Quote:
Originally Posted by Sylvanfan
One issue was that the team really did not accumulate that many draft picks in the seasons leading up to the Hamilton trade or after. The 2013 selling of Iginla and Bouwmesster netted pucks that ultimately were wasted.
The Hamilton trade itself is actually an adequate result. The placement of the picks traded was known and Hamilton was an ascending productive player the right age. Even moving him out to get two players who were 23 and under was a good result.
So moving picks to take a chance on a player or players 23 and under is not terrible. Moreso if the pick placement is known. But you can't make a habit of it or you end up deficient in assets.
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Yeah, the coaching was definitely one factor, on the prior core, but this is another - after Tkachuk, they didn't add anyone else to the team, via the draft. It's a rebuild, but you literally don't add a single player, via the draft, for the next 5 years.
In 2014, you've got Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett
2015: Andersson, Mangiapane - very good
2016: Tkachuk, Dube - very good
Great, you've drafted the early makings of a core - now what?
2017: nothing
2018: nothing (Pospisil didn't join the team until 2023)
2019: nothing (Pelletier coming)
2020: nothing (Zary in 2023)
2021: nothing (Coronato in 23-24)
A lack of picks, combined with no hits from the small pool of them, left Treliving searching in the UFA waters (which only further weakened the draft pool).
Yes, they also added Lindholm and Hanifin via trade, but they tried to come out of the rebuild much, much too early.
Hopefully Conroy will have more patience (I think he will)