The Kids are alright!

[JamesB]

3 hours ago, Crabcakes said:

I agree but development is more important than drafting.  Datsyuk, 5th round 171 overall.  Zetterberg, 7th round 210 overall.

Building a team is obviously much more complicated than picking high in the draft. 

Good point. Detroit was able to be so good for so long largely because they were able to get these two great players (Datsyuk and Zetterberg) with low picks.

But that happens less frequently. It used to be that Europeans (especially from Russia) were regarded as high risk because of the high likelihood they could never come to North America to play. And scouting was pretty hit and miss.

Now the scouting is much more consistent and much more scientific and there is much less uncertainty about European players wanting to play and being able to play in the NHL.

Drafting skill still matters, and we all hope Benning can gain an advantage in this area, but it won't be easy to pick up future stars without high picks.

[Crabcakes]

21 minutes ago, JamesB said:

Good point. Detroit was able to be so good for so long largely because they were able to get these two great players (Datsyuk and Zetterberg) with low picks.

But that happens less frequently. It used to be that Europeans (especially from Russia) were regarded as high risk because of the high likelihood they could never come to North America to play. And scouting was pretty hit and miss.

Now the scouting is much more consistent and much more scientific and there is much less uncertainty about European players wanting to play and being able to play in the NHL.

Drafting skill still matters, and we all hope Benning can gain an advantage in this area, but it won't be easy to pick up future stars without high picks.

Fair enough,  Datsyuk 1999, Zetterberg 1998 if I recall.  Information is better now for sure and maybe I'm trying to win an argument the easy way.

Lets take Rodin for example.  His time with the Wolves didn't go well.  They were only an affiliate with the Canucks.  They had separate ownership with their own coaching staff and their own agenda.  They were worried about winning games and putting bums in seats etc.  Developing Canuck prospects was somewhere down the list of priorities.  What else about Rodin?  Smaller skilled guy, playing a long way from home (Sweden), learning the language, missing favorite foods and the list goes on.  Maybe he had a girlfriend in Sweden.  Late bloomer.  Missed his family.  There's a lot of things that can slow a players development and management needs to be sensitive to it and try to make things work.  It's tough being 19 when the world around you is familiar and you have the family support etc that you grew up with.   If you take that all away, you can imagine how hard it is for a young guy to be successful. 

So the whole package is very important.  There is obviously much more to a players success than what they bring on the ice (which equates to where they are drafted). And then there's learning how to play the right way besides.

[Honky Cat]

4 hours ago, Crabcakes said:

I agree but development is more important than drafting.  Datsyuk, 5th round 171 overall.  Zetterberg, 7th round 210 overall.

Building a team is obviously much more complicated than picking high in the draft. 

Not to take anything away from Red Wings stellar drafting,...but I don't think those 'under the radar' type players are that easy to find anymore like they were in the 90's/early 2000's....With the advent of an advanced internet there's not too many secrets out there anymore.

[Jack Fig]

On ‎2015‎-‎12‎-‎20 at 11:02 PM, SedinMadness said:

The canucks could start to package of some of the young guys in trades for some veteran help... that is what torts would recommend.

Or they could package up some veterans to bring in some more youth...that is what Jack Fig would recommend.

[gameburn]

2 thoughts on this topic -- especially with a Sedin injury now: (1) we are beginning to see what life will be like after the Sedins -- might not be as bad as some thought.   And (2) maybe veteran "leadership" and culture is less important than many have thought.  If you think of other leagues/age divisions in hockey, it is a combination of talent and synergy that wins out over time -- some really great Junior and NHL teams were 80 to 90 percent 1st, 2nd, 3rd year players to begin with and were pretty young when they won first -- Oilers in 80s, Flyers in 70s, even the Bruins in the 70s. More recently we have the Flames: they just need more balance up front (i.e., more talent), the youth on the team is not the reason they didn't go farther last Spring.

 

 

[hearditall]

On 20/12/2015 at 11:29 PM, Alflives said:

We need to compare our next core (the kids) to other teams' top kids.  Are our kids going to be a Cup contending group, compared to the Oilers, Flames, Coyotes, Avs, Preds, etc.  The list goes on.  We are middle of the pack.  That means middle of the pack picks, and the cycle continues.  WE NEED TOP END ELITE TALENT THAT CAN SCORE CONSISTANTLY AT THIS LEVEL. I love our kids too, but realistically they don't match up with too many of the other teams' top young players.  

How do U know how good McCann will be? (Sakic like) Or how good Demko will be? (Roy like?) Or how good Hunter will be? (Naslund like?) Or how good Boeser will be? (Perry like?) Or how good Virtanen will be? (Lucic with Hansen speed?) Or if in a few years Bo is the best 2 way centre around? (Bergeron like?)

Oh ya I forgot you're Alftradamus...