I don't the Flames were a good drafting team at the turn of the century. They were limited in their scope, and too focused on specific regions/needs and not enough on talent. Sutter had a size and western Canada bent.
I wouldn't call the Flames a good drafting team.
Hell they didn't even have their own AHL team for a spell, to shine a light on where they placed prospect development vs costs.
I do think they've improved a lot in the last 10-15 years, and that Dom study that shows value/draft capital pretty much spelled out what I felt I was seeing.
A group depleted in draft choices near the top of the draft still doing a whale of a job to help stock a franchise.
I wonder where that same group with all their 1st and 2nds would be in the last 5 years and today?
I can't say Button is a great scout.
I also can't say that he isn't given his recent success with less, and the influence or lack of influence of GMs over that time span.
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