[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

What were Bobby Mac's numbers with Jones as the season progressed? I can't remember if he had that much of a majority vote over MacKinnon. Ended up dropping down to 4th.

The draft is sometimes funny that way. Even with the 'feel good' story and history of Jones in Colorado (and being ridiculously short of quality D-men on the team and int he pipeline), they opted for MacKinnon, and it doesn't seem like the wrong choice at all.

Florida, even though they have a relatively deep center prospect pool, decided to go for Barkov next rather than Jones.

Tampa was more surprising to me, even though the media portrayed Drouin as the "St. Louis replacement". I thought for sure they were going to be picking Jones, as they were (and are) relatively light on D.

Nashville (who is a fairly deep team on D, even after losing Suter) selects Jones (and rightfully so).

I personally would never have predicted that the draft would turn out that way at all, though I can't argue that any of them were 'bad'. I believe that Reinhart will still get picked ahead of Ekblad this draft, unless Edmonton wins the lottery. They have to be perhaps the only team in the lottery stage that has to seriously look at organizational needs (#1 Defencemen, #2 Center with size, top-line winger with size, goalie prospects - in that order I think). Reinhart and Bennet would both be good, but they probably 'need' a guy like Draisatl more.

It almost feels that teams are now either a bit gun-shy about selecting a defencemen so early, or they feel a forward is indeed more 'value'. I think a defencemen has to be substantially better than the next forward in order to be drafted #1, and I don't think Ekblad is that far ahead of Reinhart, if at all (except once again, to Edmonton, whom I am sure would love and need both. Ekblad just fills a more pressing organizational need).

Well the difference between this year's draft and the previous one is this year's draft is weaker. I think teams will be picking for their needs this time. Edmonton will take Ekblad if he is still available, I think Buffalo will take Reinhart.