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2012 NHL Entry Draft talk


Commandant

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This is a very good point. I think the organization has seen the flame outs of Kostitsyn, Grabovski, Latendresse, Ribeiro, Kostitsyn, Higgins, and others and has tried to learn from that. I think that character is becoming more and more important. Montreal is a special city, and a high draft pick is going to face a ton of pressure in this town. Price had his struggles but persevered, but others haven't. I think there has been a trend to the high character, high work ethic, grown up in the game type of kids like Tinordi, Beaulieu, Gallagher, Bennett, and other recent picks in recognizing that you can't just put any old kid into this pressure cooker. This is yet another reason why I think we're grabbing Galchenyuk with our first pick.</p>

Higgins, Komisarek, Chipchura were all hailed as character/future captain material as well when they were selected.

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The Habs did get a franchise player with last high pick.

And no matter who they pick this year, highly unlikely to even play in NHL next year and then unlikely to be a big impact player the following year, so the best option to make playoff next year is trade for an All-Star forward on JUly 1st.

Yakupov may be better but not by a crazy amount, when compared to other top few prospects, i myself am very happy picking 3rd and will stick with it.

I wouldn't trade up if you look at the 2006 draft would u pick johnson 1st?

1) Eric Johnson

2) Jordan Staal

3) Jonathan Toews

4) Nicklas Bakcstrom

5) Phil Kessel

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Higgins, Komisarek, Chipchura were all hailed as character/future captain material as well when they were selected.

Higgins flamed out with the partying.

Chipchura tore his achilles and an average skater became a bad skater and thats why he never made it.

Komisarek left for more money, the team was willing to retain him.

Only one of them flamed out because of issues of character, not like Sergei Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski, or Mike Ribeiro.

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Timmins and defencemen drafting:

2011: Beaulieu (CAN), Didier (USA), Nygren (SWE), Dietz (CAN), Sullivan (USA)

2010: Tinordi (USA), Ellis (CAN)

2009: Bennett (USA)

2007: McDonaugh (USA), Subban (CAN), Weber (SWZ), Stejskal (USA), Torp (SWE), Kishel (USA)

2006: Fischer (USA), Carle (CAN), Valentenko (RUS), Cepek (USA)

2005: Paquet (CAN)

2004: Emelin (RUS), Streit (SWZ), Dulac-Lemelin (CAN)

2003: Flood (CAN), Tipold (SWE)

USA: 9

CAN: 8

Sweden: 3

Russia: 2

Switzerland: 2

I can understand people assuming a bias since three of those choices were in the first round. If there's anything I can really deduce is that the Timmins myth of not drafting in Sweden certainly isn't true, he's just not good at finding good Swedish defencemen. The Swiss choices have been strong. Russian picks have been strong. French Canadian D-men need to be avoided at nearly all cost but I would consider Beaulieu an exception. RoC picks have been decent. The American choices range from really good (Tinordi, McDonaugh) to good (Bennett, Sullivan) to awful (Fischer, Didier). The rest tend to be high picks that could end up anything.

So to summarize, the idea that Timmins dreams of American blueliners is silly. However, he does have some strong scouting in the USHL and uses it. The only trend I see growing with Timmins in the last few drafts is selecting players who are second and third generation working class players. I think he has been liking the work ethic from them.

4 out of the last 5 Habs top picks were US Dmen. The past 5 top picks were Dmen. I'm not imagining things.

And the point about the work ethic and the origin of the player (work class), adds up to the fact that Timmins might prefer a strong candidates such as Trouba, the U.S. Captain, above hit-or-miss players like Galchenyuk.

I see many similarities between Galchenyuk and AK.

Both belarussians, both were considered risky because of health related problems.

They are hit-or-miss players and we don't want to be stuck with another huge-expectation-winger, always waiting for that promising next season that will never come. AK's scars are still fresh.

However, you can never have too many great dmen. Ask Chicago or Nashville. Heck, Nashville's now with Habs' rejects Bouillon and Gill. This shows how a D can dry pretty quickly and the more you have the better.

Drafting that awesome Dman may be the boring low-risk thing. But consider this: you can always pull a Johnson-Carter swap and land yourself with the powerforward you want when he is ready.

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I wouldn't trade up if you look at the 2006 draft would u pick johnson 1st?

1) Eric Johnson

2) Jordan Staal

3) Jonathan Toews

4) Nicklas Bakcstrom

5) Phil Kessel

sure lookong back now I would say the 1st place pick should have ben between Toews and Bakcstrom. but since the 2 first picks went on D between Staal and Johnson there still isn`t a clear `winner`if you ask me and I think Toews is better then Bakcstrom so in the order the forwards were picked then. It makes sence to me.

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4 out of the last 5 Habs top picks were US Dmen. The past 5 top picks were Dmen. I'm not imagining things.

2011: Beaulieu

2010: Tinordi

2009: Leblanc

2008: Kristo

2007: McDonaugh/Pacioretty

Are you?

I see many similarities between Galchenyuk and AK.

Both belarussians, both were considered risky because of health related problems.

Galy is an American player with a Belarussian background. That's like claiming Gretzky is a Belarussian player

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It works into what I said earlier that teams just don't select by BPA anymore. There are far too many intangibles to do it. You never know how a player will exactly be in your organization but through interviews, upbringing, family, etc. you can get a much better picture. Price himself is a second generation working class player.

Just to be argumentative i will disagree and say hard-working is just one important part of being BPA, BPA isnt just the one with most skill, but a combination of all the factors you hint at.

Same as a PGA golfer isnt just a swing, likely the quality of player is a function of that 9 inches between his ears.

For Example: Taylor Hall is bigger, stronger and faster than Jordan Eberle, but Eberle is the better player overall, only because of his hockey IQ (and slick hands) and Nugent-Hopkins is a mix, he has the Hockey IQ of Eberle and can skate like Hall.

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sure lookong back now I would say the 1st place pick should have ben between Toews and Bakcstrom. but since the 2 first picks went on D between Staal and Johnson there still isn`t a clear `winner`if you ask me and I think Toews is better then Bakcstrom so in the order the forwards were picked then. It makes sence to me.

That was my point looking back is easy maybe who we pick will be the better forward here's hoping. cheers
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Just to be argumentative i will disagree and say hard-working is just one important part of being BPA, BPA isnt just the one with most skill, but a combination of all the factors you hint at.

Same as a PGA golfer isnt just a swing, likely the quality of player is a function of that 9 inches between his ears.

The problem is that "BPA" in a drafting environment is selecting the next best ranked player, not the player with the best intangibles. For example, Brian Burke selecting Nazem Kadri was an example of BPA. He wanted Brayden Schenn, Schenn got taken so he took the next best center available. I still think Kadri is an extremely skilled player who could have a Ribeiro type career but not in Toronto.

I guess we all have different explanations for these things. Be better to instead explain ourselves than just fire off the cliché terms eh?

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2011: Beaulieu

2010: Tinordi

2009: Leblanc

2008: Kristo

2007: McDonaugh/Pacioretty

Are you?

Galy is an American player with a Belarussian background. That's like claiming Gretzky is a Belarussian player

But Galchenyuk listed Moscow as his home (if i recall correctly) and also i think has dual citizenship and he has a strong Eastern European/Rusian accent also; which could never be said for 99.

But i highly doubt he is a danger of going the KHL route and he would be my choice if available at #3.

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4 out of the last 5 Habs top picks were US Dmen. The past 5 top picks were Dmen. I'm not imagining things.

2011 - top pick was a defenceman from the QMJHL

2010 - Then there was an American D

2009 - Then there was Louis Leblanc a Quebecois forward playing in the states

2008 - no first rounder, american fwd in 2nd round

2007 - two first rounders US D and FWD

So you better check those numbers on our last 5 top picks.

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But Galchenyuk listed Moscow as his home (if i recall correctly) and also i think has dual citizenship and he has a strong Eastern European/Rusian accent also; which could never be said for 99.

But i highly doubt he is a danger of going the KHL route and he would be my choice if available at #3.

He lists the US as his home, choose to play for the US in last year's Ivan Hlinka tournament when given the choice of playing for the US or Russia, and calls himself American

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He lists the US as his home, choose to play for the US in last year's Ivan Hlinka tournament when given the choice of playing for the US or Russia, and calls himself American

I dont let friggin facts get in the way of my point. But thanks for slight correction anyways sir.

I see Canada made short work of denmark in U18s and TSN is televising a couple games next week, Can vs USA on Tuesday afternoon should be interesting.

Branden Troock is a big lad who may be an OK late 2nd or 3rd round pick, but just may not have alot of offense eh (and just be another Turner Stevenson type)?

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2011: Beaulieu

2010: Tinordi

2009: Leblanc

2008: Kristo

2007: McDonaugh/Pacioretty

Are you?

Galy is an American player with a Belarussian background. That's like claiming Gretzky is a Belarussian player

2011 - top pick was a defenceman from the QMJHL

2010 - Then there was an American D

2009 - Then there was Louis Leblanc a Quebecois forward playing in the states

2008 - no first rounder, american fwd in 2nd round

2007 - two first rounders US D and FWD

So you better check those numbers on our last 5 top picks.

got it, my bad.. so it's not in the last 5 years but 6 then.

4 top picks in the last 6 drafts then (Tinordi, Bennett, McDonaugh, Fisher)

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got it, my bad.. so it's not in the last 5 years but 6 then.

4 top picks in the last 6 drafts then (Tinordi, Bennett, McDonaugh, Fisher)

When you include 3rd rounders (Bennett) as top picks. Its 4 selections out of 17 total picks in that same time period.

Or the same as the number of QMJHL/Quebec based players in the time period (Carle, Fortier, Leblanc, Beaulieu)

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I'm referring to our first selection of the draft.

4 times in the last 6 drafts a U.S. Dman was the Habs 1st selection. This is not a judgment, an opinion or a complaint. Just a constatation.

When Timmins go in the draft and selects a U.S dman with his first selection, is it just a coincidence and the result of a BPA philosophy? I tend to guess Habs go with BPA but that we rate favourably the USHL system. I may be wrong. This is just deduction and i have no insider info..

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Grigorenko has been compared to Malkin by some scouts...I want a potential 100 point C on this team...

Galchenyuk is intriguing but could easily slide to the 7th pick too.

I think Grigorenko is the odds on pick.

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I'm referring to our first selection of the draft.

4 times in the last 6 drafts a U.S. Dman was the Habs 1st selection. This is not a judgment, an opinion or a complaint. Just a constatation.

Not true.... Bennett was NOT the first selection of the 2009 draft, that was Louis Leblanc. Heck Bennett wasn't even the Habs second pick in 2009, that was Joonas Nattinen. Its actually 3/6 by why cut it off at 6, why not include all 9 years that Timmins has drafted and call it 3/9? Cause without the manipulation of stats, your narrative falls apart.

I could do the same thing and manipulate the stats and say that Louis Leblanc and Nathan Beaulieu are 2 of the last 3 Habs picks, clearly we are rating more favourably Quebec and QMJHL prospects.

It doesn't make it true.

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Why are you denying that emphasis on USHL and dmen in particular? There's no comparison with a "Quebec" trend. Beaulieu is an ontarian who does not speak french playing in the maritimes and leblanc was drafted out of the USHL himself. It's difficult to put both together and call it a trend

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I'd say Timmins finds good blueliners he likes in the USHL and that his scouts say good things about. I mean, Tinordi got drafted with everyone knowing from the start he wasn't staying in the U.S. and would eventually be going to the OHL. What does that say about the pick?

Anyway, I know you just feel Trouba is a more believable selection than a forward, but this is the highest Timmins has selected in the NHL since 2001. He took Spezza that year for Ottawa.

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