Most are saying the top is amazing, but it is not just the top ten that are great. Even second round players are better than average. Again, I never said someone drafted in the third round would be in the first round most years. I'm saying someone drafted in the 30 to 60 range is about the same as someone drafted about 10 spots earlier than that in most years.

And what you are saying about limited potential is true every year. Pick a year at random and see how many players selected in the second half of the first round don't become impact players. I picked the year 2000, because it's a nice round number and it has been long enough that we can judge everyone's career. How many of the bottom half of the first round were impact players in the NHL? I'm just talking NHL regulars for more than a few seasons, not all stars. Less than half.

Montreal took from a position of strengh (LD and picks) to buy in a position of weakness (Evans is a locked 4C, Monahan is likely a winger and can't stay healthy and Dvorak is on his way out of this team).
Fair trade, it's nice to draft tons of players but we have an upcoming jam at most positions in the pipeline and in the contract numbers to shedding a couple picks here and there isn't ethe end of the world for this team at this time.

To me it feels more likely than ever that Montreal trades down, there's already a couple smokescreens out there about how much Montreal liked Michkov but I don't buy it, not at this time of the year a day ahead of the draft. They're trying to bait contenders to show their hands and if we end up trading with Philly for 7 and 22 then you recoup the same asset (22 is somewhat an even trade up from 31-37) from the trade and end up picking the same guy you wanted because you were out on Michkov. If he's playing 3D chess I think it's the likely outcome.

Newhook has been a big ball of underwhelming. At least KK had a great playoff run. Newhook's been meh his entire NHL career so far. He's also only a year younger than KK.

Rod loves KK... everyone in the organization does. He's been a perfect fit. Newhook couldn't cut it on one of the best teams in the league and now is going to be on... respectfully, a team that is a mile away from being even in the playoff conversation.

I'm not sure the coach likes KK, but I agree your second point I don't get the trade for Newhook, time will tell

Rod loves KK, that's why he was 2C, got PP and PK time...

5 primary points in 15 games isn't good for someone Carolina is paying almost 5 Million too

I'm assuming you're talking about the playoffs when his linemates (Svechnikov AND Teravainen) both missed most if not all of it so he was playing with AHL scrubs? But that conveniently slipped your mind right?

He's play

He's being paid almost 5 Million and can't even drive his own line?

He drove his own lin... wow, you really didn't watch huh? His underlyings were great because he's an excellent player, the issue was that he was doing it on his own. He's not being paid to produce all on his own line he was being asked to. Good lord.

Truth is, not many Habs fans give a **** about KK anymore, he's massively overpaid and clearly doesn't have the traits we want here. The problem is what we got with those picks from KK.

at the same place in their career, both have been underwhelming. Kk only real good year was last one, im sure he'll progress to get even better. we'll see how newhook does next year too to compare. so far they had a very similar career.

Disagree. Kotkaniemi has always been excellent defensively so even if he wasn't scoring, he was at least contributing. Newhook just doesn't have that. Not saying he isn't good defensively, but he cannot play that lockdown role like KK has been able to do almost his entire career.

not saying they are similar players, just they have had similar career path so far. newhook more offensifely and kk defebsively. in the same year, they had to play on 4th line with diminished minutes while producing offensively to a similar rate.

Works out to:

Newhook for a 1st, prospect and Ross Colton

Good value for COL

I'd rather Newhook than that Package for Montreal. Works well for both teams

Depends if they could have drafted a few guys in the draft that fell. I certainly like the aggressiveness, worst case scenario would be doing an Yzerman and drafting low ceiling, high floor guys then overpaying UFAs. Hughes doing nothing in free agency may have been the best move this offseason.



Yzerman drafting Danielson after i used him as an example over the draft not being as certain as some would like to believe was certainly on brand for the Yzerplan