Best draft in recent years

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

What is the best recent draft to take place out of these years?

2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998

Click to read more...

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

I'd say 2003 was the best draft year as it had a lot of depth. I also think 2001 was a strong year especially when you consider Ilya Kovalchuk was drafted in 2001.

 

[McDonald19]

2003 and 2001

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

They're all pretty different in what they have to offer and are (obviously) at different stage of development, which makes comparisons difficult. 2003 is an especially deep draft, which I like.

2001 is good, but looks like a similar but weaker 1998. I don't know how anyone can pick 2001 over 1998 at this point. They both have top end talent that looks amazing, both are interesting when you go lower but 1998 looks definitly better, IMO.

I tried to find players that were relatively similar but sometimes it was not possible and I did this quickly:

Lecavalier-Kovalchuk
Legwand-Weiss
Richards-Spezza
Tanguay-Hemsky
Datsyuk-Chistov
Stuart-Hamhuis
Regehr-Komisarek
Gagne-Ruutu
Skoula-Morrisonn
Kalinin-Tjutin
Allen-Spiller
Malhotra-Svitov
Antropov-Steckel
Kraft-Umberger
Fata-Kobasew
Van Ryn-Colaiacovo
Andrei Markov-Krajicek
Gomez-Koivu

And that still leaves a lot of quality 1998 players like Trent Hunter, Michael Ryder, Jiri Fisher, Ossi Vaananen, Mike Ribeiro, Mark Bell, Jon Cheechoo, Mike Fisher, Eric Cole, Jozef Vasicek, Ales Kotalik, Tyler Arnason and several others.

It's not impossible that 2001 will turn like that but it would be a major success if it did.

 

[nomorekids]

I think that in about 5 years, 2003 will be looked back at as one of the best drafts in the past 20 years.

 

[PanthersRule96]

I think that in about 5 years, 2003 will be looked back at as one of the best drafts in the past 20 years.

LOL, with Nathan Horton leading the way j/k

All Staal, Zherdev, Fleury, Horton, Michalek, Vanek, etc... have superstar potential.

2002 had the best top end talent in the last while aside from Kovalchuk.

2004 IMO will turn out really good. Later guys like Enver Lisin and McGrath all make it even better.

01 was ok. Weiss, Spezza, Ruutu, Krajicek, Colailacovo, Kovalchuk,etc...

But then there was just as many that could've busted or will maybe or prolly bust like Svitov, Chistov, etc... Yeah, k, they're good prospects still, but they've not produced in the NHL like thye should've. Chistov was good in his first year, but other than that....

 

[NYRangers]

2003 is going to be the best draft ever IMO. Thats coming off the top of my head.

7/10 of the top 10 draft picks (HF top 50) were from that draft.

 

[X-SHARKIE]

2001 Had more hype around it's prospects then 1998 did (excluding Lecavalier) But I agree with Vlad here that the 1998 really turned some gems. Scott Gomez one of the best picks of all time came from 1998.

1999 was a fun draft to watch, with the twins, and what I thought was a can't miss player in Stefan, although he is a very solid 2nd liner. I wouldn't have guessed the numbers of busts in that draft, and Martin Havlat coming out of nowhere!

2000 Had some very good top end players with Heatley and Gaborik, D'Pietro is coming around, and the late 1st produced some good talent like Brad Boyes. One of the Sharks worst drafts of all time though so I don't hold a special place for 2000 in my heart.

2001 has tons of talent as well with Ruutu, Kovalchuk, Spezza ect. But some of the top end guys who were heavily hyped havent' lived up to the lofty expectations. Still that was a deep draft, I'm still a big fan of the 2001 class.

2002 has to be one of the best top four picks in a longgg time. But the rest of the draft, save for some good players, was pretty ugly. I had a hard time finding interest in that draft after Jiri Hudler was finally taken by the Wings. Players were being drafted in the 2nd and 3rd rounds on size alone! Teams were just grabbing size really because there wasn't much talent. Although I loved the goaltenders in the draft, and I was disapointed the Sharks didn't take one of them.

2003 well go down as one of the better drafts, it had excellent and deep top end players. A player like Dustin Brown at 13? Milan Michalek at 6? ect. I was stoked the Sharks had two first round picks in there. Patrick O'Sullivan in the 50's? And how many players from the lower rounds are turning heads? Guys that don't get the recognition like Joe Pavelksi of Wisconsin has one of the nicest shots and set of hands i've ever seen out of a 7th round pick. There are alot of prospects in that draft who get under rated because they were taken lower 1st, lower 2nd ect. A guy like Mark Stuart for example. He's going to be a monster in the NHL, yet doesn't get the prime recogntion likely because he was the 21st pick? Same can be said for two of my favs in Getzlaf and Stewart. Not a whole lot of picks are disapointing either, Nilsson mabey, but he's coming around apparently, judging by the U-20 recaps.

I would have to say 2003

I have to say the 2004 draft was better then advertised IMO. Huge steals like Tukonen at 11, Meszaros at 23, Schremp at 25. Ladd has been disapointing this year, but guys like Picard are really excelling as well. It was a solid class. To Early to judge though.

 

[nomorekids]

Think about it...

Fleury
Horton
Staal
Zherdev
Vanek
Suter
Phaneuf
Carter
Getzlaf
Stewart

Some of the names that went in the second round could easily have been first rounders in many other years. I know that I was glad the Preds had so many second round picks, because it enabled us to get FOUR guys that were all projected to the first round at some point..Glazachev, Klein, Weber and Stehlik.

 

[PanthersRule96]

Think about it...

Fleury
Horton
Staal
Zherdev
Vanek
Suter
Phaneuf
Carter
Getzlaf
Stewart

Some of the names that went in the second round could easily have been first rounders in many other years. I know that I was glad the Preds had so many second round picks, because it enabled us to get FOUR guys that were all projected to the first round at some point..Glazachev, Klein, Weber and Stehlik.

Before the draft, I was so so so high on Glazachev. I was hoping the panthers moved up and picked him in the mid first round. Man, I sure am glad though that they didn't as he hasn't been great so far. He was picked where he should've been in the second.

Vojtech Polak was another player I wanted, but the Stars got him. He's got incredible offensive talent.

I can't believe O'Sullivan dropped so low. The panther took I think either Stefan Meyer of Kamil Kreps right before MIN took O'Sully, and I was so p****ed off at that. Kreps is a very very solid prospect who could've gone late first and Meyer has improved so much, but O'Sullivan is a beast.

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

2003 definately the best.

 

[X-SHARKIE]

Think about it...

Fleury
Horton
Staal
Zherdev
Vanek
Suter
Phaneuf
Carter
Getzlaf
Stewart

Some of the names that went in the second round could easily have been first rounders in many other years. I know that I was glad the Preds had so many second round picks, because it enabled us to get FOUR guys that were all projected to the first round at some point..Glazachev, Klein, Weber and Stehlik.

YOu also left off great players Parise, Michalek, Kostitsyn, Brown ect. What a great draft.

Sharks walked away with Michalek, Bernier, Hennessy, Carle, Ehelechner, Pavelski

 

[Patty Ice]

2001 is good, but looks like a similar but weaker 1998. I don't know how anyone can pick 2001 over 1998 at this point. They both have top end talent that looks amazing, both are interesting when you go lower but 1998 looks definitly better, IMO.

Totally agree with what Vlad is saying here. Of course the prize draft out of all the more recents is 2003. However, not that far off are 1998 and 2001. A lot of awesome talent came out of that 98 draft.

 

[LoudmouthHemskyFan#2]

However you have to remember, nobody is considered a bust ffrom 2003 yet. People from 1998 already have been labeled busts. I personally like the 2001 draft but that '98 draft sure has some talent.

 

[TML]

YOu also left off great players like Kostitsyn. What a great draft.

I have a feeling Kost will be a bust.

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

However you have to remember, nobody is considered a bust ffrom 2003 yet. People from 1998 already have been labeled busts. I personally like the 2001 draft but that '98 draft sure has some talent.

On the other side there are guys who could suprise and excell in the Nhl after being drafted late. I prefer the 2001 drafy as its higher end talent was better. I'd take Kovalchuk over Lecavalier, Spezza other legwand, Weiss other Allen etc. 1998 may have been slightly deeper but i feel that more superstars or top players will come from the 2001 draft.

 

[CH Wizard]

I have a feeling Kost will be a bust.

Atleast explain why plz.

 

[Masterovic]

2003 is very deep

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

In terms of the worst i'd have to say 1999. It has only produced one top player and countless busts. 2002 had no depth but it had Nash, Lehtonen, Bouwmeester and Pitkanen who all potential stars in the making.

 

[hockeyfan125]

2003.

 

[CH Wizard]

2003 , it was deep , very good prospects were still available in the late second round.

 

[Prucha73]

2001

 

[gabpas]

2003 without a doubt. but also most disappointing as a Habs fan.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

However you have to remember, nobody is considered a bust ffrom 2003 yet. People from 1998 already have been labeled busts. I personally like the 2001 draft but that '98 draft sure has some talent.

I wouldn't discard 1998 too quickly. There's still time for a few players. The three rookie of the year candidates last year were all out of 1998 and never made any "top 50" list: Ryder, Hunter and Raycroft.

There are players who are basically just beginning their careers from that draft, like Christian Backman. And the goalies are just about to come out of the draft, as is pretty usual for this position. Sauve, Niitymaki could be decent.

(although 2001 will turn out better for goalies, I think)

 

[nomorekids]

Before the draft, I was so so so high on Glazachev. I was hoping the panthers moved up and picked him in the mid first round. Man, I sure am glad though that they didn't as he hasn't been great so far. He was picked where he should've been in the second.

Vojtech Polak was another player I wanted, but the Stars got him. He's got incredible offensive talent.

I can't believe O'Sullivan dropped so low. The panther took I think either Stefan Meyer of Kamil Kreps right before MIN took O'Sully, and I was so p****ed off at that. Kreps is a very very solid prospect who could've gone late first and Meyer has improved so much, but O'Sullivan is a beast.

I think that Glazachev would have been MUCH better served by coming and playing in the QMJHL like Radulov and Shishkanov did. Neither of those two were putting up big numbers in Russia, but Shishkanov scored 43 goals in his season in Hull and Radulov has 30 points in 24 games for Quebec. Not only that, the path to the NHL is that much easier when a player comes to North America early. Glazachev may be hurting his chances by not coming over.