Europeans Drafted

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Lexicon Devil

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Some have been speculating about how the new rules for signing Europeans would affect their relative value in the draft. Well, let's look at how many players from European leagues were drafted this year as compared to previous years:

2005: 20.0% (46/230)
2004: 31.7% (72/227 - only first 7 rounds)
2003: 31.4% (72/229 - only first 7 rounds)
2002: 34.9% (80/229 - only first 7 rounds)

The numbers speak for themselves.
 

Lard_Lad

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Damnit, I just finished running those numbers myself and noticed the same thing. You beat me by two minutes. ;) It turns out this draft has the lowest percentage of players taken from international leagues since 1989, back when it was a big risk to take somebody from Russia or Czechoslovakia.
 

hockeyfan125

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A combination of a crappy-ass draft class and teams fearful of players not coming over because of the new rookie salary caps.
 

Lexicon Devil

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Also interesting - from Russian leagues (again, sticking to the first 7 rounds):

2005 - 9 picks
2004 - 14 picks
2003 - 21 picks
2002 - 21 picks
 

Lexicon Devil

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A combination of a crappy-ass draft class and teams fearful of players not coming over because of the new rookie salary caps.

I don't think either of those are major reasons. Minor reasons, sure.

The number of European draft picks was always inflated by the fact that teams got to retain their rights for ~10 years, instead of 2. With that provision gone, the comparative advantage in drafting a European project is gone.
 

Lard_Lad

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Percentage of picks from the 3 CHL leagues:

2005: 57%
2004: 39%

Last time it was above 57% was 1995 (61%), and that was only a one-time thing; prior to that the last time was 1981.
 

Lexicon Devil

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But i'm willing to bet the number of American picks also skyrocketed to an all-time high. This is, of course, just another way to say that the number of Europeans drafted decreased, but this way Canadians can feel good about themselves.

And, of course, it has alot more to do with the new CBA than any major difference in talent this year (there was a difference in high-end talent this year, but that's another story).
 

Lard_Lad

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Lexicon Devil said:
The number of European draft picks was always inflated by the fact that teams got to retain their rights for ~10 years, instead of 2. With that provision gone, the comparative advantage in drafting a European project is gone.

Yeah, I think this is the main reason. Scouting cutbacks to save money during the lockout might have had an effect, too; teams may not have had the data on Europeans that they normally do.

And it really was a bad year for Europeans, on top of all that. Kopitar was the only real standout; the dropoff after him amongst European skaters was pretty severe.
 

Hasbro

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I don't like the 2 year rule for Europeans. I can see changing it, but it does rush the process. I think 3 or 4 would have been a good comprimise.
 

bigd

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SwisshockeyAcademy said:
Unbelieveably weak Russian and Finnish class. Perhaps the worst i've ever seen.For what its worth the Swiss class was as bad as its been in a long time.
How do next years European prospects look? From the few International Tournaments that I've seen last season they didn't impress me but sometimes the best players are brought up to the U18 teams.
 

Hedberg

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Jan 9, 2005
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Hasbro said:
Does anyone have the picks by country yet?
European Birth Country:

Russia: Vitali Anikeyenko (Ottawa), Ilja Zubov (Ottawa), Denis Istomin (Chicago),
Viatcheslav Trunkhno (Edmonton), Anton Krysanov (Phoenix),
Roman Derlyuk (Florida), Dmitril Megalinsky (Ottawa), Andrei Zubarev (Atlanta),
Kirill Starkov (Columbus), Vjateslav Buravchikov (Buffalo),
Viktor Dovgden (Washington), Nikolai Lemtyugov (St. Louis)

Sweden: Nicklas Bergfors (New Jersey), Christofer Lofberg (Detroit),
Mattias Ritola (Detroit), Niklas Hjarlmarsson (Chicago), Johan Ryno (Detroit),
Patrik Hersley (Los Angeles), Frederik Petterson (Edmonton),
Johan Dahlberg (Toronto), Anton Stralman (Toronto),
Alexander Sundstrom (New Jersey), Patric Hornqvist (Nashville)

Finland: Tuuka Rask (Toronton), Pertuu Lindgren (Dallas), Teemu Laakso (Nashville),
Mikko Lehtonen (Boston), Janne Kolehmainnen (Ottawa),
Tommi Leinonen (Pittsburgh), Masi Marjamaki (NY Islanders),
Risto Korhonen (Carolina), Juho Mielonen (Detroit)

Slovakia: F Marek Zagrapan (Buffalo), Vladimir Mihalik (Tampa Bay),
Marek Bartanus (Tampa Bay), Juraj Mikus (Montreal), Ondrej Otcenas (Carolina),
Stanislav Lascek (Tampa Bay), Marek Kvapil (Tampa Bay),

Czech Republic: Martin Hanzal (Phoenix), Jakub Kindl (Detroit), Petr Kalus (Boston), Ondrej Pavelec (Atlanta), Radek Smolenak (Tampa Bay), Jakub Vojta (Carolina),
Vladimir Sobotka (Buffalo), Tomas Popperle (Columbus), Tomas Pospisil (Atlanta),
Tomas Kudelka (Ottawa), Lukas Vantuch (Boston), David Kuchejda (Chicago)

Germany: Phillipe Gogulla (Buffalo)

Latvia: Oskars Bartulins (Philadelphia)

Slovenia: Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles)

Denmark: Morten Madsen (Minnesota)

Belarus: Siarhei Kastsitsyn (Montreal)
 
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paul99

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Sep 5, 2003
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Lexicon Devil said:
Some have been speculating about how the new rules for signing Europeans would affect their relative value in the draft. Well, let's look at how many players from European leagues were drafted this year as compared to previous years:

2005: 20.0% (46/230)
2004: 31.7% (72/227 - only first 7 rounds)
2003: 31.4% (72/229 - only first 7 rounds)
2002: 34.9% (80/229 - only first 7 rounds)

The numbers speak for themselves.

NHL.COM official rounds report gives, if not mistaken, a total of 171 NA born players, 1 in JAPAN and a total of 58 from EUROPE.
 

Epsilon

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Oct 26, 2002
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paul99 said:
NHL.COM official rounds report gives, if not mistaken, a total of 171 NA born players, 1 in JAPAN and a total of 58 from EUROPE.

Where players are born isn't important because the CBA has no effect on that. It's the leagues they play in that matters, which is the numbers that have been used here.

One other reason for these numbers is that overage European players no longer need to be drafted and can just be signed as free agents.
 

Buffalo Stylee

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Hedberg16 said:
European Birth Country:
Slovakia: Vladimir Mihalik (Tampa Bay), Marek Bartanus (Tampa Bay),
Juraj Mikus (Montreal), Ondrej Otcenas (Carolina), Marek Kvapil (Tampa Bay),

You forgot the best Slovakian in the draft, Marek Zagrapan (Buffalo.)
 

Lexicon Devil

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Apr 21, 2002
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Yeah, NHL.com lists the player's place of birth (hence, Japan) - I used the player's league, which is more important in considering the impact of the new CBA.

Yeah, Epsilon, you're right - that's another change to how teams deal with euros.



Edit: Nevermind that part
 

MaV

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Jun 23, 2002
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SwisshockeyAcademy said:
Unbelieveably weak Russian and Finnish class. Perhaps the worst i've ever seen.

No way. Look for Finland two years ago. Marjamäki, Piispanen year. And if you think this was bad, wait for next year and 2007.
 

Shane

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Hedberg16 said:
European Birth Country:

Russia: Vitali Anikeyenko (Ottawa), Ilja Zubov (Ottawa), Denis Istomin (Chicago),
Viatcheslav Trunkhno (Edmonton), Anton Krysanov (Phoenix),
Roman Derlyuk (Florida), Dmitril Megalinsky (Ottawa), Andrei Zubarev (Atlanta),
Kirill Starkov (Columbus), Vjateslav Buravchikov (Buffalo),
Viktor Dovgden (Washington), Nikolai Lemtyugov (St. Louis)

Sweden: Nicklas Bergfors (New Jersey), Christofer Lofberg (Detroit),
Mattias Ritola (Detroit), Niklas Hjarlmarsson (Chicago), Johan Ryno (Detroit),
Patrik Hersley (Los Angeles), Frederik Petterson (Edmonton),
Johan Dahlberg (Toronto), Anton Stralman (Toronto),
Alexander Sundstrom (New Jersey), Patric Hornqvist (Nashville)

Finland: Tuuka Rask (Toronton), Pertuu Lindgren (Dallas), Teemu Laakso (Nashville),
Mikko Lehtonen (Boston), Janne Kolehmainnen (Ottawa),
Tommi Leinonen (Pittsburgh), Masi Marjamaki (NY Islanders),
Risto Korhonen (Carolina), Juho Mielonen (Detroit)

Slovakia: F Marek Zagrapan (Buffalo), Vladimir Mihalik (Tampa Bay),
Marek Bartanus (Tampa Bay), Juraj Mikus (Montreal), Ondrej Otcenas (Carolina),
Stanislav Lascek (Tampa Bay), Marek Kvapil (Tampa Bay),

Czech Republic: Martin Hanzal (Phoenix), Jakub Kindl (Detroit), Petr Kalus (Boston), Ondrej Pavelec (Atlanta), Radek Smolenak (Tampa Bay), Jakub Vojta (Carolina),
Vladimir Sobotka (Buffalo), Tomas Popperle (Columbus), Tomas Pospisil (Atlanta),
Tomas Kudelka (Ottawa), Lukas Vantuch (Boston), David Kuchejda (Chicago)

Germany: Phillipe Gogulla (Buffalo)

Latvia: Oskars Bartulins (Philadelphia)

Slovenia: Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles)

Denmark: Morten Madsen (Minnesota)

Belarus: Siarhei Kastsitsyn (Montreal)

You're missing Vancouver's seventh round pick, Mario Bliznak, from Slovakia.
 

czechhockeyfan

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Lexicon Devil said:
I don't think either of those are major reasons. Minor reasons, sure.

The number of European draft picks was always inflated by the fact that teams got to retain their rights for ~10 years, instead of 2. With that provision gone, the comparative advantage in drafting a European project is gone.

Absolutely true.
 

Hiishawk

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It was a weak draft year for Russians in particular and Europe in general but we're talking about the TOP END talent here- after the top end the Euro talent level was much the same as in any other year. BUT this time many of those 2nd tier Euros simply weren't selected or selected much later than heir talent warranted.

The new agreement had a LOT to do with it.
 

Vic Rattlehead*

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Hedberg16 said:
European Birth Country:

Russia: Vitali Anikeyenko (Ottawa), Ilja Zubov (Ottawa), Denis Istomin (Chicago),
Viatcheslav Trunkhno (Edmonton), Anton Krysanov (Phoenix),
Roman Derlyuk (Florida), Dmitril Megalinsky (Ottawa), Andrei Zubarev (Atlanta),
Kirill Starkov (Columbus), Vjateslav Buravchikov (Buffalo),
Viktor Dovgden (Washington), Nikolai Lemtyugov (St. Louis)

Sweden: Nicklas Bergfors (New Jersey), Christofer Lofberg (Detroit),
Mattias Ritola (Detroit), Niklas Hjarlmarsson (Chicago), Johan Ryno (Detroit),
Patrik Hersley (Los Angeles), Frederik Petterson (Edmonton),
Johan Dahlberg (Toronto), Anton Stralman (Toronto),
Alexander Sundstrom (New Jersey), Patric Hornqvist (Nashville)

Finland: Tuuka Rask (Toronton), Pertuu Lindgren (Dallas), Teemu Laakso (Nashville),
Mikko Lehtonen (Boston), Janne Kolehmainnen (Ottawa),
Tommi Leinonen (Pittsburgh), Masi Marjamaki (NY Islanders),
Risto Korhonen (Carolina), Juho Mielonen (Detroit)

Slovakia: F Marek Zagrapan (Buffalo), Vladimir Mihalik (Tampa Bay),
Marek Bartanus (Tampa Bay), Juraj Mikus (Montreal), Ondrej Otcenas (Carolina),
Stanislav Lascek (Tampa Bay), Marek Kvapil (Tampa Bay),

Czech Republic: Martin Hanzal (Phoenix), Jakub Kindl (Detroit), Petr Kalus (Boston), Ondrej Pavelec (Atlanta), Radek Smolenak (Tampa Bay), Jakub Vojta (Carolina),
Vladimir Sobotka (Buffalo), Tomas Popperle (Columbus), Tomas Pospisil (Atlanta),
Tomas Kudelka (Ottawa), Lukas Vantuch (Boston), David Kuchejda (Chicago)

Germany: Phillipe Gogulla (Buffalo)

Latvia: Oskars Bartulins (Philadelphia)

Slovenia: Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles)

Denmark: Morten Madsen (Minnesota)

Belarus: Siarhei Kastsitsyn (Montreal)


Sobotka was draftd by Boston, not Buffalo.
 
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