Another first round of the NHL draft has come and gone. And if there is one thing we know about selecting a bunch of 18 year olds to play professional hockey for our teams 1-4 years down the line, it’s that we can immediately know who won and who lost. So without further ado here is my ranking of last night’s winners and losers based on some tweets I saw and a quick perusal of Bob McKenzie’s draft rankings.
Winner: Chicago Blackhawks
They drafted the consensus first overall pick. You wouldn’t think it would be notable to take the guy everyone expected you to take in the spot he was expected to go in, but based on the Anaheim Ducks’ selection, it actually can be quite difficult.
Loser: Montreal Canadiens
Everyone knows they should have taken the Russian kid who won’t play for them for three years. GMs who only make ‘win now’ moves and don’t plan for the future because they might not be here then are cowards, and definitely not the result of fans demanding immediate success without the patience for a rebuild.
Winner: Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets
They both took guys who were highly ranked by semi-retired alcohol salesman Bob McKenzie. What else do you need to know?
Loser: Toronto Maple Leafs
According to several people on twitter and one guy I chatted with in the line at Timmy’s this morning, this pick was a disaster. Easton Cowan is small, doesn’t score much and was not projected to be a first round pick at all. Sure he’s feisty, tenacious and a hard-worker but those kind of qualities are only valuable once someone is actually in the NHL, not when they’re a prospect.
Winner: Calgary Flames
Their first round pick models himself after Leon Draisaitl. Leon Draisaitl is a very good hockey player. If their first round pick is as good as Leon Draisaitl that will be very good for the Calgary Flames. I am being paid for this analysis.
Loser: Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators
Their picks were so unremarkable, I don’t even remember them making any.
