The difference is that the people who were against the pick at the time (myself included) are open minded to letting it play out while you and Cyclone continue to pound the point home that he was a "massive" reach and seem to have it in for him because the Oilers didn't go with the consensus.
How about we give it more than a few weeks before judging him? All we have to go by is an 8 game sample size of which very few of us have seen live.
He's an Oiler now so lets cheer for him instead of longing for Zegras, Boldy or whoever and looking for reasons to not like him.
FWIW, I'm still not a fan of the pick but am willing to let it play out.
To me it's not the point that he was a reach that bugs me.
It's the fact that we drafted a defender whose only notable aspect is his speed top 10 in a draft weak on defenders. We drafted a very raw player who only has one standard aspect of his game. Sure due to his size him making the NHL as a bottom pairing guy is pretty sure but his ceiling is quite low, which at that stage of the draft isn't what you really want.
I want him to succeed for sure, I just found it strange how much of the board didn't want him, then we drafted him and he was the best thing since sliced bread and people calling him a guarenteed top 4 defender.
He is average at pretty much everything but skates fast, I'll cheer for the kid to do well, doesn't mean I'm happy with the org for the pick and will have to see much much more from him for that to change.
And like I said before, the World Juniors will be very important for him. Anything other than a good performance and playing top 4 minutes will be bad.
Imo I can see guys like Bjornfot and Soderstrom play above him. I'll be happy and impressed if he plays higher.
I think everyone wants him to succeed.
Like CycloneSweep it's the organizational need aspect that really bugs me.
For me. I look at now and the future. I see a team desperate for talent at forward. Especially at center after Nuge most likely walks.
If Holland can draft develope and trade all these numerous LD we have in our system for equal value forwards or goalies, great. But even before Holland this organization has drafted far too many defenseman of the left shooting variety. To the point of getting them properly development, ice time, and most importantly evaluation is not possible.
How many more Erik Gustasfsson are we going draft and completely miss out on.
How many are we going to somewhat draft and develope and move on from like Davidson, Chorney, Marincin. Osterle.
How many young LD are we going to sell the farm to get despite it being an organizational strength, like Chiarelli did with Reinhart.
I'm not even a fan of him that much but is Jones the next Erik Gustasfsson?
Is Samourukov or Lagesson going be back burnered to Broberg next year and end up having their career stunted and played elsewhere?
Is Day a player that just will never see the light through the massive jam of left shooting defenseman?
Why even use third rounders on Neimelienen or Cairns.
I get that having competition is good but this ridiculous. The list of left shooting defensemen we have drafted or acquired seems massive and unmanageable.