Quote:
Originally Posted by Parallex
I disagree. Apart from Jankowski I don't think they've made any particular "gambles" at least not more then any draft pick is a gamble. The essense of a gamble is that you're exchanging risk for reward... I don't think Sutter was doing that. I actually think Sutter was drafting what he thought was safely... avoiding smaller players, avoiding Russians, making niche longterm "replacement" picks... I don't know what you want to call Sutter's drafting strategy (other then bad) but whatever you want to call it he certainly wasn't trading risk for reward.
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One first rounder was taken from Junior A, two more were taken after injuries ruined their draft years so it was impossible to get a good read on their potential. One was a goalie. I'd say these were gambles.
2004 - Chucko - Junior A
2005 - Pelech - injured
2006 - Irving - goalie
2007 - Backlund - injured but this gamble may pay
2008 - Nemisz
2009 - Erixon - not even a Russian but still he wouldn't play for us
2010 - no pick
2011 - Baertschi
2012 - Jankowski - high school, no one thinks this choice isn't a gamble
For the last nine years only two picks haven't been gambles and we've got two NHL players out of that.