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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Dec 19, 2002 21:29:40 GMT -5
Juri Hudler has played 25 games in the Czech Extraleague (18 year old vs. top adults) and has scored 18 goals and 39 points. Good pick in the second round that we missed on. Small but great.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 19, 2002 22:14:56 GMT -5
29 other teams also missed on him so we are not the only ones.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Dec 19, 2002 23:27:28 GMT -5
I agree Marc. I also favor size and youth and Jiri certainly doesn't have size. We already have a lot of skilled smurfs and Hudler is another extra piece in that mold, but..... Hudler will be a superstar. He may have been the Best player in the entire draft year. I know that is a lot to say about a small European who has never played for a team on this side of the pond, but I think he was a gem who got away.
Montreal hasn't drafted a #1 since Wyckenheiser and if we don't tank (old subject and sore point) we never will. Jiri has the potential to be the best player in his draft year (high praise) with Bouwmeister in the same year and while I wouldn't have taken him ahead of the top two, he will prove a lot of people wrong.
Follow him in the World Jr. Championships!
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 19, 2002 23:34:12 GMT -5
I will I can't wait to see him play. To see if he is worth the hype.
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Post by montreal on Dec 20, 2002 0:37:17 GMT -5
The problem with us picking Hudler, is that he's 5'9 175, has had some injury problems, and with the number of forward prospects that we have, that are under 6', adding another small injury prone player is a big gamble. Last year, Only Hudler was ahead of Plekanec in scoring for junior aged players in the Czech Senior League. (Which Plek's coach said he was the best player on the team )
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Post by JohnnyVerdun on Dec 20, 2002 12:36:59 GMT -5
I liking Linhart. Savard make good pick.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Dec 20, 2002 15:04:45 GMT -5
I liking Linhart. Savard make good pick. I like Linhart too. He is a good hockey player, great athletic ability, good size, very good strength, excellent attitude and work ethic. Hudler has far more talent and skill, much less size and a worse attitude. That said, Hudler will become a superstar. I like them both, but Hudler was the better pick by far. Trading some of our old trash to move up to get both would have been a good thing (quote Martha Stewart), but Hudler was the number three person in the entire draft and the number one in terms of upside potential. (Chouinard had potential too and potential is no gurantee of anything. If potential always translated into goals, Chouinard would be our 30 goal a year power forward). Hudler could be among the top five players in the league in three years. He was worth the chance.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Dec 21, 2002 16:08:03 GMT -5
I haven't just jumped on the Jiri Hudler bandwagon. I saw this guy last year before the playoffs and I thought he would go 8th in the draft, before the hab's had a shot. I thought he deserver to be #1 but his size dropped him to 8th. I watched the first round and held my breath. When the Hab's had a shot at him I thought our search for a superstar was over. When they passed on him I was disappointed. When he was still available in the second round and they passed again I thought all the Gm's must know something I don't, (like maybe he broke his legs in twenty places or had cancer). When Detroit took him with their first pick, I figured they either took a chance (that we should have) or they have better scouts and couldn't believe their great fortune. I think it's the latter.
Too bad his name wasn't Jacques St.Hudler. We might have taken a flyer on him.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 21, 2002 16:16:48 GMT -5
LA look at the last 2-3 Habs drafts...have they even drafted 3 francophones? My guess...they didn't grab Hudler because he is similar to almost every prospect we have...or they weren't impressed with his work ethic/attitude.
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Post by montreal on Dec 21, 2002 17:01:27 GMT -5
LA look at the last 2-3 Habs drafts...have they even drafted 3 francophones? My guess...they didn't grab Hudler because he is similar to almost every prospect we have...or they weren't impressed with his work ethic/attitude. In the last 3 drafts, Christian Larrivee, 114th overall '00. I don't know about Michael Lambert (who's having some troubles with the Rocket and may get traded, from what I hear), Andre Deveaux, or Jothan Ferland. I think Deveaux is part francophone, but not sure about the others. As for Hudler, his size, and I think it's concussion problems that hurt him, not sure about what his injury problems are.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 21, 2002 17:22:31 GMT -5
Isn't Deveaux an Ontario native?
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Dec 21, 2002 20:04:31 GMT -5
In the last 3 drafts, Christian Larrivee, 114th overall '00. I don't know about Michael Lambert (who's having some troubles with the Rocket and may get traded, from what I hear), Andre Deveaux, or Jothan Ferland. I think Deveaux is part francophone, but not sure about the others. As for Hudler, his size, and I think it's concussion problems that hurt him, not sure about what his injury problems are. You're right Mtl. Concussions are more important than the language you speak, your last name, or the province where you were born. To some people the most important question is are you a Czech or a Slovak. To us they all seem the same, but to them it's important. I can't tell a North Korean from a South Korean or an Irish Protestant from an Irish Catholic and if they score goals I really don't care where their father and mother came from. When you are drafting players, talent, desire, attitude, strength, size, and speed are the most important considerations. Same thing for coaches and GM's and the soomer we all realize it the better off we all would be. Former nice-guy Canadian and present war-monger American?
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