First round picks

[Cornuck]

I was looking at the roster and figured that we have a good number of 1st round picks playing right now. Does it matter that we didn't draft them all?

If we had drafted them, would we be more patient and excited for players like Etem and Baetschi?

Jared McCann 1 2014
Jake Virtanen 1 2014
Bo Horvat 1 2013
Brendan Gaunce 1 2012
Sven Baertschi 1 2011
Emerson Etem 1 2010
Luca Sbisa 1 2008
Brandon Sutter 1 2007
Chris Higgins 1 2002
Dan Hamhuis 1 2001
Daniel Sedin 1 1999
Henrik Sedin 1 1999
Markus Granlund 2 2011
Jacob Markstrom 2 2008

[5thhorseman]

Many of them were poor first round picks, which is how they ended up on our team, lol.

Doesn't matter who drafted them though. Patience level should depend on how many NHL games they've been given to prove their worth.

[damonberryman]

Many of them were poor first round picks, which is how they ended up on our team, lol.

Doesn't matter who drafted them though. Patience level should depend on how many NHL games they've been given to prove their worth.

agreed

[Jovocop]

Many of them were poor first round picks, which is how they ended up on our team, lol.

Doesn't matter who drafted them though. Patience level should depend on how many NHL games they've been given to prove their worth.

Hamhuis (12th), Sutter (11th), Etem (29th), Baertschi (13th) are not superstars but they were not poor first round picks. They are at the very least capable NHL players. Sbisa (19th) and Higgins (14th), despite not being well like here, were not poor first round picks. However, I could not say the same about Nathan Smith and Patrick White.

[Hockey Widow]

Well with a list like that we should be a contender soon. We all know that a contender needs a lot of first round picks to become a contender. Right?

[5thhorseman]

Many of them were poor first round picks, which is how they ended up on our team, lol.

Doesn't matter who drafted them though. Patience level should depend on how many NHL games they've been given to prove their worth.

Hamhuis (12th), Sutter (11th), Etem (29th), Baertschi (13th) are not superstars but they were not poor first round picks. They are at the very least capable NHL players. Sbisa (19th) and Higgins (14th), despite not being well like here, were not poor first round picks. However, I could not say the same about Nathan Smith and Patrick White.

Yeah by "poor" I meant they weren't keepers for the teams that drafted them. I'd venture to say that expectations for a first round pick are Top 6 forward or Top 4 D. Maybe not a "poor pick" given the chances of success, but below expectations.

[Puck]

That might be a fan's expectation, but without actually investigating I'll bet that a first-round pick should (statistically) get you an NHL roster player. I suspect top-6 and top-4D players are less frequent than the top-30.

[Strangelove]

Well with a list like that we should be a contender soon. We all know that a contender needs a lot of first round picks to become a contender. Right?

[5thhorseman]

I'd say that it's a manager's expectation as well. No manager's uses their 1st round pick on a player projected to be a 3rd liner. Results, of course, are always less than expectations. Anyways, semantics.

[Mickey107]

High first round picks are a great start in building or rebuilding a team but it takes more, look at Edmonton. We have an owner that is willing to spend to the cap, that's great but I've noticed Francesco has a habit of wanting splashy names when free agency comes around. That's ok once in a while but if he wants to see this happen sooner than later you have to pay outside the cap as well, meaning great amounts of money and resources put into finding those diamonds in the rough. They are there! Detroit, Chicago and other teams are finding them. Is he willing to spend that kind of money and is Benning smart enough to get the right scouts everywhere? This is something we haven't been too good at through out the years, well maybe Bure....

[Topper]

You have to wonder why the Penguins have not been more dominant based upon your list. An obvious outlier.

[Arachnid]

According to Blob 'BlowHarder' McKenzie... a tank to draft 1st is what will solve everything

[Topper]

......... using that reasoning he's bet the farm on the Oilers for the Cup each of the last three years.

[2Fingers]

According to Blob 'BlowHarder' McKenzie... a tank to draft 1st is what will solve everything

I just love how people take others posts out of context, no a #1 draft pick does not grantee success but NO one can say it doesn't help. Just as we have seen 2nd to 7th round picks develop into stars it is all about player development.

But every now and then a true star is available and supposedly this year there is one, Canucks would be stupid not do what they need to do to increase their chance of getting the top pick.

[Arachnid]

According to Blob 'BlowHarder' McKenzie... a tank to draft 1st is what will solve everything

I just love how people take others posts out of context, no a #1 draft pick does not grantee success but NO one can say it doesn't help. Just as we have seen 2nd to 7th round picks develop into stars it is all about player development.

But every now and then a true star is available and supposedly this year there is one, Canucks would be stupid not do what they need to do to increase their chance of getting the top pick.

OK, you just laid out (an egg?! ) on why NOT to tank in the first place.
Draft is a crap shoot. Hell, Luc Bourdon died before we could even see if a 1st round D would have been a Blue Chipper so that means luck is a HUGE part of it.
What you can control is your culture.
Solid teaching vets and solid basics first coach and a plan, any plan to slowly rebuild with what you got and what you can get....as in (good Green) architecture....ALWAYS site specific...therefore in a wishy-washy fickle fanbase this is the only way forward....