Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
You take advantage of opportunities you have to improve your team in the best way possible. The Flames have a pretty thin farm system. Three first round picks, even if they turn out to only be second line talent, would go a long way to solving the depth issue. Plus, there is no guarantee that the players selected will top out at 2nd liners like you suggest. Lots of top end talent comes from slots throughout the first round. There are even players that end up on the top lines of championship teams that were drafted after the first round. A top five pick does not guarantee stardom and a pick after the top five does not damn a player to mediocrity.
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There is also no guarantee that the later first rounders even stick as NHLers. By the late 1st round you find lots of fringe NHLers and guys who only get a cup of coffee. However, with scouting today, there are rarely busts in the top 3 overall anymore.
There's a greater chance MacKinnon becomes a first-line centre than the 22 and 28th picks both become 2nd liners. Probably one of those two ends up a marginal NHLer.
It's all about probability. As you go down in the draft, the top end is reduced
and the probability of players reaching that top end is reduced.