TheHockeyNews - Has an interesting article about how certain teams have avoided a massive rebuild, and it's because of solid drafting.But Ottawa’s depth has been undermined by its inability to continue finding players of that quality.
In the virtually idiot-proof first round of 2003, Ottawa drafted Patrick Eaves 29th overall. Boston took Patrice Bergeron with the 45th pick and Nashville hit a home run with Shea Weber four slots later at No. 49. The year before that, in 2002, Ottawa took Jakub Klepis No. 16 overall. Oops.
Detroit, meanwhile, has drafted Niklas Kronwall, Jiri Hudler, Tomas Fleischmann, Valtteri Filppula, Johan Franzen and Kyle Quincey since 2000. The highest pick of that group was Kronwall, who went 29th in 2000.
Clearly not everyone organization can boast what Detroit has done, but it is a fine reminder that exceptional players can be found anywhere in the draft. John Muckler really dropped the ball when it came to drafting, as we have not had a "steal" in a draft since Havlat (excluding the possibility of Elliott).
PeterboroughExaminer.com - Mike Fisher wants fighting in hockey, as be believes it helps police the players.
"I think the fans for the most part enjoy (fighting). It keeps guys honest, too," Fisher said.Not a big shock as Mike has been known to drop the gloves when his temper gets the best of him. Fighting will remain in hockey, it's just the vogue issue of the moment and is garnering all too much media attention. The players will get the final say on the issue (PA), and it will not be removed.
"If you take out fighting, there's going to be more stick penalties, there's going to be more guys taking head shots ... there's a little bit of policing with fighting in the game. It helps, I think."
And that's the daily wrap up!
10 comments:
Your thoughts are interesting ( provoking old memories) and the Hockey News writers are providing us with some better articles lately. Thoughts: Sens drafting over the last two GMs is about middle of the pack. As in, the more to replenish from a bad (higher) picking position. It is simply tough to maintain a good team for all the top clubs. Which brings us to Detroit. They seem to have doubles in a lot of key positions (This is just my feel for it nothing concrete)always extra or double scouts around North America and in Europe, bigger than normal mgmt group, Stevey Y in a superflous position. To me this should be disaster every time. GM/KH is the best of the Powerfull Ones! Goalies: Someone said to John Muckler, we have no goalies in the system you better draft a couple (True Story). The very first time I saw Brian Elliott I knew the whole scouting fraternity had missed one (Group Think - It happens). My only complaint, the Ottawa guys should have up graded our own internal scouting report. "Fighting!" I used to like to fight; hockey, boxing, in the street, with your best friend. However it's so yesterday, two light heavies if they know what they are doing can fight each other to exhaustion (a good scrap)but the "enforcers" not so much, they cannot afford to let the other man hit them. (So we get the Wr"A"stlin' Match) Be warned! Not too many people can remember the 60's and 70's we could and the Soviets (Russians nowadays) were not allowed... Result the kicking (that's what I remember most), sticks in the mouth, down the throat, slashing ankles (With the force to break bones). Hochey is a simple game! It's the sub-plots that make it so interesting.
"And Canucnik was kung fu fighting..."
With sticks down the throat eh? Those crazy Russians!
I will say this much, I want to keep fighting around (for the iginla vs lecavalier type fights), but would not be sad if enforcers left the league!
Anonymous 1:16PM You are really an anoying rat. Remember in my day just because you were a little "undersized" did not mean you should not be given a good thrashing about once a week. Wayne Cashman, one of our celebrated fighters (Loved the guy), took one down the throat. It was bad enough the trainers were not concerned with his mouth or teeth, but with the throat opening and all the delicate organs located there; resulting in Clarke's payback slash. But that's when men were men, you just couldn't think you were tough you really had to be able to bring it once in a while. Guys like you were staightened up regularly and for no good reason at all.
The truth is, everybody is just speculating about what hockey would be like without fighting. We don't know nobody does. It has yet to be tried in the NHL, but definitely should be. Hockey is an amazing game, and IMO the NHL today is like the NFL in that movie Leatherheads, and if they really want to sell the game must get rid of fighting and start calling games consistently. All game no matter what the score, and all season game to game.
Regarding the hockey news piece, I tend to disagree with most of it. Of course drafting well is the key, not strictly drafting high. When you are drafting at the top of each round you have more options. Also, there are guys you can hit a home run with that will turn your franchise around, and they don't tend to be guys in the later rounds. Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Kane weren't drafted in the 6th round. And ask the GMs in Washington, Pittsburgh and Chicago if signing these guys after their entry level contracts is a problem they would rather not have. C'mon, it's undeniable that when you draft very early you have a chance to get a major impact player who can help turn things around QUICKLY.
Anonymous 3:47PM Best piece I've read in over a month. I have met and talked to my share of NHL Scouts over the years. They used to compare notes and share information. Not any more, it's too important to the organization (Central scouting is a joke, I don't know if anyone uses it any more) but your own head scout suffers tremendous self-doubt (Talk about pressure) and they are on their own within there own little group. Mistakes will be made! Often, the worst, after a blown early round call. Early on the Sens had great Europeon scouts and it showed. This is very much an imperfect science. At the draft the teans are under such duress that often the best picks are made (Exclude 1st round) by what's left to them to pick from. Six teams, twelve teams OK, Thirty teams (30) is a crap shoot!
No "Fighting" a recollection; in the early 70's the second tier Olympic teams (the West Germans, Yugoslavia) would come over to play our better Senior teams in Exhibition play. The admoninition to us: "Remember we didn't bring these people over, so you guys to teach their players how to play dirty! It was a real fear for the Authorities. They were fun close games, for both teams. First time, we saw basically the whole team with over sized (add on - sewed on)tendon guards. Our "Tacs" had just added a real tendon guard built into the boot (Late sixties model). What I'm getting to was because they could not fight in Europe (it was politics as much as hockey) they had started to kick each other, not the big hoof, but little jabs, which had blossomed into this toe of the skate blade right into the achillies tendon. This might be the dirtiest play in hockey. So before the know it alls, start to make projections, have a look at the little bit of history we do have. Just for the record the original "summit" series was the dirtiest hockey ever played.
Hey Canuknik. Relax man. No need for the heightened violent images and the threatening language. I just love your comments and wanted to get more out of you.
You should really start your own blog. It's as easy as shit with Google's blogspot, and you could even make money! Note: most of these blogger dudes have adds on their pages that make money (though it looks like Senate Committee here just takes donations, which is cool).
Seriously though, I agree with the other Anonymous guy. You could take fighting out and it would still be a beautiful game to watch -- I think better than now -- but the refs would have to call things more consistently and I think there would have to be harsher penalties for dirty plays like toe jabs to the achillies, or stick swallowing.
8 minute major for "Force feeding of the stick"
Gentlemen: I apologise! I always go too far. It will be made up to you I shall make one comment and be quiet. I'm well retired. Quit the 2nd and 3rd most expensive habits a man can have so.... maybe that's why I'm so cranky. Fighting? I can't make up my mind... Pro or con! But I know deep down it's got to go. Maybe enforcers first "unofficially" and work down incrementally. Took the training worked the "lines" for one Jr. game; these guys (the Officials) are so good if they would just let them do their jobs! Just a small aside to the Cashman injury. This was the era of stick blade experimentation, I had a big thich full blade 6 lie for the face offs or if I was on the wing a tooth pick hook 5 lie. The Soviet who got Cash was a "Wingman". No "hat" man that was dangerous out there. Their rinks had netting, we had wire sceening; we thought they were behind the times until a CSA safety guy gave us the straight answer.
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