Blake Wheeler

[burner10115]

Wheeler offers more than just points. He plays extremely well in his own end. Is not afraid to get hit, and certainly doesn't mind hitting. Add to that he is a proven winner. He won a state championship in hockey and in football (as a tight end).

wuts ur IQ. Mine is 135!!! Winner no. Athlete, yes!

 

[littleHossa]

So......look at what Danny has turned out to be. A lot of good players passed through waivers before they finally paned out, example: Martin Straka.

I didn't meant it in a bad way, at the begining of the same season he scored 30 goals he was on waivers. That's something, considering he was a 1st round pick and had a lot of talent and still no one bit.

 

[littleHossa]

wuts ur IQ. Mine is 135!!! Winner no. Athlete, yes!

Your post doesn't make any sense.

 

[PhoPhan]

Not one bit. And for the record, while IQ is not the "end all, be all" measurement of intelligence, mine is still higher than what you claim yours to be.

Back on topic...how can someone who wins a national championship in two sports not be considered a proven winner?

 

[Randall Graves*]

That's your opinion and it's an evidence that you love Wheeler, but this doesn't mean that "Phoneix" as you wrote made a good thing drafting Wheeler so fast.

Also, Phoenix' draft are bad, except Esche in 1996, Leneveu in2002, see by yourself:

1996
11 D Dan Focht
24 C Daniel Briere
62 D Per-Anton Lundstrom
119 D Richard Lintner
139 G Robert Esche
174 C Trevor Letowski
200 R Nick Lent
226 C Marc-Etienne Hubert

1997
43 D Juha Gustafsson
96 D Scott McCallum
123 D Curtis Suter
151 L Robert Francz
207 D Alex Andreyev
233 C Wyatt Smith

1998
14 G Patrick DesRochers
43 D Ossi Vaananen
73 C Pat O'Leary
100 D Ryan Van Buskirk
115 D Jay Leach
116 G Josh Blackburn
129 D Robert Schnabel
160 C Rickard Wallin
187 C Erik Westrum
214 C Justin Hansen

1999
15 C Scott Kelman
19 D Kirill Safronov
53 C Brad Ralph
71 C Jason Jaspers
116 C Ryan Lauzon
123 C Preston Mizzi
168 Erik Lewerstrom
234 D Goran Bezina
262 D Alexei Litvinenko

2000
19 C Krys Kolanos
53 Alexander Tatarinov
85 L Ramzi Abid
160 D Nate Kiser
186 R Brent Gauvreau
217 Igor Samoylov
249 R Sami Venalainen
281 C Peter Fabus

2001
11 R Fredrik Sjostrom
31 D Matthew Spiller
45 C Martin Podlesak
78 Beat Forster
148 F David Klema
180 R Scott Polaski
210 G Steve Belanger
243 W Frank Lukes
273 Severin Blindenbacher

2002
19 C Jakub Koreis
23 L Ben Eager
46 G David LeNeveu
70 Joe Callahan
80 D Matt Jones
97 R Lance Monych
132 John Zeiler
186 G Jeff Pietrasiak
216 L Ladislav Kouba
249 D Marcus Smith
280 L Russell Spence

2003
77 C Tyler Redenbach
80 Dmitry Pestunov
115 Liam Lindstrom
178 R Ryan Gibbons
208 W Randall Gelech
242 F Eduard Lewandowski
272 D Sean Sullivan
290 Loic Burkhalter

The draft is a crapshoot, they've drafted some good players.

 

[Paxon]

wuts ur IQ. Mine is 135!!! Winner no. Athlete, yes!

What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that since he isn't as smart as you (debatable I'm sure), he is a good athlete but not a winner?

First of all, what good is a high IQ (which is easy to claim on the internet) if you're going to make yourself look stupid by spelling "your" as "ur"?

Secondly, what does a high IQ have to do with winning?

He has won state championships thus making him a winner.

 

[Randall Graves*]

Not one bit. And for the record, while IQ is not the "end all, be all" measurement of intelligence, mine is still higher than what you claim yours to be.

Back on topic...how can someone who wins a national championship in two sports not be considered a proven winner?

Because it's the product of a team, you cannot base a players ability to lead or be a proven winner based on high school.

 

[dafranchz]

What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that since he isn't as smart as you (debatable I'm sure), he is a good athlete but not a winner?

First of all, what good is a high IQ (which is easy to claim on the internet) if you're going to make yourself look stupid by spelling "your" as "ur"?

Secondly, what does a high IQ have to do with winning?

He has won state championships thus making him a winner.

Ummmm...you forgot "wuts" Rob!

 

[Paxon]

1996 - 24 C Daniel Briere

I wouldn't call that a bad pick, he had over 30 goals for them a couple of seasons ago before they traded him.

He also got them Gratton who, with Vaananen, got them Morris and Ballard. Pretty good return on draft pick investment. On top of that, Briere has since became a very solid player for Buffalo. Keep your eye on him next season.

 

[dafranchz]

Because it's the product of a team, you cannot base a players ability to lead or be a proven winner based on high school.

Didn't Dawson........errrrrrrr, James Vanderbeek teach us that in Varsity Blues?

 

[Paxon]

Ummmm...you forgot "wuts" Rob!

O rite, I thought that wuz how itz spelled lol.

 

[Vipers]

The draft is a crapshoot, they've drafted some good players.

The reason of the subject was Wheeler at 5th position in the draft, will he turn out to be only another good player or a star?
So you confirm it: "they've drafted some good players."

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

Conversely, Vipers, the last time they drafted that high they took Shane Doan.

 

[Vipers]

Conversely, Vipers, the last time they drafted that high they took Shane Doan.

I understand, but Doan has been draft by Winnipeg and not Gretzky band.

 

[PhoPhan]

I understand, but Doan has been draft by Winnipeg and not Gretzky band.

And you'll notice most of the bad draft picks were made before 2001 (when Gretzky and co. took over).


As for my remark about Wheeler...I didn't say the teams won because of him, just that it's obvious that when he is the best player on his team in both sports, and both win a national championship, well, you can do the math.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

I understand, but Doan has been draft by Winnipeg and not Gretzky band.

The Gretzky "band" didnt draft most of those guys on that list either. You cant have it both ways.

 

[Vipers]

The Gretzky "band" didnt draft most of those guys on that list either. You cant have it both ways.

Quote by PHO PHAN:And you'll notice most of the bad draft picks were made before 2001 (when Gretzky and co. took over).


As for my remark about Wheeler...I didn't say the teams won because of him, just that it's obvious that when he is the best player on his team in both sports, and both win a national championship, well, you can do the math.

Pho Phan: First, I never replied to you.

Stevex:You brought the example of Doan. I brought the Phoenix' drafts since they are in Phoenix, and only reply that Doan was draft by Winnipeg.

There's no game there....

 

[JeSuisReine]

And you'll notice most of the bad draft picks were made before 2001 (when Gretzky and co. took over).


As for my remark about Wheeler...I didn't say the teams won because of him, just that it's obvious that when he is the best player on his team in both sports, and both win a national championship, well, you can do the math.

They weren't nationaly championships. They were the MN state high school championships. not sure if that makes a difference to you or not.

 

[PhoPhan]

They weren't nationaly championships. They were the MN state high school championships. not sure if that makes a difference to you or not.

That's what I meant. Simple mental error. The point remains valid, though.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

Stevex:You brought the example of Doan. I brought the Phoenix' drafts since they are in Phoenix, and only reply that Doan was draft by Winnipeg.

Doan was drafted by the same organisation.. he's now the captain actually. So if you want to base your point on all of the past drafts, its perfectly reasonable to include Doan.

You cant imply Doan doesnt count because it was under different management because that is true of all the drafts from 1996-2001 that you ARE counting. Doan also happens to be the last time they had such a high pick which makes him all the more relevant.

 

[Vipers]

Doan was drafted by the same organisation.. he's now the captain actually. So if you want to base your point on all of the past drafts, its perfectly reasonable to include Doan.

You cant imply Doan doesnt count because it was under different management because that is true of all the drafts from 1996-2001 that you ARE counting. Doan also happens to be the last time they had such a high pick which makes him all the more relevant.

That's true, different management, different scouts.
You might be a Phoenix fan, but open your eyes.The way they draft, they're going
nowhere and this is an evidence.
Personally, I love hockey but I can recognize when a team, in the short or long run,
draft correctly.
As exemple compare with another team the drafts between Phoenix and another team you like and ... see.
Anyway, I couln't follow with Wheeler's thread, the job wait for me.
Nice week everyone.

 

[degroat*]

I don't see a high reward pick considering many people where considering that he would be picked in the second round.

The reason why he was rated as a 2nd round pick was BECAUSE he was a high risk/high reward pick.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

Personally, I love hockey but I can recognize when a team, in the short or long run,
draft correctly.

Please tell me what you think is "incorrect" about Phoenix's drafting since 2001 ?

2001 - Sjostrom, Spiller, Podlesak
2002 - Koreis, Eager, Leneveu
2003 - Redenbach, Pestunov, Lindstrom
2004 - Wheeler, Stephenson, Lisin

Bear in mind in 2003 they had no 1st or 2nd round pick and Podlesak and Lindstrom have had concussions and a car crash respectively.

2001 - Sjostrom and Spiller already in the NHL and Podlesak would have beaten them to it but for injury.
2002 - looks an excellent draft with five quality prospects in a terrible year. Some teams dont even have one now.
2003 - no 1st or 2nd but still snagged Redenbach in the 3rd.
2004 - well Lisin was regarded as excellent pick and Stephenson is a dark horse.. he was one of the youngest defensemen at the Canadian Juniors camp.

I'm not sure how you can recognize anything with certainty so early. That track record doesnt substantiate casting aspersions on Wheeler.

 

[Vipers]

Please tell me what you think is "incorrect" about Phoenix's drafting since 2001 ?

2001 - Sjostrom, Spiller, Podlesak
2002 - Koreis, Eager, Leneveu
2003 - Redenbach, Pestunov, Lindstrom
2004 - Wheeler, Stephenson, Lisin

Bear in mind in 2003 they had no 1st or 2nd round pick and Podlesak and Lindstrom have had concussions and a car crash respectively.

2001 - Sjostrom and Spiller already in the NHL and Podlesak would have beaten them to it but for injury.
2002 - looks an excellent draft with five quality prospects in a terrible year. Some teams dont even have one now.
2003 - no 1st or 2nd but still snagged Redenbach in the 3rd.
2004 - well Lisin was regarded as excellent pick and Stephenson is a dark horse.. he was one of the youngest defensemen at the Canadian Juniors camp.

I'm not sure how you can recognize anything with certainty so early. That track record doesnt substantiate casting aspersions on Wheeler.

Stevex, I'll answer that to you on next week-end, I'm working, but I'll bring you some examples.

 

[Heldig]

My 2 cents worth...EVERY team has examples of bad gaffs (in hindsight) at the draft table. Vipers - if you are going to throw out the names of Kelman, Safronov and the like we are all painfully aware.

In another thread ( I will find it) their is a link to an in depth draft analysis. The Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes were ranked in the top half of the league for percentage of NHL players drafted that make the NHL.

I will agree, though, their record since coming to Phoenix is less exemplary. Their were several years (4 or 5?) where they did not draft an impact player...especially with their first round picks.