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Looking back at the 2012 draft

Bdravens

Bdravens

Registered User
Jan 28, 2014
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Maryland
Hey everybody, I'm new to the forums but I've been looking on HF for a while now.

One of the things I've thought the most about this season, among other fans I'm sure, is how the 2012 draft turned out for us. Notably with one of our top prospects in Forsberg being dumped almost immediately, but with the selection of Tom Wilson over a guy like Olli Maatta.

Now this isn't by any means bashing Tom Wilson or the fact that we picked him..I think he is going to be a solid player down the road and I love that we got a tough, hard-nosed player like him that we needed so badly. So this has nothing to do with him. But, I remember waiting for that 16th pick in the draft and hoping that after Forsberg, that specifically Faksa would drop to us. But once he got scooped, I had remembered hearing quite a bit of hype leading up to the draft about Maatta. I admit I really didn't know much of anything about Wilson when we picked him, but I was a little upset that we didn't grab Maatta with that pick.

Obviously it wasn't really a big deal because it turns out Wilson is a pretty good prospect in his own right. However, the question I'm trying to get at here is this: How do you think this year's team would be different with Maatta over Wilson? I am solely basing this question off of how Oates is utilizing Wilson because let's be honest, he would probably be much better suited in juniors as opposed to skating ~6 minutes a night with plugs like Beagle, Volpatti, etc.

Hopefully I don't come off as stupid since I'm new around here, it's just something that has intrigued me. Obviously this team has a lot more problems than just one player, I'm not blind enough to see that this team would need a lot more than a 19 year old defenseman to be a true contender. But strictly speaking, where do you think we would be right now, this season, with defensive lines along the likes of:
Alzner-Carlson
Maatta-Green
Orlov-Hillen/Carrick, etc...

...as opposed to just throwing a 19 year old on the 4th line to fight and hit for the most part as Oates is doing now.
Click to read more...
 
trick9

trick9

Registered User
Jun 2, 2013
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I wish they drafted someone else with that 11th overall pick since they clearly had no confidence in Forsberg at any point.

Teravainen or Ceci would have been nice...
 
trick9

trick9

Registered User
Jun 2, 2013
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Maatta made so much sense back then but when they didn't pick i thought he was clearly going to be a bust. Would have thought that D that's been hyped for years and had been great in London under Hunter would have been a sure-fire pick for us... unless there is something seriously wrong with him or GMGM.
 
Calicaps

Calicaps

NFA
Aug 3, 2006
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Almost Canada
As I recall, when Forsberg miraculously fell to the Caps, there was much rejoicing here that McPhee didn't pass him up.

Maatta has turned out great, but factor in the Caps track record developing young D and who knows?

The only hindsight that matters on this draft is that we scored a valuable gem and traded it for coal.
 
trick9

trick9

Registered User
Jun 2, 2013
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Chukcha said:
obviously GMGM hates finns. Just a kind of xenophobia. After Sami Lepisto no finns to be drafted or acquired via trades by GMGM.
Click to expand...

Maybe he changes that to Czech's now with both Erat and Neuvirth gone.
 

Ajax1995

Registered User
Dec 9, 2002
8,817
877
The premise of this thread is absurd based simply on the very small amount of time that has passed since that draft.

When an adequate amount of time has passed you very well may be right but that will be at least a few more seasons before making that kind of judgement will make any kind of sense.
 
Bdravens

Bdravens

Registered User
Jan 28, 2014
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0
Maryland
Millhaus said:
The premise of this thread is absurd based simply on the very small amount of time that has passed since that draft.

When an adequate amount of time has passed you very well may be right but that will be at least a few more seasons before making that kind of judgement will make any kind of sense.
Click to expand...

Well, given that I specifically said that my question was how would it affect THIS year's team...not anytime in the future. I didn't mention the future on purpose so that this kind of response wouldn't be a problem.

To clarify, Maatta is playing an important role in Pittsburgh's defense. My question basically was how much more of an impact would a this guy make playing in the top-4, as opposed to Wilson playing 6 minutes. Again, said nothing about how they pan out in the future. Wilson may well become a justified better choice.
 
Last edited:
Capsman

Capsman

Registered User
Nov 21, 2008
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Millhaus said:
The premise of this thread is absurd based simply on the very small amount of time that has passed since that draft.

When an adequate amount of time has passed you very well may be right but that will be at least a few more seasons before making that kind of judgement will make any kind of sense.
Click to expand...

How often does a 19 year-old rookie as good as Maata on offense and defense turn out not to have a very good career? Injury is the only thing that could sabotage his career.
 
NobodyBeatsTheWiz

NobodyBeatsTheWiz

Happy now?
Jun 26, 2004
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Bdravens said:
Well, given that I specifically said that my question was how would it affect THIS year's team...not anytime in the future. I didn't mention the future on purpose so that this kind of response wouldn't be a problem.

To clarify, Maatta is playing an important role in Pittsburgh's defense. My question basically was how much more of an impact would a this guy make playing in the top-4, as opposed to Wilson playing 6 minutes. Again, said nothing about how they pan out in the future. Wilson may well become a justified better choice.
Click to expand...

It's still an absurd premise. Evaluating a draft based on the 1-year return makes absolutely no sense. There were 5 teams that passed on Maata after the Caps picked Wilson, so they weren't alone in their evaluation of him.

Considering how good the early returns are on that draft, it's just an odd thing to bring up.
 
FloridaCap

FloridaCap

Beaglechuk Mania
Jun 30, 2012
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Better question is would Maatta even succeed in our "system" on defense?

I mean, right now, who is succeeding on defense? Alzner and Carlson always play well, but imo, would play much better under a better coach. Green is at an all-time low, partly due to our terrible coach, and the most isn't being gotten out of Orlov either.

No 19 year old defenseman would succeed under Oates. You could really make the argument that no defenseman would succeed under Oates, but Carlzner are trying their best.
 
Chukcha

Chukcha

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Aug 24, 2011
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i'm getting mad looking at pens D-squad. Just look at it: Niskanen, Scuderi, Orpik, Maatta, Bortuzzo and Despres. Very average on paper. Not better at all than ours! Just the same rookie carousel. But their PK is the best and they don't make turnovers. Sigh.
 

Ajax1995

Registered User
Dec 9, 2002
8,817
877
Bdravens said:
Well, given that I specifically said that my question was how would it affect THIS year's team...not anytime in the future. I didn't mention the future on purpose so that this kind of response wouldn't be a problem.

To clarify, Maatta is playing an important role in Pittsburgh's defense. My question basically was how much more of an impact would a this guy make playing in the top-4, as opposed to Wilson playing 6 minutes. Again, said nothing about how they pan out in the future. Wilson may well become a justified better choice.
Click to expand...

Who the heck drafts a player based on how they are going to help 1 season later? If that is what you are concerned about you trade the pick for someone who is going to help out the most the soonest.

Maata has definitely looked very good playing for a very good organization. IMO the idea that he would be the same player now if he were drafted by the Caps is very much a reach. And if Wilson was picked by the Pens he would still be in juniors and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

It matters who you get picked by and just looking at the parade of young defensemen who have suited up for the Pens this season and not looked out of place does a decent job of showing that IMO.

I wanted Teravainen anyway...
 

Ajax1995

Registered User
Dec 9, 2002
8,817
877
Capsman said:
How often does a 19 year-old rookie as good as Maata on offense and defense turn out not to have a very good career? Injury is the only thing that could sabotage his career.
Click to expand...

Not the point. I agree Maata will likely have a very nice career. Wilson also appears to have a long NHL career in front of him IMO but the question is in what capacity?

Will Wilson eventually become a player who has more value in this league than Maata? We will see.
 
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