Dan Spiegel: What's Worse? Picking Drouin Out Of Need or Seth Jones Goes To Tampa?

Either you deal with Jones, or you deal with Drouin feeding Stamkos like you say. Pick your poison.

Pick the best player available and move on.

The 'Hawks will do you a favor and take that #2 off your hands.

Either you deal with Jones, or you deal with Drouin feeding Stamkos like you say. Pick your poison.
- Michael_Stuart

Exactly, well said.

The Panthers need to listen to their amateur scouting staff members & take the best player available. Either way, The Lightning will walk away with an excellent player of their own. So, take which ever player your team feels will have a better career & move on. There are no guarantees in the draft, need to make a calculated decision & go with it. Either way the Panther's fans should be ecstatic.

If it's a hard choice between Drouin and Jones, then why should it be that hard of a choice between Mackinnon & Jones for Colorado?

Sakic isn't one to flat out lie either. Being this public may be a strategy, but both Roy and Sakic are smart enough to mix truth with their lies. I'm perfectly happy seeing them take Mackinnon over Jones personally.

Between Drouin and Jones, you guys should take Jones, and use what you have in trade chips. It's not like Florida does not have some very good young center prospects either.

St. Louis will retire in a few years and Tampa will be generally the same, still having a big hole next to Hedman. I wouldn't worry about Drouin that much, I'd be more worried about having to face Stamkos/Barkov should they go that direction. Jones would help tremendously in having to deal with any forward Tampa adds.

Exactly, well said.

The Panthers need to listen to their amateur scouting staff members & take the best player available. Either way, The Lightning will walk away with an excellent player of their own. So, take which ever player your team feels will have a better career & move on. There are no guarantees in the draft, need to make a calculated decision & go with it. Either way the Panther's fans should be ecstatic.
- Sammy Van Hagar

Exactly. Don't base your selection on the Lightning.

Exactly. Don't base your selection on the Lightning.
- Michael_Stuart

Not saying Tallon is. That would be ridiculous. But the bonus of keeping a top flight defenseman away from Tampa might be a slight factor in the decision.

This is actually a very good article, and from a perspective I had never thought of. Either way the Panthers will get a potential franchise player. But either way, they're going to give the Lighting a terrifying duo of either Stamkos/Drouin, or Hedman/Jones.

This draft seems to have more excitement around it than last years.

Not saying Tallon is. That would be ridiculous. But the bonus of keeping a top flight defenseman away from Tampa might be a slight factor in the decision.
- spiegs13

I totally hear what you're saying, but if Tallon views Drouin as the best player available I think he has to pick Drouin.

Build from the net out. Offense wins games, defense wins championships. Jones is a no brainer IMO.

Tallon had Toews and Kane in Chicago and can have Huberdeau/Drouin in Florida. If history repeats itself Florida will be a Cup contender soon considering Tallon is the sole reason the Hawks won the first Cup with those two, and 50-70% the reason for the second. Stan did some good work but Tallon's core was still intact.

Build from the net out. Offense wins games, defense wins championships. Jones is a no brainer IMO.
- Ogilthorpe2

Personally, I agree too. I can't believe the Avs are going to pass on Jones if what Sakic is saying is true. Not only do they have a gaping hole on the blueline, but any team would be silly to pass on a guy that has potential to be a #1 D.

Draft Jones and then trade Kulikov + for a good top 6 forward problem solved. the question who do we look for?

Personally, I agree too. I can't believe the Avs are going to pass on Jones if what Sakic is saying is true. Not only do they have a gaping hole on the blueline, but any team would be silly to pass on a guy that has potential to be a #1 D.
- sjsharks92

Top pairing defenders can be found in the first two rounds. Look at the history. Superstar Centers are much more difficult to parlay. Sakic is doing the right thing by grabbing MacKinnon right now. The Avs weren't supposed to be as bad as they were last season so it's a gift that they can select MacK. It's like the Indianapolis Colts doing so horrible and ending up with Andrew Luck because of it. Franchise players don't come along every season.

Draft Jones and then trade Kulikov + for a good top 6 forward problem solved. the question who do we look for?
- Crazycaboose

You can have Havlat for that

Dan Spiegel: What's Worse? Picking Drouin Out Of Need or Seth Jones Goes To Tampa?
- spiegs13

You could always trade the #2 to Calgary

Top pairing defenders can be found in the first two rounds. Look at the history. Superstar Centers are much more difficult to parlay. Sakic is doing the right thing by grabbing MacKinnon right now. The Avs weren't supposed to be as bad as they were last season so it's a gift that they can select MacK. It's like the Indianapolis Colts doing so horrible and ending up with Andrew Luck because of it. Franchise players don't come along every season.
- PuckingOpinion

I agree. But I don't think it's fair to say Jones has any less potential of being a franchise player than Mackinnon does. Truthfully, they can do no wrong with the pick for the time being. Only time will tell if they made the right choice.

I agree. But I don't think it's fair to say Jones has any less potential of being a franchise player than Mackinnon does. Truthfully, they can do no wrong with the pick for the time being. Only time will tell if they made the right choice.
- sjsharks92

You're right, and I'm not suggesting that Jones is any less of a talent than MacKinnon, but positionally it's harder to find a franchise center than it is a top pairing defenceman. The development rate of both positions will throw off the argument for 3-4 years as well so whoever gets Jones or MacKinnon will be extremely happy with what they get.

If you look at talent and potential of Stastny, Duchene and O'Reilly they're two 2nd line centers and a third line center. MacKinnon is their Joe Sakic. Scour the drafts for your Weber, Subban and Letang beyond the number one selection.

As for the Panthers, if Tallon is building the same framework in Florida as he did in Chicago it wouldn't surprise to see Drouin going #2.

Being drafted by the Panthers likely worse...

Wont be so bad i guess once move to Quebec happens...

I think tampa would oass on Jones and take Barkov to fill Lecavalier's spot. So Jones will probably go 4th

Sakic isn't the type of person to play games like that. Especially with how many times he has mentioned it, I absolutely believe him when he says unless a team blows him away with a trade then he is taking MacKinnon. You can't go wrong with the kid.

Also Stastny is a UFA next year and who knows what will happen with RoR so taking Mac wouldn't be as crazy as it seems now.

You're right, and I'm not suggesting that Jones is any less of a talent than MacKinnon, but positionally it's harder to find a franchise center than it is a top pairing defenceman. The development rate of both positions will throw off the argument for 3-4 years as well so whoever gets Jones or MacKinnon will be extremely happy with what they get.

If you look at talent and potential of Stastny, Duchene and O'Reilly they're two 2nd line centers and a third line center. MacKinnon is their Joe Sakic. Scour the drafts for your Weber, Subban and Letang beyond the number one selection.

As for the Panthers, if Tallon is building the same framework in Florida as he did in Chicago it wouldn't surprise to see Drouin going #2.
- PuckingOpinion

You think Duchene is a 2nd line center

In all fairness, you're a leafs fan and would know what a good center was if they played on the penguins

You think Duchene is a 2nd line center

In all fairness, you're a leafs fan and would know what a good center was if they played on the penguins
- Meeqsb

What is there to suggest otherwise?

The fact that you reverted to "leafs fan" comments suggests that you lack any meaningful commentary.

Duchene is a highly skilled #2 that most teams would love to have, but for now that's where he's at. MacKinnon is more talented and with more potential than Duchene. If Colorado selects MacKinnon they then have the Crosby-Malkin type top six down the midddle. Obviously Sid and Geno are in their own league right now, but for comparison sake.