GDT: 2018 NHL Draft | June 22nd @ 7pm est

[WadeRedden]

This is a pretty poor rebuttal. Let's look at: Pageau (2011), Stone (2010), Hoffman (2009), Dzingel (2011), Claesson (2011), Wideman (2009), Borowiecki (2008). It took almost all of these guys 6 years after their draft to have a full time NHL season. And while you have varying skill levels and contributions, you can't deny that there has been some great success with some of these players. So how can you not afford more recent draftees the same amount of time before you start grading them as busts?

The difference is those guys all made significant strides in their hockey development in the years after they were drafted. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the Tim Boyles and Todd Burgesses are never going to have even a whiff of a decent pro hockey career.

And do you expect the Senators to draft star players every single year out of somewhere in round 4-7? It's not very realistic. Despite that there's still a lot of optimism about Wolanin and Batherson becoming pretty good players. So, again, patience is required.

No, I don't expect them to draft star players every single year. I never said that. I'm just confused by the amount of people who perpetuate the idea that Ottawa has some sort of edge on other clubs when it comes to drafting and developing talent. Their track record since 2011 is marginal at best. And as I already mentioned, many of the guys that were a big part of developing their reputation as a team that drafts well--Bryan Murray, Bob Lowes, etc.--have left. I'd love to be proven wrong but looking through their prospect pool is a little depressing at times.