Brian Burke vs. Bob Murray: 2006 Draft
by Jen Neale on Feb 7, 2012 1:53 PM PST
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Yesterday I took at look at Brian Burke's first draft class as Ducks GM in an effort to see if he left the system Bob Murray now controls in complete shambles (paraphrasing Murray).
In the summer of 2006, the Ducks are coming off a stinging Western Conference Finals loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Burke was going to make one of the biggest moves of his career in the off-season by trading for All-Star Chris Pronger. Let's see how he did with the kids first.
2006 Draft
Notable non-Anaheim draftees: Erik Johnson (#1), Jordan Staal (#2), Jonathan Toews (#3), Nicklas Backstrom (#4), Phil Kessel (#5), Derick Brassard (#6), Kyle Okposo (#7), Jonathan Bernier (#11), Chris Stewart (#18), Claude Giroux (#22), Nick Foligno (#28), Milan Lucic (#50), Jamie McBain (#63), Brad Marchand (#71), James Reimer (#99)
| Round |
Pick |
Overall |
Player (Position) |
| 1 |
19 |
19 |
Mark Mitera (D) |
| 2 |
8 |
38 |
Bryce Swan (RW) |
| 3 |
20 |
83 |
John De Gray (D) |
| 4 |
19 |
112 |
Matt Beleskey (LW) |
| 6 |
19 |
172 |
Petteri Wirtanen (C) |
Where are they now?
#19 Mark Mitera (D)
Player taken before and after: #18 Chris Stewart (RW - COL) and #20 David Fischer (D - MTL)
Stats with Ducks: NONE!
After being drafted, Mitera returned to the University of Michigan before being signed to a standard three-year entry-level deal in March 2009. Once signing the deal, Mitera was sent directly to the Iowa Chops of the AHL. Not too long in to 2009's Training Camp, Mitera was sent to San Antonio of the AHL. The AHL is where Mitera would stay until July 2011 when he was traded for defenseman Mathieu Carle (currently with Syracuse)
#38 Bryce Swan (RW)
Player taken before and after: #37 Yury Alexandrov (D - BOS) and #39 Andreas Nodl (RW - PHI)
Stats with Ducks: NONE!
This guy was hard to find information on, so that should be a good indication of how his career with the Ducks went. Even the Ducks website had nothing on him. From what I could find, it seems that the Ducks sent Swan back to his junior club, the Halifax Mooseheads. He was often injured with broken bones and a majorly messed up ankle. Following his time in Halifax he went to play for the St. Francis Xavier X-Men (coolest mascot ever!). According to "The Q Files", Swan turned down two contract offers with the Ducks in 2008. He went on to tryout for the Red Wings during Training Camp. That was also unsuccessful and he went on to get a chance to play for the Wild in a prospects tournament. That doesn't seem to have worked out as well, and I think he's still an X-Men.
#83 John De Gray (D)
Player taken before and after: #82 Daniel Rahimi (D - VAN) and #84 Ryan Hillier (LW - NYR)
Stats with Ducks: NONE!
In April 2008, John de Gray, Matt Beleskey, and Jason Bailey (yesterday) were given qualifying offers. From there, de Gray bounced between the AHL and ECHL. In the 2010-2011 season, he split his time between Elmira and Syracuse posting unremarkable numbers: 57 GP, 2 G, 12A, 14 Pts, 47 PIMs. At the expiration of his restricted free agent contract in June 2011, the Ducks did not tender an offer and he became an unrestricted free agent. From what I can find, he remains a UFA to this day.
#112 Matt Beleskey (LW)
Player taken before and after: #111 Krobinian Holzer (D - TOR) and #113 Ben Wright (D - CBJ)
Stats with Ducks: 141 GP, 18 G, 21 A, 39 Pts, minus-19, 121 PIM
Oh Matty B. I am a fan of his. I don't know what it is about him, but I just like the way he plays. As mentioned above, Bells was signed to the usual three-year entry level deal in April 2008 after a career year wth the Bellevile Bulls of the OHL. Hold on to your hats and glasses - with the Bulls, Beleskey had 41 goals (!!!), 49 assists (!!!) for 90 points, and it wouldn't be Beleskey without a mountain of penalty minutes at 106. He spent most of his first season ('08-'09) under contract with the Iowa Chops (AHL). He'd see two games with the Ducks where he had blanks across the board. In 2009-2010, he finally got a shot to make a different. In 60 games played, he had 11 goals (that's a lot for him) and 7 assists. Much of that success can be attributed to his placement on the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Matt can thank The Twins for the two year extension he signed following that season. Last season and the beginning of this one, you could see that Carlyle's patience with Beleskey was wearing thin. Matt had off-season shoulder surgery and struggled to find his place in the lineup. That eventually lead to the club's decision to waive Beleskey in November. Beleskey cleared waivers but Randy Carlyle did not. Soon after Beleskey's clearing, Carlyle was out and Bruce Boudreau was in. I can only describe Boudreau's relationship with Beleskey as a "man-crush". Matt is getting significant minutes and even found himself on the second line for a good portion of Monday's game versus Calgary. He's not an offensive powerhouse by any means, but he is a grinder. He fights, he gets in the corners, he clears the ice for the stars. A good utility player that can be used throughout the lineup.
#172 Petteri Wirtanen (C)
Player taken before and after: #171 Brian Day (R - NYI) and #173 Stefan Ridderwall (G - NYI)
Stats with Ducks: 3 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 Pts, plus-1, 2 PIM
Anyone else a little confused that this guy played in three games for the Ducks? I am! I don't remember this guy at all. The Ducks didn't wait around for this kid to mature in juniors before signing him to a three-year entry level contract in June 2006. (Interesting side note, then career AHL-er Kent Huskins was signed to a one year extension the same day.) Prior to being drafted in the NHL, Wirtanen played in the Finnish Elite League. In 50 games he had 11 points. He was called up once and made the most of his three game stint with the recently crowned Stanley Cup Champions. October 17, 2007 versus Nashville, Petteri would score his only NHL goal on his first NHL shot - a game winning goal nonetheless. Yet that would be it for young Wirtanen. He went point-less in his next two games and was sent back down to Portland. Here's a funny thing, Wirtanen went back to Finland, even though the Ducks tendered an offer to him in July 2009. So, if he does ever come back to the NHL, he's an RFA with the Ducks holding the contract.
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The more I look at these draft results, the stronger I feel about the idea that drafting D later is a better idea. Of those notables, only 1 is a defensmen. He also only recently become notable.
mmmm thats tough to call. How much did not having an AHL affiliate affect Mitera? Im not saying he would have been a gun player or even a good one, but that year had to stunt our players growth.
Having said that, having your top picks not play definately makes for a weak draft in hindsight. And im sorry, i just dont care for Belesky, i dont know what it is, but i just couldnt care less about him as a player. Im not sure if i would notice if he was replaced by someone else. But he has played games, so for a later pick has worked out well enough.
by BennyLightning on Feb 7, 2012 4:43 PM PST up reply actions
Wasn’t Mitera severely hurt during a fight while he was at Michigan? That probably impacted his career.
What’s not to like about Beleskey? He skates hard, hits, fights and has a heavy shot. He’s a solid bottom 6 player who can fill in in the top 6 when necessary.
by Daniel AC on Feb 7, 2012 4:54 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Well the ACL would make it harder to achieve success, but it shouldnt be a career killer. Still definately impacts. Along with other factors, might be enough to derail a promising career.
I really cant put my finger on it. Hes just a player i dont care about, for some reason i just cant grow to like him. irrational dislike i guess. I dont deny he has, on occassion been effective but…. dont know
by BennyLightning on Feb 7, 2012 5:35 PM PST up reply actions
That’s fair. However if that’s the case, you can at least respect my irrational dislike of Bobby, right :)
by Daniel AC on Feb 7, 2012 6:57 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
haha, right.
Well sure, but bobby gets up in the morning pissing excellence.
by BennyLightning on Feb 7, 2012 8:13 PM PST up reply actions
Only when that streaky bastard isn’t pissing failure.
by Daniel AC on Feb 7, 2012 9:07 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
He’s not anymore streaky than Getzlaf this year. Ryan has 7 times of going 2 or more games without a point, Getzlaf has 8. Perry has 6 streaks of 2 or more pointless games. Selanne has only 3. Ryan hasn’t had more then 4 games without a point. Getzlaf has gone 6.
Bobby has been inconsistent his entire career. Getzlaf is having a bad year. Bobby is always like this. Last year, Bobby had more pointless streaks than Getzlaf and they lasted longer.
Bobby is a Winger, Getzlaf is a true #1 Center.
If you want to built a franchise around a scoring winger, go ahead and watch the crapitals in their mission to never ever win a cup.
built around a strong #1 center รก la Getzlaf and the Ducks may win another cup.
I’m sorry but what does that have to do with either players inconsistency this year? All I was doing was pointing out that both players are inconsistent and having dry spells.
Also Inginla is a streaky winger. Ok the flames will never win a SC with him, but you cant say hes not a great player. Can bobby be that guy? i think he can.
Either way Bobby is cheap, and maybe thats a reflection of his streaky scoring. At his price he’s a bargin.
by BennyLightning on Feb 8, 2012 2:14 PM PST up reply actions
You can also argue that neither the Ducks nor the Bruins had a “star” number 1 center in their lineups when they won the cup. Yes McDonald and Bergeron/Krejci are all GOOD centers and can be considered Number 1 centers but none have broken 80 points in their career. And even the Ducks were could have been considered centered around Selanne, a winger, because he was our best player that year with 94 points. I think Washington’s problems extend beyond their star player. Backstrom is a true Number 1 center too. That’s why teams build around a core, not a single player….
At Bobby’s price, he’s Jeff Carter, and he cones with the baggage too. Try tweeting about his scoring droughts and see how fast you get blocked. Bobby hasnt been consistent in a stress free market. Iginla was the top player on a Canadian team that made it to the finals. Let’s not insult the man by saying his name in the sane sentence ad Bobby Ryan.
Bobby isn’t a great player. He’s a good one, like Jeff Carter. He’s easy to find when things go well and disappears when they don’t.
by Daniel AC on Feb 8, 2012 4:00 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I disagree re: media pressure
Bobby is the media’s go-to guy on this team. He’s seriously interviewed and quoted more than anyone else. Not exactly a guy that backs away from scrutiny.
So he blocked some people on Twitter. That’s his perogative. Doesn’t mean he can’t handle scrutiny. Just doesn’t want to deal with it on Twitter.
by PhantomPretender on Feb 8, 2012 4:44 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
not sure carter is an apt comparison either. In carter you have a guy that teams are maybe shying away from a bit, in bobby you have every team frothing at the gash to get hold of him.
I wasnt actively comparing him to Iginla, im saying he has the potential to be as great. You have to admit that in his few full seasons hes done well. Yes he could do better, and no doubt he will, but hes still young, cheap and has a run of 30 goal seasons under him.
But going back, i can understand an irrational dislike of someone….so long as you know your wrong ;)
by BennyLightning on Feb 8, 2012 5:56 PM PST up reply actions
Bobby Ryan is currently working on his 4th 30+ goal season in a row, which he is on pace for. Other players to do that: Iginla, Ovechkin, Crosby, Heatly Kessel. I think stamkos is on pace for this as well. That looks like pretty elite company to me.
by DavidBL on Feb 8, 2012 6:20 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Jeff Carter was 1 goal short from joining that group, so if Bobby only scores 29 this year ami right that he’s only good? He’s also done something Bonby hasn’t done, score 40. He actually is Bobby Ryan. A young forward who scores 30 goals.
Another reason people don’t want Jeff Carter is that ridiculous contract. I bet that’s a factor. Who wants to be on the hook for that.
Come on Robby, are youseriously saying Bobby faces the same level of scrutiny that Igunla does. I read the Register and the Times; Bobby does not get challenged the way he would in a major market. You can play down the twitter incident all you want, but it was incredibly immature and it was just last year. He flipped out over a no name blog that didn’t even technically call him out.
Bobby has had it very easy down here. He doesn’t get challenged or scrutinized a lot. As a fan base, we make a lot of excuses for him. Bobby is a good player, but I don’t think he’s great.
by Daniel AC on Feb 8, 2012 6:45 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
hes not great…YET.
If he can string together a career of 30 goals seasons then he has to be reaching that glorified air. He has the potential to be far better than his already high standards have been, and thats the hook.
by BennyLightning on Feb 8, 2012 6:48 PM PST up reply actions
I never compared him to Iginla
You simply used the Twitter blocking as some evidence of him not being able to deal with presure and said that he doesn’t have to deal with any pressure. You then concluded that he couldn’t handle pressure.
All I said is that him blocking people on Twitter is not proof that he can’t handle pressure and that he could easily avoid the media if he had issues, but doesn’t. So no, I never compared him to Iginla.
I don’t think people make excuses for Bobby. I just think you’ve disliked him ever since he started wearing 9 and you can’t understand why other people love the guy. When people point out reasons why they think he’s a good player, it doesn’t mean they’re making excuses for him. They just like him. You don’t. That’s ok, but it doesn’t make us wrong or irrational.
by PhantomPretender on Feb 8, 2012 6:59 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
You’re probably right about Carter Daniel. That contract is scary and you can bet if he had a shorter one people would be going after him a lot more. On the flip side his cap hit would be closer to 7 mill that He makes for the next 3 years. Ryan has the potential to hit 40. But he’s also not fluctuating between 20-40. He consistantly gets 30+ a year even if he isn’t consistant in how he acquires them through the year.
by DavidBL on Feb 8, 2012 7:04 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
this thread has deviated away from from saying this draft was a bust, and me think belesky is a hack…
Wasnt my intention. Sorry
by BennyLightning on Feb 8, 2012 7:11 PM PST up reply actions
Carter isn’t fluctuating between 20 and forty. He scored 29 and then had 3 seasons of 30+. He got hurt this year and will probablystill crack 20.
Robby, someone else compared him to Iginla and since I was responding to that comparison, I thought you were as well. Having said that. My point still stands. The media doesn’t challenge him. The closest thing to a challenge was that twitter incident, and we all saw how he responded. Even if you want to say it’s not indicative of media pressure, it was still a childish response.
As for me not liking me, I call non-unique. My dislike is not anymore or less irrational than anyone else’s liking of him. It cuts both ways. It’s not just the 9. I dislike Bobby for many reasons, including the way people blindly love him, his inconsistent scoring and physical play, the way he stick handles into multiple defenders and makes life harder for the twins.
by Daniel AC on Feb 8, 2012 8:43 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
what you win on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts…
by BennyLightning on Feb 8, 2012 12:43 AM PST up reply actions
I hate hindsight
Knowing what we know now, it makes me sad that we could have had Claude Giroux or Milan Lucic on the Ducks but instead picked Mikey Mitera :(
by Dixie Normus on Feb 7, 2012 4:41 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Giroux would have be sweet
But look at the ducks then.. We had McDonald Kunitz and Selanne.. Getz Perry Penner.. Moen Phalson and Robby.. And I think Penner was a RFA that offseason.. Those players were sticking around until the bob came in.. But we had a older D as in O’donnel and Scotty.. And bobby in the minors.. I can’t fault them for mitera but giroux would look good in a ducks uni..
by ShamuSalami on Feb 7, 2012 6:05 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Hindsight is 20/20
I really like this series, but seeing all the awesome future NHLers that we passed on does make me a little sad (which is the point of this series, I guess). But I also think that a lot of teams ignored Giroux because of his size (didn’t Bobby Clarke even mispronounce his name at the Draft?). I don’t know why we passed on Lucic, though. He’s a prototypical Burkean player.
And the NHL draft is always a crap shoot. I think the only draft in recent memory where a GM couldn’t have gone wrong (regardless of his ability to evaluate talent) was the 2003 Draft. And we all know how that went.
by light_the_lamp on Feb 7, 2012 6:21 PM PST up reply actions
Drafts are so tricky. You never know where other teams rank other guys. We pretty much reached when we drafted DSP. He was projected as third round material. Maybe something similar happened with Lucic. The Ducks reach for Swan thinking Milan will be there later, but Boston loves him and they grab him late in the second. It’s not always that we don’t know these guts are there, but different teams can easily throw wrenches into plans. There’s so many moving parts in a draft.
by Daniel AC on Feb 7, 2012 7:28 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Glen Sather of course still managed to screw up 03.
by pearljamfan80 on Feb 7, 2012 10:30 PM PST up reply actions
No wonder we suck...
That ’06 draft was just bad, but!!! Tiny bright side with Matt working out? Really????????? ok,ok…
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