Hypothetical: Reinhart or Ekblad?

[Freeway]

You draft the best player available. If you have too many players at that position, you draft him anyway. Too many things can go wrong with hockey players. You draft the best guy available, and at worst, he becomes an asset.

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by AC

I posted this in the discussion about last year's draft, but out of all 32 defenceman picked in the top 5 since 1993, only 3 have been stars (so far).

2012: Murray, Reinhart, Rielly
2011: Larsson
2010: Gudbranson
2009: Hedman
2008: Doughty, Bogosian, Pietrangelo, Schenn
2007: Hickey, Alzner
2006: E. Johnson
2005: J. Johnson
2004: Barker
2002: Bouwmeester, Pitkanen, Whitney
2000: Klesla
1998: Stuart, Allen, Vishnevski
1997: Brewer
1996: Phillips, Zyuzin, Richard Jackman
1995: Berard, Redden, Berg
1994: Jovanovski, Tverdovsky
1993: Pronger

For whatever reason, top tier defensive prospects tend to disappoint.

I find it interesting you don't consider guys like Jovanovski and Bouwmeester stars... I know they might not be Norris candidates but I'd take them on my team any day (Jovo not so much anymore). Also, most of the guys who aren't "stars" are still very solid NHL defenseman that I'd love to have on my team. Ekblad is going to be really good. Reinhart will be too, so I wouldn't complain if we took him, but if I was GM, I'd take Ekblad.

[Geeoff]

Having two #1 centres is a great problem to have. Detroit had Fedorov and Yzerman. Colorado had Sakic and Forsberg etc.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

Having two #1 centres is a great problem to have. Detroit had Fedorov and Yzerman. Colorado had Sakic and Forsberg etc.

Exactly, and if it so happens that we pick #1 next year, you take McDavid as well. You can never have enough awesome centers.

[stemit14]

I believe in building from the centre out... Having Reinhart, Monahan, and Jankoswski up the middle would be a great core of centremen for the next decade.

[DOOM]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I believe in building from the centre out... Having Reinhart, Monahan, and Jankoswski up the middle would be a great core of centremen for the next decade.

M Reinhart has been playing the wing and Jankowski is far from a sure thing (I do like his potential though)

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by DOOM

M Reinhart has been playing the wing and Jankowski is far from a sure thing (I do like his potential though)

I believe he was talking about Sam Reinhart. This is a thread about Sam Reinhart vs Aaron Ekblad. Sam Reinhart, Sean Monahan and Mark Jankowski would give us 3 rolls of the dice at top two line centres. And if they all turn out and you move one of them to the wing, no big deal.

[Freeway]

There are zero sure things in hockey.

[stemit14]

How good does that vanek trade look for buffalo right now? I know that the islanders may yet turn it around and move up the standings, but buffalo could have a real chance at picking 1st and 2nd overall in 2014.

It would be pretty sweet for them if they wouldn't have to choose and, instead, they just get both Ekblad and Reinhart. Plus they could trade Moulson for another 1st round pick at the deadline.

However, I remember hearing that the islanders pick is conditional if it ends up in the top 10... Something like the islanders can choose to keep the 2014 first round pick and, instead, give them their 2015 first round pick if they end up in the bottom ten in the league this season. Is that true?

[Flames Draft Watcher]

http://www.tsn.ca/window/podcastcent...id=22936&id=65

Craig Button's podcast on the 2014 draft. Some people seem to think Button doesn't watch these players himself very much but he actually does.

Very interesting talk and perspective for those interested in the draft.

[djsFlames]

1) Ekblad
2) Reinhart
3) Dal Colle

[Francis's Hairpiece]

It's been a long, long time since we had that Franchise Dman in the ranks. I like Ekblad's size, speed, and skill.

I think this is the kid you need.

[Johnny Rotten]

Who's the better player?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

Having two #1 centres is a great problem to have. Detroit had Fedorov and Yzerman. Colorado had Sakic and Forsberg etc.

It sure is a nice problem but having no franchise defenseman is a terrible problem to have. The Wings won two of their four recent cups without Yzerman and Fedorov. Take Lidstrom from the Detroit mix and how many cups do they win? Probably at least two or three less.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Johnny Rotten

Who's the better player?

Nobody knows. We still don't know if MacKinnon is better than Jones after the draft.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by stemit14

However, I remember hearing that the islanders pick is conditional if it ends up in the top 10... Something like the islanders can choose to keep the 2014 first round pick and, instead, give them their 2015 first round pick if they end up in the bottom ten in the league this season. Is that true?

yes, this is true.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I don't think you pick based on perceived strengths or weaknesses within the organization. Overall center is a major issue and so is D. Can't go too wrong with either. My pick is Eckblad. Just a feeling that he could be dominant, whereas Reinhart will be merely really good.

[CliffFletcher]

Ekblad.

But I really don't see the Flames picking top 2. More likely take Dal Colle at 3 or 4. Then I'd like to see the Flames use the 1st rounder they acquire for Cammelleri (and if necessary trade up) to take Haydn Fleury.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by nik-

Honestly, I feel if people are using Jankowski as a reason not to draft another high end centre, I think there's going to be a lot of disappointed people.

Not true for me. I just think he's both the bpa and fills a huge hole. Had not even considered Janko

[CaptainCrunch]

I get the best player available thing, but I think you have to put a rider in there. Look at Edmonton, if your drafting BPA year after year and not filling team needs, you over stack the team in one or two positions and never balance it out.

I think you have to go deeper then picking up the consensus hockey news pick at that position and pick BPA by position based on organizational need. If you have good forward depth, then maybe you pick bpa by defenseman.

But to blindly pick bpa I think is a recipe for Oily disaster.