The only thing that has really changed in Flames drafting, and drafting in general, is the hype surrounding it. The amount of information on these players has ballooned and created a cottage hype industry about a process and players that were hardly thought of. Now we have multiple publications repeating much of the same information and building these kids up to be something they will never be. Because we know so much about these kids, and have tracked them from before they were drafted, an attachment develops and they become something more than they are. In the past a player like Matthew Phillips would have been a blip on the radar, now he's hyped to be a great prospect. I don't see anything in the Flames' system that gives me any confidence that anything in their drafting has lead to more success. When the goal is to find enough talent in three to four year cycle that creates critical mass of talent to push the team forward, the Flames have failed miserably and continue to do so. Part of that is on Treliving's propensity to trade picks away, but it is also on mediocre drafting.
|