Not So Fast, Steve
OK, so this is a small snippet from Steve Simmons' article today in the Toronto Sun. May or may not be reflective of his body of work. However, I beg to differ on the following point:
The euphoria over the possible drafting of John Tavares, and what he could do for an NHL team, is overblown. Think about this: Rick Nash and Jay Bouwmeester were the best two players drafted into the NHL in 2002. Six seasons later, neither has been in a playoff game...
Sure, John Tavares could easily be the next Alex Daigle. We'll never know until he spends a few years in the NHL.
However, this is an unfair snipe at Nash and Bouwmeester. Yes, the 2002 draft was pretty darn crappy. But how about a show of hands as to how many people would still like either of these two players on their team?
Thought so.
And who is one of the most talked about free agents to be right now?
Case and point.
Sure, they're no Ovechkin and Malkin -- the top two picks in 2004 -- but I don't think there's a GM in the league that would pass either of them up today.
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Someone needs to film a documentary on how Steve Simmons got his job, and how he's managed to keep it all these years later. It's truly a magnificent feat.
ReplyDeleteThey play in Columbus and Florida... One player doesn't help if rest of the team don't know which way to hold stick. If I remember right, Capitals didn't do that well in 05-06 with Ovechkin...
ReplyDeleteIt took Jordan eight seasons to win the NBA title. What's this guy's point? Is Nash supposed to have seven shutouts and forty goals at the same time?
ReplyDeleteI guarantee that if he isn't dealt before the deadline, 25 teams in the league will line up for Bowie's services. He'll wind up with at least a $6 mil per year deal.
Personally I hope that the ASG was a preview and he and Streit will be a full-time pairing back on the Island - it's not bloody likely, but as long as I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming big.
Maybe it wasn't so much a snipe at Nash and Bouwmeester than a snipe at their respective franchises. Maybe Simmons just meant that drafting a great player is not enough to turn around a franchise quickly? I didn't bother reading his article, but that would make sense to me.
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