Mëds wrote: ↑Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:44 pm
Our 2019 first round draft pick could end up being another Jake Virtanen, Cody Hodgson, Hunter Shinkaruk, Brendan Gaunce, Jared McCann, Jordan Schroeder, Patrick White, Kirill Koltsov, Brad Ference, Nathan Smith, just as easily (more likely actually) as it's another Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, or Ryan Kesler.
Schneider was on target, too. Would have looked fine earlier in his career as a #1 without Strombone.
Koltsov was the Canucks first selection, but taken in the second round. Could have been a very good pick. But the year that he would have been ready for a call up, the NHL was locked out. So he went back to Russia. And got comfortable there. And became a top pairing guy, one of the KHL's best defensemen. Wasn't the player that was the problem, but the timing and the Canucks inability to hold onto Russians after having been an early adopter.... Bourdon, of course, we will never know.
When you look back at the Canuck drafts, since the 2000s started, they haven't had any luck with defensemen outside of Edler and Bieksa. Maybe we can count Hutton, as any 5th rounder making it gravy. But then who? Connauton? Is he the 4th best defenseman drafted by the Vancouver Canucks since 2000? The guy is no better than a #7. Forsling likely will have the same future (though would probably get a look if he were in Vancouver).
Okay, I've derailed. I want them to make the playoffs. I think getting scrubbed in the playoffs is far better than not making the playoffs. But I am not optimistic. Too many injuries, not enough gas left in the tank of those not injured, and an anemic power play and mediocre PK meaning that they can't escape lack of depth.
And really, what's the upside of missing the playoffs? Lottery win, great! But outside of that, I think that there is more difference (usually) between the 2d overall and the 6th overall than between the 6th overall and the 20th overall. [i.e., if you don't turn out so bad as to select in the top 5, good luck]. Of course the cutoff line depends on the draft, but the point is that the list of sure things is very very short and there are always a few impact players to be found in the middle of the first round and after. Finding them is tough part; at least this crew might.
and you don't blow your brains out at the deadline as a bottom-10 team to rent a star player and pray that he wants to hang around longer than 60 days. You also don't host the draft to not draft hockey players. 
