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Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
What would be at least partially helpful is to figure out year-to-year how many full-time and part-time scouts were employed by the Flames since Button came aboard. This could really explain the lack of talent drafted over-all - and Button did get some hits definitely - Saprykin as mentioned earlier, Stillman (I believe he drafted Stillman, right?), Lombo, and others. It wasn't 'zero', but it was definitely horrible.
I really believe that the best scouting teams in the NHL employ not only good scouts, but more scouts than other teams. In some cases you will see a smaller scouting staff with one good person that seems to make a world of difference (NYI about 5 years ago, for instance), but more often than not the smaller scouting staffed teams really end up getting their ROI.
It seems the draft has been trending upwards. Do you then fire Button because he used to be incompetent, or didn't get enough positive results years ago, or do you keep him on board because it looks like it is improving? I say you keep him around and add to him. Maybe hire an AGM that is a former Scouting Director with a proven track record (though I would assume that would be the new GM's call).
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Stillman was drafted 21 years ago. Before button's time.
Again, you will not find a single organization that has had less impactful drafts over the same period of time. It really is that horrific.
I remember checking a while back, of his draft picks only 3 of them had 20 goal seasons. Lombardi (1), Kobasew (3), Phanuef (1). Every other organization I checked had more offensive production by a country mile, usually from just a single player.