I love the blithe insouciance of referring to a prime prospect and two seconds (one the 35th overall) as "Madden and a few picks," like they were a fringe guy and a fourth and a fifth.

We'll take our chances with numbers 2, 35 and 50 plus Madden, thanks.

tbh, that puts your in the minority. most would say that the move up would cost at least Turcotte/Kaliyev or Villardi ++. Madden + a couple 2nds feels honestly low to go from Stutzle to Laf. Probably should bump it up.

Rather have Laffy

People really need to stop trading the 1st pick. Franchise players don't grow on trees.

"Most would say"? Where did you get that overstatement from?

I wouldn't trade Turcotte or Vilardi plus #2 for LaFreniere. Yes, he's the best player in the draft, but the only team in recent memory to win the Stanley Cup with the #1 overall pick was Chicago, and they had the #3 overall pick from a year or two earlier, too.

Quality depth outweighs stardom. Just ask Edmonton and St Louis.

There's literally nowhere to put him. He nor Kreider nor Panarin are switching to the RW.

exactly, and Byfield has the potential to be that as well (he had the better age adjusted P/G than Laf...)

not sure of the point here. 7 of the last 10 SC champions had a #1 pick on their roster.... Crosby....Kane....Ovechkin... I mean even the ones that didn't have a #1: Doughty (2nd OA), Bruins had #2 OA in Seguin. Blues are the exception.

The point is that LA already has the "depth" part covered in their prospect pool. But they don't necessarily have that game breaking talent that pretty much every SC team needs. That's what Laf is. Not sure how Byfield would even fit in with your C depth.

I mean I love Laf, I think of Byfield and Laf as Malkin and Ovechkin. But some others have it differently. It would be just as wrong to presume that LA would turn down a chance to jump at Laf by paying Kaliyev as it would to think that they'd happily pay Turcotte +++. No one knows their internal evaluations.

Just trade #1 Strome and Trouba for Eichel plus whatever scrub and go for cup while Mika cheap. You aren’t winning with that lineup and isn’t that the point. Kreider Panarin are aging. Chytil 3C behind a top of league 1-2 is cup contender

I wouldn't mind Eichel. We're not winning next year anyway. It's still a rebuild until guys like Miller and Kravtsov and Kakko are solidified into top 6/4 roles.

yet somehow he went for #2 to #3? seems smart.

If LAK does pass on him, they're gonna regret it

LA needs assets to rebuild they aren't moving extra pieces for 1 spot. Try ottawa they have almost too many pick

Assets to rebuild?

jeez they have the best prospect pool in the league by a country mile:

They have more assets already for the rebuild than they have spots to put them in. That's the point, they have enough to spare to go out and get a game changing talent like Laf.

But if LA were to commit to taking Stutzle, I'd happily trade down with Ottawa to grab Byfield.

I was extremely careless in my phrasing here. What I meant to convey is that no team has won the Stanley Cup. with a player drafted first overall since Patrick Kane (hence the reference to Toews as the #3 pick). My point was that stars don't win Stanley Cups; teams do. Stutzle, the #35 and #50 picks and Tyler Madden is more likely to be a team than Lafreniere alone.

Right I think the point is different though, LA already has the majority of their core in their system already. Turcotte, Kaliyev, Fagemo, Kupari, Villardi. to add to Kopitar, Kempe and nice complimentary pieces like Wagner and Lizotte. Haven't even mentioned guys that could easily be a factor like Thomas and Anderson-Dolan and Grundstrom.

There's not enough spots for just the prospects in your pool that are likely to make the NHL, much less guys already there like Prokhorkin and Amadio.

Back end looks totally fine too. Doughty, Roy, Walker, Anderson, Bjornfoot, Clague and Spence. That's a solid 7 to work with.

And you think you need 4 picks in the top 60? where are they playing? lol, Your foundation is there, You have the volume, the team. This is where you turn good assets into great by utilizing your depth.

I see them taking Stutzle