Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
Panthers left 30 goal scorer on an ELC unprotected so isn't that their own fault? Reilly Smith was acquired for a 4th round pick from the Panthers which had nothing to do with the draft. The Penguins actually threw in a 2020 2nd round pick for Columbus to take Fleury's contract (this rather than accept a trade offer from the Flames). The Blue Jackets protected Brandon Dubinsky over Karlsson. Honestly if anything this draft proved how teams have a difficult time accessing and developing the talent in their own systems. I simply feel the NHL has a management problem in that too many GM's aren't very good at their jobs.
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I'm not sure how one could quantify this statement. By definition, one third of GMs have to be in the bottom third in performance and one third have to be in the top third. It is literally impossible for it to be any other way.
At any rate, if the Golden Knights had to follow the draft rules the Atlanta Thrashers did, then there's no way they get Marshesseault. They probably don't get Karlsson, depending on how highly the Jackets valued him, etc. Unquestionably, the Golden Knights made some astute pics. But it is also unquestionable that the draft was designed to give them a far better system out of the gate than any other expansion team ever received. That was spoken of heavily before the draft. What nobody was expecting was for it all to turn golden right away. I thing most were expecting some of these prospects to need a year and that 2018-19 or 2019-20 would be when Vegas truly broke out.