Jack Johnson

[nyhabsfan]

Sorry if this has been beaten to death, but I really hope we can move up to #2 and take Jack Johnson in the draft.

My Reasoning is as follows:

1) Elite Dmen are much harder to find then an elite forward. For every Paneuf or Barker, you have 3 to 4 high end forwards.

2) We need a high end defensive prospect in our system. our center and wings have some depth. I know many of you say "draft the best player available", but after Crosby, the next 4-5 players are considered good to excellent prospects. Besides, it is a crapshoot, who is to say the #5 player picked can't be better than the #3 player?

With that said, I don't want to loose a high end player, but I would be willing to do the following.

Plekanec + 5th for the 2nd pick

Hossa + 5th for the 2nd Pick


I would not trade Zednik or Ryder as some other posters on other websites.

[Habit]

Bob mackenzie of TSN was just on saying the Habs are activly persuing the #2 pick. He also said that most GM's are reluctant to give up an established NHL player along with their 1st rounder. But Burke might slide down a "few" picks and take a good prospect.

Sounds like our #5 and Pleck's might be able to snag it.

[Forum Ghost]

habit said:

Bob mackenzie of TSN was just on saying the Habs are activly persuing the #2 pick.

I saw that too. Should be quite an exciting day for us Hab fans tomorrow. The more I hear about this rumour, the more I hope that Gainey is able to get Johnson. The Habs do not have a blue-chip blueline prospect in their system so, needless to say, getting Johnson would be huge.

To me, it's a win-win situation. Getting Johnson would be great, but even if a deal for the no. 2 pick falls through, the Habs can still snag someone like Brule at no. 5.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

forumghost2 said:

habit said:

Bob mackenzie of TSN was just on saying the Habs are activly persuing the #2 pick.

I saw that too. Should be quite an exciting day for us Hab fans tomorrow. The more I hear about this rumour, the more I hope that Gainey is able to get Johnson. The Habs do not have a blue-chip blueline prospect in their system so, needless to say, getting Johnson would be huge.

To me, it's a win-win situation. Getting Johnson would be great, but even if a deal for the no. 2 pick falls through, the Habs can still snag someone like Brule at no. 5.

We had a blue-line blue-chip prospect. Komisarek was a hulking surefire superstar.
Hainsey was a surefire superstar.
They are all blue-chippers their draft years, but a couple of years later they are reality check bonified NHL players instead of superstar prospects.
I don't see Johnson as that much better than Hainsey of Komisarek or more importantly Kopitar.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

habsfaninla said:

I don't see Johnson as that much better than Hainsey of Komisarek or more importantly Kopitar.

What? Anze is a centre AND a d-man! Be still my heart.

[Habit]

If I were Burke...

1. Trade down with Montreal for the 5th and Plec's. + 7th rounder.

2. Trade down with Ottawa for the 9th Pick and a 2rd/3rd rounder.

Draft 9th, 32nd, Ottawa's 2nd/3rd, Montreal's 7th round and Plec's. Not bad for a deep draft.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Doesn't sound like Pleky and a 5th of whatever Burke likes will seal the deal:

- The Blues have qualified defenceman Chris Pronger at $7.8 million (all terms US), but that doesn't mean they're going to keep him. The word is they'd like to deal Pronger to the Ducks in exchange for the No. 2 pick in the draft, but if that's the case, Anaheim would have to renegotiate Pronger's contract. There's also talk Atlanta has made a pitch for Pronger and is considered a front-runner to land the former Norris Trophy winner.

- There's a big-time rumour out of Colorado that Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix is trying to woo the Ducks by dangling forwards Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay for the pick and prospect Stanislav Chistov. There's also talk the Avs might try to get centre Sergei Fedorov into the deal since there's a good chance they're going to lose centre Peter Forsberg to free agency.

- www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Hockey/2005/07/29/1151757-sun.html

[nyhabsfan]

Does anyone know if Johnson is a right handed defenseman, that would be a HUGE plus for us!!!

[Forum Ghost]

mrbozo said:

Doesn't sound like Pleky and a 5th of whatever Burke likes will seal the deal:

- The Blues have qualified defenceman Chris Pronger at $7.8 million (all terms US), but that doesn't mean they're going to keep him. The word is they'd like to deal Pronger to the Ducks in exchange for the No. 2 pick in the draft, but if that's the case, Anaheim would have to renegotiate Pronger's contract. There's also talk Atlanta has made a pitch for Pronger and is considered a front-runner to land the former Norris Trophy winner.

- There's a big-time rumour out of Colorado that Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix is trying to woo the Ducks by dangling forwards Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay for the pick and prospect Stanislav Chistov. There's also talk the Avs might try to get centre Sergei Fedorov into the deal since there's a good chance they're going to lose centre Peter Forsberg to free agency.

These proposals seem kind of ridiculous to me. There may be some truth in them, but Bruce Garrioch is Ottawa's version of Al Strachan so you never know if he's just making them up.

I find it very surprising that the no. 2 pick in tomorrow's draft could possibly be traded for a former Hart trophy winner or a former 50-goal scorer. If that's the starting bid, then Gainey's got no chance... but then again, if that's what the no. 2 pick is fetching, I wonder what the no. 5 pick would fetch...

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

forumghost2 said:

mrbozo said:

Doesn't sound like Pleky and a 5th of whatever Burke likes will seal the deal:

- The Blues have qualified defenceman Chris Pronger at $7.8 million (all terms US), but that doesn't mean they're going to keep him. The word is they'd like to deal Pronger to the Ducks in exchange for the No. 2 pick in the draft, but if that's the case, Anaheim would have to renegotiate Pronger's contract. There's also talk Atlanta has made a pitch for Pronger and is considered a front-runner to land the former Norris Trophy winner.

- There's a big-time rumour out of Colorado that Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix is trying to woo the Ducks by dangling forwards Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay for the pick and prospect Stanislav Chistov. There's also talk the Avs might try to get centre Sergei Fedorov into the deal since there's a good chance they're going to lose centre Peter Forsberg to free agency.

These proposals seem kind of ridiculous to me. There may be some truth in them, but Bruce Garrioch is Ottawa's version of Al Strachan so you never know if he's just making them up.

I find it very surprising that the no. 2 pick in tomorrow's draft could possibly be traded for a former Hart trophy winner or a former 50-goal scorer. If that's the starting bid, then Gainey's got no chance... but then again, if that's what the no. 2 pick is fetching, I wonder what the no. 5 pick would fetch...

Of course, "Trust no-one."

I wonder what previous traded high picks have fetched prior to the draft. I'd do the research, but I'm on triple-time right now.

BTW, what did the Habs offer for Kovalchuk—that Waddell turned down?

[FormerLurker]

nyhabsfan said:

Does anyone know if Johnson is a right handed defenseman, that would be a HUGE plus for us!!!

He's left-handed:

USA Hockey
McKeens
HF

[duster]

If memory serves me, Waddell turned down Markov, Garon, 7th overall (Komisarek) and 25th overall (Perezhogin). One of the best deals that never happened imo.

If Hedjuk and Tanguay are the price (unlikely imho), I say we give a warm welcome to Mr Kopitar/Ryan/Brule/Pouliot...

[jkr]

duster said:

If memory serves me, Waddell turned down Markov, Garon, 7th overall (Komisarek) and 25th overall (Perezhogin). One of the best deals that never happened imo.

If Hedjuk and Tanguay are the price (unlikely imho), I say we give a warm welcome to Mr Kopitar/Ryan/Brule/Pouliot...

But that offer was for the right to grab number 1 overall and Kovalchuk - a big difference.

It was just a couple of years ago that Clarke got number 4 overall (Pitkanen) for Ruslan Fedotenko. That type of player ( a young regular that can contribute) is what it will take to get this year's number 2 pick, not a superstar.

[mic]

jkr said:

duster said:

If memory serves me, Waddell turned down Markov, Garon, 7th overall (Komisarek) and 25th overall (Perezhogin). One of the best deals that never happened imo.

If Hedjuk and Tanguay are the price (unlikely imho), I say we give a warm welcome to Mr Kopitar/Ryan/Brule/Pouliot...

But that offer was for the right to grab number 1 overall and Kovalchuk - a big difference.

It was just a couple of years ago that Clarke got number 4 overall (Pitkanen) for Ruslan Fedotenko. That type of player ( a young regular that can contribute) is what it will take to get this year's number 2 pick, not a superstar.

It depends on what other teams could offer. If the rumors of St-Louis wanting to unload Pronger's salary are true, it will be difficult to grab the second pick.

[seventeen]

jkr said:

duster said:

It was just a couple of years ago that Clarke got number 4 overall (Pitkanen) for Ruslan Fedotenko. That type of player ( a young regular that can contribute) is what it will take to get this year's number 2 pick, not a superstar.

Clarke threw in 2 second rounders as well, I believe, but regardless, it was a terrible deal for Tampa. Pitkanen will annoy them for many years into the future. I was then urging AS to start dealing with Feaster and take him to the cleaners.