The year of the second rounder
Posted 3:38 PM ET | Comments 2
The year of the second rounder: Oiler draft results 2002.
Armed with 4 picks in the top 45, Kevin Lowe went into the 2002 draft with a golden opportunity to build up the depth of the baby Oilers.
Round 1: Lowe first stepped up to the podium mid way through the first round, going over seas with the 15th overall pick to draft Jessi Niinimaki. Needless to say, Niinimaki was a complete bust going on to play all of zero games in the NHL.
Notables missed: Though Niinimaki was one of only 4 first rounder’s to never step foot on NHL regular season ice, fans can take solace that their was not a lot of high end players drafted later in the first round. The cream of the second half of the 02 first round would have to be Edmonton native Cam Ward, picked 10 spots later by the Canes……how good would the Oilers group of young talent look with the addition of Ward? Other players drafted after Jessi who have proven to be serviceable NHL’ers include: Alex Steen, Boyd Gordon, And Edmonton’s own, Denis Grebeshkov,
Final grade: Though Niinimaki wasn’t alone in the “bust” class of 02, he was still a blown pick in the first round. No choice but to give this an F
Round 2: In the second round the Oilers were lucky enough to make three selections: Jeff Deslauries 31st overall, Jarret Stoll 36th overall and Matt Green 44th overall. With 2 team regulars and a decent goalie prospect, Oiler fans have to be very happy with Klowes and the scouting staffs work in the second round of 02. Topping off the nice draft picks was the fact that Lowe recently turned Greene and Stoll into the best defensemen the Oil has seen since Pronger.
Notables missed: The top name of the second round would have to be stud defenseman, Duncan Keith, chosen 54th overall by the Hawks. Other notables include: Matt Stajan, Trevor Daley and Juri Hudler.
Final grade: Though their was some high end talent available in the second round, Lowe grabbed two of the 6 players who have played 150+ NHL games and still has decent prospect JDD in his back pocket. Final grade: A
…….sadly things go down hill from here, as the next 11 picks have combined for 3 games in the NHL
Round 3: With the 16th pick of the third round, 79th overall, Lowe went back to the NCAA, grabbing Michigan State left winger Brock Randunske. Since finishing school, Brock has bounced around the AHL and the ECHL, finishing up last year with the Augsburg Panthers.
Notables missed: Ironically enough, the best draft pick in the third round, was former Oilers draft pick and current Flames Speedster Matthew Lombardi. Currently Lombardi has played 297 games with the Oilers #1 rival. Scoring 56 goals and 137 points. Detroit’s Filpula and Coyote Matt Jones were the only other 3rd rounders drafted after Randunske to play 100+ games.
Final grade: Though the 3rd round was weak, their still were a couple of solid players picked near the bottom. Final grade: D
Round 4: In the fourth round, the Oilers made three selections, grabbing Russian Ivan Koltsov, Swedish center Jonas Almtorp and Canadian defensemen Robin Kovar, 106, 111 and 123rd overall. Koltsov last played in 05/06 in Russia, Almtorp is still in the Oilers system, coming to North America last year, splitting time in the AHL and the ECHL. After his last season in the WHL, Kovar began playing in the Czech league, last playing in 06/07
Notables missed: The top players chosen in the 4th round of 2002 were part time NHL Cam Janssen, most well known for his big hit on Toronto’s Thomas Kaberle, and the Oilers own Tom Gilbert.
Final grade: Alstrop is contributing in the Oilers system, however will likely never play a regular role in the NHL, while Koltsov and Almtorp were complete busts. For sheer volume of blown picks, the 4th round looks like an F, however considering their was only 1 player drafted that looks like he will have a successful NHL career bumps the round to a D-
Round 5: With the 148th pick the Oilers chose AJHL goalie Glen Fisher, after being drafted Glen played 4 successful seasons with the U of Denver before joining the Oilers ECHL affiliate. Glen played one game with the AHL Falcons this past season, letting in 3 goals on 8 shots.
Notables missed: Part time Blackhawk Dman, James Wisniewski is the only player chosen after Fisher to have played more then 1 game in the NHL.
Final grade: Though it is highly unlikely Fisher will ever play in the NHL, the 5 round produced one bust rather then the 3 from round four, bumping the grade to a D.
Round 6: In the 6th round, Lowe grabbed his only other player to see regular season NHL ice. MikkoLuoma was drafted 181st overall, playing 3 games for the Oilers in 03/04, after spending the rest of 03/04 in the AHL, Mikko packed his bags and went back overseas.
Notables missed: Puck moving defensemen, Paul Ranger and Ian White of Tampa Bay and Toronto, both drafted after Mikko are looking like solid, NHL calibre defensmen.
Final Grade: Another bust, however this late in the draft any NHL contribution is considered a bonus. D+
Round 7: With two picks in the 7th round, the Oilers grabbed a pair of left wingers, J-F Dufort from the QJHML and Patrick Murphy from the OPJHL. Patrick played 4 seasons in the NCAA and was never heard from again, while Dufort finished up his career in the Q without going any further in hockey.
Notables missed: Red Wings Dman Derik Meech and BJ’s goalie Fredrick Norrena are the only players from the 7th round still in the NHL. Norrena has gone on to be a serviceable back up, while Meech is an occasional call up for the Wings.
Final grade: Two more complete busts, factoring in that neither played in the Oilers system: D-
Round 8: Suprisingly, the 8th round produced four players with more then 100 games in the NHL….sadly the Oilers didn’t draft any of them. Choosing 244th and 245th, the Oil grabbed Dwight Helminen from the US national team and Czech forward Thomas Micka. After being drafted, Micka spent four years in the ECHL before heading back over seas, while Helminen played for the University of Michigan before splitting 4 seasons between the AHL and ECHL. Last year, Helminen played in Finland.
Notables mised: Recently signed Dennis Wideman and Peter Prucha have been the most successful players drafted in the 8th round. Pittsburgh’s center Max Talbot has also been a serviceable checking center for the Eastern conference champs, however all were drafted before the Micka/Helminen duo. Only center Ryan Craig played 100+ NHL games was drafted after the two Oiler’s picks.
Final grade: Though the 8th round did produce some late round gems, the majority were chosen before Lowe was able to hit the podium. Final grade: D
Round 9: With his final pick, 274 overall, Lowe selected Swedish center Fredrik Johansson, after spending 3 more seasons in Sweden, the 24 year old came to North America, splitting time between the Falcons and the Stockton Thunder.
Notables missed: Connor James, Adam Burish, Staffan Kronwall and the last player selected, Wings Dman Jonathan Ericsson have all played in the NHL. Burrish played all of last year as a checker/enforcer with the Hawks, Kronwall has shown potential in Toronto, and if history is any indication, Ericcson will be a Norris winner in 4-5 years, all in all, a decent return for players drafted in the late 200’s.
Final grade: Though Johansson appears to be nothing more then a farm hand, he isn’t done yet. Not bad for a player chosen 274th. D+
Final grade for 2002: Lowe did grab some key pieces for the Oilers, however his first rounder was a bust, and after the 2nd round, the draft yielded all of three NHL games. final grade: C-
Armed with 4 picks in the top 45, Kevin Lowe went into the 2002 draft with a golden opportunity to build up the depth of the baby Oilers.
Round 1: Lowe first stepped up to the podium mid way through the first round, going over seas with the 15th overall pick to draft Jessi Niinimaki. Needless to say, Niinimaki was a complete bust going on to play all of zero games in the NHL.
Notables missed: Though Niinimaki was one of only 4 first rounder’s to never step foot on NHL regular season ice, fans can take solace that their was not a lot of high end players drafted later in the first round. The cream of the second half of the 02 first round would have to be Edmonton native Cam Ward, picked 10 spots later by the Canes……how good would the Oilers group of young talent look with the addition of Ward? Other players drafted after Jessi who have proven to be serviceable NHL’ers include: Alex Steen, Boyd Gordon, And Edmonton’s own, Denis Grebeshkov,
Final grade: Though Niinimaki wasn’t alone in the “bust” class of 02, he was still a blown pick in the first round. No choice but to give this an F
Round 2: In the second round the Oilers were lucky enough to make three selections: Jeff Deslauries 31st overall, Jarret Stoll 36th overall and Matt Green 44th overall. With 2 team regulars and a decent goalie prospect, Oiler fans have to be very happy with Klowes and the scouting staffs work in the second round of 02. Topping off the nice draft picks was the fact that Lowe recently turned Greene and Stoll into the best defensemen the Oil has seen since Pronger.
Notables missed: The top name of the second round would have to be stud defenseman, Duncan Keith, chosen 54th overall by the Hawks. Other notables include: Matt Stajan, Trevor Daley and Juri Hudler.
Final grade: Though their was some high end talent available in the second round, Lowe grabbed two of the 6 players who have played 150+ NHL games and still has decent prospect JDD in his back pocket. Final grade: A
…….sadly things go down hill from here, as the next 11 picks have combined for 3 games in the NHL
Round 3: With the 16th pick of the third round, 79th overall, Lowe went back to the NCAA, grabbing Michigan State left winger Brock Randunske. Since finishing school, Brock has bounced around the AHL and the ECHL, finishing up last year with the Augsburg Panthers.
Notables missed: Ironically enough, the best draft pick in the third round, was former Oilers draft pick and current Flames Speedster Matthew Lombardi. Currently Lombardi has played 297 games with the Oilers #1 rival. Scoring 56 goals and 137 points. Detroit’s Filpula and Coyote Matt Jones were the only other 3rd rounders drafted after Randunske to play 100+ games.
Final grade: Though the 3rd round was weak, their still were a couple of solid players picked near the bottom. Final grade: D
Round 4: In the fourth round, the Oilers made three selections, grabbing Russian Ivan Koltsov, Swedish center Jonas Almtorp and Canadian defensemen Robin Kovar, 106, 111 and 123rd overall. Koltsov last played in 05/06 in Russia, Almtorp is still in the Oilers system, coming to North America last year, splitting time in the AHL and the ECHL. After his last season in the WHL, Kovar began playing in the Czech league, last playing in 06/07
Notables missed: The top players chosen in the 4th round of 2002 were part time NHL Cam Janssen, most well known for his big hit on Toronto’s Thomas Kaberle, and the Oilers own Tom Gilbert.
Final grade: Alstrop is contributing in the Oilers system, however will likely never play a regular role in the NHL, while Koltsov and Almtorp were complete busts. For sheer volume of blown picks, the 4th round looks like an F, however considering their was only 1 player drafted that looks like he will have a successful NHL career bumps the round to a D-
Round 5: With the 148th pick the Oilers chose AJHL goalie Glen Fisher, after being drafted Glen played 4 successful seasons with the U of Denver before joining the Oilers ECHL affiliate. Glen played one game with the AHL Falcons this past season, letting in 3 goals on 8 shots.
Notables missed: Part time Blackhawk Dman, James Wisniewski is the only player chosen after Fisher to have played more then 1 game in the NHL.
Final grade: Though it is highly unlikely Fisher will ever play in the NHL, the 5 round produced one bust rather then the 3 from round four, bumping the grade to a D.
Round 6: In the 6th round, Lowe grabbed his only other player to see regular season NHL ice. MikkoLuoma was drafted 181st overall, playing 3 games for the Oilers in 03/04, after spending the rest of 03/04 in the AHL, Mikko packed his bags and went back overseas.
Notables missed: Puck moving defensemen, Paul Ranger and Ian White of Tampa Bay and Toronto, both drafted after Mikko are looking like solid, NHL calibre defensmen.
Final Grade: Another bust, however this late in the draft any NHL contribution is considered a bonus. D+
Round 7: With two picks in the 7th round, the Oilers grabbed a pair of left wingers, J-F Dufort from the QJHML and Patrick Murphy from the OPJHL. Patrick played 4 seasons in the NCAA and was never heard from again, while Dufort finished up his career in the Q without going any further in hockey.
Notables missed: Red Wings Dman Derik Meech and BJ’s goalie Fredrick Norrena are the only players from the 7th round still in the NHL. Norrena has gone on to be a serviceable back up, while Meech is an occasional call up for the Wings.
Final grade: Two more complete busts, factoring in that neither played in the Oilers system: D-
Round 8: Suprisingly, the 8th round produced four players with more then 100 games in the NHL….sadly the Oilers didn’t draft any of them. Choosing 244th and 245th, the Oil grabbed Dwight Helminen from the US national team and Czech forward Thomas Micka. After being drafted, Micka spent four years in the ECHL before heading back over seas, while Helminen played for the University of Michigan before splitting 4 seasons between the AHL and ECHL. Last year, Helminen played in Finland.
Notables mised: Recently signed Dennis Wideman and Peter Prucha have been the most successful players drafted in the 8th round. Pittsburgh’s center Max Talbot has also been a serviceable checking center for the Eastern conference champs, however all were drafted before the Micka/Helminen duo. Only center Ryan Craig played 100+ NHL games was drafted after the two Oiler’s picks.
Final grade: Though the 8th round did produce some late round gems, the majority were chosen before Lowe was able to hit the podium. Final grade: D
Round 9: With his final pick, 274 overall, Lowe selected Swedish center Fredrik Johansson, after spending 3 more seasons in Sweden, the 24 year old came to North America, splitting time between the Falcons and the Stockton Thunder.
Notables missed: Connor James, Adam Burish, Staffan Kronwall and the last player selected, Wings Dman Jonathan Ericsson have all played in the NHL. Burrish played all of last year as a checker/enforcer with the Hawks, Kronwall has shown potential in Toronto, and if history is any indication, Ericcson will be a Norris winner in 4-5 years, all in all, a decent return for players drafted in the late 200’s.
Final grade: Though Johansson appears to be nothing more then a farm hand, he isn’t done yet. Not bad for a player chosen 274th. D+
Final grade for 2002: Lowe did grab some key pieces for the Oilers, however his first rounder was a bust, and after the 2nd round, the draft yielded all of three NHL games. final grade: C-
You forgot Tomas Fleischmann (Wings picked him 63rd overall right after Hudler in the 2nd round) He was traded to Washington in the Lang deal but has played 118 NHL games along with 2 playoff games and looked quite good in the few games i saw him play with Washington. A lot of the players in that draft class are just starting to establish themselves or just starting to crack NHL rosters so it is still early to put a final grade on this draft.Wings had a pretty good draft that year getting Hudler, Fleischmann, Filppula, Meech and Ericsson and all of them have already played a couple of NHL games.
Agreed on the "it's too early to judge this draft" That said, other then *maybe* Alstrop, it's pretty clear all of the above Oiler picks were duds.