Signing Tarasenko is a weird sorta home coming for him. Traded the 16th overall, Tarasenko for Runbald, which became Turris, so good. I just think its a kinda cool full circle thing
Traded Vladimir Tarasenko (1 year, 5 million)
- Thread starter Super Cake
- Start date
Sun God Nika
Palestine 🇵🇸
Gotta remember tho that was in the prime of the no russian era.
i mean its possible since we signed Gonchar around then but very unlikely, especially with a kid coming out of the KHL
The best rookies I have ever seen in the NHL for any team was Gretzky, followed closely by Selanne. Just look at their stat lines.
Sensinitis
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That was kind of a BS thing. He played in the NHL as a teenagerTo nitpick for a moment - Gretzky was never a rookie in the NHL.
Micklebot
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I remember seeing Gretzky play live in the WHA. It was a pro league but he was still a teenager playing in the NHL.
Sure, he wasn't eligible but that was just a silly rule thing. He was by faaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr the best rookie. Ray Bourque won the rookie of the year that year and I don't have enough superlatives in my vocabulary to describe Bourque. Just a super player obviously. But he was a month older than Gretzky. Seems kind of silly that Wayne wasn't eligible
Golden_Jet
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It was considered a rival league, just like it was stupid, they wouldn’t let Bobby Hull play in the ‘72 series.
Yes, I know.
I was a huge Gretzky fan after seeing him in the WJC
Face off at 37 seconds was amazing - he pulls the puck back, causing the other center to go around him.
At the same time he intercepts the puck with his right skate and kicks it forward, leaving the opposing center in the dust - deep in his own end!
I suppose. I saw him play his first season in the NHL and also with Edmonton in the WHA before he entered the NHL.To nitpick for a moment - Gretzky was never a rookie in the NHL.
FunkySeeFunkyDoo
Registered User
I went to see an exhibition game for that team in Cornwall where they played Germany. I remember before the game my dad telling me we should watch this 16 year old who was tearing up the OHL. Unfortunately don’t really have any memories of Gretzky doing anything noteworthy.
NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
I saw Gretzky when he was 8 playing in his backyard.
I win.
I was the doctor that delivered him
NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
Sensinitis
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Completely forgot about that, nice catch!
All because Melnyk didn't like drafting Russians. Nice to have the tables turn a bit
Nac Mac Feegle
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It's funny...for the first few games of the WJC this past winter, we were getting those vibes with Bedard. A player just so different and really has the puck on a stick that you wonder how it's possible.
But the league is so different now. There is too much talent overall for even a phenom to make a Gretzky level impact in the NHL now. In a way, it's kinda sad. There will never be another such dominant performance like that again.
If the Sens had kept the pick, I doubt they would have taken Tarasenko. Like others said, it was the no-Russian era, they would have thought he would report in 3-5 years if at all.
