Quoting: BobbyPSC
I don’t disagree, I see him as chip to get a very good top 6 forward (which we may not have in the system). I like your point even and appreciate how well he performed on the right side.
If we draft someone like Sam Dickinson this year, we may have a true number 1 LHD.
We wont draft a D this early this year for 1 reason
We cant take any D who will be turning Pro in the next 2 upcoming seasons.
We're full all the way down the ECHL right now as Reibachers here , Hutsons here, Engstroms finishing up his SHL Finals after Sweeping the last team and waiting to see who their opponent is.
Thats not including 21 year old Captain Konyuskov who will be joining us in 2 years time with whomever we draft this year
Given Engstroms done all this as a left handed RD at Junior , SHL ,Champions League , WJC and WC it safe to say he's a RD at every level so far which works as he has size and never stops skating
Hughes did something Rare
When he came in he waited before moving out MB Pieces
He let his choices compete directly beside MB and is taking the best from either regardless .
He's also increasing Value on MB Picks like Harris and Struble who Hughes actually coached and they in turn played Mentor to his Son when he turned Pro in the NCAA years later.
Those were guys most people said wouldnt sign with MTL either as harris was a Pending UFA who had an out and chose to star during a time MTL just fired everyone and direction was uncertain.
Tij Iginla being taken 5-10 spots early is a better option then drafting a D
I say that wanting 6'7 Mobile D Silayev as he fits our Timeline if not our needs and his rights are indefinite
But that said Lindstrom,Eiserman,Iginla, and Catton arent guys you pass on and if Demidov falls that low you pounce on him
What you dont do is waste a top 5 pick in a draft where the top 5 ranked D overall has no concensus with Dickinson being #1 and #5 ranked D on peoples lists
But the same is said for Silayev and even Levushunov and Parekh among others. Yammerchuk or whatever his name is , he's the only consistent one ranked by most everyone 10th -12th OA and #5 or 6 D overall in the draft. Last time this happened was 2003 in what most call the most stacked Draft of all time where HOFers are found in the 1st round as often as in the 2nd round and #245 Dustin Byfluglien finished 4th Best D in the re-draft ahead of #9 in Dion Phaneuf
This year we'll see a lot of Quality D as it seems like Every League world wide has contributions of note for once.
Russia even has multiple top 3 round picks options at multiple levels in multiple systems for the first time in really a decade TBH
Far as True #1D lets remember #7 Ryan Suter taken by NSH before #49 Shea Weber who took a year longer
But it was still Weber not Suter who was chosen as the True #1 D and Suter left because of it for a team where he was
Only for them to buy him out after he proved he was more of a #2 or 3 guy after all and not a True #1 guy.
TBH its more likely Reinbacher becomes that guy then Dickinson because he'll Anchor Hutson and be the Glue for MTL for years
That Said Xhekaj-Mailloux's Chemistry as a top 5 D in the AHL who's team went 12-3-2 in their time together after Xhekaj stopped a 7 game losing streak after joining.
Mailloux thought he was an Alpha then Xhekaj went down and suddenly Mailloux's struggles ended in the first 2 games really.
Given their success as 200ft players eating up 22-23 minutes in Laval i'd suspect they'll also play a factor here.
Reality is MTL doesnt ultimately NEED a true #1 right now as Matheson eating up Minutes has negatively impacted a lot of our young D.
Ideally we need to move out our true #1 and roll a 3 pair rotation until 1/6 D step up and stand out.
To many young guns get held down playing behind #1 D who can average 25 but play up to 30-32 minutes some games.
Really though i think because of that depth and because of Reinbacher that Hutson has a real shot at it and if not Reinbacher will.
It all depends as Hutson with Willander was Defense First and a playmaker as Willander had skills on par with his giving options.
But Hutson with Physical McCarthy Brothers or Ty Gallagher was all out offense which we saw a burst of when Pandolfo put Willander with 6'7 Cade Weber in the Division Playoffs
After that Gavin McCarthy i believe it was became the mainstay with Hutson the rest of the year who went from not expected to break or meet last years numbers to surpassing them in less time sadly
D Development is all about timing and giving them Minutes.
Matheson for example never really got those minutes anywhere else
In MTL there was little choice being the most injured NHL Team in terms of man games lost since 2017
So Matheson had 25+ minutes thrust upon him and struggled at first then found consistency and over 2 years showed growth
Harris is going to be our Matheson because we dont invest minutes in him and deny him growth as he's no longer Waiver Exempt so sending him down isnt an option