Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Tampa's drafting is absolutely a huge part of their success. Whether it's Kucherov (2011 58th OA), Vasilevsky (2012 19th OA), Point (2014 79th OA), these are all guys who were available when Calgary picked the likes of Tyler Wotherspoon (57th OA), Jankowski (14th OA traded for 21st OA), Smith/Hickey (let's not even go there).
No one would disagree with you there, and it does extend to a lot of Tampa's rosters whether it's Cirelli, Cernak, Palat, Johnson, or Gourde.
However -
Tampa also had the benefit of 2nd overall pick Viktor Hedman, 1st overall pick Steven Stamkos (I know he didn't play in the bubble playoffs, but he's still a massive part of their team's success), and trading 3rd overall pick Jonathan Drouin for Mikhael Sergachev at just the right time.
The kind of talent associated with high draft picks doesn't grow on trees, and Jack Eichel is the kind of talent associated with a high draft pick. In fact he's a lot closer to Hedman-tier than anyone else in terms of "unobtanium".
Despite Calgary's past failures in some drafts, we're not a horrible drafting/development team. We do pump out some pretty good NHLers on a respectably regular basis - whether it was guys like Gio/Brodie/Gaudreau/Mangiapane who belong up the roster or guys like Dube/Backlund/Andersson/Ferland who still can contribute to a good team in the middle of the roster or guys like Jankowski/Kulak/Hathaway who can certainly find a nice role at the bottom of the roster of good teams.
I don't think our pipeline is that empty even if we do give up some assets or futures for Eichel. Guys like Phillips, Kylington and Ruzicka can probably contribute a lot more than they've been allowed to in the past. Guys like Pellettier, Coronato and Zary can probably take a roster spot. Some wildcard like Pospisil is certainly able to force his way onto the roster when we least expected it.
But absolutely none of those guys will be a Jack Eichel. Not because of the Flames' failure to draft, but because Jack Eichels simply do not come along late in the draft.
You can fill out a roster around a guy like Eichel.
You can't fill a roster hole where a guy like Eichel would be.
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Completely agree. Where I don't fully agree is the package it'd cost. Again, I'm not big on any of the Flames prospects not in today's lineup, but the complete package including giving up next years' first rounder is a deal breaker. Some team will be willing to do it though. On the Flames, where they have no higher talented depth, and they don't have that star, means they have to go through this by drafting very well, developing talent, then when they amass that talent where it's bleeding, they can go the all in route by getting a guy like Eichel. Giving up high future picks on a team that lacks any depth, in addition to the little draft collateral they have, is just not a good fit. When you're oozing draft talent, and you can survive not picking in the first round, sure. Ottawa may actually be in that position this year. But the Flames have to hold on to their 1st to eek out some high end talent by scouting and secondly developing. Trying to fast track is a terrible idea because there aren't any fast tracking routes.