Quote:
Originally Posted by SebC
The reason I like forwards over d-men is that they make an impact faster... if you're picking #1 you should be planning for peak on the third year of said draft pick's entry-level contract.
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There are two things that recent history shows us:
1) you have a much higher chance of success with a lottery pick if you pick a forward vs a defenseman
2) #1 D is way easier to acquire via trade than a #1 C
If you look at championship teams over the last 20 years, there are way more #1 Cs drafted from lottery picks than #1 Ds. Doughty and Niedermayer (with NJ) are the only Ds taken top 3 by the respective team.
Compare that to Cs, where every single Stanley Cup winner over the last 20 years except the Devils has a home-grown #1 C and many of them were lottery picks.
Draft a #1 C - it is the only way to acquire them.