Drafting 101

[dash]

Always the dilemma - Should you select (in your opinion) the best player available or the player that can best address a weakness in your team?

I think you should always try to get the best player available, but with a caveat. If you get a chance to draft a good centre, you should select that player. As much as having a good/hot goalie, you need to have strength at the centre ice position to be successful in this league(especially in the playoffs).

That has been the biggest glaring weakness with Calgary, they traded their best centerman (Nieuwy) to get Iggy and have never been able to land a true No. 1 centre during Jarome's tenure with the Flames.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Always the dilemma - Should you select (in your opinion) the best player available or the player that can best address a weakness in your team?

I think you should always try to get the best player available, but with a caveat. If you get a chance to draft a good centre, you should select that player. As much as having a good/hot goalie, you need to have strength at the centre ice position to be successful in this league(especially in the playoffs).

That has been the biggest glaring weakness with Calgary, they traded their best centerman (Nieuwy) to get Iggy and have never been able to land a true No. 1 centre during Jarome's tenure with the Flames.

for me its true #1 centre or monster dman

I saw tsn had a mock draft story posted online and Larsson goes to edmonton ... avalanche select RNH second

can you imagine ... Joe Sakic steps up to the podium for the Avs to make the announcement ... from Red Deer by way of BURNABY ... fairy tale !!!

 

[Automattic]

They better go for the next damn Nicklas Lidstrom.

 

[dash]

RNH did not have a good playoff series against the Tigers, he really needs to add muscle to his frame as well (kid looks like he could topple over in a stiff breeze).

 

[juliansteed]

I think you gotta take the best player available, and maybe use position/style in the event of a tie-breaker. Most of these guys won't be NHL ready for a few years anyway and its hard to predict what the needs will be by that time. If they are already NHL ready then chances are they would be the best player available anyway. Now if you have a guy who is only marginally better than the next guy and you are stacked with prospects for the marginally better player's position and very thin with prospects at the other guy's position then I could see drafting based on position. But even then I'd only do it if the difference was small. Otherwise draft the better player and trade him or one of the other prospects from that position to fill the need.

 

[juliansteed]

for me its true #1 centre or monster dman

I saw tsn had a mock draft story posted online and Larsson goes to edmonton ... avalanche select RNH second

can you imagine ... Joe Sakic steps up to the podium for the Avs to make the announcement ... from Red Deer by way of BURNABY ... fairy tale !!!

Here's a mock draft that has Larsson going #1 to the Oilers, but it has RNH going 3rd to Colorado. Out of their top 5, I think they'd be lucky to have more than 1 right. I know Isles might like the looks of this since I know he's had his eye on Huberdeau. Also I remember Dash saying he was interested in Zack Phillips. I would be very happy if Tomas Jurco goes to the Sharks!

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articl..._medium=email&utm_campaign=thn_daily_20110622

 

[jstewismybastardson]

RNH did not have a good playoff series against the Tigers, he really needs to add muscle to his frame as well (kid looks like he could topple over in a stiff breeze).

no doubt he is not a landeskog in stature but some scouts were actually surprised by how well he did at the combine ... so he's already made improvement there

I would go #1 centre and hope he can pass his boating exam so Taylor Hall can hit the lake soon

 

[loki604]

Best player available. Hell, the Pens can keep drafting defensemen. They develop them well and trade them for shit we need. Works for me.

 

[dash]

I would go #1 centre and hope he can pass his boating exam so Taylor Hall can hit the lake soon

If the Oil draft him, is he going to lose the Hopkins and just go with Nugent (like Paajarvi dropped the Svensson)

 

[puckhead]

for the most part, take the best available.
only if your prospect stable is really lopsided (Edmonton - all forwards, no d), then you need to waver from that a bit.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

I think you go Best Player Available (BPA). If there is a toss up between two kids, then you draft for positional needs.

The fact is that if you always draft for BPA you will end up with a balanced prospect pool in the long run.

The other important factor is NEVER, EVER listen to Craig Button and/or Steve Kouleas.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

If the Oil draft him, is he going to lose the Hopkins and just go with Nugent (like Paajarvi dropped the Svensson)

Nawww... He'll just lose a lot of hockey games!!!

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I think you go Best Player Available (BPA). If there is a toss up between two kids, then you draft for positional needs.

The fact is that if you always draft for BPA you will end up with a balanced prospect pool in the long run.

The other important factor is NEVER, EVER listen to Craig Button and/or Steve Kouleas.

Id take the kid who is BPA-free

*nyuk nyuk nyuk*

 

[filosofy29]

Always the dilemma - Should you select (in your opinion) the best player available or the player that can best address a weakness in your team?

I think you should always try to get the best player available, but with a caveat. If you get a chance to draft a good centre, you should select that player. As much as having a good/hot goalie, you need to have strength at the centre ice position to be successful in this league(especially in the playoffs).

That has been the biggest glaring weakness with Calgary, they traded their best centerman (Nieuwy) to get Iggy and have never been able to land a true No. 1 centre during Jarome's tenure with the Flames.

I agree with this for the most part. The lone exception may be goalie though. For instance, if you were the Devils drafting 5-7 years ago and the best player available was a goalie, I think it would be foolish to pick the kid. I'd take the 2nd best player available in that scenario. That said, as far as forwards and defense, you can never have enough back up imhumbleo.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I'm of the school that it depends and has to be evaluated case-by-case.

Probably not much of an issue after the 1st or 2nd round, but if you're drafting high, even if you think you're pretty good at a certain position, if there's still a guy that stands above the rest, you have to take him....unless you have a HUGE need at another position and there's a guy that's not too far behind.

I say this because:
a) you can never have too many prospects and
b) you can always use that player (or the pick itself for that matter) as trade bait if you know someone else wants him. Maybe it nets you the other guy that you wanted and a 5th or something, but then you've got another prospect and see point a) above.

 

[blindbaby]

In general, I'd say BPA for the first couple of rounds for sure, then maybe in the 3rd or 4th, think about deviating a bit to fill a need if necessary.

 

[juliansteed]

One other time I would consider taking the next best player is if he has hot older sisters or even if his mom is significantly hotter than the BPA's mom. Its never an exact science but just a general rule of thumb.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Always draft the BPA.

I'm a bit concerned about what the Islanders are going to do. The fact almost every so called expert has them taking Dougie Hamilton is a bit of a relief. The Isles don't give out any information they don't want leaked. Chuck will find the leaky faucet & can his ass. So at this point the only way I could be bummed at this point is if they take Couturier.

Of course I could be completely wrong & Hamilton is the guy.:sad:

 

[Automattic]

You draft the BPA, but here's the thing....make sure only some guy with a clipboard from Sweden knows he is the BPA. Then you draft him in the 6th or 7th round.


Tune in next time when I teach you the ins and outs of a 12 year contract...

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

You draft the BPA, but here's the thing....make sure only some guy with a clipboard from Sweden knows he is the BPA. Then you draft him in the 6th or 7th round.


Tune in next time when I teach you the ins and outs of a 12 year contract...

Every team in the league has drafted a player in the later rounds who made it. Zetterberg was a 3rd round pick. Guess what the Isles took Chara in the 3rd round.

As for 6th round picks Andrew MacDonald will be on the Isles blue line at 500 grand per year for the next 4 seasons.