Early reflections on the 2005 draft

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

A couple of aspirins and a nap have done wonders to clear my head.

I can now see that the price may be right. Consensus best goalie available. Ranked #10 by both Red Line and ISS on their lists. EJ Hradek of ESPN had him slotted 7th, and had this pithy observation regarding the netminder's character:

He wasn't up to par in Canada's gold-medal-game loss to the U.S. at the World Under-18 tourney. But, according to one scout, he made no excuses. "The kid didn't point any fingers. He simply said he wasn't as sharp as he could have been. You like to see that in a young player."

An attitude I welcome in any Habs goalie.

Trevor Timmins even mentioned him prior to the draft:

Crosby will be claimed by Pittsburgh. But after that the draft becomes more nebulous. Defenseman Jack Johnson, an American, left winger Benoit Pouliot of the Sudbury Wolves, center Gilbert Brulé of the Vancouver Giants, left winger Bobby Ryan of the Owen Sound Attack, and center Anze Kopitar, a Slovenian, should be among the first to go.

"They are great prospects", recognizes Trevor Timmins, the Canadiens personnel manager.

"But there are others", he asserts. "I'm thinking of the goalie Carey Price, left winger Jack Skille, and the defenseman Marc Staal. All these players have comparable talents. Their level of play is about the same. It's like comparing apples and oranges. Their selection will ultimately depend on each team's preferences."

- www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/184425.html

So, we have a bluechip goalie in the pipeline. Life could be a lot tougher.

*

Guillaume "Big Hurt" Latendresse was a sweet pickup—rated #7 by Red Line and #17 by ISS. A pick that definitely addresses an "organizational need."

*

Mikus shot up ISS's charts, finishing at #32, 150 places up from where he was ranked at the beginning of the season.

*

Haven't had a chance to really research the later picks. However, I've got to say that it looks like we scored pretty well with our first two picks.

[Yeti]

Ok, I feel better now... I had to go around and read all I could find about Carey Price... I mean the scouts were so high on Brule... I was never a fan of picking a goalie in the top 10 considering Roy & Theodore were not selected in the first round (not 100% sure for Roy). Theodore was ready at 24... Price is at least 7 years away from playing in the NHL while guys like Brule, Skille and Kopitar might be 25 goals scorers in 3-4 years from now.

But it is true that he was considered a top 10 talent in the draft. Can`t be worst than Terry Ryan and Brent Bilodeau.

[SchoonerGuy]

Gainey/Timmins took a big risk. Passing up on Brule could be similar to passing up on Denis Savard to take Doug Wickenheiser.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Théodore, 28 years old
Danis, 24
Michaud, 21
Halak, 20
Heino-Lindbergh, 20
Lacasse, 19
Price, 17

[seventeen]

My biggest complaint with the Price being right is that he just didn't step up in the worlds U-18. For a guy who is mentally tough and supposed to make the big save, he just didn't. A key save at a key time and the US might have been put back on their heels, opening the door for the Canadians. Didn't happen. I watched him play and at no time did I feel comfortable. I felt much the same as I did about Fleury in the 04 U-20's. Awkward, not confident. That's no reason to not like him in the long run, but it makes for initial doubts. Especially when Kopitar was the opposite, leading the Swedish Juniour league in scoring, his own World juniour team in the U-20's (or was that U-18's?) and scoring for his national team in their B series.

Then again, goalies are the least exciting and most important players on the team, so maybe its just because of our desire for action that we're unhappy. That, and using up a #5 spot. Bad luck that, wot?

[HabbaDasher]

Well I remember feeling underwhelmed after previous drafts, so best wait and see.
Price, and Latendresse are the big names we hope will reach their NHL potential.
But Mikus is intriguing and Aubin seems at least interesting.
D'Agostini may be small, but it looks like he has skills.
And who knows, maybe the younger Katsitsyn will be another Grabovsky?
You have to think Timmins/Gainey saw something in these guys compared to others available at selection time.
They didn't just pull their names out of a hat.

[Yeti]

I was not thrilled about using a no 5 pick on Staal or Bourdon. After Pouliot was taken, I was really expecting Brule or Kopitar. Columbus jumped on Brule while 5 other teams passed over Kopitar after the Habs... Ok, so maybe it was the right call not to take Kopitar... But there was such a consensus on Brule? What's the knock against him, please list all of his weaknesses so that I can sleep better tonight? 5'10 and 180 at 18, he's not that small??

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

yeti said:

I was not thrilled about using a no 5 pick on Staal or Bourdon. After Pouliot was taken, I was really expecting Brule or Kopitar. Columbus jumped on Brule while 5 other teams passed over Kopitar after the Habs... Ok, so maybe it was the right call not to take Kopitar... But there was such a consensus on Brule? What's the knock against him, please list all of his weaknesses so that I can sleep better tonight? 5'10 and 180 at 18, he's not that small??

Shoulder injuries (Bégin syndrome perhaps developing).

[blny]

If Montreal didn't have a lot of small guys they might have taken Brule. No matter how good a junior player he is, he's still not big. No other way to describe it. He's got more offensive upside that Peca, but has been compared to Peca more than any other. That's nice, but in a system of small prospects I don't think he was the way to go.

[Douper]

After vomoting for about 3hours I've come up with this

Instead of having Garon and Brule or Kopitar we have Bonk and Price

Can someone explain how we are better off?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

All will be revealed.

Gainey's little smirk as they made the pick leads me to think that the chess game is not yet over (that or he had gas from the box lunch provided on-site).

[The Habsome One]

yeti said:

Brule? What's the knock against him, please list all of his weaknesses so that I can sleep better tonight? 5'10 and 180 at 18, he's not that small??

Small, injury-prone, easily agitated, takes stupid penalties, and selfish.

That's why I didn't want Brule. In Pouliout, I see Daigle. Johnson, we just weren't going to get. The TSN panel said the only reason Kopitar fell is because he's from Slovenia??

How stupid was that? I guess we'll know in 2 or 3 years...

[Yeti]

douper said:

After vomoting for about 3hours I've come up with this

Instead of having Garon and Brule or Kopitar we have Bonk and Price

Can someone explain how we are better off?

Urgh, don't rub it in... Garon DID everything that we now expect from Price... Dominate at WJC this year... Dominate in the AHL for a few years... Step into the NHL with good stats... I predict similar stats this year between Garon and Theodore, but Garon will earn much less... sight...

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

yeti said:

Urgh, don't rub it in... Garon DID everything that we now expect from Price... Dominate at WJC this year... Dominate in the AHL for a few years... Step into the NHL with good stats... I predict similar stats this year between Garon and Theodore, but Garon will earn much less... sight...

Did someone say Garon...?

[montreal]

A review I put together,

www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=832

Canadiens 2005 Draft Review

When you are picking fifth overall, the highest the organization has picked since 1984, the hype and excitement can work fans up into a fever over who the team should be picking or not picking and this year would make matters even worse as hockey starved fans await the news of who will be the future savior of the greatest sports franchise. One things for sure, with the fifth overall pick the Canadiens will be adding a top notch prospect to an already impressive group of talent and that in itself should be great news for Hab fans all over.

Here’s a look at how we fared at the 2005 Entry Draft...

[Douper]

A review I put together,

www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=832

Thank you Very Much.... I feel much better now.

Kats to London Love that!

Price is iffy (considering the Garon trade situation) but from Round 2 to 7 I think it's a very solid draft by the Habs.

I'll just need time for Price I guess.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

douper said:

I'll just need time for Price I guess.

I think we all suffered some degree of sticker shock today.

[Yeti]

Another perspective from FoxSports:

5. Montreal Canadiens — Carey Price, G
This pick was completely off the charts. The concensus had Price expected to be drafted somewhere between the ninth and 20th pick. The Canadiens made a pick with an eye on the future with this one.

"I surprised to be drafted this high but I am extremely excited to be going to the Habs," Price said.

His new GM, Bob Gainey, said, "He really impressed us in terms of knowing what it took to make the next step and progress into a great player for us in the future."


6. Columbus Blue Jackets — Gilbert Brule, C
Ordinal out of range

This could be a steal, having slipped lower than most people expected, but the Blue Jackets fans will love him immediately because of his aggressive style and his impressive skill. Emerging Columbus stars Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev will love playing with this dynamo. A bit of a surprise to fall out of the top four, he will prove to everyone he should have been No. 2.

"We were thrilled about his grit and skill factor and I cannot wait to see him play with Nash and Zherdev," Blue Jackets GM Doug MacLean said. "I do not think his size will be a factor since guys like Bobby Clarke and Doug Gilmour, who he was compared too had no problems."

[montreal]

douper said:

A review I put together,

www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=832

Thank you Very Much.... I feel much better now.

Kats to London Love that!

Price is iffy (considering the Garon trade situation) but from Round 2 to 7 I think it's a very solid draft by the Habs.

I'll just need time for Price I guess.

Price is iffy? So is every guy drafted today not named Crosby, I don't get your point and what it has to do with Garon?

[Deleted]

I wonder if this is a message to Theodore: Put up or shut up.

[TheCaper]

montreal said:

Price is iffy? So is every guy drafted today not named Crosby, I don't get your point and what it has to do with Garon?

Price is very iffy.

There are only 30 starting goaltending jobs, and they are difficult to get. Any parent would be proud if their son became one of the 22 best goaltenders in the world, it’s quite an accomplishment. But who wants the 22nd best goaltender? You aren’t winning the Cup with that, more than likely you’ll be missing the playoffs.

Everyone wants a top 5 goaltender, if not then a top 10. And if you don’t have one, you’re trying to figure out how to get one. In the new NHL, you buy one, because they are soooo hard to peg at a young age, and soooo hard to develop. In order to develop one, you have to have patience, and it’s not easy to be patient with a young goaltender, that’s the rub.

It’s easy to be patient with a young forward. If they make mistakes, one of their line mates might cover it up, or one of the D might cover it up, or the goalie might cover it up, or the other team might shoot 3 feet wide and cover it up. But if a young goalie is making mistakes, you lose, simple as that.

I would rate Carey Price’s chances of becoming a top 5 or 10 NHL goalie as very iffy. And if he does reach that plateau, it will likely be in his late 20’s, and quite possibly in a uniform other than the CH.

Gilbert Brule is a zillion times less iffy. He’ll have Nash on one side and Zherdev on the other. C’mon, those guys are going to tear it up, we all know it.

[warsawyak]

I was stunned with the slection of Price, astounded that Latendresse was falling down like stone and we finally got him, and astonished that the Habs were able to grab Mikus who had been much advertised at the very last moment and whom I wanted badly.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

mrbozo said:

A couple of aspirins and a nap have done wonders to clear my head.

I can now see that the price may be right. Consensus best goalie available. Ranked #10 by both Red Line and ISS on their lists. EJ Hradek of ESPN had him slotted 7th, and had this pithy observation regarding the netminder's character:

He wasn't up to par in Canada's gold-medal-game loss to the U.S. at the World Under-18 tourney. But, according to one scout, he made no excuses. "The kid didn't point any fingers. He simply said he wasn't as sharp as he could have been. You like to see that in a young player."

An attitude I welcome in any Habs goalie.

Trevor Timmins even mentioned him prior to the draft:

Crosby will be claimed by Pittsburgh. But after that the draft becomes more nebulous. Defenseman Jack Johnson, an American, left winger Benoit Pouliot of the Sudbury Wolves, center Gilbert Brulé of the Vancouver Giants, left winger Bobby Ryan of the Owen Sound Attack, and center Anze Kopitar, a Slovenian, should be among the first to go.

"They are great prospects", recognizes Trevor Timmins, the Canadiens personnel manager.

"But there are others", he asserts. "I'm thinking of the goalie Carey Price, left winger Jack Skille, and the defenseman Marc Staal. All these players have comparable talents. Their level of play is about the same. It's like comparing apples and oranges. Their selection will ultimately depend on each team's preferences."

- www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/184425.html

So, we have a bluechip goalie in the pipeline. Life could be a lot tougher.

*

Guillaume "Big Hurt" Latendresse was a sweet pickup—rated #7 by Red Line and #17 by ISS. A pick that definitely addresses an "organizational need."

*

Mikus shot up ISS's charts, finishing at #32, 150 places up from where he was ranked at the beginning of the season.

*

Haven't had a chance to really research the later picks. However, I've got to say that it looks like we scored pretty well with our first two picks.

Following BO's good example of cooling off the disappointment:

1. I would have taken Kopitar over Price, but that's why Gainey is the GM and I'm not. He and 10 other GM's know something I don't. Drafting a goaltender is a longshot (snakeyes as was pointed out) but in Gainey we trust and I'll have to live with the pick. Overall it is a risky high upside pick we all wanted. Either an "A" or a "C". We'll have to wait.

2. Latendresse is a true powerforward and we were fortunate to get him at 45 for two higher picks that wouldn't have resulted in as good a player. "A+"

3. Consensus; Juraj Mikus is well liked by many scouts and I can't pronounce his name much less never saw him play. Bob gets an "A" for this one.

4. Mathieu Aubin, better than 130 but may likely never play in the NHL. "?"

5. D'Agostini, like a bride, they all look good on draft day, but two years later clean dishes are more important than lookin good. Unfortunately brides can't be released after two years without compensation. He can score at the Jr. level but so did Thinel and a host of others who fill the ranks of "Where are they now?" "?"

6. Kostitsyn Lite, all in the family, don't go back to Russia. Good move. "B+"

7. The last Paquet was obtained from Hamilton for Prince Hal. One of the worst trades in Montreal history. This one has to work out better. "C+" The 229 th pick is less relevant than the #5 pick and now we wait and see.

It's good to see fans talking hockey again instead of talking politics or just not talking.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

douper said:

After vomoting for about 3hours I've come up with this

Instead of having Garon and Brule or Kopitar we have Bonk and Price

Can someone explain how we are better off?

Nope!
I don't understand it.

- but -

We still have 7 goaltenders in the system and there is only room for one at a time in the crease. We really couldn't hang on to Garon. He deserved a chance to start and would have left us. (I'm not in love with Theodore either)
We need young goaltenders with talent and hope one of them moves up the ladder. The more gooduns we have, the greater the chance of developing a top notch star.
Kopitar. I drool over him and so did a few other of our posters, but 10 GM's passed over a 6'4" can't miss superstar. Do they know something we don't? Is it possible that highly paid professionals know more than "don't try this at home" HabsRus amateurs?

Ask me in 5 years.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

habsfaninla said:

Kopitar. I drool over him and so did a few other of our posters, but 10 GM's passed over a 6'4" can't miss superstar. Do they know something we don't? Is it possible that highly paid professionals know more than "don't try this at home" HabsRus amateurs?

Ask me in 5 years.

IMO Kopitar fell to roughly the same position as Kostitsyn the Elder did in the draft for the same reason—illness. In Kostitsyn's case it was epilepsy. In Kopitar's case it's called "Slovenian." Here's hoping both players make the shortsighted GMs eat lots of raw sauerkraut.

[Douper]

Price is iffy? So is every guy drafted today not named Crosby, I don't get your point and what it has to do with Garon?

Price will be 18....He goes to Junior for 1 year, 19. Signs a 3 year Contract with the Habs, he's now 22. Depending on his Development he's in Hamilton. Resign him for 3 years, cracks the starting lineup he's 25. 2 Years later he's elligible for Free Agency.

So we picked a Goalie at #5 that we don't even know if he'll be in the league until 2010 instead of a Forward that could potentially be in our lineup in 2006? Even if we would have taken a Fwd or Dman and they ended up as a bust NO ONE would have said We should have taken that goalie with the 5th pick.

That is why I don't like the Price pick.

Love the rest of the draft picks.

As for the Garon thing. I'd rather have Garon/a Fwd than Bonk/Price. Atleast when Theo leaves next year we would have been able to insert Garon as the starter for much less

[Bob]

It's always fun comparing the Habs to our favourite nemesis, the Leafs

First pick
Price vs. Rask - both teams picked goaltenders and the Habs look like they should have come out on top

Second pick
Latendresse (45) vs Oreskovic (92) - judging from the rankings Montreal did better here as well.

Third pick
Mikus (121) vs Berry (153) - A European vs an EJHL player. Both tough to judge but I've got to like the comments about Mikus.

Fourth pick
Aubin (130) vs Dahlberg (173) - Both were ranked much higher than where they were drafted. Montreal probably has a better chance to keep an eye on Aubin and assist in his progress. He almost seems like another Corey Urquhart. No advantage.

Fifth pick
Matt D'Agostini (190) vs Anton Stralman (216) - A small forward vs a 176 lb defenseman. Stralman must have some offensive prowess or some growing to do. At this point, advantage Montreal

Sixth pick
Siarhei Kostitsyn (200) vs Chad Rau (228) - This could be a big advantage for Montreal. Kostitsyn was ranked 18th among European skaters and has a lot of international experience. Big advantage here

Seventh pick
Phillipe Paquet (229) vs no pick - this one is easy.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

What Price is the team willing to pay for a goaltender.

Bunny Laroque, Rogatien Vachon, Ken Dryden. There have been young Jr. B rookies who make the big jump and impress the hell out of established veterans with their mature play.

It's a stretch, but I wouldn't rule out Price making a huge splash in camp and joining the big team halfway through the year.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

ISS had us picking virtually three first rounders: Price (#10), Latendresse (#17), and Mikus (#32).

Red Line had Latendresse #7 and Price #10.

McKenzie had Price #7 and Latendresse #21.

Sports Forecaster had Latendresse #8 and Price #9.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

mrbozo said:

ISS had us picking virtually three first rounders: Price (#10), Latendresse (#17), and Mikus (#32).

Red Line had Latendresse #7 and Price #10.

McKenzie had Price #7 and Latendresse #21.

Sports Forecaster had Latendresse #8 and Price #9.

I agree. It's a bit like playing poker though. An ace is a good card. A king is a good card. But if you have one Ace and one King and one Queen and one Jack and one Nine, the odds of success are not high. We had a #5 pick and didn't appear to get a #5 player in anybodys analysis except Gainey and Co.

Overall the brain trust did well. They took an unconventional high risk/reward route that we wanted them to take. We'll know how they did when they get the call.