Habs Draft Recap Analysis

[KoZed]

R1/12 Ryan McDonagh (D)

The Habs lacked good D prospects with strong offensive upside. McDo fixes this. Could end up the best D in the draft 10 years from now.

R1/22 Max Pacioretty (LW)

Compared to K. Tkachuk and E. Cole. Worse case scenario is a fast & physical checking winger, something the Habs lacked.

R2/43 P.K. Subban (D)

Already a fan favorite. Adds a whole new offensive dimension to the Habs. It'll be interesting to see how the Habs develop this wild horse.

R3/65 Olivier Fortier ( C)

Compared to A. Vermette and to Carbo. One of the smartest players in this draft. Him and Lapierre could form an awesome momentum-shifting duo.

R3/73 Yannick Weber (D)

A Streit clone, as simple as that. Adds even more depth to the Habs blueline prospects.

R5/133 Joe Stejskal (D)

Habs go to the Minnesota well again with this lanky high-schooler. A long-term project.

R5/142 Andrew Conboy (LW)

Habs go to the Minnesota well again... again. A big winger whose already 6-4.

R6/163 Nichlas Torp (D)

Another D, this time a more stay-at-home type. A little small for a defensive d-man at 5-11 and 196 lbs.

R7/192 Scott Kishel (D)

4th Minnesota native drafted by the Habs. It's almost as if the Habs were trying to piss off the ex-Habs in Minnesota (Risebrough, Lemaire, Tremblay) by drafting kids under their nose!

Edited June 24, 2007 by KoZed

[alexstream]

R5/133 Joe Stejskal (D)

Habs go to the Minnesota well again with this lanky high-schooler. A long-term project.

R5/142 Andrew Conboy (LW)

Habs go to the Minnesota well again... again. A big winger whose already 6-4.

R7/192 Scott Kishel (D)

4th Minnesota native drafted by the Habs. It's almost as if the Habs were trying to piss off the ex-Habs in Minnesota (Risebrough, Lemaire, Tremblay) by drafting kids under their nose!

Reminds me of 2002 and 2003 when picked half a dozen of players from the Q and 3 of them from the PEI Rocket... (Urquart and Lamber make me wanna puke... particularly when I look at what we passed) Although Kost and Higgins are excellent 1st rounders, I must say that these two years weren't the best in recent history passed the 1st round.

I never like when we pick that many guys all from the same place (be it russia, quebec or minnesota).

[InsaneHABSfan]

I never like when we pick that many guys all from the same place (be it russia, quebec or minnesota).

I agree. This is probably just an aberration in draft needs as Habs have many talented smurfs(Locke for example) and wanted to add size with speed.

Next draft we will see a little more variation.

[montreal]

http://www.habprospects.com/modules.php?na...icle&sid=63

[Easy Ryder]

Our three first draft picks are tall and heavy for their age,physically strong, they have good skating, something we lacked in our prospects.

The rookie camp will be very interesting to watch for two reasons.

How will Fisher is gonna show up after being the first defensemen in the rank of the prospects??

Will he remain ahead Carle, Mcdo, Suppan and Volatenko ??

And watch the PMMT :Price Madness Media Theatre.

[saskhab]

Pacioretty's worst case scenario is that he never makes the NHL from what I've heard. He has the tools, but can he put them together to form a NHL player? I wouldn't say that worst case scenario is a checking winger at all. He has a lot to learn to become that. He's a risk and a project.

The multiple players from Minnesota is the McDonagh effect. It proves he really was the guy they wanted above anyone else. It caused them to watch guys like Stejskal, Conboy, and Kishel more than they would have normally and they felt comfortable enough to grab them for a variety of reasons late. They had more comprehensive reports on them than other late round prospects.

[Zowpeb]

Pacioretty's worst case scenario is that he never makes the NHL from what I've heard. He has the tools, but can he put them together to form a NHL player? I wouldn't say that worst case scenario is a checking winger at all. He has a lot to learn to become that. He's a risk and a project.

The multiple players from Minnesota is the McDonagh effect. It proves he really was the guy they wanted above anyone else. It caused them to watch guys like Stejskal, Conboy, and Kishel more than they would have normally and they felt comfortable enough to grab them for a variety of reasons late. They had more comprehensive reports on them than other late round prospects.

I agree that is probably the reason behind so many guys from the area...HOWEVER, with 12 scouts on staff the organization should not need to do this...if this is the case then there is a real problem with their system of analysis.

Of course, it's also hard to argue with the way the team has drafted in the past few years...

To the guy who thought the Habs didn't draft well in '02 and '03...they also have Ferland('02) who could turn out okay if he could get an opportunity. In '03 they also drafted Lapierre, O'Byrne, Locke(who I still have hopes for btw...), and HALAK in the 9TH ROUND! Other then Locke it's quite possible that Lapierre, O'Byrne and Halak all play significant roles for the Habs this year. It's finally nice to see the Habs not rushing all these prospects to the NHL...and anytime you can snag a goalie who could be an NHLer in the 9th round you have to be smiling.

[saskhab]

I agree that is probably the reason behind so many guys from the area...HOWEVER, with 12 scouts on staff the organization should not need to do this...if this is the case then there is a real problem with their system of analysis.

Of course, it's also hard to argue with the way the team has drafted in the past few years...

To the guy who thought the Habs didn't draft well in '02 and '03...they also have Ferland('02) who could turn out okay if he could get an opportunity. In '03 they also drafted Lapierre, O'Byrne, Locke(who I still have hopes for btw...), and HALAK in the 9TH ROUND! Other then Locke it's quite possible that Lapierre, O'Byrne and Halak all play significant roles for the Habs this year. It's finally nice to see the Habs not rushing all these prospects to the NHL...and anytime you can snag a goalie who could be an NHLer in the 9th round you have to be smiling.

On a different note... drafting A Kosts in the 1st round of '03 laid the groundwork for drafting Grabovski in '04 and S Kosts in '05. If we had not drafted A Kosts, and continued to scout him in the lower Russian leagues and Belarus internationally, no way do we end up with those 2 diamonds in the rough. So it helps. We also got Jon Gleed because of following O'Byrne closely, but that pick looks like it won't amount to much. And drafting Lambert may have had us foolishly pick Urquhart and take a chance on Bonneau as a future enforcer, but it also helped secure us Lapierre.

We also just got Ryan Russell probably because of association with Ben Maxwell. It works in different ways. To me, it works as often as other methods.

[montreal]

Pacioretty's worst case scenario is that he never makes the NHL from what I've heard. He has the tools, but can he put them together to form a NHL player? I wouldn't say that worst case scenario is a checking winger at all. He has a lot to learn to become that. He's a risk and a project.

The multiple players from Minnesota is the McDonagh effect. It proves he really was the guy they wanted above anyone else. It caused them to watch guys like Stejskal, Conboy, and Kishel more than they would have normally and they felt comfortable enough to grab them for a variety of reasons late. They had more comprehensive reports on them than other late round prospects.

They would have seen Conboy when watching Pacioretty, since both played in the USHL this year against one another. But the others they likely saw when watching Fischer and McDonagh. During McDonagh's junior year his school CDH won the state tournament, but Fischer's school Apple Valley had a good year and went far in the tournament, McDonagh was the MVP of the tournament. Stejskal's school Grand Rapids was another really good team, they also went far in the state tournament so the Habs likely got a good look at him. I have been following the Minnesota USHS closely for the last 2 years (lucky timing on my part, they just started showing games on my tv) Kishel's team Virgina I never saw play and don't know anything about them, I know that he put up very impressive numbers and he's said to be really good with the puck but needs a lot of work on his game, he'll have 5 years to do so though. He'll be back in the USHL next year but the year after that he will play against Fischer and McDonagh in the WCHA, baring either one leaving school early.

[saskhab]

They would have seen Conboy when watching Pacioretty, since both played in the USHL this year against one another. But the others they likely saw when watching Fischer and McDonagh. During McDonagh's junior year his school CDH won the state tournament, but Fischer's school Apple Valley had a good year and went far in the tournament, McDonagh was the MVP of the tournament. Stejskal's school Grand Rapids was another really good team, they also went far in the state tournament so the Habs likely got a good look at him. I have been following the Minnesota USHS closely for the last 2 years (lucky timing on my part, they just started showing games on my tv) Kishel's team Virgina I never saw play and don't know anything about them, I know that he put up very impressive numbers and he's said to be really good with the puck but needs a lot of work on his game, he'll have 5 years to do so though. He'll be back in the USHL next year but the year after that he will play against Fischer and McDonagh in the WCHA, baring either one leaving school early.

You're right. For some reason I thought Conboy was in the high school circuit but he was in the USHL.

What's the competition level like in the USHS as opposed to the USHL? Obviously, the USHL features players up to 20 where as USHS is only up to 17/18. Is it a logical step up for most prospects? And how does the USHL compare in competition level to say, Tier 1 Junior in Canada?

[KoZed]

The Minnesota Connection this year was just in the trend of the Habs scouting staff to pick lots of players from an the same area then one of their previous prospect. They picked Sergei Kostitsyn and Grabovski after picking Andrei Kostitsyn; and before that they picked Lapierre and Urquhart after picking Lambert. I think - in what was considered a poor draft - that it was even more likely the Habs would pick guys they've seen more often because of Fischer and McDonagh.

[simonus]

I watched a few Indiana Ice USHL games and thought the players were all incredibly raw, even for youngsters

Edited June 25, 2007 by simonus
clarity

[KoZed]

Coming back to the Habs picks; I said before the draft that the Habs needed that #1 D they still lacked in their prospect pool. McDonagh seems to be all that so the Habs really "won" their draft just for that.

The first 4 picks can be compared to the top 4 of 2001 (Komisarek, Perezhogin, Milroy & Plekanec) and to the top 4 of 2003 (Kostitsyn, Urqhart, Lapierre & O'Byrne). It'll be interesting to see how the last 5 guys develop.

[JMMR]

GUYS I WILL TELL YOU WHY THE HABS ARE DRAFTING AMERICAN HIGHSCHOOL KIDS

THE REASON IS\

THEY CAN HOLD ONTO THIER RIGHTS LONGER

With a deep set of prospects right now it is better to be able to let them grow slowly in the program and mature at a constant rate, by picking players in the NCAA they can hang onto thier rights an extra 3 or 4 years sometimes.

[saskhab]

GUYS I WILL TELL YOU WHY THE HABS ARE DRAFTING AMERICAN HIGHSCHOOL KIDS

THE REASON IS\

THEY CAN HOLD ONTO THIER RIGHTS LONGER

With a deep set of prospects right now it is better to be able to let them grow slowly in the program and mature at a constant rate, by picking players in the NCAA they can hang onto thier rights an extra 3 or 4 years sometimes.

Are you yelling?

I'm sure it's a consideration, but by the same token, you hold onto the rights of Russian prospects forever as long as their is no transfer agreement, and we didn't pick any Russians this year. And I'd be mad if they passed on better prospects in the CHL for Minnesota high schoolers because of that reason.

[Habsfan24]

Are you yelling?

I'm sure it's a consideration, but by the same token, you hold onto the rights of Russian prospects forever as long as their is no transfer agreement, and we didn't pick any Russians this year. And I'd be mad if they passed on better prospects in the CHL for Minnesota high schoolers because of that reason.

I can think of a few reasons they didnt touch Russians in the draft

[montreal]

You're right. For some reason I thought Conboy was in the high school circuit but he was in the USHL.

What's the competition level like in the USHS as opposed to the USHL? Obviously, the USHL features players up to 20 where as USHS is only up to 17/18. Is it a logical step up for most prospects? And how does the USHL compare in competition level to say, Tier 1 Junior in Canada?

I can't really say cause I've only seen 2 USHL games, both All star games (not like regular all star games though, these were good, well played games) I saw Pacioretty this year, before that I saw Paul Stastny when he was in the USHL. From what I've seen the USHL is a higher level because of having older more mature players. Whereas the USHS has more younger kids. Actually it's sort of comon for kids from the USHS to go to the USHL before going to the NCAA, aside from the top players, so that they can work on their game or adjust to the physical aspects since the NCAA is mostly 18-24 year olds. I know that the USHL is making big strides and are getting more and more players drafted, so that's a good sign. Balej, Vanek, Stastny are just some of the guys that have played in the NHL from the USHL.

I have been paying a lot more attention to the Minnesota USHS cause I get a number of their games on tv. I will try and catch some USHL games next year on webcast to see Conboy and Kishel.

[montreal]

Are you yelling?

I'm sure it's a consideration, but by the same token, you hold onto the rights of Russian prospects forever as long as their is no transfer agreement, and we didn't pick any Russians this year. And I'd be mad if they passed on better prospects in the CHL for Minnesota high schoolers because of that reason.

There's more to it then just holding their rights. You also have to compete with the RSL clubs to get them out of Russia. The RSL clubs in some cases can offer there players a lot more money then they used to, when a team goes and signs Alex Perezhogin to a 1.7M deal per year, they clearly have some money to throw around and Salavat isn't one of the richer teams like Ak Bars or Omsk. Plus there seems to be some shady dealings going on in Russia. Look at Malkin, signing a contract at 3 am? Then disappearing only to appear in the US, sounds like the old days. I can see why many nhl teams are scared off of picking any Russians and that's likely just what the Russian Federation wants. I can also see why, image being a fan of a team over there, losing an Ovechkin or a Malkin for nothing, ouch. I don't know what's going to happen but the nhl seems to be digging it's self a hole. They refuse to pay good money and RSL clubs due in part to the huge boon in oil, are much richer then they used to be, creating a situation that down the road is likely going to get worse as the number of Russians being drafted over the last few years has been low.

Things could turn out great for the rangers but I'd be worried until he's over here. On top of that there's concerns about his game, which imo also has to do with his slide. I like the move we made, we are very, very thin on LD prospects especially if we never see Emelin. Cote and Valentenko are the only LD's we had going into the draft, we left the draft with 3 LD's so at least we addressed the issue. I know people say, you shouldn't draft for needs cause your needs will change in 4-5 years, but when you have only 2 LD prospects, you got to add some depth in case injuries hit.

[MAK]

just heard parts of an interview with guy lapointed( scout for minny). when asked if he were in mtl at the 12th spot, would he consider esposito. his reply: I'd take Mcdonagh without any hesitation.