Quote:
Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed
Increasingly, it seems like top players in their prime very rarely come available by any means, trade, UFA, whatever.
Also, players with potential to become a top player are very rarely available. No team wants to trade their recent first round picks.
All of the players/prospects available for trade or signing have some kind of "flaw" - undersized, behind on talent, etc.
The only way you can acquire those types of players is through the draft, and the only place you are likely to draft such a player is in the first round.
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I am not so sure. Unless you are talking about a very very small list of players.
Off the top of my head - Chara, Parise, Suter, Spezza, Nash, Hossa, Neal, Thornton, Kessel, Richards, Carter, Staal ... there are probably some more.
I would wager there are close to as many top players traded or signed each year as drafted.