FrankD

United States, NJ • United States • 25 Years Old • Male

Draft Sleepers?

I was just wondering what people thought about sleepers in this year's draft. A lot of scouts and experts projected Angelo Esposito as a #1 prospect in 05/06, and he wasn't taken till the 20th pick from The Penguins. Similarally, Alexei Cherapanov was projected to be in the top 10 at one point, if not the top 5 and wasn't snagged till the 17th pick from the Rangers. Do you think these guys are underrated, or are Kane and VanRiemsdyk and the guys taken before just that good?

I for one feel Cherapanov would have gone earlier if he were Canadian or a product of the US Develop. Prog. A lot of teams perceived him as a gamble, somewhat like the Penguins and Malkin with the whole issue of having him come overseas to play and break away from the Russian league. As for Esposito, some scouts claimed he just showed no interest in playing for the Quebec Remparts, along with the fact he couldn't deal with some roster changes that ultimately hurt his playing. If he were really THAT good, shouldn't he have been able to stand out alone as a good player on a bad team? Like, say, Crosby with the 2005-06 Penguins...

Looking forward to your thoughts.