It's always fun revisiting scouts' pre-draft scouting reports on eventual NHL stars.
Last summer I took a look at a few pre-draft scouting reports on eventual Penguins players, and shared reports on guys like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury.
A Reddit user on Monday shared a picture from The Hockey News' 1990 draft preview magazine, where a young, "not real flashy" forward by the name of Jaromir Jagr was projected to go No. 6 in the draft.
Here's what they said about him:
"Czechoslovakian left winger Jaromir Jagr is considered by some scouts to be the best player eligible for this year's draft. But it is a minority viewpoint and while Jagr is certainly a premier prospect, the chances of him going No. 1 appear slim. He does, however, have a legitimate shot of breaking into the top five.
" 'He's a top-notch international player,' says one scout. 'He's a very big guy who skates extremely well, is a good puckhandler and plays well in traffic. He's not real flashy. He doesn't attract you with his finesse so much as his overall performance in all areas of the game. He's an impact player in their Elite League and is a member of the national team. What does that tell you?'
"After the World Junior Championships in Finland, Bob Clarke proclaimed Jagr as the best player available, but he has since been fired as general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, who pick fourth overall. It remains to be seen if the scouting staff feels the same as Clarke.
"Jagr, represented by Toronto player agent Don Meehan, is expected to be at the draft proceedings in Vancouver with his parents. That will only help his chances of going higher. Hartford's success in signing Bobby Holik (10th overall) last year will be another positive factor for Jagr, who may only be a year away from the NHL.
" 'We'll have to check on his contract situation over there, but the fact he's going to be at the draft indicates a desire to play over here,' says a scout."
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