2002 draft: one year after
Jun 24, 2003 11:39:46 GMT -5
Post by MPLABBE on Jun 24, 2003 11:39:46 GMT -5
Well, it's been 1 year since this draft has gone by...here is a recap of what our prospects from the last crop did:
14th overall, Christopher Higgins: The young center had an excellent season for Yale. A 20 goals, 21 assists, 41 points season in merely 28 games put him in the Hobey Baker award race. Unfortunately, he did not muster enough votes. Still, a highly succesful season for the prize prospect as he also had a very good showing at the WJC for Team USA. Already signed to a pro contract with the Habs, the development of the young American center should be very interesting. He is likely to start the year in Hamilton, but if he plays well enough in camp, a surprise could be in store. There has been talk about moving him to LW, but if the Habs are smart, they should just keep him at center
45th overall, Tomas Linhart: It was a puzzling pick on draft day as the Habs let promissing players like Jiri Hudler, Kiril Koltsov, Barry Tallackson, Gregory Campbell and Peter Kanko slip and it's even more puzzling and dissapointing today. Linhart had a very mediocre 2002-03 season as he moved over to North America for the first time. He started the year with Mississauga and mustered only 2 meagre assists. He was traded to London, where he mustered up 2 assists in with only 18 PIM.In all his season totals were: 55 games played, 4 assists, 4 points, 30 PIM. Linhart appears to be a Czech version of Karl Dykhuis or Patrick Traverse. No offence to speak of and not much physicality, in a big body package.May make the NHL as a 6th d-man and that is really the most optimistic projection.
99th overall, Michael Lambert: Lambert is a somewhat interesting prospect. At 6'2' 180 he still has to fill out but he has a pretty large frame. His offensive numbers are dissapointing though. After he failed to rack a point per game in 2001-02, he did the same in 2002-03: 71 games, 28 goals, 32 assists, 60 points. It's tough to get a read on this guy and determine his real potential.
182th overall, Andre Deveaux: This guy is the ultimate darkhorse. Standing at 6'3' 220 pounds he certainly has intriguing size. His offensive numbers are dissapointing( 63 games, 15 goals, 22 assists, 37 points) but from what I have read and heard...he would be invisible one night and awesome the next. He also had a very good, albeit short playoff(4 points in 4 games). He also showed toughness with a 126 PIM. 2003-04 is a key season for him because if he has a very good season as a 19 year old, Habs should offer him a pro contract for sure.
212th overall, Jonathan Ferland: Right now, Johnny looks like a steal at the 212 th spot. He was a beast for Acadie-Bathurst this year with 45 goals, 44 assists, 89 points in only 65 games. He also had 94 PIM and 9 points in 11 playoff games. He also got a shot to make Canada's WJC team. He's 6'1' 200 pounds and already 20 years old. Hamilton in 03-04?
275th overall, Konstantin Korneev: Korneev could be the biggest steal of this draft. Drafted in the 9th round, little KK made team Russia at the WJC and played pretty well. He was also a regular d-man for Krylja Sovetov in the RSL, which is quite an accomplishment for a small 18 year old d-man. He may not have the talent of budding star Andrei Markov, but Korneev could become a solid bottom pairing d-man. He racked up 2 goals, 8 assists and 10 points in 49 games for his team, which is pretty decent for a young player. Korneev should spend another year in Russia and could be brought over to North America in 04-05.
All in all, for a draft with only 6 picks..the Habs did not do all that baddly..Higgins is already a great prospect and should make the NHL within 2 years and probably less. Ferland, Deveaux and Lambert all have some nice and could become decent enough prospects. Although nothing great. Linhart is dissapointing but he is still very young and time is on his side. Korneev, as we just said, looks great for a 9th rounder and it will be interesting to see if he can have a season as good as Markov's when Andrei was 19 years old(43 games, 10 goals, 5 assists, 15 points for Markov in 1997-98 as a 19 year old).
If the Habs manage to have 2 regular players out of this draft down the road, it will be a succesful one IMO. And it's a looking very likely they will at least have one.
14th overall, Christopher Higgins: The young center had an excellent season for Yale. A 20 goals, 21 assists, 41 points season in merely 28 games put him in the Hobey Baker award race. Unfortunately, he did not muster enough votes. Still, a highly succesful season for the prize prospect as he also had a very good showing at the WJC for Team USA. Already signed to a pro contract with the Habs, the development of the young American center should be very interesting. He is likely to start the year in Hamilton, but if he plays well enough in camp, a surprise could be in store. There has been talk about moving him to LW, but if the Habs are smart, they should just keep him at center
45th overall, Tomas Linhart: It was a puzzling pick on draft day as the Habs let promissing players like Jiri Hudler, Kiril Koltsov, Barry Tallackson, Gregory Campbell and Peter Kanko slip and it's even more puzzling and dissapointing today. Linhart had a very mediocre 2002-03 season as he moved over to North America for the first time. He started the year with Mississauga and mustered only 2 meagre assists. He was traded to London, where he mustered up 2 assists in with only 18 PIM.In all his season totals were: 55 games played, 4 assists, 4 points, 30 PIM. Linhart appears to be a Czech version of Karl Dykhuis or Patrick Traverse. No offence to speak of and not much physicality, in a big body package.May make the NHL as a 6th d-man and that is really the most optimistic projection.
99th overall, Michael Lambert: Lambert is a somewhat interesting prospect. At 6'2' 180 he still has to fill out but he has a pretty large frame. His offensive numbers are dissapointing though. After he failed to rack a point per game in 2001-02, he did the same in 2002-03: 71 games, 28 goals, 32 assists, 60 points. It's tough to get a read on this guy and determine his real potential.
182th overall, Andre Deveaux: This guy is the ultimate darkhorse. Standing at 6'3' 220 pounds he certainly has intriguing size. His offensive numbers are dissapointing( 63 games, 15 goals, 22 assists, 37 points) but from what I have read and heard...he would be invisible one night and awesome the next. He also had a very good, albeit short playoff(4 points in 4 games). He also showed toughness with a 126 PIM. 2003-04 is a key season for him because if he has a very good season as a 19 year old, Habs should offer him a pro contract for sure.
212th overall, Jonathan Ferland: Right now, Johnny looks like a steal at the 212 th spot. He was a beast for Acadie-Bathurst this year with 45 goals, 44 assists, 89 points in only 65 games. He also had 94 PIM and 9 points in 11 playoff games. He also got a shot to make Canada's WJC team. He's 6'1' 200 pounds and already 20 years old. Hamilton in 03-04?
275th overall, Konstantin Korneev: Korneev could be the biggest steal of this draft. Drafted in the 9th round, little KK made team Russia at the WJC and played pretty well. He was also a regular d-man for Krylja Sovetov in the RSL, which is quite an accomplishment for a small 18 year old d-man. He may not have the talent of budding star Andrei Markov, but Korneev could become a solid bottom pairing d-man. He racked up 2 goals, 8 assists and 10 points in 49 games for his team, which is pretty decent for a young player. Korneev should spend another year in Russia and could be brought over to North America in 04-05.
All in all, for a draft with only 6 picks..the Habs did not do all that baddly..Higgins is already a great prospect and should make the NHL within 2 years and probably less. Ferland, Deveaux and Lambert all have some nice and could become decent enough prospects. Although nothing great. Linhart is dissapointing but he is still very young and time is on his side. Korneev, as we just said, looks great for a 9th rounder and it will be interesting to see if he can have a season as good as Markov's when Andrei was 19 years old(43 games, 10 goals, 5 assists, 15 points for Markov in 1997-98 as a 19 year old).
If the Habs manage to have 2 regular players out of this draft down the road, it will be a succesful one IMO. And it's a looking very likely they will at least have one.