Who's this year's surprise first round pick?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Jon Burke

Guest
Every year there seems to be someone who no one expects to go in the first round and does. Last year it was Brent Burns. The year before Jesse Niinimaki. Then the year before that, Jason Bacashihua seemed a bit of a reach. So who's going to be this year's first round surprise?

Make your predictions.
 

Jamie

Registered User
Mar 2, 2002
2,727
10
Victoria, BC
Visit site
Danrik said:
Every year there seems to be someone who no one expects to go in the first round and does. Last year it was Brent Burns. The year before Jesse Niinimaki. Then the year before that, Jason Bacashihua seemed a bit of a reach. So who's going to be this year's first round surprise?

Make your predictions.
Neither are really huge stretches for 1st rounders, but I think Kaspar and Wheeler will squeek into the 1st round.
 

Duff88

Registered User
May 7, 2002
5,101
114
My choices would be John Lammers, a small skilled offensive forward who plays for Lethbridge in the WHL, and Brian Ihnacak from Brown University who is a good goalscorer.
 

Jaded-Fan

Registered User
Mar 18, 2004
52,446
14,304
Pittsburgh
Definately Wheeler . . . I actually picked him with the 31st pick (Pen's first pick in the second round) in Markov's mock draft on the other board. He is 6'5" likely will play at 225 pounds, speed, stick handling good shot, only question is level of competition, which should be answered in college next year. Perhaps the biggest hit or miss pick in this draft, a year of college under his belt and if he performs reasonably well and he could have been a top 5 or 10 pick next year . . . or not drafted at all if the opposite happens.
 

ttnorm

Registered User
Feb 21, 2003
508
0
Connecticut
Visit site
Duff88 said:
My choices would be John Lammers, a small skilled offensive forward who plays for Lethbridge in the WHL, and Brian Ihnacak from Brown University who is a good goalscorer.
Actually re: Ihnacak, who is quite skilled, I think his shooting is the weakest part of his game.
 

Mat0109

Registered User
May 24, 2004
67
0
Montreal
Pineault, Bickell or Meidl would surprise if they go in 1st round but they have the talent to go in the first round! Colorado may take Pineault...
 

LaLaLaprise

lalalaprise -twitter
Feb 28, 2002
8,716
1
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Pineault will go in rd 1, not a massive surprise but his stock has gone to the shitter.

My Picks to be surprise 1st rounders:

Lukas Kaspar
Viktor Alexandrov
Ryan Garlock
 

Mizral

Registered User
Sep 20, 2002
18,187
2
Earth, MW
Visit site
My pick would be Blake Comeau. He's real far out there in left field, I know, but consider the tools he had, he helped his Rockets win the Memorial Cup, and has good size. There may be a team out there that takes him earlier than expected based on what he might do down the road.

EDIT: Don't laugh, but what about Mike Card? Crap season I know, but he was an early pick for the top 10 a year ago. Some teams might take him based on not as-of-yet reached potential.
 

X-SHARKIE

Registered User
La-La-Laprise said:
Pineault will go in rd 1, not a massive surprise but his stock has gone to the shitter.

My Picks to be surprise 1st rounders:

Lukas Kaspar
Viktor Alexandrov
Ryan Garlock

Great picks, in fact I'm hoping that Lukas Kaspar is the San Jose Sharks choice at 27th/28th.

Alexandrov is going to put it together IMO and be a force, but I dont know about Garlock.
 

tiredman

Registered User
Nov 10, 2003
5,048
74
maybe the devils will draft a non-ranked player in the first round like they did a few years ago with adrian foster.
 

moosefan

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
1,890
1
Halifax, Nova Scotia
even with the so-so season I think Evan McGrath will go 1st round when all is said and done. Also as mentioned above T J Hensick I think will also go 1st round.
 

LaLaLaprise

lalalaprise -twitter
Feb 28, 2002
8,716
1
Halifax, Nova Scotia
moosefan said:
even with the so-so season I think Evan McGrath will go 1st round when all is said and done. Also as mentioned above T J Hensick I think will also go 1st round.

McGrath may have scared teams away. I dont even think he will go top 60.
 

moosefan

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
1,890
1
Halifax, Nova Scotia
La-La-Laprise said:
McGrath may have scared teams away. I dont even think he will go top 60.

I don't know, I have seen McGrath play a few times live and he is capable at really taking over a game...what ever happened this year, I don't know but I still think McGrath has top notch talent. This draft will be a weird one anyway, I can really see alot of people looking at this draft when it is all said and done with saying I "they took who in the first round?"
 

LaLaLaprise

lalalaprise -twitter
Feb 28, 2002
8,716
1
Halifax, Nova Scotia
moosefan said:
I don't know, I have seen McGrath play a few times live and he is capable at really taking over a game...what ever happened this year, I don't know but I still think McGrath has top notch talent. This draft will be a weird one anyway, I can really see alot of people looking at this draft when it is all said and done with saying I "they took who in the first round?"

Yup. Its because its so weak teams may opt for taking boom or bust tyes.
 

Lowetide

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
13,281
11
One thing is certain about McGrath. No matter where he's taken in the draft, the HF site will crash within seconds from the millions of "I told you so's". :D
 

Classic Devil

Spirit of 1988
Dec 23, 2003
39,327
3,997
Columbus, Ohio
HABS456 said:
maybe the devils will draft a non-ranked player in the first round like they did a few years ago with adrian foster.

If you look at the surprise picks of the last couple seasons, the Devils account for a few of them... Ahonen, Foster...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->