Why Was Brian Lawton A First Overall Pick?

[DitchMarner]

What was the appeal? I'm not going to pretend I know much about his junior career, but it looks like he didn't even have much of one outside of high school. He was drafted ahead of Pat LaFontaine (who was a great junior player) and Steve Yzerman (who is a top 35 to 50 player all-time). He had a career high of 44 points despite playing his entire NHL career in the 80s and early 90s. He was 6'0 and 180 lbs. He was also drafted ahead of much better players named Tom Barrasso, John MacLean, Russ Courtnall and Cam Neely.

At least as far as Stefan and Yakupov are concerned, you can say they were drafted in years where the first rounds of the drafts weren't very good and there weren't many realistic better alternatives for the teams that drafted them (Atlanta wasn't going to draft only one Sedin).

Considering his career and the players he was drafted ahead of, I think you can make a case for Lawton being the biggest draft bust/worst first overall pick of the last 41 years.

Click to read more...

 

[The Panther]

I had a thread on him not too long ago: Brian Lawton

I agree with you -- it's somewhat baffling that he went #1. Maybe US-born forwards were a bit of a hype at the time (Bob Carpenter), and Minny this aspect would help them or something...? I can't really explain it either.

 

[Gorskyontario]

USA leftover propaganda from 1980.

Although, IMO the best American Forward of all time went #3. Maybe best of all time, but that may be me overrating him.

 

[JackSlater]

Lawton has spent a fair amount of time on NHL radio and has participated in discussion surrounding this. He seems confident that the Minnesota owner really liked the idea of taking a high school player to play in Minnesota, by far the biggest hotbed for high school hockey.

It also wasn't an off the board pick, at the very least NHL central scouring had Lawton first.

 

[FerrisRox]

USA leftover propaganda from 1980.

Although, IMO the best American Forward of all time went #3. Maybe best of all time, but that may be me overrating him.

Sorry are you suggesting that Pat Lafontaine maybe the best player of all time?

 

[Albatros]

At least as far as Stefan and Yakupov are concerned, you can say they were drafted in years where the first rounds of the drafts weren't very good and there weren't many realistic better alternatives for the teams that drafted them (Atlanta wasn't going to draft only one Sedin).

Besides Atlanta only got the first overall pick from Vancouver as they agreed to not to draft a Sedin, so Štefan really wasn't a terrible pick considering what was available.

 

[Moose Head]

I had a thread on him not too long ago: Brian Lawton

I agree with you -- it's somewhat baffling that he went #1. Maybe US-born forwards were a bit of a hype at the time (Bob Carpenter), and Minny this aspect would help them or something...? I can't really explain it either.

I remember that draft and I expected Lafontaine to go #1, an American. I was personally shocked that it was Lawton being picked 1st. I really don’t understand Nanne’s thinking on that pick. I understand he favoured Americans more than most GM’s, but why Lawton over Lafontaine? Never made sense to me.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Sorry are you suggesting that Pat Lafontaine maybe the best player of all time?

I think he’s pretty clearly suggesting Lafontaine might be the best American period, rather than just best American forward.

 

[MadLuke]

Maybe Lafontaine did not build a CHL reputation overtime, being a single season or teams knew he would play in the olympics and miss more of the first year ?

The reason of picking up a full American prospect make sense for a Minnesota team or at least to suspect that it was the case, a bit like Montreal always having a gut feeling of missing the next Quebecois star like Savard.

Has for why not Lafontaine, maybe that Turgeon was drafted over Lafontaine could be some clue ?

They liked having more size ? Same age, same league, Lafontaine scored 50 more goals-71 more points, (second most to Larouche until Mario break that mark), 35 points in the playoff reaching the memorial cup....

That was Lafontaine draft year in the CHL:
CHL:

• CHL Player of the Year: 1983
• CHL Top Scorer Award: 1983 (234)

QMJHL:

• President's Cup champion: 1983
• Guy Lafleur Trophy: 1983
• Jean Béliveau Trophy: 1983
• Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy: 1983
• Michael Bossy Trophy: 1983
• Michel Brière Memorial Trophy: 1983
• Michel Bergeron Trophy: 1983
• QMJHL first All-Star team: 1983

 

[The Panther]

I think it must have been obvious, even in spring 1983, that Lafontaine was the more skilled and talented player than Lawton. (Lafontaine outscored Mario Lemieux in 1982-83 when they were basically the same age.)

But, as noted, maybe Lafontaine had a few small strikes against him:
-- very short
-- wanted to play on 1983-84 Olympic team
-- QMJHL player (Old-school Ontario guys' bias against this league)

 

[MadLuke]

-- QMJHL player (Old-school Ontario guys' bias against this league)

Not sure how much it did apply, because 1-2 were an American college player and a competitor from the Q.

 

[overpass]

Before the draft, Lou Nanne and Glen Sonmor discussed why they planned to select Lawton over Lafontaine. Size, strength, and nastiness.

The Day

books.google.ca

Lafontaine was compared to Denis Savard because of his flashy moves and quickness. Nanne said Lawton was more like Bryan Trottier because of his strength and tough and mean style of play. Lawton was also touted as an excellent stick-handler and passer.

Nanne: "I had to look at our team and what we might need. We needed a bigger and stronger player, especially since the playoffs are so grueling and competitive now."

Sonmor: "He's nasty and that's what we need. He's bigger and more hard-nosed than Lafontaine. Plus, we just don't need another 160-pound center. But Lafontaine could embarass you by scoring a million points."

 

[Moose Head]

Before the draft, Lou Nanne and Glen Sonmor discussed why they planned to select Lawton over Lafontaine. Size, strength, and nastiness.

The Day

books.google.ca

Lafontaine was compared to Denis Savard because of his flashy moves and quickness. Nanne said Lawton was more like Bryan Trottier because of his strength and tough and mean style of play. Lawton was also touted as an excellent stick-handler and passer.

Nanne: "I had to look at our team and what we might need. We needed a bigger and stronger player, especially since the playoffs are so grueling and competitive now."

Sonmor: "He's nasty and that's what we need. He's bigger and more hard-nosed than Lafontaine. Plus, we just don't need another 160-pound center. But Lafontaine could embarass you by scoring a million points."

….and they proceed to trade the 6’4 220lbs Bobby Smith for the 5’8 Keith Acton?!?

 

[FerrisRox]

Before the draft, Lou Nanne and Glen Sonmor discussed why they planned to select Lawton over Lafontaine. Size, strength, and nastiness.

Yup.

Many years ago, maybe early 90's, I was in Minnesota at an event that Lou was a keynote speaker for. At one point they opened it up for questions and someone asked "How could you have taken Brian Lawton over Pat Lafontaine" and the whole place cracked up but Nanne said "It's actually worse than you think, because we didn't chose Brian over Pat. Pat wasn't even on our list."

He said that 1981, the North Stars went to the Final, and despite having a big centre in Bobby Smith and some wingers with size like Steve Payne and Al MacAdam their biggest problem was their toughest and grittiest forward was Dino Ciccarelli who he described as "an angry chihuahua."

He said the Islanders, with Trottier, Goring, Gilles, Bourne and Nystrom were nasty, strong and tough to play against and if they were going to succeed in the playoffs, they need tougher and nastier players. He said LaFontaine was someone they saw us much too soft and someone they suspected would get pushed around and be unable to do the things he did in Junior in the NHL.

….and they proceed to trade the 6’4 220lbs Bobby Smith for the 5’8 Keith Acton?!?

The key piece coming back to Minnesota was Mark Napier, who was coming off back-to-back 40-goal seasons for the Habs.

 

[Moose Head]

The key piece coming back to Minnesota was Mark Napier, who was coming off back-to-back 40-goal seasons for the Habs.

I was referencing the ‘don’t need another small center’. Thought it was odd they’d trade their biggest center for another small center. Yes they got Napier as well, but he was another smallish winger, not overly physical, who lasted a half season on the North Stars and was more or less given away. Acton was a better hockey player than Napier IMO and feisty, but it was a bad series of decisions by Nanne. They had a very promising group in the early 80’s and made some really bad decisions that messed up a potential contender.

 

[tabness]

As people have alluded to, Lawton had size, and size was already at a premium in the eighties just waiting to be supercharged with Lindros and his effect in the nineties. Plus with guys like Carpenter and Broten coming in and having success there was general hype around the American development pipeline.

LaFontaine's entry in the NHL 100 Greatest Players has some interesting stuff regarding how the Islanders saw the draft at the time, and how they maybe manipulated Nanne about Lawton

"I told my secretary that if [Minnesota North Stars general manager] Lou Nanne called, and asked where I was, to tell him I'm up in Rhode Island," Torrey said.

"I even gave a reporter an interview, and I said the kid in Rhode Island reminded me of Bryan Trottier," Torrey said with a laugh.

The Hockey News also wasn't as high on Lawton as NHL Central Scouting:

NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranks
Lawton (1)
Turgeon (4)
LaFontaine (2)
Yzerman (3)

The Hockey News Draft Preview ranks
Lawton (5)
Turgeon (6)
LaFontaine (2)
Yzerman (1)

 

[57special]

Sure as hell wasn't for his personality, either. Lawton certainly wasn't going to scare anyone physically, either.

 

[reckoning]

The irony of Minnesota choosing Lawton due to his perceived toughness, was that Brian Lawton was never a physical presence in his NHL career.

 

[MadLuke]

And Cam Neely was available...

 

[The Panther]

Wow, the way they talked about mr.-nice-guy Brian Lawton back then, you'd think they were describing Lindros eight years later! Wonder if Lou Nanne actually watched any of Lawton's games...

 

[reckoning]

And Cam Neely was available...

Neely had a strong showing in the Memorial Cup that year, and seemingly would have been the best blend of skill and toughness available. But from what I've read, the scouts felt his skating wasn't as good as the other top prospects.

 

[MadLuke]

Hard to blame the scouts considering it took time for him to be special in the nhl and it was a very strong draft (outside McBain they ended up were all strong pick), that almost scouting a pitcher in baseball timeline....

 

[Stephen]

This is a nice little write up about Lafontaine and his Detroit, Michigan roots, via Quebec league.

Why the Detroit Red Wings were so enamored with Pat LaFontaine in the Steve Yzerman draft

40 years ago, the Red Wings had good reason to covet Pat LaFontaine going into the June 8, 1983 draft

www.freep.com

 

[carjackmalone]

Neely had a strong showing in the Memorial Cup that year, and seemingly would have been the best blend of skill and toughness available. But from what I've read, the scouts felt his skating wasn't as good as the other top prospects.

At the end of the first round drafting Phil Esposito walked to the canucks table and that if they didn’t pick Neely they would of taken him

 

[Gorskyontario]

Sorry are you suggesting that Pat Lafontaine maybe the best player of all time?

Best American.