Kopitar earns his crown with Kings (Vancouver Sun)

[rinkrat]

Anze Kopitar was the 11th name called at the 2005 National Hockey League Entry Draft, which begs the question: Who were those 10 prospects picked ahead of this 20-year-old centre who is already the most dangerous player on the Los Angeles Kings?

Hindsight is always 20-20. This is not a forum to slag amateur scouts, who have the toughest job in hockey trying to forecast how teenagers are going to play as pros. But, there's a fair chance the Columbus Blue Jackets, say, who had the sixth overall pick, might want to rethink their selection -- former Vancouver Giant and centre Gilbert Brule. Brule is in the minors; Kopitar is going to the all-star game.

Sidney Crosby was the unanimous No. 1 pick that year. The others were winger Bobby Ryan, defenceman Jack Johnson, winger Benoit Pouliot, goalie Carey Price, Brule, winger Jack Skille, winger Devin Setoguchi and defencemen Benoit Pouliot and Luc Bourdon.

[TonySCV]

"Kings GM Dean Lombardi certainly doesn't consider himself a genius for selecting Kopitar; he was lucky Kopitar was still there."

Umm...

[KingKeyan]

yea somebody should tell that reporter that lombardi had nothing to do with that pick, all our top prospects currently playing on the kings aside from osully and johnson were dave taylors doing

our number one line is all dave taylor

even johnson and osully were traded for using the players taylor drafted/signed or traded for

lombardi got a nice little stockpile of high end talent when he landed here, only to sign the likes of thronton/willsie/mcauly

but he did draft bernier and hickey, ill give him that, this draft will be his true test since he has "all his guys"

but yea im so glad dave had the balls to grab kopitar i was so happy when we got him, top ranked european skater who is 6'4" center and people were saying was jagr like in skill

other gms maybe should think twice when they discriminate against talent based on where they are from, wait no, id rather have them have their heads stuck up their collective arses just as long as dean lombardi doesnt

[MuPPeT666]

Originally Posted by KingKeyan

our number one line is all dave taylor

Which in fact doesn't make DT any better GM than DL. Just sayin'