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Post by montreal on Nov 9, 2002 2:48:12 GMT -5
The Karjala Cup has started (Friday) and if anyone wants to know who's there from the Habs prospects, here's the list of our players. Sweden- Niklaus Anger '95 5th round 112th Czech- Victor Ujick '01 8th round 266th Russia- Vadim Tarasov '99 7th round (i think) 196th Alex Perezhogin '01 1st round 25th Finland- nobody So far Finland smoked Russia 5-0. I don't know if Tarasov was in nets. (hopefully not) and Sweden beat the Czech team but neither Anger or Ujick registered any points. The U-20's are also going on now, but I haven't gotten much info on them yet. I know that for team Russia, Konstantin Korneev '02 8th round 275th is playing for them, and that Russia won 6-5 in ot but I don't know who scored what. I also don't know if we have any other players playing in this tournayment.
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Post by MPLABBE on Nov 9, 2002 10:18:02 GMT -5
Is Ujcik still a Habs prospect? I remember BC freaking out because we released a prospect with a weird name a year or two ago. Was it him? or maybe Chojva or something?
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Post by BadCompany on Nov 9, 2002 12:19:07 GMT -5
Is Ujcik still a Habs prospect? I remember BC freaking out because we released a prospect with a weird name a year or two ago. Was it him? or maybe Chojva or something? Ujick is a prospect only in the loosest sense of the word - he is already 30 years old. Savard drafted him in the 8th round a couple of years ago, with the idea that he would come over and step right in to the lineup as an overager - like Jiri Dopita or something. He had the same thing in mind when he drafted 26 year old Martie Jarventie. Unfortunately, he didn't ask Ujick if he was interested in coming over beforehand, and Ujick flat out refused to leave the Czech Republic. I always thought that was a dumb move, to be honest with you. I mean, Ujick was obviously somebody they had targeted before the draft, as somebody they were going to draft late, and at 29 years of age, I don't think they were too worried somebody else was going to nab him. How hard would it have been to call him up before hand, and ask if he would be willing to come over, if he was drafted? Its kind of a minor gripe I have with Savard. For a guy who is supposedly so good at drafting, he sure likes wasting picks. We had a mere 6 last year, and only Carolina had fewer picks. The year before, we had 8, which is still below average (what with compensation picks and everything) but was made worse by the fact that two of them were the aforementioned Jarventie and Ujick, who aren't really prospects. So in reality he only drafted six kids again. This year he has already given away 7th. I know they are late picks and all, but still, sometimes gems can be found... Oh well.
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Post by MPLABBE on Nov 9, 2002 13:12:35 GMT -5
Was Ujick a talented player? anyone know more about him?
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Post by montreal on Nov 9, 2002 13:52:22 GMT -5
Ujick is a prospect only in the loosest sense of the word - he is already 30 years old. Savard drafted him in the 8th round a couple of years ago, with the idea that he would come over and step right in to the lineup as an overager - like Jiri Dopita or something. He had the same thing in mind when he drafted 26 year old Martie Jarventie. Unfortunately, he didn't ask Ujick if he was interested in coming over beforehand, and Ujick flat out refused to leave the Czech Republic. I always thought that was a dumb move, to be honest with you. I mean, Ujick was obviously somebody they had targeted before the draft, as somebody they were going to draft late, and at 29 years of age, I don't think they were too worried somebody else was going to nab him. How hard would it have been to call him up before hand, and ask if he would be willing to come over, if he was drafted? Its kind of a minor gripe I have with Savard. For a guy who is supposedly so good at drafting, he sure likes wasting picks. We had a mere 6 last year, and only Carolina had fewer picks. The year before, we had 8, which is still below average (what with compensation picks and everything) but was made worse by the fact that two of them were the aforementioned Jarventie and Ujick, who aren't really prospects. So in reality he only drafted six kids again. This year he has already given away 7th. I know they are late picks and all, but still, sometimes gems can be found... Oh well. Well its easy to look back and see what mistakes were made, but if you think back, at the time of the '01 draft, we were short on prospects that could jump in and contribute. So Savard took a gamble with Jarventie (who according to some guys in Finland, they say he was on of the better defencemen in their league) and Ujick was more of a big gamble, that I myself don't really understand. He is a decent talent from what I have read, (he scored 25 goals last year, I believe, in the Czech Senior league) but he's another small winger at 5'11 180 ish. Who knows maybe he will come over some day, we don't have a older Czech player to talk him into coming over though, which I heard was the case in Dopita coming over to the flyers through his friend Checkmanek. Well not a big deal, as Jarventie is still in the team plans, I would think even though he has gone back to Finland..
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Post by BadCompany on Nov 9, 2002 14:05:58 GMT -5
Well its easy to look back and see what mistakes were made, but if you think back, at the time of the '01 draft, we were short on prospects that could jump in and contribute. So Savard took a gamble with Jarventie (who according to some guys in Finland, they say he was on of the better defencemen in their league) and Ujick was more of a big gamble, that I myself don't really understand. He is a decent talent from what I have read, (he scored 25 goals last year, I believe, in the Czech Senior league) but he's another small winger at 5'11 180 ish. Who knows maybe he will come over some day, we don't have a older Czech player to talk him into coming over though, which I heard was the case in Dopita coming over to the flyers through his friend Checkmanek. Well not a big deal, as Jarventie is still in the team plans, I would think even though he has gone back to Finland.. Don't get me wrong, I got no problems with the idea, it was a sound one. Quick, easy way to supplement your depth. Jarventie actually broke camp with the Canadiens last year, and I thought he should have stayed, over Quintal or Traverse. But that was just me. But I doubt he is still in their plans. I mean, Brisebois is locked up, Rivet is locked up, Markov is becoming a force, Souray has a place and role on the team (now and in the future) Hainsey (hopefully) will be back before the end of the year, and Komisarek, if things go well, shouldn't be more than a year, maybe two, away from challenging for a spot. If not sooner. That's 6 right there. Not counting Dykhuis, or Quintal, or Traverse, or anybody else Savard picks up in the next year or two. So I don't really see any room for Jarventie anymore. He had a shot to step in last year, replace Robidas, Bouillon or Traverse, and for whatever reason, couldn't do it. There isn't anybody for him to replace anymore. Oh well. Ujick I am little more upset with. That was another good idea - a skilled right winger, which Savard obviously loves amassing - who may have filled a role Savard has spent the last year and half trying to fill (Audette, Berezin, Czerkawski). Definetely worth the shot, especially for an 8th or 9th round pick. What I didn't understand though, was why they didn't ask him before hand if he would come over. I would assume - and I have no inside knowledge of this, I am just assuming this is how a draft would work - that they had a list of, say 5-10 European overagers that they thought could step into the NHL right away, and that they would grab whoever was available late in the draft. In this case Ujick. But why didn't they check before hand, to see if he would come over? Scouts talk to potential draftees all the time, how hard would it have been to say "Victor, we are interested in seeing if you can step into the NHL next year, if we draft you, will you come?" Its not like it was unique situation, lots of Europeans refuse to come over (Dopita, Ciger, etc.). If Ujick says "No, I like it here." then they move on to the second guy on their list. Seems simple enough, no? Anyways, like I said, minor gripe.
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Post by montreal on Nov 9, 2002 14:23:02 GMT -5
Well I think Jarventie is still in their plans, cause from what I heard, Jarventie wanted to go back to Finland right after training camp ended, and Savard talked him into staying, cause he didn't want him to go back over. (don't know what changed his mind, maybe it was cause Jarventie's wife had a kid, he's still injured, and there's no room for him in Hamilton, so I guess getting Bouillon back is the main reason, plus he's supposed to come back over next year).
I hope he's still in the plans, cause I don't want to see Dykhuis on this team much longer. Plus you never know what trades, injuries will happen. Souray cant stay healthy, and Markov is our best trading asset (not that I would trade him, but if we ever tried to get a superstar, I would think Markov or Komisarek is where the deal would start).
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