Quote:
Originally Posted by JiriHrdina
Mixed feelings on that one because I now am on board with those that think Jones is a very special player - and an elite #1 dman can be just as important to a cup win as a #1 centre.
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If you get #1, I feel like you have to take the centre. It just seems like you're much more likely to get somewhere big with a centre at that position, than a d-man.
Since 1990, the following d-men have gone first:
Hamrlik
Jovanovski
Berard
Phillips
Johnson
Now there are some good players there, but franchise turnaround players? Not really.
If you look at Centre, during the same period the following have gone first:
Lindros
Lecavalier
Thornton
Stefan
Crosby
Stamkos
Tavares
Hopkins
Apart from Stefan (and hopefully RNH), those are some franchise-making centres there. And these elite guys just don't tend to drop very far beyond that first couple picks.
Wasting a #1 on a Dman doesn't seem to be the best use of your pick. Not only do they take longer to contribute, I feel like with defenseman, you can get some franchise type guys later in the first round... sometimes even second. None of the best d-men of this generation (Niedermayer, Lidstrom, Pronger, Weber, Keith) went 1st. Lidstrom, Keith, Weber were actually all 2nd rounders.
Goalies and Dmen are hugely important. But if past history has anything to do with it, you'd be foolish to spend a #1 pick on them. Besides, we've been ok with drafting defenseman (not great, but at least relatively) on this team. It's the Centre position that has eluded us for so frickin long. We HAVE to go Centre.