Quote:
Originally Posted by Fire
I disagree, ask any draft eligible kid what their favourite NHL teams are and they will tell you. Not a big deal. Saying that I would still avoid him unless he is somehow available with the Blues pick.
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The smart ones don't I would say. Or they would phrase it differently, "I grew up as an Oilers fan but soon I'll be a fan of whichever team drafts me." These kids are coached by their agents to say what the teams want to hear.
People were blaming the Flames that they should have known Erixon wanted to be a Ranger before we picked him. Nichushkin saying he likes Philly and the Rangers should be a bit of a red flag for us. I'd imagine if they interview him that they would ask him what he meant.
You don't want to draft your highest pick in years in a deep draft only to have him bolt at the first opportunity to a big market US team. We want the kid we pick this year to potentially be the face of the franchise for a large chunk of his career. We don't want a kid who could go back to Russia at the first sign of adversity or who ditches the city at his first chance at UFA status instead of signing long term.