Shootin' Blanks
9 out of the 10 past drafts the Blue Jackets have had a top ten pick, and to date have only managed to draft one proven NHL star, Rick Nash, first overall in 2002.
Let's examin the Strike Outs: Pascal Leclaire 8th overall in 2001; Alex Picard 8th overall in 2004, Gilbert Brule 6th overall in 2005.
Time will tell if Derrick Brassard and Nikita Filatov can live up to the hype. If this draft ranking was based on picking incredibly talented individuals the Jackets would be among the best, I mean, look at the talen we've listed here, but it just hasn't panned out.
Nick Zherdev left the team but he's looking like a top flight forward now...in Philedelphia.
While 2009's John Moore is looking dynamite for Springfield and 2010's Ryan Johansen just used the WJC as his own personal arrival party looking at the track record it's hard to get excited.
Jakub Voracek has got a tonne of potential and looks like he'll continue to improve but it's not enough to save face for the waste picks. To be fair who among you thought Gibler Brule would be a bust? Pascal Leclaire was looking like a perennial Vezina trophy winner but he's been injured ever since. It's so bad Stefan Legien, taken 37th overall in 2007 quit hockey...he eventually came back and did have a 20 goals season in the AHL a couple years ago.
The Jackets have turned up a couple gems like OK tolefsen, Lasse Pirjeta and Greg Mauldin in 2002, 65th, 133rd and 199th respectively. Marc Methot wasn't a bad pick at 168th overall, or Jared Boll at 101. They were handed Kris Russel on a platter at 67th, but he hasn't been that good; servicable yes, but not the puck moving wizard he showed he could be in junior.
The more I type, the worse this grade gets. I'm going to give them a C before I change my mind.
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