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Post by BadCompany on Jun 21, 2004 7:24:58 GMT -5
Some relative unknowns, and a different ranking than most... Lots of big boys though... www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/columnist/woodlief/2004-06-20-woodlief-draft-d_x.htmRank Name Ht., wt. Shot Birthdate 2003-04 team Proj. draft round 1 Cam Barker 6-3, 206 L 4/4/86 Medicine Hat 1st 2 Ondrej Meszaros 6-2, 191 L 10/13/85 Dukla Trencin 1st 3 A.J. Thelen 6-3, 210 L 3/11/86 Michigan State 1st 4 Mike Green 6-1, 191 R 10/12/85 Saskatoon 1st 5 Ladislav Smid 6-2, 189 L 2/1/86 Liberec 1st 6 Kirill Lyamin 6-3, 198 L 1/13/86 CSKA 1st 7 Boris Valabik 6-5, 228 L 2/14/86 Kitchener 1st 8 Jeff Schultz 6-6, 210 L 2/26/86 Calgary 1st/2nd 9 Dimitri Vorobiev 6-2, 211 L 10/18/85 Lada Togliatti 2nd 10 Wes O'Neill 6-3, 204 L 3/3/86 Notre Dame Univ. 2nd |
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Post by Habit on Jun 21, 2004 15:23:18 GMT -5
Some relative unknowns, and a different ranking than most... Lots of big boys though... www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/columnist/woodlief/2004-06-20-woodlief-draft-d_x.htmRank Name Ht., wt. Shot Birthdate 2003-04 team Proj. draft round 1 Cam Barker 6-3, 206 L 4/4/86 Medicine Hat 1st 2 Ondrej Meszaros 6-2, 191 L 10/13/85 Dukla Trencin 1st 3 A.J. Thelen 6-3, 210 L 3/11/86 Michigan State 1st 4 Mike Green 6-1, 191 R 10/12/85 Saskatoon 1st 5 Ladislav Smid 6-2, 189 L 2/1/86 Liberec 1st 6 Kirill Lyamin 6-3, 198 L 1/13/86 CSKA 1st 7 Boris Valabik 6-5, 228 L 2/14/86 Kitchener 1st8 Jeff Schultz 6-6, 210 L 2/26/86 Calgary 1st/2nd 9 Dimitri Vorobiev 6-2, 211 L 10/18/85 Lada Togliatti 2nd 10 Wes O'Neill 6-3, 204 L 3/3/86 Notre Dame Univ. 2nd Valabik stands out like a sore thumb!!! Never heard too much about him. Anyone know if he might be another Komo? He certanly has the size! Thoughts? |
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Post by Habit on Jun 21, 2004 16:27:33 GMT -5
Found this on BC's link:
Sounds like a mean guy. Puckhandling is something that can be worked on. It's the first pass that I want to see. Any good D worth his salt, has a good first pass. That is the game breaker!!
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Post by Patty Roy on Jun 21, 2004 19:01:24 GMT -5
Valabik stands out like a sore thumb!!! Never heard too much about him. Anyone know if he might be another Komo? He certanly has the size! Thoughts? From what i understand, Valabik is meaner than Komisarek, but not quite as good a skater, and maybe more of a project. |
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Post by montreal on Jun 21, 2004 19:11:24 GMT -5
From what i understand, Valabik is meaner than Komisarek, but not quite as good a skater, and maybe more of a project. I think you sumed it up well, Valabik is more physical, imo, as he takes the body and hits often, plus he lookes to drop the gloves more, although Komo shouldn't be doing this on a regular basis anyways. But his skating isn't near Komo's. I'd say Komo is a A- skater, Valabik is a B skater. But Valabik should end up being bigger. I haven't seen much offense from him, but Komo showed a lot of offensive abilites at Michigan. Some other defensemen I'm interested in seeing us get. Jordan Smith, Mike Lundin, Alexi Yemelin, Alexi Mikhailishin, Andrej Sekera, Casey Borer, Kyle Klubertanz. |
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Jun 21, 2004 19:13:44 GMT -5
Big and slow. Likely beats up on people a lot because he is big and slow.
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Post by Patty Roy on Jun 21, 2004 20:36:46 GMT -5
Big and slow. Likely beats up on people a lot because he is big and slow. I've read conflicting reports. Some say that Valabik is slow, but most actually seem to think that his straight ahead speed is fine, its his lateral movement that needs work...but that should be expected of a 17/18 year old 6'7" hockey player. Valabik is certainly a project. He could turn out to be the next Wade Belak, or he could turn out to be something along the lines of Chara. My gut tells me that somebody before the Habs is going to take a flyer on this guy... |
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Post by TheHabsfan on Jun 22, 2004 11:53:17 GMT -5
I think you sumed it up well, Valabik is more physical, imo, as he takes the body and hits often, plus he lookes to drop the gloves more, although Komo shouldn't be doing this on a regular basis anyways. But his skating isn't near Komo's. I'd say Komo is a A- skater, Valabik is a B skater. But Valabik should end up being bigger. I haven't seen much offense from him, but Komo showed a lot of offensive abilites at Michigan. Some other defensemen I'm interested in seeing us get. Jordan Smith, Mike Lundin, Alexi Yemelin, Alexi Mikhailishin, Andrej Sekera, Casey Borer, Kyle Klubertanz. I have also read alot about Valabik and what you say Montreal sums it up very well. However, I am a bit surprised that you rank him as a "B skater". Of course, you have a lot more exposure to these guys than I do, and you are most probably right, but I understood that he was more of a "C- skater" and needed a lot of work in that area. I am definitely not questioning your opinion on his skating, I am just a bit surprised that you rank him that high. I have always figured that he is ranked too high in this year's draft due to "everyone" view on him as a skater, but I figured his size alone was enough to prop him up...your evaluation clears it up a bit more for me! THF |
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Post by montreal on Jun 22, 2004 12:21:44 GMT -5
I have also read alot about Valabik and what you say Montreal sums it up very well. However, I am a bit surprised that you rank him as a "B skater". Of course, you have a lot more exposure to these guys than I do, and you are most probably right, but I understood that he was more of a "C- skater" and needed a lot of work in that area. I am definitely not questioning your opinion on his skating, I am just a bit surprised that you rank him that high. I have always figured that he is ranked too high in this year's draft due to "everyone" view on him as a skater, but I figured his size alone was enough to prop him up...your evaluation clears it up a bit more for me! THF I've seen Valabik 3 times, so that's not much to go off of, but to me his skating wasn't bad and neither was his speed. If you take into consideration that he's so damn big. But he does seem to have problems turning quickly. |
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Jun 22, 2004 12:38:03 GMT -5
But he does seem to have problems turning quickly. Quintal can work on that with him. Btw, the criticism I've heard of him which disturbs me most concerns another kind of slowness - a lack of hockey sense. I just don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling, or even a tepid and flannel feeling, about Valabik. But then, I was never much of a Gilles Lupien fan either... |
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Post by Habit on Jun 22, 2004 18:49:44 GMT -5
If he cannot skate, Savard (our drafting god) will get out his 10 foot pole!!  |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 24, 2004 2:41:49 GMT -5
We need Dr. Frankenfurter to merge Valabik's size and Bouillion's skating.
It's easier to teach Boris to skate than to teach Francis to grow.
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Post by blny on Jun 24, 2004 6:44:25 GMT -5
We need Dr. Frankenfurter to merge Valabik's size and Bouillion's skating. It's easier to teach Boris to skate than to teach Francis to grow. ;D While there is some truth to that, we've drafted slow big men before. This org has been guilty of drafting players to meet needs that can't skate and have no hockey sense. Big and bruising is nice, but not if he can't catch them. Look at what Montreal has done to Boston the last two playoff meetings. We were a largely slower team in 2004, yet we still managed to give Boston's big defence fits. Coaches can work on foot speed and the like, but rarely does it turn a Cavalier into a Ferrari. |
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