Quote:
Originally Posted by moon
And much more from other leagues that didn't make it.
Only 5 guys in the 3rd round that year played more than him and he was the last pick in the round. Only 8 in the 2nd round played more than him. 33 guys drafted ahead of him never played in the league and another 14 played under 15 games.
So yes he wasn't a stud but getting 200 NHL games out of a guy is a decent 3rd round pick.
Sure hindsight we could have done better but so could basically everyone that didn't draft Corey Perry doesn't mean they are bad picks. Phaneuf was a very good pick at the time, not a reach for a Western kid
I am sure he liked Western kids and am not arguing that but it wasn't all they went, the Western kids were far from the majority of busts and it is very easy to deny that it was a Western bias that screwed this club and poor drafting overall.
Getting nothing from the Nemisz, Pelech, Erixon (during Sutter's tenure) are as big a problem with the club as any Western kid drafting. Taking Ramholt in the 2nd round that produced some top players is a huge problem.
Taking the Western kid in Phaneuf wasn't the problem it was the horrible trade made with him that was. For his first 3/4 years Phaneuf was a top 5 player from that draft while playing for the Flames.
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Go back and look at the 2004 draft and look past round 3 - lots of good nhl careers and none of them with the Flames. Much better players than Boyd were taken after he was selected.
Phaneuf was a great pick as a physical specimen and skill but lousy on character and hockey sense. Therebis a mystique about him that results kn him being rated as one of the most overrated players in the league. Thankfully the team looked at hockey sense and character later in Sutter's tenure and continues to this day.