Quote:
Originally Posted by Icon
Not that it's likely at all, but I've wondered what it'd take for the Flames to pry the #1OA pick out of the Rangers.
Gaudreau, 19OA, ????
I'm in the likely minority though that if this went down, I'd be drafting Byfield. For teams without the luxury of a definite #1C, he's definitely going to be one.
That said, I don't see how a trade with LA would work, Kings would much rather the pick.
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He might be one, or he might not.
I always find this weird, people think just because you draft a centre in the top 3 or top 5, that you have your #1 center. That’s (unfortunately) not how it works. In the 10 years including 2016 draft and prior (using that cutoff to give players a few years to reach a high level of play), 8 of the centres drafted in the top 5 did not become undisputed #1 centres (whether that means they topped out as good #2s, third liners, switched to wing, or didn’t stick on a team at all).
Byfield might become a #1 center, but it’s nowhere close to definite.
Same goes for the people want to trade for Cozens. If we’re lucky, he becomes as good as Monahan. If we hit the absolute jackpot, he’s better. But in all likelihood he does not reach either of those levels. Potential is not a guarantee. We should have learned that with surefire #1 center Sam Bennett.