Fleury going 1st overall in 2003

[Siludin]

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the reasons Fleury went 1st-overall in 2003?

In one of the strongest drafts ever, was Fleury really seen as a generational goalie talent? He was only the third goalie to ever go 1st overall, but there was a slew of top-5 goalie picks from 1997-2004 (Price, Luongo, Dipietro). Was this just the flavour-of-the-week? Fleury's junior stats were good but he played on a bad team in his draft year and had that horrible goal-against in the WJCs that same year. In addition to all this, the Penguins actually moved up from third to select him. Were the Hurricanes or Panthers really looking at Fleury over some of the other candidates in a draft where you practically couldn't lose?

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[hotcabbagesoup]

Throughout these years, I've noticed that he's an extremely high-character human being/teammate/mentor. Of course, no team drafts solely based on character esp. that high, but it can't be hard to notice this when we analyze/interview him.

True Heart of a Champion.
He deserved to be drafted that high.

 

[le_sean]

The 1st overall spot was up in the air that season, there was no consensus. Pittsburgh just went with preference and rolled the dice.

Say what you will about Fleury, but his athleticism as a goaltender is unmatched. He had an obscene amount of potential.

 

[Legionnaire]

IIRC. Florida at 1 wanted Horton. Pittsburgh wanted Fluery, but were concerned that Carolina might take him at two so Pittsburgh traded up so they could select Fleury. Somehow Florida knew that Carolina wouldn't select Horton, but I can't remember why now.

 

[Evilo]

And the Pens stated at the time they wanted to build from goalie out to D before looking at F.
Let's just say they soon changed their plan.

 

[Old Gregg]

The 1st overall spot was up in the air that season, there was no consensus. Pittsburgh just went with preference and rolled the dice.

Say what you will about Fleury, but his athleticism as a goaltender is unmatched. He had an obscene amount of potential.

Yep.... The problem was that Pittsburgh couldn't afford his bonuses so they would send him down plus the biggest mistake was they never developed him properly and didn't get him a goalie coach until about 3 years ago. He had all the potential but the Penguins screwed it up.

 

[Empoleon8771]

He had generational potential as a goalie based on his athleticism. There also wasn't a unanimous #1 from that draft, nor do I think drafting Fleury at #1 turned out poorly for the Penguins.

 

[roflstomper]

They wanted to make sure they didn't improve too much knowing hat was coming in the next couple drafts.

 

[weaponomega]

I remember reading somewhere that the top 4 teams drafting that year all ended up with the player they would have taken first overall. There definitely wasn't a consensus #1 that year.

 

[Quiet Jack]

I remember reading somewhere that the top 4 teams drafting that year all ended up with the player they would have taken first overall. There definitely wasn't a consensus #1 that year.

That's what they always say

 

[Not So Mighty]

I remember reading somewhere that the top 4 teams drafting that year all ended up with the player they would have taken first overall. There definitely wasn't a consensus #1 that year.

Yeah, while that might be true, they aren't exactly going to publicly say, "Well we wanted one of those other guys but we'll settle for the guy we took." 2003 was a year they could say that without outright looking like a liar.

 

[The Shovel Penguin]

It was my understanding that having a franchise goalie to build on was the Pens' top priority at the time.

 

[Brodeur]

I remember reading somewhere that the top 4 teams drafting that year all ended up with the player they would have taken first overall. There definitely wasn't a consensus #1 that year.

That's what they always say

In this case it was true. Florida wanted Horton, so they figured they could still get him at #3 while adding some assets. There's pre-draft video of Don Waddell and Jim Rutherford talking on the draft floor. Waddell asked who Rutherford had #1 and he said Staal, to which Waddell responds "He's #1 on our list too." Doug MacLean, in a move he probably regrets, showed the media the Columbus draft list which had Nikolai Zherdev #1. Most had Staal #1, but there were rumblings that Horton or Fleury could go. Rick Dudley used the media to try to drive up the price on #1, but in the end he got a pick swap and Mikael Samuelsson.

Getting back to the OP, Pittsburgh paid a slight premium to draft Fleury. I always found it odd, but there were some suggestions that Carolina would have considered Fleury at #2 despite using its top pick on Cam Ward a year earlier.

Most places seemed to have Fleury at #2 or #3.

Oddly, maybe teams do pay a slight premium to say that they drafted a guy with the #1 overall pick. Atlanta could have drafted Patrik Stefan at #2, but they gave up a third rounder to move up to #1 (also Vancouver wanted #2 and #3 so that they didn't have to go up twice to draft the Sedins).

 

[weaponomega]

Yeah, while that might be true, they aren't exactly going to publicly say, "Well we wanted one of those other guys but we'll settle for the guy we took." 2003 was a year they could say that without outright looking like a liar.

That certainly might be the case. Though with no consensus as a #1 it makes sense.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

The 1st overall spot was up in the air that season, there was no consensus. Pittsburgh just went with preference and rolled the dice.

Say what you will about Fleury, but his athleticism as a goaltender is unmatched. He had an obscene amount of potential.

Yep, no consensus other than that the top 5 were all highly touted (but below generational status). There was the goalie who showed Hasek-like athleticism, the 6'4" center with slick hands, the power forward with skill, the super skilled Russian (who had some early hype as a generational prospect when he was 16), and the Austrian sniper coming off a 64 points freshman campaign with Minnesota. Whichever one fit what you were looking for the best was likely to be your #1.

IIRC. Florida at 1 wanted Horton. Pittsburgh wanted Fluery, but were concerned that Carolina might take him at two so Pittsburgh traded up so they could select Fleury. Somehow Florida knew that Carolina wouldn't select Horton, but I can't remember why now.

I think there was a side deal or something for the guarantee that basically locked the top 3 in. There was some rumors about someone trading up to #1 or 2 to take Fleury, so I guess you could say it was a preemptive strike by Pittsburgh. Florida got the guy they wanted anyway and got some bonus assets for their trouble.

I remember reading somewhere that the top 4 teams drafting that year all ended up with the player they would have taken first overall. There definitely wasn't a consensus #1 that year.

Top 5, really. San Jose said 6, but Michalek was the consensus #6.

That's what they always say

And that was probably the closest it's ever been to being true.

 

[end]

It's not like Staal or Horton would have made the 04 Pens any better, and 05 was its own huge ordeal, so they probably wind up with Crosby and Malkin anyway. Probably best for the Pens that it went the way it did.

By 2003 the last dozen Cups were Roy, Richter, Brodeur, Roy, Vernon, Osgood, Belfour, Brodeur, Roy, Hasek and Brodeur. Goaltending appeared to be the crucial factor in the Dead Puck Era, so I get why they started from net.

 

[weaponomega]

It's not like Staal or Horton would have made the 04 Pens any better, and 05 was its own huge ordeal, so they probably wind up with Crosby and Malkin anyway. Probably best for the Pens that it went the way it did.

By 2003 the last dozen Cups were Roy, Richter, Brodeur, Roy, Vernon, Osgood, Belfour, Brodeur, Roy, Hasek and Brodeur. Goaltending appeared to be the crucial factor in the Dead Puck Era, so I get why they started from net.

Teams at the time we much more willing to take goalies in the first round especially in the top 5 or 10. Its just not done any more.

2002 Kari Lehtonen 2nd overall
2001 Pascal Leclaire 8th, Dan Blackburn 10th
2000 Rick DiPietro 1st overall, Brent Krahn 9th overall
1999 Brian Finley 5th overall
1997 Roberto Luongo 4th overall

Really other than Luongo, none of these players have been as good as their draft position suggested they might be.

 

[illpucks]

3 cups. Most of anyone from that draft...

 

[SEALBound]

I remember watching draft night in 2003. They did a panel of 5 guys and asked who they would take 1st OV. All 5 guys said someone different. The consensus was the top 5-6 teams were getting a blue chip guy.

The only other time I really remember something like that came in 2006 when it was Erik Johnson going 1OV, then it was a discussion of 2 through 5 of Staal, Backstrom, Toews, and Kessel.

You also have to remember, hindsight is 20/20. No knew how these draft pics were gonna turn out. Just like the recent 2017 draft...no one really has a clue.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

It's not like Staal or Horton would have made the 04 Pens any better, and 05 was its own huge ordeal, so they probably wind up with Crosby and Malkin anyway. Probably best for the Pens that it went the way it did.

By 2003 the last dozen Cups were Roy, Richter, Brodeur, Roy, Vernon, Osgood, Belfour, Brodeur, Roy, Hasek and Brodeur. Goaltending appeared to be the crucial factor in the Dead Puck Era, so I get why they started from net.

Plus the Pens had spent a decade jumping goalie to goalie without finding any long-term answers. This was 3 years after DiPietro went #1 and goalies were seen as the position to build around...the lessons to be learned about goaltender volatility hadn't quite been learned yet.

 

[Wild-Sabres]

Damn, what a loaded draft indeed.

Fleury
Staal
Vanek
Suter
Phaneuf
Carter
Brown
Seabrook
Parise
Getzlaf
Burns
Kesler
Richards
Perry
Bergeron
Weber
Pavelski
Byfuglien
and many more...

 

[le_sean]

Damn, what a loaded draft indeed.

Fleury
Staal
Vanek
Suter
Phaneuf
Carter
Brown
Seabrook
Parise
Getzlaf
Burns
Kesler
Richards
Perry
Bergeron
Weber
Pavelski
Byfuglien
and many more...

Yes and it timed perfectly with the lockout that they were all still U20 in 2005 which produced the greatest World Junior team we have, and will probably ever, see.

 

[SomeDude]

Pre-draft, MAF was drawing comparisons to Roy and Brodeur. He was built up as the "next one" for goalies.

I don't think a goalie has gotten that much hype since. I don't even remember Price being pegged as a generational type player.

 

[Voight]

Pens goaltending had been a joke since Barrasso, I suppose they wanted to try and find a long term answer at goal and its not often a goalie is rated that high.

 

[Voight]

IIRC. Florida at 1 wanted Horton. Pittsburgh wanted Fluery, but were concerned that Carolina might take him at two so Pittsburgh traded up so they could select Fleury. Somehow Florida knew that Carolina wouldn't select Horton, but I can't remember why now.

My guess is Carolina needed a C to take the reins from Francis.