Good thread, everyone has their hits and misses.
1997
Rangers-I liked the Cherneski pick. Lots of mocks had Dome, Holmqvist, Cherneski, Hannan, Morrow, Tselios and Zehr as the Rangers pick. Pens took Dome, Ducks took Holmqvist. I would have taken Scott Hannan. Morrow scared off teams by being one pudgy looking guy at the draft.
Hit-I liked Marleau alot, also Dan Tkaczuk fan like most have said. Never was high on Eric Brewer, he was always overrated. Was a huge Marian Hossa fan. Remember how they mocked his defensive play??
Miss-I liked both the Wes Jarvis and Burke Henry picks. I thought Henry would be a huge sleeper.
1998
Rangers-I was okay with the Malhotra pick, I trusted our scouts on the two way play talk. Good player, would have been better off with a Tanguay or Gagne but thats not the way it was looking back then. I like Mark Bell, but off the ice he was a question mark even back then.
Hit-I watched Erik Cole for the first time that year, big fan of his early on.
Miss-I was wrong on Tanguay and Gagne. Thought Skoula would be an all star Dman. I thought Artem Chubarov was gonna be a good two way Center, wanted him in round 2. Randy Copley was awful.
1999
Rangers-Everyone, other teams scouts alike, all said the Rangers were the clear winners of the draft ! Brendl AND Lundmark, how could ya lose??
Hit-I called the Sedins to the Nucks early on, mainly cause they had the assets and needed that kind of infusion of youth badly. Also a huge fan of Havlat.
Misses-Wow, you name him I liked 'em. Pyatt, Saprykin, Shvidki, Levinski, Blatny, Lasak, and my own personal favorite, 6'6 Evgeny Gusakov.
2000
Rangers-No first, Filip Novak in the 2nd round. I would have taken Ben Knopp. Dom Moore was a good 3rd rounder. In fact, I liked all our picks after Dom Moore this year - Duben, Martz, Snee, Eberly and the two biggest names Helfenstein & Lundqvist !! Anyone remember how some people were upset at the Lundqvist pick? Brandon Reid went 3 picks later to the Nucks, he had some fans.
Hit-I loved Gaborik, few didn't though.
Miss-Again, so many, but Klesla was the biggest, thought he'd be a giant two way guy for years.
2001
Rangers-I was ok with Blackburn, wanted Ruutu who went one pick before. Kobasew was also a guy I liked.
Hit-Fedor Tyutin, was high oin him from the WJC's that year, very impressive two way dman.
Miss-Igor Knyazev, defense, captained team Russia at the WJC's that year.
2002
Rangers-Lee Falardeau. With other more known prospects with higher ceilings on the board we picked a dud.
Hit-Loved Alex Steen. Was a hug fan of his Dad Thomas when he played for the Jets. Jim Slater too. I liked Jiri Hudler and Matt Greene in round 2.
Miss-Eminger and Koreis round one. Duncan Keith in round 2.
2003
Rangers-Jessiman. Not the kind of guy you pick when the cupboard is thin. Every position in the organization was thin. No time to be picking wild cards, and of course it had to be a tremendous first round for almost everyone else. My top guys for our pick were Phaneuf, Carter, Richards, Kesler, Parise, Seabrook, Getzlaf(Edge talked me into him after months of debate). And as much bashing as the 1st round pick gets, the 2nd round pick was pretty bad as well. I liked Baranka alot, but it became painfully obvious that the known prospects we passed up were much better. Jimmy Howard and David Backes come to mind.
Hit-Carter, Richards, Kesler, Seabrook.
Miss-Mike Egener and Konstantin Glazachev.
2004
Rangers-Montoya and Korpikoski. Wanted Ladd or Olesz. Loved the Korpikoski pick. If not for Dubinsky how bad would that 2nd round look now? Olver, still burns me, I must have posted about that pick more than any until Mcilrath.
Hit-Mike Green, Dan Winnik
Miss-Bobo Valabik, AJ Thelen, Olesz.
2005
Rangers-Staal. Good pick, though will always wonder what if that season was played and where we would have picked. Sauer in the 2nd round. Liked the player, didn't like the pick. He was damaged goods before he was drafted. Stastny should have been the pick. Dalyn Flatt in round 3 still to this day makes no sense. An overage fighter who could not skate, yet known prospects with hugh ceilings still on the board.
Hit-Abdelkader
Miss-Marek Zagrapan
2006
Rangers-Bobby Sangs, I would have gone with Berglund, Alexandrov, Persson or Foligno back then. I was high on Anisimov, good 2nd round.
Miss-Alexandrov
2007
Rangers-Cherepanov. Good pick, tragic results.
Hit-Jakub Voracek, I had him as a top 3 pick.
Miss-Petrecki.
2008
Rangers-Del Zotto. I was with Edge, Eberle. I also liked Carlson, Tedenby, Voynov and Jared Staal. I liked Stepan but thought he could have lasted until round 3. Mike Stone or Hamonic in round 2 would likely have been my pick. Then Stepan in the 3rd if he were there.
Hit-Big Erik Karlsson fan that year.
Miss-Jared Staal/Kyle Beach
2009
Rangers-Kreider. I had Kreider, Kassian, Josefson, Palmieri, Ferraro, Tatar for our pick with Kassian and Josefson being at the top.
Hit-Tatar
Miss-Toni Rajala
2010
Rangers-Mcilrath, nuff said. Johansen, Granlund, Tarasenko, Kuznetsov were my faves.
Hit-Johansen, he was my guy early on that year when most had him in the late first round, early second. Kuznetsov too.
Miss-Austin Watson
