Rate the last 5 RC classes.

[Rabbit]

Just for spits and giggles. I'm curious to see the last five RC classes ranked and rated. I'll add mine in a little bit. I want to put some thought into it.

[mywaxpax99]

07-08 = B+
06-07 = B-
05-06 = A+
04-05 = C-
03-04 = C (I forgot who is in this one)

[pathshot]

Originally Posted by mywaxpax99

07-08 = B+
06-07 = B-
05-06 = A+
04-05 = C-
03-04 = C (I forgot who is in this one)

2007-08 A (Carey Price, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Nicklas Backstrom, Peter Mueller, Sam Gagner - many already regulars on their teams)
2006-07 B- (Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Anze Kopitar, Paul Stastny, Alexander Radulov, Drew Stafford, Dustin Penner)
2005-06 A+ (Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Thomas Vanek, Jeff Carter, Dion Phaneuf)
2004-05 No real "rookie class" to speak of.
2003-04 C+ (Marc Andre Fleury, Eric Staal, Nathan Horton, Nikolai Zherdev, Brad Boyes)
2002-03 C (Jason Spezza, Rick Nash, Henrik Zetterberg, Ryan Miller, Jay Bouwmeester)

[mywaxpax99]

I think that 02-03 had a better class than 03-04. C'mon you have Spezza, Nash, and Zetterberg compared to only Staal in 04. Fleury, Zherdev, Horton and Boyes aren't proven.

[matts_cardz]

Originally Posted by pathshot

2007-08 A (Carey Price, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Nicklas Backstrom, Peter Mueller, Sam Gagner - many already regulars on their teams)
2006-07 B- (Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Anze Kopitar, Paul Stastny, Alexander Radulov, Drew Stafford, Dustin Penner)
2005-06 A+ (Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Thomas Vanek, Jeff Carter, Dion Phaneuf)
2004-05 No real "rookie class" to speak of.
2003-04 C+ (Marc Andre Fleury, Eric Staal, Nathan Horton, Nikolai Zherdev, Brad Boyes)
2002-03 C (Jason Spezza, Rick Nash, Henrik Zetterberg, Ryan Miller, Jay Bouwmeester)

07-08 - A-
06-07 - B
05-06 - A+
03-04 - C
02-03 - A- (no way in hell 03-04 is better than 02-03 with Nash, Zetterberg and Spezza getting 60+ points a season)

[pathshot]

Originally Posted by matts_cardz

07-08 - A-
06-07 - B
05-06 - A+
03-04 - C
02-03 - A- (no way in hell 03-04 is better than 02-03 with Nash, Zetterberg and Spezza getting 60+ points a season)

You've named off the only three rookies that really mattered from 2002-03. Frolov and Hemsky have been impact players at random, and Ryan Miller is a headcase. How can 02-03 be at the same level as this year's crop?

[pathshot]

Originally Posted by mywaxpax99

I think that 02-03 had a better class than 03-04. C'mon you have Spezza, Nash, and Zetterberg compared to only Staal in 04. Fleury, Zherdev, Horton and Boyes aren't proven.

Eric Staal, M-A Fleury, Patrice Bergeron, Kari Lehtonen, Nikolai Zherdev, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Marek Svatos, Chris Higgins and Brad Boyes are in top line or #1 roles on each of their teams.

[mywaxpax99]

Originally Posted by pathshot

Eric Staal, M-A Fleury, Kari Lehtonen, Nikolai Zherdev, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Marek Svatos and Brad Boyes are in top line or #1 roles on each of their teams.

Yeah but they all kinda suck except for Staal. Both Fleury and Lethonen are nowhere near considered good. The others are just average players.

[mcq91]

- Dustin Penner was 05-06, but I don't know if I'd include him on that list when you add Getzlaf, Lundqvist, Richards, Parise, Perry and Wolski

- 06/07 add Kessel to that list in the next couple of years if he continues to develop

I don't think the 03-04 class deserves a "C" though - there is no superstar other than Staal, but the overall depth is certainly better than 06-07 and 02-03

[frozenntimesports]

Originally Posted by mywaxpax99

07-08 = B+
06-07 = B-
05-06 = A+
04-05 = C-
03-04 = C (I forgot who is in this one)

07-08 A: Kane, Toews, Backstrom, Price, Mueller, Enstrom, Halak
06-07 B+: Malkin, Staal, Stastny, Backstrom
05-06 A+: Crosby, Ovechkin, Brule, Getzlaf, Lundqvist, Ward, Carter, Richards, Vanek...
03-04 A+: Fleury, Bergeron, Staal, Horton, Lupul, Ruutu, Tootoo, Lehtonen, Niitymaki, Svatos...
02-03 B-: Nash, Zetterberg, Spezza, Miller, Cammaelleri.


The weakest rookie class has been 02-03 and that is one of the best. 2003-04 will probably be better in depth than 05-06 but it lacks the top guns of 02-03, 05-06 & 06-07

[mywaxpax99]

"2003-04 will probably be better in depth than 05-06"

Wha wha wha what!?

[Rabbit]

Originally Posted by mywaxpax99

Yeah but they all kinda suck except for Staal. Both Fleury and Lethonen are nowhere near considered good. The others are just average players.

Wow. Not even remotely accurate. Boyes has 38 goals this year. Roy and Pominville both have 70pts. Svatos still leads his team in scoring despite missing 12 games...a team that features Sakic, Stastny, Wolski, Smyth, Forsberg, etc.

Average???

[mywaxpax99]

None of them made the all-star team so I guess they weren't that good, buddy.

[csun22]

Originally Posted by mywaxpax99

None of them made the all-star team so I guess they weren't that good, buddy.

Just cuz a player doesn't make an all-star team doesn't mean they aren't good.

[matts_cardz]

now that I look at it, 03-04 had alot of players that have grown...but the star potential isnt there like 02-03, 05-06 or 07-08....1/2 (maybe more) of the 03-04 class have been hurt this year, Fleury, Bergeron, Lupul, Lehtonen, etc....the 03-04 class just doesnt stand out in my opinion, maybe a couple years down the road it will though

[mywaxpax99]

Originally Posted by matts_cardz

now that I look at it, 03-04 had alot of players that have grown...but the star potential isnt there like 02-03, 05-06 or 07-08....1/2 (maybe more) of the 03-04 class have been hurt this year, Fleury, Bergeron, Lupul, Lehtonen, etc....the 03-04 class just doesnt stand out in my opinion, maybe a couple years down the road it will though

Totally agree. Fleury is a bust, Lupul is nothing, Lethonen could be good...

[pathshot]

Originally Posted by mcq91

- Dustin Penner was 05-06, but I don't know if I'd include him on that list when you add Getzlaf, Lundqvist, Richards, Parise, Perry and Wolski

- 06/07 add Kessel to that list in the next couple of years if he continues to develop

I don't think the 03-04 class deserves a "C" though - there is no superstar other than Staal, but the overall depth is certainly better than 06-07 and 02-03

You're right - Penner's RCs were in 2005-06, while his NHL rookie season was 2006-07. I omitted Kessel simply because he has yet to kick it at an NHL level.

[pathshot]

Originally Posted by mywaxpax99

Totally agree. Fleury is a bust, Lupul is nothing, Lethonen could be good...

Ray Shero and Michel Therrien disagree with you on the Fleury point. In spite of a NHL GAA-leading performance by Ty Conklin, they continue to go with him.

As far as Lupul and Lehtonen....well, have you watched any hockey this season? Both have put forth some very dominating performances.

[matts_cardz]

ya while on the IR right? Were they good watchers of the game?, might need to put that on the stat sheet

How can you say Lehtonen has had a very dominating season, while he's been 14-21 with a GAA over 3.0....Curtis Joseph could do better than that

[flobert1205]

Can I be a jerk and say that 05-06 Rookie class sucks??????

I don't even remotely feel this way, but I just want to stir the pot!!!!

[Vintage Collector]

Originally Posted by flobert1205

Can I be a jerk and say that 05-06 Rookie class sucks??????

I don't even remotely feel this way, but I just want to stir the pot!!!!

Yeah, stir the pot!

Crosby Sucks!

I'm Buying Crosby Rookies!

[flobert1205]

Ovechkin is a flash in the pan!!!! Crosby is a Momma's boy! Phaneuf should be in jail!!!! Vanek is a cry baby!!!

Now collecting Crosby, Ovechkin, Phaneuf, and Vanek RCs!!!!!

[Vintage Collector]

Yeah! Lundquist stinks also ans Zach Parise and Mike Richards and Crey Perry also!

What a waste of a draft class!

Buying All 2005/06 Hockey Rookies, pm me!

[matts_cardz]

Dont forget Getzlaf...YUCK!

[frozenntimesports]

Originally Posted by mywaxpax99

"2003-04 will probably be better in depth than 05-06"

Wha wha wha what!?

There are 2003-04 rookies that still haven't had a big impact yet that will. Chris Higgins, Brad Boyes, Alan Rourke, Tony Salmalainen. That draft had a lot of Euro-prospects that are developing over there.

2005-06 is a great rookie class, but for solid every-day players, 03-04 will probably have more. Its a great topic though.

I also think Patrice Bergeron, Eric Staal and Nathan Horton will be in the best player in the NHL discussion during the next 10 years, the book is not closed on that argument yet (and I don't want to light it up here).

I see Patrice Bergeron play and when healthy (big if) I see what looks like the beginning of a very special career, one that could surpass any player who has ever laced up the skates, Gretzky included.