I don't really see Chucko and Pelech as having been safe picks at any point. Instead I view Chucko as an attempt to get a powerforward who had some skill. His skating was an issue for the new NHL, something that couldn't have been predicted at that time. He also didn't develop into as dominant a physical player as they hoped. Injuries have set him back.
Pelech was risky because of his injury in his draft year (much like backlund). Injuries set his development back and his mobility isn't perfect for the new NHL either.
I think to call most of Sutter's picks "safe" is to overgeneralize inaccurately. In fact arguably Craig Button's picks of Nystrom and Kobasew were "safer" picks than Sutter's picks of Chucko or Pelech
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