Most of us were down on the Martinook pick at the time, so him actually developing into a PKing bottom six winger basically met our best expectations. Gormley and Samuelsson unfortunately got derailed by injuries that made their biggest deficiencies even more glaring (skating), and although we did eventually flip Murphy, we only did so after we got a good read on what he'd become after 250 games in Coyotes red.
I'm not attached to Crouse so I have no problems using him as trade bait, but the fifth OA is not a pick that changes hands very often, because more often than not it represents a golden opportunity to pick up a young potential top line/pairing talent for free - and frankly, that talent will be there this year.
Totally understand. And I get it - we get a valuable piece with the #5 pick.
By my count, we have 8 potential players on the roster at their positions that still qualify into the young and potential top talent who are going to blossom within the next 2-3 years, if the process hasn't already started. (Dvorak, Perlini, Domi, Strome, Keller, Fischer, Crouse, Chychrun)
Dvorak has put up the 2 quietest back-to-back 30 point seasons in recent memory.
Perlini set the team mark for most goals in 1st 100 games.
I could go on and on down the list, but my question is with that much at your leisure now - is it really hurting you to give up the #5 pick and have some years of immediately upgrading your top line, especially if you can work the deal to include one of those players with the questionable floor/ceiling ratio that I had mentioned earlier (in this case, Crouse)?
Or do you use the #5 pick and see if you sign what I consider to be meh temporary options in free agency, keeping in mind Panik is a UFA after this year and I really have no idea what his status will be with an offseason arrest, although I would like to keep him... as a 2nd/3rd line RW. Draft Wahlstrom (controlled contract, but you set yourself backwards if he doesn't meet expectations) and see what develops.
For me, it is often the first option, even with the value that is in this draft. I want these other 6 or 7 players to have better talent surrounding them now. The talent that would be added has done it at the NHL level before and is ready to continue doing so now. Yes, stopgap signings can be used, but imagine a talented top RW coming to this team in his mid-late 20s with some years left on his deal - maybe 1- 3 years left. Since Panik was our de facto top RW last year, came over in a trade, and has one year left after this past season - he is a prime example. Imagine executing a trade with the 5th pick, Crouse and maybe a small other piece from the AHL for the version of Panik that has typically scored 60+ points vs. Panik's high of 44 in his career. You don't think that a player like the 60 point version of Panik (or even the version of Panik we had this year of about 45 points) isn't going to see all the talent that he can continue playing with in his 30s and not want to re-sign or extend here?
If we only had 3 or 4 players in the young and developing group, then using the draft may still be appropriate (like two years ago when drafting Keller and Chychrun). But right now - we have the talent ready to progress. Explore all options to surround them with one more big weapon in the right age range at RW to continue to allow the young players to do so. If it doesn't happen, then we stick to the draft.
