The problem with comparing forwards and D-men is that, by and large, defensemen and the work they do is not very exciting. A forward such as Toews, as skilled as he is, would not be as valuable to this team as a future top-pairing blueliner like EJ.

With Toews, you can see highlight reel action in the form of good passes and crafty goals.

With Johnson, you can’t really see much that’ll make the “Top 10 plays” other than the occasional power play slapshot goal (If he comes back with the blueline shot he had the year prior). Johnson’s job, when he’s doing it right in our end, involves impeding a forward’s process, taking his puck, and sending it up to our forwards. Nothing glamorous there, but you can’t have a good team without it.

As for the Blues top pick in 2006, I don’t think Toews was ever on our radar. If it wasn’t Erik Johnson, I think we would have gone for the 17th Staal kid.

For my money, EJ was the right pick. Toews certainly has the lead for now in playoff experience and golf cart safety. We’ll see in a few years how things shake out for the long haul.

Because I’m a homer.

Or because I still think it’s the right pick. He’s shown himself not to be a complete asshole, the year he WAS healthy he was as impressive a rookie as I’ve ever seen in a Blues uniform (Teeeeeeej’s ‘08-’09 notwithstanding) and I’ll take solid blue-line play with a touch of offensive skill blended in before I’ll take flash-and-dash forwards any day of the week. (Can you tell I agree with PCS’s analysis? Am I laying it on thick enough? Heh.)

This is not to say I wouldn’t have enjoyed “Taves” or “Staal Brother Of The Month” on my team, but hey . . . who’s to say the golf cart wouldn’t have eaten either of THEM as Blues, either? C’mon now, we all know our history here.

So I say to Jarmo (who I’m certain is NOT listening) . . . you were correct-ola on this pick. Good on ya, O Bald One.

The good news is that in a few years, we get to look forward to epic battles between Kane/Toews/Whoever vs EJ/Petro! Who has two thumbs and is excited? THIS GUY!!!

You build a successful team from the back to the front. Having a franchise defenseman pretty much makes the whole team better. Oh, and Toews wouldn’t be so good without Brian Campbell and Keith behind him on defense. He’s still weak in his own zone.

I love what Taves is able to do. I really think he is something the Blues are missing. We all love the Kid Line, but none of them have done with Toews has done. And, he is the Captain of the team.

I’m also pretty down on EJ right now. The knee injury scares me and I don’t know if he will come back and be No. 1 pick or just a very good defenseman.

I guess, gun to my head, you have to EJ. No one could have predicting the golf cart injury and his potential was, at the time, off the charts. People were talking about him in such lofty terms. I guess if I had a Delorean, I’d tell them to take EJ, but make sure he doesnt ever golf.

…when he was selected #2 overall by Hartford back in 1993, Jason Arnott was taken #7 by Edmonton. They both debuted in 93-94 for their respective teams, with Arnott scoring 33 goals as a rookie. I’m sure, given Prongers lackluster start to his career in Hartford, you could have gotten a lot of Whalers fans to scream that they should have taken Arnott #2 instead (or Paul Kariya taken #4). I’d rather have had Pronger I think.

I have to say I would take EJ. The Blues drafted on what they thought they needed most. Sure another dynamite forward would have helped, but apparently defense was the higher priority. As said before, no one could have predicted the golf cart injury.

Besides, he’s no really had a lot of time to play and mature. Missing this entire season doesn’t help. Give him a couple years. Then it will be a lot easier to see if we pooched it.

…take the franchise defenseman over the franchise forward.

Personally, I don’t find Toews all that impressive. Oh, sure, he’s good… damn good… but he’s workmanlike. Not flashy by any means. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have him on the Blues, but I think we’re jumping the shark here by even asking this question. It’s comparing apples to oranges, or like asking who you’d rather sleep with — the Penthouse Pet of the Year or the Playboy Playmate of the Year (or Brad Pitt vs. Hugh Jackman for the ladies out there).

If Johnson doesn’t miss a season because he was dicking around in a golf cart, this question doesn’t get asked.

B.

I agree with teh opinion that you take the Franchise Defensemen above the Franchise Forward. Fluke injury is a fluke injury, I still say it was the right pick. Whether or not he has a better career, who knows, but if you give me the player descrptions coming into the draft and nothing else, I’d have tkaen Johnson, and that’s basically all I can say

The other reason that Johnson was the right pick for the Blues was that he was coming to the NHL immediately, while Toews was going to play in the World Juniors, so he’d be at least a year away.

That’s the same mindset the Hawks used in choosing Kane over Kyle Turris the following year.- Kane was coming to the NHL, so the Hawks could get two top picks to help right away.

Johnson spent his first post-draft year in college hockey.

I selected E.J.

Give it a couple more years to determine who came out better Overall Player to their respective teams. Big, Talented Blueliners are difficult to find. However… I met E.J. a month ago at a autograph session, and IMO : looked " Thin " to me. E. J. needs to bulk up.

As an outsider to the Blues, I’ll just say this. In Drafts, you honestly have rough estimations as to how great someone can be, and it’s all pinned upon the team’s hope they’ll live up to their possible potential.

Obviously, for now, you’d go Toews. However, you can never wrap up who did what right, in drafts, until their careers are all put into a better perspective than three years.

yes they blow it.plain and simple.but we cant blaim them.we didnt no teows would be this big of a star.give erik a couple seasons and he will dominate

man, even if the blues did blow it, the pens blew it a lot harder by taking the lesser staal over toews, kessel, backstrom, and brassard.