Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall
I don't think it was that obvious, and Hutson went very late in the 2nd, so every other GM passed on him too. Ronni was a fine pick up hockey-wise....he just happened to be an awful human being.
That 2022 draft is looking like a total write-off for the Flames. The Flames turned their 1st round pick (plus a 5th and some pieces) into Toffoli, who they turned into Sharangovich and a 3rd.
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Sure it wasn't obvious to take him the first round, and I can even see the top 45 being a question mark. But once the draft was in the 50s taking him there was obvious, he was clearly the best player left on the board.
Especially with the Flames pick, where at the time they had absolutely no offensive defenseman in the system as prospects.
Hutson was looked over because he was small - IIRC he broke the USNDP record for points by a d-man in his draft year. But he was only 5'8" so he got over looked.
I know it's not people's favourite model - but Byron Bader had him as the 5th highest draft year star probability that year. Look at the USDP team that year.
Howard - 82 points
Cooley - 75 points
Nazar - 70 points
McGroarty - 69 points
Gauthier - 65 points
Snuggerrud - 63 points
Hutson - 63 points
Casey - 33 points
The 6 forwards ahead of him were all 1st round picks. Casey who had 30 fewer points and was also a small d-man at 5'10" was still taken 10+ picks ahead of him.
In the end taking the gamble on Hutson's elite talent being enough was obvious once the picks were in the 50s, and Montreal is reaping the rewards now.