Yeah... As a wings fan, there have been some questionable moves just about every year since he came back.
While his trades are usually great, he loves to over crowd our roster with mediocrity in free agency, and at the draft, they spend too many picks on high character or big size guys, that lack the offensive upside. Though the drafting issues I think is more of Draper's doing, still, that's Yzerman's hire.
My confidence is shook and it leaves me wondering... Is Tampa's scouting director the real architect of their success?
Primed to allow which youth to get more ice time? We now have more players than spots, and that's only accounting for guys that played significant time in the NHL already like Bergren.
Soderblom, Kasper, Johansson, Wallinder, and maybe even Edvinsson are going to have a hard time making the team. Obviously all three d shouldn't make it, but we have a lot of established NHL players that to me seems like it will make it tough for any one new to get significant minutes.
While I don't hate the goalie pick, I'm in general not a fan of filling the goalie needs in our farm system by using high picks, if even using picks at all given 1) our general lack of success in finding a good goalie since Howard, and 2) the never ending stream of young third string goalies that get waived all year long. Some of whom are good enough to win the cup.
Goalies are voodoo, and they would be the last thing I worry about at the draft.
Even the Cossa pick I was not a fan of. He looks good, but we gave up what could have been two legit scorers.
I liked our first round picks, but I think our drafting... Or maybe scouting strategy is pretty bad overall. And it's not a unique feeling to this draft.
Yzerman and Draper have reiterated they go with their board, which means these big, not offensively talented D apparently are highly valued to them, which confuses me, since everything about them sounds like bottom pairing.
We are taking these safe, boring players who aren't going to score goals, when both the Wings and farm system are devoid of goal scorers. I think we should be swinging for the fences more and taking players, that while they themselves have flaws, puck skills and goal scoring not being one of them. There are tons of highly skilled risky players in the 2nd and 3rd, and we took goalies and big D. It feels like they want to win a championship by bunting.
I loved the NDN and Bicker picks, but out of 9 day two picks, we spent wayyy too many ignoring our organizations biggest need. Goals.
Please let's not become the Carey Price era Canadians. Eventually we need to stop getting out shot every game and start controlling the game like the good ole days, but when our scouts are looking for the next great bottom pairing d... It makes me lose confidence.
I think Draper has spent too much time with Hollands scouting staff over the years, and their bad habits have been ingrained in him.
Awful. Sounds eerily similar to the Humboldt crash a few years ago. Semi blew a stop sign in a rural area and destroyed a bus carrying a junior hockey team. Many kids and a few adults died there.
This article mentions it was near a crossing... I wouldn't be surprised if someone missed a stop here too.
Actually... What does getting waived now even mean? Are they trying to buy him out, or just being nice to let him go to another team free of charge?