Zach Parise is one of the NHL's top young guns. Within a couple of years of making it in New Jersey, he has become the Devils' #1 center, and is slowly and surely developing into a superstar.
But to Oiler fans, Parise will forever be the guy Lowe skipped on drafting with the 17th pick in the 2003 draft, instead trading for the #26 and #68 picks from New Jersey, and picking Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Jean-Francois Jacques.
The two Quebec boys have been under the microscope since being drafted, and yet showed much promise in both the CHL and the AHL. Fans began to think that the deal may have not been so bad afterall. However, neither are yet to secure full-time jobs in the NHL.
Marc Pouliot signed a 2-year, one-way extension at a $825,000 cap hit, turning down the 1-year qualifying offer the Oilers had made for him at $942,000 before July 1 (a 5% raise as required by the NHL). With this, the organization has instilled faith in Pouliot remaining with the big club over the next 2 seasons, be it in the press box or on the 4th line.
I've always liked Pouliot. When we drafted him, I thought we'd grabbed a gem from the QMJHL. He's a tall, smooth-skating center capable of making and receiving passes amongst the best of the NHL. He's a puck-possession type guy, and I think would be an instrumental player to keep if Lowe plans on emulating the Detroit style of hockey.
However, Pouliot hasn't exactly panned out for the Oilers. Originally drafted for his offensive flair, he has yet to show it in the NHL, scoring 19 points in 78 games over the past three seasons. Attempts to turn him into a 2-way 3rd liner have gone awry, and some deem him a "bust".
Pouliot is still more than capable of cracking a full-time spot with the Oilers. I see him becoming a late-bloomer, a great complementary player to legit NHL performers who is capable of playing the 2-way game. I see his career potential at being a Brendan Morrison
Mac-T seems to have retained a glimpse of hope in J.F Jacques, as the powerful winger signed a 2-year extension, the 1st year being 2-way, the 2nd 1-way. I guess the Oilers are keen on giving him one more year to pan out, and most likely would waive him if he doesn't.
I remember Jacques getting a lot of hype right after the lockout, some labelling him the "prototypical power forward for the new NHL". They had a point. He's big (6'4, 225), but skates faster than any other player his size. Apart from being a standout scorer in his first year in Hamilton (43 points in 65 games as a 20 year old), he was also a physical force, blistering the opposition with his body and even dropping the mitts to fight. As time went by, I couldn't wait to see the kid crack our roster.
But whatever dominance Jacques displayed in the minors has seemed to disappear when he was in the NHL. It seemed impossible for such a big-body presence to suddenly stop scoring. In 53 games with the Oilers, he has yet to score a point. Even more painful is the -17 plus/minus rating.
Unlike Pouliot, I really don't see much headed Jacques' way in terms of development. He's grown all that he can, and over the last couple of years his numbers have stagnated in the AHL. If he's going to crack it in the NHL, he's going to have to start getting lucky. He could be another Dustin Penner given the opportunity. But keep in mind, even Matt Greene managed to record a point in his first 50 games.
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