Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteMoss
The main thing the Blackhawks did in those years where they had success was acquire a million draft picks. There's been some research in football that most teams end up being drafting at a similar success level on a pick by pick basis but the better teams acquire more picks.
In 2004 where the Hawks landed a bunch of guys they drafted 17 guys (FOUR 2nd round selections). The draft was 9 rounds then, but they still just missed way more than they hit, they just had a ton of kicks at the can.
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I think this is a good philosophy. Get as many draft picks as you can reasonably get (best to maximize the first three rounds).
More kicks at the can means greater odds that one of your prospects will hit.
The NHL draft is difficult. It's not quite the crap-shoot that MLB's draft is, but it's far worse to project than at the junior level.
Build from within, and add pieces as you go. If you have a number of prospects you also have more value to trade to fill holes. Plus in a cap world, you're not shelling out millions for a mid-level guy whose role can be filled with an upcoming prospect.