Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathgod
The point is, 2023 is expected to be a deep draft, and even when picking in the 16-20 range, you still have a decent shot at getting a very good player.
It's worth mentioning that the Flames did draft Benny and Chucky with early firsts, and drafted one of the best forwards in franchise history with a 4th rounder. So to say that the Flames never sucked hard enough to draft high-end talent is somewhat inaccurate.
Drafts are somewhat unpredictable, even at the best of times. Even if you have the best scouting staff, you can take a player that won't amount to anything while passing on a player who goes on to be a superstar in the league. It happens to all teams from time to time. But the first round is more likely to contain future stars than any other round, and having more picks is better than having fewer.
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Bennet was a bust for a 4th overall pick. They have picked Chucky with a high first and that is all that contributed meaningfully to this team. How is drafting a player in the 4th round relevant to not being bad enough to draft elite talent?
They were bad enough once to get an elite player in Chucky, and even that was very lucky. Finishing "Not horrible enough" could have easily cost them drafting him (Just like Bennett vs Drais the year before)
The issue with keeping the draft pick and hoping you find a gem at 16-20 in a deep draft is the time to the NHL and where the team currently is. Best case they play in 3 years. At that point Lindholm and Hanifin may be gone, and Kadri, Markstrum and Hubby all on the downside of their career.
The Flames are most likely looking at a rebuild in 3-4 years, so does having a young player ready to contribute when the team is moving out of their contention window really make sense?
That doesn't mean give the pick away. I also hope they don't trade it for a rental, because I don't think this team is anywhere close to being a cup threat this year.
But I understand the team continuing to go all in with the aging core they have. Their window is really the next 3 years unless two of their existing prospects turn into superstars and become the next core. And usually those types of players don't come from the picks the Flames have used and will have available to them in the short term