Jake Gardiner

[Kin]

Going back further... Antropov.

Antropov wasn't a project pick-up. He was a top 10 draft pick they had patience with.

 

[maplesyrup]

Going back further... Antropov.

Antropov wasn't a project pick-up. He was a top 10 draft pick they had patience with.

Talk is he wasn't on anyone's board in the first round (other than the Oilers I think it was) so yeah, he was a guy they liked but probably knew there was a gamble taking him that early.

 

[Crucialness Key]

Howitzers like Franson's don't come around every 15 minutes like streetcars. He's more of a "project" than a "bust" in my opinion.

Perfect.

Toronto always does so well with their 'project' pickups.

Wasn't Grabovski basically a project pickup?

Wasn't Phaneuf?

MacArthur to an extent?

Going back further... Antropov.

Doug Shedden.

 

[Kin]

Talk is he wasn't on anyone's board in the first round (other than the Oilers I think it was) so yeah, he was a guy they liked but probably knew there was a gamble taking him that early.

"Talk" aside, if the definition stretches to anyone who wasn't a sure thing then every single player ever was a project pick-up.

 

[maplesyrup]

Also, I'd be curious if central scouting had Antropov anywhere in the first couple rounds... I suspect they didn't but I could be wrong.

 

[maplesyrup]

... and what better example of a project than Clark? He was drafted as a defenseman after all, no?

 

[Kin]

... and what better example of a project than Clark? He was drafted as a defenseman after all, no?

What about Tie Domi? They had to tranq him, shave him and teach him rudimentary sign language.

 

[Damian]

... and what better example of a project than Clark? He was drafted as a defenseman after all, no?

What about Tie Domi? They had to tranq him, shave him and teach him rudimentary sign language.

You mean like CoCo the Monkey?

 

[maplesyrup]

... and what better example of a project than Clark? He was drafted as a defenseman after all, no?

What about Tie Domi? They had to tranq him, shave him and teach him rudimentary sign language.

Well we obviously failed at the shaving part.

 

[ZBBM]

... and what better example of a project than Clark? He was drafted as a defenseman after all, no?

What about Tie Domi? They had to tranq him, shave him and teach him rudimentary sign language.

Well we obviously failed at the shaving part.

Now, this exchange made me laugh.

 

[cw]

Also, I'd be curious if central scouting had Antropov anywhere in the first couple rounds... I suspect they didn't but I could be wrong.

HF link
The 1998-99 Hockey News Yearbook lists him as a potential, playmaking, first-line forward, however they listed him as the 53rd top prospect in their pre-draft issue. The Central Scouting Bureau listed him as the 17th top European skater, but again these low rankings may be due to the fact that he simply has not been seen by many scouts.

He's 9th in scoring,11th in ppg and 15th in GP for his draft year - close enough to justifying where he got picked (10th overall) in my opinion. Only 2 guys picked ahead of him scored more, only one picked ahead of him has a better career ppg and only 4 guys picked ahead of him played more games.

Since the lockout, Nik has averaged .69ppg (fringes of a top 3 forward) and 69 games per season. Not bad for new rules that were supposed to hurt guys who supposedly could not skate.

Brendl didn't do so hot in any of the above. 

 

[maplesyrup]

Also, I'd be curious if central scouting had Antropov anywhere in the first couple rounds... I suspect they didn't but I could be wrong.

HF Link
The 1998-99 Hockey News Yearbook lists him as a potential, playmaking, first-line forward, however they listed him as the 53rd top prospect in their pre-draft issue. The Central Scouting Bureau listed him as the 17th top European skater, but again these low rankings may be due to the fact that he simply has not been seen by many scouts.

He's 9th in scoring and 15th in GP for his draft year - close enough to justifying where he got picked (10th overall) in my opinion.

Since the lockout, Nik has averaged .69ppg (fringes of a top 3 forward) and 69 games per season. Not bad for new rules that were supposed to hurt guys who could not skate.

Brendl didn't do so hot in any of the above. 

He was a reach and something of a risk and it paid off and who knows, it could have been "Hollandish" had he been more healthy earlier on. Loved the pick then and still do. With that said though "reach"/"project"... it's a fine line in my books so I'm comfortable with labeling Antopov a "project."


Edit: Thanks for digging by the way.

 

[Kin]

He's 9th in scoring and 15th in GP for his draft year - close enough to justifying where he got picked (10th overall) in my opinion. Only 2 guys picked ahead of him scored more and only 4 guys picked ahead of him played more games.

Since the lockout, Nik has averaged .69ppg (fringes of a top 3 forward) and 69 games per season. Not bad for new rules that were supposed to hurt guys who could not skate.

Brendl didn't do so hot in any of the above. 

I agree. It was a good pick. The Leafs were clearly high on him and clearly thought they needed to pick him at 10 as they didn't believe he'd be available at their next pick at #35.

So, again, a top 10 pick. Definitely not someone who should be in a category with a guy whose team walked away from his arbitration award.

 

[cw]

Also, I'd be curious if central scouting had Antropov anywhere in the first couple rounds... I suspect they didn't but I could be wrong.

HF Link
The 1998-99 Hockey News Yearbook lists him as a potential, playmaking, first-line forward, however they listed him as the 53rd top prospect in their pre-draft issue. The Central Scouting Bureau listed him as the 17th top European skater, but again these low rankings may be due to the fact that he simply has not been seen by many scouts.

He's 9th in scoring and 15th in GP for his draft year - close enough to justifying where he got picked (10th overall) in my opinion.

Since the lockout, Nik has averaged .69ppg (fringes of a top 3 forward) and 69 games per season. Not bad for new rules that were supposed to hurt guys who could not skate.

Brendl didn't do so hot in any of the above. 

He was a reach and something of a risk and it paid off and who knows, it could have been "Hollandish" had he been more healthy earlier on. Loved the pick then and still do. With that said though "reach"/"project"... it's a fine line in my books so I'm comfortable with labeling Antopov a "project."


Edit: Thanks for digging by the way.

As the prospect pool of a team improves, that's more commonly the time you'd expect to see prospect rich teams take their chances because they've got a pretty full stable and can afford to take the chance. The Leafs system was pretty barren from draft schmaft.

As for the digging, I'd forgotten and you tweaked my curiosity. I knew he was kind of off the board but couldn't recall how much. I think years ago, we talked about this at some length.   ;D

 

[Bender]

Also, I'd be curious if central scouting had Antropov anywhere in the first couple rounds... I suspect they didn't but I could be wrong.

HF Link
The 1998-99 Hockey News Yearbook lists him as a potential, playmaking, first-line forward, however they listed him as the 53rd top prospect in their pre-draft issue. The Central Scouting Bureau listed him as the 17th top European skater, but again these low rankings may be due to the fact that he simply has not been seen by many scouts.

He's 9th in scoring and 15th in GP for his draft year - close enough to justifying where he got picked (10th overall) in my opinion.

Since the lockout, Nik has averaged .69ppg (fringes of a top 3 forward) and 69 games per season. Not bad for new rules that were supposed to hurt guys who could not skate.

Brendl didn't do so hot in any of the above. 

He was a reach and something of a risk and it paid off and who knows, it could have been "Hollandish" had he been more healthy earlier on. Loved the pick then and still do. With that said though "reach"/"project"... it's a fine line in my books so I'm comfortable with labeling Antopov a "project."


Edit: Thanks for digging by the way.

As the prospect pool of a team improves, that's more commonly the time you'd expect to see prospect rich teams take their chances because they've got a pretty full stable and can afford to take the chance. The Leafs system was pretty barren from draft schmaft.

As for the digging, I'd forgotten and you tweaked my curiosity. I knew he was kind of off the board but couldn't recall how much. I think years ago, we talked about this at some length.   ;D

There's only three guys I would pick over Antro: Richards, Lecavalier and Tanguay.

 

[bustaheims]

There's only three guys I would pick over Antro: Richards, Lecavalier and Tanguay.

I'd add Datsyuk to that list, though, that would have been going REALLY off the board.

 

[Kin]

It is kind of interesting that Antro's held up relatively well. Gagne, Gomez and Horcoff may have been better players in their prime but they look like shadows of that these days.

 

[Tigger]

It is kind of interesting that Antro's held up relatively well. Gagne, Gomez and Horcoff may have been better players in their prime but they look like shadows of that these days.

I think sometimes people forget, me included, what it was like for him then and the hurdles he overcame with injuries though I still think Borat got a couple spring loaded knees for him. Tough guy, classy and a Canadian to boot, I miss him.

I can't remember what team it was but there was one other team really interested in him at the draft that, IIRC, forced Toronto's hand a bit, anyone?

 

[bustaheims]

I can't remember what team it was but there was one other team really interested in him at the draft that, IIRC, forced Toronto's hand a bit, anyone?

Someone in the thread mentioned the Oilers, but, for some reason, I remember it being the Wings.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I can't remember what team it was but there was one other team really interested in him at the draft that, IIRC, forced Toronto's hand a bit, anyone?

Someone in the thread mentioned the Oilers, but, for some reason, I remember it being the Wings.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was Detroit.