It’s an interesting tension about necessary conditions for success. It seems the argument in the thread focuses on where to acquire first line centres. The ingredients for a championship team require a first line centre. Is it a top tier (whatever that is)? Is it a top five centre? Top ten? Top 16? A team can acquire a top 10 -16 centre outside of the top of the draft. Top 5 - the probability seems less. That is one ingredient. You probably need a good goalie (or at least a hot goalie) and an upper echelon offensive and defensive defencemen. Are those the necessary ingredients or are there more or less? Once you have the necessary ingredients that no winning team doesn’t have then do you have the remaining ingredients to make this team necessary.
When I think back to the last time Roy with the Habs won the cup or the Devils in the 90s - which are different eras so they may be irrelevant - but those teams had outstanding defence and goalies but less impressive forwards. Good forwards but not top of the league. It is interesting that it has been offensive players since Crosby and the lock out. Is that trend changing if the Rangers win with Shesterkin and teams are paying more for goalies and defence?
In other words, the question tends to focus on acquiring a top tier centre. Is that the only way? Could it be done another way? Sports are about finding blind spots, particularly if all the other franchises are doing it one way. It’s the way things are done until some one else does it differently and has success.
It is also interesting to look at the teams that have been historically drafting high for the past 10 years. You do not see a list of the best teams in the league. It’s really a mixed bag. Some teams were able to turn it around. Some teams are still looking for the answer. Drafting high is for bad teams. That sometimes helps those teams get better. Florida is bell of the ball now but it wasn’t looking great for quite a while. They were consistently asking how to beat Tampa until they did. Is the goal to trade your highest point producer and top 3 pick for a top 6 pick that is younger but brings a different dimension? Florida honestly drafted well and took advantage of other teams - Calgary and Buffalo primarily - to get their remaining core players. Is that something that requires absolutely top 10 picks?
|