Kessel Trade, and the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
Posted 6:40 PM ET | Comments 0
Months after Phil Kessel was dealt from the Boston Bruins to the Toronto Maple Leafs the trade talks are still bothering me. I’m really tired of hearing both sides female doging and complaining about who got or who is getting the better deal.
After reading many of Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins fans blogs, tweets, and comments on TSN.ca, I can’t help but observe the common trend of remarks regarding the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. As of today the Boston Bruins are in position to draft a player in the top three. The common trend that Leafs fans are saying is that Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, and Cam Fowler are not going to be franchise players and Bruins fans are say that vice versa. There is no way to tell right now how these kids will develop, but based on scouting reports these kids are the real deal. The only reason why Leafs fans are degrading this years draft is because the Bruins have the lottery pick that the Maple Leafs traded away for Phil Kessel this past summer. Think about it. If it were the Leafs pick, every Leaf fan would be going on and on about how they’re getting the next Sidney Crosby or Steven Stamkos, while fellow contenders (i.e. Bruins) would say these kids will end up being busts. It’s the same cycle every year with both sides having a point.
But what are both sides basing their opinions on? How many games have you actually seen Hall, Seguin, or Flowler play in? As an American with basic cable, I have only gotten the privilege of seeing them play in the World Juniors and in various video clips on YouTube. So in no way can I assess them with a valid opinion from the little I have watched them. That must mean that those north of the boarder in Canada have a more accurate judgment because they get to watch these players on a weekly basis? False. You can’t use Juniors and World Juniors as an exact measuring stick to the NHL. After all, Juniors is boys against boys, while the NHL is men against men.
Both sides need to be reasonable and wait a couple years to make our final judgments. Time will tell if the Phil Kessel trade was worth it. Maybe the Bruins draft a player like Alexandre Daigle or Radek Bonk or they hit the jack pot with a Sidney Crosby or Steven Stamkos.
After reading many of Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins fans blogs, tweets, and comments on TSN.ca, I can’t help but observe the common trend of remarks regarding the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. As of today the Boston Bruins are in position to draft a player in the top three. The common trend that Leafs fans are saying is that Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, and Cam Fowler are not going to be franchise players and Bruins fans are say that vice versa. There is no way to tell right now how these kids will develop, but based on scouting reports these kids are the real deal. The only reason why Leafs fans are degrading this years draft is because the Bruins have the lottery pick that the Maple Leafs traded away for Phil Kessel this past summer. Think about it. If it were the Leafs pick, every Leaf fan would be going on and on about how they’re getting the next Sidney Crosby or Steven Stamkos, while fellow contenders (i.e. Bruins) would say these kids will end up being busts. It’s the same cycle every year with both sides having a point.
But what are both sides basing their opinions on? How many games have you actually seen Hall, Seguin, or Flowler play in? As an American with basic cable, I have only gotten the privilege of seeing them play in the World Juniors and in various video clips on YouTube. So in no way can I assess them with a valid opinion from the little I have watched them. That must mean that those north of the boarder in Canada have a more accurate judgment because they get to watch these players on a weekly basis? False. You can’t use Juniors and World Juniors as an exact measuring stick to the NHL. After all, Juniors is boys against boys, while the NHL is men against men.
Both sides need to be reasonable and wait a couple years to make our final judgments. Time will tell if the Phil Kessel trade was worth it. Maybe the Bruins draft a player like Alexandre Daigle or Radek Bonk or they hit the jack pot with a Sidney Crosby or Steven Stamkos.