Quote:
Originally Posted by Fan in Exile
You make some good points about Tampa and I agree that building a solid contender is about more than just bottoming out for a top five pick. But Tampa got Stamkos and Hedman as top two picks. They got Drouin at #3 and flipped him for Sergachev. Vasilevsky was a first rounder albeit at #24. In any event, most of their core are their own first round picks.
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Tampa Bay did a lot of things right. When they missed on a player in Drouin, they cashed out and still got great value from that asset. The pick they used for Vasilevsky...came from trading Steve Downey for Kyle Quincey than flipping him to Detroit....plus finding a lot of good players in later rounds and a legitimate Superstar in Kucherov, and other star in Point. But the lottery balls did fall their way to get Stamkos and Hedman.
Of the 4 teams who have won 2 or more cups in the cap environment, three of them had the lotto balls fall their way to draft key players. For all we know the guy the Flames take at 11 this year could become a Kopitar...but I'm an idiot for suggesting that could happen.
Today, I don't think teams will give you a first for Kyle Quincey's...teams as a collective are far more guarded about trading first round picks than they used to be. Although Treliving seemed to be a bit cavalier with them.