2nd overall
Nastyflyergirl
still can't win the lottery. They pick #2 overall. chicago gets the
#1 pick and I bet they select Kane
Alex
<nastyfl...@aol.com> wrote:
Well, its sort of sad but anyway due to the lack of a sure shot player
in the draft this isnt a big deal really.
Kane and Gagner had a great season, but they are playing in a top
team, and against kids of same age.
Cherepanov also had a good season especially considering he is a 18
years old kid playing with men, but rumors are saying holmgren isn't
really high on him...and who knows if he will be allowed to leave
Russia?
Voracek, I dunno much about him honestly...
I would be happy with either Kane or Cherepanov...we shall see... :)
Take Care
Alex
Chris Fried
:
: Well, its sort of sad but anyway due to the lack of a sure shot player
: in the draft this isnt a big deal really.
Perfect ending for this horrible season. Couldn't win on the ice, couldn't win
off of it.
Wayne
Figures, doesn't it? I would imagine the Hawks would take Kane because he's
probably the best player in the draft and there is some uncertainty about
that Russian kid (like, will they be able to get him over here). Having
said that, it might not be the worst idea in the world to take a shot on
him.
Wayne
Dan the Man
If we're going to end up behind anyone, it might as well be the Hawks.
They will only select a player that Bill Wirtz is able to cheap-out
on. This is not the wirtz (er, worst) that could have happened.
Dan
hammarb...@comcast.net
there was no doubt in my mind they'd get #2. it's funny to me
actually. because of the lack of a "next one" in this year's draft
there's a good chance they'll want a different player than the hawks,
and be able to select their 1st choice without any maneuvering. of
ccourse, holmgren has admited anything is possible, meaning they could
move the pick for players or prospects. i'm sure they'll have
scenarios worked out for all the different players they're interested
in.
they can't win for losing. heh. perfect ending.
-j
Pelle Schultz
I think it matters very little given the lack of a consensus #1
overall choice. This isn't the year of Crosby, or even Erik Johnson.
I still think Holmgren should trade down and try to get as many 1st/
2nd round picks as possible.
Pelle
Rick Y
news:1176237221.3...@l30g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
I think the fan based is already pissed enough. Take the best available,
work a deal with Chicago for Kane if need be, but the Flyers need one of
the top 3 picks. They need someone who can put on a Flyers Jersey within
the next year or two. Not a *maybe* with a second rounder.
Rick
I am Canadian
I think the Carolina Hurricanes did alright the year they lost the
first pick in the lottery and ended up second.
Time will tell.
Jeff
joker
news:1176222972.2...@d57g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
> Unreal, the Flyers are by far the worse team in the league and they
> still can't win the lottery. They pick #2 overall. chicago gets the
> #1 pick and I bet they select Kane
>
Who said the NHL isn't smart? This is exactly what the Flyers get for
tanking all those games.
Pelle Schultz
I'm talking getting a lower first rounder and a high second. Or maybe
2 first-rounders. There aren't a lot--or maybe any--players in this
draft that are sure bets to be in the NHL within 2 seasons.
In the near-term, the fan base will have to settle for whatever UFAs
are signed, along with Downie, Giroux, and Parent.
Pelle
hammarb...@comcast.net
it's amazing that there aren't any sure fire nhlers right off the bat?
why is that? is it because
the players are drafted so young? the pool to choose from around the
world is enormous...lots
and lots of players. you'd think there'd be at least one guy who can
step in and make an impact
and be a long-term player. not necessarily a crosby, ovechkin or
stall, but a guy who gets
decent minutes, doesn't look out of place, and makes a contribution.
why does it take 3, 4, 5 years...
and that's sometimes AFTER they get to the nhl? i'm just asking.
look at all the guys in college basketball and football that don't
finish school and step into the pros
and contribute right away. football team has about 50 players, so
there's ample room, but by contrast
basketball plays a handful of guys most of the game yet there always
seems to be some celebrated
incoming rookie forgoing his junior or senior year. not sure about
baseball because i don't follow.
> In the near-term, the fan base will have to settle for whatever UFAs
> are signed, along with Downie, Giroux, and Parent.
>
> Pelle
i think we're all anxious to get a look at these kids (and the others
like nodl). it's not reasonable to think all of them, meaning the real
prospects plus the ones forced onto the team this year like potulny
and ruzicka are going to pan out, but some should.
-j
Wayne
Remember that if a college basketball player skips his junior or senior
year, then he's going to be 20 or 21, whereas players are eligible for the
NHL draft at 18. Those couple of years make a big difference.
Wayne
hammarb...@comcast.net
i thought about that and wondered how much of a difference those 1 or
2 years
really make. i guess they do. it just seems the majority of hockey
players take
soooo much longer to develop, at all positions, as compared to
athletes for
other sports. it's just my impression. they've got to be 24-25 before
they can
be considered ready to make a real impact. the conversation seems to
be
"he's 3-4 years away from being ready". even in college football, if a
guy graduates
and steps into the nfl at 21-22 tops, you often see them making waves
right off
the bat...even the QBs, the most important and pressure-filled
postion. it's a lot more
rare in the nhl (and certainly with goalies).
i just want all our young guys to step in and turn the team around and
i don't want to wait.
pipe dream, i know, but after this season, the idea of waiting around
any longer is tough
to swallow.
-j
Rick Y
That wouldn't be worth it. Tow middle first round picks might be worth
the chance. But really, this team has some other picks, it needs one of
the top 3 or 4.
Or maybe
> 2 first-rounders. There aren't a lot--or maybe any--players in this
> draft that are sure bets to be in the NHL within 2 seasons.
OK, maybe not, But still the grade of player available for the second
pick is a quantum leap above anything available late forst round or
second round....even if you get 2 players and put them together.
Granted, a team with a history of success in the draft could probably
flip the pick and end up with 2 players that'll play in the NHL, but that
is not the Flyers.
> In the near-term, the fan base will have to settle for whatever UFAs
> are signed, along with Downie, Giroux, and Parent.
I am excited to see those guys play for the Flyers eventually, but I
would also like to see this guy, if not Cane.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Determination drives Voracek
Spotlight on Jakub Voracek
By Ryan Van Horne, ISS Editor
On the first shift of Halifax Mooseheads right winger Jakub Voracek’s
third game, he was elbowed by an opposing player in Chicoutimi and
slumped to the ice. It was a rude welcome for the No. 1 pick in the
Canadian Hockey League’s Import Draft.
“He was knocked out cold,” said Mooseheads coach Cam Russell said. “He
had rubber legs going off, so we sat him out for the rest of the first
period.” Voracek refused to miss a shift, but it was only after passing a
series of tests that the Mooseheads let him back on the ice. As skilled
as Voracek is, his determination is what sets him apart from other
prospects in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the reason why ISS
has him ranked No. 1 in our rankings for the 2007 draft. Voracek was
ranked No. 1 for November and December, but lost that spot to Russian
Alexei Cherepanov for three months. With his dominating performance in a
first-roun playoff upset over the Moncton Wildcats, Voracek has returned
to the top spot.
“He works hard every day in practice,” Russell said. “He’s not fancy-
dancy by any means. It’s almost like he plays a North American style.”
ISS Atlantic Scout Chris Mooring is hard-pressed to find a weakness in
Voracek’s game.
“I expected him to be more of a goal scorer, but he’s a very unselfish
player. His passes are hard and on the tape,” Mooring said.
In an early-season matchup against Angelo Esposito and the Quebec
Remparts, Voracek showed another trait that impressed Russell and a
legion of scouts on hand to witness the QMJHL’s two top prospects.
“He just rises up to the challenge of the big games,” said the former NHL
defenceman. “He was best player on the ice against the Quebec.”
In a late-season showdown with Quebec, Voracek was again the best player
on the ice.
Russell, who ended his career with the Colorado Avalanche, says Voracek’s
tenacity reminds him of Peter Forsberg’s.
“He’s the kind of kid, that if he takes a shot and misses the net, he’ll
be the first one on the rebound to pick up the loose puck. His feet are
always moving.”
“I see a lot of Peter Forsberg-like traits. He’s solid on the puck and
he’s not intimidated.”
The six-foot-one-, 191-pound Voracek has excellent strength in his legs
and he despite a unique skating stride, it is fast and efficient.
“He has quick feet, a strong, powerful stride and great balance,” Mooring
said. “He has great outside acceleration, but I would like to see him
improve his first few steps.”
Off the ice, the 17-year-old Czech right-winger gets top marks for
coachability, despite the language barrier.
“He’s picking things up fairly quickly,” Russell said. “He’s a good kid,
too. He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s a special kid who’s a lot
of fun to coach.”
Asked about the matchup with Esposito, Voracek downplayed it as a
showdown.
“The most important thing to me was to help my team win, but in the back
of my mind, I knew I was playing against him and I wanted to do well,”
Voracek said through an interpreter, Mooseheads defenceman Jiri Suchy.
When asked what he thought his best skill was, Voracek replied: “My work
along the boards with the puck.” And the area he needs to work on the
most, he readily admits, is his “upper body strength.”
Voracek finished the regular season with 23 goals and 63 assists for 86
points in 59 games. That earned him a spot on the QMJHL’s all-rookie
team. Voracek’s play improved after Christmas when he had an
underwhelming tournament for the Czech Republic at the world junior
tournament. Voracek went on a scoring rampage and has continued his
stellar play in the playoffs.