouted draft pick in NHL history. I have no idea who ever watched this kid play aside from at the WJC. He played above his head, wore a freakin' bowtie on draft day, and proceeded to play two of the worst AHL years in recent memory.

Honestly though, I have no idea who watched him play a game aside from his WJC performance. At the time, Carolina had like ONE scout to travel abroad. However, I can't complain. David Tanabe and Igor Knyazev yields Danny Markov who yields Justin Williams. All is well.
 

Draft Guru

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Feb 27, 2002
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Perhaps the most underscouted draft pick in NHL history. I have no idea who ever watched this kid play aside from at the WJC. He played above his head, wore a freakin' bowtie on draft day, and proceeded to play two of the worst AHL years in recent memory.

Honestly though, I have no idea who watched him play a game aside from his WJC performance. At the time, Carolina had like ONE scout to travel abroad. However, I can't complain. David Tanabe and Igor Knyazev yields Danny Markov who yields Justin Williams. All is well.

And if Knyazev isn't drafted, Carolina may not have won the cup ;)
 

Abyss

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Jun 20, 2005
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Very true. Thus the helpings of prospect conversation can always be taken with a liberal dash of salt.

I remember thinking Jason Doyle would amount to something, Sean Haggerty was going to be an excellent scorer at the next level, and Jason Ward would never make the NHL on those weak, wobble legs of his... :biglaugh:

Everyone is wrong at some point. It's simply part of it all.

just right now looking at the top 50, its actually hard to pick out say 10 guys that will bust. and if you throw out a name, saying something like "Voloshenko will bust" people go crazy.
 

ATLANTARANGER*

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One of the ugliest selections was Brendl remaining at #8! NYRs couldn't get rid of him fast enough. What I love is how some people assume that because an organization had success in picking players when they were terrible that the same golden touch transcends any pick they make.

It doesn't happen. All it takes is one or two bad 1st round picks when you are drafting much later in the rounds and you eventually start to see the fall off. Doesn't matter who the team is. The smartest investment any team can make these days is in loading up their scouting department with the advent of the cap. More and more teams are going to have depend on uncovering those diamonds in the rough found later on and yoru ability to correctly make solid selections in the earlier rounds is going to be more crucial then ever before.
 

ATLANTARANGER*

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Several years ago, it seemed like Ari Ahonen was a "can't miss" goaltending prospect that would possibly even compete with Brodeur for the starting job in New Jersey. Now I just noticed that he is an unrestricted Free Agent that no one will even sign for the league minimum. What in the world happened to this guy?

Mystery. A few years back NJ had some opportunites to bring the guy up to spell Marty and they didn't. Heck at one point I think they brought some one in who was retired or an assistant coach in their system to play a game and spell Brodeur. Right then and there it should have told people something about Ahonen.

You have a player you are suppose to be grooming and he's in your system for 3-4 years and he never gets a shot? I remember having several discussions with devil fans about the fact that Lundqvist was a better goalie and I got blasted for it. Ratings are nice topics of discussions, nothing more. I remember saying that in my opinion within the Rangers system Blackburn, Lundqvist, Montoya and Labarberra all were better goalies. Only Montoya hasn't made it to the NHL thus far.
 
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crashlanding

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Nov 29, 2005
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Mystery. A few years back NJ had some opportunites to bring the guy up to spell Marty and they didn't. Heck at one point I think they brought some one in who was retired or an assistant coach in their system to play a game and spell Brodeur. Right then and there it should have told people something about Ahonen.

You have a player you are suppose to be grooming and he's in your system for 3-4 years and he never gets a shot? I remember having several discussions with devil fans about the fact that Lundqvist was a better goalie and I got blasted for it. Ratings are nice topics of discussions, nothing more. I remember saying that in my opinion within the Rangers system Blackburn, Lundqvist, Montoya and Labarberra all were better goalies. Only Montoya hasn't made it to the NHL thus far.
How do you handle all this abuse from Devils fans, you're obviously always right. Can't reason with those stupid Devils fans, right?

NJ never had to put someone in net for Marty that wasn't playing all season in Albany. Chris Terrerri played a game last year for Albany because both Doyle and Ahonen were either sick or injured.
 

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