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2014 NHL Draft Thread

Wayward DP said:
I'd like to take a moment to bitch about the Devils not losing their pick this year.

Looking back, the only conceivable reason Lou didn't forfeit the pick after they made the Cup finals was he knew (or suspected, or hoped) that the ruling would be softened.

Even when the Devils break the rules they get off relatively scot free. ****ers.
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Absolutely. There is no logical defense of New Jersey keeping that 29th pick, unless Lamoriello knew all along that he'd wouldn't have to forfeit a first round pick.

Godfather Lou is Bettman's daddy, there's no doubt at all.
 
LeafGm said:
A big "meh" to Buffalo's plight from me. Frankly, I think they should take the draft lottery a step farther, and give all 14 non-playoff teams an equal shot at the top pick. Take all the incentive and reward away from being a pitiful team.
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In truth, when you think about it, missing the playoffs is an equally grave consequence for all non-playoff teams. So why should a team with a few less wins than another playoff team be gifted a much better talent when both are already being equally punished?
 
JaysCyYoung said:
In truth, when you think about it, missing the playoffs is an equally grave consequence for all non-playoff teams. So why should a team with a few less wins than another playoff team be gifted a much better talent when both are already being equally punished?
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Agreed. I think there's also an inherent problem in guaranteeing that your best young talent always goes to the worst organizations in the league. How many ridiculously talented young hockey players have a shit-show organization like the Islanders ruined? What kind of careers would those players have instead if they'd gone to an organization like Detroit or New Jersey?

Finishing out of the dance should only get you one ticket to the draft lottery, just like everyone else. Take the names of all 14 draft lottery teams, throw them into a hat and then draw them out one-by-one to determine who gets the #1 pick, and the entire order of selection. Then you get the top, high-end talent getting spread around more equitably, and maybe a joke franchise like the Oilers will actually start putting some time, money and effort into their scouting, player development and their NHL team instead of just happily accepting the top-rated 18 year-old hockey player in the world every year.
 
rated said:
Not completely scot free. Didn't say they last night the Devils could not draft first and were stuck drafting 30th no matter what ? Still bull shit though
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Not completely, no. Why I used the word "relatively". Instead of forfeiting a first round pick, they were bumped down from the middle of the round to the end. Still, not much more than a slap on the wrist.
 
LeafGm said:
A big "meh" to Buffalo's plight from me. Frankly, I think they should take the draft lottery a step farther, and give all 14 non-playoff teams an equal shot at the top pick. Take all the incentive and reward away from being a pitiful team.
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This is a fabulous idea.

Not sure it ever flies, but its an excellent way to stop 'tanking'
 
It would also make the draft lottery significantly more interesting, which can only be good for the league.

The NHL has got to be the only league around that goes out of its way to give its shittiest markets the top talent. Do you think the NBA would be happy if its best college prospects were always ending up with crappy small-market teams?

No.

Instead you have Iverson to Philly, Ewing to New York, Jordan to Chicago, Duncan to San Antonio, etc.
 
so which of the top 5 players after Ekblad will be better than Gardiner?

Wondering why people want to trade the 8th and Gardiner for one of them..
 
Blueman said:
so which of the top 5 players after Ekblad will be better than Gardiner?

Wondering why people want to trade the 8th and Gardiner for one of them..
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I'd take the chance that any of Bennett, Reinhart or Draisaitl will be better than Gardiner.
 
The question you have to ask is: is the difference between Sam Bennett/Leon Draisaitl and Brandon Perlini/Jake Virtanen, actually equal to Jake Gardiner?

If all the prospects were centres or if they were all wingers, would you consider Gardiner to be worth the difference in their skill levels?

Personally, when I take a look at where Draisaitl (one of the oldest players in the Draft - Oct '95) was last year and where Virtanen (Aug '96) was this year, I don't see enough difference to justify trading Gardiner.
 
To be honest, i want one of Bennett or Reinhart. And i think either of those is better than both Gardiner and whoever the 8th pick is.
 
This is a weird draft. There's a pile of kids with a flaw or two, but that light the scoreboard up in the type of way that you would expect from the type of 6-20 picks that have turned into studs in other drafts. Outside of Ekblad, I don't know if there's a prospect here that I give up the 8 and Jake Gardiner for.

Shit, I'd rather look at the scenario one of the guys brought up a few days ago and flip the 8 to Anaheim for the 10 & 20-whatever pick they have. I'd rather have Gardiner + Virtanen + Goldobin/Ho Sang/whichever of the high scoring, high skill kids who slips through the cracks, than one of the 3-5 guys.
 
Leafin' said:
To be honest, i want one of Bennett or Reinhart. And i think either of those is better than both Gardiner and whoever the 8th pick is.
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You can't compare a centre to a defencmen, it's like comparing fruits to vegetables. I've said this before the only stud in the draft is Ekblad, outside of that their decent but nothing special players I sure as hell wouldn't give up Gardiner and our 8th to land one.

I'd rather use Gardiner and package him off to land a much needed piece to this puzzle, as for the 8th keep it, the Leafs need to learn to draft homegrown talent due to elite players rarely being available and the free agent signings over the past several years being highly questionable at best, down right horrid at worst.
 
I wouldn't trade Gardiner for almost anything right now. That kid still has the chance to be something really special.

I'd still prefer to trade into the top 3-4, but if too costly, I'd be down for trading the pick to Anaheim for two 1sts.
 
If we were to go after a 1C like a Staal, I'd have no beef giving up Gardiner... but then again I'm not infatuated by any player on this team, I tend to look at the bigger picture.
 
It's funny how a hot streak changes the perception of a player. I don't care enough to go back on posts from before the Olympics, but i recall people ready to give him up for next to nothing.

I do think he has some great tools, but his defensive lapses make me want to throw a brick at my TV. I'd move him while he is hot, sell high.

If we can move into top-3, i think we strongly consider it.
 
Yeah, you make that trade for the top 3 picks. Ekblad is way better than Gardiner and Reinhart and Bennett are legit first line center prospects. Drasaitl and Dal Colle are more difficult decisions. Though we have the benefit of Draisaitl's "post draft" 18 year old season and its pretty impressive.
 
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