Boris Valabik Was A Good Strategic Pick
- Thread starter Techbert
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Isn't 6'7 212 lbs a bit on the lanky side? With good speed, a 5'10 210 lbs fireball like Bourret could absolutely level a guy that size if he gets enough jump.
trojan4 said:
Kudroc is not 6'7, 255. I've seen 6'6, 230, maybe 6'6, 240, but never 6'7, 255.
I think it was a very risky pick with a very high reward myself. But it sure wasn't a bad pick, as it was said before, 6'7 defensemen with a mean streak like Valabik's are very rare, and you'll probably only get the chance at one from the draft. If Atlanta develops them he'll make the Thrashers even more difficult to play against.
Birko19
Registered User
Let's give the kid a break, I mean he just got drafted last year.
In my opinion I also agree with those who think that the Thrashers saw a Chara kind of thing in him, a long project as we speak, if he booms then Atlanta hits the jackpot, and if he busts then oh well, it's not like Atlanta missed out on the next best thing, besides, draft mistakes happen often and like I said, it's not like there was a Crosby or an Ovechkin avalivble for them to pick, the draft itself was not that deep to begin with and Atlanta felt a little gamble would'nt hurt at all, they already cashed in with the likes of Kovalchuk, Heatley, and Lehtonen, so you gotta take a gamble sometimes, specially gambles that could reward you highly.
In my opinion I also agree with those who think that the Thrashers saw a Chara kind of thing in him, a long project as we speak, if he booms then Atlanta hits the jackpot, and if he busts then oh well, it's not like Atlanta missed out on the next best thing, besides, draft mistakes happen often and like I said, it's not like there was a Crosby or an Ovechkin avalivble for them to pick, the draft itself was not that deep to begin with and Atlanta felt a little gamble would'nt hurt at all, they already cashed in with the likes of Kovalchuk, Heatley, and Lehtonen, so you gotta take a gamble sometimes, specially gambles that could reward you highly.
PSUhockey34
Registered User
His size over shadowed alot of his flaws...ATL was grasping at straws with taking Valabik 10th overall, guess they couldnt see past his size to his sub-par skating skills...but hey, that's what everyone team wants; the biggest, strongest, and nastiness dmen they can find...if he makes it as a top 4 guy in ATL then I'd say the pick wasnt wasted, but if he never pans out, Im sure there will be a ton of people saying "I told you so"...outside of wheeler, valabik is one of the biggest projects of the '04 draft
bert
Registered User
bert said:
But peopel expect results right away from a top 10 draft pick no matter the circumstances. Top 10 he must be NHL ready right then and there or the team that drafted him messed up.
Birko19 said:
Great post and true enough!
But while there were no sure superstars out there, there were some nice alternatives. Let's look at who else the Thrashers could have picked:
1. Lauri Tukonen: not a bad choice considering the organization's lack of RW prospects.
2. Drew Stafford: see above. This would be my favorite RW choice. It would have been (at least on paper) a perfect organizational fit.
3. Alexander Radulov: ditto
4. Wojtek Wolski
5. Andrej Meszaros: my favorite offensive defenseman choice
6. Rob Schremp: my favorite centerman choice. Center is also another glaring weakness in the prospect pool.
So, let's see who develops into the better NHL players: Valabik or any of Stafford, Tukonen, Meszaros, or Schremp
All of the above mentioned players had question marks attached to them just like Valabik. So it wasn't like any of them were better alternatives...just different. Plus, I don't see many teams selecting offensive d-men like Meszaros early in the 1st round...mostly they get selected in the late 1st or early 2nd, historically (plus he was listed at 6' at the draft so his size is a question mark for him). Atlanta addressed the offensive d-man role by selecting Grant Lewis in the 2nd round (and he's got good size at 6'3"). I personally don't like Wolski, Radulov or Stafford anymore than Valabik at that spot. So in your list that leaves Tukonen and Schremp. Both adequate choices but just a matter of preference really (and both had good upside but also had bust potential as well). Also I think Atlanta could use a LW just as much as a RW in their organizational depth chart. But again, you don't really draft based on organizational needs. If that was the case, teams like Florida who had several potential and/or current top 2 line centers wouldn't draft a center like Rotislav Olesz.dunwoody_joe said:Great post and true enough!
But while there were no sure superstars out there, there were some nice alternatives. Let's look at who else the Thrashers could have picked:
1. Lauri Tukonen: not a bad choice considering the organization's lack of RW prospects.
2. Drew Stafford: see above. This would be my favorite RW choice. It would have been (at least on paper) a perfect organizational fit.
3. Alexander Radulov: ditto
4. Wojtek Wolski
5. Andrej Meszaros: my favorite offensive defenseman choice
6. Rob Schremp: my favorite centerman choice. Center is also another glaring weakness in the prospect pool.
So, let's see who develops into the better NHL players: Valabik or any of Stafford, Tukonen, Meszaros, or Schremp
The player that you didn't mention that I'd prefer more than all of them is Travis Zajac and he could've resolved the weakness of centers in the organization. I really like what I saw in the Frozen Four tournament from Zajac. He looks like he'll be the perfect 2nd line center and would've been a good scoring threat other than Kovalchuk & Heatley. He's still a bit of a project but his downside doesn't seem that big to me.
Still, the potential of Valabik is extremely intriguing. I'd say that he'll be a #3 d-man in his prime but it will take him probably another 4-5 yrs to develop into that kinda of d-man. Atlanta is going to need to be patient with him to see some real returns from the pick. Even if they don't have the patience, I'm sure you could find some teams willing to trade value to acquire Valabik.
Coolburn said:
I came away from the FF VERY impressed with Zajac as well. I think he was the steal of the first round. The Devils always seem to find those late first round gems.
Coolburn said:
Let's mark this list and add Zajac. Then in 2 years look back and re-evaluate.
I sincerely hope to be dead wrong!
PecaFan
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Patty Ice XXX said:
It's not hindsight. Valabik was pretty much the concensus guy to bust around here last year. Just one thread of many:
http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=84485&highlight=valabik
Legionnaire
Help On The Way
firstroundbust
lacks explosiveness
Blind Gardien
nexus of the crisis
Valabik... well, considering he's not as talented as a junior as Chara was (it wouldn't take much, but Chara still was better), but that Chara was 56th overall or something like that...
I dunno. I actually like Valabik as a prospect. He wasn't consistent and sometimes he looked like a big windmill on skates that could be beaten at will by opposing skaters (other times he was mean and nasty and very effective)... he has a long way to go. I think he's a good player to pick in general... just nowhere near #10. If they picked him #56, that'd be great. Even #30, it might not look so bad (see: Rogers, Fistric). But it's just too much of a risk, too much of a reach at #10 for my tastes. I don't believe for a second that he'll be anything like Chara. If he's a glorified Eric Cairns or nastier Marek Malik, is that going to be better than some of the players picked after him? Hmm....
I dunno. I actually like Valabik as a prospect. He wasn't consistent and sometimes he looked like a big windmill on skates that could be beaten at will by opposing skaters (other times he was mean and nasty and very effective)... he has a long way to go. I think he's a good player to pick in general... just nowhere near #10. If they picked him #56, that'd be great. Even #30, it might not look so bad (see: Rogers, Fistric). But it's just too much of a risk, too much of a reach at #10 for my tastes. I don't believe for a second that he'll be anything like Chara. If he's a glorified Eric Cairns or nastier Marek Malik, is that going to be better than some of the players picked after him? Hmm....
clefty
Retrovertigo
Legionnaire said:
But what if you really wanted him and you new 11 or 12 was gonna take him? Give him up for someone else?
Personally i like the pick. I think Valabiks size makes him an easy target for posters. They right away jump out and say the only reason he was drafted was b/c of his size and then start accusing teh team of being blinded by his size.
Every year there are boom or bust picks and even some in the higher drafting spots. I beleiv Peire Marc Buouchard was abit of a boom or bust player when he was drafted aswell b/c of hs size. Blake Wheeler is another who is kinda a boom or bust and came right out of nowhere. But at 6'4" and wiht such raw talent the Yotes took a chance on him. What about Vanek and Kostitsyn as boom or busts aswell you dont get as much attention as Valabik. ONes compared to Brendl and the other has medical problems that could derail and chance of making the NHL. You think Hugh Jessimen was drafted b/c of his skill set only at #12 by the Rangers? At 6'5" i am sure they were thining big Power Center upside.
Valabik is a huge player who is very young and when you have grown that much in a few years it takes awhile before you can completely fill out and get used to your body. But of course the hockey genius’s here at HF beleive that since he was drafed so hi he should be as offensive as Meszaros and better defensively then any other defensive prospect out there. yeah right it just doens't work like that.
Is it that hard to think that maybe GM's around the league value a player who can line up against other teams power forwards and shut them down? Must all high picks be used on specifically 1 dimensional offensive picks only?
I guess ge's just the whipping boy of the draft until 2-3 years from now he starts to really make a push for a job on the Thrashers team. Then it will be it took him 3 years just to make the NHL as a 6th defenseman. Then who knows were he will end up.
Personally I cant wait until he improves his skating and makes the NHL were he starts to man hanlde alot of other teams forwards. Chara is a really good defenseman but he isn't naturally mean like Valabik is. Chara might be better offensively but Valabik has the potential to have a bigger impact on the defensive side of the game.
Goodwith Sticks
Registered User
If they can get his skating up, who knows.. but right now his skating is VASTLY sub-par and he will made to look pylon-esque in the bigs by young and speedy forwards. The fact that one of his predominant characteristics is to sell-out on the big hit(or so I have read) furthers this prediction's validity. I didn't like the pick at all and still don't. Right now he's got more Kristian Kudroc written all over him than Zdeno Chara - but of course only time will tell. I would have taken Smid or Meszaros over Valabik as d-picks that year.
The Maltais Falcon
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Anaheim would concur on the Smid pick. At least the old regime would anyways. Who knows who Brian Burke would've picked for the Ducks last year?Raven25 said:
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