devilsrule33 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) "How in the world did we get Zach Parise?" With Zach Parise's unceremoniously departure now behind us, I thought I'd take a look back at how exactly the Devils even ended up with him...with the help from current and former NJDevs members. As always with me, could be a running series but just as easily a one off. The NHL mandates that whoever wins the cup gets the last pick of every round of the draft, and with 30 teams in the league, whoever wins the cup can generally look forward to picking up a player like Chris O'Sullivan Deron Quint, Mike McBain, Josh Green, Jean-Marc Pelletier, Artem Chubarov, Luke Sellars, Jeff Taffe, Dave Steckel, Jim Slater (The #30 picks for the last 10 years) in the first round. As I'm sure most you remember, we won the Stanley Cup on June 9, but we didn't end up with any Mike McBain or Deron Quint; no, we got one of the best NCAA forwards out there - a freshman Hobey Baker finalist, a guy whose only knock is his size (but if you look at his size - 5'11, you're left scratching your head) here's what was being said before the draft: 9. Zach Parise --C--North Dakota All he seems to lack is size, but with his heart, it might not matter. Extremely gifted offensive player who can create and finish. Thrives in the open ice but will also get involved along the boards. Very strong on special teams and has very good hockey sense. - Prospect Advisor Parise was ranked 9th because this is an unusally deep draft year, if he had been a year older, he likely would have been the 4th best prospect, behind only Rick Nash, Jay Bouwmeester, and Kari Lehtonnen. Make no mistake, Parise is a "can't miss" prospect, of course, can't miss prospects miss all the time, Alexandre Daigle for example, but Parise is in the class of prospects that's about as sure a thing as you can get. So how did the Devils get him? 1. We had the right to switch picks with The Saint Louis Blues because of the Scott Stevens tampering case, So instead of having the #30 pick, we actually switched and got the #22 pick. Still, that was not even close to Parise. Lou and Conte went to the draft with their eyes on guys like Anthony Stewart, in fact he didn't even have a tag for Parise. 2. This draft, as I already mentioned was deep, but it was weighted in forwards. If you wanted a quality defenseman, you had to get him early. That led to several defensemen getting picked earlier than they should have, and bumped the quality forwards down. (Also, Marc Andre Fleury was the only star quality goalie in the draft, so he went rigtht away too 3. In a draft class with so many forwards, there are lots of big forwards with skill available. The only forward under 6'2 drafted in the top 9 was explosive forward Nikolai Zherdev. In a draft class with a lot of big forwards, Zach Parise fell way too far. Remember, he's 5'11, not exactly Brian Gionta here. And he's still growing. 4. There were 4 big name forwards that fell: Steve Bernier, Zach Parise, Danny Fritsche, and Patrik O'Sullivan. San Jose struck first, trading 3 of their picks (#25, a 2nd rounder, and a 4th rounder) to move up 9 slots to #16 and nab Steve Bernier, a forward with excellent size and potential who like Parise, should've been taken much earlier. The jig was up, and Lou moved decisively. Since he only had to move up 5 slots as opposed to 9, Edmunton stood a good chance of getting the player that they wanted anyway, so the move only cost Lou the 68th pick in the draft. The mind boggling conspiricy of events was complete, and New Jersey had one its most signifigant 1st round draft picks since Petr Sykora fell to #18 was picked up way back in 1995; another highly skilled forward picked up after winning the Stanley Cup. The Devils had the right to swap picks with the Blues once in a 5-year period. This would be the last year, and with the Devils winning the Cup, and it being such a deep draft, it couldn't have worked out better, especially when it looked at first like the Devils would never even take advantage of this ruling. The Blues won the Presidents' trophy that year with 114 points, 11 more than New Jersey, but were upset in the first round by the Sharks. That coupled with the Devils Stanley Cup win allowed them to move up 8 spots. Also, not bad when you look at where the mock drafts had Zach Parise going -- and who the Devils taking. 7. Nashville Predators: Zach Parise, C, U. of North Dakota (WCHA) Preds GM David Poile is notorious for drafting CHL talent in Round 1. That will change this year, as he attempts to add more skill to the organization. Parise would immediately become the franchise's second-best center in terms of skill level (behind No. 1 pivot David Legwand). 10 C Zach Parise North Dakota (WCHA) 5'11" 186 7/28/84 Though Vanek stole the headlines with his impressive run at the end of the year, Parise was the best freshman for the first half of the season. The son of 14-year NHLer J.P. Parise has incredible hockey sense and great skills with the puck. He has answered questions about his size and looks to be a top-notch scoring prospect with first-line potential. 22. New Jersey Devils: Jeff Tambellini, LW, U. of Michigan (CCHA) The Devils do a great job of scouting the NCAA ranks, so Tambellini fits into their drafting profile to the letter. He's definitely a long-range pick, since very few Devils ever bypass the AHL and graduate straight to the big league. Tambellini will play at least two more years at Michigan. 22 D Brent Seabrook Lethbridge (WHL) 6'2 1/2" 220 4/20/85 The Devils never have lacked physical blueliners, and Seabrook could be an impressive two-way player with another year or two of seasoning. Much like Barret Jackman emerged while playing with Al MacInnis this season, Seabrook would benefit greatly from playing alongside Scott Stevens before the end of his great career. The excitement was obvious from everyone here, as they knew the Devils had lucked themselves into a gem with the help of David Conte urging Lou Lamoriello to pull the trigger after seeing a great opportunity to grab a player they had no business getting. They could thank the Edmonton Oilers too, who had their eyes set on Marc-Antoine Pouliot, who they believed they could get at 22 (and they were right). Pouliot has bounced around from the minors to the NHL and from team-to-team his entire career. He currently has 57 points in 192 games. It was so funny; I was watching the draft on tape. I had intended to go here and get a thumbnail on everything but I couldn't get on the computer so I went and watched the tape and poor Pierre McGuire was beside himself that nobody picked this kid Parise. Then my jaw drops when Lou trades up. First cause I didn't expect it. Second cause I thought they might be picking this kid. And boy was I laughing my a$$ off when they did and McGuire was all happy, saying over and over again about how this is why the Devils win year after year Lou was all happy too; I loved where he said we didn't even have a nametag for the kid cause we didn't figure he'd fall to us Sounds like a helluva pick too; any player with the NHL bloodlines already has a plus to start with. And 5'11 is NOT short by any stretch. We're not talking Brian Gionta short for crying out loud Oh and one very underrated part of the trade: Lou didn't give up the farm to move up as so many other teams did. Florida gave up three picks including two second rounders to move up. The Sharks gave up three picks (including two high) to move up. The Devils only gave up one (other) pick to move up, a late second rounder. The Devs not only got great value for their pick but they got great value in the trade as well. Did you see the sh!t-eating grin on Lou's face? He couldn't believe they got him! Sounds like they found a real winner!! Another College player for Lou, he WAS the best Freshman in the NCAA this year hands down. Hes got it all, fearless, great offensive insticts. Good pick. Said one college scout: "He is a star. He can do it all. He can skate. He is strong, and I do not know what his knock is. He can do just about anything. He is a fantastic player. To me, he is magical. I think he is one of the best college players to come down the pipeline in years." The knock is his size. Parise does not have a thick body yet, and time will tell whether he gets bigger and faster. "I don't see size as an issue," said a scout. "His dad wasn't big. Zach's a competitor like his dad." sounds good to me! OutSTANDing pick. Bob McKenzie is very astonished he went so low. But the Devils are soooooo smart. There are other diamonds in the rough the org. has its eye on. This was the right pick and not a tough way to get it. Happy Lou is so cool. A year later it was becoming more obvious what a special pick this would be. Zach Parise - May have been the best pick of the 1st round even a year after the draft. His MVP performence at the WJC and being the Hobey Baker finalist clearly places him as the future of US hockey and of the New Jersey Devils system. Next year he should be a lock for the Devils roster. In case you were wondering, the St Louis Blues ended up with Shawn Belle, the 2nd worst player taken in the first round (2nd to the Rangers drafting Hugh Jessiman of course) with the Devils original 30th pick. Belle played just 20 games in the NHL. Edited July 17, 2012 by devilsrule33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Leeds Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Cool research. I didn't know jack about him (or anyone else) I honestly wish he had taken the 7/49M offer, but I don't blame him. I am just glad we didn't give him the deal Minny did. He'll regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 dr33, man you are great with these discussion threads. Some good bits here but jeez it is tough to see with Parise leaving so soon. I admire your ability to detach your emotions from the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLinfante Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) Excellent info in there; well done! I think it's interesting to note that we didnt break the bank or sell the farm to get ZP in the first place, and we managed to do the same in failing to keep him...probably another victory for the franchise. Sad to see him go, but I think he'll join the ranks of former Devils to realize that the grass isnt greener outside of Jersey. I cannot possibly imagine how much pressure there will be on him coming up. Edited July 17, 2012 by NLinfante Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Nice info, but I'm not sure why you had to bring this up now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) Nice info, but I'm not sure why you had to bring this up now. When would be a good time? In a month? In a year? I know for some people, the thought of anything Parise related makes them sick, but what can you do. It's been a sh!tty off-season, but this is just a reminder of a good time where the Devils were fresh off winning the Stanley Cup, and instead of picking 30th, they were able to nab an expected top 10 player in the draft. The only cost was a compensation pick for the loss of Bobby Holik. That's pretty damn cool. By the way, if you wanted to know why the Blues wanted Scott Stevens so badly, enough to be caught tampering, here's Blackjack again with goods: Here's the long story, and it involves how Scott Stevens became a Devil in the first place. So that makes it fun to tell! B) Back in the early '90s The St. Louis Blues were like the New York Rangers, offering huge contracts to whoever would sign. RFA, or UFA, it didn't matter. Their biggest prize was hard hitting Washington defenseman Scott Stevens. The Blues signed him to a big offer sheet, which Washington couldn't match, and St. Louis sacrificed 5 first round draft picks. (The only real star that came out of those picks was Sergei Gonchar btw) Then the Blues set their sights on New Jerey powerforward Brenden Shanahan. New Jersey was a small market franchise at the time, and could not match the offer that St. Louis put on the table for Shanahan. Since St. Louis had already sacrificed it's picks to Washington, an arbitor decided on the compensation to the Devils. The Blues offered up and coming goalie Curtis Joseph, and Rod Brind'amour. But the Devils pointed out that Stevens was worth 5 first round draft picks, and that the compensation was to take the place of the picks, so logically they should get Stevens. The Blues were devastated when the arbitor agreed, and gave Scott Stevens to the Devils. They patiently waited the years for Stevens' contract to expire, and when it did, they signed him almost literally at midnight. This time, The Devils were able to match, and Stevens stayed a Devil, but Lou Lamorello smelled a rat, and asked the league to look into it. The subsequent investigation revealed that The Blues had talked to Stevens before his contract with The Devils had expired (contract tampering) and in 1999 the league awarded The Devils $1.5 million, 1 first round draft pick, and 1 right to swap draft picks. Both the pick and the right to swap had to be used within 5 years (1999-2003) so this was the last year for the swap. I think we traded the pick a year or two ago. Edited July 17, 2012 by devilsrule33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubie#8 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Zach who? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 A nice read, although depressing at the same time. Let's hope we got the same kind of steal in Merrill and that Henrique's progression continues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) A nice read, although depressing at the same time. Let's hope we got the same kind of steal in Merrill and that Henrique's progression continues. A lot less depressing than if the Devils ended up taking Anthony Stewart or Jeff Tambellini at 22. Edited July 17, 2012 by devilsrule33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squishyx Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Nice research. A little depressing to think he won't be a Devil for the rest of his career but oh well, I hope he never makes another playoffs again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Leeds Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 A lot less depressing than if the Devils ended up taking Anthony Stewart or Jeff Tambellini at 22. Or especially the Rag$ pick of Hugh (Who) Jessiman with #12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck the Duck Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Or especially the Rag$ pick of Hugh (Who) Jessiman with #12 After that draft, and throughout the lockout I believe, MSG ran a series where they were imbedded with the Rags front office personel as they went through the combine and everything leading up to and including that draft. I remember them talking about Parise and how good he was, but ultimately they kept saying that Jessiman was a better all around player that was going to be a monster in this league and was too good to pass up at 12. I wish they would re-run that program instead of some other crap they have on this summer as it will easily be one of the best "comedies" they are showing in their summer of movies series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 A lot less depressing than if the Devils ended up taking Anthony Stewart or Jeff Tambellini at 22. As they say, better to have loved and lost . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Who knows....maybe Tambellini or Stewart would have been studs here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Excellent stuff, dr33. Zach lived up to absolutely everything here - would be nicer if this were in the wake of him signing here, but such is life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Excellent stuff, dr33. Zach lived up to absolutely everything here - would be nicer if this were in the wake of him signing here, but such is life. Now I have no interest in finding the Pierre McGuire spasm when the Devils drafted Parise. At least the Larsson draft video is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devils102 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) Amazingly deep draft : http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2003e.html Compare to 2002 for example: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2002e.html Edited July 17, 2012 by devils102 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) Amazingly deep draft : http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2003e.html Compare to 2002 for example: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2002e.html hahaha That Rangers pick in 2003 is really the black sheep of the group. I used to think we were just biased, but they really are just a joke of a franchise, up to the furthermost reaches of their organization.. The moves they have made and continue to make really make you scratch your head in disbelief.. Edited July 17, 2012 by DJ Eco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 hahaha That Rangers pick in 2003 is really the black sheep of the group. I used to think we were just biased, but they really are just a joke of a franchise, up to the furthermost reaches of their organization.. The moves they have made and continue to make really make you scratch your head in disbelief.. they've been better lately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revan Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 We lost Parise, but look at the bright side: we have the player who got picked even higher that year, Steve Bernier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aylbert Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Amazingly deep draft : http://www.hockeydb....t/nhl2003e.html Compare to 2002 for example: http://www.hockeydb....t/nhl2002e.html The '03 second round had a lot of good hits as well (Weber, Carle, Bergeron, Backes, Errikson, Backes, Jimmy Howard...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 This really just makes me nervous about when Lou retires.. 3 years with a bad GM could kill us and we need to be good to do well at the gate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capo Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Zach was a great pick but... In hindsight, Getzlaf and Perry are both better players, were drafted after him, and by the same team. Anaheim killed that draft and eventually won a cup in large because of it. Sure, a certain #27 had something to do with that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 (edited) Zach was a great pick but... In hindsight, Getzlaf and Perry are both better players, were drafted after him, and by the same team. Anaheim killed that draft and eventually won a cup in large because of it. Sure, a certain #27 had something to do with that too. The Ducks hit that draft out of the park. The Ducks coming off their Stanley Cup appearance had two picks at 19 and 29 and nailed both of them. I still don't think either are better than Zach Parise at all. You can make a case for it, with Perry having that ridiculous season last year, somehow winning the MVP, but he followed it up with a pretty disappointing one this year. Getzlaf has been in a funk for a few years now. The Perry pick was a gem though. I don't think many people had him going in the first round at all. It would have been one of the most insane reaches that turned out right in the NHL. He was ranked 35th among NA skaters. ...And Pronger probably had a bigger role in that win than Niedermayer. Edited July 18, 2012 by devilsrule33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Zach was a great pick but... In hindsight, Getzlaf and Perry are both better players, were drafted after him, and by the same team. Anaheim killed that draft and eventually won a cup in large because of it. Sure, a certain #27 had something to do with that too. Perry is not better than Parise. Getzlaf it's debatable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.