That's pretty much my point which is why the Leafs are going to need some 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall picks for at least two or three years, depending on the strength of the draft.
- JohnFergusonJr

Just stop it UG, a few posts above you mentioned that 'Hunter has not proven to be able to find a Datsyuk or Z in 7th round' (paraphrasing here).
How a person can be this negative and see a downside to everything is beyond me.
in all things in life, you should always try your best - intentionally tanking is for sad people.

Is that a joke, or actually true?

Because you gotta be careful about stuff like that - if it goes viral, the Anchor Bar could lose a lot of business.
- Atomic Wedgie

I'm not sure if he was joking or not.


Love their pizza, can't get enough of it.

Probably next to the kiss the Cod one.
- LeafMan

Trapper John's..

You realize there are several rounds and many picks in between the top 3 overall and the 6th/7th rounds right?

Give the current scouting/development staff some time to work, man. They are getting a 4th overall, 3 years removed from a 5th overall and a very good 8th overall last year. Where's all your patience at??

I agree on the overall premise of drafting and developing for sure.. I just don't think you need to intentionally lose (thus poisoning the locker room for young guys) in the process.
- TheThrill

There are several rounds but history proves that the best picks are usually the highest ones which go to the teams that tank the best.

When Edmonton starts winning, nobody is going to care or remember about this ficticious "poison" in the locker room. Just like when Pittsburgh, Chicago and LA started winning.

Whether the team comes in dead last or 9th place or gets bounced in the 1st round, it's still a lost season, the difference is last place gets the next best player.

Organically? How organic is drafting 4th overall and getting Strome compared to McDavid? C'mon, stop lying to yourself.

Hunter has proven nothing, sorry to burst your bubble. I'm glad he's on the management team but that doesn't mean he's proven he can find Datsyuk and Zetterberg in the 7th round.

You're really got it backwards. The fact that the Leafs should be tanking is the ultimate move in patience, not the other way around.
- JohnFergusonJr

I think Shanny still moves ahead with trading the players he wants to trade... some will be left over and Babcock probably gets them to play above expectations and the Leafs probably still draft in the bottom 5.

Be weary though folks if in the next 4 years the Leafs are continually drafting in that 5-10 range I doubt we'll be happy with that outcome.

thats never happening again

detroit was ahead of the curve when it came to euro scouting..now everyone pays attention to whats going on over there

both of those two would be first rounders EASY in todays NHL
- Dozzer

What will never happen again? To find a gem in the later rounds that turn into the kind of player Zetterberg or Datsyuk have turned out to be?

I disagree, Tyler Johnson is a recent perfect example of a guy who wasn't even drafted for god's sake.

My location still IS a quote from you, with regards to the #GoonTank which has all but been kiboshed by recent events.

Still, I feel like you, me and Aetherial clicked. Three amigos
- TheThrill

TheThrill ain't gone, it's on!

Organically? How organic is drafting 4th overall and getting Strome compared to McDavid? C'mon, stop lying to yourself.

Hunter has proven nothing, sorry to burst your bubble. I'm glad he's on the management team but that doesn't mean he's proven he can find Datsyuk and Zetterberg in the 7th round.

Babcock said it himself, for him to do his job, the Leafs have to give him draft picks. Part of giving him draft picks, is giving him the highest possible draft pick so he can pick the best possible player in each given draft.

You're really got it backwards. The fact that the Leafs should be tanking is the ultimate move in patience, not the other way around.
- JohnFergusonJr

Don't you, you know..... Have to have been through a draft to, you know draft players?

What will never happen again? To find a gem in the later rounds that turn into the kind of player Zetterberg or Datsyuk have turned out to be?

I disagree, Tyler Johnson is a recent perfect example of a guy who wasn't even drafted for god's sake.
- Scabeh

Not to mention if Detroit thought they were going to be that good they would have drafted them first round.

This.

Also, Dubas has made it clear the intention is to not only draft well, but to become an elite developmental organization as well.
- TheThrill

I wonder if the Leafs will use the London knights to develop guys... use their ownership over them to push for trades for their OHL prospects, so they can start playing together prior to the AHL.

Not to mention if Detroit thought they were going to be that good they would have drafted them first round.
- Cfser

This

This.

Also, Dubas has made it clear the intention is to not only draft well, but to become an elite developmental organization as well.
- TheThrill

29 other teams have the same intention FYI

Don't you, you know..... Have to have been through a draft to, you know draft players?


- burn

He should have proven he can draft good players BEFORE ever getting a chance to draft players! DUH!

Not to mention if Detroit thought they were going to be that good they would have drafted them first round.
- Cfser

Unless Holland is the biggest gambler ever.

I wonder if the Leafs will use the London knights to develop guys... use their ownership over them to push for trades for their OHL prospects, so they can start playing together prior to the AHL.
- Feeling Glucky?

Never, that may be bending a rule or 2..

29 other teams have the same intention FYI
- DoubleDown

Only 29 teams USED to have that intention

thats never happening again

detroit was ahead of the curve when it came to euro scouting..now everyone pays attention to whats going on over there

both of those two would be first rounders EASY in todays NHL
- Dozzer

Maybe not.

At the end of the day, scouts are peering into a crystal ball to try to figure out how kids are going to develop into men.

At the time, 30 (or whatever #) sets of scouts looked at Datsyuk, Lidstrom, etc. and passed. Multiple times.

It doesn't mean the scouts sucked. All it means is that at the time, these guys didn't look like they were going to be great players.

Was it that Detroit was good at scouting those guys, or good at developing them?


And if it's the latter, that's something Babcock might bring with him.
- Feeling Glucky?

Both of them were in Detroit far before Babcock under another guy named Bowman and the leadership group of Yzerman and Shanahan etc.

Don't you, you know..... Have to have been through a draft to, you know draft players?


- burn

I believe that's why the term unproven applies and not that he sucks at it.

Unless Holland is the biggest gambler ever.
- Scabeh

"This is gonna look so much better if we draft them 6th or 7th round. . . . "

What will never happen again? To find a gem in the later rounds that turn into the kind of player Zetterberg or Datsyuk have turned out to be?

I disagree, Tyler Johnson is a recent perfect example of a guy who wasn't even drafted for god's sake.
- Scabeh

I think he means that Zetterberg and Datsyuk would have been identified by modern scouts, because there would have been scouts present to see them, whereas back then, detroit was more heavily invested in euro scouting than anyone else.


He's wrong, IMO, just because there are other growing hockey markets that aren't scouted very heavily, so teams can take a jump on that.(SCOUT CHINA!)

Not to mention if Detroit thought they were going to be that good they would have drafted them first round.
- Cfser

datsyuk was passed over twice at the draft (96&97) by everyone

This
- MaximusAurelius

by that logic, every single quality draft pick outside of round 1 was based on luck and nothing more.

I think he means that Zetterberg and Datsyuk would have been identified by modern scouts, because there would have been scouts present to see them, whereas back then, detroit was more heavily invested in euro scouting than anyone else.


He's wrong, IMO, just because there are other growing hockey markets that aren't scouted very heavily, so teams can take a jump on that.(SCOUT CHINA!)
- Feeling Glucky?

A buddy of mine coached their Womens National for a short time. There is no talent over there.

datsyuk was passed over twice at the draft (96&97) by everyone
- Sammich

Detroit was playing the long game obviously!