Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
The fact he was passed over doesn't bother me at all. There have been a lot of good players that have not been drafted in there first year of eligibility. The issue was more the type of player being picked: big and not skilled.
My approach to the draft would be home run swings in every round. Those are the franchise changing picks. So take your swings. I would be asking my scouts to describe if they could see their player playing in the top of our line-up, or being an impact on the roster. In the later rounds the chances of that would be far slimmer but I'll still take a guy who has a 10% chance of being an impact player over a guy that has a 50% chance of being a 4th liner.
Draft for upside. Each pick. Every round.
|
I mostly agree with this sentiment as well - draft for value, make trades later to balance it out.
The only issue is that it becomes expensive to acquire grit that can play. Look at what Goodrow went for last year, for instance.
Also, the Flames were interested in Smith since his first draft eligibility. They invited him after the draft, but I think he was nursing an injury, or something or other. That next season saw him shoot up in points and he was playing both PK and PP on his team, and looking good actually with skilled players. He wasn't picked as a goon, or even as a 4th liner. Him (and Kanzig) were both identified as being large players who had been improving their skill level.
Hitting it out of the park is getting a big, fast, tough and skilled player too. I still don't hate that the Flames tried to go for it. Just sucked that it didn't work out.