This is true. What is also true is that unless you have a crystal ball, you just don’t know what rank you’ll be picking at the following draft, especially with lottery uncertainties, so you gotta go with the player you like the most each year irrespective of the pool of players in subsequent drafts. That question that was asked in the mailbag segment is fun to discuss but is just another form of pointless hindsight exercise.

key team here is chicago, i think. they need defense, but they need everything. if they pass on demidov at 2, they're taking a dman, and it would probably be levshyunov. i'm almost certain the ducks are going defense. levshyunov or silayev would both fit their needs. if the former is gone count on them picking the latter. columbus could use a center. this is where there's a risk they take lindstrom. there are plenty of wingers in columbus, but they don't shy away from russians (marchenko, voronkov, chinakhov). demidov could be the star this team has never really had. panarin didn't stay long enough. but hey, they could also choose defense, if silayev is still up. while they could do anything, if the hawks take a dman, one of lindstrom/demidov falls to us. but if not, i'm fine with catton or iginla. beyond that, we've made a mistake. whichever of silayev or iginla is left at 6 goes to utah. if both, then silayev.

what would it take to pry kent johnson out of columbus? or maybe cole perfetti out of winnipeg? this might be an unpopular one, but i'd give kaapo kakko a chance here if we can get him for a price commensurate to his performance and not his draft slot. he'd have more opportunities here and if he can't score enough to be in the top 6 he'd make an excellent third liner. as for prospects, i'll give the jets back their 1st and add a 2nd from next year for colby barlow. also interested in calum ritchie from the avs, and to a lesser extent, colton dach from the hawks. but i can't promise any of these are available.

@@doaftheloaf Thanks for that comment . I wrote my comment expecting GODIN & BASU to get involved. Why do they keep quiet??

reinbacher isn't the type of player you generally call elite. he'll be more like a prime ryan mcdonagh or brent seabrook. his role will be more defensive in nature as he's likely to be paired with the freewheeling lane hutson. but reinbacher will be the type of player that every teams needs and no team wins without. slaf is just scratching the surface of his talent. i don't know if he'll be elite, but he'll be one hell of a hockey player. remember these guys are 19 and 20. there's lots of time.

Sennecke and Eiserman will not be there at 26.

There is no way Habs will trade down with their 26th pick. However there is every chance they will trade that pick UP to hopefully land Eiserman, Greentree or Connelly. Trading the pick along with a young established defenseman like Harris or Strubble, maybe Barron(?) will probably only get them to the early teens which should get them one of the three I mentioned. If Habs are able to nab Eiserman in the teens like they did Caufield it will be a huge success.

@@brendanchasse2644 I agree, which is why I think they will move down if they are available in the high teens

I agree with you and disagree with MAG. If the Habs don't like the available players around the league to do another Dach-Newhook trade, I could see them do a package to advance and pick one othe players Charles6180 mentionned. For a "hockey trade", there need to be something interesting that fits how HuGo see the future of their top 6 (size/talent wise). They won't waste Winnipeg pick (in a package) to get a borderline top 6 player like Newhook again. Nothing against Newhook, I just don't think he is at the same level as Suzuki, Dach, Caufield and Slaf, and brings something special to them (size, grit or skills outside his speed).

@francisdesjardins5913 completely agree with you on this. I know Hughes wants some top prospects vs picks or drafting youth. However if an Iginla or Sennecke can be NHL ready in 1-2 years he may take that if he can't turn the 26th pick into a Zegras type player.

C'est sûr tu niaise 😂

I agree that it is better to draft,Necss is not a difference maker.

I like Necas but I wouldn't give up a promising RD for him. Better off going with Newhook Dach Roy on the 2nd and biding your time.