CENTRAL SCOUTING BUREAU

Second-guessing best bargain picks

If the legendary 1979 entry draft-the deepest in the NHL history-were held over again, Mark Messier, not Rob Ramage, would be the No. 1 pick. Ramage enjoyed a distinguished big-league career, but Messier became one of the best NHLers ever and continues to thrive at age 36. By picking Messier 48th overall, the Edmonton Oilers may have made the greatest pick ever. Patrick Roy being chosen 51st in 1984 by the Montreal Canadiens rivals it. In looking back at past drafts, it’s obvious the best players aren’t always selected in te opening round. In our draft primers, we have analyzed Rounds 2 through 4 from 1969 to 1993 (it’s too early to judge all the players from the past three drafts) and identified the best pick. We feel scouts who are on their toes…

Trying to form good Habits

The New Jersey Devils have done their homework when it comes to studying the success of the old Montreal Canadiens. The perception around the NHL has always been the Canadiens were able to dominate the game for three decades because they had a pipeline to the best French Canadian prospects and, therefore, were able to keep the team running at peak performance with a steady infusion of talent. Jacques Lemaire was a first hand witness to much of that history. And while he concedes the Canadiens did have the edge in signing French Canadians, he said it was actually the organization’s drafting prowess that made the difference. That is why Lemaire and the Devils’ scouting department believe the team can remain among the league’s elite for the next decade even though the…

Russian Experiment revisited

In need of an immediate injection of talent in 1992, the St. Louis Blues launched their big Russian Experiment. They used their first three entry draft picks-Nos. 38, 62 and 64-to select forwards Igor Korolev, Vitali Prokhorov and Vitali Karamnov. They signed them to long-term, multi-million-dollar contracts and watched in horror as the experiment failed. The trio combined for eight goals in 107 regular season games. None of them accomplished much in St. Louis and all moved on without bringing a thing in return. Only Korolev is still in the NHL and playing a bit part with the Phoenix Coyotes. But the Blues learned a valuable lesson. To scout in Europe, they need more than a single visit, which is what chief scout Ted Hampson was limited to in scouting the Three Comrades…