Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
If Knight was likely to be a top-two centre in the NHL, he would have been drafted a lot higher than the 5th round.
Most forwards who make it to the NHL - even most of the ones drafted high and with high expectations - never stick above the 3rd line. Knight is a great pick-up even if he settles in as a third liner. No need to pin unrealistic hopes and expectations on him.
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I think we're arguing the same thing here, but there are numerous accounts of high-end centres getting drafted in the mid-rounds. So I don't think there's much of a correlation between draft position and ceiling.
It's possible that when he was drafted he had some sort of deficiency that kept him out of the top rounds. For example, he was drafted out of the AJHL, which is tough to gauge talent. He might've been a few inches smaller back then. Maybe he wasn't good at skating, etc.