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Patrik Stefan

mymerlincat said:
How good would he be if he didn't get hurt?
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he was never going to be great--when he was drafted there was hope he would be like Thomas Steen--

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1999e.html

3 guys taken in the 7th round have more points then all but 3 of the players taken in the first round

it was not a deep draft and if the nucks did not do what they did--Stefen would have gone 3rd or 4th
 
He had three concussions in his draft year prior to being drafted. That was his issue. He missed over half of the 1998-99 IHL season because of multiple concussions. That destroyed him.

We all know how terrible concussions can be.
The best, but not No. 1: Patrik Stefan is regarded as the top prospect for the '99 NHL draft, but a history of concussions causes worry. Allen Panzeri reports.: [Final Edition]
Panzeri, Allen. The Ottawa Citizen [Ottawa, Ont] 11 June 1999: B1 / FRONT.

DALLAS - There is not much question that 18-year-old Czech centre Patrik Stefan is the best player available in this year's NHL amateur draft.

At 6-1 1/2 and 205 pounds, he's big; he's also an outstanding puckhandler and passer, and he has tremendous on-ice vision and instincts. In fact, his coach and general manager with the Long Beach IceDogs of the International Hockey League, John Van Boxmeer, doesn't hesitate to compare Stefan to Pittsburgh Penguins star Jaromir Jagr. Unfortunately, when the draft rolls around on June 26 in Boston, teams won't be thinking about comparisons to Jagr, but rather to Pat LaFontaine. Like LaFontaine, whose career was cut short because of repeated concussions, Stefan may not even get off the ground because of concussions he has received since arriving from the Czech Republic two years ago to play in the IHL.

It's entirely possible that NHL teams will be so frightened about drafting a player who could be one concussion away from being knocked out of competitive hockey that Stefan may not even be picked in the first round. That was certainly the buzz when the NHL held a luncheon for seven of the top prospects yesterday.

...

While one of Stefan's three concussions was minor -- "It only kept me out one or two days," he said -- the other two were severe. The first one, which occurred in November, when he was checked by Brent Hughes of the Houston Aeros, kept Stefan out for three months. The second one, on March 31, when he ran into the knee of Las Vegas Thunder forward Kevin Kaminski, knocked him unconscious and ended his season.

Stefan has since been living in Edmonton with his agent, Rich Winter, but doctors haven't yet cleared him to skate, and he has been restricted to light workouts. The young Czech will be examined again before the June 26 draft by doctors, including James Kelly of Chicago, who treated LaFontaine, and these reports will determine his future.

"I can just say right now, I feel very, very well," Stefan said yesterday. "I feel fine. I don't know if (the concussions) will hurt me. I hope not. Of course it's your head, and you never know what's going to happen to your head in the future. But, like I said, I've had two concussions and I feel normal right now. Doctors have said I'll be OK. The injury is part of hockey."

While Stefan is the most impressive talent, and the only player that NHL scouts agree can make an immediate impact, the gamble may be too great. If he is not deemed unfit to play, it's likely Brendl will become the first pick, which belongs to Rick Dudley and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

...

When he was 17, in 1997-98, Stefan signed with the Ice Dogs as a free agent, collecting six goals and 16 assists in 32 games. In 33 games this season, he averaged a little more than a point a game: 11 goals and 24 assists. What really has everyone drooling, however, was that during his career in the Czech Republic, he had 484 points (330 goals and 154 assists) in 327 games.

"I think that, once Patrik adjusts to the speed of the game over here, he's going to be a superstar in the NHL," Van Boxmeer said. "He's very skilled in all areas of the game, and those players are hard to find. There are people who compare him to Paul Kariya or Jaromir Jagr, and I don't think those are unrealistic."

...
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Patrik Stefan is certainly talented but recent history of concussions make him dangerous goods in draft
Jeff Miller. Star - Phoenix [Saskatoon, Sask] 26 June 1999: B2.

...

So, when Patrik Stefan and his teammates were on the road, when a group of players went out after a game, Stefan was the one hunched over in the middle, trying to blend in and look average. Trying to act someone else's age. What makes this strange is that the 18-year-old, more than likely, just spent three periods of hockey looking nothing at all like his teammates.

"It's mind-boggling that he can come in and play with men," 28- year-old captain Dan Lambert says, "and sometimes make us look like boys. This is only minor-league hockey, in a market that has two big- league teams. But Stefan is so good, so stuffed full of promise and potential, so ready for tomorrow, he did something remarkable this season. He made the Ice Dogs matter.

"Everybody is pulling for Patrik because he's such a great kid," Lambert says. "We all want to see him go first in the draft so we can think, Hey, I had a little to do with that.' Not me personally, but all of us as a team."

Although Stefan is rated No. 1 by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, he played just 33 games this season in the International Hockey League due to recurring concussions. Still, he is projected to go in the top five in the Entry Draft today. This is what the people back in Pribram, Czech Republic, knew would happen. They've been predicting this since Stefan scored six goals in one game in juniors and finished averaging better than a goal a game overall.

"People there have always expected him to do great things," says Patrik Augusta, a fellow Czech and Ice Dog. "That would be pressure if it wasn't so obvious that Patrik's going to succeed." Stefan, at 6-foot-1 1/2, 205 pounds, can hang onto the puck like a vice. He has a sniper's eye and attitude and an ability to make plays with people tugging on him. He had 35 points in 33 games for Long Beach this season.

"Patrik's skills are obvious from the second he puts on his skates," says Ice Dogs coach John Van Boxmeer, a veteran of 11 NHL seasons. "You're looking at a guy who has the potential to be a super, superstar." There are some who question his skating skills, though Van Boxmeer, noting his strength when carrying the puck, calls that "a non-issue."

"If you didn't know his age, you'd watch him and think he was a good player," Van Boxmeer says. "Then, you find out he's a teenager and it's, Holy, man, this guy is going to be a very good player.' "

His game is certainly advanced. And so is he. He might occasionally sneak into bars with his teammates, but, once there, he's likely to order a soda.

...
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Lightning still likely to make Stefan No. 1 in NHL's entry draft Concern expressed about Czech's health after he played only 33 IHL games this season
Shoalts, David. The Globe and Mail [Toronto, Ont] 26 June 1999: A.23.

Boston -- The mystery surrounding Patrik Stefan's health has not been completely cleared up, but the picture is clear enough for him to be projected as the No. 1 pick in the National Hockey League's entry draft today.

There had been concern that the 18-year-old Czech centre would be a risky pick for the Tampa Bay Lightning because a concussion limited him to 33 games this past season with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League. Stefan has suffered other concussions, but his agent, Rich Winter of Edmonton, had declined to disclose the player's medical records to the NHL teams interested in drafting him earlier in the season. Stefan is now considering releasing those records.

By yesterday it appeared the Lightning were satisfied enough to risk their second consecutive No. 1 pick overall on him. Stefan, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound player who skates and handles the puck well, is projected to make the NHL in the fall.

The 18-year-old said he was tested recently by a team of doctors. The official results were not available, but Stefan said the doctors told him he could resume hard workouts and playing is not expected to be a problem.

"[The doctors] figure I'll be ready," Stefan said yesterday. "No, I'm not worried. This could happen to anyone.

"This summer, I'll go home, work out for a few months, then start skating and be ready for the season. The doctors told me I should be fine."

If Lightning president Rick Dudley takes Stefan, it's expected the expansion Atlanta Thrashers, who will pick second, will take right winger Pavel Brendl of the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, who is ranked second by Central Scouting, the NHL's scouting bureau. Brendl, an easygoing Czech teenager, said he hasn't lost any sleep about where he will go in the draft.

"No, I didn't do much [after arriving on Thursday]," he said. "I slept all day, then I had a meeting [yesterday] morning with [the Lightning] team, and right now I'm going to another meeting."

Beyond the top two picks, the draft has some intrigue. At the centre of it are the Sedin twins of Sweden, Daniel and Henrik, both forwards, who are ranked the No. 1 and No. 2 players in Europe, respectively, by Central Scouting.

The twins have said they want to play on the same team in the NHL, and the wheeling and dealing was picking up yesterday among several teams that have a shot at them.

In the thick of it were the Vancouver Canucks, who have the third pick overall. Canucks GM Brian Burke, who kept a low profile yesterday, is said to be after the Chicago Blackhawks' No. 4 pick in hopes of getting both Sedins.

...
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Injury to top prospect puts wrinkle in draft: Concussion sidelines centre Patrik Stefan: [Final Edition]
Pap, Elliott. The Ottawa Citizen [Ottawa, Ont] 10 Apr 1999: F3.

VANCOUVER -- There is an ill wind blowing for the 1999 NHL draft, in which the Vancouver Canucks, thanks to their latest nosedive, have guaranteed themselves a top-five selection.

The Canucks are assured of finishing in the NHL's bottom three, along with the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders, and can be seeded no worse than fourth in the draft lottery when the expansion franchise in Atlanta is included. In a worst-case scenario, a team can drop just one spot.

The ill wind is the recurring health problems of centre Patrik Stefan, a 6-3 Czech native on the roster of the International League's Long Beach Ice Dogs. Stefan has been rated at or near the top on many scouting lists, but red flags emerged when the 205- pounder suffered a season-ending concussion on March 31. Earlier this season, he missed three months with another concussion and a spinal contusion.

If the Canucks win the draft lottery, they may have a shot at Stefan. Or, if they pick fourth, they still may find him sitting there because other teams have deemed him too risky. Indeed, reports from Tampa have the Lightning already backing off Stefan after his most recent concussion.

"I think it's too early to say if his injury will change things," Canucks general manager Brian Burke said. "I assume, at some point, we will be provided with test results after Stefan recovers, and I'd say the other teams drafting high will also wait and see what the test results will be."

The question, of course, is whether a bottom-feeding club can risk its high pick on Stefan given his medical history. The Sedin twins from Sweden and Western Hockey League scoring champion Pavel Brendl, who had 73 goals and 61 assists in 68 games, may look more attractive now.

"There are players in the NHL who were drafted after having (anterior cruciate knee ligament) reconstructions and concussions," Burke said. "It's the same as any other medical risk a player has. If you draft a player who has asthma or a bad knee, you have to look at the results, get some professional help and a recommendation on how likely it is it will affect his ability to play. I still think Patrik Stefan will be a top-five pick."

Burke was planning to see Stefan play last weekend, but the injury put an end to that. Nonetheless, Burke claims he wasn't disappointed.

"I've seen him on tape six times and, as a staff, we've seen him 20-plus times already," Burke added. "We're not worried about our read on him."

Stefan, 18, had 11 goals and 35 points in 33 games. He also played 25 games for the Ice Dogs during the 1997-98 season and picked up 20 points.

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Works Cited

Miller, Jeff. "Patrik Stefan is Certainly Talented but Recent History of Concussions make Him Dangerous Goods in Draft." Star - Phoenix: B2. Jun 26 1999. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .

Panzeri, Allen. "The Best, but Not no. 1: Patrik Stefan is Regarded as the Top Prospect for the '99 NHL Draft, but a History of Concussions Causes Worry. Allen Panzeri Reports." The Ottawa Citizen: B1 / FRONT. Jun 11 1999. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .

Pap, Elliott. "Injury to Top Prospect Puts Wrinkle in Draft: Concussion Sidelines Centre Patrik Stefan." The Ottawa Citizen: F3. Apr 10 1999. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .

Shoalts, David. "Lightning Still Likely to make Stefan no. 1 in NHL's Entry Draft Concern Expressed about Czech's Health After He Played Only 33 IHL Games this Season." The Globe and MailJun 26 1999. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .
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NewFound Oiler said:
Not sure, most 4th liners can hit an empty net from the goal line.
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The puck hopped on him. He shouldn't have been so complacent, but he was better than that.



Even Henrik Sedin can't shovel a bouncing puck into the net.



The thread is about Stefan's concussions.

Top NHL draft prospects
SECTION: Sports; C2
LENGTH: 521 words
DATELINE: BOSTON

BOSTON -- Sketches of top 10 prospects in Saturday's NHL entry draft at the Fleet Center:

1. Patrik Stefan, 18, Czech Republic, six-foot-one, 205-pound centre with the IHL's Long Beach Ice Dogs. One of two players expected to step into the NHL as a rookie. Has size, strength and scoring talent, but concerns about three concussions last season might scare off Tampa Bay, which has the first pick. An excellent puck handler with good passing ability.

...
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Works Cited

"Top NHL draft prospects." The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia). (June 26, 1999 , FINAL ): 521 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2015/07/07.
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He just was able to play in the NHL thats all, he wasn't a superstar. Only way people wouldn't bash him is if he was taken 5th round or something.
 
HelleCopter said:
He just was able to play in the NHL thats all, he wasn't a superstar. Only way people wouldn't bash him is if he was taken 5th round or something.
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A player drafted before 5th round is supposed to become a superstar now? Wow. :amazed:

No one would have been saying anything had he been picked out of Top 10.
 
Robbler said:
1999 has to be the worst draft ever.
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Wow! That first round is brutal. You had the Sedins then Jackman, and Havlat. David Tanabe is probably the 5th best player taken.HaHaHa

Because of the rest of the talent taken Stefan by default is the 6th best player taken in the first round.
 
I don't remember the concussions he had in 1998. It didn't seem to bother the scouts. He was still thought to be potentially #1. There was this idea that he was more "NHL ready" than anyone else. This was because he played in the IHL against men already. I remember the quote like it was yesterday in the Hockey News. It said: "Jamie Lundmark is a boy, Patrick Stefan is a man." Not that Lundmark amounted to anything either.

In a similar way, Sergei Samsonov was more "NHL ready" than Joe Thornton in 1997 because of being in the IHL.
 
The guy taken 4th in 99 Pavel Brendl had one of the most overpowering wristers I've ever seen from a guy in junior. absolutely ate goalies up. 73 goals in his first draft eligible year, then 59, then down to 40 all with the Hitmen. mostly due to injuries but I'm not entirely sure. weight and conditioning might have been an issue. More disapointing bust imo than Stefan. Didn't even get a full season worth of games in at the NHL level.
 
jumptheshark said:
he was never going to be great--when he was drafted there was hope he would be like Thomas Steen--

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1999e.html

3 guys taken in the 7th round have more points then all but 3 of the players taken in the first round

it was not a deep draft and if the nucks did not do what they did--Stefen would have gone 3rd or 4th
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It was considered an outstanding draft at the time, strangely.

Stefan was absolutely not considered a 'Steen type'. He was considered a franchise talent - played in the U-18s at age 15, point-per-game player in the IHL against men at 18. Was most often compared to Jaromir Jagr, and his coach in the IHL said he 'could get 100 assists in a season' in the NHL.

The concussions just completely derailed him.
 
MS said:
It was considered an outstanding draft at the time, strangely.

Stefan was absolutely not considered a 'Steen type'. He was considered a franchise talent - played in the U-18s at age 15, point-per-game player in the IHL against men at 18. Was most often compared to Jaromir Jagr, and his coach in the IHL said he 'could get 100 assists in a season' in the NHL.

The concussions just completely derailed him.
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no it wasnt and several scouting reports compared Stefen to Steen--he was never called a franchise player by anyone serious

the 1999 draft was called "the project draft" by most because even the top guys were going to need time to develop--there was no clear number 1 and I remember the arguments leading up to the draft on TSN how one guy had one player ranked number one--but the guy next to him had the same player ranked 6
 
Big Phil said:
I don't remember the concussions he had in 1998. It didn't seem to bother the scouts. He was still thought to be potentially #1. There was this idea that he was more "NHL ready" than anyone else. This was because he played in the IHL against men already. I remember the quote like it was yesterday in the Hockey News. It said: "Jamie Lundmark is a boy, Patrick Stefan is a man." Not that Lundmark amounted to anything either.

In a similar way, Sergei Samsonov was more "NHL ready" than Joe Thornton in 1997 because of being in the IHL.
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I remember the talk was that it bothered a lot of the scouts (including the Lightning who originally had the #1 pick), just not the Thrashers. He wasn't a clear #1 to begin with and he also had knee injuries.

jumptheshark said:
no it wasnt and several scouting reports compared Stefen to Steen--he was never called a franchise player by anyone serious

the 1999 draft was called "the project draft" by most because even the top guys were going to need time to develop--there was no clear number 1 and I remember the arguments leading up to the draft on TSN how one guy had one player ranked number one--but the guy next to him had the same player ranked 6
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I don't know about 'outstanding', but it was thought of much better than at least the several drafts before that. The Sedins were considered dominant players (for good reason), and a guy like Brendl tore apart the WHL without having big knocks against him. He was also the big returning piece in the Lindros trade even after his stock dipped. Connolly was also an extremely skilled and relatively productive player in between his many, many concussions.
 
Big Phil said:
I don't remember the concussions he had in 1998. It didn't seem to bother the scouts. He was still thought to be potentially #1. There was this idea that he was more "NHL ready" than anyone else. This was because he played in the IHL against men already. I remember the quote like it was yesterday in the Hockey News. It said: "Jamie Lundmark is a boy, Patrick Stefan is a man." Not that Lundmark amounted to anything either.

In a similar way, Sergei Samsonov was more "NHL ready" than Joe Thornton in 1997 because of being in the IHL.
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Well, arguably he was as Samsonov had a pretty decent rookie season while Thornton was horrendous.
 
jumptheshark said:
no it wasnt and several scouting reports compared Stefen to Steen--he was never called a franchise player by anyone serious

the 1999 draft was called "the project draft" by most because even the top guys were going to need time to develop--there was no clear number 1 and I remember the arguments leading up to the draft on TSN how one guy had one player ranked number one--but the guy next to him had the same player ranked 6
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Don´t remember the Steen comparsion either. But there was a clear Big 4 that year. Brendl, Stefan and Sedins. Then the rest. With Henrik being seen as the number four. And at the time of the draft Brendl/D Sedin was by most tought to be 1 and 2. Much because of Stefans injury, who bothered Tampa Bay. But as an strange counterpart he was seen as the safe pick, because he was the on tought to go directley in to the NHL without an problem the following season. A post I made some years ago about it when someone tought Daniel was talked about being dropped out of the top 10 because Henrik was seen as the talented one, when it was the other way around:

feffan said:
Daniel Sedin was never thought to drop out of even the top 4. He was by most thought to go 1. Henrik was by most thought to go 4, behind also Brendl (boom/bust) and Stefan (safe-pick). Everybody thought Daniel was the one steering the drink.

I wrote about it in a thread just some weeks ago:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1545895
feffan said:
Stefan wasn´t considered generational. He wasnt even considered the best player of that draft by most - he was the "safe bet". Brendl was the "boom or bust" with the believed heigest ceiling.

It was a clear cut of four players. Stefan, Brendl and the Sedins. Brendl and Daniel where the ones amongst most believed fighting over being number 1. With Daniel in a small lead and Stefan at third. But anyone of them could have gone at number one. Henrik was by most believed to go fourth and at absolutley highest second - as Daniel was by all considered the better twin.

Vancouver may have had one of the most complicated trade days ever at the 1999 draft. The last one being actually trading down from first to second (and actually also including a third rounder for a promise from Atlanta!). This allowed Atlanta to get needed press as selecting first. And part of the deal was that Atlanta didn´t select either of the Sedins or Brendl. And part of another deal was that neihter Atlanta or Vancouver selected Brendl. Everybody actally got their men... Complicated stuff...
The first 25 seconds or so you can hear the last trade-talk:


Remember Tampa having their eyes on Daniel. And they were the biggest bet of landing both, not believed anyone would actually succeed in, until Burke made magic. If Vancouver hadn´t made all those trades I would bet it would have gone:
1. Tampa: D Sedin
2. Atlanta: Still Stefan, as he was their man
3. Vancouver: Brendl
4. Blackhawks: H Sedin
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And there was no Calder talk about Daniel. He was at best seen as the 5-10:th best rookie that year. Didn´t even make the rookie team, so he was at best the 3:d winger. And Nabokov won the Calder before center Richards. And Visnovsky was way ahead also. The twins had a slow start and if I remember it correctley thought about going home to MoDo after their first contract.
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Too add. Brendl had one of the more impressing shots I´ve ever seen. Find it quite amazing that somebody couldn´t find an place for him as an PP-specialist. But his ups and downs during his career in the same level of leauges probably indicates that it was his attitude that was the problem. Because he had some impressive seasons in the SHL and KHL goal scoring wise.
 
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