Benoit Pouliot VS Bobby Ryan VS Anze Kopitar

[freakazoid]

I am seing Hanzal climb into the top 10, but just a couple of weeks ago I've seen him being taken in the early second round in some mock drafts on this forum. Is everyone so caught up in his appearance in the ISS "on the rise" or he is really presenting himself as a legit top 10 in front of Parent Bourdon etc?

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

I'd venture to guess most people still have him pegged 25-35, I just really pay close attention to European hockey. Has less to do with ISS than my own excitement, which other people are sharing. His stock has definitely risen, and I see him as a sure 1st rounder. Maybe top 10 is optimistic, but I'd say 15-20. He has all the tools to be huge. I also think Patrick Davis, Brendan Mikkelson and Vyacheslav Trukhno will sneak their ways into the early 20's.

 

[markov`]

I am seing Hanzal climb into the top 10, but just a couple of weeks ago I've seen him being taken in the early second round in some mock drafts on this forum. Is everyone so caught up in his appearance in the ISS "on the rise" or he is really presenting himself as a legit top 10 in front of Parent Bourdon etc?

Everyone is so caught in his appearence in the ISS "on the rise".

I've seen him at the U18 and he was just not that good. He has skills, yes, but I'm questionning his desire.

He will be a Handzus type player down the road if he works hard, but I wouldn't take him before 20-25. Reminds me a little of Jiri Novotny.

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

That's good... take the first 3 letters of his name and match it with an NHLer... after size, that's where that comparison ends.

 

[Ross_SLO]

Yet, you're not worried about Kopitar being Slovenian, because he won't go backwards either, because Valabik is also Slovenian.

Hello all.

Valabik is NOT Slovenian.He is from Slovakia (former Czechoslovakia).Dont mix up those two countries.

IMHO the fact that our Anže Kopitar is from hockey allmost unknown Slovenia,could make teams to reconsider the choice of picking him up in early stages of draft.
Sadlly the teams prefers "native" players from Canada and USA,and from big hockey nations from Europe.
I hope i'm wrong about this.


We are small country with only 6 icerinks and less then 900 of all reg. players.

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

Thanks for the geography lesson... and I still wouldn't care if Kopitar was from Zimbabwe... he's shown how he can play.

 

[Slats432]

Looking at some top 10s, it seems that some people like flavours of the week. Hanzal is OK...but I would take Raask or Price ahead of him. I would take Bourdon ahead of him...(I would also consider Bergfors...and I only saw Lelkes twice but I think that I would consider him over Hanzal as well)

 

[hockeyfan125]

I would rank Kopitar around equal to Johnson and Brule, after seeing about 5 games of his. He is big, fast, gritty, and has wicked skills. Wouldn't suprise me to see him go #3, if a team wants him.

 

[Barnaby]

Hello all.

Valabik is NOT Slovenian.He is from Slovakia (former Czechoslovakia).Dont mix up those two countries.

IMHO the fact that our Anže Kopitar is from hockey allmost unknown Slovenia,could make teams to reconsider the choice of picking him up in early stages of draft.
Sadlly the teams prefers "native" players from Canada and USA,and from big hockey nations from Europe.
I hope i'm wrong about this.


We are small country with only 6 icerinks and less then 900 of all reg. players.

Have you gotten to see Kopitar play at all? If so, what did you think - and how was the competition he was against?

 

[Ross_SLO]

Yep.I wacht him play a few games in his club Sodertalje SK of Swedish Elite league.He got talent no doubt.He is excellent technician,but he need more physical strenght to play against seniors.
Wenn he played in U-20 and U-18 for Sodertalje this year,he was unstopable.
Top scorer in U-20 competition.

In early may he signed the 1 year profesional contract with Sodertalje of Swedish Eliteserian.