Not a bad combo

This is a great position to be sitting in. Say you assume what the “experts” say is correct and the class of the draft is Tavares, Hedman, Duchene. Say you assume there are no surprises in the actual selections other than the order they are chosen. You get to choose from every amateur player in the world not named Tavares, Hedman or Duchene.

Everyone knows that drafting players is an inexact science. There is no such thing as a “can’t miss” because of the human element involved. But, GM’s who have the guts to make that call live for picks like this. GM’s who have scouting departments with proven track records live for this pick. They know that one player who is sitting just below the annointed three. They somehow know the three who have separated themselves from the pack is really four, before “the dropoff”. Someone out there has a very clear evaluation and reason why Kane, MPS, Schenn or whoever is “the guy”.

These are the GM’s who scare me. They are circling the water, just waiting for the right time to strike. The type of GM who would say, “Don, we’ll give you Kaberle and our 7th for your 4th”. Unless someone like Lombardi says, “Don, we’ll give you Jack Johnson or Kopitar and our 5th pick for the 4th pick”, you say no thanks. It has to be a deal like that where everyone says “that was a no-brainer and too good to pass up”.

Otherwise, you better have done your due diligence and are truly prepared to make the right call. Hopefully, Dudley brings that insight and ability with him since the existing group scares the bejesus out of me….

Burke said, “I’ve lost the element of surprise. They now know I’m coming.” I thought about that. It didn’t prevent the Islanders from gift wrapping Luc Schenn for them, at CONSENSUS pick at #5 overall, at the cost of the Isles choice of Toronto’s 2nd rounder that year and a 3rd rounder in 2009, or a 3rd rounder last year and a 2nd rounder in 2009. I forgot which option the Isles chose. Time will tell if those 2nd and 3rd rounders were indeed “throw away” picks they sacrificed at the expense of a high-end blueliner prospect, or if they actually blossom into complimentary pieces for their ultimate draft selection of Josh Bailey at #9. Who I thought was an appropriate selection for pick #9 in the draft. Would I have picked Josh Bailey at #5? No. I believed that thennnn, as I still believe it now. (And I’m still inclined to believe that defense wins championships in hockey, even in the “new” NHL. Even though there’s evidence that points to the contrary.)

It makes me think, though, if Kane really is the best possible pick at #4, why trade it? Make the pick. Brian Burke also said, “My scouts earn their pay in June. They worked all year for it.” Well, I don’t doubt, for one split second, that even Atlanta’s scouts have done more evaluating of this year’s draft class than we (bloggers) have.

I checked with Rawhide, this blog DOESN’T have a travel budget for scouting. So, I would hope … ESPECIALLY with the addition of Dudley, that their homework is complete. If it’s really Kane … who is the best selection, and a MISTAKE NOT TO SELECT HIM, then that’s what they’ll do, I plead. I can’t tell you that Kane is the best choice. I don’t think it’s that cut and dry. He ‘may’ be. I don’t know that. But THOSE SCOUTS should. They get PAID to know.

PJ?? Are you up in this house?? Can you craft a Draft Day prayer for the Thrashers? I ask PJ, because if the PRAYER is left up to me, it’d sound something like this. “Dear God. Please don’t let us (bleep) it up. Amen.”

Brian Burke must be a regular poster on the HFboards trade forum.

“and play Thrash at kids functions”
ha!