2013 NHL Entry Draft

[Sport]

Having three picks in the first round is fun.

Tell that to the 1989 Leafs...

I don't know what that means.

I do know that the Blue Jackets' first round picks have never worked out

look at this:

2000: Rusty Klesla D, GM Doug Maclean. Was supposed to be the next Chris Pronger. Rushed to the NHL (common in the GMDM era), injury prone, timid, never used his size. Traded to Phoenix at the 2011 deadline. A decent CBJ career, but never reached the hyped potential. Maclean really wanted Gaborik anyway, but the Jackets lost the cointoss. Of course they did.

2001: Pascal Leclaire G, GMDM. The goaltender of the future. Traded to Ottawa for Antoine Vermette in 2009. Showed promise in the rare periods where he wasn't injured. Out of hockey.

2002: Rick Nash, LW, GMDM. Traded up to take Nash #1 overall (their only #1 pick). Could never build a team around Nash, traded to New York last offseason.

2003: Nik Zherdev RW, GMDM. Phenomenal bust. Was supposed to be the player that would elevate Rick Nash's game to the next level. Never got off the ground. Had a terrible attitude, and drug and alcohol problems. Later traded to New York for Fedor Tyutin by Scott Howson. Out of the NHL.

2004: Alexandre Picard LW GMDM. Bust. I don't know what he's doing now.

2005: Gilbert Brule C GMDM. Phenomenal Bust. He was the smallish center taken before Anze Kopitar. Doug Maclean's crown jewel in terrible draft choices and crown jewel in terrible development decisions. He was immediately put on the NHL roster. Some people say that destroyed his confidence and ruined him at the NHL level. I think he was just a bad draft choice and never should've been taken that high. Currently in the Swiss league.

2006: Derrick Brassard C GMDM. Maclean's last draft with the CBJ. Wasn't a bad pick at #6 and he was cruising his rookie year in 08-09 until he inexplicably fought James Neal, injured his shoulder and missed the rest of the season. He never really got back to that level of play until last season. Was traded to New York for Gaborik.

2007: Jake Voracek. GM Scott Howson. Howson's first pick and in my opinion one of the best draft choices the Blue Jackets have ever taken. He was a solid player for the Blue Jackets, but was traded for Jeff Carter before the 2011 season. Has had a good run in Philadelphia since.

2008: Nikita Filatov. Phenomenal Bust. GMSH. Small, some would say weak russian with an attitude problem. I think Filatov just didn't have the mindset to succeed at the NHL level, but he was also rushed to the NHL by the Jackets. He had a hat trick in his rookie year, but bounced between the NHL and the AHL (which he hated), constantly threatened not coming back to the states if he wasn't going to be on the NHL roster, and didn't get along with Ken Hitchcock so he forced the young GM to put him on the NHL lineup before he was ready. Also, the CBJ didn't help him adjust to living in a new country at all. Basically left a 19 year old with no english speaking ability to fend for himself in a new country. He was traded to Ottawa for a 3rd round pick in 2011. A steal if you ask me because it was used on Notre Dame forward TJ Tynan. Filatov is currently in the KHL.

2009: John Moore. D GMSH. The deepest the CBJ have ever drafted at 21. Moore was a very good skating defenseman with puck moving ability. Was traded to New York for Marion Gaborik. Will still develop and become a good 2nd pairing defenseman. I'm worried he may be the part of that trade the Blue Jackets will regret giving up.

2010: Ryan Johansen. C GMSH. Some say he was rushed to the NHL and his development was handled poorly, but in the second half of last season he scored some big goals and he's blossomed into a very good defensive forward, but has been slow to pick up the scoring pace. He's still young and I think he'll have a breakthrough season, but he's still immature when it comes to dealing with the pressures of professional hockey. After the NHL season he was sent to Springfield for the AHL playoffs, loafed, and was a healthy scratch for a few games with the AHL team. It wasn't what management was hoping for.

2011: No first round pick, but they took Boone Jenner in the 2nd round. Jenner has been one the OHL's best players in the last two years and will probably make the NHL team out of camp. He's a rare case where a CBJ draft pick was shown patience and allowed to develop at the proper rate. I'm very interested in seeing what this kid can do as a pro.

2012: Ryan Murray. D GMSH. The Blue Jackets famously lost the draft lottery and Nail Yakupov. Murray seemed to be a decent consolation, but he injured his shoulder and missed the entire season. He's supposed to be at 100% and will be given a long look in training camp. He could be the Scott Neidermayer the Blue Jackets need. Let's hope.

I'd describe 7 out of those 13 picks as complete busts at the NHL level. All of them taken in the top 10. The rest are either still in the CBJ system or were moved for other reasons. Not a good track record. The jury is still out on Johansen and Ryan Murray, but we'll find out soon. If you want to know why this team has never won a playoff game, look no further than poor drafting for a team that isn't a free agent destination who can't afford to draft poorly. What's funny is their late round draft picks have been more successful as NHLers than their first rounders. Matt Calvert, Cam Atkinson, Dalton Prout, Derek Dorsett, and a couple more I'm forgetting have all become capable NHL players despite being taken after the 5th round.

I predict, though, that the 2013 draft will mark the shift in the franchise's history. Kekalainen is a draft guru and I think he just hit a home run with this draft. I don't mind that he didn't give up that much for an NHL player and he stocked the cupboard for the future. I really like what they did yesterday.

congrats if you actually read all of that. Feel free to give me my LPotD ribbon.

[TorinK92]

@McCarthy, Lets not forget that Lehner was included in that Leclaire deal.

we trade a lot don't we?

[sportstar1212]

I read every single word of McCarthy's post. I would give him a ribbon but I'm in phone.

[The_Admiral]

Why the does NBCSN play Italian music in their EPL ads?

It's "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot, which has some significance in the English soccer songbook. World Cup theme once, maybe?

I'm happy with the draft for the Hawks. They moved players they had to move and got pretty good picks. I laughed when TSN showed the best five available players and the Jets picked none of them. This is getting predictable.

[Lee.]

I have no idea what the Jets are doing. They have an overwhelming need for right wingers, so they pick 6 defensemen, where they're pretty loaded.

#thrasherjets

[The_Admiral]

But they traded for Frolik, at least. I wouldn't be surprised if they signed Viktor Stalberg, either.

[Lee.]

They also tried to get Bolland, which is great I suppose, but again, GLARING NEED FOR RIGHT WINGERS. Unless Frolik can play on the right, and slot right into the second line, they still need at least three of the damned things.

[The_Admiral]

He can make second line on a bad team, which, well. He couldn't play a top-six role with the Hawks, though, as he has a way of kind of forgetting what hockey is when under pressure. His trademark move was to speed down the side, get to the net, and then haphazardly fling the puck somewhere within 180 degrees. It turned out to make for crackerjack penalty killing, but he couldn't be depended on much more. Maybe he'll get better in a walk year, who knows.

[dwertman]

Having three picks in the first round is fun.

Tell that to the 1989 Leafs...

I don't know what that means.

I do know that the Blue Jackets' first round picks have never worked out

look at this:

2000: Rusty Klesla D, GM Doug Maclean. Was supposed to be the next Chris Pronger. Rushed to the NHL (common in the GMDM era), injury prone, timid, never used his size. Traded to Phoenix at the 2011 deadline. A decent CBJ career, but never reached the hyped potential. Maclean really wanted Gaborik anyway, but the Jackets lost the cointoss. Of course they did.

2001: Pascal Leclaire G, GMDM. The goaltender of the future. Traded to Ottawa for Antoine Vermette in 2009. Showed promise in the rare periods where he wasn't injured. Out of hockey.

2002: Rick Nash, LW, GMDM. Traded up to take Nash #1 overall (their only #1 pick). Could never build a team around Nash, traded to New York last offseason.

2003: Nik Zherdev RW, GMDM. Phenomenal bust. Was supposed to be the player that would elevate Rick Nash's game to the next level. Never got off the ground. Had a terrible attitude, and drug and alcohol problems. Later traded to New York for Fedor Tyutin by Scott Howson. Out of the NHL.

2004: Alexandre Picard LW GMDM. Bust. I don't know what he's doing now.

2005: Gilbert Brule C GMDM. Phenomenal Bust. He was the smallish center taken before Anze Kopitar. Doug Maclean's crown jewel in terrible draft choices and crown jewel in terrible development decisions. He was immediately put on the NHL roster. Some people say that destroyed his confidence and ruined him at the NHL level. I think he was just a bad draft choice and never should've been taken that high. Currently in the Swiss league.

2006: Derrick Brassard C GMDM. Maclean's last draft with the CBJ. Wasn't a bad pick at #6 and he was cruising his rookie year in 08-09 until he inexplicably fought James Neal, injured his shoulder and missed the rest of the season. He never really got back to that level of play until last season. Was traded to New York for Gaborik.

2007: Jake Voracek. GM Scott Howson. Howson's first pick and in my opinion one of the best draft choices the Blue Jackets have ever taken. He was a solid player for the Blue Jackets, but was traded for Jeff Carter before the 2011 season. Has had a good run in Philadelphia since.

2008: Nikita Filatov. Phenomenal Bust. GMSH. Small, some would say weak russian with an attitude problem. I think Filatov just didn't have the mindset to succeed at the NHL level, but he was also rushed to the NHL by the Jackets. He had a hat trick in his rookie year, but bounced between the NHL and the AHL (which he hated), constantly threatened not coming back to the states if he wasn't going to be on the NHL roster, and didn't get along with Ken Hitchcock so he forced the young GM to put him on the NHL lineup before he was ready. Also, the CBJ didn't help him adjust to living in a new country at all. Basically left a 19 year old with no english speaking ability to fend for himself in a new country. He was traded to Ottawa for a 3rd round pick in 2011. A steal if you ask me because it was used on Notre Dame forward TJ Tynan. Filatov is currently in the KHL.

2009: John Moore. D GMSH. The deepest the CBJ have ever drafted at 21. Moore was a very good skating defenseman with puck moving ability. Was traded to New York for Marion Gaborik. Will still develop and become a good 2nd pairing defenseman. I'm worried he may be the part of that trade the Blue Jackets will regret giving up.

2010: Ryan Johansen. C GMSH. Some say he was rushed to the NHL and his development was handled poorly, but in the second half of last season he scored some big goals and he's blossomed into a very good defensive forward, but has been slow to pick up the scoring pace. He's still young and I think he'll have a breakthrough season, but he's still immature when it comes to dealing with the pressures of professional hockey. After the NHL season he was sent to Springfield for the AHL playoffs, loafed, and was a healthy scratch for a few games with the AHL team. It wasn't what management was hoping for.

2011: No first round pick, but they took Boone Jenner in the 2nd round. Jenner has been one the OHL's best players in the last two years and will probably make the NHL team out of camp. He's a rare case where a CBJ draft pick was shown patience and allowed to develop at the proper rate. I'm very interested in seeing what this kid can do as a pro.

2012: Ryan Murray. D GMSH. The Blue Jackets famously lost the draft lottery and Nail Yakupov. Murray seemed to be a decent consolation, but he injured his shoulder and missed the entire season. He's supposed to be at 100% and will be given a long look in training camp. He could be the Scott Neidermayer the Blue Jackets need. Let's hope.

I'd describe 7 out of those 13 picks as complete busts at the NHL level. All of them taken in the top 10. The rest are either still in the CBJ system or were moved for other reasons. Not a good track record. The jury is still out on Johansen and Ryan Murray, but we'll find out soon. If you want to know why this team has never won a playoff game, look no further than poor drafting for a team that isn't a free agent destination who can't afford to draft poorly. What's funny is their late round draft picks have been more successful as NHLers than their first rounders. Matt Calvert, Cam Atkinson, Dalton Prout, Derek Dorsett, and a couple more I'm forgetting have all become capable NHL players despite being taken after the 5th round.

I predict, though, that the 2013 draft will mark the shift in the franchise's history. Kekalainen is a draft guru and I think he just hit a home run with this draft. I don't mind that he didn't give up that much for an NHL player and he stocked the cupboard for the future. I really like what they did yesterday.

congrats if you actually read all of that. Feel free to give me my LPotD ribbon.

Awesome post...read it all...definitely ribbon worthy..oh for what its worth Picard plays in Switzerland

[zpqmaowl]

[Funky Bunky]

Sure that's not one of his two other sons?

[BigBubba]

Having three picks in the first round is fun.

Tell that to the 1989 Leafs...

I don't know what that means.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=1989+nhl+draft

[Kramerica Industries]

Awarding Mac with his own award after a 1,087 word post begins to cheapen the grandeur of the "Longest Post of the Day" award. As the only official multiple-time winner of the award, I must speak up against this.

Take my 3/5 post, linked in the sig. That baby checked in at over 2,800 words, and that was for only half of the originally intended post. If I had talked NL as well, that thing goes over 5,000. The 2nd post still cracker-jackered it's way to 1,400 words.

I mean, jeez, if these "barely-over-1000-words" posts are now subject to the LPOTD award, then STL_FANATIC should have about a hundred of those things by now.

Don't overreact. Any or all of the above may or may not be sarcasm.

[CS85]

There's no pride in posting mindless bloviating that nobody reads. I read the Beej post above because at a glance it appeared organized and potentially informative, but I wasn't happy to.

[Kramerica Industries]

Some posters get their rocks off with hilarious .gif's.

Others get their rocks off on hammering away at the keyboard.

We all have to stick to our specialties.

[The_Admiral]

1,419 words on my longest post, the one about what idiots Bryzgalov's defenders were.

[CS85]

1,419 words on my longest post, the one about what idiots Bryzgalov's defenders were.

Yes but your long posts are usually well written and go out with a bang. You're vying for belts, sir, not ribbons.

[habsfan1]

Interesting pic of Anthony 10 years before he got drafted.