The 1st half of the 2014 draft ANALYSIS & Discussion Thread

[VanIslander]

Here are the picks in the first half of the no-trade draft (hence balance-picked):

Round 1:

1. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers: Bobby Orr, D
2. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers: Wayne Gretzky, C
3. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles: Gordie Howe, RW
4. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers: Doug Harvey, D
5. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur: Montreal Shamrocks: Ray Bourque, D
6. ted1971 - As de Québec: Maurice Richard, RW
7. Hobnobs - Rögle BK: Nicklas Lidstrom, D
8. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks: Mario Lemieux, C
9. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels: Eddie Shore, D
10. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers: Bobby Hull, LW
11. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa: Jean Beliveau, C
12. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners: Patrick Roy, G
13. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos: Stan Mikita, C
14. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts: Denis Potvin, D
15. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Red Kelly, D/C
16. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Howie Morenz, C
17. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Jaromir Jagr, RW
18. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Dominik Hasek, G
19. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Bobby Clarke, C
20. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: Mark Messier, C/LW
21. Dwight - West Island Lions: Bryan Trottier, C
22. papershoes - Kenora Thistles: Larry Robinson, D
23. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V.: Steve Yzerman, C
24. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers: Guy Lafleur, RW
25. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC: Slava Fetisov, D
26. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets: Mike Bossy, RW
27. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs: Chris Chelios, D
28. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers: Joe Sakic, C

Round 2:

29. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers: Brad Park, D
30. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs: Phil Esposito, C
31. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets: Ted Lindsay, LW
32. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC: Frank Nighbor, C/LW
33. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers: Jacques Plante, G
34. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V.: Valeri Kharlamov, LW
35. papershoes - Kenora Thistles: Cyclone Taylor, C/D
36. Dwight - West Island Lions: Pierre Pilote, D
37. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: King Clancy, D
38. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Paul Coffey, D
39. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Scott Stevens, D
40. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Chris Pronger, D
41. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Sprague Cleghorn, D
42. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Bill Cook, RW
43. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts: Milt Schmidt, C
44. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos: Tim Horton, D
45. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners: Al MacInnis, D
46. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa: Earl Seibert, D
47. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers: Glenn Hall, G
48. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels: Terry Sawchuk, G
49. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks: Bill Gadsby, D
50. Hobnobs - Rögle BK: Frank Boucher, C
51. ted1971 - As de Québec: Alexander Ovechkin, LW
52. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur: Montreal Shamrocks: Frank Mahovlich, LW
53. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers: Newsy Lalonde, C
54. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles: Ken Dryden, G
55. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers: Jari Kurri, RW
56. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers: Syl Apps, C

Round 3:

57. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers: Zdeno Chara, D
58. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers: Brian Leetch, D
59. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles: Henri Richard, C
60. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers: Sergei Makarov, RW
61. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks: Andy Bathgate, RW
62. ted1971 - As de Québec: Dit Clapper, D/RW
63. Hobnobs - Rögle BK: Bernie Geoffrion, RW
64. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks: Charlie Conacher, RW
65. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels: Marcel Dionne, C
66. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers: Borje Salming, D
67. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa: Martin Brodeur, G
68. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners: Dickie Moore, LW
69. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos: Bill Quackenbush, D
70. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts: Ted Kennedy, C
71. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Peter Forsberg, C
72. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Boris Mikhailov, RW
73. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Sidney Crosby, C
74. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Sergei Fedorov, C
75. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Teemu Selanne, RW
76. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: Mark Howe, D
77. Dwight - West Island Lions: Cy Denneny, LW
78. papershoes - Kenora Thistles: Sid Abel, C/LW
79. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V.: Brett Hull, RW
80. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers: Elmer Lach, C
81. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC: Valeri Vasiliev, D
82. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets: Scott Niedermayer, D
83. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs: Guy Lapointe, D
84. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers: Aurel Joliat, LW

Round 4:

85. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers: Rod Langway, D
86. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs: Vladislav Tretiak, G
87. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets: Serge Savard, D
88. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC: Max Bentley, C
89. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers: J.C. Tremblay, D
90. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V.: "Black" Jack Stewart, D
91. papershoes - Kenora Thistles: Jarome Iginla, RW
92. Dwight - West Island Lions: Eddie Gerard, D/LW
93. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: Joe Malone, C/LW
94. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Doug Bentley, LW/C
95. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Norm Ullman, C
96. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Anatoli Firsov, LW
97. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Frank Brimsek, G
98. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Toe Blake, LW
99. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts: Pavel Bure, RW
100. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos: Cam Neely, RW
101. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners: Doug Gilmour, C
102. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa: Alex Delvecchio, C/LW
103. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers: Johnny Bucyk, LW
104. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels: Ivan "Ching" Johnson, D
105. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks: Harvey "Busher" Jackson, LW
106. Hobnobs - Rögle BK: Gilbert Perreault, C
107. ted1971 - As de Québec: Bert Olmstead, LW
108. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks: Hooley Smith, C/RW
109. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers : Lionel Conacher, D
110. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles: Marcel Pronovost, D
111. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers : Ernie 'Moose' Johnson D
112. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers : Ron Francis C

Round 5:

113. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers : Michel Goulet LW
114. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers : Rob Blake D
115. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles : Emile "Butch" Bouchard D
116. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers : Brendan Shanahan LW
117. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks: Jacques Laperriere, D
118. ted1971 - As de Québec: Joe Primeau, C
119. Hobnobs - Rögle BK : Larry Murphy, D
120. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks : Ebbie Goodfellow, D.
121. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels : Martin St. Louis, RW
122. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers : Hod Stuart D
123. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa: Alexei Kasatonov, D
124. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners: Alexander Maltsev, C/RW
125. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos: Peter Stastny, C
126. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts George Boucher, D
127. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Babe Siebert, D/LW
128. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Syd Howe, LW/C/D
129. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Jan Suchy, D
130. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Dave Keon, C
131. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Eric Lindros, C
132. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: Joe Thornton, C
133. Dwight - West Island Lions : Punch Broadbent, RW
134. papershoes - Kenora Thistles : Carl Brewer, D
135. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V. : Fern Flaman, D
136. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers : Tommy Phillips, LW/RW
137. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC : Bryan Hextall, RW
138. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets : Adam Oates, C
139. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs : Paul Kariya, LW
140. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers : Yvan Cournoyer, RW

Round 6:

141. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers : Clint Benedict, G
142. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs : Babe Dye, RW
143. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets : Pavel Datsyuk, C
144. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC : Georges Vezina, G
145. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers : Tom Johnson, D
146. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V. : Mike Modano, C
147. papershoes - Kenora Thistles : Evgeni Malkin, C
148. Dwight - West Island Lions : Rick Middleton, RW
149. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires : Sweeney Schriner, LW
150. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants : Art Coulter, D
151. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings : Ken Reardon, D
152. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Bill Durnan, G
153. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Frantisek Pospisil, D
154. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Bill Cowley, C
155. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts : Sylvio Mantha, D
156. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos : Ed Belfour, G
157. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners : Lester Patrick, D
158. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa : Doug Wilson, D
159. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers : Vladimir Petrov, C
160. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels: Roy Conacher, LW
161. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks : Charlie Gardiner, G
162. Hobnobs - Rögle BK : Bill White, D
163. ted1971 - As de Québec : Turk Broda, G
164. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks: Bernie Parent, G
165. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers: Dale Hawerchuk, C
166. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles: Nels Stewart, C
167. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers: John Leclair, LW
168. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers: Johnny Bower, G

Round 7:

169. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers: Mark Recchi, RW
170. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers: Tony Esposito, G
171. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles: Reg Noble, LW/D/C
172. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers : Billy Smith, G
173. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks: Marty Barry, C/LW
174. ted1971 - As de Québec : Denis Savard, C
175. Hobnobs - Rögle BK : Roy Worters, G
176. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks: Henrik Zetterberg, C/LW
177. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels : Allan Stanley, D
178. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers : Jean Ratelle, C
179. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa : Mickey Mackay, C/R
180. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners : Luc Robitaille, LW
181. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos : Woody Dumart, LW
182. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts : Jiri Holecek, G
183. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils : Harry Cameron, D
184. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Jimmy Thomson, D
185. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Eric Desjardins, D
186. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Vladimir Martinec, RW
187. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants : Cecil "Tiny" Thompson, G
188. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires : Clarence Day, D
189. Dwight - West Island Lions : Markus Naslund, LW
190. papershoes - Kenora Thistles : Harvey Pulford, D
191. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V. : Hugh Lehman, G.
192. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers : Alexander Ragulin, D
193. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC: Patrik Elias, C/LW
194. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets : Ilya Kovalchuk, LW/RW
195. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs : Sergei Gonchar, D
196. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers : Harry Howell, D

Round 8:

197. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers : Sergei Zubov, D
198. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs : Vladimir Konstantinov, D
199. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets : Daniel Alfredsson, RW
200. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC, Art Ross, D
201. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers, Marian Hossa RW
202. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V. : Pat Stapleton, D
203. papershoes - Kenora Thistles : Bob Gainey, LW
204. Dwight - West Island Lions: Moose Vasko, D
205. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: Glenn Anderson, RW
206. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Bun Cook, LW
207. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings : Bill Barber, LW
208. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey : Darryl Sittler, C
209. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens : Frank Fredrickson , C
210. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils : Herb Gardiner, D
211. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts: Vaclav Nedomansky, C/RW
212. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos: Lanny McDonald, RW
213. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners: Brad McCrimmon, D
214. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa: Claude Provost, RW
215. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers: Theo Fleury, RW
216. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels : Wayne Cashman, LW
217. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks : Vladimir Lutchenko, D
218. Hobnobs - Rögle BK : Helmut Balderis, RW
219. ted1971 - As de Québec : Jack Walker, F
220. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks : Frank Foyston, F
221. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers : Gary Suter, D
222. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles : Ott Heller, D
223. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers : Rod Brind'Amour, C/LW
224. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers : Zigmund Palffy, RW

Round 9:

225 Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers : Duncan Keith, D
226. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers : Russell Bowie, C
227. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles : Rick Martin, LW
228. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers : Brian Propp, LW
229. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks : Lionel Hitchman, D
230. ted1971 - As de Québec : Leo Boivin, D
231. Hobnobs - Rögle BK : Guy Carbonneau, C
232. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks : Ace Bailey, RW
233. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels : Bernie Morris, C/RW
234. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers : Mike Grant, D
235. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa : Rod Gilbert, RW
236. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners : Didier Pitre, RW/D
237. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos : Igor Larionov, C
238. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts : Clark Gilles, LW
239. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils : Grant Fuhr, G
240. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens : Paul Thompson, LW
241. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey : Jacques Lemaire, C
242. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings : Alexander Yakushev, LW
243. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants : Derian Hatcher, D
244. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires : Red Horner, D
245. Dwight - West Island Lions : Henrik Lundqvist, G
246. papershoes - Kenora Thistles : John Tonelli, LW
247. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V. : Vyacheslav Starshinov, C/LW
248. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers : Duke Keats, C
249. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC : Cecil Dillon, RW
250. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets : Mats Sundin, C
251. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs : Pat Lafontaine, C
252. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers : Henrik Sedin, C

Round 10:

253. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers : Daniel Sedin, LW
254. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs : Alexander Mogilny, RW
255. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets : Bob Pulford, C/LW
256. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC : Keith Tkachuk, LW
257. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers : Baldy Northcott, LW
258. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V. : Steve Larmer, RW
259. papershoes - Kenora Thistles : Bob Baun, D
260. Dwight - West Island Lions: Bernie Federko, C
261. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: Jere Lehtinen, W
262. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Jim Neilson, D
263. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Vladimir Krutov, LW
264. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Steve Shutt, LW
265. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Jack Crawford, D
266. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Gordie Drillon, RW
267. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts: Cy Wentworth, D
268. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos: Si Griffis, D
269. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners: Gus Mortson, D
270. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa: Doug Mohns, LW/D
271. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers: Dany Heatley, W
272. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels: Alf Smith, W
273. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks: Walt Tkaczuk, C
274. Hobnobs - Rögle BK: Craig Ramsay, LW
275. ted1971 - As de Québec: Marty Pavelich, LW
276. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks: Dean Prentice, LW
277. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers: Joe Hall, D
278. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles: Babe Pratt, D
279. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers: Kevin Lowe, D
280. Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers: Ted Green, D

Round 11:

281 Brave Canadian - Guelph Platers: Ed Westfall, RW
282. MadArcand - Hartford Whalers: Bill Mosienko, RW
283. SchultzSquared - Salt Lake Golden Eagles: Phil Watson, C/RW
284. tony_d - Indianapolis Racers: Joe Mullen, RW
285. chaosrevolver & Dreakmur - Montreal Shamrocks: Herbie Lewis, LW
286. ted1971 - As de Québec: Phil Housley, D
287. Hobnobs - Rögle BK: Joe Klukay, W
288. Hawkey Town 18 - Chicago Shamrocks: Bob Goldham, D
289. Stoneberg - Halifax Citadels: George Armstrong, RW
290. BillyShoe1721 - Philadelphia Flyers: Jim Schoenfeld, D
291. markrander87 - Victoria Salsa: Ralph Backstrom, C
292. Johnny Engine - Buchans Miners: Esa Tikkanen, LW/RW
293. ResilientBeast - Edmonton Eskimos: Adam Foote, D
294. bluesfan94 & Nalyd Psycho - Kansas City Scouts: Mike Peca, C
295. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Tony Leswick, LW/RW
296. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Dave Taylor, RW
297. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Shea Weber, D
298. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Peter Bondra, RW
299. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Ken Hodge, RW
300. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: Bobby Bauer, RW
301. Dwight - West Island Lions: Dan Boyle, D
302. papershoes - Kenora Thistles: Mike Gartner, RW
303. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V.: Bullet Joe Simpson, D
304. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers: Tommy Dunderdale, C
305. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC: Leo Reise Jr., D
306. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets: Scottie Bowman, coach
307. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs: Dave Andreychuk, LW
308. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers: Frank McGee, C

Round 12

309. Hedberg & VanIslander - New York Rangers: Rick Tocchet: RW
310. LeafLander - Toronto Maple Leafs: Doug Jarvis, C
311. 87and71 - Pittsburgh Hornets: Flash Hollett, D
312. Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh AC: Jeremy Roenick, C
313. JFA87-66-99 - Pittsburgh Bankers: Art Duncan, D
314. Modo - Eishockeyclub München e.V.: Sid Smith, LW
315. papershoes - Kenora Thistles: Toe Blake, Coach
316. Dwight - West Island Lions: Nick Metz, LW
317. monster_bertuzzi - Vancouver Millionaires: Gump Worsley, G
318. Velociraptor - Belfast Giants: Don McKenney, C/LW
319. Reds4Life - Detroit Red Wings: Dino Ciccarelli, RW
320. King Forsberg - Modo Hockey: Bobby Rousseau, RW
321. Jafar - Montreal Canadiens: Cooney Weiland, C
322. TheDevilMadeMe - New Jersey Swamp Devils: Frank Finnigan, RW

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[VanIslander]

What picks impress or disappoint you to date, and why?

 

[King Forsberg]

Lemieux at 8 stands our for obvious reasons. I really like Krutov at 263 as well. He was a rare physical Soviet forward. His game was really unique. His NHL time was forgettable and does drop him a bit in all time rankings but he was fantastic for the USSR

 

[VanIslander]

Round 1:

Lemieux at 8th overall. Unpecedented. Shamrocks hit the jackpot. Ought never to be repeated.

Round 2:

Plante with Bankers, Taylor with Thistles, Hall with Flyers sure look like foundation pieces yet are second options.

Round 4:

I don't buy Blake as top-100 all time to Swamp Devils, but he sure is top line worthy.

Neely to Eskimos, Gilmour to Minors, Olmstead to A's as 4th round worthy? They're loved guys who're overvalued imo.

Round 5:

Citadels St. Louis thumbs up for the Team Canada initial snub, but he's showing himself below at least four undrafted in the 2014 Winter Olympics. *** oh***.

Kasatonov to Salsa and Suchy to Modo this early takes balls.

Round 6:

Vezina to Pittsburgh AC hoo-yeah!, Hawerchuk to Racers, Stewart to Golden Eagles, thumbs up!

Round 7:

Barry to Shamrocks worthy hereabouts, but similar contemporaries go a couple of rounds later, so....

Robitaille to Miners doesn't fall out of the top-200 for a good reason!

Lehman to München is a solid late addition starter.

Round 8:

This is the round of either undervalued or overvalueds (hard to tell):

Konstantinov to Maple Leafs, Art Ross to Pittsburgh AC, Fredrickson to Canadiens, Nedomansky to Scouts, Balderis to Rögle.

Round 9:

Duncan Keith to Platers, really? Pitre to Miners, nice. Fuhr, to Swamp Devils, just about right. Yakushev to Red Wings, um.... Sundin to Hornets, overdue.

Round 10:

Federko to Lions, a solid late second line pivot pick; Lehtinen to Millionaires an early 3rd line worthy ATD pick, Alf Smith to Citadels a most worthy bump upto now.

Round 11:

Mosienko to Whalers, Mullen to Racers, Bondra to Red Wings, Dunderdale to Bankers, quality late 2nd round picks.

Round 12

Duncan to Bankers and Weiland to Canadiens, wish they'd fallen to us!

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

VI, please tell what your issue with Toe Blake at pick 98 was. Were there any better LWs available at the time? Jackson is a wash IMO, Schriner and Syd Howe a bit below in terms of overall play. Now consider the premium on "glue guys."

 

[BraveCanadian]

Duncan Keith to Platers, really?

Yup. And next year he'll be higher, again.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Round 1:

Neely to Eskimos, as 4th round worthy? They're loved guys who're overvalued imo.

You have an issue with a physical force of nature goal scoring playoff warrior going in the fourth round?

 

[Sturminator]

You have an issue with a physical force of nature goal scoring playoff warrior going in the fourth round?

There are some meaningful knocks on Neely. He wasn't really that great a scorer even at his peak (he peaked at 15th, 20th in points), his peak was very short, and he didn't backcheck all that much. I don't think he's even remotely close to a top-100 player all-time, and though he has extra value here (as this is a team-building exercise and the intangibles Cam brings are important), I don't think he belongs in our top-100, either. The best power RW available when you took Neely was Bryan Hextall.

 

[ResilientBeast]

There are some meaningful knocks on Neely. He wasn't really that great a scorer even at his peak (he peaked at 15th, 20th in points), his peak was very short, and he didn't backcheck all that much. I don't think he's even remotely close to a top-100 player all-time, and though he has extra value here (as this is a team-building exercise and the intangibles Cam brings are important), I don't think he belongs in our top-100, either. The best power RW available when you took Neely was Bryan Hextall.

True in hindsight maybe I would have taken Hextall, but the comment about being a top 100 player of all time isn't really founded. I took him with pick 100, if we could have traded down I would have. But you have to get your man.

He was no defensive stalwart obviously. He was no detriment though, he's probably the least defensively forward on my team. He fit my plan and I'm more than happy to have him around.

And I like the idea of him and Mikita together.

Edit : Bubba's amazingly comprehensive bio really sold me

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Random thoughts. Please feel free to disagree... I might even change my mind!

Round 1:

Mario Lemieux at 8th is highway robbery. I've seen him win ATD series almost by himself
Steve Yzerman seems to have been taken slightly early

Round 2:

Ted Lindsay and Mike Bossy on the same team - IMO, they probably should have been taken in the opposite order, but the result is the same

Phil Esposito is always solid value - of course, he's really hard to build around.

Kurri went before some clearly superior RWs, but I understand why obviously.

Round 3:

The silly run on D left a lot of good value at C between the end of Round 2 and beginning of Round 3. Not going to list all of them.

Compared strictly to other defensemen, Borje Salming at 66 was very good value... yikes, defensemen went high this year.

Round 4:

Not saying Bure's rise was totally unjustified (and Milt Schmidt is a great center for him), but is he THAT much better than Gordie Drillon? Oh sorry, I tooted my own horn.

Not at all a fan of Neely this early; and yes, I realize this is where he usually goes.

Moose Johnson was a decent pick, but I think MA passed on a couple of superior defensemen who could play a similar role (in particular Laperriere) to recreate arrbez's winning top 4 picks.

How far would Francis fall if BC stopped picking him?

Round 5:

Compared to Bucyk, Olmstead, Goulet, and Shanahan, Syd Howe seems like strong value to me.

Keon was excellent value in an All-Time sense - definitely a better player than Francis - but actually pretty hard to build around in this format. I think that in smaller drafts, just sticking him at third line center (and immediately having the best 3rd line in the draft if you don't totally screw it up) is probably the way to go.

I would not have picked Primeau, Broadbent, or Cournoyer at this stage, though I realize this is where they usually go. (Actually, didn't Primeau finally drop last year only to rise again?)

St Louis rose. I think it's justified given the shortage of playmaking wingers, though I wouldn't take him any higher than this.

Personal note - I think all the defensemen taken this round were bad value compared to most of the forwards, but it's tough to win without a legit #2, so I joined the party myself.

Round 6:

Schriner was arguably the best LW on the board since Jackson to be drafted. Provides absolutely nothing but offense, but if you want offense, he's your man at this stage. A well deserved rise, and I think he wouldn't look out of place in Round 5.

Is it just me, or does Rick Middleton always go a bit high? I realize people who saw him play in the 80s loved him.

Nels Stewart is always the top 100 player who falls the most, and he does it for two reasons - 1) terrible defensively (a trait he shares with Cowley), 2) A goal scoring center, which is hard to build around even without the lack of D

Round 7:

The run on goalies was absurd, but getting Holecek and Lehman at the end of it seems like good value compared to some of the others.

Seeing Gonchar drafted before Zubov is very strange

I blame the HOH Defensemen project for Pulford always going so far over Derian Hatcher. I realize other GMs like Pulford better than I do.

Round 8:

Lots of meh picks this round at D and on wing. If I listed all the picks I didn't think were that strong, I'd be arguing for days. The round of meh.

Cashman, however, stands out to me, and it's something of a philosophical difference I have with a lot of the GMs here. Basically, Cashman is arguably the best grinder in the draft, but I would never take even the best grinder this high if he doesn't provide All-Time Great offense or defense, and I don't think Cashman does. I thought he was the one bad value pick on seventieslord's championship team, and he just seems to go higher every year. There are other grinders I would say the same about, but Cashman is the king of this type of player.

Round 9:

Pitre may have been a steal, but we just don't seem to have a grasp on the NHA like we do on the PCHA right now.

Thompson and Yakushev were very solid picks compared to a lot of the wingers who went above them.

I would be willing to entertain arguments that Lundqvist is a worthy starter even in a 28 team draft. I would not entertain arguments that he was a good pick in the 9th round.

I really like Keats as a 3rd line center with size for a team that didn't need penalty killing from their third line C.

Round 10:

I used to think Mogilny was a bad pick this high. The VsX project has made me soften my stance.

Why do Cashman, Gilles, and Tonelli go over Baldy Northcott? Great pick with Northcott as "glue guys" go.

Round 11:

Bullet Joe Simpson seems like good value.

George Armstrong? My kind of third liner - the kind who brings respectable offense along with everything else. He could be a 2nd line glue guy even in a draft this size (just don't stick him on the first line like I did last year )

I didn't understand the love for the Peca pick when it was made, considering who was going to still be available for the next several rounds.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Random thoughts. Please feel free to disagree... I might even change my mind!

Round 1:

Mario Lemieux at 8th is highway robbery. I've seen him win ATD

Seriously.

Round 4:

Not saying Bure's rise was totally unjustified (and Milt Schmidt is a great center for him), but is he THAT much better than Gordie Drillon? Oh sorry, I tooted my own horn.

I know Bure gets the cherrypicker thing here too but he wasn't always and he is better.

160+ spots.. hmmm.. I don't know about that much better..

Not at all a fan of Neely this early; and yes, I realize this is where he usually goes.

Same, and I like the guy a lot.

How far would Francis fall if BC stopped picking him?

Heyyyy I did let him fall a little from last year!

Even if you discount his offense some like I know some do.. his defensive play more than makes up for it vs. almost all 2nd line centers in this.. then add in faceoffs, leadership and how easy he is to setup with wingers and.. yeah he is a very strong second liner in the ATD imo.

Round 5:

Keon was excellent value in an All-Time sense - definitely a better player than Francis - but actually pretty hard to build around in this format. I think that in smaller drafts, just sticking him at third line center (and immediately having the best 3rd line in the draft if you don't totally screw it up) is probably the way to go.

Agreed. I think Keon was a wonderful hockey player - I'd love to get him on my team sometimes - but as a first line center in the ATD? (I think that is where he was in the roster thread last time I saw).. yikes.

His offense just doesn't stack up for me even if he is one of the best defensive fowards ever.. which he was..

St Louis rose. I think it's justified given the shortage of playmaking wingers, though I wouldn't take him any higher than this.

Agree. But then again he is putting up yet another good season this year.. and now has another Olympic medal of some colour on the way too.

Is it just me, or does Rick Middleton always go a bit high? I realize people who saw him play in the 80s loved him.

He is also more valuable than just his offense which is a bit rare among wingers.

Nels Stewart is always the top 100 player who falls the most, and he does it for two reasons - 1) terrible defensively (a trait he shares with Cowley), 2) A goal scoring center, which is hard to build around even without the lack of D

Yeah.. he is more individually valuable.

Cashman, however, stands out to me, and it's something of a philosophical difference I have with a lot of the GMs here. Basically, Cashman is arguably the best grinder in the draft, but I would never take even the best grinder this high if he doesn't provide All-Time Great offense or defense, and I don't think Cashman does. I thought he was the one bad value pick on seventieslord's championship team, and he just seems to go higher every year. There are other grinders I would say the same about, but Cashman is the king of this type of player.

Similar to Olmstead though he is a guy who brings what he brings with no questions or arguments. His role and ability to do it is just accepted by everyone and that is kind of nice sometimes I guess.

I only took him because I had Stewart the one year so being as Stewart was my Espo it made sense to me in that way.

George Armstrong? My kind of third liner - the kind who brings respectable offense along with everything else. He could be a 2nd line glue guy even in a draft this size (just don't stick him on the first line like I did last year )

Ya. 2nd line is pushing it, 1st line is desperate.

I didn't understand the love for the Peca pick when it was made, considering who was going to still be available for the next several rounds.

There are still tons of good checking center options. Someone else commented that they didn't like what was left in that regard and I was like, really?

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Ya. 2nd line is pushing it, 1st line is desperate.

I think you're underestimating Armstrong's offense based on lack of top 10 finishes.

From my bio last year:

Armstrong has been somewhat typecast as an elite third liner in this draft, but his offense is every bit as good as guys who have been used as glue guys on scoring lines in the past:

Goals: 13th, 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th
Assists: 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th
Points: 15th, 16th, 16th, 18th, 18th

5th All-Time in points by a Leaf with 713 in 1188 games

Armstrong did all this without the benefit of seeing large amounts of powerplay time and playing for a coach who played defense-first hockey. Here are his top 6 points finishes among teammates:

1st (1957), 2nd (1956), 2nd (1960), 3rd (1962), 4th (1954), 4th (1955), 4th (1958), 4th (1966), 5th (1963), 5th (1964), 6th (1959)

It's a better offensive record than even some guys who are being used as second line glue guys in this draft, considering that Armstrong played for what was the most defensive-minded team of his era by a wide margin. Second tier offensive players from pre-expansion will be underrated by VsX.

There are still tons of good checking center options. Someone else commented that they didn't like what was left in that regard and I was like, really?

It was MB trying to pimp his drafting of Nieuwendyk. And I agree with you.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Thank goodness we're team building and not voting on the draft

 

[BraveCanadian]

I think you're underestimating Armstrong's offense based on lack of top 10 finishes.

From my bio last year:



It's a better offensive record than even some guys who are being used as second line glue guys in this draft, considering that Armstrong played for what was the most defensive-minded team of his era by a wide margin. Second tier offensive players from pre-expansion will be underrated by VsX.

Maybe, but conversely all those finishes don't exactly equal the same today either.

It was MB trying to pimp his drafting of Nieuwendyk. And I agree with you.

I just hope they don't really get all snapped up before I grab one

 

[Sturminator]

There are still tons of good checking center options. Someone else commented that they didn't like what was left in that regard and I was like, really?

The main differences in the 3rd line centers, especially at only 28 teams, is offense. There are still plenty of strong checkers left out there, but a lot of them are little more than plugs offensively. As offense from the wing falls off more quickly than at the pivot, third lines tend to depend more on their centers to carry the play than do the scoringlines. Some GMs are happy with "pure checking" 3rd lines, while others are not.

I think 3rd line centers end up being a lot like 2nd line centers. There is a definite logic to drafting the elite guys early, but once you get past a certain point, the dropoff in quality from one player to the next is quite slow, and a lot of GMs rightly feel no need to hurry in filling the position.

 

[ResilientBeast]

The main differences in the 3rd line centers, especially at only 28 teams, is offense. There are still plenty of strong checkers left out there, but a lot of them are little more than plugs offensively. As offense from the wing falls off more quickly than at the pivot, third lines tend to depend more on their centers to carry the play than do the scoringlines. Some GMs are happy with "pure checking" 3rd lines, while others are not.

I think 3rd line centers end up being a lot like 2nd line centers. There is a definite logic to drafting the elite guys early, but once you get past a certain point, the dropoff in quality from one player to the next is quite slow, and a lot of GMs rightly feel no need to hurry in filling the position.

With that said, which do you consider Larionov? Second line or Third line?

 

[Sturminator]

With that said, which do you consider Larionov? Second line or Third line?

A few guys exist on the margin where they have the two-way skillset to either be low-end 2nd line centers or elite 3rd liners. Larionov is one of these, imo, along with Keats, Weiland and Watson (and Primeau, though I hate to say it). Ideally, all are third liners, but they wouldn't be completely out of place if pressed into service on second lines.

 

[ResilientBeast]

A few guys exist on the margin where they have the two-way skillset to either be low-end 2nd line centers or elite 3rd liners. Larionov is one of these, imo, along with Keats, Weiland and Watson (and Primeau, though I hate to say it). Ideally, all are third liners, but they wouldn't be completely out of place if pressed into service on second lines.

Alright good that i decided to keep him on the third line. Looking over past drafts he seems to usually be a top six kind of guy.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Alright good that i decided to keep him on the third line. Looking over past drafts he seems to usually be a top six kind of guy.

Two weaknesses for Larionov at 3rd line C - he won't match up well with a physically dominant center, and I don't think he was ever much of a penalty killer

He's far from the only 3rd line C that could be said about, however.

 

[Sturminator]

Alright good that i decided to keep him on the third line. Looking over past drafts he seems to usually be a top six kind of guy.

In the past, he was often horribly overdrafted in order to rebuild the Green Unit...over and over again.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Two weaknesses for Larionov at 3rd line C - he won't match up well with a physically dominant center, and I don't think he was ever much of a penalty killer

He's far from the only 3rd line C that could be said about, however.

My centers in general are lacking some size, but all of them have some defensive abilities. But I think my wingers will make that up the size issue. And I've got a guy in mind to slot behind Lepine for my second unit.

 

[Sturminator]

Two weaknesses for Larionov at 3rd line C - he won't match up well with a physically dominant center, and I don't think he was ever much of a penalty killer

He's far from the only 3rd line C that could be said about, however.

The physical matchup problem is something that can be compensated for with a wing who can cover the center's support role low in the defensive zone. Centers don't spend a whole lot of time "matching up physically" with each other in open ice/transition, anyway. There are 3rd line wings who can handle this responsibility and play tough - ideally you'd want one who played at least some center.

The PK thing just sort of sucks. I feel like Soviet players often get cheated in terms of recognition of their penalty-killing skills. I mean...in the 70's, the top Soviet PK tandem was Petrov - Mikhailov, and they had a strong PK, but I don't think anyone considers those two good ATD 1st unit penalty killers. In the 80's, it was just the opposite with the lower-line thumpers mostly doing the penalty-killing (NHL-style), so a guy like Larionov never really got a chance to show what he could do. I dunno...I've got no problem with the Professor on an ATD 2nd unit PK. He obviously has the skillset for it.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

The physical matchup problem is something that can be compensated for with a wing who can cover the center's support role low in the defensive zone. Centers don't spend a whole lot of time "matching up physically" with each other in open ice/transition, anyway. There are 3rd line wings who can handle this responsibility and play tough - ideally you'd want one who played at least some center.

The PK thing just sort of sucks. I feel like Soviet players often get cheated in terms of recognition of their penalty-killing skills. I mean...in the 70's, the top Soviet PK tandem was Petrov - Mikhailov, and they had a strong PK, but I don't think anyone considers those two good ATD 1st unit penalty killers. In the 80's, it was just the opposite with the lower-line thumpers mostly doing the penalty-killing (NHL-style), so a guy like Larionov never really got a chance to show what he could do. I dunno...I've got no problem with the Professor on an ATD 2nd unit PK. He obviously has the skillset for it.

I was under the impression that Krutov-Makarov was a top PK pair in the 80s

 

[ImporterExporter]

Round 1:

Favorite:
Mario at 8. I would have easily put in for a top 8 pick had i known my favorite player of all time and reason i got invested into hockey as a kid in the late 80's, would fall like a rock

Least Favorite:
Richard at 6. Wonderful, wonderful player but taken at least 5 spots (or so) to high, most notably over the guy above.


Round 2:

Favorite:
Hall and Sawchuk. Good value on 2 top 5 G's of all time IMO.

Least Favorite:
Ovechkin. Wonderful regular season #'s and awards but has rarely lifted his team in crunch time. Look at the other top 50 players. Most of them have done so (sometimes multiple times). I value leadership more than most probably.

Round 3:

Favorite:
Marty B. Guy is so underrated. Lovely value at 67.

Least Fav:
Probably Lapointe. Nothing horrible but i wouldn't have taken him for at least another 20-30 picks.

Round 4

Fav:
Nobody really pops out as crazy value.

Least Fav:
Neely. For reasons stated by others.

Round 5:

Fav:
Howe and Keon.

Least Fav:
Broadbent


.........continued

 

[Sturminator]

I was under the impression that Krutov-Makarov was a top PK pair in the 80s

I think that was true in 1987. As I recall, in the early part of the decade, Kovin and I think it was Varnakov were usually the guys who came out for the first PK shift. Of course, even after TK's modernization of Soviet hockey, they still ran their system strangely by north american standards, and even their most oft-used PKers weren't quite a "top unit" as we think of it today.