RoyalDude wrote:The Darlings of Hockey Canada - leaves and Oilers
Oilers 3rd best odds to draft McDavid or Eichel win the lottery and draft McDavid
Coyotes have the best odds at drafting McDavid or Eichel drop to 3rd pick - Strome - Ouch
Canucks 3rd best odds to draft one of Matthews or Laine fall back to 5th
leaves best odds to draft Matthews or Laine stay put at 1st
The leaves and Oilers are Genius rebuilders
I do agree it takes some "Luck" in having a rebuild go well. But at least the leaves made very good moves aside from the draft picks. (Adding Babcock, signed a solid young RH D-Man for free when others are trading a Taylor Hall for one, Adding Lou, Dubas, Hunter to the management team, ETC)
Like I said before, and it's been disputed by Doc, but getting Tim Liljegren 17th overall was another massive lucky break at the draft for the leaves. He's exactly what they are missing and he does indeed possess that bluechip talent you rarely see at 17th overall.
The Marner pick wasn't luck, it took balls to take the small forward over Strome and Hanifan. But it looks like a great call right now. Strome just doesn't have the skating ability to be a true #1 C. If you go back 2 years ago, many thought the leaves made a bad mistake.
And Nylander should have been gone before the 8th pick (Talking to you Canucks). Thanks for that break.