Wes Clark

[Byron Bitz]

I know it’s too early into his tenure to properly evaluate him but what are your early thoughts of the man in charge of our drafting? Any concerns? He doesn’t have a very extensive resume, worked in the Soo with Dubas. He’s had two drafts as our head amateur scout and went way off the board with our first pick each year. One of his late picks from last year’s draft (Grebenkin) had a great draft +1 season. It seems from his interviews that he really values intelligence and character.

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[BertCorbeau]

There are reasons for skepticism but it's too early to tell .. needs 4-5 years to get a better grasp, maybe 6 since the Leafs haven't haven't had many picks or high picks.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Wes Clark is...elite...I think.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

I think it's only a matter of time until Clark joins Dubas in Pittsburgh.

Those were a couple pretty big reaches he made. Takes some real balls to do that twice. Makes me think Clark is just another executive with a "smartest guy in the room" attitude.

Because trying to beat the market is usually a fools game.

I believe in the free market. And the NHL draft is as laissez-faire as it gets. Minten and Cowen weren't undervalued.

They were drafted at the exact place they should have been drafted.

At the point when someone was willing to draft them. In this case, Wesley Clark. We'll see soon enough if Clark is the Warren Buffet of the NHL draft I guess.

If he's still with this team, or not, is another question altogether.

 

[Peasy]

I dont see the Cowan pick as a huge reach. He was a late riser with a really strong second half.

The Minten pick was a really wtf pick and im not holding my breath that he become a useful player..

 

[Byron Bitz]

I dont see the Cowan pick as a huge reach. He was a late riser with a really strong second half.

The Minten pick was a really wtf pick and im not holding my breath that he become a useful player..

Minten and Cowan were both late risers coming off strong playoffs, both ranked around 60th in rankings that were done after the season concluded.

 

[Niagara Bill]

Looks like he is a wiz kid clone. Always trying to prove how much smarter he is than others. Sometimes the obvious is the best choice.
Kind of like Matt Murray trade, the fact that other teams knew his injury weakness, Wiz kid knew better!

 

[Peasy]

Minten and Cowan were both late risers coming off strong playoffs, both ranked around 60th in rankings that were done after the season concluded.

Yeah I guess they were. Just personally for me I heard a lot of talk about Cowan leading up to the draft and had heard like nothing about Minten.

 

[therealkoho]

It's crazy to think how accomplished this guy is, top of his class at west point, a Rhodes Scholar, allied commander for Kosovo operations, a full 5 stars, several knighthoods, and many other honourariums. Hopefully he can transfer that experience and success to the hockey world.

As far as going "way off the board" with the first pick this year. I think it's a relatively good and safe gamble. Cowan comes from pretty good bloodlines, he's a first cousin of Darren McCarty and as the season wore on he got stronger and started to dominate some shifts. It's interesting to note that a kid who's 5'11" wears a size 13 skate, which I'd say is a pretty good indication that he's going to be looking at finishing out at about 6'2or3"
Something else also tweaked in that he said that Morgan, Mitch, JT and even Nazem texted him after getting drafted, noticeable by his absence is the guy who wears 34, it doesn't figure that one of the teams so called "leaders" and a player some folks call "captain material" couldn't be bugged doing a team leader kind of thing. Not sayin just sayin.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

It's crazy to think how accomplished this guy is, top of his class at west point, a Rhodes Scholar, allied commander for Kosovo operations, a full 5 stars, several knighthoods, and many other honourariums. Hopefully he can transfer that experience and success to the hockey world.

As far as going "way off the board" with the first pick this year. I think it's a relatively good and safe gamble. Cowan comes from pretty good bloodlines, he's a first cousin of Darren McCarty and as the season wore on he got stronger and started to dominate some shifts. It's interesting to note that a kid who's 5'11" wears a size 13 skate, which I'd say is a pretty good indication that he's going to be looking at finishing out at about 6'2or3"
Something else also tweaked in that he said that Morgan, Mitch, JT and even Nazem texted him after getting drafted, noticeable by his absence is the guy who wears 34, it doesn't figure that one of the teams so called "leaders" and a player some folks call "captain material" couldn't be bugged doing a team leader kind of thing. Not sayin just sayin.

At first I thought you had Clark mistaken for former Maple Leafs Director of Hockey Operations and Head of Pro Scouting, Eric Joyce, who actually did attend West Point, and was a war hero who transferred that experience into success in the hockey world.

But then I realized you read the Wikipedia page of the wrong Wes Clark.

I think the Leafs Wes Clark is a pacifist like the rest of the team.

 

[Leafs87]

I am really not a fan of his drafting. He has had some great picks, but as a top/down overall look he has not had a great impact.

Just to want to throw it out there that he was John Tavares strength and conditioning coach. He was signed just hours before JT was. I am not sure Tree will see this as a favour he’d like to continue.

 

[ACC1224]

The most shocking part of this off season is that this guy isn’t in Pittsburg yet.

 

[therealkoho]

At first I thought you had Clark mistaken for former Maple Leafs Director of Hockey Operations and Head of Pro Scouting, Eric Joyce, who actually did attend West Point, and was a war hero who transferred that experience into success in the hockey world.

But then I realized you read the Wikipedia page of the wrong Wes Clark.

I think the Leafs Wes Clark is a pacifist like the rest of the team.

Great pick up there. When I saw the name my brain actually went to General Clark immediately, and I thought what the hey, is a US general being hired by the team, maybe to instill some toughness, a little discipline and a killer instinct perhaps, and then I thought no way toughness and killer instinct?

 

[EGL22]

I am not a fan of this guy and he totally reminds me of the guy that brought him in.
All these boy wonders bomb out because they are shocked that they are not the smartest guys in the room but still refuse to change their ways.
I hope he is checking the Pittsburgh home listings daily.

 

[rocketman588]

At first I thought you had Clark mistaken for former Maple Leafs Director of Hockey Operations and Head of Pro Scouting, Eric Joyce, who actually did attend West Point, and was a war hero who transferred that experience into success in the hockey world.

But then I realized you read the Wikipedia page of the wrong Wes Clark.

I think the Leafs Wes Clark is a pacifist like the rest of the team.

So you're saying our Wes Clark would have dodged the draft?

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

So you're saying our Wes Clark would have dodged the draft?

Or the draft might have dodged him.

5'11" and 185lbs.

Might explain a few things.

 

[Mess]

Something else also tweaked in that he said that Morgan, Mitch, JT and even Nazem texted him after getting drafted, noticeable by his absence is the guy who wears 34, it doesn't figure that one of the teams so called "leaders" and a player some folks call "captain material" couldn't be bugged doing a team leader kind of thing. Not sayin just sayin.

Side Note: Marner, Tavares and Kadri are all ex London Knights alumni.

 

[leafan11]

Kyper dropped an amazing story about Wes Clark. Uncle Lou fired Wes after he repeatedly told him he wasn’t allowed in the players locker room. The second Dubas became GM he hired Wes back.

 

[A1LeafNation]

I like him, but still early.

 

[DuklaNation]

If the first thing he mentions that he values in prospects is intelligence and character, you need to fire him immediately.

 

[ACC1224]

Kyper dropped an amazing story about Wes Clark. Uncle Lou fired Wes after he repeatedly told him he wasn’t allowed in the players locker room. The second Dubas became GM he hired Wes back.

Dubas never fails to amaze.

 

[IPS]

Kyper dropped an amazing story about Wes Clark. Uncle Lou fired Wes after he repeatedly told him he wasn’t allowed in the players locker room. The second Dubas became GM he hired Wes back.

Lol is this actually true?

 

[ER89]

The most shocking part of this off season is that this guy isn’t in Pittsburg yet.

his response to dubas leaving was cold though - pretty nice to watch lol.

He's like we've got a good relationship but he's done well and landed on his feet. We're good. We'll be just fine.

Stone cold face.

 

[DuklaNation]

Kyper dropped an amazing story about Wes Clark. Uncle Lou fired Wes after he repeatedly told him he wasn’t allowed in the players locker room. The second Dubas became GM he hired Wes back.

Interesting. Something was always off with Dubas in my mind. Lou was old school which makes me wonder what was going on.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I thought that Treliving and GMs in general draft players. Like ultimately it's on Treliving if Easton Cowan fails. Treliving is going to look at all the recommendations, he's going to have some preferences, but clearly he doesn't have the time to know who's best to select at #28 in the draft.

So was this thread created to rip Wes Clark, or are you still disappointed with Cowan at #28?