Leafs could have had Adam Foote

[21pro]

... I was in driving through Denver last week when I heard an interview with Adam Foote on a local sports radio... he was discussing the 1989 draft when he was sure that the Leafs were going to select him as was his wishes.

Looking back- the leafs chose someone named Steve Bancroft instead??? why did they pass on such a gifted D-man who was an OHL all star at the time, to waste a first round pick on a minor leaguer who still hasn't cracked the NHL ranks?

Foote would have loved to play here... and I am sure that if the Leaf organization would stop making such bonehead moves they would be able to do something.... but this has been the case for too long now...

...kinda how they let go of Jackman to the Penquins... for that 1990 Leaf 1st round waste of a pick Drake Berehowsky!!!

what's wrong with this organization...?

 

[GlavaMan]

Was this when the Leafs took 3 Belleville Bulls with the three 1st round picks they had that year? Others maybe being Scott Thornton & Rob Pearson?

 

[MojoRisin']

... I was in driving through Denver last week when I heard an interview with Adam Foote on a local sports radio... he was discussing the 1989 draft when he was sure that the Leafs were going to select him as was his wishes.

Looking back- the leafs chose someone named Steve Bancroft instead??? why did they pass on such a gifted D-man who was an OHL all star at the time, to waste a first round pick on a minor leaguer who still hasn't cracked the NHL ranks?

Foote would have loved to play here... and I am sure that if the Leaf organization would stop making such bonehead moves they would be able to do something.... but this has been the case for too long now...

...kinda how they let go of Jackman to the Penquins... for that 1990 Leaf 1st round waste of a pick Drake Berehowsky!!!

what's wrong with this organization...?

Gee thanks for the news flash...where have you been for the last 15 years when this news broke! 21 other teams could have had him too. Nice story...LOL anyother "big names" that they missed?

 

[the_big_E]

yeah Simon Gagne

hahaha

 

[TommyD]

... I was in driving through Denver last week when I heard an interview with Adam Foote on a local sports radio... he was discussing the 1989 draft when he was sure that the Leafs were going to select him as was his wishes.

Looking back- the leafs chose someone named Steve Bancroft instead??? why did they pass on such a gifted D-man who was an OHL all star at the time, to waste a first round pick on a minor leaguer who still hasn't cracked the NHL ranks?

Foote would have loved to play here... and I am sure that if the Leaf organization would stop making such bonehead moves they would be able to do something.... but this has been the case for too long now...

...kinda how they let go of Jackman to the Penquins... for that 1990 Leaf 1st round waste of a pick Drake Berehowsky!!!

what's wrong with this organization...?

Well, you should be relieved to know that from the 1989 Leafs, none of the front-office people remain. All the scouts have been fired (some are dead now), GM Gord Stellick was fired and is now a T.V.-Radio personality (call in to the Fan590 and ask Gord about the Russ Courtnall-for-John Kordic deal that sealed his fate).

As for Steve Bancroft, he was an OHL star much like Foote, and was most likely rated by all the teams ahead of Adam Foote. That's the way it goes. Heck, the Leafs picked #3, #12 and #21 that year and passed on Foote three times -- whaddya gonna do?

Seven defencemen were picked ahead of Foote, all in the first round.Adam Bennett (6) Doug Zmolek (7) Jason Herter (8), Jason Marshall (9), Kevin Haller (14), Jason Soules (15) and Bancroft (21). Not exactly household names. By the way, the #2 pick in that draft was Dave Chyzowski (who?) so the Islanders need to be ridiculed too.

So Foote was the best defenceman in that draft. Too bad the Leafs picked Bancroft one pick ahead of Foote. A lot of other teams screwed up too.

I like how Toronto alleviates all this draft-nonsense now by annually trading away their first-round picks for the likes of Owen Nolan and Brian Leetch. Good work guys, what's our average age now, 37?

Here's a hint -- if a player was alive when the Leafs last won a cup, it's probably not a good idea to trade for him. Just a thought.

P.S. The deal with Jackman was that Pat Quinn saw him as a liability defensively (which he was and still is) and Jackman did not get PP time with McCabe and Kaberle (and then Leetch) logging those minutes. GM John Ferguson did the classy thing and traded the guy out of the pressbox and to a team where he can play. Berehowsky could have been more useful because he is a much better defenceman. Jackman has overcome a serious drinking problem and deserves to play somewhere, it's easy to look good in Pittsburgh on a last-place team that doesn't care about defesive zone play. I wish Jackman the best.

 

[21pro]

the thing about Foote was that he actually expected the leafs to pick him, after all the leafs interviewed him more than any other team and gave him the grand tour and all...

- at least this is what he explained on the Denver AM sports talk radio station...

...i've been around for the last 15yrs., but not just in Toronto- there is a world out there!

 

[scouser1]

yes the Leafs could have also had Scott Neidermeyer oh but wait Tom Kurvers was just a superstar, I love the arrogance of Leaf fans just supposing that everyone wants to play for them because of who they think they are, you listen to them you would think one of their top lines should be Jesus, Muhammed and Buddah hahaha

 

[The Doctor]

Re: Re: Leafs could have had Adam Foote

scouser1, I believe Foote has said he was expecting to and wanted to play in Toronto. I don't think that's the fans being arrogant or making things up. He is a hometown boy don'tcha know.

...GM Gord Stellick was fired and is now a T.V.-Radio personality (call in to the Fan590 and ask Gord about the Russ Courtnall-for-John Kordic deal that sealed his fate)....

Ah, don't for get the cash the Leafs also sent Montreal to sweeten the deal.

 

[Elmer Stud]

Is it true Wendal Clark is coming out of retirement and the leafs are giving him a shot again?

 

[21pro]

Foote wanted to come to Toronto, but only under Quinn's coaching...

that is laid to rest now. JFjr's offer to Foote of 1.5million was an emberassing slap in the face and i doubt he'll ever come to toronto to play for junior...

 

[Mysterio999]

Foote

It was often stated that Toronto could have had both Owen Nolan AND Adam Foote for Felix Potvin back around 1993.

 

[21pro]

Foote coulda been drafted by the leafs instead of Steve Bancroft, who played a total of 6 NHL games since they were drafted in 1989...

 

[Coach]

Why is this thread from 2004 being brought back to life?

 

[Foxbat]

Why is this thread from 2004 being brought back to life?

With the Leafs out of playoffs, we need our dose of Leaf bashing.

Even if the Leafs took Foote, you think he would have developed into the all star player he became ? not a chance. Leaf coaching & management have ruined many highly touted draft picks. Who was the coach at the time ? Brophy? Armstrong? Carpenter ?

 

[21pro]

Adam Foote was drafted as a 17 year old in the 2nd round as an NHL maybe... not an all-star.

as an 18 yr. old and 19 yr. old he developed under Ted Nolan's coaching into a world class junior player making the CHL #1 All-Star team (think Dion Phaneuf for recent example)... much like Phaneuf, he was awarded Top BodyChecker, hardest shot and won OHL West's fastest skater... he apparently at one time could skate faster backwards than all but 4 teammates of his skated forward...

when joining Quebec, he wasn't immediately put in a leading role as a #1 d-man for his 1st year... he actually only played 1/2 a season, but his second season had him as the Nordiques top minute logging defenseman... the season after that, he was awarded to play in the NHL All-Star game, where he hasn't missed an invitation since.