Yawn... The article seems like a comparison on how GM's did things compared to the last 15-20 years and I can tell you exactly why this is a terrible idea and simply will not work nowadays in one word...
Scouting.
Back then, teams didn't scout for 3rd, 4th round picks because they didn't really need to. Let alone, scout in rounds after the first round in future drafts.
Quebec and Ontario were essentially the only two regions scouted at that time.
Europe?.. Nope.. Western Canada and US? Not unless they are hearing rumblings of an absolute stud, teams weren't going out there.
Nowadays, if you don't know who's likely going to round out the top 90 in the year after this and potentially the year after that, then you aren't doing your job as a director of scouting for a team.
A team isn't going to give you a much better pick or be more willing to give up a first for a guy like Phaneuf in a draft 2 years away if they aren't willing to do it now.
Teams that maybe willing to consider it are teams who project to be near the top of the league by that draft but likely will be near the cap and not be able to afford these players.
Flawed strategy imo
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