Quote:
Originally Posted by Poe969
I 100% disagree, I think this team needs a number one defensman more than another forward. Don't get me wrong, getting Reinhart or Dal COlle would be amazing but I think the organizational need is to build up the back end. We have a legit goalie prospect in Gillies and Monahan looks good and so does Gudreau. This team needsd a legit defensive prospect. Badly.
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The way I look at it is that you rarely find a quality 1st line forward outside the top 5 (It happens but with little guarantee) and while Monahan and Gaudreau are looking good, they are not likely going to be star players. Getting a star forward, or several would help.
With D-men, you are just as likely to get a top end guy later in the first or in the second than you are with a top 5 pick. Subban, Weber, Letang, Keith and Chara were all 2nd/3rd round picks. If we spam our potential late first from trading Cammalleri, our 2nd and 3rd rounders plus any other top 3 round picks on D-men, we should be able to find some body that's good.
For the 2014, 2015 and 2016 drafts, if we take a forward with our 1st pick, D with our other first 3 round picks and then a combination beyond that of the other positions, then we should be able to increase the top end of our forwards, making our team legitimately dangerous offensively, while at the same time we should be able to find some defensemen in that secondary firsts/2nd/3rd rounders group.
Also, it is not 100% necessary to get top tier D-men right now. With the contract status of certain players, we have our #2, #3, #4, #5 D men locked in for the next 3 seasons. Giordano Brodie Wideman and Smid. If Sieloff takes #6 later on this year or next, and we keep Russell to see if he can replace Wideman on a more permanent basis, there will not be a huge impetus to rush the D prospects coming up into spots. With spamming 7 or 8 picks in the top 3 rounds with quality D men if they follow my thoughts, then you're likely going to have a similar competition on the farm that guys like Hanowski, Knight, Horak, Granlund etc were/are having in Abby this year. It makes them all better, both by having quality partners, and the ability to have direct comparable players that you're trying to edge out.
Also, the next 3 drafts from what I've heard are very similar as the 2010-2012 years in terms of talent. There should be a 15-20 NHL calibre D-men available in that time.
I believe that if we can get some star power like Seguin and Benn from last night in addition to the already awesome forward depth that we already have, then we should be set long term up front, while throwing most of the other darts at the D position in hopes of getting someone good, and with how our other scouting has been recently, (Poirier, Klimchuk, Grandlund, Janko, Sieloff, Wotherspoon and Gaudreau), they should be able to find those diamonds in the rough