Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
In 1997, the Flames decided on Daniel Tkaczuk over Sergei Samsonov because they wanted a center. Only three centers from that draft because top line centers and all were drafted in the top 3.
We'll never know for sure how Tkaczuk would have turned out without the injury problems, but I think it's still a good lesson to not draft for position.
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It's an even better lesson not to put yourself in a spot where you desperately need to draft for position.
In the 1995 off season, Doug Risebrough managed to lose the organization's four best centremen: Joe Nieuwendyk to a contract holdout, Robert Reichel to Germany, Joel Otto to free agency, Kelly Kisio to retirement. I believe that debacle was what got him fired. For years afterwards, the Flames were using a combination of AHLers, journeymen, and converted wingers to try to patch that giant hole down the middle.
Kisio was retiring no matter what, but if the team had managed to keep even two of the other three, they would never have been so desperate to fill the hole and could easily have afforded to draft the BPA.