- Jun 24, 2012
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Combination of factors... luck & timing being the most uncontrollable.
It has occurred for us... take PK. Getting a Norris dman in the mid 2nd round.
But I do think on the controllable side of things, the internal ability to assess prospects and quickly shift the internal emphasis/prioritization in how well a particular player gets supported, is a key variable that a team can control and that we did miserably under MBs watch.
It's obvious and pretty consistent that teams prioritize top picks when it comes to opportunities & "leash", and not a bad thing per say... but can a team quickly recognize that a player drafted later has made quick/fast strides, and then shift their prioritization accordingly?
A player like Roy would be an example, imo. How much emphasis and opportunity does he get going forward? His explosion puts him on par or ahead of many 1st round picks from his draft... does the team internally adjust accordingly?
Andrighetto from a few years back strikes me as the opposite... granted he never fully built himself into a top 6 player, but, does he get so quickly and unceremoniously traded, for useless spare part, had he been a 1st round pick?
Considering the longer leash and time the habs invested in trying to get something out of McCarron (drafted the same year and far less effective at every level, post draft, than andrighetto), I think the clear answer is no.
And, while some really don't get it, the reality in rite sports is that the margin of error btw progressive levels of impact (ie hof vs elite, elite vs solid top 6, solid top 6 vs mediocre top 6... vs bottom 6 vs borderline nhler vs career ahler vs echler...) is incredibly thin & heavily tied to mindset/emotional resilience.
The right opportunity at the right time, let's a Martun St-Louis breakout into a HOF, whereas if that same opportunity doesn't arrive at the same time, he might never have become an NHL regular, let alone superstar.
Dan Cleary is a great example of the opposite effect... huge talent, comes really close to wasting it away, finds a different mindset at the right time to salvage his career. He obviously had the talent & skill to be a star, flamed out, but caught himself.
Long winded answer... but the main point is that of the controllable variables, strong talent id (physical & mental), individualized support & attention, and the willingness to prioritize based on constantly updating assessment vs sunk cost approach of prioritizing based on draft position... those things all factor in to creating optimal environments for prospects to be set up to succeed.
And all areas that we did much better at under Savard & Gainey's leadership than under MBs... and likely the biggest reason our draft and development success went from league best to league worst despite the same person leading the draft side of things throughout
PK was good for where they got him but he was nowhere near Aho and Pasta in terms of sustained impact. The latter two could have easily been top 3 in a redraft. PK, I’m not sure.
I meant the Habs just never found that type of elite scoring forward with a later pick.
