Player Discussion Bigger Bust- McIlrath or Jessiman?

[Machinehead]

This Kreider bum still hasn't scored 30 goals

 

[sbjnyc]

Ryan Getzlaf was picked [along with a few other really good NHL'ers] after Jessiman so to me, that is a gigantic bust. If we picked Getzlaf, we would have won the Cup in '14.

Rangers could have had Getzlaf and Tarasenko on that team (hard to say for sure as having Getzlaf would probably have changed their draft position). In 2014 they combined for a $9 million cap hit. Not sure what personnel changes would have made to stay within the cap but hard to imagine they'd have been worse.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

As for the post itself, it's easily Jessiman.

The Rangers had a decent pick in a year where the draft was deep and they couldn't afford to take a swing like that in the first round, due to the sheer lack of depth in the farm system. Blackburn was the best prospect they had in quite some time, he was done at that point after the accident. Brendl was traded for Lindros after showing that he had zero drive. The organization was on it's last legs with Lundmark, who they had been waiting to see something from, but he never did anything, then Peca injured him in a game with a knee-on-knee hit (how ironic, the guy who cried bloody friggin murder about Darcy Tucker). Tyutin was the team's crown jewel at that point. They had traded the 2002 1st rounder for Pavel Bure (ended up being Petr Taticek - bust). They didn't know what they had in Prucha, Lundqvist was just starting to make a name for himself and wasn't that top goaltending prospect yet and after that, they didn't have anything.

It was a terrible decision and there were so many other players enjoying great success playing against tougher competition (the ECAC was not nearly what it is today) and these players were safer and better picks. My aunt was high up in MSG at the time and I had also played hockey with someone who was even higher up than her. They both said that there was a rumored deal that almost went through earlier on in that season that would have sent Jarome Iginla and Calgary's 2003 first rounder to the Rangers.

Iginla and a 1st rounder? What did the Rangers have that could get them that? Wasn't Iginla already a star?

 

[Edge]

The Jessiman draft, and passing on Getzlaf, also came one year after they selected Farladeau and passed on the guy I had really wanted - Stoll.

Just threw up my hands in disgust after Baby Hughie was drafted.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

I have no problem saying that both botches cost us a cup. 03 as a whole was a disaster beyond measure though.

Tarasenko on that 14 team?

Getzlaf or Parise instead of Hugh...Oh and left out of the discussion is usually that we had Bergeron or Weber sitting there and instead we traded back for Ivan Baranka and Ken Roche?

Imagine Getzlaf and Weber in 06, 07, 08. Ugh. Maybe we keep Jagr. Don't need to blow 7 mil on Gomez though so maybe we don't get McD. Regardless, what an abject disaster 03 was in BOTH rounds. Sickening. Brendl/lundmark was 4 years prior to this. Just horrifyingly bad.

 

[RangerBlues]

The Rangers have too many first round swing and wiffs.
We deserve some love by the hockey gods.

 

[CTRanger]

Huge Specimen! The 03’ Draft was a disaster all around.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

The Jessiman draft, and passing on Getzlaf, also came one year after they selected Farladeau and passed on the guy I had really wanted - Stoll.

Just threw up my hands in disgust after Baby Hughie was drafted.

I know that it was a different game but I remember my 16 year old self being disgusted by the Farladeau pick. I wasn't at home to watch the McIlrath pick but I probably would have felt the same way.

 

[stan the caddy]

The Rangers have too many first round swing and wiffs.
We deserve some love by the hockey gods.

All part of the draft. Lots of busts in the mid to late of the first every year. Miller for example was a very solid pick and a lot of the Rangers fans that want a "full rebuild" had no problem booting him. They think we're gonna get three future all stars with a mid first and two late firsts. Realistically they might get one or maybe two JT Millers.

McIlrath should never have been taken. They were mocked for that pick at the time. Only the super optimistic fans defended it.

 

[Crease]

Oddly enough, the Montoya pick annoyed me more than either Jessiman or McIlrath.

 

[ryan93]

I voted Jessiman, if for no other reason then it didn't surprise me at all that McIlrath didn't pan out. I couldn't understand why they chose McIlrath over either Cam Fowler or Brandon Gormley. In hindsight, Gormley ended up being a bust as well, but Fowler would of been a solid pick.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I voted Jessiman, if for no other reason then it didn't surprise me at all that McIlrath didn't pan out. I couldn't understand why they chose McIlrath over either Cam Fowler or Brandon Gormley. In hindsight, Gormley ended up being a bust as well, but Fowler would of been a solid pick.

Fowler wasn't the big loss in that draft.

Tarasenko was. Picking McIlrath over him may be the difference between getting close in 2014 and 2015 and winning.

 

[Bob Richards]

Oddly enough, the Montoya pick annoyed me more than either Jessiman or McIlrath.

I wasn't around here back in the day but I feel like this is a pretty under-talked about pick.

A 6th overall goalie who played 0 games for the Rangers.

 

[stan the caddy]

I voted Jessiman, if for no other reason then it didn't surprise me at all that McIlrath didn't pan out. I couldn't understand why they chose McIlrath over either Cam Fowler or Brandon Gormley. In hindsight, Gormley ended up being a bust as well, but Fowler would of been a solid pick.

It was awhile ago so maybe I'm misremembering but Fowler wasn't supposed to fall to NY and when he did there was a lot of excitement for a very short period of time.

There's that iconic video of the NY Jets fan in 83 when they passed on Marino, "Obviously the Jets know something about Marino that we don't."

The Undertaker buried that draft.

 

[ryan93]

Both Fowler and Gormley were rated top 5 picks for most of the draft, and it was a surprise both were still available when it was the Rangers turn to pick. The fact they chose to go with a defensemen, and selected McIlrath over the other 2 was a shock. Yes looking back now, Tarasenko obviously would of been huge!

 

[ryan93]

Oddly enough, the Montoya pick annoyed me more than either Jessiman or McIlrath.

The Montoya pick was indeed an odd one. The Rangers had already drafted Dan Blackburn a couple of years earlier and he was already on the roster. And Henrik Lundqvist was also in the system and showing signs we was close to being ready to come overseas. To use a pick as high as 6th overall on another goaltender was a bit puzzling.

 

[Inferno]

Wasn't Maloney in charge of the jessiman pick?

That guy suuuccckkkeeedddd at drafting.

 

[stan the caddy]

Blackburn looked like he was going to be a franchise goalie and then he had a nasty injury. I think they drafted Montoya in response to that. Basically everything they did before the first lockout was a disaster. That's why I still think McIlrath is the answer. You thought they figured it out but Glen couldn't get past having a fighter on the team. For years that guy insisted on us having a goon on the roster even when they were starting to move in the right direction.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Wasn't Maloney in charge of the jessiman pick?

That guy suuuccckkkeeedddd at drafting.

Renney IIRC.

 

[ryan93]

Blackburn looked like he was going to be a franchise goalie and then he had a nasty injury. I think they drafted Montoya in response to that. Basically everything they did before the first lockout was a disaster. That's why I still think McIlrath is the answer. You thought they figured it out but Glen couldn't get past having a fighter on the team. For years that guy insisted on us having a goon on the roster even when they were starting to move in the right direction.

I was thinking Blackburn was injured the season after Montoya was drafted, but I just looked it up and you were right. Blackburn was injured prior to the 03/04 season, and Montoya was drafted in 04. Hence the reason they drafted him as you said. If only they knew Lundqvist would turn out the way he did! Although they would of likely just drafted another bust anyway. Look at the players taken immediately after Montoya...Olesz, Picard, Smid, Valabik, Tukonen and Thelen. The Rangers likely would of selected one of them. I'll keep Montoya haha.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

McIlrath was the worse pick. I don't remember 2003 but the moment McIlscrub was picked everyone knew that was a terrible pick. Fowler or Tarasenko ...

 

[stan the caddy]

I was thinking Blackburn was injured the season after Montoya was drafted, but I just looked it up and you were right. Blackburn was injured prior to the 03/04 season, and Montoya was drafted in 04. Hence the reason they drafted him as you said. If only they knew Lundqvist would turn out the way he did! Although they would of likely just drafted another bust anyway. Look at the players taken immediately after Montoya...Olesz, Picard, Smid, Valabik, Tukonen and Thelen. The Rangers likely would of selected one of them. I'll keep Montoya haha.

I said it earlier, these drafts are full of busts. Any optimistic fan should steer clear of the year the Sedins got drafted. If I remember correctly they were like the only two good players in the first round.

 

[Edge]

Both Fowler and Gormley were rated top 5 picks for most of the draft, and it was a surprise both were still available when it was the Rangers turn to pick. The fact they chose to go with a defensemen, and selected McIlrath over the other 2 was a shock. Yes looking back now, Tarasenko obviously would of been huge!

And there were lots of reports that Gordie and the Rangers liked Fowler.

I was actually running an errand during the draft and was streaming the draft on my phone. Was pretty sure Fowler was the pick, even though I wanted Tarasenko. Then they announced McIlrath and I just stared out the window for a couple of minutes shaking my head.

 

[Brooklyn Ranger]

So why respond to the thread?

Because I'm allowed to voice an opinion on the matter. That's what this place is about.

Both were questionable picks at the time.
Both suffered injuries that impeded their careers. Both picks have been hashed and rehashed, over and over again. Seems like we're just chasing shadows of what might of been.

 

[qwertyaas]

McIlrath wasn't really a bust in terms of what he was supposed to become. It was just a very bad decision to pick him up at #10 when there were many options available at that time that blew him away.

When Fowler dropped, I was almost certain we were getting him. I was shocked when they grabbed McIlrath instead.