Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
And they still drafted four players in the top 100 in that very same draft.
Have covered the Penguins already. They still maintained their picks in the top 100 so as not to exhaust their resources.
Bruins still maintained a 1st round pick in the 2012 draft, and picked two players in the top 100.
And had six picks in the top 100 over the next two drafts.
After picking four players in the top 100 the previous year, then four more the following two years. Kings drafting was poor, which really impacted their ability to remain a viable threat.
Rangers are a pretty good team to look at right now. The Flames are doing what they did. They traded first rounders in back-to-back-to-back years, and now look at them. They are a bottom feeder and don't have a helluva lot to look forward to. They are basically trying to sell off what they have to try and get those picks to rebuild their system.
But back it up with 10 players in the top 100 in the three drafts around that trade. Chicago has actually gone out of their way to recoup more picks to address their budget challenge. They are trying to address their problem.
The Lightning picked four players in the top 100 from that draft, then fiver players in the top 100 in the next draft. Nine players in the top 100! That's why they can afford star players and still be competitive and sitting atop the league.
Sharks will be a team to watch and see how this plays out. They have only drafted five players in the top 100 in the past three drafts. This will be a case study of the sustainability of position in the NHL, and likely similar to the Flames future, although they will have more assets than the Flames.
This after drafting THREE time in the previous first round. Also, Vegas still managed to draft NINE players in the top 100 in the two drafts, including the one they traded away their first round pick.
I guess the question is, do you believe the Flames are in position to win the cup, or do you want the Flames to be sustainable to where they can challenge out of the west for the next six to ten years? I want them to win the cup, but I also want them to be a top team in the league for the next decade. They can do both.
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So you are saying draft picks are important or something like that? Of course I agree that they are. I believe Flames are in a position to win the cup right now and in the next 6 years as well. This years late first will most likely not decide how competitive this team is 6 years from now. They also have expendable trade pieces like Brodie (this offseason) and Backlund (Next offseason) that would return a 1st + each. Janko and Bennett would also return 1sts if need be, but I would rather hang onto both because of their age.