Cap World, Drafting for Need and BPA?

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by TheOnlyBilko

Yak was the consensus #1 Pick in his draft year. Don't why people are even arguing against that.

Because Oilers.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Hall is a very skilled offensive player.

For a while now I've been philosophically opposed to building around wingers. I watched certains teams do it earlier and have never found the results to be impressive. CGY with Iginla, ATL with Kovalchuk/Heatley then Hossa, WSH with Ovechkin. I just have never been impressed with teams where their best offensive player was a winger. So starting a new rebuild off by picking Hall? Meh. Seguin had franchise centre potential, I do think they botched that one by not understanding that centres are the more important position. They have a bigger impact towards winning/losing and more easily make the players on their line better.

Bringing it back to this draft that is why I would never consider taking Laine over Matthews. But if our scouts see Laine/Matthews on the same tier and we end up drafting #1 then I have no problems trading down one spot to take Laine but only because we already have Bennett and Monahan and are in dire need of a #1 RW. I believe we already have two franchise centres so getting a #1 RW with size plus additional assets would be something worth exploring.

Great post. I would just like to add that centers tend to be more versatile than wingers. In other words, it's easier for a center to learn to play on the wing than it is for a winger to learn to play center. And as you said, successful teams don't usually build around wingers. This could be one of the reasons. It is hard for wingers to learn how to start, control, monitor, and defend plays as centers do.
However, I also wouldn't be against trading down for Laine, and he is almost perfect for the team. I do not think it would be good asset management to take Laine first overall, so the trade would seem reasonable.

I wonder what we would receive for trading down a spot to take Laine instead of Matthews? What would make it worth it?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheOnlyBilko

Yak was the consensus #1 Pick in his draft year. Don't why people are even arguing against that.

That's just not true. All the way up to draft day there was ongoing debate between Yakupov and Murray at the top. Yes, most believed that Yakupov was the BPA, but it was hardly what I would call a consensus.

[The Fonz]

Tambellini was going to select Murray, but management forced his hand into picking Yak. That is true, and I have it from an extremely reliable source.

[Itse]

As a matter of definition, I would call "trading down to get a player from a preferred position" essentially "drafting for need in a smart way".

So trading down for that reason IS drafting for need, and NOT drafting BPA.

Also, trading up to get a player from a preferred position is also essentially drafting for need.

In short, by my definition trading for need is when you make player position in relation to organizational shortcomings (or organizational philosophy) a significant part of the drafting process.

Drafting BPA on the other hand is either
a) picking BPA where ever your draft position might be
b) trading up to get a player you think is a lot better (without regarding position as such)
c) trading down to get more resources while thinking that you will probably get a player of equal quality. (For example trading from #2 to #5 if you think all players from #2-5 are pretty much equal.)

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by TheOnlyBilko

Yak was the consensus #1 Pick in his draft year. Don't why people are even arguing against that.

Because it lets the Oilers off the hook for a bad pick. We have documented proof of teams not having Yak number 1.

[Boreal]

Interesting draft video from the Senators from 2011. It features Dougie Hamilton at the start. Interesting that he told the Sens that he has no weakness, and the Senators passed on him for Zibanijad. Perhaps a mistake?

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Tambellini was going to select Murray, but management forced his hand into picking Yak. That is true, and I have it from an extremely reliable source.

Eric Duhatschek mentioned the same thing on the radio.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Considering that he's on a line with Jamie Benn, that is a remarkably weak knock against Seguin.

It's not a knock on Seguin. But the fact that he's on a line with Jamie Benn does show that his marginally better stats than Hall doesn't necessarily prove he's more effective. I would take Benn over Hall over Seguin personally, and I do value centers more.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Hall is a very skilled offensive player.

For a while now I've been philosophically opposed to building around wingers. I watched certains teams do it earlier and have never found the results to be impressive. CGY with Iginla, ATL with Kovalchuk/Heatley then Hossa, WSH with Ovechkin. I just have never been impressed with teams where their best offensive player was a winger. So starting a new rebuild off by picking Hall? Meh. Seguin had franchise centre potential, I do think they botched that one by not understanding that centres are the more important position. They have a bigger impact towards winning/losing and more easily make the players on their line better.

Bringing it back to this draft that is why I would never consider taking Laine over Matthews. But if our scouts see Laine/Matthews on the same tier and we end up drafting #1 then I have no problems trading down one spot to take Laine but only because we already have Bennett and Monahan and are in dire need of a #1 RW. I believe we already have two franchise centres so getting a #1 RW with size plus additional assets would be something worth exploring.

To be fair, Chicago's best offensive player is a winger (Kane) and they seem to be doing ok the last 5 years. However, they also have Toews as a centre to balance his offence.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by nobles_point

To be fair, Chicago's best offensive player is a winger (Kane) and they seem to be doing ok the last 5 years. However, they also have Toews as a centre to balance his offence.

True. But as you point out Toews is an essential part of the team. And Seabrook, Keith, Hjalmarsson are just as key. Those 4 guys would make most teams a contender.