CNS
A World Alone
- May 24, 2008
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He did? If so, I'm trying to wrap my head around the reasoning for selecting Thomas Hickey over him.
Build from the net out.
He did? If so, I'm trying to wrap my head around the reasoning for selecting Thomas Hickey over him.
Build from the net out.
I guess that was one time they did not go for the best player available.
The Kings were changed forever with this pick...
I guess that was one time they did not go for the best player available.
I remember Dean saying that they were trying to move down, but couldn't. In the end, he wanted Hickey because of his character/leadership qualities and because he was a smooth skating puck moving defenseman and he felt that he needed another young one with high upside to grow with Jack Johnson.
Remember, at this time Drew Doughty isn't even on our radar. We weren't really anticipating getting another shot at a player like that in that position. Lottery picks are fickle. You try to draft the best player available, but it is impossible to ignore need there as well, because whoever you select will likely play early and has a very good chance at being a franchise, long term player for your team.
If you have a weak defense, and the best player is a center, right next to him is a marquee defenseman, it is tempting to grab the defenseman just so you could have that player, for cheap, in that spot for 7 years+.
If you have the first overall pick, then BPA would be your best bet, but if you are sitting at 3-5 and there is some parody between the players, looking at need doesn't hurt too much. That was a pretty weak draft overall.
Pick #2 and pick #32 that year, changed things. Although, pick #32 took 3+ years to add his impact.
Letting Slava develop did a hell of a lot of good for him. I really am becoming a big fan of Mark Morris and all he does for the guys that pass through Manchester. Seriously just look at what he's done with some of our prospects. Really great stuff.
Pick #2 and pick #32 that year, changed things. Although, pick #32 took 3+ years to add his impact.
I remember Dean saying that they were trying to move down, but couldn't. In the end, he wanted Hickey because of his character/leadership qualities and because he was a smooth skating puck moving defenseman and he felt that he needed another young one with high upside to grow with Jack Johnson.
Remember, at this time Drew Doughty isn't even on our radar. We weren't really anticipating getting another shot at a player like that in that position. Lottery picks are fickle. You try to draft the best player available, but it is impossible to ignore need there as well, because whoever you select will likely play early and has a very good chance at being a franchise, long term player for your team.
If you have a weak defense, and the best player is a center, right next to him is a marquee defenseman, it is tempting to grab the defenseman just so you could have that player, for cheap, in that spot for 7 years+.
If you have the first overall pick, then BPA would be your best bet, but if you are sitting at 3-5 and there is some parody between the players, looking at need doesn't hurt too much. That was a pretty weak draft overall.
I think the kings may have won the second round!
Question for Qmjhl followers. Will Drakkar be capable of taking the next step this season? I can't imagine the moose being as dominant as we just saw. Are Drakkar favourites?
Let's just look at Deano's ineptness at drafting in the first round...First let's all agree that Jonathan Bernier was an Al Murray selection and not really a Dean Lombardi pick considering Dean didn't have "his" people (Futa, Yannetti & the scouts) in place just yet having been hired 65 days before the 2006 entry draft.
Let's also agree that in 2008, a not-so-trained monkey or even someone as habitually inebriated as The Dingo, would have selected Doughty 2nd. That pick was about as obvious as Angelyne's plastic surgeries (Jeez, I'm turning into bigmouthbarry with my analogies...kill me...but anyway).
So in 2007 he takes Hickey. We all knew that was going to be a bad pick when he made it, but to illustrate how bad, 17 Defensemen from that draft alone have played more NHL games than the 4th overall pick in the draft including last season's Norris Trophy winner and (count 'em) 2 DMen currently on the Kings NHL roster and 1 DMan who's a Kings RFA (Ellerby/FLA, Muzzin/PIT & Martinez). And before you start talking about how injuries hurt Hickey, keep in mind eight of those 17 DMen were selected in the 3rd round or lower including Carl Gunnarson who was taken in the 7th round and ranks 2nd among DMen taken in that draft in Games Played with 224. Heck, the guy taken RIGHT AFTER Hickey has played the most games of any DMan taken in this draft (Alzner - 263).
In the '09 draft Lombardi takes Brayden Schenn. Now this was the obvious pick and when you consider what this ultimately lead to (a trade for Richards and a surly look on Brian Burke's face) the pick can't be considered a Hickey level bust. However, so far, as a player Schenn has not lived up to the Canadian-level hype. He was drafted 5th, but he's 10th in games played of players drafted in this draft (not awful) and 6th in points per game of players with a minimum of 60 NHL games played from this draft (.42 PPG). This isn't bad per se, but fact two players ahead of him in PPG from this draft were drafted in the 4th & 5th rounds (M. Foligno by Buffalo [.51] & G. Bourque by Nashville [.45]). Schenn's defensive play leaves a lot to be desired of course. So while not a total bust, Schenn hasn't lived up to the offensive hype, playing on an offensive-minded team. Imagine how he might have struggled on a team like the Kings that would have asked him to backcheck. He's not a good defensive player, which is why he didn't play more than those 8 games out of the Juniors for the Kings.
Of course in 2008 as great as the Doughty pick was, Lombardi screwed up again. He trades up, then back one and all he had to show for it was Colten Teubert (who couldn't even make it in EDM) and Andrew Campbell who may never crack the Kings roster. Imagine how much better that draft could have been if he takes Tyler Myers instead of Teubert and Campbell. Doughty, Myers & Voynov...wow!
After those picks, the jury is still out. Forbort could be a strong defender. He's big enough, so at least Dean drafted for the team's identity. But already one DMan picked after him has played over 100 games in the NHL (Justin Faulk/CAR) and 16 players have already gotten their feet wet in the NHL overall from this draft (including Toffoli) and Forbort is certainly not expected to get his feet wet even this coming season. Time will tell...we all hope Forbort will be a strong SAH DMan. Dmen do take longer to develop on average, but I'd say if he can't crack the '14-'15 squad, then it will be time to question the value of that 1st rounder as well.
The '11 draft is a complete waste of time and energy for the Amateur scouts. Of course eventually the trade of the 1st round pick helped us win a Stanley Cup (Penner) but here's the one 2nd round pick Lombardi whiffed on (Gibson). But he's had enough 2nd round triumphs to sluff this one off and I'm really focussing on 1st round ineptitude anyway.
The Pearson pick looks promising. But even then, it was the last pick of the first round, which leads one to think, the closer to the second round Dean picks, the better the pick will be.
As far as I'm concerned, Dean should trade for 1st round picks, so he can trade them for more 2nd round picks. Or keep trading 1st rounders for pieces he needs on the big club. If Dean never picks in the 1st round again, I'll be cool with it.
Let's just look at Deano's ineptness at drafting in the first round...First let's all agree that Jonathan Bernier was an Al Murray selection and not really a Dean Lombardi pick considering Dean didn't have "his" people (Futa, Yannetti & the scouts) in place just yet having been hired 65 days before the 2006 entry draft.
Let's also agree that in 2008, a not-so-trained monkey or even someone as habitually inebriated as The Dingo, would have selected Doughty 2nd. That pick was about as obvious as Angelyne's plastic surgeries (Jeez, I'm turning into bigmouthbarry with my analogies...kill me...but anyway).
So in 2007 he takes Hickey. We all knew that was going to be a bad pick when he made it, but to illustrate how bad, 17 Defensemen from that draft alone have played more NHL games than the 4th overall pick in the draft including last season's Norris Trophy winner and (count 'em) 2 DMen currently on the Kings NHL roster and 1 DMan who's a Kings RFA (Ellerby/FLA, Muzzin/PIT & Martinez). And before you start talking about how injuries hurt Hickey, keep in mind eight of those 17 DMen were selected in the 3rd round or lower including Carl Gunnarson who was taken in the 7th round and ranks 2nd among DMen taken in that draft in Games Played with 224. Heck, the guy taken RIGHT AFTER Hickey has played the most games of any DMan taken in this draft (Alzner - 263).
In the '09 draft Lombardi takes Brayden Schenn. Now this was the obvious pick and when you consider what this ultimately lead to (a trade for Richards and a surly look on Brian Burke's face) the pick can't be considered a Hickey level bust. However, so far, as a player Schenn has not lived up to the Canadian-level hype. He was drafted 5th, but he's 10th in games played of players drafted in this draft (not awful) and 6th in points per game of players with a minimum of 60 NHL games played from this draft (.42 PPG). This isn't bad per se, but fact two players ahead of him in PPG from this draft were drafted in the 4th & 5th rounds (M. Foligno by Buffalo [.51] & G. Bourque by Nashville [.45]). Schenn's defensive play leaves a lot to be desired of course. So while not a total bust, Schenn hasn't lived up to the offensive hype, playing on an offensive-minded team. Imagine how he might have struggled on a team like the Kings that would have asked him to backcheck. He's not a good defensive player, which is why he didn't play more than those 8 games out of the Juniors for the Kings.
Of course in 2008 as great as the Doughty pick was, Lombardi screwed up again. He trades up, then back one and all he had to show for it was Colten Teubert (who couldn't even make it in EDM) and Andrew Campbell who may never crack the Kings roster. Imagine how much better that draft could have been if he takes Tyler Myers instead of Teubert and Campbell. Doughty, Myers & Voynov...wow!
After those picks, the jury is still out. Forbort could be a strong defender. He's big enough, so at least Dean drafted for the team's identity. But already one DMan picked after him has played over 100 games in the NHL (Justin Faulk/CAR) and 16 players have already gotten their feet wet in the NHL overall from this draft (including Toffoli) and Forbort is certainly not expected to get his feet wet even this coming season. Time will tell...we all hope Forbort will be a strong SAH DMan. Dmen do take longer to develop on average, but I'd say if he can't crack the '14-'15 squad, then it will be time to question the value of that 1st rounder as well.
The '11 draft is a complete waste of time and energy for the Amateur scouts. Of course eventually the trade of the 1st round pick helped us win a Stanley Cup (Penner) but here's the one 2nd round pick Lombardi whiffed on (Gibson). But he's had enough 2nd round triumphs to sluff this one off and I'm really focussing on 1st round ineptitude anyway.
The Pearson pick looks promising. But even then, it was the last pick of the first round, which leads one to think, the closer to the second round Dean picks, the better the pick will be.
As far as I'm concerned, Dean should trade for 1st round picks, so he can trade them for more 2nd round picks. Or keep trading 1st rounders for pieces he needs on the big club. If Dean never picks in the 1st round again, I'll be cool with it.
Again, the Kings won this entire DRAFT and it's no contest. And they won it on February 23, 2012 when the 1st round pick Lombardi has a clear track record of not getting the most value with was traded for what became the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 45 years only 110 days later.
Not too many GMs can say in all honesty that a traded draft pick (with Johnson of course, but I'm pretty sure a case can be made Columbus valued the pick as much as JJ and his career (-90)/$4.4M cap hit at THAT particular point in time) lead directly to turning a team's fortunes completely around the way this traded draft pick did.
Hands down, The Kings won this draft almost 500 days before it happened and they didn't even pick until the 2nd round when Dean DOES have a track record of getting incredible value and seems to have done it once again (Time will tell).
Kings won this draft and there's little or no argument against. everything anyone does in this league is geared toward winning the Cup...PERIOD!
Let's also agree that in 2008, a not-so-trained monkey or even someone as habitually inebriated as The Dingo, would have selected Doughty 2nd. That pick was about as obvious as Angelyne's plastic surgeries (Jeez, I'm turning into bigmouthbarry with my analogies...kill me...but anyway).
In the '09 draft Lombardi takes Brayden Schenn. Now this was the obvious pick and when you consider what this ultimately lead to (a trade for Richards and a surly look on Brian Burke's face) the pick can't be considered a Hickey level bust. However, so far, as a player Schenn has not lived up to the Canadian-level hype. He was drafted 5th, but he's 10th in games played of players drafted in this draft (not awful) and 6th in points per game of players with a minimum of 60 NHL games played from this draft (.42 PPG). This isn't bad per se, but fact two players ahead of him in PPG from this draft were drafted in the 4th & 5th rounds (M. Foligno by Buffalo [.51] & G. Bourque by Nashville [.45]). Schenn's defensive play leaves a lot to be desired of course. So while not a total bust, Schenn hasn't lived up to the offensive hype, playing on an offensive-minded team. Imagine how he might have struggled on a team like the Kings that would have asked him to backcheck. He's not a good defensive player, which is why he didn't play more than those 8 games out of the Juniors for the Kings.