Jonathan Huberdeau A mistake for Florida?

[IslandersFan17]

You never ever draft for need that high in the draft. You take the BPA and go from there. Huberdeau IMO could have gone #1 overall this year and was a good deal for the Panthers at #3. Esp when you consider they traded for Campbell.

Larsson would not have been a bad pick (regardless how stocked you are at the position, no one, not even Gudbranson, are better than Larsson). You put your best foot forward and who knows if you are set on D and still have specs, you can possibly trade them for a top 6 forward (see LA and Columbus).

 

[Passchendaele]

Since when is 6'1" small?

 

[JackHughes86]

it was a great choice if they didnt get huberdeau i would of got couturier panthers are pretty stacked with d prospects

 

[Ishdul]

Drafting NHL ready guys so they can contribute immediately has worked out SO well for them in the past.

 

[Passchendaele]

On the other hand, it's not like Larsson is going to have a huge impact on his team right away, assuming he comes over next year.

 

[periferal]

Just because Florida passed on Larsson doesn't mean they're drafting on need.

In the last couple years, NHL teams have seemingly shied away from drafting defensemen high in the draft, and I think they're right to do so.

That's a fair point normally, but Florida did take Gudbranson at #3 overall last year over a few players I thought, and still think, will have better careers then him (Johansen, Nino, Skinner, etc). Hell - I think Fowler and Gormley will be better overall D-men than Gudbranson in a few years.

So color me doubtful that Florida has a "draft the BPA" philosophy every time. And it's not like their history of moves let's anyone give them the benefit of the doubt.

Personally I'd rather have Johansen (or Nino/Skinner) and Larsson over Huberdeau and Gudbranson every time...And that's what they could have had if they drafted BPA in both cases.

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

That's a fair point normally, but Florida did take Gudbranson at #3 overall last year over a few players I thought, and still think, will have better careers then him (Johansen, Nino, Skinner, etc). Hell - I think Fowler and Gormley will be better overall D-men than Gudbranson in a few years.

So color me doubtful that Florida has a "draft the BPA" philosophy every time. And it's not like their history of moves let's anyone give them the benefit of the doubt.

Personally I'd rather have Johansen (or Nino/Skinner) and Larsson over Huberdeau and Gudbranson every time...And that's what they could have had if they drafted BPA in both cases.

IMO, "draft the BPA" is an oversimplification of the drafting process. Of course everyone wants the BPA at any given position. The problem is that there is no clear-cut BPA at any position. Just different players with different upsides, different levels of risks associated to them, different development paths, ... Saying "that guy is the BPA" is at best an educated guess and at worst a shot in the dark. And two players as different as Huberdeau and Larsson are especially difficult to compare.

Who knows. Maybe Florida regrets picking Gudbranson at 3, which influenced their decision. Maybe they just liked Huberdeau better than Larsson.

And saying Johansen was the BPA last year is revisionist history. Most rankings had Gudbranson ahead of Johansen. When Johansen was picked at 4, it was a mild surprise, if I remember well. He was a late riser.

It's easy to say "they should have picked that guy instead", but it's a poor way to evaluate a draft. Whoever you pick at a given position, it's likely that there will be at least one guy picked afterwards who'll have a better career. It doesn't mean your team made a bad pick. Else there would be only a handful of good picks in any draft.

 

[GorillazXL]

Maybe Larsson isnt as good as HF thinks he is?

If Conte wanted him than yeah, he probably is as good as people think he is.

GXL

 

[Connor McJesus]

How odd that this thread was started by an Avs fan

 

[mindfly]

French players from the QMJHL usually disappoint at NHL level, who was the last superstar like that? Vincent Lecavalier some 13 years ago? And he's been on decline for a few seasons now too

 

[SensFan2010]

French players from the QMJHL usually disappoint at NHL level, who was the last superstar like that? Vincent Lecavalier some 13 years ago? And he's been on decline for a few seasons now too

Claude Giroux says hi.

 

[headsigh]

If Huberdeau played in the OHL he'd be hyped as the #1 ovr guy

 

[Jonas1235]

The guy is a guaranteed star. It just will take a couple of years. I think in 3 years, he could have 80 points and be an all around player like Toews.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Maybe Larsson isnt as good as HF thinks he is?

He is

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

French players from the QMJHL usually disappoint at NHL level, who was the last superstar like that? Vincent Lecavalier some 13 years ago? And he's been on decline for a few seasons now too

Do you have any data that supports that assertion?

 

[NoRaise4Brackett]

I think a lot of people look at Gudbranson's stats and are too quick to judge him. He's mean as hell, has an explosive slapper, is a good passer, and can skate. This guy might be better than Larsson.

As for drafting the BPA, its kinda hard to do that in a draft where a guy like Couturier slides to 8...all of these guys have tons of potential. Even the pro scouts were saying 5 guys could go 1st overall. Sometimes drafting for need makes sense, and if Huberdeau is the real deal, then they made the right decision regardless of what any other player in the draft does.

This should be a Huberdeau vs. Larsson thread.

 

[McOvechking]

Huberdeau is the perfect fit in Florida. Character #1C with size and skill. Florida could be a contender with the combo of Weiss/Huberdeau.

 

[legendinblue]

Absolutely not. He is exactly what Florida needs.

 

[scoutman1]

I think we can all say that Huberdeau was good enough to go 3rd overall but did Florida make the right pick? Huberdeau is small and not mature enough for the NHL, he should not be ready to play next season, should Florida have chosen Larsson, a D-man who can make a quick NHL debut to an Superstar who is not ready yet?

in the draft you can not think of now, you have to look at the future, Panthers have good young defenders, just because an 18 year old is not ready to play now does not mean he was a mistake pick...in the future he is going to be the face of the franchise IMO. If a team is going into the draft looking for a now player to contribute next year I think they are setting themselves up for a bust and failier most times then.

 

[LaLaLaprise]

French players from the QMJHL usually disappoint at NHL level, who was the last superstar like that? Vincent Lecavalier some 13 years ago? And he's been on decline for a few seasons now too

Have you been in hibernation the last 13 years???

 

[LaLaLaprise]

If Conte wanted him than yeah, he probably is as good as people think he is.

GXL

Conte also wanted Bergfors....even the best scouts step in it at times...thats the nature of the beast known as the NHL draft.

 

[Missionhockey]

Conte also wanted Bergfors....even the best scouts step in it at times...thats the nature of the beast known as the NHL draft.

That worked out ok if I remember.

 

[ponder]

French players from the QMJHL usually disappoint at NHL level, who was the last superstar like that? Vincent Lecavalier some 13 years ago? And he's been on decline for a few seasons now too

This post screams of butthurt that Larsson went below Huberdeau.

As for your actual statement, how many superstars are there period? Of course when you limit your list to "french superstars from the Q drafted since 1998" the list is gonna be pretty small, any list of "superstars from one ethnicity/background drafted from a relatively smaller league since 1998" is gonna be a small list. And besides, scouting is about looking at the player, not other players from a similar background, otherwise Anze Kopitar would never have been drafted 11th overall based almost entirely on his play in the Slovenian league.

I don't see how him being french matters at all, his first language doesn't exactly have much impact on how he plays hockey. The only possible argument I can see here is "the Q is weak, and produces busts," but I think that's BS. The Q has been producing plenty of good players recently, no reason to believe that Huberdeau is gonna bust simply because he came from the Q. Some recent picks from the Q that have had a decent amount of time to develop (2005-2007):

2005:
1st - Crosby
35th - Vlasic
62nd - Letang

2006:
6th - Brassard
11th - Jonathan Bernier
22nd - Giroux
71st - Marchand

2007:
7th - Voracek
23rd - Perron

Not to mention plenty of stars currently in their mid 20s/early 30s from the Q, like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Richards, Daniel Briere, Alex Tanguay, Mike Ribeiro, MAF, etc. The Q has been producing plenty of good players, french or not.

 

[hskates21*]

French players from the QMJHL usually disappoint at NHL level, who was the last superstar like that? Vincent Lecavalier some 13 years ago? And he's been on decline for a few seasons now too

Because matt Cooke blew out lecalviers ****ing knee

 

[LaLaLaprise]

That worked out ok if I remember.

It wasnt a horrendous pick, but it wasnt exactly a home run either....and im sure if I wasnt lazy I could go back and find lots of picks Conte has bombed on...no ones perfect.