3rd rounders have value? Not really, not in this organization. I went through this the other night glad it is brought up. So a random general 3rd round pick is more valuable then a mid 20s middle 6 forward who has scored 50 goals the past 3 seasons? Definitely not.
Do people know the history of 3rd round picks in this franchise?
# of Buffalo Sabre 3rd round picks who ended up playing 80+ games in Buffalo.
Going in reverse chronological order.
2004 Andrej Sekera
2003 Clarke MacArthur
1997 Max Afinogenov
1986 Bob Corkum
1984 Ray Sheppard
1980 Sean McKenna
1979 Jacques Cloutier
1975 Terry Martin
1975 Gary McAdam
1971 Bill Hajt
So in virtually 50 years of drafting, the Sabres have literally drafted 10 players in franchise history in the 3rd round who ever played a full seasons worth of games. You can add Brayden McNabb in that group, he didn't play 80 games with us but he did become a legit top 4 dman and was drafted in the 3rd. But still, in the entire Sabres history we literally are averaging a "hit" in the 3rd once every 5 years. We haven't hit on a 3rd rounder in literally a decade (McNabb), and haven't hit on an actual long term 80+ game contributor in the 3rd in FIFTEEN YEARS (Sekera). 80+ games as counting as a hit is also an extremely low bar. We aren't using 80 goals or even 80 points as a barometer of success drafting in the 3rd but 80 GAMES.
I am sorry, if you think 3rd round picks are worth much at all in the NHL I am going to disappoint you. 3rd round picks in the NHL are not worth much. Trading quality players for 3rd round picks is how you trade long term high end contributors for scraps (See Lydman; Toni). You take a 3rd round pick when you must move a quality player who has a contract you just can't afford anymore like a Vesey or Sheary. But like I said, if given the chance you trade every 3rd round pick you have if you are getting even a Vesey or Sheary level player in return. They are legit middle 6 forwards capable of 15-20 goals and 40-45 points. 3rd round picks for this franchise usually amount to NOTHING. We literally have a 1 in 5 year success rate of drafting a 3rd round player who ends up playing just 1 full seasons worth of games. That is awful.
And comparing 3rd round picks in the NFL is totally incompatible with this debate. 3rd round picks in the NFL are generally seen as starters or at minimum immediate high end backups or rotational players. When you draft a 3rd round player in the NFL that player is expected at the very least to contribute right away if not become a starter by year 2 if not sooner. In the NHL, 3rd round picks are literally trade sweeteners, a shot and a prayer type draft picks and the most common return in the offseason and TDL for legit full time NHL players. That is it. There is no unbiased argument to be made saying that 3rd round picks are worth more then a player with 50 goals the past 3 years. Hell, the only players who have scored 50+ goals the past 3 years here are Eichel, Reinhart,...and soon to be Skinner. That is it. Okposo has 48 goals for us the past 3 years. Kane had 48 goals for us in just less then 2 seasons (still in that 2016-2019 time frame).
So yeah, it would be nice if people could recognize and just admit that the scarcity of players on this team capable of scoring 50 goals the last 3 years for us. Or the fact that getting said players for 3rd roumd picks is something you do every single time.
