tiger tiger
Verified Trader
That would be tough because even if you have a high draft pick, it doesn't mean that the player will be good enough to turn a franchise around. Plus there are some weak draft years too. Yakupov's year was pretty weak, although they should have picked a d.
Draisaitl was a pretty high pick (3rd), and same with Nurse (7th). Eberle (22nd) was the last pick they had outside of the top 10.
But getting one lottery pick isn't good enough to say "good enough, your re-build is done". A team needs probably 3 decent high draft picks to be on the fast track to a re-build.
The problem with Edm, is that they've had 7 years of top 10 picks (6 years in top 7, 4 first overall). Eberle was 22nd 8 years ago (and it wasn't their own pick - see below regarding Penner), and the year previously, Edm drafted Sam Gagner 6th overall and had 2 other 1st round picks in 2007 (15th and 21st).
Edmonton isn't trying tank, they are legitimately bad, and bad for a decade, despite having top picks. Their previous rebuild was done wrong. You build from the back end out, have vets to show rookies how to be a pro and the young players have to earn their spot on the the top 6. It was handed to them. They're thinking "that was easy!!"
When the team is so bad that RNH instantly is the #1C (because there are no vets), and rushes him into the NHL at 165 lbs soaking wet. Then you reward him with a 6 year $36M contract at age 21 for a bunch of average seasons as a #1C, what sort of bad precedence are you setting.
When Eberle, Hall, RNH all got long term $6M/yr second contract deals, what went through Yakupov's head since he was drafted #1 overall? Ka-ching.
My buddy put it best: Edmonton rewarded mediocrity. Team mediocrity. They rewarded individual performance and draft position. And we all know that it's a team sport, so something is amiss if the individual has good stats, but the team isn't any better.
Pronger didn't help either by bolting Edmonton. Made it the least desirable team to play for in the NHL, so the UFA market ran dry. The GM had to overpay to attract players, UFA and over priced RFA offer sheets. Heatley refusing didn't help either. Blowing a 1st (12th overall) and 2nd for Penner was bad. Signings like Nylander, Souray, Nikitin, Fayne, etc. were just plain stupid.
It's just bad management, and it'll take years to sort it all out. Pretty much after Eberle, Hall, RNH, and Yakupov have been moved out.
Draisaitl was a pretty high pick (3rd), and same with Nurse (7th). Eberle (22nd) was the last pick they had outside of the top 10.
But getting one lottery pick isn't good enough to say "good enough, your re-build is done". A team needs probably 3 decent high draft picks to be on the fast track to a re-build.
The problem with Edm, is that they've had 7 years of top 10 picks (6 years in top 7, 4 first overall). Eberle was 22nd 8 years ago (and it wasn't their own pick - see below regarding Penner), and the year previously, Edm drafted Sam Gagner 6th overall and had 2 other 1st round picks in 2007 (15th and 21st).
Edmonton isn't trying tank, they are legitimately bad, and bad for a decade, despite having top picks. Their previous rebuild was done wrong. You build from the back end out, have vets to show rookies how to be a pro and the young players have to earn their spot on the the top 6. It was handed to them. They're thinking "that was easy!!"
When the team is so bad that RNH instantly is the #1C (because there are no vets), and rushes him into the NHL at 165 lbs soaking wet. Then you reward him with a 6 year $36M contract at age 21 for a bunch of average seasons as a #1C, what sort of bad precedence are you setting.
When Eberle, Hall, RNH all got long term $6M/yr second contract deals, what went through Yakupov's head since he was drafted #1 overall? Ka-ching.
My buddy put it best: Edmonton rewarded mediocrity. Team mediocrity. They rewarded individual performance and draft position. And we all know that it's a team sport, so something is amiss if the individual has good stats, but the team isn't any better.
Pronger didn't help either by bolting Edmonton. Made it the least desirable team to play for in the NHL, so the UFA market ran dry. The GM had to overpay to attract players, UFA and over priced RFA offer sheets. Heatley refusing didn't help either. Blowing a 1st (12th overall) and 2nd for Penner was bad. Signings like Nylander, Souray, Nikitin, Fayne, etc. were just plain stupid.
It's just bad management, and it'll take years to sort it all out. Pretty much after Eberle, Hall, RNH, and Yakupov have been moved out.
