Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!trwrb!cepu!ucla-cs!rick From: rick@ucla-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey Subject: Re: how to build a contender Message-ID: <4468@ucla-cs.ARPA> Date: Sat, 23-Mar-85 02:15:44 EST Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.4468 Posted: Sat Mar 23 02:15:44 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 25-Mar-85 02:26:11 EST References: <1466@dciem.UUCP> Reply-To: rick@ucla-cs.UUCP (Richard Gillespie) Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department Lines: 67 Summary: In article <1466@dciem.UUCP> jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson) writes: >The other teams in the league can learn two valuable lessons from the 1985 >Flyers on how to build a contender: > >1. It is much more important to have experience on defence than on forward. > (This is a lesson that our Maple Leafs should have learned by now.) > >2. Great teams are built in the second round of the draft and later, not > in the first round. That's where players like the Flyers' young forwards > are found, but since they have some quality that's difficult to detect > at junior age (it certainly doesn't show up on paper), it takes a great > scouting staff to separate these players from the bulk of players from > these rounds who will never make the NHL. I can't really argue with the first point. However, it is dangerous to make generalizations. I think most teams (except, of course, for the Oilers) will agree that you must build from defense. Let's take a case history of the New York Islanders: In their first year the Isles set a new standard for inept play. The players began to wonder where the town "Hapless" was because they were often referred to (when they visited other towns) as the Hapless Islanders. To be frank, they stunk. Even I didn't like them then. However, in their second year they hired Arbor as coach. He stressed defensive play (and brought along a couple of young goalies: Billy Smith and Glen Resch). And there was *the* draft. Sam Pollock walked G.M. Torrey around the Montreal Forum 3 times trying to pry the Isles #1 draft choice (Denis Potvin) away. The Isles also drafted Dave Lewis in the second round. With the new defensive posture the team improved. Their record wasn't much better but they weren't getting blown out as much. By adding defensive forwards they made the playoffs in their third year, the year they drafted Clark Gillies in the first round and Bryan Trottier (who no one seemed to like at the time) in the second (Trottier stayed in junior that year - it was the first year of the under-age draft). With his defenive team in place (forwards and defensemen) Arbor then turned his attention to offense. Players like Bob Bourne and Bob Nystrom were playing already but then were given more room. Trottier came along. And then there was Mike Bossy ("he can't check his hat"). Arbor claimed he could teach a man to backcheck but not to score like that guy - and so Bossy ended up on Long Island. With a little more tinkering on offense (and defense) they got 4 Stanley Cups. The plan was clear from the start: build from the net, to defense, to offense. And it worked. Now, for the second point: "Great teams are built in the second round of the draft and later". I disagree. Great teams are built from good players who play for the team and not for themselves. The reason so many first rounders flop is that teams cannot judge talent AND character AND "chemistry". A great junior player doesn't always pan out. A further problem has been the underage draft. It is a real crap-shoot figuring out how an 18 year old will play in a couple of years. So, now you end up with first rounders being discouraged because they are left in junior for another year or two so they quit trying. The later round picks know they have to try harder so they put in more effort and end up "better" (not necessarily more talented). The current system (underage draft) hurts the weaker teams because a high draft choice is a real gamble, while the stronger teams can afford to let players continue to mature in junior without force-feeding them in big leagues. Of course it helps if you are friends with Nelson Skalbania so he will hand you Gretzky on a platter :-). -- Rick Gillespie rick@ucla-cs ...!{cepu|ihnp4|sdcrdcf|ucbvax}!ucla-cs!rick "She turned me into a newt! . . . I got better."