Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
When you get into the mid 20s you are going to have players with warts. Over simplifying but the guys with high ceilings, tend to have the type of risks that you highlight above. If you pick a safer guy that doesn't have clear deficiencies or concerns, you probably have a much lower ceiling.
I'm generally a fan of drafting largely on the basis of upside - prioritizing hockey sense, skating and scoring ability over character, intangibles or size.
Which is all to say if Kaliyev didnt' have those concerns - he'd be a top 10 or 15 pick. Might still be.
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Don't get me wrong I still want to see players with skill, hockey sense and skating ability drafted by this team, but I think compete, work ethic and drive belong at the same level of importance. I will take a slightly less skilled player if his compete level and work ethic is superior to another player.
For example I would take Hoglander, Tomasino, Lavoie, Beecher, and Rees ahead of Kaliyev because I think the skill sets of those players are similar but their compete level, work ethic and drive far exceed that of Kaliyev.