Quote:
Originally Posted by ComixZone
I think fans overestimate the importance of that.
You need top talent more than you need veteran leadership hanging around providing intangibles, and that veteran leadership could end up preventing you from acquiring the top talent you need to win.
You need to draft a Sasha Barkov/Nathan MacKinnon far more than you need a random smattering of veterans to "help the young guys grow", and that random smattering of veterans may very well prevent you from drafting a Sasha Barkov/Nathan MacKinnon.
It's really easy to find veteran groups like what the Flames currently have today. They're available every off-season.
Step 1: Draft the elite, foundational talent
Step 2: Find the right veterans to to help them grow
You can't do that out of sequence, because if you do Step 2 before Step 1, you'll never accomplish Step 1.
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Love Backlund, Coleman, Weegar, and Kadri, but those guys are not dragging this team out of the gutter. Conroy has done a great job of tearing this team down to the point it should absolutely suck next year. Goalies alone should ensure that. I also don't think it is that easy to find a Backlund or a Kadri. It took Backlund almost a decade of playing in the Flames system before he became a Selke worthy two way centre.
When you have a team of top talent that doesn't have vets to show them how to play, especially a solid defensive game, you end up being the Buffalo Sabres or pre-McDavid Oilers. A bunch of wasted top end draft picks floundering around aimlessly.