Speculation: The 2005 draft re-visited and the "infamous" decision at #9

[bert]

Actually Canucks fans will tell you there was very real concerns with Bourdon due to his skating. Many wanted to trade him before others realized his deficiencies.

His skating was terrific. Maybe there were other issues but that certainly wasnt it. He also had only played 1 year pro, I highly doubt they wanted to trade him. Thats giving up on a player way too early.

 

[h2]

His skating was terrific. Maybe there were other issues but that certainly wasnt it. He also had only played 1 year pro, I highly doubt they wanted to trade him. Thats giving up on a player way too early.

It was a subject I was curious about only a few weeks ago. That was the general take from Canuck fans at the time. Sad result regardless.

 

[Samsquanch]

I was all for Stall that year.

As a Sudbury Wolves fan I was crushed that we didnt take Stall - but that feeling only came years later when the rage that we passed on Kopitar faded away when Stall looked like a legit top pairing guy for that brief period of time.

 

[Que]

I seem to recall hoping Bourdon would be there at 9. When Anzé was there I remember possibly the giddiest 12 minutes of my life.

I belted at the top of my lungs Anzé Kopitar when the pick was read. I didn’t even hear Lee’s name - but I saw the reaction in TV and I fell to my knees and started sobbing.

I might of been 15 but I knew we pissed away a dynasty that very moment.

 

[KnockHobbler]

Lee is a shorter name and costs less to put on a jersey

 

[JD1]

That mistake potentially cost us a Stanley Cup.

Kopitar's debut was in 2006-2007, and he put up 61 points.

I get he might not have put up those same points with us but even so, if he was on the Finals team, he could have probably tipped the scales in our favour.

I've wondered about that for 13 years

 

[dumbdick]

It seems like incredibly bad mojo to bring up Brian Lee right now.

 

[BondraTime]

Was mad we never took Kopitar, though that was only based on rankings, was 16 at the time

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Bourdon was a heck of a player I think had he not had the accident he would have been one of the best players from this draft.

That's the worst part. Irregardless of what his career could've been, chances are he'd be alive today if we had picked him.

 

[Micklebot]

That's the worst part. Irregardless of what his career could've been, chances are he'd be alive today if we had picked him.

Idk if you can say that, he died in the offseason in a motorcycle accident near his hometown. I know there's that whole butterfly effect thing that can happen but odds are he still rides motorcycles and spends his offseason in his hometown regardless of who drafted him.

Anyways, this a bit of a tangent, I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Tap on the Ankle]

2005 was the first draft I really followed and I also wanted Kopitar. Not because I had some special knowledge or anything, just that he was really hyped around here and the idea of having a good player from a country that never produces NHLers sounded kinda cool.

I remember not caring too much when they took Lee because the Sens were profiting massively off their excellent 90s drafting at that point so I trusted the pick.

 

[foggyvisor]

I wanted Kopitar because he sounded like some mythical beast living in the forests of Slovenia.

 

[Micklebot]

I wanted Kopitar because he sounded like some mythical beast living in the forests of Slovenia.

I'm thinking some sort of minotaur like creature except instead of a bull man hybrid, perhaps an elk or goat head.

 

[TheDebater]

It seems like incredibly bad mojo to bring up Brian Lee right now.

Not just that, but how ironic is it that the two players who we wanted back in 2005 (Kopitar and Staal) ended up getting picked by the same two teams who will be picking before us tonight....

 

[Wallet Inspector]

The lockout cost us one Stanley Cup.
The Olympics cost us a 2nd.

The salary cap cost us a 3rd(Chara and Havlat leaving)

 

[jhutter]

I wanted Kopitar because he sounded like some mythical beast living in the forests of Slovenia.

I wanted Kopitar so bad, based on the sole fact that my grandfather was born in Slovenia

 

[Chabot84]

Had we chosen Kopitar the whole history of the sens would be different.. we would have won a cup for sure. That’s all I know.. perfect timing to add that guy to the roster! And we wouldn’t have fell so hard either once we peaked in 07.. the legacy would have continued!!

 

[NyQuil]

Had we chosen Kopitar the whole history of the sens would be different.. we would have won a cup for sure. That’s all I know.. perfect timing to add that guy to the roster! And we wouldn’t have fell so hard either once we peaked in 07.. the legacy would have continued!!

No one wins a Cup for sure.

 

[Chabot84]

No one wins a Cup for sure.

maybe you don’t remember our team? We should have won at least 1 cup... add a rookie Kopitar to that at our peak?

the timing is uncanny. Selecting Brian Lee was a huge error.

Even if Brian Lee panned out wouldn’t have made a difference.

 

[NyQuil]

maybe you don’t remember our team? We should have won at least 1 cup... add a rookie Kopitar to that at our peak?

the timing is uncanny. Selecting Brian Lee was a huge error.

I remember our team.

But that’s not how the Stanley Cup playoffs work.

That’s how Leaf fans think a Stanley Cup is won. You look at the roster and make a declaration.

I was irate that we picked Lee at the time but that doesn’t equate to definitively winning anything.

 

[Chabot84]

I remember our team.

But that’s not how the Stanley Cup playoffs work.

That’s how Leaf fans think a Stanley Cup is won. You look at the roster and make a declaration.

i can’t believe we didn’t beat Anaheim. I truly believe that long break hurt our momentum. We literally trampled over the eastern conference. And I would argue that wasn’t even our peak just seems like it was because we made the finals.

Adding Kopitar would have increased our window at the cup - fine doesn’t guarantee we win one.

 

[NyQuil]

i can’t believe we didn’t beat Anaheim. I truly believe that long break hurt our momentum. We literally trampled over the eastern conference. And I would argue that wasn’t even our peak just seems like it was because we made the finals.

Adding Kopitar would have increased our window at the cup - fine doesn’t guarantee we win one.

That Anaheim team was a very good one. I do think the break may have cost us, but retroactively a lot of people consider that Ducks squad as one of the best since the turn of the century.

It would have been nice to have Anze. The first WTF? moment from our drafting staff where I really didn’t think they knew what they were doing.

 

[Silky Johnson]

I remember freaking out (in a good way) when San Jose selected Setoguchi. I was so excited that Kopitar had dropped down to 9th, I knew we were guaranteed at least him or Staal. I was literally shocked when they selected Brian Lee, I just sat there in silence and disbelief.

I truly wonder how race/nationality prejudice came into play with Kopitar. All I heard leading up to the draft was "the kid from Slovenia", basically a very non-hockey country.

It is not just Ottawa that passed on him, 8 other teams (not including Pittsburgh) did so as well before L.A smartened up and took him. Alot has changed since then in terms of scouting, expert analysis, YouTube, Twitter etc. I doubt something like that happens again (for reasons relating to country of origin).

What race do you suppose Slovenians are generally perceived to be?