Comparing 2006 and 2007 Drafts

nafrelio

Registered User
Aug 26, 2005
2,013
432
brite feuchure
We keep hearing mixed messages about the quality of the draft this year - that there is less high end talent this year, but more depth throughout (even this is debated). I am not at all knowledgable with prospects but many of you are. Let's spell this out for those of us who need to have more context to this argument.

Here is the list of the 1st round picks from last year.

1. St. Louis, D-Erik Johnson (USA NTDP)
2. Pittsburgh, C-Jordan Staal (Peterborough)
3. Chicago, C-Jonathan Toews (North Dakota)
4. Washington, C-Nicklas Backstrom (Brynas)
5. Boston, C-Phil Kessel (Minnesota)
6. Columbus, C-Derick Brassard (Drummondville)
7. NY Islanders, RW-Kyle Okposo (Des Moines)
8. Phoenix, C-Peter Mueller (Everett)
9. Minnesota, F-James Sheppard (Cape Breton)
10. Florida, RW-Michael Frolik (Kladno)
11. Los Angeles, G-Jonathan Bernier (Lewiston)
12. Atlanta, C-Bryan Little (Barrie)
13. Toronto, LW-Jiri Tlusty (Kladno)
14. Vancouver, RW- Michael Grabner (Spokane)
15. Tampa Bay, G-Riku Helenius (Ilves)
16. San Jose (from Montreal), D-Ty Wishart (Prince George)
17. Los Angeles (from Minnesota-Edmonton), C-Trevor Lewis (Des Moines)
18. Colorado, F-Chris Stewart (Kingston)
19. Anaheim, D-Mark Mitera (Michigan)
20. Montreal (from San Jose), D-David Fischer (Apple Valley H.S.)
21. NY Rangers, D-Bob Sanguinetti (Owen Sound)
22. Philadelphia, RW-Claude Giroux (Gatineau)
23. Washington (from Nashville, G-Semen Varlamov (Yaroslavl)
24. Buffalo, D- Dennis Persson (Vasteras)
25. St. Louis (from New Jersey), C-Patrik Berglund (Vasteras)
26. Calgary, G-Leland Irving (Everett)
27. Dallas, D-Ivan Vishnevsky (Rouyn-Noranda)
28. Ottawa, LW-Nick Foligno (Sudbury)
29. Phoenix (from Detroit), D-Chris Summers (USA NTDP)
30. New Jersey (from St. Louis), D-Matthew Corrente (Saginaw)


Underneath you will find a list of the top 15 players in the current ISS ratings (feel free to add your own). To save space here, just cut and paste this list below onto your post. Beside each of this year's draftees, place the number that represents where you feel they would have been drafted if they were in last year's draft. Please remember to base your decision on where the 2006 draft class was at the time of the draft last year (not based on seeing how they did this year). Thanks for your opinions - let 'em fly!

1. Cherepanov, Alexei
2. Kane, Patrick RW
3. Turris, Kyle C
4. Van Riemsdyk, James LW
5. Voracek, Jakub C
6. Alzner, Karl D
7. Couture, Logan F
8. Gagner, Sam RW
9. Ellerby, Keaton D
10. Mayorov, Maxim LW
11. Esposito, Angelo C
12. Gillies, Colton C
13. Petrecki, Nick D
14. Andersson, Joakim C
15. Blum, John D
 

Rise from the Ashes

Price defies corsi
Sep 13, 2005
7,466
4
Pointe-Claire, QC
I think the difference is that last years draft had some more mature players at 17. Also a Staal was in the draft as well as Erik Johnson and Phil Kessel. This years draft is based more on long term potential than immediate impact, so it is more difficult to determine a top pick or a sure fire top 5. Also this year i am certain will have many many late round gems.
 

Martyros

Allow me to retort
Aug 13, 2005
7,756
1,099
Holly Hood
in 2006 there were plenty more goaltenders that could have been drafted 1st/2nd round. this years, i don't think there are any goaltenders close to getting drafted in the 1st round
 

Bam Beet*

Guest
in 2006 there were plenty more goaltenders that could have been drafted 1st/2nd round. this years, i don't think there are any goaltenders close to getting drafted in the 1st round

Trevor Cann could be an early second rounder.
 

nags

Registered User
Sep 27, 2006
597
40
I think the difference is that last years draft had some more mature players at 17. Also a Staal was in the draft as well as Erik Johnson and Phil Kessel. This years draft is based more on long term potential than immediate impact, so it is more difficult to determine a top pick or a sure fire top 5. Also this year i am certain will have many many late round gems.

The difference is that we had Toews in the last year's draft who was the best player selected in 2006. There are no Toews like players this year.
 

DaveG

Noted Jerk
Apr 7, 2003
51,016
47,853
Winston-Salem NC
in 2006 there were plenty more goaltenders that could have been drafted 1st/2nd round. this years, i don't think there are any goaltenders close to getting drafted in the 1st round

the aformentioned Cann and I'll add Sexsmith as one that should be taken in the 2nd at the latest. That's not to say they won't be taken later, just that they probably should go in the early-mid 2nd if not earlier.
 

hawksfan50

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
13,981
1,964
1.There is no d-man in this draft of Erik Johnson's calibre--BUT overall depth-wise for D-men it is a stronger first round crop this year...

2. As to the forwards--last years' cream (except for Kessel) was defensively much more advanced (read NHL ready or near readier) than this year's creamm of the crop...ergo Staal already playing,Backstrom+Toews probably starring inthe NHl next year...Kessel also already in the NHL --but you knew what his flaws were and what he still needs to improve on--his skating was however world class so he made the show ...This years'crop --is less advanced --certainly defensively --and there are size/weight issues with some of them --so they willneed time...BUT the potential is there to be just as much if not better offensively than last year's cream of the forward crop......no forward from last year has Pat Kane's agility and puck control,lightning quick release and stick,vision and inate instinct for scoring or passes that set-up easy scores for team-mates--offensively he just has "it" --but defensively,he is a no show and that flaw is to some extent hidden at the Jr. level and by the quality of his team-mates--but teams won't be drafting him for defense..
James Van Riemsdyk with his size and scoring ability is certainly the best LW prospect of the 2 drafts and it will be interesting to see if he can't out point Jordan Staal in the Big Man category when he gets to the NHL... Kyle Turris,once he gets stronger by increasing his weight/muscle size has the potential to be perhaps the best forward of either draft,not only capable explosive multi-point dominating games but he's also not soft and he'll be good in all 3 zones... SAM GAGNER is a very good and unselfish set-up master --his height though may be an issue for some,and while some may question his assists total due to the calibre of Kane+Kostitsyn who he
has feed for lots of goals,the counter argument would be that on a lesser team without such line-mates he would himself shoot more and score more goals himself...
Still it is hard to peg him as high as last year's top 4 forwards...Alexei Cherepanov--to his credit is surpassing Ovechkin+ Malkin numbers in the RSL as a rookie (he started the year as a 17 yr old) --but somehow I doubt he willbe as successful as them as an NHL'er--most notably he doesn't have their size nor their end to end rushing ability--so the risk on him is higher IMO...still you cannot ignore his RSL accomplishment this year--so you must at least award him high potential to put up points...

all in all--I think it is fair to say that Staal,Toews Backstrom and Kessel were more advanced than this year's cream of the crop forwards--but the longer term potential
for nHL scoring might actually favour 4-5 forwards from this year's crop--albeit some of them won't be as good defensively...
 

UAGoalieGuy

Registered User
Dec 29, 2005
16,237
4,212
Richmond, VA
The difference is that we had Toews in the last year's draft who was the best player selected in 2006. There are no Toews like players this year.

I think it is safe to say, at this point in time, the best player selected in the 2006 draft was Jordan Staal...
 

fizban

Registered User
Mar 1, 2006
1,541
0
I think it is safe to say, at this point in time, the best player selected in the 2006 draft was Jordan Staal...
I think the only thing that is safe to say, at this point in time, is that it is too early to tell which player was the best to be selected from the 2006 entry draft. Players must develop their skills and that takes years to do.
 

Jaded-Fan

Registered User
Mar 18, 2004
52,446
14,304
Pittsburgh
Long term, I could say anything almost and who could say that I was wrong? So could any of you. So I will address it this way. Going into the draft, as far as I can see the two drafts are the polar opposites of one another. The 2006 draft was seen as top heavy. Although 2006 had no Crosby or Ovechkin, at least as seen going in, it was seen as having a top five that would be in the top five in almost any draft. It was after that that you had problems. There was a second tier that was ok, until about 12. But then it was thought to fall off the cliff with a lot of players that had some potential but huge question marks too.

2007 seems to be a draft that is seen as the opposite. A large amount of depth of good quality players but the top . . . bleh. Not this huge separation that you would hope for. No Staal or EJ this year. You could still get a player at 60 that is a very high quality player. And little separating a lot of those top 60.

Now does that mean that either year will play out that way? Of course not, certainly players will come out of both that will suprise or disappoint. But that is what I see the views going into both.
 

nags

Registered User
Sep 27, 2006
597
40
I think the only thing that is safe to say, at this point in time, is that it is too early to tell which player was the best to be selected from the 2006 entry draft. Players must develop their skills and that takes years to do.

Toews has always outplayed Staal at every level starting at the Minor Bantam level when they played against each other in the Manitoba AAA league. That trend will continue when Toews gets to the NHL next year.

Having said that, Staal was the 2nd best player picked in last year's draft.
 

Arcane

Registered User
Oct 25, 2006
1,625
0
Toews has always outplayed Staal at every level starting at the Minor Bantam level when they played against each other in the Manitoba AAA league. That trend will continue when Toews gets to the NHL next year.

Having said that, Staal was the 2nd best player picked in last year's draft.


unproven, staal is better.
 

Bryzga lol*

Guest
I think it is safe to say, at this point in time, the best player selected in the 2006 draft was Jordan Staal...

I think the only thing that is safe to say, at this point in time, is that it is too early to tell which player was the best to be selected from the 2006 entry draft. Players must develop their skills and that takes years to do.

Exactly. We can base it on who did better in the top league, but some of these guys still have 20 years of professional hockey ahead of them.

If we had to guess this early, we'd have to go by draft order and say that Johnson is still the favorite to be the best NHL player in the 06 draft. Even with Staal's unexpected success, I still don't think he'd be first overall if we re-did the draft today.
 

Bryzga lol*

Guest
I thought someone would have asked this by now but if the 2006 and 2007 draft classes were combined, how would you see the first round playing out?

As of now, I think the top 4 picks from 06 would remain the same. Maybe that'll change next year after the world juniors, but as of now, no one in the 07 draft interests me more than Johnson, Staal, Towes and Backstrom.
 

Jaded-Fan

Registered User
Mar 18, 2004
52,446
14,304
Pittsburgh
Exactly. We can base it on who did better in the top league, but some of these guys still have 20 years of professional hockey ahead of them.

If we had to guess this early, we'd have to go by draft order and say that Johnson is still the favorite to be the best NHL player in the 06 draft. Even with Staal's unexpected success, I still don't think he'd be first overall if we re-did the draft today.

Given performance I would not be so sure. Staal has played well beyond expectations. And he has set the bar high. EJ remains a terrific prospect, but the two were really not that far apart going into the draft. There was a gap but not a chasm and EJ being the only defenseman worth a damn going into that draft also gave him some separation. If I had that first pick, say if Pittsburgh had ended up with one less point and ended up last, knowing what I know at this moment, I would take Staal every day of the week and twice on Sunday. He is the surer thing now, having done it and beyond expectations by miles. If he were a week older he would be the one everyone would be talking about as 'the player' in this draft. EJ has a lot to prove and live up to to show that he is as good let alone better.
 

Zim

Registered User
Jan 19, 2006
4,249
0
I am astounded by your impenetrable reasoning.

There is no way to tell at this early stage who was the best player in the 2006 draft. I just think that nags has a bit of a Mcguire man crush on Toews.
 

LeafsrGods*

Guest
Long term, I could say anything almost and who could say that I was wrong? So could any of you. So I will address it this way. Going into the draft, as far as I can see the two drafts are the polar opposites of one another. The 2006 draft was seen as top heavy. Although 2006 had no Crosby or Ovechkin, at least as seen going in, it was seen as having a top five that would be in the top five in almost any draft. It was after that that you had problems. There was a second tier that was ok, until about 12. But then it was thought to fall off the cliff with a lot of players that had some potential but huge question marks too.

2007 seems to be a draft that is seen as the opposite. A large amount of depth of good quality players but the top . . . bleh. Not this huge separation that you would hope for. No Staal or EJ this year. You could still get a player at 60 that is a very high quality player. And little separating a lot of those top 60.

Now does that mean that either year will play out that way? Of course not, certainly players will come out of both that will suprise or disappoint. But that is what I see the views going into both.

I would say after 13, then there is huge drop off.
 

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