One thing to consider about Johnson is the guy is already 25 and just starting to round into form. Would you be willing to wait for 7 years for your 1st overall to develop? The Blues didn't, and I'm not sure a lot of Flames fans would.
That's the thing with defensemen...chances are you're going to have to wait years for that guy to reach his peak, and many fans/GMs/owners don't have that kind of patience, so the player might not even be on your team when he does. The saving grace for the Blues was that they at least traded him for a pretty good set of players...Shatenkirk, Stewart and a pick that turned into Ty Rattie.
But while Blues/Avs fans were waiting for Johnson to develop, guys like Toews and Lucic were busy helping their teams win Stanley Cups.
It's not that different with Hedman. The guy is starting to come along, but it's been 5 years since he was drafted. There are good defensemen to be had...but man, you really have to be patient.
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