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Looking At #1
by Paul on 06/12/07 at 10:32 AM ET
Comments (3)
from the Chicago Blackhawks,
A study of the 20 players selected first overall between 1987 and 2006 allows one to make three encouraging predictions about the career of the next one to be so chosen:
1. The player will make it to the National Hockey League (19 out of 20*).
2. The player will play in the NHL for the team that drafted him (18 out of 20**).
3. The player will enjoy an extended and productive career.
These predictions may seem like common sense, but accurately forecasting the career paths of young men not even 20 years old is difficult, to say the least. Some of the 20 players selected with the top pick since Buffalo tagged Pierre Turgeon in 1987 played at least one season in a minor professional, major junior, or collegiate league after being drafted but before joining their NHL team.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
I noticed that too, Doogie. I assume it’s just an oversight. What I can’t consider an oversight is the avoidance of any mention of Chicago’s draft history over the last 20 years.
Pop quiz: Name the last bonafide NHL star to pull on a Blackhawks sweater on draft day?
Answer: Jeremy Roenick in 1988.
While giving Toews, Skille, Seabrook, et al. the benefit of the doubt (at least for a few more years), Chicago’s draft record since then is largely a wasteland. They’ve managed to come up with a couple of serviceable career pluggers (Moreau, McAmmond, perhaps Cleary if he keeps going) and the odd potential teaser that might be somebody if he could tie his skates without getting injured (Daze, Ruutu). I don’t care if people think they’re cursed, arent’ lucky, or flat-out suck—you can’t argue with results (or in this case, the lack thereof).
The Blackhawks *will* find a way to screw this up.
Posted by shep from california on 06/12/07 at 12:07 PM ET
I noticed the studious avoidance of Chicago’s draft history, too.
They may not have had a number one pick, but they have had very high picks and managed to do nothing with them of any consequence.
With a record like that, some fans are hoping they manage to trade the pick to avoid the near-inevitable screw-up that will result either from picking the wrong player, or picking the right player but expecting him to play 20 minutes a night on their top line right away.
For the sake of the fans they have left and the history of the franchise, I hope they defy all their odds and manage to not screw up this opportunity.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/12/07 at 01:36 PM ET
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By “HFD”, I presume they mean Quebec?
Posted by Doogie2K from Calgary on 06/12/07 at 11:09 AM ET