Surprisingly high picks? a look back.
- Thread starter Sens With Benefits
- Start date
Yup. As detailed by Gare Joyce in his prospect book, the Devils weren't enthusiastic about anybody else at that point. So they decided to take a home run swing on Foster, knowing that if it didn't pan out that they'd get the 58th pick of the 2003 Draft as compensation. But they did end up signing him and he had a handful of AHL seasons before heading to Europe.
Still a bizarre pick, I remember TSN coming back from commercial and Gord Miller basically telling the audience "We have no idea what's the deal with New Jersey's pick." Almost want to say that they cracked a joke about them taking somebody who was ineligible or whether the prospect was in the bathroom.
2 Late 2 Anton
Registered User
In 2007, Alex Plante was taken 15th overall by the Oilers.
I'm a fan of the Brandon Wheat Kings, so I knew about Tyler Plante, and had been keeping track of his career. When I saw his brother was eligible for draft, I kept tabs on him, too. Alex was expected to go in the second or third round, but the Oilers snagged him at 15th.
I'm a fan of the Brandon Wheat Kings, so I knew about Tyler Plante, and had been keeping track of his career. When I saw his brother was eligible for draft, I kept tabs on him, too. Alex was expected to go in the second or third round, but the Oilers snagged him at 15th.
RandV
It's a wolf v2.0
Jiri Tlusty.......
We could have had Stewart
I remember that draft, that's a hindsight pick and not really valid to the discussion. If the Leafs GM had skipped Tlusty the Leaf fanbase around here would have been pissed. There were 12 prospects that draft considered to be a step above the rest, and with LA going off the board to pick a goalie (Bernier) the Leafs were more than happy to take the last remaining quality guy in Tlusty. After that the draft was considered a crapshoot, Canucks had the next pick of course and with the field wide open took Grabner... although Stewart was considered the safe pick but had questions about his upside.
For the thread topic as many people have pointed out already the guys to talk about are players like Hickey, Wheeler, and Morris (didn't know about him). Unexpected high picks that raise everyones eyebrows whenn they're made.
On the other side you could talk about highly regarded prospects that plummeted on draft day. Like Fowler, Esposito, Cherepanov. I'm not really familiar with any players like this from the 90's though.
SaintTavares
Registered User
They're two different types of players. At first i thought it was a horrible pick too, and a great chance to rag on the rags, but the more i thought about it, the more it looked like a pretty good pick. Yea, Fowler is playing good this year, and may be a stud for years to come, but McIlrath can be a physical, intimidating, shut down d-men that isn't always so easy to find.
Phillips as No 1 was not remotely surprising. Anyone else at no 1 would have been surprising. He was the consensus number 1 pick that year.
More americans started getting drafted (again) because the USHL and NTDP greatly improved the US development system. There was also a greater number of european players drafted in that decade than there are today. In fact, I believe the european percentage has dropped more than the canadian.
I would argue some blame also attaches to the NHL in that period. With the brand of hockey being played during that period, it wasn't an easy situation for young talent to develop a skilled game.
Gardiner wasn't really that much of a surprise, he was definitely a player thought to have a good chance of moving up into the first and a late riser.
Make that "than any other draft." Compared to 1996, even '99 was a feast of riches.
Lewis was a bit of a surprise, but Teubert wasn't. Hickey certainly was a big surprise for us fans, but it was an unpredictable draft - and it's common knowledge there were other teams who would have taken him high as well.
asmodeanreborn
Registered User
As much as I loved him as a player: Scott Parker at #20 in the 1998 draft. He was also drafted in the '96 one by Devils.
Flyers drafted Gagne at #22.
Flyers drafted Gagne at #22.
Sens With Benefits
Registered User
I was like 7 or 8 when that happened, so I was just wondering what others thought haha. On another note, players like Skinner were taken surprisingly high, yet turned out to be better than expected and deserving of that pick.
embracedbias
Registered User
Just came in here to post that. Played a total of 39 games in the WHL before he was drafted.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=50638
Haute Couturier
Registered User
McKenzie had Lewis ranked 21st so I am not sure that was a real surprise. I know the Flyers had him ahead of Giroux who they picked at 22.
DaveG
Noted Jerk
IIRC wasn't Plante a bit of a late riser in the draft? I think around the midterm he wasn't even close to on the radar for the first round but by the draft he was in a lot of top 30s. Probably should have been a late first or early 2nd, but doubt he would have got to the 3rd.
TheBradyBunch
Registered User
- Dec 17, 2008
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He didn't enter the draft the first year he was eligible. He would have been drafted in a similar, although slightly lower position if he entered his first year eligible. Probably behind the Sedins from what I've heard. Definitely top 5. I feel like the Rangers would have been happy with him over Brendl... Yikes.
As for the topic:
Carey Price at 5
Blake Wheeler at 5
Brian Lee at 9
David Fischer is a very interesting one. Apparently several teams had him in the upper half of the first round, whereas a similar amount of teams didn't have him getting picked at all. Montreal picked him 24th IIRC, and probably had him higher, but some teams would not have picked him if they have the last overall pick in the draft. That one really fascinated me.
