I won't argue the final three paragraphs, since I agree. I will have to take issue here though.
When the trade was made, the key factors are as follows:
- Marshall was 28 years old
- He'd never hit 15 goals in a season, and only touched 10 twice
- He'd hit 30 points once, and had just put up 37 points in the most recent season
- He was getting an inordinate amount of power play time in 2000-01, which boosted his overall numbers
On the other side:
- Columbus had just finished up the first season in franchise history
- There was zero chance of contending for a Cup, winning a playoff round, making the playoffs at all, and not much chance of finishing in the top 10 in the Western Conference
- Since the team would obviously be going through an extended building process with no chance to get prime UFAs, retaining and using prime draft picks was vital
In addition, Marshall was on the trade block by Dallas because they were at serious risk of losing him in the waiver draft. Multiple teams were said to be offering mid-round conditional draft picks in 2002 to get Marshall (and protect him on their own). He was acquired for an unconditional second-round pick from an expansion team in what was already projected to be an exceptional draft. That same team was picking 3rd in the waiver draft.
Sure, Marshall was serviceable. But a team in that position cannot throw away a quality asset to go after someone "serviceable". It's the type of deal that a team beefing up at the trade deadline would make if they had an injury to key third-liner*. Several other 2nd-rounders in 2003 were traded straight up for players, and all of them were in the 2003 calendar year (either at the draft or trade deadline). To throw a dart two years out for a player who would serve no real purpose on an expansion team is the type of shortsighted stupidity that the Ballard-era Leafs or any of the 1967 expansion teams would do.
*Marshall had played 59 playoff games with Dallas, and failed to score a single goal. His overall line: 59 games, 0 goals, 8 assists, 79 PIMs.
I never said he was worth a second round pick, just had mentioned that I got the idea behind the trade. They were looking to replace the 22 goals from Steve Heinze, and Grant Marshall was a similar style of player (though obviously less skilled). You know how things were with Doug as well as I do (after all, we are both Howson fans) ... he always felt he could replace production with someone less expensive, a little bit older, etc ... which was never the case. After all, if was Dougie who used Sean Pronger as his top line center. In the NHL.
The biggest point was in the following paragraphs. Had he kept that pick, he would have wound up taking Dan Fritsche at 33, and with the Evgeni Tunik with the 46th pick. Or, traded them both for two fourth rounders in 2005, a conditional 7th rounder in 2004, and Mike Danton.
IMO Picard will always be numerous 1 on this list.
Agreed.
I think the rush to the NHL is only a small portion of Brule's problems. I remember hearing a guy talk about Brule after it was obvious that he was going to be a bust in the NHL. His observation was that Brule was like a bowling ball in Juniors. He was successful because he could pretty much skate over or through smaller guys. When he got to the pro game where everyone was bigger and faster he could not skate through or over guys, and he was never going to be good enough to skate around them. Looking back at his being drafted, it was apparent that everyone saw that but Dougie boy.
Partially true. Brule was compared quite favorably to Crosby - even as far back as when he was 14 years old. He was really thought of as the second best forward in the draft for most of the year and seemed almost surely to be a top-4 pick even on draft day. It was a lock that Crosby was going first; nobody doubted that. But, there was debate that Anaheim could go in any direction (Ryan, Jack Johnson, Pouliot, Brule). Anaheim took Ryan, and Carolina took the guy that they thought would be their future franchise defenseman. After that, Brule was definitely expected to go within the next two picks ... Minnesota taking Pouliot wasn't entirely shocking, but the Canadiens taking Carey Price caught so many people off guard. I know of people who compared that pick to the Habs taking Doug Wickenheiser instead the smallish Denis Savard...
Brule wasn't highly touted because he was a physically dominant guy. He was thought of as a Jeremy Roenick type player ... similar size, yes he was physical/hard to play against, but he had silky smooth hands, above average vision and playmaking skills, and a wicked shot. Gilbert Brule, had he spent another year in junior, been forced to work hard and earn his spot on the team, and developed properly; would have been a #1 center in the NHL. He was handed a roster spot because the Jackets simply didn't have anything better (and Doug MacLean saw stars when he drafted him) ... it went straight to his head, and he never found any reason to learn the ins and outs of the pro game. Trust me, I met him when he was 18 years old. He thought he was the next Wayne Gretzky, even though he hadn't achieved anything in the NHL other than a severe injury. The guy actually seemed sour that he wasn't still in the NHL, at 18 years old.
He was mis-handled from day one. Had almost any other organ-I-zation drafted him, I have a feeling he would have turned out far differently.
