Valabik vs. Meszaros

[Kaiped Krusader]

I was a bit baffled by the pick when it was made too, but I've mellowed out quite a bit since after having thought about it more and having seen Valabik a few times in person in camp.

I like the fact he's high-risk/high-reward type player. The size and attitude are there. His skating is solid for a 6'7" guy too. It's awkward, but not nearly as awkward as other 6'7"+ hockey players I've seen. If he can get just refine his game a little and pack on some more muscle, he could be a real monster. Honestly, I'd rather have a guy that's really good at one thing than a guy who's solid in many areas. That was the vibe I got from Smid: he's big, but not physical; skilled, but not a scorer. Meszaros sounded similar - competent in all areas, standout in none. I'd pass on guys like that and take a guy I think can be really dominating defensively or offensively. Obviously, you'd like a player that can dominate in all three zones but someone like that isn't going to last until the tenth pick.

Atlanta's had it's share of guys who were competent two-way defensemen (Kaberle, Tjarnqvist, etc.) and it's gotten us nowhere really. We need some blueliners that will be able to really take control of a game - be the kind of player other teams have to plan around - and Valabik has that potential.

 

[Lisa Needs Braces]

Just a thought.............

imagine if ottawa had drafted valibik and atlanta had drafted mezaros.........valibak and chara paired together.......... they'd kill the opposing team

 

[Bileur]

What I dont get is if the next Chara was a realistic comparison dont you think he would have gone earlier? I know there's a huge project involved but wouldnt it be worth the wait?

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

Just a thought.............

imagine if ottawa had drafted valibik and atlanta had drafted mezaros.........valibak and chara paired together.......... they'd kill the opposing team

Thats what I wanted to happen. Imagine if Valabik would turn out to be the next Chara and then they would play together on the same pairing.

 

[eddy]

I'm more of a Meszaros fan.

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

What I dont get is if the next Chara was a realistic comparison dont you think he would have gone earlier? I know there's a huge project involved but wouldnt it be worth the wait?

If youre asking me, I think he went sooner than projected. He is thought to be the next coming of Chara by some scouts but it is also well known that he still needs a lot of work to do. He is a high risk/high reward player and maybe thats why teams before him didnt draft him earlier whilst there were better players. He is compared to Chara though.

 

[Kaiped Krusader]

What I dont get is if the next Chara was a realistic comparison dont you think he would have gone earlier? I know there's a huge project involved but would it be worth the wait?

I haven't seen Valabik enough but based on what little I have seen and mostly what I've read, he sounds a lot more like Derian Hatcher than Zdeno Chara. I think the Chara comparison is the easy, lazy comparison because both are huge defensemen from Slovakia. Valabik is much more of a pure, nasty, stay-at-home defenseman. His offensive upside is nowhere near that of Chara's I don't think.

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

Valabik (I once read on hockeysfutre.com ) has the offensive upside of Ivan Majesky and the defensive upside of Zdeno Chara. I hope I can use their matyerial on their boards.

 

[Bileur]

If youre asking me, I think he went sooner than projected. He is thought to be the next coming of Chara by some scouts but it is also well known that he still needs a lot of work to do. He is a high risk/high reward player and maybe thats why teams before him didnt draft him earlier whilst there were better players. He is compared to Chara though.

No I was just throwing it out there.

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

No I was just throwing it out there.

Ok.

 

[Bileur]

I haven't seen Valabik enough but based on what little I have seen and mostly what I've read, he sounds a lot more like Derian Hatcher than Zdeno Chara. I think the Chara comparison is the easy, lazy comparison because both are huge defensemen from Slovakia. Valabik is much more of a pure, nasty, stay-at-home defenseman. His offensive upside is nowhere near that of Chara's I don't think.

Thats what I meant you cant just compare players because of size & nationality. Maybe his physical style too, but people were making it sound like he was a clone. I'm sure nobody thought Zdeno would end up as good as he is now offensively or defensively and that's why I find it a weird comparison. Its not every Big Dman with a mean streak who can be polished into a pretty good all round player like Chara. I thought he would be a pretty good lower tier D when he came to Ottawa and be beat the odds and worked his butt off to get to where he is.

that being said


I liked Valabik a lot coming into the draft but I definetely though he'd go lower than Meszaros, I'm glad the sens got Meszaros, but like it has been posted before, ATL was more in need of Valabik's style of Dman than Meszaros's so I think both teams got the defenseman they needed.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

Mez Sens are my second favourite time!

 

[Puckhead]

I haven't seen Valabik enough but based on what little I have seen and mostly what I've read, he sounds a lot more like Derian Hatcher than Zdeno Chara. I think the Chara comparison is the easy, lazy comparison because both are huge defensemen from Slovakia. Valabik is much more of a pure, nasty, stay-at-home defenseman. His offensive upside is nowhere near that of Chara's I don't think.

The funny thing is that no-one was talking about Chara's offensive abilities when he was drafted. Look back at Chara's draft year, where was he selected? Valabik was taken because of the player Chara is today. It is definitely a risky pick, but the rewards are still possible. The only reason I can understand taking such a risk in the top 10 is simply because it was such a weak draft. He would not have been my choice, but we will wait and see how things turn out. I would be more than a little surprised if he turns into a player like Chara.

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

Chara was drafted, as Puckhead said, to be a defensive D. I hope Valabik turns out to be as good as Chara.

 

[Sting]

It depends on his work ethic. Chara worked hard to get where he is. I'm sure he knew he could've just focused on being a defensive defenseman, but instead he worked all last summer on his offensive game. Boy did it show.

 

[thrashers=cup05]

agreed, i think Valabik will be a solid 3rd or maybe 4th defenseman, i dont see him putting to much points up, well at least not as many as Meszaros will put up

I don't know about that Valibik has a pretty good shot. When he was at the Thrashers prospect camp he won two out of the three shoot outs he beating Lehtonen high glove side. Now not only the fact that he won says he has a pretty good shot but the fact that he did it to lehtonen, and the fact that he did it twice. I think he has more offence than people give him credit for.

 

[thrashers=cup05]

Mezsaros by far.

I'm a huge Valabik doubter. Big, strong, can't skate, inconsistant as hell. How many of those types have we seen go this early in a draft?

Valabiks main problems with skating are his first step speed, and transition from forward to backward and the other way around. However, he plans to make those his main points to work on this year in the juniors as well as addining a a lil more bulk. He will one day be our #2 dman, only because Corburn will be #1

 

[thrashers=cup05]

There is no doubt that Atlanta has a plan the way they have handled their draft picks. Having said that, it makes little to no sense to have chosen Valabik at the 10 spot. I am sure that Waddell and his scouts have their reasons but why take such a project when there were some real solid choices at that time? I think if they had taken Meszaros, he would have been much more polished, can contribute in all areas, and would be a much better fit. Braydon Coburn will make the jump, this coming year, and Valabik just seems like a guy who is to big a risk to give him serious playing time. I like what Atlanta has done in the past, but I question this move up and down.

You know whats funny. I read this and i thought to myself how many times have i read about DW doing something and everyone saying it wasn't smart, and that it wont work out. But then i suddenly realized that i myself cannot find but two or three really bad screw ups in his time as GM.
1. Stephan should have never been playing on this team in 1999.
2. Damian Rhodes Sucked.
3. Not making a trade last year (however there were ownership issues effecting that one.

DW is great at drafting players and the atlanta organization is great at bringing them along. Except patty

 

[Puckhead]

I don't know about that Valibik has a pretty good shot. When he was at the Thrashers prospect camp he won two out of the three shoot outs he beating Lehtonen high glove side. Now not only the fact that he won says he has a pretty good shot but the fact that he did it to lehtonen, and the fact that he did it twice. I think he has more offence than people give him credit for.

Unfortunately, scoring on anyone in a shootout, even Lehtonen, at a prospects camp, means absolutely nothing! That does not tell me one bit about his scoring prowess. The fact is he cant move well enough or skate fast enough to ever be put in that same situation in the NHL. I like Valabik, I think he can be a player, but to think he is going to be the second coming of Chara is ridiculous at this point. No one thought that Chara would be the type of player he is today, and ultimately he became that player by understanding what he needed to do to improve. It doesn't hurt that he is on such an offensively gifted team either. To a degree I think that DW made the Valabik pick because he felt that this being such a weak draft, that he could take a chance on Meszaros or Thelen, and maybe they would pan out, or he could go for a guy with HUGE potential of becoming a player. Weak draft, take a chance and go with high risk, high reward.

 

[dunwoody_joe]

It's true that nobody will mistake Valabik for Paul Cofey. But his skaing and shot are better than people give him credit for.

He needs to work on skating but there is no doubt (at least for me) that he'll be improved over the next year. Exelby's skating is also suspect but he's still effective.

He has a combo of assets that are rare--he's physically huge, mean, smart and dedicated to being excellent. That's a pretty good start.
He'll be in a Thrashers' uniform for the '06 season and for a long time thereafter.

After seeing this kid with my own eyes I am a believer!

 

[Puckhead]

You know whats funny. I read this and i thought to myself how many times have i read about DW doing something and everyone saying it wasn't smart, and that it wont work out. But then i suddenly realized that i myself cannot find but two or three really bad screw ups in his time as GM.
1. Stephan should have never been playing on this team in 1999.
2. Damian Rhodes Sucked.
3. Not making a trade last year (however there were ownership issues effecting that one.

DW is great at drafting players and the atlanta organization is great at bringing them along. Except patty

That is a fair comment, but there are many GM's that have had a string of successful drafts or trades, only to follow them up with a bonehead one. Don Waddel has now raised the bar among Thrasher fans, and you are thinking he can do know wrong. I cannot say for sure if he made a mistake taking Valabik while Thelen and Meszaros were still available, but time will tell and I think that Valabik is a high risk, high reward type of player, who at the end of the day will not be Chara and therefore be viewed as disappointing. I don't think it is fair, but such is life in the NHL prospects game.

 

[Habdominal]

How can Valabik have a higher ceiling? Maybe a higher ceiling in his house
I think you are getting your terms mixed up here.

Meszaros has far far far far far more potential than Valabik, but scouts questioned whether he could succeed at the North American game. Valabik, OTOH, showed he was made for the NA style of play.

Agree 100%