Quote:
Originally Posted by The Original FFIV
Nailed it
2016 notwithstanding as we made out pretty good with Tkachuk, 2011-14 drafts tell a tale of 2 small market Canadian franchises
2011 - jets get schiefele at 7, we get Baertschi at 13
2012 - jets draft Trouba at 9, we get Janko 21 and a 2nd round pick of sfa for trading down
2013 - we get mony at 6, jets get morrisey at 13
2014 - we get bennett at 4, jets get ehlers at 8
Over this 4 year period, jets drafted a 1c, 2 top 4 d and top 6 f. We did not. Hope the jets scouts got a good bonus for their work.
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I think this helps to illustrate just how much good fortune plays into good drafting:
2011 — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the top-rated skater, Sven Baertschi was the #7-best NA prospect, and Mark Scheifele was not even in the top-10. Nugent-Hopkins, Strome, Zibanijad and Huberdeau were selected ahead of Scheifele, and he is arguably better than all of them.
2012 — Trouba was the #9 ranked NA skater in a fairly baffling draft. It is frustrating that the Flames moved down to select Jankowski.
2013 — Monahan was the #5 ranked NA skater, and currently leads the entire Draft class in goals, and is #3 in scoring after eight years. Morrisey was an astute pick.
2014 — Bennett was the #1 ranked NA skater, and Ehlers was not ranked in the top-ten. Of the six forwards selected ahead of him Ehlers has outscored all but Draisaitl.
Winnipeg deserves a tonne of credit for making the most of their picks, but they were also incredibly fortunate that Scheifele and Ehlers in particular have worked out as well as they did. I don't believe for a moment that anyone inside and outside of the Jets organisation projected either of these two guys as top-line NHL players. Scheifele's numbers coming out of Juniour were identical to Monahan's in his draft year.