Time to open up Thrasherville’s 2005 draft time capsule
There has been a great amount of news breaking around Thrasherville lately…new schedule released, big trades, coaching hires and all that. But allow me please to steal you away from that for just a moment and direct your attention back to the subject of the NHL entry draft. And not just the one scheduled to take place in Los Angeles this weekend, but one that took place a few years ago.
See, I was listening to NHL Live on XM Radio the other day and Don LaGreca and E.J. Hradek made the suggestion of DVR-ing the draft for future use. Call it a type of “time capsule” in which one can preserve the feelings, projections and emotions during the draft, then review it later in historical context… seeing how certain players lived up to their hype and which one’s exceeded their perceived potential.
As I listened to the pair, I thought about how people might judge last summer’s Thrashers draft class five years down the road. It’s one that most people in these parts seemed to think was a pretty good one with fourth overall pick Evander Kane standing out in that group. He played very well in his rookie season and his future certainly looks bright. I’m sure we’ll still speak of Kane and others in that class…specifically Carl Klingberg…with a smile on our face come the summer of 2014. Hopefully we will be able to do the same in 2015 in regards to this weekend’s draft.
But let’s take this five-year review period concept in the opposite direction, shall we. To do so, we’ll dig out of the soil one of Thrasherville’s own little cyber-time capsule…the one labeled, “The Trade-Down Draft of ‘05”.
I can already hear the moans and groans from the Thrasherville blogosphere…
Ondrej Pavlechas seen the most NHL action of all of the Thrashers 2005 draft picks. He is 20-28-7 with a 3.33 GAA and .902 SV% in 61 overall games played (AP photo)
As you’ll recall, then-GM Don Waddelland the Thrashers came to Ottawa that year with the 8th overall pick…you know, just like they do this summer. But instead of selectinga player with that pick, he traded it away to San Jose… who then took Devin Setoguchi. We got in return the Sharks’ 12thoverall pick and their second rounder. We wound up with San Jose’s 207th overall in the seventh round as well…but I can’t remember if that was a part of this deal too.
Of course, when pick number 12 came around, we learned it had been dealt away to the New York Rangers… who snagged Marc Staal with it. We would now fall to the 16th spot in the first round.
And with that pick, Don Waddell announced to the NHL community that the Atlanta Thrashers selected… Alex Bourret.
That noise you hear is the sound made by thousands of Thrashers fans smacking their hands on their foreheads…
Bourret has since played exactly the same amount of games at the NHL level as I have, you have, heck even as many as my secretary Trixie has…ZERO. He was traded away to the Rangers in February of 2007 for Pascal Dupuis. I’ve heard that Bourret was the player that they were thinkingof takingwith the 16thpick anyway. If that’s true, then they wound up with him and Staal as well. How so very, very nice for them, eh?
Bourret also took with him the Thrashers 3rd round pick in that summer’s draft and New York used it to select Robert Bortuzzo.
After failingto impress at the AHL level with the San Antonio Rampage, Bourret was then released by the Phoenix Coyotes organization in September of 2009. I believe he is currently playing for HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Republic.
Now, as I said earlier… the Thrashers traded Bourret for Dupuisin ’07. He then, along with Marian Hossa, was traded to Pittsburgh in 2008 for Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito and the Penguins first round pick. The Thrashers used that pick to procure Daultan Leveille. Christensen was dealt away for Eric Odell and Army will be a UFA next week, which means the Thrashers have Odell, Esposito and Leveille in their system that can be in some way traced back to the Bourret pick.
On the other hand, and using the clear 20/20 vision of hindsight, had Waddell instead opted to keep the 8th overall in ’05 he could have used it to draft someone like Anze Kopitar, (11th overall L.A.), Marc Staal, (12th overall NYR) or T.J. Oshie, (24th overall St. Louis), just to name a few. Oh, and the player selected just before Oshie… Nic Bergfors who was snagged by the New Jersey Devils.
Tuukka Raskwas still available and was taken by Toronto with the 21st pick. But of course, three years prior the Thrashers had already secured their…ahem… goalie of the future in Kari Lehtonen.
The rest of the draft went this way…
Ondrej Pavelecwas chosen with the 41st overall in the second round. Pavelechas played 61 games in a Thrashers uniform in the past three years and has an overall record of 20-28-7 witha 3.33 GAA and .902 SV%. He should be back with the team this comingfall, though who he will be paired up with is still up in the air. Rick Dudley has stated he has no problem bringing back the same goalie dou of Opieand the Moose, but both will need new contracts.
Johan Hedberg is a UFA and Pavelec is an RFA.
Chad Denny was taken with the 49th overall pick in the second round. Denny has split time between the AHL Wolves and Gladiators of the ECHL since 2007. Last year in Gwinnett he had 9 goals and 15 assists in 56 games.
Now that five years have passed, the 2005 draft for the Thrashers can be discribed as...
- A total success! Couldn't ask for anything more! (3%, 3 Votes)
- A total disaster! 100% cluster-flop! (79%, 72 Votes)
- Feh...the jury is still out. Let's see how Pavelec and some of the others turn out (18%, 16 Votes)
Total Voters: 91
Loading ...Andrew Kozekwas the 53rd overall pick in the second round. He is with the Wolves also and last year scored 12 goals and 10 assists in 69 games finishing a +5.
Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman with the 116th overall in the 4th round. He was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets last November for future considerations.
Tomas Pospisil with the 135th overall in the 5th round. Pospisil played in Gwinnettand Chicago between from ’07 to ’09 and spent time with Trinec Ocelari HC in the Czech Republic last season.
Andrei Zubarev with the 187th in the sixth round and still plays in Russia. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he and Ilya Nikulin meet up every year to watch the NHL draft and share a few brewskis and laughs.
Myles Stoesz with the 207th in the seventhand final round. He was sent to the Devils along with Nic Havelid in 2009. That deal brought to Thrasherville Anssi Salmela, who returned to New Jersey with Ilya Kovalchuk last winter in exchange for Johnny Oduya, Nic Bergfors and prospect Patrice Cormier. The draft picks acquired by Atlanta in that deal were since shipped off to the Chicago BalckhawksWednesday night along with Marty Reasoner, prospect Jeremy Morin in exchange for Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel and prospect Akim Aliu.
Combined, the eight players picked by the Thrashers in the 2005 draft have a grand total of 65 games played at the NHL level. Pavelec can lay claim to 61 of them. He has that many because he’s been called into duty for the last three seasons because of Kari-Down ’07, Kari-Down-‘08 and Kari-Down ’09.
Screwing back on the time capsule lid…placing it back in the hole
Ya know…it’s times like these that we are reminded that these drafts aren’t exactly a “science”. There are times when a first-rounder turns out to be less than a “sure thing” for some odd reason. Other times a diamond in the rough can be found…say like a player selected with the 210th pick in the seventh round that winds up netting 206 goals, 269 assists and a +131 ratingover his first seven seasons. Such was the case with the Detroit Red Wings and Henrik Zetterberg.
And with that, I now leave it to you to discuss/debate the significance and ramifications of the 2005 Trade-Down Draft of aut-5. Then over the weekend, we’ll prepare the 2010 draft time capsule for the future.
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99 comments Add your comment
R. Stroz
June 25th, 2010
1:41 pm
Anyone else heard this rumor?
http://twitter.com/Sir_Heady/status/17027715405
To ATL: Hemsky, Penner, 31st pick overall To EDM: Little, 8th overall, Boris Valabik thats how it will go down
Thoughts…
Smoothie
June 25th, 2010
2:03 pm
Stroz – now that’s some serious chronic!!
Red Light
June 25th, 2010
2:03 pm
Love Penner. Hemsky is talented but a p—y, and 31 is perfect for another Brian Sipotz!
rob
June 25th, 2010
2:13 pm
Hmmmm
Tom
June 25th, 2010
2:16 pm
Penner is looking at 4.25 for 2 years, Hemsky is 4.5 and 5.0 for the next 2 years. What it would mean is that we would solidify our Top 6 for next season. Dudley would be showing the fans that he is prepared to win now.
Losing Little would be a crap shoot. He has the potential but the big question is whether his production level of 2 years ago or last year are his baseline.
kracker
June 25th, 2010
2:29 pm
gotta love tweets for light speed rumors. Earlier someone said the negotiations between Dan Hamhuis and the Flyers were going well and almost done. Now Bob MacKensie says just the opposite, that Hamhuis is going to FA.
kracker
June 25th, 2010
2:31 pm
That trade is above my pay grade Stroz, I’ll leave it to the professionals.
You going to the food court later today??
kracker
June 25th, 2010
2:32 pm
more….CraigCustance RT @DarrenDreger @TSNBobMcKenzie. Starting to hear whispers the Flyers may trade his [Hamhuis] neg rights to Canucks. Checking
J.B.
June 25th, 2010
2:47 pm
i think that edmonton deal is BS. just looked at that twitter and the guy who posted it is just a random person.
Jeff97
June 25th, 2010
2:54 pm
To ATL: Hemsky, Penner, 31st pick overall To EDM: Little, 8th overall, Boris Valabik thats how it will go down
If its true, i would take that trade and run with it. Penner was EDM’s leading scorer. I have not been able to find that rumor anywhere else though.
jack
June 25th, 2010
2:57 pm
after all what dudley said surprisd he would give up 8th, but then again not familiar with Penner or Hemsky
Jeff97
June 25th, 2010
3:02 pm
Penner had 32 goals and 31 asst last year. age 27. Hemsky was hurt most of last year and had 7 goals in 22 games. age 26. Hemsky has averaged about 20 goals per year. our top 3 lines would definitely be set.
We have enough depth to absorb the loss of Boris and who knows which player Brian Little is..the one from 08-09 or 09-10?
jack
June 25th, 2010
3:07 pm
sounds good if it happens. With ACL issue not too worried about losing Boris. I agree with you loss of little would be okay
Flagstaff
June 25th, 2010
3:08 pm
Stupid Amazon delivery… alas, the vuvuzela is not in time for Bogo and Kane to autograph.
Still, this should be an interesting draft day anyway.
Spud Webb
June 25th, 2010
3:51 pm
I’ll take hemsky and penner in that deal anyday, Immediate scoring, we need it. I like Little, but times are changing, we gotta get moving!!! And I think a healthy hemsky is almost a wash with little.
Always like boris, yet he’s disappointed me.
R. Stroz
June 25th, 2010
3:52 pm
You going to the food court later today??
kracker – Thanks for asking, however, I’m staying home tonight.
Dwayne
June 25th, 2010
4:00 pm
I like the trade RStroz, who cares if Sherman Hemsky is a wuss, Buff and “Evander” Kane can protect him.
jack
June 25th, 2010
4:03 pm
Buff can teach him how to immobolize our friends Cooke and avery
Spud Webb
June 25th, 2010
4:06 pm
the “shermanator”, lol.
Badger Bob
June 25th, 2010
6:00 pm
Good walk down memory lane, Bill. It helps us appreciate Duds when we remember DWad.
WBF – I actually voted “tie” on the TSN poll… glad to hear our CDN friends give ATL credit for something. How long will that last?
Sage, good to have you back out of hiding. We hadn’t been unjustly insulted in a few weeks, so thanks for that!
I expected to be at the Bulb for draft night, but got a better offer at the last minute so I’m sorry to miss you guys. JD shot on me next time, Smoothie!
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
7:51 pm
Rawhide, awesome blog. I really enjoyed it, and it didn’t bring me down, or in any way make me LESS enthusiastic about tonight’s draft. Rather, it is what it is. Honesty is important, I think. And I honestly think that Dudley would be a fool to trade pick # 8. There’s a good player still on that board for him to take.
I definitely feel that the organization is at least TRYING to turn the corner. I trust Dudley’s judgement far more than Waddell’s.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
7:55 pm
By the way, I still would have taken Tyler 1st overall. But I don’t think the Oilers “flubbed” this draft. You can’t “flub” it, unless you don’t take either Tyler or Taylor with the 1st overall pic. Taylor is more NHL-ready, so … maybe that’s what put him over the top?
Tom Lysiak
June 25th, 2010
8:17 pm
Uhh-oh, Duds was on the phone just now. They’re going to trade the pick, but it seems like you have to take Gormley since he is sitting there.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
8:23 pm
Alexander Burmistrov, a Russian, is our pick at #8. Thoughts? And it wasn’t Dudley or Waddell who made the pick.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
8:25 pm
Why didn’t we take Fowler?
Smitty
June 25th, 2010
8:28 pm
I guess we do not need Max anymore. This guy is a speedster.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
8:38 pm
I see Pierre McGuire is doing his usual ‘crying’ that the players THEY FELT should have been selected, haven’t been taken yet. Remember when Pierre nearly had a coronary when Angelo Esposito slid to 20th, for the Penguins? Remember when Alexei Cherepanov, (God rest his soul,) slid to 17th? Pierre almost had puddles on his face.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
8:40 pm
Dallas just took a goalie!!! Campbell!! I’d love to see the look on Kari Lehtonen’s face.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
8:44 pm
Ya know what, though … Anaheim picks next. And the Ducks always find great goalies. Anaheim is in the Pacific Division with Dallas so … maybe this was a “prevent Anaheim from getting Campbell” move??
Alan R.
June 25th, 2010
8:53 pm
Why didn’t we take Fowler?
Why should we have? Burmistrov is a Dudley style player. And we don’t need another D-man!!
Dallas just took a goalie!!! Campbell!! I’d love to see the look on Kari Lehtonen’s face.
Indifference? Dallas isn’t exactly overflowing with goalies! And it takes longer to develop them!
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
9:05 pm
Red Light, Pierre McGuire took your boy, Glen Sather, to task over their pick at #10. I know you were out there, smiling about it.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
9:09 pm
Florida just moved 4 slots back to pick up a higher-end 3rd rounder. Hmmn. L.A. is on the clock.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
9:11 pm
My mistake. It was pick #59 that Florida got, in the deal with the Kings. Sorry. Mea culpa.
Red Light
June 25th, 2010
9:50 pm
I don’t care if Burmistrov is the next coming of Peter the Great and has more skill than Ovie, when your franchise has been burned by Eastern Europeans and fans have a general distaste for other failed Russian experiments, you don’t draft any Russian with the No. 8 pick. You can never, ever have enough defensemen because everyone wants them and will pay a bonus for them. Not as bad a pick as New York (right Brendan?), but I still think there is a disconnect. You get bigger and tougher with the trade, and then you go for EE skill? Look, I hope the guy can play and is more Datsyuk than Kovy, but I would have taken one of the North American d-man. Safer and more appealing to your disenfranchised fan base.
Alan R.
June 25th, 2010
10:05 pm
We’re overly stacked at D. We simply don’t need any. We’re full. No Vacancy.
Burmistrov is a good pick. Wants to play in the NHL. Wants to be in the NHL and play the NA style. He believes, and I quote him directly, that the “KHL is for old guys.”
Sorry. Look deeper before dissing the pick. We got a Russian who wants to be in the NHL, and is a year or two away.
Red Light
June 25th, 2010
10:48 pm
Alan R. We’re “stacked” on D? Explain that rationale please. The Thrashers rank 25th or worse year after year in goals against and while they are trending stronger on paper the game is still played on ice.
Did you believe everything Kovalchuk said too?
Alan R.
June 25th, 2010
11:11 pm
A comment I just made needs to be freed, but I don’t care either way if it gets freed. Upon reflection, it’s not even worth freeing. If it gets freed from blog purgatory, however, this one can be deleted.
Brendan
June 25th, 2010
11:47 pm
McIlwraith, or something like that, at #10, Red Light? I cannot agree with Sather’s selection. But, who knows? Right? Drafting is an inexact science.
Ranallo once posted here, and I AGREE with him, that a Stanley Cup Champion has a defense, generally-spreaking, that looks like this:
Tier I Defender – Tier I defender
… and the rest fall into place. Does Atlanta have two Tier I defensemen anchoring its blueline? If so, who are they? Enstrom and Bogosian? Hainsey and Valabik? Kubina and Oduya? Now, I hear ya. Who says Cam Fowler is a ‘lock’ to be a Tier I defender? Nothing is a ‘lock.’ But I tell you this … I liked his interview, sitting next to the Ducks GM. And the Ducks GM was grinning like a cheshire cat to get Fowler at #12. I think he’s happy with the player he got.
kracker
June 26th, 2010
1:36 am
Dudley feels that a 10 pound heavier Burmistrov (to about 175) will be competing for a roster spot in camp. The next camp. I didn’t believe the 157 pound listing on his player stats for a second. We just went through this with Kane last draft season. Sure, he was 157 pounds or so 10 months ago or 6 months ago – he’s a kid who is still growing, getting stronger and adding weight and he has a ton of talent. Gretzky played at 170 pounds That should put this in perspective but our resident knee-jerk [non]experts say he’s a dour Russian that is too small and will definitely go home to play in Russia. All you smart guys: Do get back to me when you get a real NHL GM job, I may actually listen to you then. Maybe.
kracker
June 26th, 2010
1:48 am
Sorry, I missed typed in the above post, add 10 pounds to Burmistrov’s current weight and the hoped for camp weight to 185 or so.
Alan R.
June 26th, 2010
2:33 am
After thinking more on it, leave that comment buried, Trixie. Thanks.
Red Light: We’re “stacked” on D?
I question whether you’ve looked at our prospect pool. Why would we add yet another defenseman, when we have a lot in the system as it is? Would you add a gallon of water to an overflowing swimming pool?
Regarding Burmistrov, the KHL and Russian hockey burned its bridges with him, and he is more than happy to reciprocate. He doesn’t want to be in the KHL. Period. A little research goes a long way. You are usually far more insightful than this.
World Be Free
June 26th, 2010
9:17 am
Badger-not sure how long the Canadian love will last, but you can bet there will be a little more respect for the Thrashers up north now that Dudley is running the show. TSN seems to give Tallon and Dudley alotta repect. Not so much for Yzerman yet, he needs to earn the respect from a GM’s perspective.
World Be Free
June 26th, 2010
9:33 am
Fowler-when a guy slides that much, there has to be something there that scares the common GM. They kinda slide to where they should have been in the draft all along. Few players, like a Zach Parise ever slide then become stars; Peter Sykora slide too then became a pretty good player for a long time.
I like Dudley’s pick because you can’t teach skill, you either have it our you don’t and this kid has a bunch. But he’s skinny, he needs a couple KFC Double Downs in his diet to put on some weight. I think Dudley really wanted Skinner, just a hunch but took the Russian. This kid would rather not carry the stigma Eastern European players carry these days cause he wants to play here, just like Pavel Datsyuk wants to play in North Anerica. Interesting statement about the KHL being and “old man’s league” as Alan R. had noted.
Tough to find those cornerstone defenseman anymore, guys like Pronger and a handful of others out there that can play 25-30 minutes a game for a decade or two.
Great to meet Kracker, Val, JHL and family at the draft party last night. Sorry I missed you somehow Smoothie. Bill has a periless prediction for our favorite Canadian team but I’ll let him break it. I don’t know if I need to place a wager on this one or not, cause the Burke/Wilson team is pretty good. Don’t worry Val, Bolts will be back-well maybe.
Spud Webb
June 26th, 2010
9:37 am
Guys & girls, I honestly don’t know much about this kid. I’ll move to Chris’ blog now, but what are the chances of this kid playing up with us this year??? Thanks in advance!!!
Red Light
June 26th, 2010
9:58 am
Final comment on the subject. I am not saying that Burmistrov isn’t a dynamic player or that Gormley or Fowler would have answered all of our prayers on defense. I am simply saying that taking another Russian, no matter how talented, gifted, dedicated, etc., is bad form. I know how many defensemen are in our prospect pool and one thing I can clearly say is that I haven’t seen them in Atlanta yet so how do I know, or anyone else for that matter, know that they can play at the NHL level. As Brendan said, and I pointed out early, is that drafting 17- or 18-year-olds is a crap shoot, and I think given our past history of drafting or acquiring me-first Eastern Europeans is bad form, considering the last two gifted ones that played here left for greener pastures, and Kubina and Afinogenov may soon follow suit.
To me, that is a disturbing trend that the Thrashers have further fostered by selecting a Russian with the No. 8 pick. No malice towards the kid or Dudley’s evaluation of his skill, I just think drafting a North American is smarter long term. Perhaps I remember too well that this team passed up Marc Staal in 2005. Burmistrov seems like a nice kid, could be here for a decade or more and could have 60 assists per year, but it nags me because of the recent history of being burned.
That was always my point.
Alan R.
June 26th, 2010
9:59 am
Spud, I honestly believe Burmistrov is at least a year away. Dudley seems to believe the kid could step in this year if he puts on about 10lbs more, but I’m not seeing it.
Who knows, though. He might really surprise us at Traverse City and into camp.
World Be Free
June 26th, 2010
10:07 am
Red Light, you make great points about the hazards of taking a Russian or Eastern Euroepan when there are plenty of non-Russians out there who are qualified and less likely to bolt if the situation becomes unfavorable. The kid is pumped right now, for being selected so high. If the love wears off, will he do what Nik Filitov did and bolt for the KHL if he doesn’t like the coahces style? We cannot afford to blow such a high pick, so a safer pick at #8 wouls have made alotta sense. But this kid had all the criteria Dudley demanded in a player. He wants to play in the NHL, so let’s see how this plays out. Rick Dudley has never been swept off his feet by “undeniable talent”. He wants players that play an all-around game and he believes he found it in this kid. Let’s hope he is right, cause we need to get this franchise moving, short and long term.
World Be Free
June 26th, 2010
10:09 am
Bill-can’t find the Dudley link we spoke about-keep looking
Adam
June 26th, 2010
10:13 am
NHL Fan-house quote:
Burmistrov describes himself as “a very good playmaker who can score goals or create them for my teammates.” He says his style his similar to the great Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings because “I’m a guy you can count on to be strong defensively.”
But can Burmistrov be counted on to stay in North America, even if his development doesn’t always go smoothly?
“Yes,” he said with enthusiasm. “I played last year for 80 dollars when I could have made a lot more back home. I’m never going to play in the KHL, except maybe when I’m really old — like Jaromir Jagr.”