How Minnesotans did in the draft

observer · Post by **observer** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:48 pm

Gopher Blog

You know what? You should go away.

The kid was ranked by Central Scouting as a late round type of prospect (#188 in the Final North American rankings).

Total joke.

Gopher Blog · Post by **Gopher Blog** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:51 pm

Huskiesfan16 wrote:So the guys like kloos, Johnson, Wolfe, Randolph , etc, can they get drafted in later years, let's say after a year or two of college? It'd be pretty ridiculous if you could only be eligible for one year.....

Yes, you can still be selected in a subsequent draft. A player is eligible to be drafted if he is not older than 20 years old before December 31 of that particular draft year.

Gopher Blog · Post by **Gopher Blog** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:55 pm

observer wrote:
Nanne will never even play for the U.
Based on the strength of the players I've seen at tryouts I'm not sure he can make a USHL roster.

As for the throw away pick in the 7th round, Henrik Zetterberg was drafted in the 7th round. Check his wiki page,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrik_Zetterberg

For every big success you can find from the 7th round, you can find many dozens more that did nothing. Nobody said it is impossible to find a gem in the 7th round. Just that the odds are pretty low.

observer · Post by **observer** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:06 pm

Just that the odds are pretty low.

So, skip trying? We're not talking about the Stanley Cup champions here. Or, even a team that makes the playoffs. Brutal scouting, and decision making, by Wild management. Fans smarter than pro sports team management shouldn't really happen.

And you. All you do is defend. That can't be that much fun. Gopher Blog should be about celebrating not defending. Tell them to stop making it so difficult on you.

Gopher Blog · Post by **Gopher Blog** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:22 pm

observer wrote:And you. All you do is defend.

I am looking at it with a balanced view. I can understand the raised eyebrows from some. As I said, I didn't expect him to be drafted and I was a little surprised too. But I really don't see much reason to act like it is some awful, franchise wrecking decision either. Especially given where he was taken.

I feel sorry for the kid. He didn't bring any of this on himself. Clearly he wanted to avoid the backlash of such a situation. Hopefully he uses it as motivation to win over his critics some day.

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:25 pm

Gopher Blog, You should bail on this one, just like you should have on the Nanne becoming a Gopher and the Gophers would never have any interest in Besse topics.

The politics are trending uglier in this state.

Gopher Blog · Post by **Gopher Blog** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:54 pm

MrBoDangles wrote:Gopher Blog, You should bail on this one

I actually don't have a huge difference of opinion with people here except for the level of vitriol over it. As I stated, I didn't expect him to be drafted and was a little surprised by it. But I don't see his selection as some terrible thing given where he was picked. If the Wild's future is going to rest on their 7th round decisions, they may as well fold up the tent now and call it a day.

As for the other two long dead topics you mentioned, I would have only backed down if I didn't know what the facts were behind the scenes. Since I did, there was no need to back down to somebody who wasn't privy to that info.

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 11:08 pm

Gopher Blog wrote:
MrBoDangles wrote:Gopher Blog, You should bail on this one
I actually don't have a huge difference of opinion with people here except for the level of vitriol over it. As I stated, I didn't expect him to be drafted and was a little surprised by it. But I don't see his selection as some terrible thing given where he was picked. If the Wild's future is going to rest on their 7th round decisions, they may as well fold up the tent now and call it a day.

As for the other two long dead topics you mentioned, I would have only backed down if I didn't know what the facts were behind the scenes. Since I did, there was no need to back down to somebody who wasn't privy to that info.

You had a little pebble to stand on in the other two topics. The fact that you're even trying to defend this one shows that you're in a different realm of reality.

Gopher Blog · Post by **Gopher Blog** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 11:35 pm

MrBoDangles wrote:You had a little pebble to stand on in the other two topics.

Once again, I knew what was going on via some of the people involved so there was no reason to back down to somebody whose comments revolved around assumptions.

The fact that you're even trying to defend this one shows that you're in a different realm of reality.

7th round picks are not as clear cut as 1st rounders. A lot more ambiguity at that point so I can understand the varying opinions. I don't fault people for that. Heck, I didn't expect him to get drafted either. It's just that I don't think his being picked is worth getting real upset about like some seem to be.

keepyourheadup · Post by **keepyourheadup** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 11:45 pm

Gopher Blog is a well informed and logical thinker, I understand what he is trying to say. Trouble is that a seventh round pick is an asset.....period. They squandered it away to placate a 70 year old man who has a tremendous legacy in our state. Are the chances for a 7th round pick slim? no doubt.....the chances of this 7th round pick are ZERO. The average hockey fan won't know the difference, those that are familiar with the talent in high school hockey in our state know how offensive this pick is. Like I said earlier, at least pick a big kid!

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 11:47 pm

Gopher Blog wrote:
MrBoDangles wrote:You had a little pebble to stand on in the other two topics.
Once again, I knew what was going on via some of the people involved so there was no reason to back down to somebody whose comments revolved around assumptions.

The fact that you're even trying to defend this one shows that you're in a different realm of reality.

7th round picks are not as clear cut as 1st rounders. A lot more ambiguity at that point so I can understand the varying opinions. I don't fault people for that. Heck, I didn't expect him to get drafted either. It's just that I don't think his being picked is worth getting real upset about like some seem to be.

Why not draft Mickey Mouse then if the later picks don't matter to the Wild?

Shhhh!

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 11:48 pm

xy wrote:What with their storied history of recent postseason success, of course the Wild are in a position with their talent level to make a pick based on public relations reasons.

You almost feel bad for the kid, who had nothing to do with this. By the seventh round you're largely shooting in the dark, and realistically, none of the players you're looking at are likely to ever play in the NHL, but honestly . . . I would really like to know if someone employed professionally to assess hockey players can actually think Louie Nanne is likelier to play in the NHL than Michaelson, Merchant, Besse, Kloos, Michael Zajac (still eligible after being passed over last year), Jake Randolph, Eli May, Sam Wolfe, Trevor Olson . . . .

Or, conversely, I would really like to know the mechanics of exactly how this happens. Does Lou Sr. actually pull Chuck Fletcher aside and ask him to do this? Is Chuck simply smart enough to know it makes sense to do favors and get powerful people in his corner, since Lou has an open phone line to every media member in the Twin Cities and lots of influence?

keepyourheadup · Post by **keepyourheadup** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:18 am

Just to put the selection is perspective:

Judd Peterson....5th in state in scoring
Dom Toninato.......16th
Louie Nanne...... 551st

.

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:33 am

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/7171 ... -nhl-today

mnhockfan99 · Post by **mnhockfan99** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:54 am

Agree late picks are certainly no guarantee and nothing against the kid here - but NHL scouting is a big business and essentially giving away a pick is a head scratcher. Not only were there many high schoolers who project better than this kid - there were good junior kids like Michaelson who had a bad season in Waterloo so he slipped and was not drafted - why not take a flyer on him? You only get so many picks, you can't waste them.

Kloosforpresident · Post by **Kloosforpresident** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:50 am

keepyourheadup wrote:Just to put the selection is perspective:

Judd Peterson....5th in state in scoring
Dom Toninato.......16th
Louie Nanne...... 551st

.

Im still shocked that the top two scorers in the state for 2A didn't get selected yesterday.

#1 Kloos - 103 pts
#2 Besse - 93 pts

both had substantially more points this season than Lou Nanne has had in his high school career. (61) - based on the Hub's numbers

Another point, you have to feel bad for Justin, he has to have been the first Mr. Hockey winner not to be drafted in some time.

pitbull · Post by **pitbull** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 3:38 pm

Chuck Fletcher is no fool. He owes more to Lou Nanne than the public knows for his job with the Wild. Not only was Lou an intracate part of Fletcher landing the job, Lou has been an itracate part of him staying. Lou works overtime to make sure Fletcher stays. It benefits both parties. Hence a Nanne on the scouting staff and now a Nanne draft pick. It's the least Fletcher can do for him.

Slap Shot · Post by **Slap Shot** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 3:47 pm

bafata88 wrote:
Slap Shot wrote:
almostashappy wrote: Nanne to the Wild in Round 7. So Lucia's offer is vindicated now, right?

It was never in question by anyone with a clue.
You all can say this without sarcasm?

Yes. My comment had nothing to do with him being drafted (he probably should not have been) but I don't believe Lucia needs vindication for bringing him to UM. I don't expect him to be a superstar in the least, but he could be a productive 3rd 4th liner with a solid head on his shoulders for 4 years and every program needs a few of those.

As for Nanne being drafted I think Gopher Blog has added some legitimate perspective to the situation yet sadly has been met with several OMGTHESKYISFALLING reactions without giving it much thought. Again they probably could have used the pick elsewhere, but not drafting someone now doesn't preclude them from being drafted later nor brought in as an UFA and some of the focus is missing the forrest for the trees.

keepyourheadup · Post by **keepyourheadup** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:00 pm

I can surely see the logic in Fletcher showing loyalty to Lou Sr. Its the first legit reason posted on the subject so far. When the kids dad admits in the paper that they had other kids ranked higher and passed on them this would seem to be the only logical explanation. Is he so indebted that we should expect both Vinny and Tyler to be drafted as well? By most accounts the next two are ahead of Louie right now. Makes for an interesting draft next year to say the least.

xy · Post by xy » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:31 pm

Adding support to this theory is the fact that, according to Lou's book, he and Chuck Fletcher's father Cliff are very close friends going back to their days as competing GMs. Throw in Marty Nanne as scout and another of Lou's sons as Wild team dentist, and you can see the close ties. And it's not hard to imagine that Lou has the ear of Leipold and might have had something to do with Chuck getting the job.

But something about this seems off. If you believe the public statements, which I have no reason not to, it's not an unreasonable inference that the Nannes knew exactly what would happen and wanted to avoid it, what with Louie asking not to be drafted, and Lou saying on KSTP with Reusse last Friday that he hoped Louie wouldn't be drafted (he gave as his reason that unless you're a first rounder you have a better negotiating position as a free agent, but it's at least possible he had the backlash in mind as well). Louie's statement seems to indicate he thought they might pick him. And Fletcher picked him anyway in the face of all this. Just as an observer of human behavior it would be really interesting to know exactly what happened.

One final thought: the kid handled this with a great deal of class. I think the position he has been put in is really unfair for an 18-year-old, and I find myself pulling for him more and more in light of how well he's reacted. But suffice it to say a lot of good things have happened to him in terms of hockey based on his last name as well, and maybe it all evens out in the long run.

phil mccracken · Post by **phil mccracken** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:22 pm

xy wrote:Adding support to this theory is the fact that, according to Lou's book, he and Chuck Fletcher's father Cliff are very close friends going back to their days as competing GMs. Throw in Marty Nanne as scout and another of Lou's sons as Wild team dentist, and you can see the close ties. And it's not hard to imagine that Lou has the ear of Leipold and might have had something to do with Chuck getting the job.

But something about this seems off. If you believe the public statements, which I have no reason not to, it's not an unreasonable inference that the Nannes knew exactly what would happen and wanted to avoid it, what with Louie asking not to be drafted, and Lou saying on KSTP with Reusse last Friday that he hoped Louie wouldn't be drafted (he gave as his reason that unless you're a first rounder you have a better negotiating position as a free agent, but it's at least possible he had the backlash in mind as well). Louie's statement seems to indicate he thought they might pick him. And Fletcher picked him anyway in the face of all this. Just as an observer of human behavior it would be really interesting to know exactly what happened.

One final thought: the kid handled this with a great deal of class. I think the position he has been put in is really unfair for an 18-year-old, and I find myself pulling for him more and more in light of how well he's reacted. But suffice it to say a lot of good things have happened to him in terms of hockey based on his last name as well, and maybe it all evens out in the long run.

You know for a guy with no vowels to his name you make a good point. This post sums it up. Good luck to the kid moving forward. Next topic.

Post by **karl(east)** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:27 pm

In non-Nanne news, I was pleased to see Toninato be the first of the MN high school players to go. He's done a nice job raising his stock over the past year or two, and does a lot of little things right that the casual fan might miss--it's great to see him recognized for that.

I'm also pleasantly surprised to see Judd Peterson slip in there--wasn't expecting that. Johnson and Kloos are the two I'm surprised to not see go.

EHSHack · Post by **EHSHack** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:56 am

Are you guys really ripping the Wild right now?! Do you even realize how many solid prospects they have coming in? Yes Nanne was an awful public relations pick because he isnt that good compared to people on the board but to say the Wild will be awful for years to come because they picked Lou Nanne in the 7th round of the 2012 draft is foolish. Philips, Coyle, Loftquist, Fontaine, Granlund, and Dumba. Those are some pretty solid prospects to go along with an already pretty talented team.

ticktacktonka · Post by **ticktacktonka** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:06 pm

Gopher Blog: Your post makes no sense. You imply that Kloos wasn't taken because of his size, yet Louie was listed at just 5'10"--not much bigger than Kloos, I don't think. I agree with you that a 7th round pick isn't probably ever going to play in the NHL..what is the odds anyone out of the 1st round ever does? But, to use a pick for PR reasons by a profit-seeking business that seeks to sell tickets was not a very good decisions. Wild fans want to see that the people in charge actually know hockey, that they're not just repaying some celebrity for some positive press they he might throw their way. I feel sorry for Louie, I bet he's not feeling very good about being drafted right now. As a second/third liner on the Edina team, a lower player in the Elite league, I'm sure he knows he's not really the caliber of a Gopher Hockey player let alone an NHL draft pick. Kids know where they fit in the big scheme of things. So, let's leave poor Louie out of this. Some heads should roll at the Wild and a clear message should be sent to them that the ticket purchasing people of Minnesota want to see them make some sound,intelligent decisions. Same with the Gophers, hit them where it hurts, their pockets.

BodyShots · Post by **BodyShots** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:32 pm

EHSHack wrote:Are you guys really ripping the Wild right now?! Do you even realize how many solid prospects they have coming in? Yes Nanne was an awful public relations pick because he isnt that good compared to people on the board but to say the Wild will be awful for years to come because they picked Lou Nanne in the 7th round of the 2012 draft is foolish. Philips, Coyle, Loftquist, Fontaine, Granlund, and Dumba. Those are some pretty solid prospects to go along with an already pretty talented team.

Now that scares me, when we call a team "Pretty Talented" that hasn't made the playoffs in three consecutive season. This isn't baseball, where only the top few teams make the playoffs. Over half the league makes the playoffs in the NHL, and we haven't accomplished that in over 3 years. You've got to be kidding me!

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How Minnesotans did in the draft

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