Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
And the Smith and McDonald picks aren't bad just in hindsight - people here were calling them bad picks the moment they were announced. It really is remarkable how the Flames have hung onto a scouting staff that has proven itself to be so incompetent. There have been drafts when a fan at home making the picks using the Hockey News rankings would have done better - much better - than the Flames.
Maybe ownership doesn't want to pay for top-flight scouts. I don't know. It is interesting that when asked to comment on the strength of the Jets prospects pipeline, Chevaldae credited ownership with "recognizing that spending on scouting is an investment, not an expense." Presumably, that belief isn't shared by all teams. I'd be curious to see a league comparison of how much the teams spend on scouting.
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The Hunter Smith pick to me just screams Brian Burke. He loves his truculence and size and overpaying a player like seems like a thing he would do. Just look at what Burke paid for to draft Luke Schenn or the Kevin Westgarth pick up or the Lane McDermid trade where dude retired shortly after being acquired. Just too bad decisions from management over his tenure, burning too many assets for the wrong types of players.