NHL Mega-Mock Draft Reboot - Discussion / Draft Thread - PHASE SEVEN! Part One!

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Please don’t name them here. This is our refuge from those morons.

This thread and cartoons have been literally the only things keeping me sane (ironically) for the past five days. Even sitting here in my chair quietly, I had blood pouring out of my nose. If our four coaches had shown up at my back door on emaciated plague horses I wouldn't have been surprised.

 

[ajgoal]

Please don’t name them here. This is our refuge from those morons.

I didn't, and I won't.

 

[Young Sandwich]

My boy Ukko-Pekka getting his first nibble tonight. Do the Sexpos proud young buck!

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Emergency hasn’t lessened. Just skip me.

 

[Young Sandwich]

Emergency hasn’t lessened. Just skip me.

Consider yourself skipped, amigo.

 

[Young Sandwich]

Though he had a short career, this man made up for it via his stellar list of accomplishments as one of the most dominant goaltenders of his time. A Hall of Fame induction in 1964, 6 Vezina Trophies in 7 seasons (second all-time behind only my starting legend goaltender Jacques Plante and the first goalie to win 4 consecutive), and 2 Stanley Cups. He was also the only ambidextrous goalie in NHL history who wore modified gloves and stickhandled with either hand, often changing his shooting direction mid-game.

Legend Goaltender - Bill Durnan


It's all you, @JojoTheWhale

 

[JojoTheWhale]

I have exactly 3 Defensemen left on my board compared to a heap of Forwards, so it's time to fill that slot while there are still some left. Ultimately this decision came down to drafting someone with a ridiculously high, but short peak due to a car accident versus someone whose peak lasted much longer but wasn't as bright or as flashy. When it comes down to it, I'm a peak guy. Therefore it has to be the European Bobby Orr, D Jan Suchý

Many times called the European Bobby Orr, Jan Suchy controlled games like no other European defenseman before him. His rink length rushes on the ice became legendary back home in Czechoslovakia. Suchy was one of very few defensemen who could get people out of their seats. Although he was a heavy smoker it never affected his fitness.

Never before had anyone in Europe seen a defenseman as complete as Suchy. He could do it all. He was a great skater who could set the pace of a game in the same fashion as a Bobby Orr or Doug Harvey. Suchy was virtually a fourth forward on the ice with his fine technique, vision and skating. He not only excelled offensively but did it defensively as well. Suchy was also a master shotblocker who never hesitated to throw his body in front of a shot. He got injured many times blocking shots.

I read somewhere that Suchy was the European Bobby Orr, and I think that it's true in some aspects. At first, he was a very smart skater (better then most of the forwards of that time), and that's why it wasn't easy to go through him. He had good positional play in defence and also great stability on skates. He wasn´t tall (170 cm), so his kind of play had to be different from the physical force practiced by giant russian defenceman like Ragulin. He played on the edge of sacrifice (blocking shots, fighting around goal etc...). When you look at these old games, you could not miss him: he was right at the center of the action, one time in defence, and than in a few seconds on the other side of ring shooting on goal. He gave everything on the ice: it's clearly visible, the pictures shows "hardworking" Suchy with the grimace of the warrior. His speciality was the sudden counter attack, he was able to recognize when it was the right time for offence and he could play like fourth forward (somebody called it false winger). He had good technical skills with his stick, but he preferred passing to his teammates (most of the time Holik brothers and Jan Klapac).

I think that Suchy wasn´t really the first one european defencemen who blocked shots (I heard that for example Frantisek Tikal did it occasionally), but he used this technique more often than anybody else before - it was a full-value part of his play. In communist Czechoslovakia there was no informations about NHL at all, so he couldn´t follow any oversea model. He is saying that he started to blocking shots by oneself.

Suchy was more passer than shooter. There wasn´t so much power in his shooting (rarely use slapshot), so he preferred his wrist shot, which was fast enough and quite accurate.

Here he is scoring the winning Goal in the famous 1969 World Championships against the Soviet Union. He's number 17 pinching in from the point.



At his peak, Suchy lead the Czechoslovakian Hockey League in Scoring among all Skaters and was 2nd in Goals in the same season. Suchy was the only Defenseman to accomplish either of these. He finished in the top 10 in Points and Goals among all Skaters twice in best-on-best international competitions. If you narrow that down to just Defensemen in best-on-bests during his peak, you get this:

Scoring: 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd
Goals: 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
Asissts: 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th

Suchy won the Czech Golden Stick Award (MVP) twice, was named the IIHF Best Defenseman twice, and an IIHF All-Star four times. Before his car accident, Suchy has a legitimate claim to being the second best Defenseman of his generation at his peak.

@Lord Defect Time to be a Cowboy, baby.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

@Lord Defect's pick:

RW Rod Gilbert

@Magua

 

[BernieParent]

Though he had a short career, this man made up for it via his stellar list of accomplishments as one of the most dominant goaltenders of his time. A Hall of Fame induction in 1964, 6 Vezina Trophies in 7 seasons (second all-time behind only my starting legend goaltender Jacques Plante and the first goalie to win 4 consecutive), and 2 Stanley Cups. He was also the only ambidextrous goalie in NHL history who wore modified gloves and stickhandled with either hand, often changing his shooting direction mid-game.

Legend Goaltender - Bill Durnan


It's all you, @JojoTheWhale

Great pick, and he was the last NHL goaltender to wear the 'C' for his team.

 

[BiggE]

My boy Ukko-Pekka getting his first nibble tonight. Do the Sexpos proud young buck!

His name needs a few more k’s

 

[BiggE]

@Lord Defect's pick:

RW Rod Gilbert

@Magua

Ew

 

[Rebels57]

Great pick, and he was the last NHL goaltender to wear the 'C' for his team.

Luongo actually wore the C in Vancouver from 2008 to 2010. He was the first since Durnan.

 

[Young Sandwich]

His name needs a few more k’s

9 K's total between Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen and Tukka Rask. Pretty solid boxscore.

 

[kudymen]

I have exactly 3 Defensemen left on my board compared to a heap of Forwards, so it's time to fill that slot while there are still some left. Ultimately this decision came down to drafting someone with a ridiculously high, but short peak due to a car accident versus someone whose peak lasted much longer but wasn't as bright or as flashy. When it comes down to it, I'm a peak guy. Therefore it has to be the European Bobby Orr, D Jan Suchý

Here he is scoring the winning Goal in the famous 1969 World Championships against the Soviet Union. He's number 17 pinching in from the point.



At his peak, Suchy lead the Czechoslovakian Hockey League in Scoring among all Skaters and was 2nd in Goals in the same season. Suchy was the only Defenseman to accomplish either of these. He finished in the top 10 in Points and Goals among all Skaters twice in best-on-best international competitions. If you narrow that down to just Defensemen in best-on-bests during his peak, you get this:

Scoring: 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd
Goals: 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
Asissts: 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th

Suchy won the Czech Golden Stick Award (MVP) twice, was named the IIHF Best Defenseman twice, and an IIHF All-Star four times. Before his car accident, Suchy has a legitimate claim to being the second best Defenseman of his generation at his peak.

@Lord Defect Time to be a Cowboy, baby.

Oooh yes. If anyone wanted to make a superior Czech D pick, give up. No chance

 

[BernieParent]

Luongo actually wore the C in Vancouver from 2008 to 2010. He was the first since Durnan.

Thanks for this correction, Reb. I'll never believe Wikipedia again. Actually, I remember reading this years ago, which must have predated Luongo.

 

[BernieParent]

9 K's total between Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen and Tukka Rask. Pretty solid boxscore.

Better than the Phillies starters.

 

[Young Sandwich]

Thanks for this correction, Reb. I'll never believe Wikipedia again. Actually, I remember reading this years ago, which must have predated Luongo.

It's still in Wikipedia and I almost included it in my write up until I remembered Luongo. You aren't alone Bernie.

 

[kudymen]

Also. I approve the Hejduk appreciation earlier in this thread. Hard pass on the Eliáš dissing

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Oooh yes. If anyone wanted to make a superior Czech D pick, give up. No chance

I'm really glad you said this because I was between him and another very similar option. I should have just asked you if I was making the right call.

It was important to me to get at least one CSSR era player because they tend to get lost in the shuffle. I don't think it'll be my last either.

 

[kudymen]

I'm really glad you said this because I was between him and another very similar option. I should have just asked you if I was making the right call.

It was important to me to get at least one CSSR era player because they tend to get lost in the shuffle. I don't think it'll be my last either.

There are some really high end options but Suchý is just so hard to pass. Some incredible feats on his resume as you've listed

 

[BiggE]

Better than the Phillies starters.

That’s a low bar to reach

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Luongo actually wore the C in Vancouver from 2008 to 2010. He was the first since Durnan.

Thanks for this correction, Reb. I'll never believe Wikipedia again. Actually, I remember reading this years ago, which must have predated Luongo.

It's still in Wikipedia and I almost included it in my write up until I remembered Luongo. You aren't alone Bernie.

Luongo couldn't perform the on ice duties of a captain, which is why his "C" was on his mask, not his blouse. Durnan was the last goalie to own all captain responsibilities.

So Wikipedia is kind of correct this time.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Though he had a short career, this man made up for it via his stellar list of accomplishments as one of the most dominant goaltenders of his time. A Hall of Fame induction in 1964, 6 Vezina Trophies in 7 seasons (second all-time behind only my starting legend goaltender Jacques Plante and the first goalie to win 4 consecutive), and 2 Stanley Cups. He was also the only ambidextrous goalie in NHL history who wore modified gloves and stickhandled with either hand, often changing his shooting direction mid-game.

Legend Goaltender - Bill Durnan


It's all you, @JojoTheWhale

I'm glad you included his ability to catch with both hands. It actually changed the game for goalies turning his gloves into what would become the standard gloves goalies use today.

I didn't think he'd last to the 4th round, but Durnan was the guy I would have taken in this phase.

 

[Young Sandwich]

I'm glad you included his ability to catch with both hands. It actually changed the game for goalies turning his gloves into what would become the standard gloves goalies use today.

I didn't think he'd last to the 4th round, but Durnan was the guy I would have taken in this phase.

I thought that was a pretty damn interesting tidbit. I won't pretend that I knew about it until diving in on his bio, or else I'd be a total liar.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

@Striiker it's interesting that Muzan Kibutsuji looks exactly like Michael Jackson